Santa, Maybe (2023)

[bunniefuu]

Morning Evan, donut?

Yes thanks, Lila.

Here let me get that for you.

Thank you.

Morning.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Yes. Any of the cream filled kind?

Of course.

Oh, I got you.

Oh, thanks.

Thank you.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Don't forget to get one for yourself.

Never.

Oh, perfect timing.

Hungry?

Yes. But the board's all here already.

Oh, okay. Wait, take

these to the break room.

Yes. Okay.

Thank you.

Audience feedback has

been very positive so far

with "A Christmas

Carol" production,

we have three more weeks

in the smaller theater

with that show and then

after Thanksgiving weekend,

we will be in final preparations

for "The Nutcracker"

in the Grand Theater.

Good. Sales could be stronger overall.

we're lagging by 30%

compared to last year.

Well I think that this

really is not a criticism

of your performance, Lila, but

we need additional measures.

Okay. Well, from what

I've seen in rehearsal,

"The Nutcracker" is

going to be spectacular.

Wonderful.

However, I have decided to

take this a step further

and bring somebody in to fill the vacancy

that Marty left when he

retired as marketing director.

Oh, okay. That's great.

His name is

Glenn McCornish.

Send him in.

Glenn is a recently

returned local to our area,

and in my opinion, the powerhouse we need

to just infuse energy

into our ticket sales.

Glenn, welcome.

- Hi.

- Glad to be here, thank you.

So you probably recognize

some of our board members,

especially Trent

Davis, Elaine Morley,

and Lila Ramsey, our

fairly new theater manager.

It's a pleasure.

Now, I know that the ink is

barely dry on your contract,

but we've been talking

about your purpose here

and our numbers for the holiday season.

So do you have some ideas

you'd like to share?

Actually, I do. May I?

Please.

I'm sure you'll recognize

her. Flora Shelly Haynes.

I recommend that she

be our guest ballerina

in "The Nutcracker".

This late? We already

have all the parts cast.

Then we shuffle 'em around.

I know it's a hassle,

but it'll be worth it.

If I can market her as

the sugar plum fairy,

the theater will have a record turnout.

Well, how are we ever going

to get Flora Shelly Haynes

to agree to this, especially

this late in the season.

I've pulled some strings.

All I need now is the green

light here on the extra cost.

Hmm.

What do you think?

Yeah, I like it.

Well, you have it.

Excellent.

Thank you everyone.

That'll be all.

Thank you.

These are no good now.

We're gonna have to reprint these

to show off Flora Shelly Haynes.

But they just came in.

That's a shame.

Such a waste.

Oh.

Are you all right?

Glenn McCornish.

Of all people.

He came on a bit strong, but I thought

his idea was interesting.

Don't praise him.

Wait, do you know him?

Unfortunately.

How?

High school.

He was horrible back then.

Constantly pulling pranks on me.

One time he put dye in my soda

and it turned my teeth and

mouth black for three days.

Oh, that's really bad.

That's not funny.

Did you see what he said about the flyers?

It's like he's trying to spite me.

Well, what are you gonna do about it?

I mean, you can't hold a

grudge and work together.

It's been years, So maybe

now is the time to let it go.

You're right.

And I have, but it doesn't mean

I have to be all buddy-buddy with him.

Right well, what do you want me to do

with these flyers then?

Give them to Glenn.

We're gonna need a

little more for the set pieces.

Really?

Tobias wants spectacular.

I want on budget.

Do you have a pen?

Thank you.

Can you make it work if you cut

these two line items in half?

If I repurpose some

materials from the fall show.

Okay, go ahead.

Thanks, Steve.

Hi.

Bye.

Wait, wait.

I didn't mean to step on any toes

back there with the board.

Tell that to the ballet director.

I'm talking to him next about casting.

I'm just looking out for

what's best for the theater.

And I'm not?

Okay, let's back up.

Hi, Lila.

It's nice to see you again.

That's it?

What?

I had to endure high school with you.

And that's all you have to say?

We didn't date, did we?

Smells good, Amy.

Thanks.

Oh, you're both cooking.

You're here. On time even.

Lacey, Aunt

Lila's here, honey.

I told you I would be, but I do have to go

back to the theater after intermission

and check on a few things.

Well, I hope you are hungry.

We are trying new recipe.

Yum.

You came.

How was your day?

