Holiday Sitter, The (2022)

Christmas & New Years movies collection.

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Christmas & New Years movies collection.
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Holiday Sitter, The (2022)

Post by bunniefuu »

["Why Couldn't it Be Christmas

Every Day?" plays]

I wait for Christmas

All year long

How I wish

that I could only change it

Take the calendar

and rearrange it

Then every day

Would be so nice

Candy canes

And all the snow...

[mutters to self]

Keep an open mind.

Don't look for a reason

to run.

[chuckles weakly]

Sam?

Dr. Vance DeBlaine.

So sorry I'm late.

Surgery ran long.

All good.

Nice to finally meet you.

Same.

I know we said drinks,

but should we grab a table?

Most people

think a tonsillectomy

is just for when you're young,

but a lot of adults

have 'em, too.

Is that so?

It is.

So, Sam, your profile said

you're a business manager?

Vague, I know.

Uh, basically I help

high-net worth clients

manage their money

and assets

and guide them to, hopefully,

make prudent decisions.

Right now, I'm trying

to convince one client

not to buy

a social media company.

[kids giggling loudly]

Kids are so cute

at that age.

Hmm?

Ah. Don't mind me,

I'm kid-crazy right now.

My brother and his wife

just had twins back in August.

My first time

being an uncle.

Aww!

Wanna see pictures of them?

Oh, no, that's okay. I--

Oh, yes, there they are--

there are two of 'em.

Leah and Chloe.

They live in Portland.

I can't wait to see them

for Christmas.

Makes me want to have twins

when I get married.

[whispers] Check?

[mouths words]

Do you have any nieces

or nephews?

Hmm?

Uh, yes.

One of each.

Miles and Dania.

They live with my sister

and brother-in-law in Brayden.

That's not too far away.

You must see them all the time.

Not really. Being self-employed

means working 24/7.

[chuckles] You know, plus,

I find the suburbs confusing

with all the peace and quiet

and lawn gnomes in front

of the identical houses.

It's...

Will you see them

for Christmas?

No! Heh-heh!

I will be

on a plane to Hawaii

in T-minus 22 hours

and four minutes.

It's my first attempt

at relaxation

in longer than I care to admit,

because...

well, it'll just depress me.

Wait. You're going to Hawaii

for Christmas?

That's right.

Without your family?

Yes.





[giggling and laughing]

Mm. I'm sorry, Murph.

No time for fetch.

-[phone rings]

-Off to work I go.

[rings]

Hey, Mom.

Hello, my baby boy.

Would you like to come over

for lunch?

I made extra lasagna.

And Arabella is here

while your brother's

at the store.

I wish I could,

but I'm off to work

on Kathleen and Nate's nursery.

You know, their baby's due

New Year's.

That's right!

Hey, did they give you

any tips on adopting?

Yeah, they did,

and, uh, I'm looking

over some documents.

Oh, and I have an appointment

with their lawyer in January.

[gasps] This is so exciting!

Maybe, by next Christmas,

I'll be a grandma again.

Hey, whoa-ho, whoa.

Tap the breaks.

I can practically

see you knitting booties now.

Look, this is gonna

take some time,

and a surprisingly hefty

retainer fee

for me

to get things in place.

Well, don't wait too long.

Your brothers and sisters

have a head start on you.

I'm starting to lose count

of how many grandkids I have.

-Grandma!

-[chuckling]

That's very funny.

I'll call you later.

Bye-bye, honey.

Good morning.

Morning!

[splat]

[kids chuckling]

You are in such trouble!

-Now?

-Now!

But that's--

...Two weeks early.

I thought we were having

a New Year's baby.

Christmas.

We're not ready!

Tell that to the baby.

Oh, I'm bringing it up

when she's 18.

We need to focus!

And pack!

-Okay.

-Okay. Yeah.



Lydia said the birth mother

just started having

real contractions.

Okay, so we may have

a bit of time.

I think so.

The drive from here to Buffalo

is nine hours.

Yeah, and that huge snowstorm's

a couple days away.

That's not our biggest problem

right now.

What's

our biggest problem right now?

Who's gonna watch Miles

and Dania while we're gone?

Right, yeah, the kids.

Uh, what about your mom?

She's still

at her art retreat in Italy.

She's not supposed to fly in

until the day after Christmas.

Yeah, my parents are still

on vacation in Sydney.

Where's Frank?

Dad's at

his fishing cabin with--

[both] ...No service.

What about

Miles watching Dania?

I mean, he's 13 now.

Right, yeah. Terrible idea.

Forget I suggested it.

[sighing heavily]

Whoever it is

has to be trustworthy

and responsible.

And have nothing else

going on...

four days before Christmas.

[ding]

- This Christmas

-[both exhaling deeply]

I'll dream

of a private yacht

I'm not saying that you can't

buy the yacht, Stavros.

I'm asking if it's truly

the best use of your bonus,

considering

you already have one.



Yes, you did.

Last year.

There you go! Exactly!

Okay, so, there are

many things we can do.

We can take the--

[sighs]

Tigers... are illegal.

Uh, Stavros...

I'm gonna have to call you back

on my way to Hawaii, okay?

Just--

Just don't buy anything!

What?

Shut the front door!

Mm-hmm!

That's why

she was acting weird!

Yeah, it turns out

she was planning

the world's

most romantic proposal.

Did she dress up in a suit

of armor and ride a horse

with a jousting pole

and the ring on it?

Did one of

your clients do that?

Uh, Omar.

Don't ask me how I found

the jousting pole. Whoa!

Never.

And, no, she didn't.

It was roses, "I love you,"

and this ring.

It's perfect.

This deserves a toast.

Oh, my god.

I knew you'd have

two champagne flutes handy.

In my line of work,

you always have

to be ready to celebrate

in case a big deal goes through.

And this...

pretty much qualifies

as a big deal.

-[pop]

-Boom!

[both laugh]

It's exciting!

Okay, but really,

can you believe it?

Like, I'm engaged?

Honestly, Ellie?

I can't.

Didn't we always say

that marriage

is for other people?

Yeah.

Well...

I don't know, things change

when you meet "the one".

I heard it--

it's cliche, but it's true.

I'll take your word for it.

Hey, you know what?

It could happen

for you, too, though.

Oh... wait.

It can't,

'cause that means that you'd

have to make it to a second date

and like, you know--

oh, that thing you do,

where you look

for a reason to run--

yeah, you can't do that.

Then what?

Move to the suburbs

and settle down, like my sister?

Or me and Abbie. We're talking

about moving there.

We could be neighbors again!

[scoffs] Please.

Can you imagine me...

in the suburbs with a husband,

a dog, and an SUV?

Why not?

Sam...

more than anything,

I just... you know,

I hope one day

you find a guy

that makes you want

to break open

a bottle of champagne

and, you know,

have it just be for you.

[clink]

Congrats.

Thank you.



[laughing]

Uncle Jason?

-Oh, hey, Arabella.

-Grandma

told me to bring this to you,

in case you get hungry.

Oh, thanks.

Lasagna.

Of course.

Hi, Arabella.

Hey, Miles. Are you gonna be

at the play tryouts tomorrow?

Yeah, sure. Totally.

-Yeah.

-Cool.

See you there.

Bye, Uncle Jason.

-Bye, Arabella.

-Bye.

Bye.

So, the community center's

doing The Life and Times

of Santa Clausthis year.

Arabella's the Elf Queen.

And the kid who's supposed

to be the narrator

has to go out of town,

so they're looking for

a replacement, ASAP.

-Got it.

-I can

text your parents the info,

if you really want to audition?

