Original subtitles

Downloaded from YTS.MX

♪

Official YIFY movies site: YTS.MX

♪ We wish you a merry Christmas. ♪

♪ We wish you a merry Christmas. ♪

♪ We wish you a merry Christmas ♪

♪ and a happy New Year. ♪

♪

It's empty.

It's early, sweetheart.

It probably hasn't been delivered yet.

But Mr. Pete is never late.

Well, it's Christmas Eve. Maybe he decided to sleep in.

I know I wanted to.

What if we didn't get any?

[gasp] What if there's are no more Christmas cards?

Oh, it's okay, Tina. My mailbox is empty, too.

Mr. Pete just hasn't gotten here yet.

I was worried. Can I wait here until he comes?

How about we watch from the window?

Okay.

[chuckles]

Ah, so precious.

Thanks, Daisy. Coffee?

Sure.

I know, but it's Christmas Eve!!

[both] Volume.

It's Christmas Eve.

We're helping him manage stress.

I know. I told them that it needed to be done.

It needed to be done yesterday.

Plan B is a tranquilizer dart.

[chuckles]

Fine. I'll... I'll take care of it. Mmhmm.

I have to go to the restaurant.

But it's Christmas Eve.

A point I tried to make at several different volumes.

Janey didn't do the weekend receipts,

and I have to get there and get them in before the bank closes.

I thought hiring a new manager

was supposed to reduce your workload.

It's not her fault.

We've just been so busy we can't catch up.

I'm sorry.

I know this was supposed to be our nice, quiet Christmas Eve.

Mr. Pete is here.

Why can't I say volume to her?

Kids don't have volume control.

Come on, Dad.

He is such a great dad.

Well, so are you.

Thanks.

It's only been a few months

since the adoption has been finalized,

and I still don't know what I'm doing.

He came in on day one like Super Dad.

That's pretty remarkable, considering everything

that happened to him when he was little.

Yeah.

Speaking of which,

when are you picking up his Christmas present?

In a few hours.

I think I can get everything done

and still make it there in time

as long as there's no distractions.

Look who I found.

Hey, everybody.

Hi, Quinn.

[Quinn] Hi.

[Daisy] Quinn.

[Zian] Come have some coffee.

She's gotten so big.

Can you believe it's been a year?

Wow.

Oh, by the way, I made a green bean casserole.

But I should warn you, I am much better

at building kitchens than using them.

Some of my finest work.

Yes, it is,

but, Quinn, you're very early for dinner.

It's not till 6:00.

No, I know,

but the wife is out of town visiting her Aunt Maureen

until late tonight.

I didn't have anything better to do,

so I thought I'd stop by

and see if I could give you guys a hand.

Which is a good thing, because this door is a little loose.

I got a screwdriver in the truck.

[in unison] No!

Quinn, you're not here to work.

You're our guest.

Just relax.

Oh, I'm no good at that.

There must be something I can do.

I know, how about we take measurements for the addition

you're thinking of adding on to the house?

Uh...

We thought that maybe, possibly someday in the future,

we would add on, but not today.

It's never too early to start planning.

So what are you thinking?

Bigger kitchen, a man cave, another bedroom.

Are you gonna adopt more kids?

Maybe possibly, someday in the future.

That is so exciting.

But not today, okay?

Go to work.

Yes, I got this.

Thank you.

Tina. I'll see you soon, Okay?

[Tina] Okay, bye.

What is it with her and Christmas cards?

I mean, Santa Claus

couldn't even get her attention right now.

Mystery to me.

Cards. Oh, my gosh, I forgot my dad's thing.

What thing?

[sighs] Every year at Christmas,

my dad would drive us around neighborhoods like this one

to look at Christmas decorations.

The wife and I do that.

In fact, just last week, we stopped by this family's home,

and they ended up calling--

Your story, go ahead.

Someone had hung Christmas cards and twinkly lights

in the window, and my dad just... he loved it.

Where was this?

I don't remember. You know, teenagers.

Hey, look at that. What a great idea.

What do you think, Mikey?

I didn't always pay attention,

even when things were important to him.

A picture.

But then my dad started doing

decorations like that at our house.

Sounds beautiful.

It was.

It became one of my favorite Christmas traditions.

I wanted to do it to our house last year,

but someone hadn't finished remodeling our kitchen.

[Daisy chuckles]

This year we just got so busy.

Hey, we'll do it next year.

Okay.

Right. Okay. I gotta go. Bye.

I'll follow you out.

I can't leave a loose cabinet door.

Do you think he knows?

He hasn't got a clue.

[both laugh]

Oh, hey, you know what,

maybe while I'm fixing the cabinet,

I'll take a look around

and see if anything else needs taken care of.

Quinn, it's Christmas Eve. You're off the clock.

Don't worry, I'll give you a holiday discount.

[laughs] I'm kidding.

Besides, I doubt there's much to do anyways.

This house has good bones. When was it built?

Oh, 1951.

The whole neighborhood was built then.

Seventy-three years. Wow.

Can you imagine all of the things this house has seen?

All of the Christmases that have been celebrated here.

Well, if I don't go,

we won't be able to celebrate this Christmas here.

I'll leave you to it then.

Uh, Mike, let me know if you need help

with the big, you know.

I will. Thanks, Daisy.

The big what? What's the big...?

[groans]

It's a surprise Christmas present for Zian.

Oh, I love surprises. One year, my wife got me this--

Still not my story. Go ahead.

This is a huge secret.

You can't say anything about it, okay?

I found Zian's grandfather.

What?

But I thought he was adopted after his parents passed away.

He was.

They immigrated here from China,

but they were originally from the Philippines.

Zian didn't think he had any other family members

and it always bugged him

that he didn't know anything about him.

So I contacted a confidential intermediary that specializes

in adoptions, and he found his grandfather, his dad's dad.

That's incredible.

No, the incredible part is that he's flying here.

I'm going to pick him up at the airport in a few hours.

And Zian has no idea.

Not a clue. And you can't say anything.

I won't say a word.

Okay, good. Thank you.

Just keep Zian distracted, all right?

And whatever you do, don't let him in the kitchen.

Why? Is there something in there about his granddad?

No, he's just a terrible cook.

Okay.

♪

Joan. Careful.

Careful, careful. Careful, careful.

Charlie, I'm fine.

All right, watch your step.

Joan, are you okay?

Amelia, I'm fine.

They called it a hairline fracture.

It's still a fracture.

Put the cast on yourself, doc.

Oh, he wanted to, but he was making

the emergency room people nuts with his backseat doctoring.

They made him go sit in the waiting room.

It's a shame.

Could have gotten a discount on the bill.

[small laugh]

How did it happen?

Oh, this front porch gets so icy.

I should have put salt out.

I should have been watching where I was going.

[sighs] It's Christmas Eve.

