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♪ Happy Holidays, Happy Holidays ♪

♪ while the merry bells keep ringing ♪

♪ Happy Holidays ♪

♪ To you ♪

♪ Happy Holidays ♪

♪ It's the holiday season ♪

♪ And Santa Claus is coming round ♪

♪ Christmas snow ♪

♪ is right on the ground ♪

♪ When ol' Santa gets into town ♪

Conrad, I'm disappointed too.

But they're saying the storm is just going to get worse.

No. It's best if you and Winnie stay in Seattle.

And come tomorrow, we'll have Christmas dinner.

Conrad, look, I don't pull

the because I'm your mother and I say so card very often,

but I'm pulling it now.

I will be fine. Merry Christmas.

- Hi. - Oh, hey.

Ivy, Hector come in, come in.

Wha... What are you guys doing?

Well, well, we're on the way to the airport.

We almost certainly find out

that our flight has been cancelled.

Hector, it hasn't been canceled yet. Okay?

Anyways, we just figured that since it was on the way,

we'd drop off Christmas presents

for you and Conrad and Winnie and...

And then maybe we could take the gifts you wanted us

to pick up for Mom and Dad.

That's very sweet.

It's also a little crazy, considering this storm.

You know, I actually told Winnie and Conrad

not to risk driving in this.

Where are they?

Well, Winnie had a showcase in Seattle

singing Christmas songs,

and I really wanted to be there.

But unlike my kids, I read the forecast,

and I didn't want to get stuck on Christmas Eve.

Yeah.

Oh my gosh. I almost forgot.

- Happy birthday. - Thank you.

Thank you.

Wow. Twenty-five years ago. Right here in this living room.

Right there.

All because of Uncle Greg?

Yeah.

I forgot about that clock.

I can't believe you still have that.

And I really can't believe you put it out in public.

Hey, your parents gave us that.

And Greg really loved it.

You guys have time for coffee?

Oh. How are your folks?

I haven't talked to them in a few weeks.

Oh. They're good.

You know, dad's working too much, as per usual.

And he's tired all the time.

Mom won't stop asking us when we're giving them grandkids.

It's going to happen. Be patient.

Remind me to tell my mother that.

Well, I should put some of this stuff away.

I'm really glad I didn't put the turkey in the oven.

You know, I really don't like that you're going to be here

all by yourself on Christmas Eve.

No. I'm fine.

I'm gonna snuggle up on the couch

and watch a Christmas movie.

It could be nice to do that with someone else.

I'm perfectly content to watch Christmas movies by myself.

Regina...

it's been almost 10 years since Uncle Greg passed.

I found that time doesn't work the same with things like that.

Right.

Now, who wants a coffee?

Okay.

Oh my gosh.

Whoa!

Oh! Oh my gosh!!

Coming!

Ahhhh!!!!

In all of time since man first recorded

the history of humankind using primitive drawings

on the walls of caves,

there has never been mentioned of a man as maddening

as the one sitting in our living room.

What did he do now?

It's not what he does, Penny.

It's who he is.

Nothing is ever good enough.

Not this house or my career.

Or the Christmas tree or the lights.

Or the way I wrapped the presents.

I wrapped the presents.

What difference does it make?

He gets along with me.

This has been the longest month of my life.

Eli, your father does not like to depend on people.

Breaking his hip and having to recover here

has been a humbling experience for him.

Humble?

Penny, words are my stock in trade.

Of all the ones I would use to describe my father...

humble is not one of them.

Sweetheart, I love you.

I know this has been hard,

and any other day I'd let you use

as many colorful words as you'd like.

But it's Christmas Eve,

and today you're gonna smile and be merry.

And we are all going to share

a wonderful holiday meal as a family.

And the only words you're allowed to say are:

Fa la la la la. Okay?

- Okay. - Mm.

Thank you for putting up with me.

It was in the vows.

Walter?!

Walter, are you all right?

I'm fine.

I just can't navigate around all this clutter in here.

Dad, it's not clutter.

Penny needs all this to do ladies' hair.

You do need all of it, don't you?

Yes. Barbara Fleming is coming over in a little while.

Mmhmm.

It's a lot of stuff for a hobby.

We wouldn't be able to afford this house

if it weren't for Penny's salon.

Saint Barber has been cutting my hair for the last 40 years,

and all he needs is

a pair of scissors.

We know dad.

Yeah. Shirley only takes 30 seconds to do...

Women's hair takes a little more work, Walter.

That's all.

Your wife shouldn't have to work

in order to afford a house.

Dad, I am the author of a bestselling book.

I think I'm doing just fine, thank you.

Zane Grey.

He knew how to tell a story.

Maybe you should write a Western.

Okay.

So, Dad, you excited for Christmas?

What am I, nine?

No offense, kiddo.

I'm ten.

- Can you believe-- - Dad...

when are we gonna work on the time capsule?

It has to be done today.

We'll get to it.

Well, I better go see

if we've got enough cookies and milk for Santa tonight.

I don't know about you, but I'm gonna be up all night.

Mm.

Mmhmm.

Eli...

Hmm?

♪ Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la. ♪

Heavens.

Don't worry, darling,

there's still a good chance you might not grow up

to be like either of them.

Jessie, it's going to snow later.

Yeah, so I've heard.

I'm getting married tonight.

I know. I got the invitation.

Jessie. What if--

No, no. Beth, don't start with the what-ifs.

It'll start with what if they don't plow the road

and nobody can get to the wedding?

And before you know it, it'll be:

What if the Abominable Snowman abducts the maid of honor?

You're just mad because I didn't ask you

to be the maid of honor.

Oh, no, no, no, I am perfectly content being a bridesmaid.

I just get to stand there for a bit, have some cake,

maybe dance a little and then come home.

But you're my older sister.

Why do you always have to throw in the older part?

Because I know you hate it.

Beth, you've been dreaming of a Christmas Eve wedding

since we were kids.

You used to put a veil on your stuffed reindeer

and have her marry Frosty the Snowman.

And somehow, despite all odds,

you found a guy who loves the holidays as much as you do.

Now that's what I call a Christmas miracle.

It was meant to be.

And the wedding will be amazing.

Thank you.

Of course.

Oh. It's Max.

Hi, honey. I'm here with Jessie.

Are you at the venue?

Yes, but it's closed.

They said it open at 8:00.

No, Beth closed as in out of business.

What?

Yeah. I went next door to the little bistro Julian's.

They said the IRS showed up late last night

and shut them down.

Something about unpaid taxes or something.

We had everything delivered yesterday.

The cake, the decorations, the tuxes, my wedding dress.

I know. I'm sorry, Beth.

I'll see you soon.

Jessie... What are we going to do?

I... I don't know what you can do.

Even if you get all your stuff,

you don't have any place to put it.

It's not like you can get married in my backyard.

Beth. No.

We only have 30 guests.

We could easily fit everybody back there.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

We have no flowers, no cake, no nothing.

We can't put together an entire wedding in my backyard

in 12 hours on Christmas Eve.

Jessie, please!

You know how important this is to me.

To us.

Max and I met on Christmas Eve.

He proposed the following Christmas Eve.

You said it yourself

meeting Max was a Christmas miracle.

Well, we could use another one right about now.

One Christmas miracle coming up.

Oh.

If you get this message, please call me back.