Good.

We got out the Christmas tree.

Mom and dad said we can start decorating.

Already?

She's been wearing us

down earlier every year.

I see who's in charge here.

How is work?

Do you remember

Glenn McCornish?

No.

From high school. It

was after you graduated,

but he was the one who tormented me.

Oh right, that guy. Yeah.

Yeah.

The theater just hired him as

our new marketing director.

No.

So that was my day.

I'm sorry.

Well, did he apologize at all?

He didn't even recognize me.

Well, he kind of did,

but no, no apologies.

Nothing.

Just all smiles, like we were old pals.

Unbelievable.

Hey guys.

Oh good. You're here.

Oh good. You're here.

I came as soon as I could. What's wrong?

My mouth guard fell down the drain.

Oh, that's no good.

Hey dad.

Is that my Christmas present?

Just checking.

It looks good. Whoever gets it's lucky.

Mine.

I still have it.

It's over there.

You think I'd lose that?

It's my favorite scarf.

I grind my teeth if I

don't have this thing,

and then my dentist gets all in a fuss.

I tell him at my age,

me having teeth at all

should be the benchmark.

Lemme take a look.

How was your first day?

It was good.

Were the people nice at the theater?

Yeah, mostly.

Hmm.

Hey, do you remember Lila Ramsey?

Mm, no.

She and I were in the same

classes in school a lot.

An old friend?

No, she didn't really appreciate

my sense of humor back then.

Well, kids will be kids.

I'm sure she realizes that now.

Yeah, I wish.

Today I pretended like I didn't remember

how things were.

That might have made things worse.

You know, your father was the kindest soul

when we were kids.

I, on the other hand, was a handful.

I chased him all over the playground.

A bit of a flirt, mom?

No, I yelled at him a lot.

It's a miracle he realized

I secretly liked him.

Yeah. That's not what it

was like between Lila and me.

Oh, maybe a good old apology

is all that's in order.

It never hurts to say sorry.

Ah, got it.

- Oh.

- Wonderful.

You'll wash this, right?

Yes.

- Mom.

- Mom's I'm here. No.

- Mom.

- Mom's I'm here. No.

Sorry.

Yeah.

Mr. McCornish.

It's Glenn.

I'm Zeke, your new assistant.

Mrs. Lillianfield the owner.

You know who she is.

She pulled me aside and said

help you get settled and all that.

Not that you need it, but you

know, I'm here if you need me.

Okay then. How long have

you worked here, Zeke?

One year. Well, 15 months.

But you know, it's kind of

weird to round up like that.

You like it?

I do. I love theater.

Everyone's so nice and yeah, it's great.

Tell me about the new manager.

Oh Lila.

She's been the manager

for four months now.

But from what I've heard,

she's been here for years before that.

Super on the ball. Keeps things

going, keeps people happy.

Everyone loves her.

Really?

Yes.

Okay.

You may not have heard,

but there's a meeting.

Not really a meeting.

More like a gathering, but

you don't wanna miss it.

When and why?

Right, the whole company's drawing names

for secret Santas.

Excuse me.

How many presents are we

supposed to give this year?

I think this time for six.

And no stealing stuff from the break room.

That doesn't count.

Depends on who you ask.

Okay, so when I figure

out who my secret Santa is

way before you, what do I win?

Hey, I almost won last year.

Oh, no, you didn't.

I just told you that so you'd feel better.

So what are the stakes?

Okay. Winner is treated to a pedicure.

Yes. I need one of those.

It's a deal.

All right, everyone.

Let's get started.

When I started this five years

ago, I could hardly imagine

it would be as dear to me as it is now.

So I hope that everyone could

let some Christmas spirit in

with our annual secret

Santa gift exchange.

Now, am I forgetting

anything before we draw?

No. Just remember, we each draw one name.

Keep it a secret.

Anonymously leave one gift

each week till Christmas.

Then after the final gift,

you may reveal your identity.

With that, I'll go first.

Always count on Tobias

to add a little drama.

All right, everyone come take a turn.

Now. I know there's some people

that haven't come in yet,

so don't worry if there's

some names left over.

Every name will be drawn.

Okay, let's go get

one of those loads left.

Why does it matter?

'Cause then it'll be more random.

Want me to get you one?

Yeah, sure.

Ah.

Who'd you get?

I'm not telling.