[blurts nervously]

Yeah, I do. Thanks.

[smooching]

[laughs] Look at you.

I'm gonna get you!

Okay, you two.

Anything?

Aunt Martha's in Oklahoma.

[sighs]

Uh, what about the Huttons?

Hedy said that they're going

to Pat's family's

in Michigan tomorrow.

Yeah, we're just

so close to Christmas.

[voices carrying]

What about Jason?

He's babysat the kids before

and he's thinking

about adopting--

this could be a trial run.

Well, you know, we just

hired him as the contractor

for the nursery.

It feels like a lot to ask

more than an evening,

you know, like we're--

Yeah, taking advantage.

[both cringing] Yeah.

[inhales sharply]

We could ask your brother.

Are you kidding?

Don't you remember

what happened last time?

-[flames whooshing]

-[alarm blaring]

[blasting]

[wheezing and choking]

[hacking and coughing]

[coughs and sputters]

I'll totally pay for that.

[coughs]

[smoke alarm blares]

[whoosh]

He did pay for it.

That's not the point!

Sam doesn't know

the first thing about kids.

Plus, he'd probably say

"no" anyhow.

He hasn't visited us since...



Hey, um...

Sam's family.

He's only

a couple of hours away.

And, hon?

He's kind of our only option.

[tropical music plays]

[Jason hums and scats

to the tune]

[phone begins ringing]

Bah, buh-buh

[ringing]

Is everything okay?

Why do you say it like that?

[exhales deeply] Because...

we haven't talked since...

[words catch]

Did Mom tell you that

Nate and I are adopting again?

Yeah, she mentioned something

about that a few months ago.

How's that going,

by the way?

The birth mother

just went into labor.

Ah! So goin' soon, then?

Sooner than expected.

She wasn't supposed to arrive

until New Year's.

[phone alert chimes]

And Mom was gonna help--

-Uh-huh.

...But she's not set

to arrive until the 26th,

to watch Miles and Dania,

and we have to drive out

to Buffalo

to get the baby today.

It'll cost her a kidney

to rebook

this close to Christmas.

That's what she said.

Anyway...

we need to find someone

A.S.A.P.

to come here

and be with the kids

until we get back.

[record scratches]

Wait...

are you asking me

to babysit?

I know it's been

a really long time

since you've been

drafted into service--

Years!

It's been years, Kath.

We're obviously desperate,

but you are the only person

who never goes anywhere

for the holidays.

And you can make

all of your work calls here...

when you're not with

the kids, of course.

[grunts in frustration]

Ah...

[Dania] Mom!

You're gonna make me

do it, aren't you?

Fine.

I'm calling in

the Calvin Card.

[horrified] What?

It has been 22 years!

You made me lie to Mom and Dad

about where you were

on Senior Night in high school

when you snuck out

with Calvin Carnackie

to Central Park,

and I told them

that you were

with Sonya Perez

and Lola Kurtz,

so that you wouldn't

get grounded

for the whole entire summer.

You totally owe me--

big-time!

Oh! I can't believe

you're calling that in!

[exhales victoriously]

Desperate times,

desperate measures.

Isn't there, like, a--

a professional

Mary Poppins service

out there you could hire?

Someone who has

the slightest clue

on what to do

with children?

And who didn't blow up the house

last time they tried?

You know what?

[huffs] I knew better

than to ask,

but Nate pulled

his "Sam's family"

Jedi mind-tricks,

and I fell for it.

I guess I'm just gonna have

to leave Miles in charge

after all.

Merry Christmas, Sam.

[dial tone beeps and buzzes]



-[ring]

-[beep]

Miles being in charge

was sarcasm, right?

He's 13.

Of course, it was sarcasm.

Just checking.

[inhales] How long

would this...

arrangement entail?

Two days. Probably.

"Probably"?

You know, Sam...

babies have

their own schedules.

But you won't.

I will leave you a detailed one

and make sure

that you don't have

to worry about a thing.

[screams] Ahhhhh!

[inhales]

[forced cheer] Okay.

Seriously? Okay!

Wow! Thank you!

But I don't have to cook?

Absolutely not.

[relieved sigh]

[beep]



Best behavior

from both of you, okay?

Jason's gonna watch over you

until Uncle Sam gets here.

I don't need

a babysitter anymore.

Well, your sister does.

Unless you wanna do all

the cooking and cleaning

for her

while I'm gone?

[kids] No!

I'll stay

until your brother gets here.

And I'll finish up the nursery

before you get back.

[sighing] You're amazing.

Thank you so much.

Okay, car's packed.

Christmas is in four days.

You'll be back in time, right?

Of course, sweetie!

Promise?

I promise.

We'll absolutely be back

in time for Christmas.

And we'll bring

your new baby sister, too.

Later, buddy.

-Oh!

Bye.

I'm sorry--

you gave up Hawaii...

to babysit?

Didn't give up.

I merely delayed

my departure.

But my baby sister hasn't

asked me to watch the kids

since...

Since you almost b*rned down

their kitchen,

making an omelette?

It was a minor fire,

quickly extinguished.

Plus, my plan is just

to order in everything.

That's expensive.

Cheaper than a remodel.

Sam, you have

an aversion to kids.

No, no, not an aversion.

I'm awkward

and uncomfortable.

Mainly when they're tiny.

But Miles is like 13,

he's practically

in college now and--

-What?

-...Dania is...

...well, she's somewhere

between like six and... ten,

so, we're going to be able

to communicate like adults.

It's gonna be a disaster.

Oh! Ye of little faith.

I am going to rock

these two nights of gunclehood

and then it's off

to checking work emails

on sandy beaches,

sipping Mai Tais.

I got this.

You got this.

Yeah...

I got this! Sorry.

[slaps shoulder]



[game music plays]

[game audience applauds]

[grunts]



[grunting]

-Yeah!

-Oh!

Let's go!

That's it--

time for you to hit the hay.

Oh, come on.

This is just 'cause you lost.

And because

it's 15 minutes past

when your mom said

she wanted you to be in bed.

But, in deference

to your victory...

...I'll clean up.

-Yes!

-[chuckling]



I think

this is the place.

Thanks for the ride.

[car door shuts]



I got it. No problemo.



Oh...

Oh. Wow. Okay.

[ring clinking on gnome]

[knocking]

[loud dog barking]

Whoa!

Whoa...

Hi.



Who are you?

I'm...

the guy who lives here.

Jason...

DeVito.

Your family's neighbor.

Oh!

Hi!

Sam. Dalton.

The brother.

Which you obviously

already know.

Obviously.

I've said "obviously" twice.

[chuckling awkwardly]

Uh... this way.

Right!

All these houses out here,

they just... they look--

they look the same to me.

So, when was the last time

you were in Brayden?

A while.

Kathleen and Nate usually

come to visit me

in the big city,

when they need

some grown-up time.

You're new.

Yes and no.

Well, you guys

sure do like to go all out

for Christmas around here.

Well, you should see

my mom and pop's place

across the street.

Oh, your parents

are across the street?

Yeah, for a few years.

Then my place opened up around

the time my great-aunt Mimi--

God rest her soul--

[smooch]

...left me enough

for a downpayment.

Here I am.

[chuckles awkwardly]

Here you are.

Enough about me.

Wow.

Kathleen left this for you.

Ah, yes!

The schedule!

Wow.

This is the longest document

I've seen

that wasn't

a mortgage application.

She has got this

down to the minute!

7 A.M.-- "Wake up".

Oof!

children are awake."

Oh, she's serious.

"Begin ordering breakfast.