How am I supposed to get everything done

with a broken arm?

I will take care of everything. You need to be careful.

Careful! Careful!!

We have to cook dinner.

I have to wrap presents.

We haven't even finished decorating the tree.

I can handle it.

You don't know how to cook.

And before you respond to that,

a hot dog in a pan of water on the stove doesn't count.

Is it cooked when it's done, then it's cooking.

[laughs]

Oh, and what about all the things you were supposed

to teach me how to do?

The upstairs sink got clogged last week,

and I don't even know how to do the... the...

the pilot light for the furnace.

We have plenty of time.

But you're leaving right after Christmas.

I just thought we'd have more time.

I'm just reporting for duty.

It'll be a while before I deploy

to my Mash unit in Korea.

Mash unit?

Mobile Army Surgical Hospital.

Well, whatever you need today, we can help.

I'm already cooking dinner for our families.

What's a few more?

Thank you, Amelia, but I've got everything under control.

Starting with putting salt out on the front porch.

Give me a hand, Julian.

You got it, doc.

[sighs]

Still trying to be Superman before he leaves.

More like Santa Claus.

He's the only one who can deliver all the toys.

And he doesn't want any help from Mrs. Claus.

Well, at least he'll be here for Christmas.

It's not this Christmas I'm worried about.

♪

Merry Christmas Eve day.

Luke, Sarah. Big plans today?

Very. But first, Merry Christmas.

Thank you. You didn't have to do this.

[both] We know.

Well, this is why I love

delivering the mail on Cherry Lane.

You two have a great Christmas.

You too.

[exhales] This is amazing.

I know. Our first time hosting Christmas.

It's exciting.

And we're gonna crush it.

Like always.

That's why your dad calls us The Perfectsons.

I hate it when he does that.

[chuckles] Well, he's not wrong.

We never fight.

We never even disagree about anything

unless we're disagreeing now.

No, we're not.

I just want everything to be--

Perfect.

Nice. I want our first Christmas on Cherry Lane

to be the first of many wonderful holidays to come.

Is that too sappy?

A little.

But it's one of all the many reasons why I love you.

And thankfully, our parents love each other too.

We really are lucky.

Oh, they're here.

Mom, Dad!

Hi. Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas, sweetheart.

Oh, Sarah.

Hi son.

Hi, Dad.

- Welcome, welcome. - Nice to see you.

Come inside. See the place.

Oh, it's lovely. What a beautiful neighborhood.

Oh kids, it's so charming.

You have a piano?

The people we bought the house from

got a new one for their place, so they said we could have it.

Well, you can play Christmas carols.

All those years of piano lessons

are finally going to pay off.

Oh, you didn't decorate your tree.

We saved it.

So we could all do it together.

Oh, that is so sweet. And the house is just adorable.

There's just one thing missing.

The wreath. Really?

It's beautiful.

It's a family heirloom.

This wreath belonged to my mother,

and she passed it down to me.

And now I'm passing it down to you.

And you have a big window to hang it in,

just like we always do.

That's why we bought the house.

[doorbell]

That must be my folks.

Ho, ho, ho!

[in unison] Merry Christmas.

- Merry Christmas, sweetheart. - How are you?

- Good to see you. - Hi, Luke.

Merry Christmas. Oh, let me get the door.

You look fantastic.

I'll grab your coat for you.

Thank you.

Holly, so nice to see you again.

- Emily. - Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas. You look beautiful, as always.

Bill, Merry Christmas.

Bill, my man. Hey, yo!

Looking good, sir.

Gavin, look at this place. It's perfect.

Well, they are The Perfectsons.

Well, they aren't quite perfect yet.

They're missing something for the window.

We were just talking about that.

Well, it wasn't an easy feat getting your father

to part with this, but I finally convinced him.

She said I couldn't have Christmas dinner

if I didn't give it up.

[laugh]

What is it?

It's a family heirloom.

[laughter]

This has been hanging in our window

every year since Sarah was a baby.

Now it can hang in yours.

[laughs]

Wow.

Isn't that beautiful?

Yeah.

I made it myself.

♪

♪

♪ Oh. It's Christmas. ♪

♪ Let's have a wonderful... ♪

What are you doing?

I'm, uh... I'm just resting on the couch.

I told you I can handle this.

What's this?

That's, uh... You...

I'll... I'll figure it out. Please go lie down.

You're sweet, but you're also completely helpless.

♪

♪ Children playing out in the snow. ♪

♪ Christmas trees... ♪

Today is the fourth anniversary of the day we met.

I remember.

♪ Let's have a wonderful Christmas time ♪

[both laugh]

♪ Remember that... ♪

We promised each other that no matter what,

we would always spend Christmas Eve together.

And we have.

♪ ... so very long ago. ♪

Hey, what say we make it Christmas Every week?

'Cause if it were, then we'd never be apart.

Mmhmm.

I like the sound of that.

I'm not sure how Santa will feel about it.

Oh, he's going to be very busy.

♪ It's Christmas... ♪

♪ Let's have a wonderful Christmas time ♪

What?

Nothing.

Sweetheart, why don't you go relax?

I will take care of everything in here. Okay?

Okay.

♪ Have a lovely Christmas time ♪

Oh. [giggles]

Yes, operator. Templeton 4909, please.

Thank you.

Julian, it's Charlie.

Turns out I do need your help after all.

♪

♪

Oh, Mom, Dad... I don't think you should.

Nonsense. This is clearly the more appropriate decoration

for your home, for any home.

I wouldn't hang that reindeer thing in the garage.

Let me talk to Sarah's folks

so I can explain how important it is to us.

I'm sure they'll understand.

[exhales]

Thank you.

Honey, I think their wreath is nice,

but it's not very Christmassy.

I mean, this...

Now, this is Christmassy.

And it's tradition, Sarah.

You don't want to turn your nose up at tradition,

especially at Christmas.

I get it.

And you know how much I love the reindeer.

I just want to talk to Luke and his family first.

Help them understand why this means so much to us.

I'm sure they'll understand.

[exhales]

Wow. That's a lot of cards.

I hope it's enough.

Enough for what?

We're putting together a little surprise for Mike.

That Christmas card decoration his father did.

Oh, hanging him from the windows with all the lights.

But he said there wasn't time to get to it.

It's a surprise. Tina's very excited.

Oh, that's so sweet.

But how are you going to do it without him knowing?

We're going to put it in the window in the den.

We just have to keep him out of there until it's done.

Okay. Well, you're gonna need a hand.

I'll go get my measuring tape.

Quinn, you don't have to--

Zian, you invited the guy who remodeled your house

to spend Christmas Eve with you.

What did you think was going to happen?

You're not just a guy who remodeled our house.

You were there for us when we needed it.

You're family now.

Thanks. I appreciate that.

But in this family, we measure things before building them.

[laughs]

Hi. This is Danilo.