Let me see.

Thanks.

Who is this?

Oh, that's.

You got Lila?

Yes. Shh.

Switch with me.

Well, I don't know if

that's really allowed,

but Yeah, I'm sure it's probably fine.

Why do you want her.

No reason.

I thought maybe you just

had a crush or something.

Or not.

Enjoy the show.

Still here.

The show's about to start.

I know. You staying for it.

I always do.

The whole time.

Usually.

Why?

'Cause the theater is my responsibility.

So you just sit and you watch every night?

No, but I'm here and ready

in case something goes wrong.

Like what? Like an

asteroid hitting the theater?

No, like a malfunction or an injury

or a customer complaint.

Things I can handle.

Don't we have a stage manager for that?

And Tobias and Jill

down in customer service

and like 10 other people

who can handle those things.

Well lucky for you you're

not one of those 10 people.

So you can go home.

All right, suit yourself

madam micromanager.

I have Tobias.

Talk about pressure.

Come on. He's easy to buy for.

Not really. He's a ballet

director, so he's so creative.

And also it can be a

little extreme sometimes.

You should talk to him more.

He's actually pretty down to earth

the further you get him from the stage.

Who have you got? One

of the stage crew, right?

Steve.

Oh yeah.

Got some ideas for him?

Oh. Sorry, it's my brother.

He wants to see when we can get together

to take family photos for

my mom's Christmas card.

Aw, that's sweet.

Yeah, but it's becoming

more of a chore each year.

Really? How hard can it be?

You wanna see the text

thread about what to wear?

Oh, all right.

Do a red or green sweater

and some jeans. Done.

I keep lobbying for us to use

the same photo as last year.

But mom's convinced that people

keep their Christmas cards.

I do, but that's just

because I always forget

to throw the other ones away.

Good morning, Glenn.

Morning. What's that?

First gift from my secret Santa person.

Any chance you wanna swap names back?

Oh, I already bought everything.

Like all of the gifts.

But I mean, I guess it.

Don't worry about it. It's fine.

Don't know what to get her?

She likes those little cookies

from the vending machine.

They have vending machines here?

Yeah, but I mean, I get

her more than one pack,

but it's just an idea.

Or the store around the corner

sells 'em in a bigger bag.

Thanks.

Who cares.

Oh no.

Hey, - I was just wondering

if you've signed off

on the Flora Shelly

Haynes contract terms yet?

I haven't seen it.

No? I'll go get you a copy then.

Okay.

Ooh.

I love these.

These are the.

My secret Santa.

How'd they know?

Good guess.

Mm mm. These are my guilty pleasure.

I've never had one.

That wasn't a backhanded

way of asking, but.

These are really good.

Right?

Wow.

Is that the contract?

Yeah.

Isn't this legal's job?

Yes, but I don't dare

start my marketing strategy

until I know for sure that

she is signed and locked in.

Hmm. Okay, well just leave it here

and I'll get to it when I get a chance.

Oh, come on.

I'm trying to wrap this up. Just sign it.

How'd you even get her to agree to this?

I'm all in good terms

with her management team.

They said she was available.

Everybody says she's great to work with.

She better be

with how much extra she's

gonna cost the theater.

Hey, that's at the discounted

friends and family rate.

Our management team must not consider you

much of a friend.

I'm just trying to get this job done.

Why don't you do the same?

Okay.

Ow.

Hey, you okay?

Yeah. Mm. Paper cut.

I am doing my job by not

signing off on this blindly.

I will get to it when I get a chance.

Can I get another one?

No.

You are only getting one.

Why?

Because only nice people get these.

Aha.

Thief.

Mom. It's fine.

Are you sure?

I have another blouse for you.

In a jewel tone verdant.

Calling it verdant doesn't change the fact

that it's green. I wore green last year.

Chris, how's the camera?

Good. Timer is set and here we go.

Great. Okay, come over here behind Lacey.

And then mom and then me.

I still like the green better.

There's plenty of green in the picture.

Everyone smile.

I blinked.

That's okay.

We'll try a few of 'em just to be safe.

Thanksgiving's next week.

I'll take care of the

turkey and the stuffing.

You sure you don't want

us to, since we're hosting?

I mean, I know it's a

pain to haul the turkey

from your house to here.

I can manage.

You just bring those

yummy potatoes instead.