Thank you.

What's happening with all the faucets now? Any luck?

I've called every plumber in the book

and they are either too busy

or not working on Christmas Eve,

or not willing to come out in the snow,

or they're just not picking up their phones.

Right.

I finally found the main water shut off.

Oh.

Yeah. Pipes in the basement. Totally fine.

It is either something in the walls or something outside.

Thank you, Hector.

Yeah.

You two should really go to the airport.

I can handle this on my own.

No. Our flight is going to get canceled.

It hasn't been canceled yet. Okay.

What a Christmas, this is turning out to be. Huh?

Well, we'll deal with this, okay?

- Okay. - Here you go.

All right.

If you get over there.

Oh.

Oh ho ho ho! Merry Christmas.

Uh, Santa told me you were looking for a plumber.

Oh, my gosh. Come on in, yes.

The reindeer better be wearing their snowshoes tonight.

Hey, I'm Nelson King.

Regina Johnston.

Nice to meet you.

A plumber buddy of mine got your message.

And he knew I was on a site a couple blocks over,

so I figured I'd stop by and see what I could do.

Oh, wait, you're not a plumber.

A contractor, but I know what I'm doing well.

Well, the problem I'm having is with my plumbing.

So I really feel like I need a plumber.

Regina-- can I call you Regina?

Regina, you need a plumber.

But all things considered,

I would say that foggy Christmas Eve rules apply.

Foggy Christmas Eve rules?

From Rudolph.

The other reindeer wouldn't let him play their reindeer games

until it got foggy on Christmas Eve,

and Santa needed him to guide his sleigh.

In this metaphor, I'm Rudolph.

Yeah, I got that.

Okay.

And I'm here to guide your sleigh.

Kitchen's this way.

Tune in tonight

for the Tommy Saunders Variety Hour Christmas Eve special.

Coming to you live from a living room near you.

Barbara. Come in.

- Hello. - Hello.

Oh, it is so lovely to see you.

Penny, thank you so much for saving me.

My hair is a mess.

Oh, Barbara, stop. It is my pleasure.

We won't get you all fixed up

for your Christmas Eve party tonight.

Are you sure you can't come? We have eggnog.

No, it's a family night.

You remember my father in law.

Walter, this is Barbara from down the block.

Hi, Walter. It's nice to see you again.

Well, let's get you all gussied up.

Okay.

How is that handsome husband of yours?

Busier than ever.

I'm grateful the store is finally doing well,

but I never see him.

And when he does come home from work, he's so tired.

He's just ready for sleep right after dinner.

Sometimes during it.

Oh, dear.

Eli is like that whenever he's writing a new book,

it's like there's nothing else in the world.

Well, how do you get his attention?

I tell him something's on fire.

Falls for it every time.

Maybe it's me.

It's so easy to fall into a routine.

Roasted chicken every Monday. Meatloaf on Wednesdays.

We listen to Elvis' Christmas album every Christmas Eve.

Don't get me wrong, we have a great life.

But sometimes it feels,

I don't know... boring.

Do you ever feel that way?

Well, not at the moment, no, but I do know what you mean.

There is nothing better

than settling into a comfortable life.

But when it becomes a little too settled

or a little too comfortable,

maybe it's time to try something new.

Well, maybe it couldn't hurt to mix it up a little.

What are you thinking?

Something stylish like Jackie Kennedy.

Or maybe something that makes me feel,

I don't know.

He won't know what hit him.

We had roses covering the altar.

And then we had white lights, white tulle, Christmas angels,

Holly, poinsettias, Christmas trees.

Trees? Plural.

What do you think?

Well, I think I've seen Christmas shows

at Radio City Music Hall that weren't this extravagant.

We might need to scale back a little, huh?

Well, if by scaled back,

you mean change everything, then yeah.

But it's our dream wedding.

No, sweetie, your dream wedding was seized by federal agents.

We can't do all this by tonight.

Maybe Jessie's right.

We could do without some of this.

We don't really need the angels--

Max! They signify our eternal love for one another

under the eyes of God.

They're sacred.

They're $10 plastic statues

we got from the Christmas store at Cherry Lane Mall.

Which is open until 6 p.m...

Beth, why don't we talk about this when he gets here?

Wait, wait, when who gets here?

We've been doing some pre-wedding counseling

at the church.

We figured today would be a stressful day,

so we asked Pastor Tim to come early, just in case.

Wait, Pastor Tim as in Tim Whitman?

Yes. Who else did you think was going to do the ceremony?

I don't know.

You're getting married on Christmas Eve... Santa Claus?

Well, you would have known if you'd gone

to the rehearsal dinner.

I had to work.

Why are you freaking out?

Because it's Tim Whitman!

The guy who... who broke my heart.

Jessie, it has been over 15 years.

Whatever he may have been like in high school,

he is a total sweetheart now.

I'm sure if you just spent five minutes with him,

it'll be just like old times.

Oh. Perfect timing.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

- Hey. - Hi.

How are you?

Oh. I'm good.

Wow. It's Tim Whitman.

Hi, Jessie. Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas.

Hi, Max.

- Good to see you. - Good to see you, too.

Do you think it's big enough?

Well, I guess it depends on what's going inside.

It's supposed to be things

our family loves most about Christmas.

Mm.

Well, I don't think it's going to fit a turkey.

Dad?

What's this?

It's for the time capsule.

How long is this supposed to stay buried?

We dig it up Christmas Eve,

our senior year so seven years,

Seven years?

That's not going to last seven years.

It's wood.

It's going to be a pile of mush.

- Dad, I think it's going to-- - Shh!

Alex, listen to me. I was an engineer for 42 years.

I worked on trains. I worked on airplanes.

Now, if you want your time capsule to still be there

when you dig it up in seven years, then I'm your man.

Father, are you implying that you would like to help?

Well, if you're going to do something,

then you take the time to do it right.

Let's go see what we can find in the basement.

Neato! Thanks, Grandpa.

Well, you might have a cracked pipe

that's making your water pressure go crazy,

but the only way to find out is to dig up your yard.

We can't do that in the middle of a blizzard.

No, I guess not.

So maybe I'll come back when the snow stops

and see what I dig up.

See what I did there?

Saw from a mile away.

Now my kids are coming for Christmas dinner tomorrow.

What am I supposed to do with no water?

I wish I could help, but maybe see when the snow stops.

- Um, it's nice to meet you. - Yeah.

And have a merry Christmas.

Same.

I'm so sorry, Regina.

Do you want to just use our house?

It's just gonna be sitting empty while we're in Michigan.

Really? You don't mind?

No, of course not.

Oh.

We are not going to the airport just yet

because our flight has been delayed.

But not canceled. Right?

Should we just maybe go home for now?

You know, my house is a lot closer to the airport.

You could just keep me company till you're ready to go.

Unless you need anything requiring water.

Is there water in eggnog?

No. Okay.

Whew. Boy, it's cold out there.

I thought you were--

Leaving? Uh, yeah, my truck won't start.

I may or may not have remembered

to put in antifreeze.

Uh, isn't that sort of like your car's plumbing?

Ironic, right?

Mm.

I called Triple-A. They'll be here in an hour or two.

An hour or two.

Oh. Oh, it's okay. I can wait in the truck.

I've got my coat and gloves.