Please leave your message after the tone. [beep]

Danilo, hi, it's Mike.

Um, give me a call as soon as you get this, please.

Thank you.

[exhales]

Perlah. Hi, it's Mike Harrelson.

I'm sorry. I know it's late in the Philippines,

but have you by chance

heard from Zian's grandfather, Danilo?

I was supposed to pick him up at the airport,

but I'm running a little bit late.

Yes, I've been trying to call him,

but he's not picking up his phone.

What do you mean he does that sometimes?

He's stubborn.

Well, then he's definitely related to Zian.

Okay. Yeah. Can you try and call him

and just tell him to wait at the airport?

I will be there as soon as I can.

♪

Hey there. Merry Christmas.

Where to?

Cherry Lane.

You got it, buddy.

[phone buzzes]

Hey, what's going on?

Mom, Dad. I asked you to wait.

But the window looked so barren.

Guys. I'm sorry.

I wanted to talk to you before we hung the wreath.

And I wanted to talk to you before we hung the reindeer.

Uh-oh, the Perfectsons have a little disagreement.

Call the presses.

Gavin...

We're not disagreeing. We're just not agreeing yet.

Yeah, exactly.

You know, in fact, why don't we put a pin in this

and talk about it later? We have to get dinner started.

Oh, I can't wait.

I've been looking forward to

the Chen family Christmas turkey all year.

Turkey? No, we're having ham, aren't we, Sarah?

It's not Christmas without a ham.

It's not Christmas without turkey.

Look what you've done to your mother.

No, it's okay. Mom, it's fine.

I didn't know there wasn't a turkey.

We can fix this.

Fix it?

I'll just run to the grocery store.

So we'll have ham and turkey.

And there has to be stuffing.

Turkey and stuffing. Anything else?

Maybe I should go with you. Where is this grocery store?

It's just down the street by Cherry Lane Mall.

I only eat canned cranberry sauce,

and we need vanilla ice cream for the pie.

You do have dinner rolls.

I'll make a list.

It isn't Christmas without green bean casserole.

That's what you said about corn, roasted carrots

and canned cranberry sauce.

And I meant every word.

What about potatoes?

We always have traditional mashed with gravy.

We always have scalloped.

It isn't Christmas without scalloped potatoes.

I'll give you scalloped potatoes

if you give us crescent rolls.

Over my dead body.

Dad, you don't even like crescent rolls.

It's the principle of the thing.

Sarah, Luke, you two have been very quiet.

What would you like for dinner?

We'll be right back.

What are we gonna do?

Can we outrun them?

This is silly.

We need to tell them that this is our Christmas,

and we're gonna hang whatever decoration we want

in our window and cook whatever we want in our kitchen.

So reindeer or wreath? Turkey or ham?

[exhales]

Do you have a list?

Yes, dear.

Maybe we should take two cars

because this isn't gonna all fit in one.

Good idea. We'll meet you there.

I found a picture.

Mike's father took this photo, like, 20 years ago.

Daddy Mike always loved how it looked

and wanted to recreate it here.

We couldn't last year because--

Uh, yeah, right. Sorry about that.

But anyway, this year we're going to make it happen.

Right, sweetie?

Yeah. Do you think he's gonna like it?

He's going to love it.

In fact, we can do this every year from now on.

It was his family's tradition, and now it'll be ours.

What's a tradition?

It's, uh... It's something you do

to honor all the people that you've loved.

It's a connection to the past

that you carry into the future.

That's beautiful.

Daddy, what are your family's traditions?

Oh, you'll see some of them when Grandpa Jack

and Grandma Sue get here tomorrow.

No, not them. Your first family.

Uh, we've talked about this, honey.

I didn't really know my birth parents,

and they didn't have any other family so--

You don't know if they had traditions or not?

No, I'm afraid not.

But we know what yours are, right?

Remember when we talked to your great aunt,

we found out that your mom and her mom

used to cook huge meals for Chinese New Year.

And ever since then, Daddy Mike has been testing

every single dumpling recipe on Earth.

You know, I'm probably free for a dumpling din--

The point is, traditions don't have to be traditional.

They can be old or new,

serious or silly as long as we do them together.

[sniffling]

I think I got something in my eye.

We just have to keep this a secret

and not let him see what we're doing.

Oh, I can help. We could have a code word.

If he starts coming in here, I could say... Santa!!

Oooh!!!

I'll keep thinking on it.

[laughs]

Joan, as your doctor--

You are not my doctor.

As a doctor who knows more about broken arms than you do--

I'm not using the broken one.

Besides, I'm decorating the tree,

not carrying it to the car.

Sit.

Sit. I can handle this.

All right.

Oh, um...

What?

Well, that one doesn't go there.

Why not?

It's too close to another red one.

Um.

Well, now it's too close to another round one.

Oh, would you just let me do it?

[laughs] Sit.

What will you do when our children

want to help decorate the tree?

We'll teach them how to do it right.

[laughs]

You're going to be a great mother.

I can't tell if you're being sarcastic or not.

No.

No, I'm not.

I think we should start trying.

Oh, I think so too. Just as soon as you get back.

There. Huh?

It's on its way to becoming a Christmas masterpiece.

Done by Picasso. Charlie, you're doing it wrong.

[doorbell chimes]

Do not move.

Did you get them?

Just like you asked, 52 cards.

It wasn't easy.

I had to go to four different stores.

Oh, they are perfect.

Thank you, Julian.

So what, are you planning on giving these

to all the guys in the platoon?

President Truman? Bess.

No, no. Joan and I promised

we would spend every Christmas Eve together.

I intend to keep that promise.

How?

I'm gonna write 52 cards and mail her one from Korea

every week till I get home.

That way, it'll always be like Christmas here.

Even when you're not here.

You know, Amelia and I will be here for Joan

if she needs anything, right?

I do.

You know that we're going to be leading the parade for you

when you come back home, right?

I do, thank you, Julian.

Hey, you know what? I got a better idea.

Why don't you give the cards to me.

I'll mail them from here so you don't have to worry about

one of them not making it back from Korea.

That is a great idea.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Anything for a neighbor?

You know, there's just one problem with this plan, doc.

You have to ride all 52 cards.

Don't you already have a lot on your plate?

Yes. I can handle it.

Anything is possible at Christmas.

Are these all for Tina?

Not all of them. Santa is bringing more tonight.

We may have gone a little overboard.

Like Mike in the dumplings.

We just want to make sure she stays connected to her roots.

I didn't have that growing up.

Maybe you will someday. Or not.

Or maybe.

I just hope we're doing the right thing for Tina.

I feel like I should be better

at the whole fatherhood thing by now,

but every day, there are nine million decisions to make,

and it's impossible not to second-guess every one of them.

You're a great dad. You both are.

Tina is one lucky little girl.