I can bring the pies and the rolls,

but I can't stay all weekend.

I have to get caught up on work.

It's a holiday weekend.

I know, but that doesn't make

the work magically go away.

There's a lot riding on this season.

But you'll play games, won't you?

And we have the sub for

Santa family to plan for.

Sure.

Here we go.

Okay, everyone ready?

Smile.

.

I didn't see who dropped it off.

Are you part ninja?

No. Funny you asked though.

I did dress as one for

five years for Halloween.

It's cute.

You done?

Yeah.

I do have some ad proofs

from the design team

they sent over.

I should go grab it.

Yeah.

For the record,

I'm still not happy

about changing the dancer's

roles in this ballet.

I agree.

Flora Shelly Haynes will

guarantee a full house.

I've seen the effect she has

on sales. It'll be worth it.

The contract's already signed.

Flora. Shelly Haynes team just

needs the rehearsal schedule.

Can we do a fitting

on the day she arrives?

So we have full rehearsals the other days.

I think that's a good idea.

We don't usually do an

opening day rehearsal,

but do you want to in this case?

I don't know that Flora

Shelly Haynes would go for that.

Do we have to keep calling

her by all three names

or can we come up with a shorter version?

It's been great.

Thank you for your help on this.

When does the press release go out?

It's already out.

Has the website been updated

with Flora Shelley Haynes on it?

I think so. Let me check

with the web designer.

You know, we really do

need an acronym or something.

Let's see. Fish.

Fish. Yep, but without the I.

I think she'll have some

objections to being called that.

Yeah, but it's just

gonna be referring to her,

you know, between us.

That'll backfire.

We could just call her Flora.

First name, too personal.

Sure. And fish isn't.

Where is my pen?

What are you?

It's your pen.

Oh, thank you.

It's almost lunchtime.

Yes it is.

You wanna grab something to eat?

Together?

Yeah.

Joy to the world, the Lord is come

I hear this place is great.

It wasn't around before

I left, but you know.

Yeah, it's good.

Didn't you used to work

in a place like this in high school?

You know I did.

You used to go there with your friends

and make the biggest mess possible

when I was cleaning the tables.

Oh.

You really don't remember that?

No, I do, I do. I just don't

remember it in such detail.

Do you remember in the

10th grade when I got sick.

I got one stomach bug and

you made up a song about it

and taught it to half the class.

Oh, that was more than a stomach bug.

See, you still think it's funny.

That wasn't even the worst thing you did.

Look, it was a joke.

I was just trying to make people laugh.

That's all it was.

Well, it was mortifying

and this was a mistake.

Okay, wait. Hold on.

All right. I know that my

antics back then were too much.

And if there was something

I could do about it,

I would, but I can't.

All I can do now is, all we can do now

is agree to move forward.

I would love to, but just a second ago

you were laughing about

a song that you made up

to mock me for a year.

Look, I'm trying to be nice here.

If you can't accept my apology

and move on like a

professional, that's on you.

I can be perfectly professional.

But I also don't have

to make you feel better

by saying everything you

did back then is okay now.

Just 'cause you said sorry.

It's probably cheaper if we

just replace the speakers

in the practice room.

Or we can get one of

those little portable ones.

Sometimes they're just as good.

Really?

Yeah.

Okay. Let's put that

in next year's budget.

So how was lunch?

How did you?

I saw you and

Glenn leave together.

Well, the food was good.

Company, not so much.

Really? He seems so nice to everyone else.

That's because they

don't know the real him.

My senior year of high school,

we had this Christmas fair.

They set up a hayride for the whole class.

In a rare moment of politeness,

Glenn encouraged me to go first.

He helped me onto the cart and everything.

When I sat down, I found

out he shoveled horse manure

onto the hay bales and covered it

with a thin layer of straw.

I was humiliated in front of everyone.

It ruined my clothes, which I had to wear

for the rest of the day.

And then everyone nicknamed me Cow Pie

for the whole school year.

I ran into a girl in college

and she still called me Cow Pie.

Wait, what it was it even cow manure?

That's not the point.

Oh, okay.

Just don't be fooled by him.

Fine.

Oh, he actually sent you a message

And he must be afraid of you.

'cause he sent it through Zeke.

Ow.

What?

Paper cut.

Have you hit your quota yet for the week?

What do you mean?

You get more paper cuts than anybody else

I've ever met before.