Menus are in the... kitchen."

I'm feeling very "Maria

Von Trapp meets the Captain"

at the moment.



Oh, she doesn't

have the play on here.

-Play?

-Yeah, there's an audition

for the Christmas play,

tomorrow at 10 A.M.

I was in Christmas plays

when I was a kid.

I once played

an elf named Gunther.

Pretty sure that's the origin

of my lederhosenaversion.

Ahem. You were saying?

Yeah, Miles really

wants to audition.

He kinda has

a crush on my niece,

but we don't discuss it.

Wise. Ha.

Well, what does

she have down for 10?

Uh, "Christmas Crafts.

Make stocking for baby."

Okay.

Well, I'm already taking

my niece Arabella

to the auditions--

I can take Miles, too,

and then you're free to make

the stocking with Dania.

Yeah, okay.

-Are you sure?

-Yeah.

And that way, you'll be

back on schedule by noon,

for, um... "lunch".

[laughs silently]

That's great.

Cool. Okay.

Yeah.



Where are the kids, anyway?

They're asleep.

So early?

It's past 10:30 P.M.

Which is late...

for children.

And for me, too,

so, if you're okay here,

I'm gonna head home.

-[huffs anxiously]

-[phone chimes]

Uh...

I airdropped my contact info

to your phone,

so, if you need any help,

I'm just right next door.

Bless you.

[relieved chuckle]

You're doing a good thing,

Sam...

the brother.

Thank you, Jason...

the neighbor.

Night.

[to self] Don't look

for a reason to run.

You so got this!

Mm-hmm.

-[clattering and crashing]

-Oh...

ooh.





[gasps]

Who are you?

Uh... Sam.

Your uncle?

My uncle Sam has a mustache.

Th-That was

an unfortunate phase

that was blessedly brief.

Uncle Sam!

Oh! Oh... hi!

I texted Mom.

She said I could have

pancakes for breakfast!

Oh...

[exhales]

Oh!



Oh! [chuckles] You're up!

[grumpy] You're late.

"Somebody" hasn't

had their morning coffee.

I'm 13.

I don't drink coffee.

Good call!

Guess that leaves you out,

too, then, huh?

Good call.

So, where is

the, uh, machine?

With the... you know?

Pods.

We don't use pods

because plastic stays around

in landfills

for a million-billion years.

Okay, fair.

But what do the adults

of the household--

A.K.A. "Mom and Dad" to you--

drink for caffeine?

Dad drinks kombucha

and Mom drinks tea.

This is a coffee-free home?

I really feel like that

should've been conveyed earlier.

Want me to get you a kombucha?

Not if my life

depended on it.

I'll make do with tea.

Now! Breakfast!

You're not gonna cook,

are you?

Eh! No. Heh.

Luckily, your mother's

unnervingly thorough schedule

on what the next two days

looks like,

includes delivery places,

which means breakfast pancakes

are gonna be provided by...

Oh! "Clean Green Food".

Oof, I'm gonna lose

so much weight.

[phone dials]

[out-of-service tone plays]

[recording]

We're sorry.

Your call cannot be

completed as dialed.

Please check the area code

and number, then dial--

I'm hungry!

Yep, any second now...

any second.

[out-of-service tone plays]

We're sorry.

Your call cannot be completed--

Uh... okay.

So, apparently,

this "Clean Green"

is having

some technical issues.

Do you know any other

restaurants we could order from?

They're the only

vegan place nearby

that'll deliver breakfast.

"Vegan"?

Dania's vegan now.

Willingly?

[whimpers] Oh, okay.

Um...

does cereal count?

Huh? How about that?

[whines]

Mom said pancakes!

Does she do this a lot?

I will give you 50 bucks

to not make that face anymore.

[cries out]

I just want pancakes!

We really gotta work on

your negotiating skills, kid.

Kid?

[Dania moans wailfully]

Hello.

Hey, sweetie.

There's eggnog on the table.

Now go inside.

I'll be in there

in a second, okay?

[chuckles]

-Hey, Ma.

-Mm.

-How are you?

-I'm good.

Okay.

Hey.

Thanks for taking Bella

to this play thing.

It's just right in the middle of

the store's Christmas rush.

Yeah. Of course.

How are you doing?

I'm hangin' in.

It's the first Christmas

as a single dad, so, uh...

Arabella knows

you're doing your best.

Thanks, Ma. I hope so.

Parenting isn't easy.

Oh, ho, ho, ho.

You're preaching to the choir.

[laughs]

You sure you wanna

tackle this solo?

I'm tired of waiting

for someone to want to join me.

Which could be never

at this rate, so...

Well, not with that attitude.

Jason, you spent too long

in Los Angeles,

looking for the right guy--

you've only been in town a year.

You never know

who you'll meet.

[phone chimes]



[door opens]

[whining sadly]



[quietly] I'm sorry!

I didn't know who else to call.

Apparently, it's vegan pancakes

or deep sighs of disappointment,

followed by a face

I usually only see

right before

someone breaks up with me.

[sighs despondently]

So do you want me to find

the recipe for you?

It's a little more

complicated than that,

in the fact that I don't, uh...

you know-- cook.

Ever.

Oh, right. The fire.

They told you?

Only because I did

some minor renovations for them

last summer,

and I found some scorch marks

that the other contractor

missed.

Who knew dried chives

were that flammable, huh?

It was like a tinderbox!

Just...

[whooshes]

But we're gonna focus

on the now.

Right. Now, I will pay

you a hundred dollars

to make me

a vegan pancake breakfast.



Do you want to give it a try?

Or make sure

the griddle's hot?

Thank you.

Okay.

And we just need

a little bit more flour.

And the flour... flour.

This is flour?

Just... scoop.

[coughs]

-And now the oat milk.

-Mm-hmm.

Ooh! All right.

There we go.

Now all we have to do

is make them...

Christmas pancakes.

Wow! Nice trick.

Do you have kids?

Not yet.

But I do have

18 nieces and nephews.

I'm sorry, what?

Jason has a big family.

I'm the youngest

of seven kids.

W-- Wow.

And one thing I learned

along the way

is how to create things

like...

Christmas pancakes.

Actual Christmas pancakes!

Who knew?

[bell dings]

Wow!

Oh! We have to leave

for the auditions in 15 minutes.

I'll be ready.

Jason?

Can I talk to you

for a second?

[exhales]

So, you're really good

at this "uncle" thing.

I suppose.

I don't know what I'm doing,

even with the world's

most comprehensive

set of instructions.

Don't be so hard on yourself,

you just got started.

Yet, I've already failed

three times.

You know what?

I want to hire you.

What?

To co-nanny or...

manny or uncle...

whatever--

I just need someone

to help me

until I get the hang of things.

-You don't have to hire me.

-I wouldn't feel right

asking you for help

every two seconds.

I wouldn't know

what to charge,

and besides, I'm already here

working on the nursery--

Perfect!

You're already here!

And I've seen the room,

it's practically done.

Good job, you!

-I-I don't know...

-I mean, you said it yourself,

you have, what--

800 nieces and nephews?

Potato/po-tah-to!

You're an expert!

I'm stuck in beginner mode.

Think of yourself as...

an "uncle consultant".

-An uncle--

-For two days.

Name your price.

Do you always throw money

at a problem?

Only when I think it'll work.

Well, I do need

to hire a lawyer.

Okay, really not that serious.

I was thinking--

Yeah, for something else,

and, um, the retainer fee

is three times

what I budgeted for.

What's the fee?



Done!



Well, looks like you got

yourself an uncle consultant.