And if you do decide to build that addition,

you can have a whole house full

of lucky little ones running around here.

I've always wanted a big family.

I just don't know if we're ready.

Well, if not, then you can enjoy the family

that you already have, but you can still add on to the house.

[laughs]

I guess it's just all this talk of traditions

and not knowing what mine are.

I can't shake this feeling like we're missing something.

Like we've lost something but don't know it yet.

Is he here?

Is who here?

Santa Claus. [laughs nervously]

Is Santa Claus here yet?

Huh? What? No, he's not.

No, of course not. Why? 'Cause we haven't gone to bed

and put out milk and cookies for him.

Oh, are we baking? Oh, my wife makes a mean--

[in unison] Quinn!

Pecan pie, that's all.

Are you okay? You seem stressed.

Christmas carol time.

♪ Deck the halls with boughs of holly. ♪

No, I'm fine, I'm fine. It's just really hot, you know?

It's just--

Is there anything I can do?

Yes. Um, I would love if you would go

and make me some ice water.

I'll get it.

No! I like the way Zian makes my ice water.

Always the perfect amount of ice cubes.

Boop!

Oh. Thanks, babe.

You're welcome.

Be right back. [air kiss]

I had no idea you were so particular about ice cubes.

No wonder that kitchen remodel took so long.

Quinn, focus!

Has his grandfather shown up yet?

No. Why?

I lost Zian's grandfather?

There you go. Merry Christmas.

Thank you.

♪

So you have no idea where Zian's grandfather is.

Shh!

I don't want Zi to hear.

Oh, he won't. He's busy in the den with Tina.

Busy doing what?

Uh, making the day merry and bright.

But more importantly, what happened to Zian's grandfather?

I looked everywhere.

I know he got on the plane and the plane landed.

After that, I have no idea what happened.

Did you look in the duty free shop?

They have lots of really good Christmas presents in there.

I looked everywhere!

I can't believe I lost Zian's grandfather.

I lost an entire human being. How does that happen?

Oh, you'd be surprised at what you can lose.

One year I lost the Christmas tree.

The whole thing just--

Still not my turn to tell a story, you go ahead.

What am I gonna do?

If I go back out and look for him?

Zi's gonna know something's up

because I'm supposed to be in there cooking dinner.

I'll go look for him.

You will?

Yeah. You need help, I can help.

I know people at the airport.

Maybe they can figure out where he went.

You don't know what he looks like.

Do you have a picture?

Yes.

I do.

I hid it in the den.

Perfect.

Wait. The den! No, wait.

Santa!

Oh, hi. You need more water?

Nope. Perfect as always.

Where are you going?

Into the den.

Why?

I need to get... a thing.

What thing?

A thing for Quinn.

I'll get it.

You can't get it.

Why not?

You don't know what it is.

You can tell me what it is.

Or I could just get it myself.

No. You can't.

Why not?

Because... you need to start dinner.

It'll take me, like five seconds.

Dinner?

To get the thing out of the den.

What thing?

The thing for Quinn.

I'll get it.

You don't know what it is!

Third base.

Who's on first? No one.

Hi, Daddy.

Can you read me my favorite Christmas story?

I can read it to you.

No, Daddy Mike has to read it. He does the best voices.

She likes how I do the voices.

Yes, of course I will read it to you.

Um, Quinn, do you think you could go into the den

and get that thing off the top right shelf

that we talked about

and then maybe run that errand for me?

Yes. Great idea.

Okay. Come on.

[exhales]

I have to do everything around here.

My dearest Joan.

Dear Joan.

My beautiful bride. Uh...

Dear... dear.

Oh.

Hello.

Hi. Come on in.

Hi. What are you doing?

We need extra seats at the dining room table.

Well, Julian went to go get a few things from the bar,

and I decided to come check on the patient,

and it's a good thing that I did.

Oh, no, the patient is fine.

The doctor, on the other hand.

Where is he?

I think he's in the kitchen.

I offered to help him,

but he insisted he could get everything done by himself.

What are these?

Oh, just some sketches I did.

- You did these? - Mmhmm.

Joan, they're beautiful.

Oh, it's just a silly hobby.

I love them.

I bet you could sell these. Put them in some nice frames.

Oh, you're not serious.

I am serious. When did you start drawing?

When I was little.

My parents got me a box of crayons for Christmas one year.

I was hooked.

Oh, I used to love it.

But, you know, between Charlie and taking care of the house.

You're very talented.

I think you could do something with these.

I'm just a housewife.

So was Lucille Ball, and she has her own TV show.

[both chuckle]

Do you smell something burning?

Oh, no Charlie.

Charlie!

What were you doing in the basement?

Charlie, you can't leave food cooking in the oven.

You're going to burn down the house.

I was... I was... fixing the pilot light.

The furnace went out again.

Well, why didn't you call me?

You know, you're supposed to show me how to do that.

I'm sorry, I forgot. Next time.

That's it. We're taking over the kitchen.

No, no, no, no, no. Joan needs to rest.

Charlie, you can't do everything by yourself.

Yes, I can. I have a system.

Well, if it involves the fire department,

it's not a very good system.

Amelia, would you please escort my beautiful wife

to the sofa so she can rest?

I've got everything under control.

[coughs]

[coughs] I can do this.

I can do this.

Here they come. Did you get everything?

I hope nobody else forgot anything

for Christmas Eve dinner, 'cause we bought the place out.

How are we gonna cook all this?

There's only one stove.

We'll make a schedule.

I think the ham should go first.

Why?

So it doesn't taste like turkey.

So it's okay for the turkey to taste like ham.

Might be an improvement.

Are you okay?

I just spent the last hour listening to your mom

and my mom make polite conversation

about the holidays.

Well, that's not so bad.

Except while they were doing it,

they kept sneaking glances at the window.

It was like watching a baseball player trying to decide

if he was going to steal home.

My mom wouldn't steal home.

She'd give a stern lecture to the umpire,

and they'd just let her have it.

I don't understand.

They got along so well at the wedding.

Everything was so...

Perfect.

I'm starting to hate that word.

Me too.

But I love you.

Don't worry. It's their issues not ours.

We're always in sync.

Yeah. Okay.

If we stick together, we're fine.

Better than fine, we're great.

In fact, we're--

Don't say it.

[both laugh]

You know, why don't we do something everybody will like?

We should decorate the tree.

That's a great, idea.

What could they possibly find to disagree about

with a Christmas tree?

Mom! Dad! We're going to decorate the Christmas tree!

- [Bill] We need tinsel. - [Gavin] I hate tinsel.

- [Emily] We need a star. - [Holly] No, we need an angel.

Yeah, who could disagree about that?

Dad, is this necessary?

Gavin and Holly think

their way of decorating the tree is better,

so let's find out.

But why record it?

So later we can show them how badly they lost.