And if it gets too chilly,

I can just burn whatever's in the glove box.

No, look, I may not have water, but I've got heat, so.

Oh, no, no, no. I don't I don't want to.

No. Come on in.

What can I do to help?

I'm pretty handy in the kitchen.

I make a mean instant mashed potatoes.

Well...

That would require water.

Fair point.

Well, let me do something.

One thing you'll learn about me, Regina,

is I sing for my supper.

Well, not literally. I'm a terrible singer.

Unless you're talking Christmas carols

and I rock "Joy to The World".

Good to know.

So, um, how do you know Ivy and Hector?

They seem great.

Yeah. Well, Ivy and I work together.

Yeah. Where?

Pinewood High School. She's a teacher.

And I'm the principal.

- Really? - Mmhmm.

Wow.

If my principal looked like you, I wouldn't have minded

getting sent there all the time as a kid.

Well, um... anyway, Ivy is more than a co-worker.

My husband is her- was her father's best friend.

He passed away.

I do that all the time too,

refer to my late wife in the present tense,

as I always will.

Anyway, um, Ivy's family,

you know, she actually was born in this house on Christmas Eve.

- Oh, really? - Yeah.

Wait. Today's her birthday?

Yeah.

Well, we have to do something.

Do you have any candles?

I don't know.

- Happy birthday! - Aww!

Sorry for the donut.

It was the best I could do on short notice.

It's perfect. Thank you.

Make a wish.

What's it like having a birthday on Christmas Eve?

Did you have to fight Santa Claus for attention?

No, no, no, no.

My parents were pretty good about keeping things separate.

So daytime was birthday.

And when the sun went down, it was Christmas Eve.

Do you remember the time,

it was probably a couple of years

before your mom and dad moved to Michigan.

So you and Conrad would have been, like, six years old.

And he came in and he said, Merry Christmas

before happy birthday.

Do I remember?

That temper tantrum went down in history?

Conrad's your son?

Yeah. They were born a few months apart.

So they were friends before they could even walk.

Mmhmm.

Yeah.

This is the first Christmas Eve I've spent without them.

Well, there's something about

being with your kids at Christmas that's important.

Do you have kids?

Uh. Just one. Melanie. She's down in Florida

and she's eight months pregnant,

so she couldn't make the trip home.

Oh, congratulations, you're going to be a grandfather.

Thank you, thank you. I'm going to spoil that kid rotten.

How about you? You have any little ones?

Um. Not yet.

Well, I'm telling you,

it's the greatest thing that ever happened to me in my life.

Uh, Nelson, would you help me with something in the kitchen?

Uh, sure.

Hey.

Why do I feel like I'm getting called

to the principal's office?

It's about Ivy and Hector.

Yeah.

It's the whole subject of children.

It's just kind of a sore subject for them.

Oh. I'm sorry.

Sometimes my mouth just gets going faster than my brain.

I feel terrible. I should go apologize.

No, no, no, no.

Look, while you're here,

let's just agree to keep things merry and bright, okay?

- Yeah. - Yeah.

How are we feeling?

- Good. - Good.

- Yeah. - I'm excited.

Oh. Do you need any help with that, Jessie?

No, I've got it. Thank you.

Well, I was just telling Beth and Max here

how lucky they are to have someone like you

willing to come to their rescue.

I've got the best older sister in the entire world.

I just came to help them

navigate these tricky waters today.

There's a lot of emotion going on today, I'm sure.

You can say that again.

I'm sorry.

Oh, no, no, nothing. Please go on. Sorry.

Well, I know we have a ton to do today,

so I figured I'd roll my sleeves up and help.

Figured I could start with the painting duties.

Painting? Uh, what are we painting?

Oh, well, Max and I were talking

and we thought if we set up all the Christmas trees

by the house--

Again with the plural trees, how many are there?

Well, we wanted to have six, but I don't think

we're gonna be able to fit more than four back there.

It'll still make a great backdrop for wedding photos,

but the color of your house is going to clash

with our palette.

I'm sorry. You... you want to paint my house?

Not the whole house.

We're not painting anything!

Hey, can I-- can I talk to you for just one second?

Yeah, sure.

Be right back.

No need to thank me.

I wasn't going to.

I brought up painting the house

because I know they're trying to slip a few little things

into the plan without you noticing.

Little things?

They're having a Christmas wedding.

But the first Christmas, didn't even have this much stuff.

A few wise men and some myrrh and a donkey.

There's not going to be

a donkey in my backyard, is there?

No, no, it's in the dining room.

Look, they seem to listen to you.

Can you just talk them out of this?

It is a little over the top.

You keep using the word little completely wrong.

This is important to them, right?

This is their wedding.

We need to get them to scale it back.

Way back.

Santa's reindeer elf.

Huh?

Oh! Come on.

You remember Santa's reindeer elf?

When we were kids we didn't know

what movie we wanted to watch.

We played Santa's reindeer elf. It's like rock, paper scissors.

Santa's reindeer elf.

Like Santa's beats the elves because, well, he's their boss.

And the elves are in charge of the reindeer, so they win.

And then the reindeer beat Santa.

Well, you know, he needs them to pull the sleigh.

I'd forgotten all about that.

Yeah, because I always won.

No. You cheated.

How do you cheat in Santa reindeer elf?

I don't know, but you did.

Anyway, we're not kids anymore, okay?

We don't need silly kids games to make decisions.

Okay?

Okay, let's take it to a vote.

One, two.

Yeah. Three to one.

Let's plan a wedding, shall we?

- Wait. - Come on.

Reindeer Santa's elf, whatever it was, it was great.

Lovely. All right, let's get you under the dryer.

Here we are.

Then we will have the grand unveiling.

I can't wait.

Now I'm going to go check on those boys.

If you need anything, you just yell.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Now, this is galvanized steel.

Always remember, you can't go wrong with galvanized steel.

Don't we have that crocheted on a pillow somewhere?

Alex, sweetheart, what are you going to put in it?

Mm. I don't know.

What's important to our family for Christmas.

Galvanized steel.

I think the most important thing

is the time we spend with each other.

Maybe family photos.

Yeah, that would be neat.

Dad, do you have a different opinion?

This is a sturdy box here.

You don't want to waste it on pictures.

That's why you have photo albums.

Okay, Dad.

Well, what do you suggest we put in the time capsule?

Money.

Money?

Yeah, money.

Good old-fashioned American currency.

That way, when you dig it up, it'll be worth something.

It's supposed to be about the spirit of Christmas.

Warmth and happiness and family and good tidings

towards your fellow man.

You know what my fellow man really wants?

Money.

Sweetheart, I just wanted to talk to you

about my yam casserole.

Do you think that I need to add-- what are you doing?

Oh.

- Oh! - Those are for later.

This is an emergency.

You'll survive.

He is impossible, Penny!

He is who he is and you are who you are.

You need to find a way that you can both be who you are

in the same room without killing each other.

And if you can't, at least do it in the backyard.

Because I have to serve Christmas Eve dinner

in that room.

The problem is that we are just so different.

No, the problem is you are so much alike.

Get back in there!

Yes. Okay. Thank you so much.

All right, bye.

Okay, so one of our choir members said

we can use the heat lamps from his backyard.

That's great.

Okay. Good news, bad news.