Yes, I do.

Oh, and, uh... here.

You got some green batter

on your Rossini loafers.

Oh! Thanks.

Hey, Jason?

How'd you know

these were Rossini loafers?

[quietly] Oh?

[realizing] Oh!

No...



Look at

all the big Nutcrackers!

Whoa! Look at all

the big Nutcrackers!

Ah, I take it you didn't go

to a lot of these growing up?

Does the Museum of Modern Art

count?

There's a slight difference.

Well, I gotta go paint sets

until the auditions are over.

Oh.

Okay.

Uh, yeah. Go.

Go, go, go.

Text me when you're done.

Hey, Logan. Kevin.

-Hey.

-How are you?

Nice to see you.

[exchange continues

indistinctly]

[Sam] Interesting.



Uncle Sam?

Hey...

Niece Dania.

The Christmas stocking

craft booth is this way.

There's the reindeer toss!

May we do that, please?

Don't you want

to make a stocking

for your new baby sister?

Maybe later. Let's go!



Hey, Uncle Eddie.

Hey, kiddo!

Your cousins are getting

fitted for their costumes,

and after that, Ms. Latsko

wants to see you for Elf Queen.

Where's the fitting area?

I'll show you.

I just got done.

[Arabella]

Good luck, Miles.

Hey! Thanks so much for

coming to try out, Miles.

We were left in a lurch,

so this is real helpful.

And, uh...

Pete asked me to drop Arabella

back by his house

when it's over.

I'll tell Mom.

-Have fun.

-Let's go!

Come on.

[thump]

Oh? Yeah!

You are a reindeer

ring-toss ringer.

What does a "ringer" mean?

It means you get

another stuffed reindeer.

Your turn, Uncle Sam.

Oh, no, this isn't for me.

You don't know

until you try.

Some things you just know.

Mom's good at this game.

Nice psychological trick

there, kid.

I see what you did.

I don't know what that means.

It means you have tapped

into my sibling-rivalry side.

Let's do this!

All right. Here we go.

Just a little, uh...

a little rusty.

It's the wind.

Yep, wind's blowing that way,

so you gotta...

trajectory, you know.

You'll learn it later.

Uh, okay, here we go.

So...

[gasps]

[sheepish chuckle]

Sorry.

Just...

uh...

Hey, batter-batter,

hey, batter.

Hey, batter, hey, batter!

Sah-wing, batter-- oh!

[crow squawks]

Okay...

hi.

Hi. See, the problem is,

sometimes, I'm so strong,

I don't-- oh!

[phone ringing]

Oh, I gotta take this.

Uh...

you, um--

-Hello?

-You know, uh, just...

[Kathleen] Sam?

Here, just play a few--

-Hello?

-...Hundred rounds on me, okay?

Uh... hi, Sis!

Hey, how's it going?

Hey. I'm calling

to give you an update

on the baby.

Where are you?

Oh, we're at the Christmas Fair

with Dania,

-where she has just won...

-[crowd applauding]

...Another stuffed reindeer!

Go, you!

Good job!

You know, I actually think

she's found her life calling.

Aren't you supposed to be

doing the crafts

that I scheduled for now?

Uh, yeah, well, we're gonna get

to that in a little bit.

Sam! It is really important

to stay on schedule.

Kids need structure.

Is everything okay

with the baby?

Yes, thankfully.

Things are just taking a little

longer than anticipated.

Well, you think you're gonna

be back by Christmas?

So far, we're still

on track for that,

but it's gonna be closer

than we thought.

Where's Miles?

He's auditioning

for the Christmas play.

Ohh! The play!

I totally forgot about that.

Yeah, Jason didn't.

He's with him right now.

Jason?

Yeah, your neighbor with like

a thousand nieces and nephews?

He's helping me with the kids.

I figured that's okay,

since, well...

you left them with him

until I arrived.

No.

That's fine.

Jason's great with kids.

Yeah, and also

very good-looking

and gay!

And how come you never

told me about him before?

I thought about it when

he first moved in next door,

but you two

are very different.

He's really serious about

having a family, Sam.

And you're...

I'm...?

[non-committal grunt]

Kath!

Dr. March called.

We're back on!

[gasps] Gotta go, Sam!

No, no, no, no! Don't go! I--

W-Wait, wait, wait, wait!

[texts chiming]



Dania?

Don't forget your winnings.



[exhaling deeply]

Hey, what'd you want

to talk about?

Here.

I'll be in in a second.

Got it.

[Dania] I am so in love

with my reindeers.

[Miles] There are a lot of them!

Have you named them?

[Dania] Not yet.

[door creaks shut]

So, my brother, Eddie,

is directing

the Christmas play this year,

and he said that the only reason

that Miles got the part

is because the other kid

trying out

gets queasy

when he's nervous.

I think he was off

because my niece

was talking with another boy.

Ah, yes.

Young love is tough.

Old love's not much better.

What do we do?

Well, I was thinking--

since you said

you'd done plays before--

that you might have

some advice for him.

No, that was many years ago.

Were you any good?

I was.

Uh, despite the lederhosen.

Somehow,

I knew you would be.

I can't tell--

is that a compliment?

It's an opportunity for Miles.

Maybe you can

give him some tips?

Oh... I don't know.

He doesn't seem

to particularly like me.

Because he's a teenager!

All adults are boring.

Yeah, but he listens to you.

Yeah, because I'm connected

to the girl he likes.

Right.

I'll see what I can do.

Thanks.

Sh...

-Should we go in?

-Yeah, want to go in?

Cool. Cool, cool, cool.

That's an interesting

fashion choice.

[chuckles]

My shoes weren't

the only thing

that got hit

with the green batter.

My sweater got nailed, too.

I had to switch.

And you just happened to have

a Christmas aloha shirt?

Festive, right?

I was packed

for my trip to Hawaii

for Christmas

when Kathleen ambushed me.

You know, it was easier

to throw in a couple sweaters

and pants

than to totally repack,

especially since

I'm headed to the airport

as soon as they get home.

You're spending Christmas

in Hawaii?

By yourself?

Trying to.

My goal

is to unplug and relax.

Best I can.

But it's Christmas.

Don't you want to spend it

with your family?

My parents got divorced,

like, 20 years ago.

Mom's in Italy.

Dad spends most of his time

at the lake house--

he's retired.

What about coming here?

[ringing]

Hold on.

Oh! One sec.

Hey, Duchess.

Yes, we received

your request to have

all the toys donated anonymously

to the school.

[door opens]

Yes, we are right on top of it,

don't worry, mm-hmm.

-Knock-knock!

-Oh, hi, Mom, come on in.

Oh, okay, yes!

And a ve-- very Merry Christmas

to you, too.

All right. Bye-bye. Have fun.

[beep]

Sorry, a VIP client.

Oh.

Arf-arf!

Murphy, no!

-[barking]

-Drop the reindeer!

Murph! No! Sit!



[gasping]



[crying out]

[crashing]

[squeak]

[darkly] We meet at last.

[squeak-squeak]

-[groans] Oh!

-Are you okay?

Oh, I'm okay.

I'm a li-- ahh!

I'm good! I'm good!

Good. Okay.

Oh!

-[groaning]

-I'm so sorry.

Murphy associates

plush toys with fetch.

Kathleen's gonna k*ll me.

She totally is.

We can fix it.

Do not worry.

Marilyn DeVito.

Sam Dalton.

Are you one of Jason's sisters?

I like you already,

Sam Dalton.

Meet my mom.

Impossible!

You're too young

to have seven kids!

He just gets better and better.