Dad, this is supposed to be

a fun family activity, not a competition.

Who's competing? We're not competing.

But if we were, we'd be winning.

Luke, sweetheart, this is just a little bit

of merry Yuletide festivity. We're all friends here.

All right, let's do this.

Uh, uh, uh, uh.

Uh.

Ready?

Get set.

Decorate.

- Now's out time. - On it.

- Yes, that is... - He's coming up next...

♪

[turkey sizzling]

♪

What are you thinking about?

You.

Are you sure?

Doctor's orders.

Oh.

Oh.

No, no, not there!

[laughs] Oh.

Just kidding.

Do you remember our first Christmas tree?

Oh, that scraggly little thing.

It was the only one they had left.

It wasn't that bad.

Not when I got done with it.

You do know how to work Christmas miracles.

That's why I married you.

Not the only reason, I hope.

Mmm... No, that was it.

[laughs]

Should we light it up?

Yes, let's.

Ready?

Three. Two. One.

[sighs] Oh!

It's beautiful.

So are you.

Now, can I please help cook dinner?

No.

[telephone rings]

Can I at least answer the phone?

Only with your good arm.

[telephone rings]

Franklin residence.

Oh, Esther. Merry Christmas.

We're planning on having dinner around 6:00.

Hopefully.

Oh, well, of course...

The more the merrier.

Okay, well then, we'll see you then.

Bye now.

Esther's brother and his family

are coming to town unexpectedly.

We're expecting four more for Christmas Eve dinner.

Uh, do we have enough food?

No.

Now, can I help?

[sighs]

Coming in hot, Holly.

What are your parents doing?

What do you mean? Their side looks great.

No. Yeah, it does.

It's just a little much, don't you think?

That's how we always decorated our tree.

At least that's how it looks at Christmas.

Our side does too.

Our side? So we're taking sides now?

No, I didn't mean it like that. I just meant--

Your parents aren't even using all their ornaments.

Maybe they're worried the tree is going to tip over

because your parents are using so many.

Slow and steady wins the race.

I thought you said this wasn't a competition.

It's not.

Oh!

But maybe we should help them out

just to make sure it gets done right.

Good idea.

[excited chatter]

[groans]

Expecting a call?

No, I was just, um...

I was playing a game, a Christmas game.

You shake your phone really hard and try to light up

the little elves to help Santa.

Huh? Sounds like fun. What's it called?

Santa... Shake. Shaking Santa.

I don't remember.

What are you and Tina doing in the den?

Oh, uh, I was just reading her

that Christmas story she likes.

Again?

You just read it, like, an hour ago.

You know, kids.

What are you up to?

Nothing, what are you up to?

Nothing.

[cell phone buzzing]

[groans]

Someone just beat my high score again. No!

[whispers] Quinn, did you find him?

Did you know there's a theater at the airport?

They're showing Christmas movies.

Is that where Zian's grandfather was?

No, I just thought it was interesting.

Quinn, did you find him?

Not yet, but I got a buddy who works airport security.

He's seeing what he can dig up.

If Zian's granddad is still here, we'll find him.

What if he's not there?

What if he's lost in some strange country

where he doesn't speak the language.

He could be all alone in some scary place

and have no idea what's going on.

Mike, relax. I'm gonna keep looking.

I'll do whatever it takes.

Thanks, Quinn.

♪

Julian!

Yeah. I'm in here.

Hey, Amelia asked me to grab a few more bottles of wine

before I went home.

Oh, great minds think alike.

Our guest list for Christmas Eve dinner suddenly got longer.

I went to the market to pick up some extra provisions.

The wine shop is closed.

I was hoping you might have a spare bottle or two.

Of course. Let me set you up.

Uh, I heard about the fire.

The fire? No, no, there's no fire.

Just a little... a little smoke.

You know what they say, where there's smoke, Doc.

I have everything under control.

How are the cards coming?

They're good, great.

Just organizing my thoughts.

Oh, you haven't started, have you?

It is a work in progress.

Charlie, I'm just a bartender.

A great bartender.

The best.

Now, I'm no doctor, but I'm pretty good at telling

when something is wrong with people.

You want to pull up a chair?

- Julian, I have everything... - [in unison] under control.

I know you keep saying that, but it sounds like

you're trying to convince somebody of that

and I don't think it's me.

Okay. Don't get me wrong. I am ready to serve.

They need doctors over there.

I know what I'm doing is important.

I'm worried about Joan.

You know, they say deployments can be nine to ten months

for the medical corps.

What if it's longer?

You know, what if--

Charlie...

Come on.

Joanie can take care of herself.

You'll see. It's going to go by in a flash.

You'll be back before you know it.

Yeah, yeah. You're right.

But if I can give you one little piece of advice,

instead of inventing all these Christmases

for when you won't be here,

maybe you should be enjoying the one

that's happening right now while you are.

Thank you.

Thank you. Merry Christmas.

I like this one with Santa.

I do too. Let's put that right on top.

Okay.

While you're doing this,

I'm gonna go check up on your dad.

Don't let him come in here.

I won't.

If you have to ask him to read you a story.

It works every time.

Guilty.

Me? I'm not guilty.

I didn't do it on purpose.

I don't know what you're talking about.

Not you. Me?

Oh. What did you do?

I left you in here to cook a big meal all by yourself

on the first day in weeks

that you haven't had to cook at the restaurant.

Oh, that.

Well, you know, cooking calms me down.

Why do you need to calm down?

It's just because Christmas gets me so excited, you know?

[laughs awkwardly] Yay, Christmas!

Okay. Is something wrong? You're acting weird.

I'm not weird, you're weird.

Where did Quinn go?

I sent him on an errand for me. I needed, um... nutmeg.

He's helping me with dinner.

Why does he get to help you and I don't?

Because when he destroys my kitchen,

he puts it back together again.

Ha, ha.

I mean, you know, he wants to blow up this back wall

and expand the house.

Maybe add a new primary suite down here

so there's space upstairs for more bedrooms.

He said he could be done by next Christmas.

And you believe him?

He's never missed a deadline with us.

I don't know.

I mean, do we really need all that space?

It depends on how serious we are

about wanting to adopt more kids.

How serious are we?

It's just so hectic at the restaurant right now.

And if Winnie goes on that concert tour

she's talking about,

you're gonna have to go with her.

Not on the whole thing.

You're her manager.

You're gonna have to go for at least part of it.

I don't know how we're gonna make it work

with the one kid we do have.

If we really want to make it work, we'd find a way.

The real question is, do we really want to?

I don't know.

Do you?

Well...

If I'm being honest--

[cell phone buzzing]

- Um... - [cell phone buzzes]

- Chop. - [cell phone buzzes]

You just handed me a knife. Now I know something's wrong.

Quinn, please give me good news.

Okay. We found him.

Oh. Thank goodness. Is he okay?