Mm. Items we have to provide

for Flora Shelly Haynes.

Okay, let me handle it.

Are you sure? It's tedious?

It's fine.

I am not the assistant

manager for nothing.

I think we need to talk

about boundaries, Zeke.

Sorry. You got another gift.

I think it's a snow globe again.

Really?

Yeah. I hear slushing.

All right, go on. Open it up.

Really?

Yeah.

Huh?

Do you think next week you'll?

Time will tell.

Need anything?

Ticket sales have had a little uptick.

Not as much as I'd like.

But Julia's sending out an

email to our customer list

for the Thanksgiving weekend.

So that'll probably help.

Okay. I wanna see that

email before it goes out.

How are we doing on our video ads?

Kevin has 'em ready for you

if you can stop by his office.

Anything else?

Yeah.

Ah, do you know what

else I can get for Lila.?

More cookies?

No. No.

I mean, what else does she like?

You could do some more

research or whatever,

but why don't you just

get her something generic

like smelly lotion or an ornament?

Okay.

Bingo.

Clever.

Go easy on your hands.

,

Is it time yet?

Dessert time?

I don't think I'm ready for that yet.

All right. All right, let's get to it.

Sub for Santa.

What are our options?

All right. Okay.

We have a family. Two

kids, ages 15 and 17.

Ick, teenagers?

Okay. All right, here we go.

We have a mom, two kids, a boy age eight,

and a girl age 10.

Like me.

What's on their list?

Let's see. Pajamas,

winter coats and a scooter.

Shoes and kitchen pans.

Sounds promising.

Any stuffed animals?

Let's see. Dinosaur, giraffe,

and tiger are the requests.

Hmm. Okay, then.

Does that meet your approval?

Yep.

Okay. I'll sign us up.

When do we need to deliver their gifts?

No later than the 21st.

Let's plan to get the shopping done soon.

How about we go next weekend?

Great.

I can't, but I can

contribute to the gifts.

You pick the day.

Honestly, it's so hectic right now.

It'll be better if you

guys just go without me.

That's what you said about

the Halloween play you missed.

But I watched the

recording that your dad sent.

You were so good.

How about some cranberry

sauce with your leftovers?

No thanks.

Does it matter?

That's what I thought I did.

How's that. Better?

So work's going well.

I think.

Honestly, I'm hoping this weekend

really moves a needle

for the ticket sales.

There's a lot of expectations,

especially with the marketing

budget that I've spent.

I just don't wanna disappoint anyone.

There's also this woman at the theater.

She's not my biggest fan,

but I'm trying to fix that.

She actually smiled yesterday.

Not at me, but because of something I did.

It was nice.

It was just a moment though.

I keep wondering how to make her happy.

Maybe that's not the best way to put it.

She's a happy person.

She just isn't happy with me.

You know all those pranks

that I used to pull when I was younger?

Well, I know now that it hurt people.

Her, but I'm not that same person anymore.

So how do I make her

see that though, right?

I don't know why. I care what she thinks.

How did I do that?

Hi.

Yeah.

It's just me.

What are you doing here?

I just came to see how sales were doing.

Check in on some things.

Oh, me too.

Do you come here a

lot on holiday weekends?

It's the first time

I felt like I had to .

Eggnog?

No, I'm not much of a fan of that.

Well, I like it and I'm hungry.

Oh, I have

Thanksgiving leftovers.

You want some?

No thanks.

You sure? Food will actually fill you up.

What is it?

Turkey, stuffing, potatoes.

Gravy?

Oh yeah.

Did you cook this?

My mom.

Hmm. These are good.

Oh man. Oh.

Thank you.

That scarf has seen better days anyway.

Keeps me warm enough.

Maybe you should tell your secret Santa

you need a new one.

My dad made it for me.

Oh, that's sweet.

He knits?

Crochets.

He learned a couple of years

ago after he had a stroke.

Oh, is he okay now?

Yeah. For the most part.

He lost the ability to speak.

I'm sorry.

Yeah, me too.

But he can do this though.

It's funny how the brain works, right?

It allowed him to regain some dexterity

and with it some control in his life.

This was the first scarf he finished.

It's one of a kind then.

He' s trying to teach me

and it's a bit of an uphill battle.

I can't really imagine you crocheting.

Yeah. It's not my favorite activity,

but it allows us to

spend some time together.