I came to drop off cookies,

but also to remind Jason

that it's the family

Christmas lights walk tonight.

Christmas lights walk?

It's a neighborhood tradition--

incredibly festive.

Oh! Can we go with the DeVitos

tonight, please?

Oh. Uh, well,

we don't want to impose.

-Oh--

-Honey, please, no. [laughs]

Our family motto is...

"the more, the merrier".

I guess we're going on

a lights walk, huh?

What about the angel?

Here we go. Ready?

One, two, three, up!

There you go!

All right, right up on top.

Look how pretty.

[Marilyn] Beautiful.

[Sam] Yeah! You did it.



[quiet chatter]

So, Sam, is this

your first time to Brayden?

Uh, no, actually,

I was here five years ago.

Oh, right--

the kitchen incident!

[familiar chuckles

and laughter]

Does everyone know?

No. No, no, no.

Pop, here, and I run

DeVito General Store,

so all the contractors

come to us for all the supplies.

All of 'em?

[family] All of them!

As well as my youngest,

who's back home now...

-for good!

-Mm. [chuckles]

Where were you before?

Los Angeles.

But you're here now,

thanks to Great-Aunt Mimi's

kind heart.

[collectively

smooching air-kisses]

[Sam smooches]

Come on.

This is supposed to be

a Christmas lights walk,

not "linger".

Let's mosey!

Bella, let's "mosey".



[Marilyn, bossily]

We're walking now.

We're walking.



[indistinct exchange]

Hey, guys.

Who are they?

That's Kevin and Logan.

Kevin grew up in Brayden

and when he moved back,

he brought Logan with him.

Oh, another relative?

No. Kevin was

my high-school boyfr--

[thud]

-You okay?

-Yep!

That shrub just att*cked me!

I'm beginning to think

you have an inner-ear disorder.

Hilarious.

[Sam laughs nervously]

You were saying?

Kevin?

Uh...

Kevin and I

broke up in college,

which is where

he met Logan.

Oh. Is he the one

that got away?

No!

No, Kevin and Logan

are perfect for each other.

I'm really happy for them.

They're good people.

I'm sensing a "but..."

Sometimes, I envy

what they have.

Ever since I can remember,

I've wanted to fall in love,

get married,

become a dad.

Your happily-ever-after?

Somethin' like that.

What about you?

Oh.

I don't know about

"happily ever after".

I-I go on dates,

I just barely make it

to a second one.

Why?

If you ask

my best friend, Ellie,

it's because I'm always

looking for a reason to run.

Don't ask me why.

Well, maybe it's easy

to find a reason to run

if there's not

a better reason to stay.

I'm totally

quoting you on that.

You're welcome.

Well, I'm...

sure you'll find your guy

eventually.

Yeah.

But I'm tired of waiting for

my happily-ever-after to start.

What does that mean?

After this Christmas,

I am starting

the adoption process.

That's what I needed

the retainer fee for.

No more waiting.

I'm gonna have

my happily-ever-after,

even if I gotta do it on my own.





Nate...

...She's a Christmas baby.

I know.

You softie.

I know.

[phone buzzes]

Your mom or mine?

Mine.

[buzz]

Oh, no... now yours.

They want updates.

Should we start

telling everyone?

Not yet.

I want to savor this moment

a little longer.



We'll be together

once again

This Christmas

Stop.

Ugh.

Stop trying

to make fetch happen.

Time with the loved ones

Hanging gifts...

Oh...

Excuse me, gotta get up,

excuse me.



[footsteps]

[Jason] Good morning.

Morning!

I figured,

since you're paying me,

the least I can do

is come in early

and make breakfast.

Well, I applaud

your reasoning.

[sniffing]

Why do I smell coffee?

Oh...

Oh, ho, ho, ho... ho!

That's it--

I am paying you double.

I'll add it to the bill.

-Oh.

-Have you heard anything

from your sister

about the baby?

Ah, not yet.

I texted them last night,

but no response.

When's your flight to Hawaii?

Christmas Eve afternoon.

Depending on

when they get back.

That's tomorrow.

You're gonna miss Miles' play.

I didn't know about it

when I changed my reservation.

[impressed]

Santa waffles!

I have many skills.

Apparently.

Can I help?

Sure.

Okay. Uh...

how do we do this?

Strawberries.

'Kay.

Just lay 'em down here?

Yeah, start at the top.

Okay.

Good.

Now all he needs

is a fluffy white beard.

Okay.

How's that?

I think you got it.

Waffles?

Hey! Miles.

Good morning!

Uh, how-how--

how are the lines coming?

Mr. D said

I could keep the script

during the performance,

since it's tomorrow,

and I won't be able to memorize

all the lines by then.

Smart.

I'm not very good.

Well, if you want,

I can help you.

I did some Christmas plays

when I was younger.

Okay.

I mean, I need all the help

I can get.

Okay! Great. Yeah.

Uh, after breakfast?

Why don't you go

wake up your sister?

It is... waffle time!

Waffle time.

Can I get a "ho, ho, ho"?

Let me hear ya, Miles!

"Ho, ho, ho!"

I'm starting to feel a bond.

[laughs]



Okay, thanks.

Hey.

[groans]

What are you here for?

Extra paint.

I want to finish

the nursery tonight,

in case Nate and Kathleen

get home tomorrow.

-Oh, fun.

-Hey, what's with the limp?

Huh? Oh. Got a blister

last night at the lights walk.

Can you believe it?

Oh, that's no fun.

Well, it was actually fun.

Helped get me outta

my post-divorce funk, so...

Anyway, how about you?

You and Sam

and the kids have fun?

Yeah. We did, actually.

What?

Nothing. Ahem.

Mom thinks he's single.

How would Mom know that?

I don't know,

maybe it's just a Mom skill.

She does it with women for me,

you know. I mean, now.

Hmm.

Well, Sam and I haven't

talked about that sort of thing.

I'm just helping him

with the kids for a couple days

while he's here,

and that's it.

Right. Mom said

he lives in Manhattan.

Not too far away from you,

if you wanted to date.

Who said anything

about dating?

Do you?

I just came for paint.

Oh, come on!

So, do you want to date him?

What I want

is to start a family,

and not Sam's thing.

I thought you didn't

talk about that.

Not with Sam.

[sets paint can down]

Kathleen had mentioned

when I first

moved back to Brayden,

about maybe

setting me and Sam up.

Well, that sounds promising.

Yeah. Until I told her that

I wanted to start a family,

and then she said

Sam and I wouldn't

be a good fit.

Apparently, he's kind of

a permanent bachelor,

and not the settling-down

and starting-a-family kinda guy.

Maybe.

Or maybe you let him

tell you that,

one way or the other.

I mean,

i-if you're interested.

[sighs] Mm-hmm.

Okay, let's restart with

the opening paragraph, okay?

'Kay.

[monotonously] "Many of you know

of the man we call Santa Claus,

but today you're going to hear

about how he came to be."

Okay. I'm gonna stop you

right there.

Uh, we'll do it again,

but first things first--

let's do posture, okay?

Uh, stand straight. Okay.

Very good.

Shoulders back. Feet planted!

Head up.

Now you look confident!

But I'm not.

But you lookconfident--

and that is half the battle.

Bookmark that for the rest

of your life-- it's useful.

See, posture helps

with your breathing,

which helps your voice,

which we want to make larger,

not louder.

Okay? So, one comes

from the throat,

one comes from the chest.

[deeply] We want to talk

down here in our chest.

[squeaky] We don't want to be

up here in our... throat .

This is a lot.

It's standing, breathing,

and talking.