I don't know, we lost him.

I thought you said you found him.

Well, you said give you the good news.

Good news is we found him. The bad news is we lost him.

I don't understand.

My buddy who works at airport security pulled some video,

and he saw him come out of the airport and get into a cab.

And go where?

Well, that's the whole lost him part.

But there's more good news.

He found him again.

Well, not... not exactly, but my buddy has a buddy

who works at the cab company, and they found out

that they dropped him at the Cherry Lane Mall.

What could he possibly be doing at the mall?

There's all sorts of things to do there.

There's Santa Claus,

and I heard there's carolers this year

and a gingerbread house,

not to mention all the shopping.

Quinn!

Don't worry. I just pulled into the parking lot,

and I'm gonna go inside and look for him.

Okay. Thank you. Keep me posted.

Okay. Um, do you only want to hear the good news or should I?

Any news? Call me with any news!

Roger that.

[sighs]

This is a disaster.

We got them to agree on dinner.

There have been international peace treaties

that weren't as hard to negotiate.

We're cooking three different kinds of potatoes.

At least they aren't bickering anymore.

They aren't talking either.

Is every Christmas going to be like this?

It's our first one.

It's like a first date. It's always awkward.

Ours was.

Awkward doesn't even begin to cover it.

Do you remember that waiter?

He didn't even offer to bring us dessert

just to put us out of our misery.

It still amazes me you agreed to a second date.

It still amazes me that you asked.

Well, my friends tried to talk me out of it.

Oh, so did mine.

We proved them wrong because we agreed that we would do

everything we could to make our second date perfect.

And it was.

And it has been since.

Now, what do we do about them?

I'm sure once we get past this little bump,

your parents will embrace the true meaning of Christmas.

And we'll all come together as one big, happy family.

My parents? What about your parents?

Don't you think they need to do some embracing?

Well, they're not the ones--

Christmas carols!

We should sing Christmas carols.

That'll get everyone back in the holiday spirit.

[sighs]

Dinner is shaping up, but we have some time

so what do you say we sing some Christmas carols?

Doesn't that sound like fun?

Very festive.

Come on, everybody, gather around.

What do you want to sing first?

What about "Deck the Halls".

Or "Silent Night".

But "Deck the Halls" is so much more festive.

But "Silent Night" is a classic.

We can do both.

Exactly. If we're making all the potatoes,

then we can sing all the songs.

Right, Luke?

Absolutely. So what do you want to do first?

Well, you know what?

It's your house and your piano, so you guys should decide.

"Silent Night" is a great song.

So is "Deck the Halls".

Well?

I've got--

Do not say good news and bad news,

because unless there is an elderly Filipino man

hiding in the back of your truck,

it is all bad news!

Not necessarily.

I showed some people his picture

and they confirmed he was there.

[sigh of relief]

So he's alive?

Mmhmm.

Where is he?

Not at the mall, I looked everywhere.

Me and Perlah from the agency both gave him directions

and a map to the house.

Maybe he's on his way here?

I'll go drive around the neighborhood.

We'll find him.

What if he's not missing?

What do you mean?

You think he's hiding somewhere?

No. What if he decided not to come?

What if he got cold feet about meeting Zian?

I mean, [sighs]

all I want to do is give Zi the perfect gift, a family.

What if the whole thing was a huge mistake?

First of all, you have already given Zian a perfect family.

And even if it was a mistake, it was made out of love.

There is nothing wrong with those kinds of mistakes.

Thanks, Quinn.

And besides, I don't think his granddad got cold feet.

He's just lost somewhere.

That's what you're going with? Really? Thank you.

That's... that's what you come at me with.

- Hey, guys. - Hey!

What's going on?

Oh, nothing. Uh, Quinn just...

He, um, forgot the nutmeg.

Yeah.

I thought that's what you were going out to get.

It was. I did.

Then I lost it.

How do you lose nutmeg?

- The spice-- - People lose things, okay Zi!

Don't judge him for it.

I'm just going to go and find the nutmeg.

Hey.

Okay.

All right.

The great nutmeg emergency of 2024 will be resolved soon.

Let's sing a Christmas carol.

[laughs awkwardly]

It always calms you down.

Yeah.

♪ Oh. Christmas tree. ♪

♪ Oh, Christmas tree. ♪

You're gonna need a lot longer one than that.

♪ On the first day of Christmas, ♪

♪ my true love gave to me. ♪

♪ ...Five golden rings. ♪

♪ Four calling birds, three French hens, ♪

♪ two turtle doves ♪

♪ and a partridge in a pear tree. ♪

That was great.

Wasn't that fun? Let's sing another one.

Well, shouldn't we check on dinner?

Yeah. Isn't it almost time to eat?

It's 2:00, Dad. We have plenty of time.

Maybe there's a football game. We could watch a football game.

That's a good idea.

Well, I'm up for that. Emily?

I enjoy a good game every now and then.

Well, great. Isn't that great, Sarah?

They all want to watch football.

Then football it is. There's a game on now.

- Yeah! - It's the Seahawks.

Yeah. Go Hawks.

And they're playing the Vikings.

Well how about that. You both are from Minneapolis.

Yeah we're season ticket holders.

Oh.

Maybe we should sing another song.

The TV's in the den.

Dibs on the remote.

Wait for me.

Um... you'll need to stir the gravy.

I know.

And check on the turkey.

I got it.

Oh, and get a leaf for the dining room table

so we have enough seats.

I will.

Well, why don't you just let me help?

Because I can do this, Joan.

Fine. If you are going to do my jobs,

I'm going to do yours.

What are you doing?

I'm going to change the oil.

[laughs]

Are you now? All right, all right.

Be my guest.

Oh, boy.

Nope.

Um...

Nope.

Un-huh.

Am I at least getting warm?

Joan, this is silly.

When you take the car to the station to fill it up with gas,

ask Verne to check the oil while he's at it.

I want to learn how to do it myself.

Sweetheart, the only thing you have to do

is to make sure that arm of yours gets better.

It is Christmas Eve. Can we worry about this later?

What if there is no later?

I didn't mean--

I am coming home.

You better.

Just don't forget, we're a team, Charlie Franklin.

- You and me. - That's right.

As long as we're together, nothing can stop us.

[door jiggling]

Oh.

[TV announcer announcing football game]

... and touchdown!

Yeah!!

Yeah-ha-ha-ha!!! 50-yarder!

Just in the nick of time.

Oh, what a great half!

I don't want to talk about it.

Hey, where are the kids?

Oh, I think they went upstairs. Probably hiding.

Hiding? From what?

Well, I think it's less of a what

and more of a who or is it whom?

From us? Why?

Well, you have to admit, we haven't exactly been awash

in the Christmas spirit since we all got here.

And all we've done is disagree.

That's not true.

Well, it is a little bit true.