Our customer found tuxes for Max and his best man.

I run a theater company downtown.

I've seen your shows.

You have?

Anyway, but no luck on the dress.

At least not one that's appropriate for a wedding.

I had the most perfect dress,

but it's in the venue and we can't get to it.

Why did you have everything deliver yesterday?

I mean, that's not how weddings usually work.

We didn't want to have to worry about doing stuff last minute.

No, that would be terrible.

Okay, so why are there Christmas trees

in my living room?

Because it's cold outside

and we didn't want them to freeze.

They're trees, they're supposed to be outside.

And why are there four? I thought we agreed on two.

Right. Two on each side of the altar.

There's a bakery by the mall

that has a Christmas-themed cake.

It's like a little snow-covered village,

complete with a Christmas tree in the town square.

So five trees.

Somebody was supposed to pick it up today,

but they cancelled. We can have it.

but we gotta go right now.

Perfect. We'll get the Christmas Angels

and all the other decorations at the mall

and then swing by the theater.

Great. Pastor Tim, Jessie,

why don't you get started on decorating the trees?

Beth, let's go.

Oh.

Looks like it's just the two of us.

Almost finished here, Barbara.

Thank you for fitting me in on Christmas Eve.

I'm sure you'd prefer to be with your family this morning.

It's much more festive in here, believe me.

What is the story between Eli and his father?

Did they ever get along?

Like oil and water those two.

Except they are both very stubborn.

Walter is an engineer,

and he understands things that he can build,

and Eli has always been very creative.

Sensitive like his mother, Judy.

Now those two, oh, they were thick as thieves,

especially at the holidays.

She would start singing carols around Thanksgiving,

and she wouldn't stop until after New Year.

She even had a clock that played Christmas songs

every hour on the hour, 24 hours a day.

That's very merry.

Eli's mother was the glue that held that family together.

And when she passed a few years ago,

Walter and Eli just drifted further apart.

It sounds like they need someone new to be the glue.

Yes.

I think they do.

Well, I am done.

It looks so... different.

Is that a good thing?

It's a wonderful thing.

So much for meatloaf Wednesdays.

Something other than Elvis' Christmas album tonight.

No way. We're still listening to that.

But this time we'll dance together.

And then we'll talk, really talk.

That's what every great relationship needs.

Communication, no matter what.

Oh, Penny...

you always make me look great and feel even better.

That's the best part of my job.

Now let's get you to your party.

There must be something I can whip up

that doesn't involve water.

Regina, you really, really don't need to feed us.

We're just gonna go to the airport.

You know, the storm seems to be... slowing down.

Your optimism is the thing I love most about you.

Reminds me of your Uncle Greg.

♪ Joy to the world. ♪

♪ The Lord is come. ♪

♪ Let earth receive her King. ♪

Yeah.

Nelson, he's a character, isn't he?

That's one way of putting it.

Well, I think he's charming.

- ♪ And heaven and nature. ♪ - ♪ And heaven and nature ♪

♪ and heaven and nature. ♪

I guess maybe a little.

- ♪ and nature sing ♪

Hello. Yes, this is Principal Johnston.

Who?

How did that happen?

Uh, no. I think the custodian's

the only other one that has the key.

Okay. Yeah. Keep me posted.

Uh, that was the coach.

He said that some of the students broke into the school

and got stuck in the gym.

How?

I don't know, but if this snow keeps up,

they might be stuck there for a while.

Mm.

I have a Christmas Eve brainstorm.

- Come with me. - What?

Okay.

So, do you know what you're doing?

I'll figure it out. You know me.

No, I don't.

All right. Now might be a good time for a Christmas wish.

Hand me the--

You may not know what you're doing,

but either way, you're gonna need a wrench to do it.

You surprise me, Regina.

Because I know what a wrench is.

No, because you're not afraid to tell a plumber to use one.

Well, you're not a plumber.

Ah. Well, you strike me

as somebody who can take care of themselves.

Somebody I wouldn't want to mess with.

I'm a high school principal.

You can't show weakness or you know they will eat you alive.

That's true, but there's more to it than that.

I guess I got used to taking care of myself.

Mm.

May I ask about your husband?

Greg.

He passed away 10 years ago. Yeah.

Conrad and Winnie were still kids.

So as hard as it was, I had to take care of everybody.

Who takes care of you?

Um. I don't need anyone to take care of me.

Everybody needs somebody sometimes.

Oh, and, hey, I am sorry for overstepping earlier.

Hector gave me some context,

and I realized why I should have kept my big mouth shut.

It's just not my strong suit.

I got that.

But I've been there, you know,

when my wife and I found out

that we couldn't have kids of our own,

you know, it took a while to adjust.

And then we were at a party.

And this loudmouth goes on

about how we should consider adopting.

And that's how we ended up with Melanie.

That's wonderful.

I just wish we'd gotten there sooner.

You know, had more kids

and more Christmas mornings with them.

or with my wife before she--

We always want more time, don't we?

Yeah.

Anyway, when kids come up now.

I become the loudmouth at the party.

Oh, something tells me that's not a rare occurrence.

See you do know me.

- Hey! - Nice job, Nelson.

Hey.

Full disclosure, it's only here in the kitchen,

and I don't know for how long.

Well, let's go get some pitchers to fill up, then.

I told you I knew what I was doing.

Still not a plumber.

Dad, what are you doing? Careful on those stairs.

I'm fine. I'm not made of glass.

Says the man with the broken hip.

It didn't happen on the stairs.

It happened on that icy front porch of yours,

and you really need to do something about it.

I will be sure to give it a stern talking to.

Huh.

What are you doing down here?

We're sitting up there with an empty box.

What's it made of again?

Oh. It's galvanized--

You and your jokes and your words and your--

I'll never understand you.

What's all this stuff?

Ornaments and keepsakes.

Thought I'd find something interesting

to put into Alex's time capsule.

A lot of this was your mother's.

She loved Christmas.

Dad, do you remember this?

Oh, I have nightmares about that.

Your mother knew how much I hated it.

So she would only put it up

when she was mad at me about something.

Well, it was up a lot.

Oh, Dad. Wow, look at this.

Mom's singing Christmas clock.

What are you doing with this?

I've been looking for this for years.

I didn't even know it was here.

You have no business

taking things that don't belong to you.

Dad...

Okay. And you're sure you don't need to stay at our house?

Yeah. The water's back on. I'll be fine.

Okay. And what about, um...

Triple A's on the way?

You two need to get going. You're gonna miss your flight.

If it doesn't get cancelled.

It's not gonna get cancelled.

All right, well, if it gets cancelled,

you've got the key so come in anytime.

- Okay. - Okay.

- Merry Christmas. - Merry Christmas, honey.

Bye.

Um. Bye, Nelson. Merry Christmas

Yeah, you too. Nice meeting you.

Okay, here we go.

Bye guys.

You know, I'm sure the tow truck will be here any minute.

Why don't I just wait on the truck?

Oh, don't be silly.

You've got the water working again.

I owe you.

I'm still going to send you a bill.

Are you sure?

Yeah.

I'll make us some coffee.

Okay.

You know, I just realized something.

Hm.

Today is the anniversary of our first date.

That was not a date.

Christmas Eve, 17... 17 years ago.

That was absolutely not a date.

There was candlelight. There was food.