You're doing

all three right now.

You learned all this

just by doing some plays

when you were my age?

No. I actually took

some speech classes in college.

I was shy back then.

-You were?

-I was!

Teenage years

are not easy on anybody,

but I promise you...

it does get better.

Little things that you're doing

along the way--

like this play--

they all help.

[takes a deep breath]

There we go!

All right! Let's do this. Ready?

In three...

two, one--

action!

[deep breath]

[forced] "Many of you know

of the man we call Santa Claus,

but today you're going to hear

about how he came to be."

[blows air]

Okay, this time, let's try

breathing and talking--

same time.



[phone chimes]

What?

[chuckling]



[alert chimes]

[ringing]

[Sam] Looks like

I'm an uncle again!

Congratulations.

When can you get home?

We're gonna video call

with Kathleen and Nate soon.

I'm on my way.



[Sam, gushing]

Hello, hello, hello!

Oh, you're so cute!

Look at her!

[baby babbles]

What's her name?

Uh, we're still

working on that.

Are you going to be back

in time for Christmas?

Uh, we're gonna do our best,

honey, yeah.

It's snowing very hard

outside, though.

But you promised.

We did...

and we're gonna be there.

Can your sedan handle

traveling in so much snow?

I'm not sure.

What about an airplane?

We can't take your sister

on an airplane, sweetie--

she's just too young.

Have you asked Dad

for help?

His cabin's less than

an hour from Buffalo

and he's got that huge SUV.

You guys could drive together,

to be safe.

Dad would be great,

if we could reach him,

but he has no cell reception

and he never

answers the landline.

What about Mr. Biddle?

He's a neighbor

closer to town.

Mom calls him

to drive up to Dad's place

to tell him to call her

all the time.

But Mom's in Italy.

I guess I could try

to get her attention

to get Mr. Biddle's number?

I have his number.

You do?

Yeah. I went fishing there

every summer with Dad

-until I was 16.

-You fished?

Weird, right?

That's a good idea.

That's a really good idea, Sam.



[sighs]

Did you see the look

in Dania's eyes?

If we're not back

in time for Christmas,

she will never forgive us.

Sam will reach your dad,

then he'll drive lead for us,

and we'll make it home

in time for Christmas.

We have to be safe about it.

Right?



Thank you so much, Mr. Biddle.

It's really important

that I talk to Dad.

[quietly]

Oh, no. Stavros.

[buzzing]

What was that?

Oh, yeah, it has been a while

since I've been fishing.

Uh-huh.

This summer? Okay.

Um, maybe we can do that.

We can come up with Dad,

go to the cabin--

it'll be a whole thing.

Yep!

Yes! Thank you--

thank you so much!

Thank you.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Oh! Nice work.

Ah, thanks.

I always find painting

to be soothing.

Can I help?

You might get paint

on your nice sweater.

Oh...

a-ha.

So...

I changed my departure

to Christmas Day,

a-after the presents from Santa

have been opened,

of course.

I mean, even if they do make it

back in time for the play,

they're going to be wiped out.

Makes sense.

Oh. And Kathleen wanted me

to wrap some presents,

so I'm gonna do that while

you and Miles are at rehearsal.

And what about Dania?

She'll be around.

Right!

I'm still getting used

to this whole sneaky-parent

behavior thing.

You missed a spot.

Yes, dear.

[laughs]

I can help you.

Wrap the presents,

if you like.

When?

After rehearsal.

Maybe you and Dania

can come, too,

and then, afterwards,

we can wrap the presents

when they're asleep.

I have to earn

my "uncle consultant" keep,

after all.

[chuckles]

So, the...

retainer fee was for

the adoption lawyer, huh?

Yeah, the same

as Kathleen and Nate's.

They're helping me

through the process.

It's a big step--

being a single parent.

I mean, I'm exhausted

just co-uncling with you.

And now you sound like

everyone else I know...

especially the guys

I used to date

back in Los Angeles.

Was it bad?

Not bad so much as

just disheartening.

You know,

I'd date a guy for a while

and then, as soon as it got

to the...

"Oh, you're serious about

having the family?" thing,

they just ghosted.

The last guy

went to the bathroom

and he just never came back.

-Seriously?

-Yeah.

So, I paid the check

and then started making plans

to move home to Brayden.

Well...

I would never do that to you.

You'd at least

pay the check.

[laughs] Right?



-Hey.

-Hey.

How'd it go?

Better?

And then Arabella

came on stage with Declan,

and Miles got off-track.

Well, we still have a day.

It's a Christmas play

in a community theater--

no one's expecting Shakespeare,

except maybe

a couple of parents.

My goal is for the kids

to learn and have fun.

It doesn't seem like

Miles is having any fun.

Yeah.

I mean, if need be,

I can read the narrator's--

No.

That would

embarrass Miles even more.

Look. Brother favor?

Don't decide yet.

Sam and I'll see

what we can do.

[casually] Sure.



[phone buzzing]

Mm. Hold this.

I'll be right back.

Dad! Hey!

Hey! Bert Biddle

came up to my place today

to tell me that my family

was looking for me?

Is everything okay?

Yes, actually.

The news is all good.

You're a grandpa again!

From you?

What? No. Dad, come on.

Right? I mean,

that's why I was confused!

It's Kathleen and Nate.

Remember the baby

that was supposed to come

New Year's Day?

Well,

she came early

and they're stuck

in a snowstorm

and it's gonna--

[sighs] You know what?

Let me back up to the part

where you get the chance

to save Christmas.

Jingle bells

Thank you.

Jingle bells

Jingle all the way

Boop!

What fun it is to ride

Thank you.

[Sam laughs]

Jingle bells

I think it looks cute.

Oh, okay.

So...

how are

we gonna wrap that?

Lotta tape, my friend.

Dashin' through the snow

Okay!

Okay.

O'er the fields we go

-[words catch]

-No, not this way.

[paper rustling]

Nope, that's...

[Jason chuckles softly]

Oh... okay.

[grunting]

Okay... around.

That's a disaster.

No, it's perfect.

[laughing]

It's so bad.

So, what do you want to do?

About Miles?

I can talk to him tomorrow.

You know,

see if I can come up

with any techniques

that'll help him focus.

I can watch Dania

while you do,

maybe I can finally get her

to make the Christmas stocking.

About that--

...I feel like

I'm taking advantage of you.

What do you mean?

O-Our original deal was for

a couple of days, at most.

We're headed into day four,

if you count you watching them

before I arrived.

I don't.

But I do.

The nursery's almost done--

you must have other things

you have to do.

It slows down

around the holidays.

Besides, I'd feel like

I was quitting in the middle

if I left now.

But don't consider it

part of, you know,

the payment.

Of course, I'd consider it

part of the payment.

I'm not gonna take advantage

of your kindness.



[Dania] Uncle Sam?

[both panicking]

Hey!

What are you doing up?

Can we talk?

Okay.

Knock-knock.

Can I come in?

Yeah.



What's going on?

I miss Mom and Dad.

What if they don't make it

back here for Christmas?

Well, you know, they're doing

everything in their power

to make it back here in time,

but they gotta

be safe about it.

I know.

It's just...

I wish they hadn't gone away

in the first place.

You know...

I'm a little bit older

than your mom...

and, so, I got to be

an only child for a while,

and I have to say...

I really liked it.

Like, a lot.

Then, one day,

my mom and dad told me

that I was gonna be

a big brother...

...and I didn't like that.

You didn't like Mom?

No, it wasn't your mom.

It was the fact

that I wasn't gonna be

the only one anymore.