Thank you for the food.

Yeah, you're welcome.

See you later.

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

God rest ye merry gentlemen

let nothing you dismay

For Jesus Christ our Savior

Was born upon this day

To save us all from satan's power

When we were gone astray

Oh, tidings of comfort and joy

Comfort and joy

Oh, tidings...

What are you doing?

I'm leaving something

for my secret Santa person.

Who is it?

I can't tell you.

Which one. The guy on

the left or the right?

Doesn't matter. Hurry.

I'm gonna need those receipts

for the marketing buys

you've been making.

Sure, I'll get right on that.

Not so loud.

Did you hear yourself?

Thank you.

Okay.

Yeah.

We'll see you later.

And by the way, ad buys

happen through contracts,

not receipts.

It's not as slushy at a gas station.

Oh shush.

It's that guy.

What'd you get him?

A multi-tool.

That's the sentimental.

It's useful. Better than

something he'll never use.

Can't argue there.

I have two snow globes

taking up space on my desk.

Snow globes.

What? You know who it is?

Yes.

But I'm not telling you.

Lila.

Hey.

It's break time.

Oh, I can't.

Meet me in the cheap seats.

In five minutes.

Okay, fine.

What is this?

So you'll always know

where to go to find a pen.

Watch the extension.

Make it look effortless.

I'm jealous of your mystery person.

I've been impressed.

Everything has been

something I need or love.

I think it's a guy.

Really? Why?

I mean this bow, it's a nice attempt,

but it shows no real craft experience.

Have you seen me with bows?

I always use the stick on ones

because I can't curl ribbon.

It's a thoughtfulness of the gift.

That makes me think it might be somebody

with a crush on you.

What? Think about it.

Why can't it be someone

who just knows me well?

Like who?

Like Richard.

Wait. Richard from the cleaning staff?

He sees what's in my trash can.

He knows what I need, what I like.

No.

Who then?

Okay, if we are going

with my crush theory, Nick.

He has a girlfriend.

- Oh.

- Devin from maintenance.

He thinks my name is Christine.

He's close.

What about Evan from accounting?

He's not observant enough.

Tom from legal?

No. He delegates everything

to one of those virtual

assistant services.

This is too thoughtful for Tom.

Well, whoever it is, I'm grateful.

It's been really fun so far.

And I still have plenty of

time to figure out who it is.

Three more weeks, three more gifts.

Unless I figure it out first.

Okay, so you got chocolates and what else?

Soda. Not diet, and some candy.

At least the stuff you like.

Mostly. The soda was like

way past its expiration date.

I started thinking my secret Santa

is just clearing out their pantry.

Do you want one?

Cream or caramel?

Surprise me.

Here.

Maybe it's Janine.

Janine is on a diet from diets.

Mm.

We need to do more investigation.

We're not going through

anyone's office, are we?

No. Okay.

But we should do something fun

with all of our potential suspects.

See if any of 'em let

something slip on accident.

Mm, what do you have in mind?

We could go ice skating

tonight after the show.

Oh, but it's so late.

When else are you gonna make time for it?

Tonight it is.

Thanks for coming. The

thing's been beeping all day.

And you're lucky it didn't wake you up

in the middle of the night.

Oh, I don't hear anything at night.

That's because you snore.

I do not.

Uh-huh. Battery.

Ma, the nine volt.

Well, which one's that?

The rectangular one right here.

Thank you.

Hold on. It's work.

Hello?

No, I haven't seen it yet.

I'm out of the office right now.

I thought you already sent her list over.

Right.

Revised, great.

No, no, no, no, no.

We'll take care of it.

Yeah.

Bye.

Is everything all right?

Yeah. It's the ballerina's agent.

Things she wants for while she's here.

What could she possibly want?

I'm trying not to think about it.

I didn't think that was part of your job.

It's not. So I'll gladly

pass it along to someone else.

Are you sure you're happy

over there at the theater?

Yeah, it's work.

We just think maybe you needed a break.

Jumping back in so quickly

might not have been

the best thing for you.

We, huh?

I'm fine.

Once I get this first show

under my belt, it'll be easier.

Hey Marie.

Oh good. You came.

I didn't know I had a choice.

You good?

Where are your gloves?

I couldn't find them.

Girl, you are gonna freeze.

Hi.

Hi.