I call it a date.

Okay. Can we just concentrate on what we're doing?

Yeah.

Look, I was sorry to hear about your divorce.

How did you--

Oh. Beth.

No, no, she didn't say anything.

It's just, uh...

it's not a big city and with, you know, social media.

It's hard to not keep up with someone.

You kept up with me?

Sure.

Didn't you keep up with me?

No.

What I...

No comment.

How are you, though?

You know, the end of a marriage is never easy.

No, it wasn't at first, but, you know, we, uh.

we figured it out, and now we're just...

Friends?

Well, I don't invite him over for coffee and pinnacle,

but something like that.

That's good.

Yeah. I, uh, never got married.

I know.

I mean, I... I don't know

because I didn't keep up with you.

Yeah, I think we're going to need more ornaments.

There's some in the basement.

- Okay, I'll give you a hand. - Okay.

Oh! Found some.

These are nice.

Why don't you have these on your own tree?

Those ornaments I got when I was married.

Oh.

I just... I wanted my own.

So for everything there's a season.

Time to seek, time to lose.

A time to keep and a time to throw away.

Did you just quote Footloose?

Ecclesiastes. Same chapter, different verse.

Ah.

Mm.

Okay. I have to ask,

what made you become a pastor?

Hey, when we were kids, you got--

into a lot of trouble.

- Yeah. - Yeah.

Are you trying to make up for past transgressions?

No. No, it's nothing like that.

And it wasn't some higher calling.

It was, uh...

It was actually Christmas.

Santa Claus told you to.

You know, you're still funny.

That was my freshman year.

My roommate took me to Christmas Eve service and--

It moved me.

You know, I felt something.

And the more I thought about it,

the more I thought that I wanted to help people

feel that way.

Hm.

You know, I'm glad you're still doing theater.

You loved it when we were kids.

Yeah. There's nothing better

than being in a room full of people,

hearing them laugh or applaud

for something you had your hand in creating.

You should come to the church.

You know, we do theater from time to time.

I'm guessing with fewer sparkly costumes.

Apparently, you've never been to Pinewood Episcopal.

Uh, I'm not exactly what you might call religious.

It's okay.

A lot of our congregation comes from the community.

The fellowship with the food. We have a great potluck.

- Really? - Yeah.

Well, I'll keep that in mind.

You do that.

Jessie? Pastor Tim?

Hey, Beth.

Where'd you get all this?

The mall.

Because it's Christmas Eve everything was on sale.

Wow. Is there anything left?

Yeah, the car's still full.

No, I meant at the mall.

Did you get the cake and the tuxes?

Yes, but no dress.

I'm never gonna find one as perfect as the one I had.

Well, maybe I'll go down there and see if anyone's around.

Play the pastor card.

Does that work?

Well, you'd be amazed.

I hardly ever pay for appetizers.

Really?

No.

Oh, that's too bad. I love appetizers.

If I can't talk my way in,

I've got a few other tricks up my sleeve.

Right, Jessie?

No.

...appreciate it.

Okay, so here's the deal.

Wait, you still drink Shirley Temples?

I do.

When I have a last-minute wedding extravaganza

to put together at my house on Christmas Eve.

It's fair enough.

So I talked to Carl, the owner.

Wait, isn't this Julian's?

Yeah.

But it's owned by a guy named Carl.

Yes.

So why isn't it just Carl's?

I don't know, what does it matter?

Because it's going to bug me.

Julian is the original owner from the 1950s.

Carl is nice, but a little cheap.

Didn't want to change the sign.

Oh. Thank you.

You're welcome.

Okay, so Carl said.

So Carl said that he caters a lot of events

in the hall next door.

Sometimes he needs to get in and the owners aren't around.

Oh, I don't like where this is going.

- Hey, Grandpa. - Hey.

what's best Christmas present you ever got?

Why?

It's for the time capsule.

We have to answer all these Christmas questions

and put it inside

so we can remember them when we open it.

One of them is, what's the best present you ever got?

How many times do I have to answer this?

Money?

No. A real present.

Didn't you ever get a new toy? Like a train or a pogo stick?

No. My father believed

that you should get things you needed at Christmas.

Useful things like shoes.

You got shoes for Christmas?

If I was lucky.

You ever got anything just for fun.

There was one year

when my mother took some of her mad money.

And she bought me and my sister a zoetrope.

What's that?

Ah...

A zoetrope, it's a thing. It's shaped like a like a bowl.

And it's got pictures inside.

And when you spun it, the pictures moved.

Like watching a movie.

Yeah. Sort of.

This one had the Santa and his reindeer.

And when you got it going,

it just looked like they were flying.

That does sound neato.

Oh. It was.

I didn't understand how it worked at first,

but when I figured it out,

I put one together myself.

That might have been the first thing I ever built.

So it was the best Christmas present you ever got?

I'd say so.

No. What about you?

Mm. It's hard to pick,

but I do like getting those cards

from you every year with a $5 bill inside.

That's my boy.

Okay. He'll be there in an hour.

Just stay warm

and we'll talk about it after the Christmas break.

Okay. Merry Christmas.

So Triple A is on the way,

but there are a lot of cars stuck in the snow,

so it could be another couple of hours.

Well, that's all right. That gives us a chance to eat.

Here. Stir that.

Yep.

Oh, Did you talk to the kids at school?

I did, the power went out, but they seem fine.

Why did they break in?

You know, I don't have the whole story yet,

but something about a Christmas present and a wooden reindeer.

Is the reindeer the Christmas present,

or is that a different deal?

Unclear.

At least I'll have a disastrous Christmas story

to tell their grandkids. I know I do.

Oh, can't wait to hear this.

So, do you remember

the Tommy Saunders Variety Hour back in the '60s?

Sure. He was amazing.

Well, every year they were broadcast live on Christmas Eve

from somebody's living room.

But it was a big secret so they wouldn't have

a million people out on the lawn, right?

Makes sense.

Well, I just started dating my wife.

She loved the show,

so I thought I would find out where they were

and then take her there as a big Christmas surprise.

Smooth.

So I was doing apprentice work at the electric company,

so I thought I could figure it out

by just looking for unusually high consumption

in a residential neighborhood.

Well, to make a long story short,

I ended up blacking out half the city.

No, you caused the power outage?

My friend Daisy told me about that.

Yep. Well, you remember what it was like

to be young and in love?

I do.

Almost there.

Just like old times, huh?

We shouldn't be doing this.

Carl said it's fine.

Oh, well, if Carl said...

It's breaking and entering.

Oh, the window's open. It's not breaking.

it's just entering.

You're a pastor.

Isn't there a commandment about this?

Yeah, there's one about stealing, which we're not.

We're retrieving a wedding dress

that happens to belong to your sister.

When did you become such a stickler for the rules?

I am not a stickler. I break rules all the time.

- Really? - Yeah.

Really. Okay, um, give me an example.

Okay.

I, uh...

Well, last week, I was baking Christmas cookies,

and the recipe called for one teaspoon of vanilla,

but I put in two.

Wow.

Yeah. You're a... you're a rebel.

Can we do this? It's freezing out.

Okay, but wait, wait.

What if somebody sees us and calls the cops?

I'd never do anything to put you in jeopardy, Jessie.

Ever.