See, we can't even agree on whether or not we're agreeing.

And for a couple like Luke and Sarah who agree on everything,

this must be their worst nightmare.

Oh, well, now I just feel terrible.

Me too.

Oh, Bill, do you remember the first Christmas

your parents and my parents spent together?

Oh, I try not to.

Should we go talk to them?

No. Let's just give them some space.

Listen, everyone, I have an idea.

Luke, Sarah, we're just going to go take a walk

and look at the Christmas decorations

in the neighborhood.

We'll be back in a bit, okay?

[both] Um... okay.

- [Sarah] We'll be right down. - [Luke] Have fun.

Is this a trick?

No. I think they went for a walk.

Together?

Twenty minutes ago they're ready to come to blows

over a field goal,

and now they're out looking at holiday decorations.

A Christmas miracle?

It won't last.

Especially since we haven't figured out what to do

about the window.

We'll figure it out.

Luke, you keep saying that, but how?

My parents aren't going to budge.

Neither will mine. Can't you talk to them?

Luke, I love my family's Christmas traditions.

We didn't have a lot when I was growing up.

So things like the tree

or what we had for dinner or the reindeer,

they're important to us.

Can't you get your folks to back down?

Sarah... that wreath is older than I am.

I grew up in a house where tradition was everything.

I lived in a world

where there was a very specific way of doing things.

I don't know how to change that.

I guess that's why they call it the honeymoon phase.

I guess it had to end sometime.

I'm gonna try out back.

To da!

Oh.

What do you think?

Oh.

It's not finished yet.

That is beautiful.

It looks just like the photo.

[laughs]

That is so sweet. You're gonna make me cry.

No. Don't start. If you do, I will.

And then when Tina comes in here, she'll join in

and it'll all be downhill from there.

Okay, I'll hold it in for now.

[laughing]

How are things over at your house?

Did Elena and the grandkids make it in okay?

Yes. And it's loud, but wonderfully loud.

Mm.

I'm having a house full of family

really makes it feel like Christmas.

I'd love that.

I've always wanted brothers and sisters when I was growing up.

Well, then do it.

Adopt a few brothers and sisters for Tina.

And in a few years,

your house will be as loud as mine is on Christmas Eve.

Oh, that would be nice but you heard Mike

maybe, possibly someday in the future.

He's not ready.

But you are.

Have you told him that?

I've tried.

I mean, we were talking about it a little while ago,

but he's so distracted and something's going on,

but he won't tell me what it is.

Psst.

Anything?

I got nutmeg!

I had nutmeg.

Maybe I should go out and look for him myself.

Look where?

I drove all over the place between here and the mall.

Should I call the police?

It's only been a few hours. It's not even night yet.

Well, I can't just sit here and do nothing.

Well, Quinn, will you hang out with Tina for a few minutes?

Yeah, sure thing.

She's up in her room.

Okay.

You two, come with me.

Now, you two listen up.

You know I love you like you are my own boys.

Oh Daisy, we love you, too.

But if you don't talk to each other,

I am going to tell Santa to put you on the naughty list.

I have seen families come and go in this house.

Some have stayed for a long time, others only a few years.

I've seen people fall for each other,

get married and raise families.

But the one constant has always been love.

This is a house filled with love.

We agree.

But sometimes I have seen couples come close

to messing that all up

because they forgot to talk to each other.

Now, how much time have you two spent together today?

Not a lot.

That's what I thought.

You've spent all day going to incredible lengths

to make this a surprising Christmas for one another.

But somewhere along the way, you forgot--

Forgot the actual fact that it's Christmas Eve.

Exactly.

How did you get so wise?

Oh, I've lived a long life. That helps.

[all laugh]

I really learned from watching my parents.

You know, they had their problems,

but they always found a way to work it out.

What was their secret?

I think the key was that they were willing

to let others help them when they needed it,

and they were always first to jump in to help others.

In fact, I remember them telling me a story

about the very first Christmas on Cherry Lane.

It was 1951,

and my folks just built the house across the street

and their neighbors were locked out of this house.

It's amazing what you can do with a bottle opener, isn't it?

Oh, thank you, thank you Julian!

It's in the kitchen, hurry!!!

Oh, no. It's ruined!

Everything is ruined.

Oh, no. What are we going to do?

[coughs]

I really love this one!

And I love this one! What are we gonna do?

What can we do?

We'll trade off, put up a different decoration each year.

Great. Who goes first?

Uh, hey guys. Dinner sure smells delicious.

It sure does. Can't wait to eat.

Oh, and the table is beautiful.

Doesn't the table look beautiful, Bill?

Very nice. Feels like Christmas.

You both have done such a wonderful job.

We are having the best time, aren't we guys?

[laughing]

What is going on?

What do you mean?

He means, why are you guys suddenly acting

like your best friends?

Yeah. What happened on that walk around the neighborhood?

Well, we just realized that maybe we were being--

Selfish jerks.

Well, I was going to say a little less than merry,

but yours is good, too.

Thank you, Emily.

Look, kids...

we appreciate you trying to make everyone happy here,

but there comes a point when you have to decide

what's going to make you happy.

What do you want this Christmas?

That's the problem. I don't think we know.

Or at least...

I don't think we agree.

[burst out laughing]

[laughing] Welcome to marriage, kids.

That's part of the deal. It's all about compromise.

We may have forgotten that today.

But you two will be fine.

Come on, kids. Let's go eat.

Looks like you guys got quite a stack of mail here.

Look at that. It's like an antique.

What is that? It looks so old.

Wait.

Who is Joan Franklin?

[Amelia] Hello, Joan, Charlie.

Hi.

Okay, ladies this way.

Amelia?

What is all this?

Heard you had a little trouble in the kitchen,

so I called a few of the neighbors.

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

We cannot take your Christmas Eve dinners.

Oh, stop. Everyone always cooks too much anyway

so there's plenty to share.

Besides, it's Christmas, and that's what neighbors do.

Don't worry, we have this all under control.

Sally. Hi.

Joan, Charlie, this is Sally Potter.

Her and her husband, Zeke

live at 28 Cherry Lane on the corner.

Nice to meet you, Sally. Thank you so much.

Oh. You're welcome. Happy to help.

This is just... I don't even know what to say.

You'd do the same for us.

I would. I will.

Next Christmas Eve, all of you leave space

on your tables for something from our kitchen.

It does not always smell like this.

Here, let me take that.

Oh, no, no, no.

Joan, you go rest that arm.

And, Charlie, why don't you take a break?

There's one thing I still need to do.

Amelia...

Thank you.

We're here for you, whatever you need.

Go rest.

[exhales]

My dearest Joan.

As I write this, the house is filled with friends

and neighbors and family all coming together

to make sure this Christmas is as special

as all the ones we've celebrated together before.

And all the ones we will celebrate together again.

Because we'll be together again and always,

even when I'm not here.