I was scared my parents

wouldn't love me the same.

Did they?

They did.

Just the same.

And you having a little sister

isn't gonna change

how your parents feel about you,

or Miles.

They will always love you...

because you...

are you.

You really think so?

I know so.

[relieved chuckle]

Thanks, Uncle Sam.



Now you need

to get some sleep.



[exhales with resolve]



-[whoosh]

-[gasp]

[chortles victoriously]

Wah-shh!



Whoa.

Did you order all this in?

No!

Made freshly,

by yours truly.

With plenty of vegan options

for milady.

Thanks!

You cooked with fire?

Okay, now you make me

sound like a caveman,

which I strangely like.

But yes,

I cooked with fire, and yes,

the place

is still standing.

Feel free to put thatin

your Brayden gossip-group chat.

What?

[slow-claps]

[Miles joins clapping]

[all clapping]

Thank you! Thank you!

Thank you!

Thank you!

Come on, eat, eat,

before it gets cold.



Up, milady, I'll push you in.



Where's Dad?

Maybe he's out of cell range?

We're in upstate New York,

not the North Pole.

[knocking]

That'll be room service.

Dad!

-[laughing]

-Hi!

Sam says

I'm a grandpa again?

Yes, you are.

[gasping]

Oh, my goodness.

Oh...

well done.

It's your grandpa.

It's your grandpa.

Hey.

Uh, I'm gonna

take Murph for a walk

and then get ready

for tonight.

And there's this.

This?

It's an early

Christmas present.

[laughs]

Really?

Worth it to see that expression

right there.

And there's more.



I figured you'd want

something for tonight

and...

I thought that color would

look really good on you.

Thank you.

It's perfect.

Okay.

Well...

see you later.



[exhales deeply

as door closes]



[Sam] There you are!

I wanted to get it done

before Santa shows up.

"Baby Sister".

Since we don't know her name.

I'll make another one for her

next year.

Mm-hmm. What?

[words catch]

[chuckles]

You need one, too.

Thank you.

We'll hang 'em up

when we get back

from the play tonight.





Is everyone ready?

Ready!

[less certain] Ready.

Ready.

Then let's go.

Come on.



Here!

Got it.

-There?

-There.

Jason?

-Backup?

-Backup.

So many!

Hoo-hoo-hoo!

Oh. Yeah.

Kathleen and Nate are delayed

because of the snow,

so she texted me to make sure

I capture everything.

Oh, well, I'm glad

you're here for this.

Me too.

Although, I might be

a little bit more nervous

than Miles

at this point.

It's close.

Oh, well, it doesn't get easier

and I've seen dozens of these.

Though...

[quietly] ...Arabella says

Miles is wonderful.

She did?

Probably helps that she has

a little crush on him.

She does?

That's why she wanted him

to be in the play,

though she's too shy

to admit it.

Grandmas know things.

They do.

Will you excuse me

for a moment?

Of course.

[exhales eagerly]



[anxiously] "Santa stacked

six singing snowmen

in his sonic sleigh."

Miles!

She likes you!

-What?

-Arabella!

She likes you,

not "Decker."

-Declan.

-Whatever!

I heard it straight

from her grandma's mouth.

She likes you, dude!

Wow!

Now I'm more nervous.

What? No, no, no, buddy!

This is your chance to shine.

You got this!

Let me hear you say it, okay?

[unconfident]

I got this.

"I got this!"

[more comfortable]

I got this.

[passionately] "I got this!"

I got this!

[roars] "I got this!"

[crew] Shh!

Good luck!

I knew it!

[exhales with resolve]

Hi, everybody,

and Merry Christmas!

You can go ahead

and grab your seats now.

We'd like to thank you all

for coming out tonight

and welcome you

to T he Life and Adventures

of Santa Claus!

[applause]

[cheering and applause]

[confidently]

Good evening

and Merry Christmas Eve.

Many of you know of the man

we call Santa Claus.

But today you're going to hear

about how he came to be.

Once upon a time,

there was a mighty forest,

and in that forest

there was a baby

who was all alone

and needed to find a family

to care for him

and to love him

and be there for him, always.



And although

there are many more children

than there used to be,

Santa Claus never complains.

For, to him,

there is nothing as beautiful

as a happy child.

Merry Christmas!

-[crowd cheers and applauds]

-[crying out] Yes!

Yes!

[cheering continues]

Let's go, Miles!

-Whoo!

-Yeah!

Miles!

Oh! Great job!

Ha!

-Thank you.

-See, Uncle Eddie?

I knew Miles could do it.

Your parents

are gonna love the footage

your uncle got for you.

Do you have plans

for Christmas brunch?

I do.

I'm actually gonna be on a plane

to Honolulu tomorrow afternoon.

You're missing Christmas?

Christmas happens

in Hawaii, Mom.

I-I know, I know.

I just thought

that it would be nice

to have the family over,

since Kathleen and Nate

will likely be very tired

after driving all that way--

and with a tiny baby.

DeVito Christmas brunch

is not to be missed.

The whole family is there.

All of 'em?

[DeVitos] All of them!

That is a very generous offer

and I will definitely

pass it along

to Kathleen and Nate,

when they get back.

I vote "yes".

Sure you do!

[Sam chuckles] Anyway...

we have to get home

because someone has to help

hang stockings for Santa Claus.

[Dania] You really

were good tonight, Miles.

You didn't even mess up!

Thanks, D.

You know your parents would've

been at the play if they could.

I know.

Your mom texted

that they'd stop for the night

to be safe, if they had to.

They can't go too fast

because they have the new baby.

That's right.

As amazing as you were

tonight, Miles,

you both need to get some sleep

because tomorrow

is a very special day.

Goodnight!

Goodnight.

Good job!

What time

is your flight tomorrow?

Uh, two.

But I gotta take

the train to JFK,

so I'll probably leave Brayden

around 11.

That's barely time for brunch.

Clearly, I didn't

plan this through.

You know...

there's something

about a quiet house

on Christmas Eve...

I used to always love.

It's the anticipation.

So much is about to happen.

Our family

isn't big on traditions,

but...

one thing that we do

on Christmas Eve

that I loved,

is we turn off

all the lights in the house,

except for the ones

on the tree.

And then we listen

to "Silent Night"

and just...

[takes a deep breath]

...be present.



[click]

[clicks light off]

[Sam sighs]

[Jason begins to hum

"Silent Night"]



All is calm

All--

[Jason gasps softly]

...is bright



[vehicles approaching]

[brakes squeal]

[men chuckling]

They're home.



Hey, Dad!

My boy!

Hi!

-Thank you!

-Of course!

That's what big brothers

are for.

[gasping]

Oh... my gosh!

There she is.

So cute! Come on! Come on!

I always forget

how tiny they are.

Well, she'll probably

be in college by the next time

you come visit, so...

Oh, I'm impressed...

you got a dig in,

in the first five minutes.

Well done.

You know I'm skilled

like that.

[chuckling]

What if I...

stayed here for Christmas?

Are you serious?

Only if that's cool with you.

[astonished chuckle]

You know I'm cool with it.

What made you

change your mind?



A lot of things.

Jason?

I can't thank you enough.

You're the best contractor

in the world...

and a great friend.

Glad to help.

And it was a real education.

I hope it didn't scare you off

of having kids.

Just the opposite.

Well, you're gonna

be a great dad.

I second that.

I hope so.

All right, well,

I am gonna go get her settled

and...

I will see you later

and I will talk to you soon.

Okay, bye.

I had a lot of fun.

So did I.

It was nothing like

how I thought it would go.