Fine. But if we get caught,

I'm gonna say it was all your idea, and you made me do it.

- So, just like our first date. - That wasn't a date.

Got it.

All right, it's freezing.

Okay, so this must be the place.

Why don't you check over there and I'll check over here?

Okay.

Let's go check it out.

Hey, um, may I ask you a question?

Yeah. Of course.

Why did you break up with me?

Uh, I didn't.

Yeah. You did.

No. You broke up with me.

I absolutely did not.

I remember it like it was yesterday.

It was our high school graduation.

We were out in the football field.

Lisa Turner was wearing those glasses

that said class of 2000.

Which totally isn't important, but it just popped in my head.

Anyway, you came up to me right before we got our diplomas

and you said, Jessie, we're through.

And then you just you walked away

and you never spoke to me again.

Yes. That all happened.

I mean, the whole Lisa Turner glasses thing,

I don't remember, but I'll take your word for it.

Okay, then. So, ergo, ipso facto, you broke up with me.

No. You broke up with me the day before.

What? No, I didn't.

Yes, you did.

Jeremy Tate's graduation party.

Him and David Chin were throwing people

into his father's pool and you were annoyed.

There was a sign right there saying no horseplay.

There's the stickler.

Anyway, you came up to me and you said,

Tim, I've decided to take the offer to do theater at NYU.

You know, we both agreed

that we were going to go to Oregon State together.

And you took that to mean that I was breaking up with you.

You were going to college across the country

how am I supposed to take that?

I was willing to try the long distance.

I told you that.

And I told you that it doesn't work.

Ergo, ipso facto, you going to NYU

was breaking up with me.

No, I never said that.

I said that we should... we should think about it,

and then we could figure it out.

But then the next day at graduation,

you said that we were through.

Jessie, I was hurt,

and I was being a little petty.

But I thought once you thought about it

that you would realize that it wasn't going to work.

And I didn't want you to...

I didn't want you to say it first.

Why didn't you just talk to me?

You broke my heart, Jessie.

You broke mine, too.

Oh, I found the dress.

Oh, that was delicious.

Well, it's not my usual Christmas Eve spread,

but it turned out all right.

Compared to most holiday meals I've had, this was a feast.

I remember one year Melanie was on a ski trip

with some college friends,

and it was just my wife and me.

So we decided to go small. You know, keep it simple.

Oh, that's never a good idea.

Well, I know that now.

We both thought the other was going to go food shopping.

We got up Christmas morning with absolutely nothing to eat.

I mean, the cupboards were bare.

Oh, what'd you do?

Well, you know, all the stores were closed

and all the good restaurants that were open were booked.

So we drove around for about an hour

and found a little diner that had a Santa Claus cutout

in the window and a lot of empty tables.

Let me guess, there's a reason

there were so many empty tables.

Worst meal I ever had in my life.

But at least we got a good story to tell.

I love a good story,

especially when it has to do with Christmas.

Yeah, so do I.

I think this might make another one.

Yeah. Yeah, I wish I had some dessert to offer you,

but I was going to make a pie for the kids tomorrow.

Well, I'm not taking your kids Christmas pie.

I saw you had some marshmallows.

You want to roast them?

Uh, sure. Fireplace is right there.

You can't roast marshmallows in a fireplace.

You got to be outside with a big roaring fire.

Well, there is a fire pit outside.

It's freezing and snowing, but.

That's what the fire's for.

Come on, don't you think this Christmas story

needs one more chapter?

So you've now heard two of my disastrous Christmas stories.

I think it's your turn.

Uh, I don't think I have one.

Oh, come on, you have to have one.

Some Christmas gone horribly wrong.

You've never even burnt the Christmas cookies.

Oh. When Winnie was six, she tried to make them

and she burnt them beyond recognition.

What'd you do?

I ate them all.

And I told them that I loved my cookies burnt.

Ever since then, she--

She's only made you burn cookies.

Yeah.

To this day.

Well, disaster averted. What about gifts?

Did you ever forget to buy for somebody?

Uh... Oh.

When Conrad was nine, all he wanted for Christmas

was a new baseball glove.

So Greg bought it for him, and then he forgot it at work.

And we didn't figure it out until Christmas morning

when we were opening presents.

Conrad must have been devastated.

Oh, that was definitely a tantrum brewing.

So I came up with a wild scavenger hunt

and told them that there was one more gift.

He solved all of the clues,

and then him and his dad drove to the station

and found the glove.

Ah.

Sorry, I don't really have

any disastrous Christmas stories.

I guess I've just been lucky.

Sounds like it's your family that's been lucky.

Thank you. I hope so.

Christmas means the world to them.

And your kids mean the world to you?

Exactly.

I wish they were here.

It's not the same without burnt Christmas cookies.

Oh.

I hope you like your marshmallows burnt, too.

Is that the wedding dress?

- Yeah. - Oh!

Thank you so much.

Holly, Christmas.

Isn't it amazing?

Beth, where in the world did you get a tent?

Harvey's Tent Party supplies.

Why? Where'd you get yours?

I'm sorry. Um, I think I need to, uh.

I need to go inside. Um... excuse me.

Need any help?

He asked after all the hard work is already done.

Well, you married me, you knew what you were getting.

How is it going in there?

Quietly.

He hasn't said much since the incident in the basement.

You have no idea

why he's so upset about your mother's clock.

He hated that clock.

He used to try to hide it every year.

But my father not talking for an extended period of time

is something I'm choosing to view

as a Christmas miracle.

Eli, you can't let this go on.

Sure I can.

Okay, then I can't let this go on.

It's Christmas.

Don't you want to have a nice time with your father?

Well, of course I do.

But I don't know how to do that.

Do you?

Not yet, but I'm working on it.

That's not your job.

It has to be someone's.

Dad, will you take pictures

of what we're putting in the capsule?

Yes. I'm coming right now.

Stay right there. You're beautiful.

Here I come. Okay, let's see what we got.

- Good job. - Thanks, Grandpa.

Okay. Let's see what future generations will learn

was important to the Kramer family at Christmas, shall we?

Let's see what we have here.

Family photo.

Check.

In it goes.

It's the Christmas ornament I made when I was a kid.

Do you remember this, Dad?

I do.

Okay. What else do we have?

Oh, your mother's recipe for her yummy gingerbread cookies.

Let's see what else we have here.

The comic book you got for Christmas last year.

Are you sure you want to part with that, Alex?

It's important to me.

Okay. In it goes.

And finally, we have your grandfather's tie.

Not sure what that has to do with Christmas but.

That was your mother's gift to me one year.

That's very nice, Dad. Thank you.

You know, we don't really have anything of mom's in here.

Do you want to go see

if there's anything else of hers in the basement?

Seal it up and be done with it.

Okay.

Grandma would have liked this.

I wish she was here to help us with it.

Me too, Alex.

All right.

Let's get a photo of this, shall we?

Well, you've been saying an hour or two all day.

Oh, no, I know it's snowing.

No, no, don't put me on hold.

They put you on hold anyway.

And disconnected.

Here's a question for you.

How would you feel about my truck

being parked in your driveway until spring?

You haven't seen my son's car yet, have you?

Trust me, your truck is an improvement.

Look, I don't want to inconvenience you anymore.

Why don't I just call a cab and I'll go home and come back

when I know the tow truck's on the way.