Whether this is the first card you receive or the last,

or somewhere in between,

I know that you'll be surrounded by love

when you read it.

Not just mine,

but that of all the people in our community,

the people of Cherry Lane.

This place is special

and I can't wait to come home to it so we can create

our own Christmas memories for years to come.

All my love, Charlie.

Christmas Eve, 1951.

Oh, I've heard about something like this happening before.

It must have gotten lost in the mail for 52 years.

You can just tell how much he loved her.

I wonder what ever happened to them.

Well, maybe they're still around.

We could try and track them down and deliver the card

to Joan, or maybe their kids if they had them.

Oh, I'm sure they did.

I bet they had a huge family, and it was their tradition

to have Christmas Eve dinner right here in this room.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry too.

We're okay.

We're better than okay.

What are we going to do about...?

Maybe it's time we started coming up

with our own Christmas traditions.

I couldn't agree more.

We haven't been talking as much as we should have.

I know, it's my fault.

It's both our fault.

No, I've just been working so much lately

that I haven't been much of a husband or a dad.

That's not true.

But is that why you don't want to adopt more kids?

I didn't say I didn't want to.

I said I didn't know how we'd do it.

How I'd do it.

You're like super dad.

Hardly, I'm just trying to--

When I was adopted, my folks were the best.

Like, the most caring, wonderful people on earth.

But I still feel like

I'm missing a part of me, you know.

Not knowing where I came from is--

I don't want Tina to feel that.

Which is why you're such a great father.

We're both great fathers.

[sighs]

But we could both be better.

If you really want to spend more time with Tina, work less.

Oh, just like that, work less?

Yes.

I could work less.

I don't know, Zi.

I mean, adopting more kids, being responsible for keeping

them happy and healthy and safe and not losing any of them.

Whoa, that escalated quickly.

I have to tell you something.

I lost your grandfather.

What?

[doorbell]

Merry Christmas.

Oh!

Oh! It's a Christmas miracle!

Oh! Oh!

Uh... Mike, who is--

Zi, this is Danilo Ocampo. He's your--

Lolo. Grandfather.

Merry Christmas.

[laughs]

Grandpa.

Thank you.

♪

Sorry to worry you.

I was getting Christmas presents.

Oh, thank you. That's very kind.

I have so many questions. I don't know where to start.

Start from the beginning.

Okay.

Did you know that you had a grandson?

No. I was... stubborn.

I did not want your parents to move away.

We had a fight.

We did not speak for many years.

They went to China, then to America.

I decided too late to say I was sorry.

By then they were gone. I had lost them.

Well, I'm glad we found each other

to celebrate Christmas together.

So am I.

And I promise I will never lose you again.

It seems like every Christmas here,

our family grows in the best of ways.

It's almost becoming one of our traditions.

Great Grandpa, what do you do for Christmas?

Noche buena.

Oh, I know about this. The good night feast.

They have a huge meal on Christmas Eve at midnight,

with the whole family around the table.

Yes, yes, and drink chocolaté.

Filipino hot chocolate, yes.

And open presents.

Ah.

Can we do that at midnight tonight?

That's a little bit past your bedtime

but I think we can make an exception

for your great grandfather.

I'm so grateful to be in America with my family.

Is this your first time here?

Yes.

I always wanted visit.

American people are very... in my heart.

I would not be alive if not for an American doctor.

American doctor saved life. His name was Charlie.

Charlie.

What is this?

A Christmas card?

Well, I can see that, dear, I mean why.

We promised that we would spend every Christmas Eve together.

Joan, as long as we are in each other's hearts,

we will never really be apart.

I love you.

Oh, I love you more than words can say.

I love you too.

Whatever words there are to describe our love

they are in this card.

So when-- and whenever you're missing me,

you can open up my Christmas card.

Even if we're across the world from each other,

we'll still be together.

Thank you, Charlie.

If not for Charlie,

and you would never have been born.

Wow. Thank you, Charlie. Wherever you are.

Thank you for finding him.

Even though I lost him.

[laughing]

Maybe when we tell the story later,

we'll leave that part out.

Yeah.

My story. Can Grandpa Danilo read my Christmas story?

What's the story about?

It's about a Christmas card that gets lost

and travels the whole world trying to find its way home.

I remember that story from when I was a kid.

Can I see that?

Speaking of cards,

Tina, should we show your father his surprise?

Yeah. Come on, everybody.

Come on. Come on.

Don't peek.

I couldn't if I tried.

Okay, ready?

One.

Two.

Three.

Do you like it?

I love it.

Thank you so much, and I love you.

I love you too, Daddy.

Oh.

Now I know why you've been acting so weird lately.

I wouldn't say weird.

I would.

We wanted to give you the perfect Christmas.

You have.

You have a lovely family.

No, Grandpa. We have a lovely family.

Come here.

Quinn helped too.

Yeah, he did. Come in here, Quinn.

Ah...

Come on.

Now, this can be our Christmas tradition.

Yes, honey. It can.

My dad would have loved this so much.

It looked just like the one he used to make.

Thank you.

How did you--

Uh, we cheated a little.

My gosh.

This is the kindest gift I've ever received.

Thank you both.

And you don't know where your dad got this idea from?

No clue.

What do you think?

It's perfect.

A new tradition.

Our tradition.

It's beautiful.

It really is.

It could use some tinsel.

[all laugh]

I love it. And I love you.

I love you, too.

And we love all of you.

Well, this is all very sweet, but--

Let's eat.

Took the words right out of my mouth, Bill.

Come on.

♪

[camera shutter snaps]

♪ Snow is gently falling on the ground ♪

♪ in the air there's full of love all around ♪

♪ I feel the warmth of the fire, ♪

♪ sweet smell of the pine ♪

♪ I know it's almost Christmas time ♪

♪

♪ My heart holds precious memories ♪

♪

♪ The sound of laughter around the Christmas tree ♪

♪ I hear the bells start to chime ♪

♪ this moment fills my mind ♪

♪ I know it's almost Christmas time ♪

Thank you for the decoration.

I can't believe you thought of that.

Well, thank you for... well, my grandfather.

I can't believe you thought of that.

It's nice to know that we can still surprise each other.

I wouldn't have it any other way.

That's what makes life so fun.

Yeah. It's so full of love.

And so full of possibilities for the future.

Well, as long as it's a future with you,

then I can't wait to live it.

Especially after meeting your grandfather.

He has got such a good head of hair.

You are gonna age perfectly.

[both laugh]

[exhales]

Another wild Christmas Eve.

We're two for two.

Mm.

Must be something about Cherry Lane.

♪ ... big city lights ♪

♪ A Christmas star that shines so bright ♪

[Tina] Dads, Grandpa and Quinn want to remodel.

[laughing]

♪

♪ I'm coming home ♪

♪

♪