Glenn. I'm so glad you can make it.

Thank you.

And go on then, get your skates.

Okay.

You invited Glenn?

Yeah.

Why?

Do you not remember the hayride story?

Oh, I do.

It's just, with you freezing

him out, has he had any chance

to make any friends at the theater yet?

Am I supposed to be worried about that?

Come on, you're not heartless.

First time skating, Zeke?

You can tell?

Should let go of the

wall every now and then.

No thanks. I like to

keep my feet on the ground.

You need help, Zeke?

Nope, I'm fine.

Well holler if you change your mind.

Okay.

Good luck.

I'm surprised he came out if

he didn't know how to skate.

You have to start somewhere.

So are you feeling comfortable

with your job at the theater?

Yeah, I'm getting there.

How did you get into marketing?

Oh, you know, college degree, experience.

That sounds vague.

Helen was praising you

like you're a huge success.

Oh, what can I say?

My resume is impressive.

I was actually fired.

What?

From my last job.

Not for anything terrible.

It's just the product I was

promoting failed spectacularly.

Oh wow. I'm sorry.

No, I know what I do different

now, but when it failed,

my boss needed someone to blame.

Well, that's not fair.

Maybe, maybe not.

But I see their logic.

No grudge?

Just regrets that I

didn't find a better way.

But I'm at the theater now

and just so you don't worry,

I'm committed. I'm giving it my all.

Well, I'm glad you are.

There's so much to do.

Honestly, I should be looking

at the shows for next quarter,

but there's never enough time.

Well, you know,

Helen mentioned

that somewhat new to the manager job.

Yeah. But I know the

theater inside and out,

what everyone does, how

it all fits together.

I just need this season to go well.

Yeah, that sounds like

it's kind of my job too.

In part. But ultimately it falls on me.

Does it?

The dancers, the

orchestra, the stage crew.

It doesn't matter what you do

if they don't show up at their best.

What's your point?

Just saying it's not

all on your shoulders.

Thanks.

Yeah.

So why did you come back here?

You've been asking yourself that

since the first day of the

conference room, haven't you.

Crossed my mind.

I mean, why not stay where you were

or start fresh somewhere else?

Well.

Your dad.

Yeah.

Yeah. I wasn't there

for the stroke itself,

but it was really hard on my mom.

I've gotten phone calls

from them for a while now

needing help with this or that.

So after I got fired, I got a place

a few miles away from them.

It made sense to be

closer to them so I could,

you know, be there for 'em.

Yeah. That's.

Nice?

Unexpected.

Wow. Thank you.

Sorry.

Now, believe it or not,

I am capable of being nice.

I'm starting to.

Yeah.

Lila, I'm not good at this.

I don't know how else to say

this other than I'm sorry

for all of the jokes and all

of the pranks in high school.

I realize none of it was funny to you

or to any of the others. And it may not.

It may not sound like much, but I mean it.

Well, that's something.

Is it enough?

It's a start.

Brownie mix.

That's what my secret Santa got me.

You don't want the whole theater to hear.

I don't care.

Even if you're clearly frustrated,

reaction hurts their feelings.

It is a brownie mix.

It's like $2 at the shop.

The next step up from

that bottom rung of a gift

would be if they at least

made the brownies for me.

I mean, that's a common courtesy.

I think there's some calming tea in here.

What did you get anyway.

I am that much closer to guessing

who my secret Santa is/

Because of gloves.

It has to be someone who was with us

at the ice skating rink.

They saw I didn't have gloves on.

Or maybe it's because, you know, winter.

You're just afraid I have

a shortlist of suspects.

Fine. Who are your strong suspicions?

I'm thinking Zeke or Sam.

I still don't think it's Nick, although.

Glenn was there, but

Zeke was acting really.

Well Zeke is always Zeke.

Rita got hurt.

What?

Oh really?

Where is she?

This is not good.

She's our snow queen.

We'll have to see what the doctor says,

but I don't think she'll be

better in time to perform.

What happened?

Simple misstep like

walking down the stairs

and blowing out your knee.

Now what do we do about it?

How's the understudy?

She's okay.

Look, Karina is my first choice, but hey.

I heard what happened.

Tobias and I are trying

to figure out what to do.

What if we bring in

whoever was supposed to be

the sugar plum fairy

before Flora Shelly Haynes?