It's a really good thing

you had an uncle consultant.

Right?

Right.

Um, I almost forgot

to give you this.

There you go.

Oh.

It should cover

the retainer fee,

and then some.

This is way too generous.

Well, I couldn't have done it

without you.

I bet you could have...

eventually.

Hey, Sam?

Could you, uh, uh...

show Frank

to the guest bedroom?

I'm gonna go help settle

the baby with Kathleen.

Yeah, sure.

Okay. Thanks.

So I think I'm gonna take off.

It was nice getting to know you,

Sam Dalton.

That sounds strangely final.

No.

The deal is done,

and the check is paid.

As agreed, so...

Merry Christmas.

These cookies are great!

-You didn't make them, did you?

-[door opens]

-No, they were a gift.

-[door closes]

Huh! Well...

they're fantastic.



Morning!

[gasps]

Get up!

It's Christmas!

Ah!

Whoo-hoo!

[laughing]

-Come on, Miles!

-I'm coming!



[footsteps thumping down stairs]



[Miles] Awesome!

[Sam chuckles]

What'd you get?

[Dania] A unicorn.

Psst! Hey...

look.

-Baby!

-Cool!

Merry Christmas, my loves.

Mom! Dad! Grandpa!

-Hey! Aww!

-You made it!

We missed you so much.

I'm sorry

we missed your play.

Hey.

It's okay.

Uncle Sam recorded it.

He did great.

Uncle Sam helped me a lot.

What's her name?

Well...

We thought, since--

Well, since

she's a Christmas baby,

we'd name her

something after the season.

Miles, Dania--

meet your baby sister--

Angelica...

Samantha

Walker.

No.



[Sam sniffles]

I'm gonna be all puffy

for the Christmas photos!

[Kathleen laughs]

Well, you're gonna

have plenty of time

to recover for photos...

because Uncle Sam is spending

all of Christmas with us.

Awesome!

Amazing!

[Kathleen chuckles]

Thank you.



[laughing]

Uh, you know what?

Right there. Stop.

Okay, ready? Pose!

[phone chimes]





Here!

You have to see

what Santa brought you.

Oh! [laughs]

Just what I always wanted.

Thank you so much.

[giggles]



You okay?

Huh?

Yeah.

I'm gonna get

breakfast started.

Does anybody have any requests?

I'd love some pancakes.



I'll go.



Mm. Tell me about Jason.

I like him, sis.

Like...

I really like him.

Yeah...

I kinda sensed that.

But... something went wrong.

I don't know what.

He gave me back the check

that I gave him last night.

Why did you give him a check?

It... was part

of our agreement,

for him helping me.

I know that he needed it

for his adoption lawyer.

Th-That's why I gave him more,

so that way,

he'd have plenty to cover it.

And he's... he's gone so far,

and beyond, helping me.

And you really like him

and wanted to help him

in return?

Did I do something wrong?

I don't think so.

Maybe...

he originally agreed

to be paid to help you,

and then things changed...

and it didn't feel right

taking the money anymore?

What?

[voice cracks] I'm...

I'm scared.

I don't know if I can be

what Jason needs.

And his needs are very clear.

You don't think

you could ever be open

to having a family?

It's really hard to explain.

See...

you've known your whole life

that marriage and kids

were at least an option.

[quietly] That hasn't

been my experience.

Most of the time,

I'm told no.

Well, not by Mom and Dad.

No. I'm really lucky there.

But legally,

and perception-wise,

you know,

I've faced a whole lot of

"Uh-uh. Not you."

And, yeah, it's different...

to a degree...

but my internal voice

is still catching up.

I think that's why I run

and never make it

to a second date.

It's...

hard to flip the switch

to "yes".

Do you think you want to?

With Jason?

All I know is, for

the first time in my whole life,

I'm thinking "maybe"...



I know.



Another year over

[laughter]

It's another one gone

It's time to reflect upon

All said and done

I'll be missing you

Darling

This Christmas Day

I wish

I were close to you

But I'm miles away

For me

Christmas is nothing

Without you to hold

Wow! This looks amazing.

Are you sure

you didn't call a caterer?

[mockingly] "Are you sure

you didn't call a caterer?"

[snickers]

So, are you

gonna invite Jason?

Would you look

what my fantasy football league

sent over...

...to celebrate

baby Angie's first Christmas?

[Kathleen] Hmm.

We'll, uh...

We'll raise a toast later.

Mm. [munching]

Why are you staring

at the champagne?

I'm gonna tell Jason

how I feel.

Amazing.

I'm so proud of you.

So...

why are you staring

at the champagne?

I told my friend, Ellie,

that big deals

should be celebrated...

and this...

is a really big deal.

You're still

in your Christmas pajamas!



I like Sam.

But I need someone

who puts his family first,

not flies to Hawaii

on Christmas.

Excuse me,

but from what you told me,

didn't he drop everything

to take care of

his niece and nephew?

I mean, that's pretty much

the definition

of putting family first,

isn't it?

For a couple of days.

I need someone

for the long haul, Pete.

Buddy, there's no guarantees

in life.

How'd you leave it?

Well, he paid me

for our time together,

and that tells me

what he thinks.

So he followed through on

paying you what you agreed to?

Felt transactional.

Because it was a transaction,

not a declaration!

Look, here's what I know, okay?

Sam is the first guy

in a long time

to make you look

really happy.

I suppose I can call him

after Christmas.

Yeah, yeah.

I mean, unless he meets somebody

while he's away...

alone in paradise.

[quickly]

I didn't think about that!

Should I call him now?

Train station's 10 minutes

away-- go in person.

Jase?

Take care of that.



Go get him!

I don't know what I'm doing.

You're risking your heart.

Is it always

this terrifying?

Yep! I hate to tell ya...

but it is.

Ohh. I love you.

[laughs]

I love you, too.

Mm!

Now...

go get your guy.

[shrieks] Go!

Right!



You know

it's drivin' me crazy

Just bein' away from you

Ooh!

It's getting colder, baby

He's at his house!

I don't want

no winter blues

Get him!



Yeah, I know

we've been here before

[whistles]

Right.

You've been all alone

When the first snow falls

Guys, he's going to his house!

This time

I'm telling you

I'll be there for Christmas



Ooh

Baby, we

-Whoa!

-Sam?

Hey.

I'm sorry

I gave you that check.

No, I was being

too sensitive.

No.

We had an agreement, but...

things changed.

Yeah, I don't care

about the agreement.

You're what's important to me

and that's what

I was coming to tell you

before you left for Hawaii.

I'm not going to Hawaii.

Wonderful state,

can't wait to visit, but...

...what I want is here.

You're what's

important to me, too.

I-I should've said this

to you last night,

but seeing you leave--

it threw me off.

Pretending to have

a husband and kids

and a dog

and even a mini van,

i-it's not something

I ever saw for myself...

or even thought

that I could have.

And I--I know we were

in a kind of

our own little bubble, but...

[voice cracks]

...I really liked that bubble.

A lot.

Me too.

It felt right.

Youfelt right.

You feel right!

More than any other guy

I've ever met in my whole life.

And I can't make "forever"

a guarantee, I know that,

but I think that

there might be a way--



Do you want to have lunch

with my family for Christmas?

Yes, I do.

And then do you want to have

Christmas dinner with mine?

Sounds perfect.

Merry Christmas...

Merry Christmas.



[family cheering]

[cheering and applauding]

Get under the mistletoe

When it starts to snow

Honey, I'm coming home

This time

I promise you

I'll be there for Christmas

Baby, I'll be there

for Christmas
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