No, it's not an inconvenience.

I'm just about to put on Miracle on 34th Street.

You're welcome to join.

Well...

Are you sure?

Well, I've got to warn you,

it's my favorite Christmas movie.

And I cry like a baby every time.

Well, this is a no-judgment zone.

Oh. Thanks.

Regina. We're back.

Hi.

Oh. Hi, Ivy.

Um. What happened?

Uh, well, our flight was canceled.

Not a word from you.

I wasn't going to.

You told us to just come on in.

We didn't want you to be alone for Christmas.

Hey, Jessie. Sorry.

No, that's okay. What's up, Max?

I just got to go down the street

and walk my grandma over here.

Oh, I love your grandma.

Is she excited about the wedding?

Very. Except I'm worried that there might not be one.

Why? Why not?

Beth is freaking out.

We couldn't figure out a way to hang the angels

from the tent without cutting holes in it.

She put up a tent in an hour.

And she's freaking out about that?

Yeah, that's what she says.

But, um, I'm worried it might be something more.

Will you talk to her, maybe with Pastor Tim?

Yes. Of course.

- Thanks, Jessie. - Yeah.

We need to talk.

Yeah, I agree.

Um. You and I--

No, no, no, we need to talk to Beth.

I think she might be getting cold feet.

Oh, yeah.

Beth, are you okay?

No.

Something's not right.

Beth, honey, we can find a place for the angels.

It's not about the angels.

It's--

I mean, have you seen the backyard?

How could I not?

I know it's beautiful, but do you think it's too much?

It's just once I saw it all,

it just got really real, you know.

It's like suddenly I realized I'm getting married.

Beth, you've been planning this wedding

since you were six years old.

Now, back then, you wanted Santa to perform the ceremony.

You're not wearing a Santa suit, are you?

That's at the cleaners.

My point is,

the things that were important to you when you were a kid

don't have to be the same things

that are important to you now.

She's right. You know, we are who we are

because of what we've experienced in our past.

Love we had the life we thought we wanted.

But sometimes you have to let go of the past

and look to the future.

Yeah, what's done is done.

Does that mean you don't appreciate where you've been?

It's just you need to look forward to where you're going.

Even if it's without the ones you once loved.

Are we still talking about me?

- Yes. Of course. - Yes.

Yes, yes.

Look, I don't think you're freaking out

about the wedding being too much

or not what you thought it would be.

Because none of that matters.

What matters is that at the end, you'll be marrying Max.

And you love him, and he loves you.

And that's what's important.

You're right.

Okay. Let's get me married.

All right.

Yes.

Walter, we'll be eating soon.

I'm not really hungry.

I've made your favorites, scalloped potatoes,

the stuffing with the chestnuts.

And the turkey.

Well, maybe I could take my plate in the living room

so I can watch TV while I eat and I fix the reception.

Well, thank you, but it's Christmas Eve

and you should eat dinner with your family.

Um... The three of you are family.

I'm just some burden staying in the guest room for a few weeks.

What would make you say that?

My son saying it first.

I know I'm not the father he wishes he had.

Walter... do you think maybe it's because he feels

like he's not the son you wish you had?

You are not just a house guest, and you will never be a burden.

It's Christmas, so you need to march up those stairs

and have dinner with your family and talk, really talk.

That's what great relationships are about.

You sound just like Eli's mother.

That is the nicest thing you have ever said to me.

Now, are you going up those stairs?

Are you sure that's what Eli wants?

It's what I want.

Coming up, find out which lucky family is getting

a surprise visit from the Tommy Saunders Variety Hour

Christmas Eve Special.

Sweetheart, you need to tell your father

to come up for dinner.

I thought you just did that.

He needs to hear it from you.

Well, I need to hear that he wants to come up for dinner.

Eli, what is it going to take

to get the two of you to bury the hatchet?

An act of God.

You were saying?

You look beautiful.

Well, you look pretty good yourself.

Ah.

How's, uh... how's Beth doing?

Oh, I think our talk with her helped.

- Good. - Yeah.

I'm glad that was an important message.

Letting go of the past.

Yeah.

It's tough, though, when it meant so much...

to Beth, I mean.

- And Max. - Yes.

To want the perfect wedding as much as she did.

He did.

But they're not the same people as they used to be.

Yeah. Time will do that to you.

I just hope they're both grateful

for the time they had those dreams.

Yeah, I think they are.

Friends.

Friends?

Friends.

Grandpa?

Alex.

What are you doing in mom's salon?

Oh, it's too dark in the basement.

Dad said the power is out all over the neighborhood.

What do you think caused it?

Somebody's doing something they shouldn't have been doing.

Mm.

Do you think Santa will still be able to find our house?

Oh, he's still got Rudolph's nose, right?

I'm sure there's going to be no problem.

The time capsule. Did it get buried?

Not yet.

Oh, well, maybe after dinner, then.

Hm.

You're going to help, aren't you?

Sure. Of course I am.

Good.

I wonder what things will be like when we dig it up in 1967.

Maybe there will be robots and spaceships and stuff like that.

You read too many comic books.

Seven years seems like a really long time from now.

But it's not. It goes by fast.

So everything will be the same.

Do you think Christmas will be the same?

Toys will probably be different, I'm sure.

And you know the things we wrap them up in.

Hm.

It doesn't really matter.

The teacher that gave us the assignment

to do the time capsule

said we should think about when we open the box.

What do we want the future us to know about the now us?

What do we want to remember?

Yeah. Remembering is a good thing.

I guess if you do,

then Christmas will always be exactly like it is now.

Alex, honey, come get washed up for dinner.

Okay, mom.

Thanks, Grandpa.

See ya.

You may be seated.

Love conquers all.

If you love someone, set them free.

Stop in the name of love.

And lastly, it's better to have loved and lost

than to have never loved at all.

Now, why are there so many sayings about love?

I believe because it's so difficult to explain.

And we write songs and movies and sonnets about it.

Even Paul writes in his first letters to the Corinthians.

Love is patient.

Love is kind.

That love is the greatest gift of all.

And when you receive it,

you treasure it for the rest of your life,

because it is what connects us all together.

It's what connects us across generations.

Love makes everything possible.

Even a last-minute outdoor wedding in the snow

on Christmas Eve.

Max, do you take Beth to be your lawfully wedded wife

in sickness and health, forsaking all others

for as long as you both shall live?

I do.

Beth.

Do you take Max to be your lawfully wedded husband

in sickness and health, forsaking all others

for as long as you both shall live?

I do.

Now, by the power vested in me by the state,

the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit of Christmas,

I now pronounce you husband and wife.

Max, you may kiss your bride.

- Hey! - Hi.

Just getting the turkey ready.

A little bit less to do tomorrow

when I'm getting Christmas dinner ready.

Yeah, I can see that. Uh, are you okay?

What? Yes. I'm fine.

Are you sure?

I feel like if you rub that turkey any harder,

all we're gonna be left with is the wishbone.

So you fell asleep on the couch?

Big deal.

I fell asleep next to a man I barely know.

So what. It doesn't mean anything, does it?

No, of course not.

Should I ask the turkey?

I feel like I might have a different opinion.

I used to fall asleep next to Greg

when we would watch Christmas movies.

Oh, Regina.

This house.

I love it, I do, but it has so many memories

and I don't know how to give that up.

It's why I keep the clock on the mantel.

Because when it goes off,

it's like he's saying Merry Christmas.

Regina... memories are just a way

of keeping the things we love close to us, you know?

It's a way to make sure we never lose them.

There's a lot of love in this house.

I know.

You know, my parents talk about Cherry Lane all the time.

I do too. And I remember it.

The thing is, you can't get stuck in the past.

Creating new memories doesn't mean forgetting the old ones.

But what if I'm still not ready?

Mom says dinner is ready.

Great. Thank you. I'll be in in a minute.

Just making sure the ground's not too frozen.

Okay. Don't dig the hole yet.

Mom and grandpa have to be here.

Oh, I don't think your grandpa's going to want

to be outside for this.

He said he would.

Oh, okay. Good.

It's really important that everybody's here, Dad.

It's the Kramer family Christmas time capsule.

That means all of us.

It's all I want for Christmas.

Did your mom tell you to say that?

Yeah. Okay. I'll be in in a minute.

Get in there.

Okay.

But Dad...

Just because mom told me to say it

doesn't mean I don't mean it.

Well, the kids made it out of the school.

That's good to hear.

Any clarity on the wooden reindeer situation?

Yeah. It turns out that the reindeer

was the Christmas present.

So the Whitman boy carved it for his father in woodshop

and left it in his locker and went back to get it.

Well, it's hard to blame somebody

when the excuse is because Christmas.

Well, um, I should probably head out.

Oh. You're leaving?

Yeah. The tow truck guy got my car up and running

so I can get out of your hair.

Great. That's great.

Um...

Um, Hector, can you help me

with something in the kitchen, please?

- What? - Let's go.

So, uh, how much do I owe you?

You don't owe me anything.

You fed me. So let's call it even.

I'll call my buddy and have him come out the day after Christmas.

And he can figure out what's going on with your pipes.

You're not coming back?

Um, I don't think I should.

I'm not a plumber, remember?

Mhm. Right.

Well thank you.

Um... Thank you for a new Christmas story.

You're welcome.

Merry Christmas Regina.

Merry Christmas Nelson.

Ready to go?

Yeah, I think so. Just giving her one last look.

Well. That's good. Good idea.

This is solid.

Can't go wrong with galvanized steel.

You know, son,

this is not the way I would have done things.

Yeah.

But you did good here.

Good job.

All of this.

You did good, Eli.

Thanks, Dad.

It, uh...

It helped that I had somebody who knew what they were doing.

Let there be light.

What do you know?

Hey, uh... let's seal this up

and get it in the ground, shall we?

Yeah.

Yeah, although I think there's room for-- for one more thing.

Dad...

That's mom's clock.

Let me get this stuff out of here.

Put that down first.

Hey, you guys gonna be able to get a flight

to Michigan tomorrow?

Yeah. Talk to the airline and we are rebooked.

But if they can't get the runways clear,

they might cancel again.

No, they're not gonna cancel.

Well, I guess we should head home.

- Yeah. - Yeah.

Give your parents a big hug from me.

I will.

Hey, do you want to just stay with us tonight?

We can open presents in the morning in PJs tomorrow.

Thank you, but I think I'll stay here.

I need to get up early anyway, to prep Christmas dinner.

Regina! Regina! Come out here!

Is that Nelson?

What is he doing in the backyard?

Well, let's go see.

You came back.

I never left.

Well, that's great, but why are you digging up my yard?

I figured out where your pipe broke.

How?

With a metal detector and a good shovel.

You carry a metal detector in your truck?

Don't you?

You can't imagine how many times that's come in handy.

Yeah. How many?

Including today? One.

But the point is, I solved your problem.

I thought you were gonna get a plumber to do that.

I changed my mind. It was a tree root.

And the only reason the root hit the pipe

was because it couldn't go where it wanted to.

Wait, what stops the tree root?

A galvanized steel box.

That was buried up against a rock.

I think we're good.

Okay.

Kramer Family Time Capsule, 1960.

Huh?

Oh, look at them.

Ooh! A recipe for gingerbread.

And a comic book.

And...

Christmas ornament.

Hey, there's something else wedged down in the bottom.

It's big too.

Regina, it's another Christmas clock.

Hm.

Merry Christmas to you too, sweetheart.

- Jessie. - Hey.

My grandma wanted to say good night before I walk her home.

It was so good to see you, Barbara.

Good to see you too, dear. Beautiful wedding.

Wasn't it?

Oh, I meant to tell you.

I love the book that you recommended.

Oh, good.

What book?

It's called "Christmas with Walter".

It was written by a guy that used to live in this house, Eli Kramer.

It's about his relationship with his father.

It's just beautiful.

My friend Penny used to style my hair.

She was Eli's wife. We would talk and talk.

Did they really bury a time capsule in the backyard?

Sure thing. That was in 1960.

Oh, they moved away a few years later,

but they left it here so the new family could discover it

and find out about their family.

I wonder if it's still out there.

Oh. Who knows?

Well, I suppose we really must get going.

Merry Christmas, Jessie.

Merry Christmas Barbara.

Thanks.

Hi.

I was just going to go get some fresh air

- if you want to-- - I would love.

Okay.

♪ Winter days are moving in ♪

♪ It's you I'm thinking of ♪

♪ Everything in red and green along the city streets ♪

Thank you.

♪ It's you I'm thinking of ♪

♪ December days ♪

You remember our first dance?

I do, it was our first date.

It wasn't a date. It was a crime.

No, we weren't charged.

Principal Johnson only cut us a break because it was Christmas.

We still got suspended, though.

It was totally worth it.

It was a wooden reindeer.

I needed something for my dad.

I cannot get my dad a present.

Also, you didn't have to come with me.

You barely knew me.

Well, you knew me well enough to know that I knew

how to sneak into the school's theater.

Well, I don't care what you say.

There was food. There was candlelight.

We danced while we were locked down there.

So it was a date.

There was no kiss.

It can't be a date if there's no kiss.

I'll take care of that later.

I'm glad we talked through what happened back then.

Yeah.

Yeah. Me too.

We just both needed closure.

Yeah. Yeah, closure is good.

Now we can...

forget about the past and just move on with our lives.

Although...

I'm listening.

They say those that forget about the past

are doomed to repeat it.

Well, that's very true.

So we should probably both just say what needs to be said.

Tim...

I'm done talking.

It's about time.

♪ You are the one on top of my wish list. ♪

♪ After all it's another day made for two. ♪

So that, uh, plumber friend of mine will be back

right after Christmas.

All right. You know, Nelson, you've already done so much.

Why don't you just come back and fix it yourself?

Are you sure?

I'm sure.

Okay, well, I'll see you in a couple of days.

I'll be here. Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas, Regina.

Nelson...

I'm not quite ready for this Christmas story to end.

Why don't you ask me out?

Regina, would you like to go out on a date?

I would.

Mm. You know, just to clarify.

Me coming back in a few days to deal with your pipes.

That doesn't count, because that's work.

Correct.

And technically, you didn't pay me for today,

so maybe we already had our first date.

Maybe we did.

Well, then maybe I should kiss you good night.

Maybe you should.

Merry Christmas.

It is thanks to you.

This is a pretty great house.

Welcome to Cherry Lane.