She's still a little hurt by the shuffle,

but I can talk her into it.

Come in.

Hey.

What are you doing here?

Well, hello to you too.

Dinner.

Ooh yum.

Eat quickly.

Why.

We have shopping to do?

Oh, I can't. I had a

stressful day at work.

When is it not?

Come on. Amy and Lacey are

at Mom's for Girls Night.

It's the perfect time

to go shopping for 'em.

Are the stores even open?

Holiday hours.

I still like the pink one better.

Don't force me to come along

and then not trust my shopping instincts.

Everything Lacey has is pink..

Because she likes it.

No, because Amy likes it.

What's that one hoodie

she's always wearing?

The purple one?

Bingo.

Lila.

Hi.

Hi Glenn.

This is my brother Chris.

It's good to meet you.

You too.

We are just finding

some things for my niece

and sister-in-law.

Good.

I'm trying to surprise my parents,

but the only ideas they've given me

are all practical and boring.

Speaking pf practical, I'm

just gonna duck on over here

and get something for Amy.

Oh.

So do you celebrate Christmas

or are you gonna sneak off

to the office and get caught up again?

Ha ha. It's not like

I love the late hours.

Then why do it?

'Cause the theater means a lot to me.

You know, duty, accountability, all that.

How'd you end up there?

I've always loved the theater.

Not just our theater, but

live plays and musicals.

Being on stage was always an adventure,

but it just wasn't for me as a career.

Wait, did you did plays in school, right?

Yes.

I booed you, didn't I?

At more than one performance.

Please tell me the reason

you're not on stage right now

Isn't because of me?

No.

Oh. Good.

I mean, I'm sorry.

So why aren't you on stage?

Because I like being

involved with everything.

Not just performing.

With what I do now, I get a

front row seat to the casting,

the art and stage pieces,

the costuming, ticket sales,

customer experience.

Seeing it all come together

with the story and the emotion,

the technical elements.

It's amazing.

You really do love it, don't you?

Yeah.

Want to?

What? Santa?

Yeah. Come on.

Why?

Because we can.

Wow, that's a lot.

That's a big list.

So what are you gonna say?

What I want for

Christmas of course.

Which is?

Nope, that's for his ears only.

What about you?

I'm going to tell him that I wish

I wasn't standing in this line.

Oh wow. It's not supposed to be a wish.

He's not a fountain

that you toss a coin at.

Whatever. Either way, I

don't really need anything.

Well, Christmas isn't

all about what you need.

It could be about what you want.

Like a new purse.

Is that what you think I want?

It's just an example.

Now who do we have here?

Glenn and Lila.

Oh boy.

And what would you like, a ring perhaps?

Oh no.

Oh.

How about a photo?

Sure.

Really?

Yeah. That's what friends do.

So we're friends know?

I hope so.

I can have my trusty elf take it.

Thank you.

Okay.

Just a bit closer.

A little closer.

You know what? Just put

your arm around her.

Okay. Now smile and say Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas.

I'll text you the photo.

Thanks.

They're all out of pajamas.

Can you believe that?

Oh, that's too bad.

We can try another store.

Okay.

I'll see you at work.

Yeah.

It's good to run into you.

You too.

You okay?

Yeah. Fine.

Hi, Derek.

I think I know who my secret Santa is.

Oh.

It's Derek.

He was coming in from

rehearsal and he saw me

and he got completely awkward

and then he turned around

and ran the other way to avoid me.

Maybe he's intimidated by you.

Oh, whatever.

We're friendly. We always say hello.

This was definitely weird.

So is Derek your final answer?

Yes.

So in order for me to

win, you have to be wrong

about Derek and I have to be right

about whoever my secret Santa is.

Yes, but I like my chances.

I'm not giving up.

I just have to catch my

secret Santa in the act.

You got another gift.

Snow globe number four.

Hey, do you know how long

Lila will be at her office?

No. Want me to ask her?

No. No.

I really need her out

of her office though.

Oh, for your secret Santa gift.

Yeah, but it needs to stay refrigerated.

Oh, you want me to put in the fridge?

No, no, no, no.

I'd rather we get her out of her office

so I can leave it there.

Well what if it goes bad?

Like if she's away from

her desk for too long?

- Hmm.

- How about ice?

Good idea. We'll also need a bowl.

On it.

Here we go. Good.

So why are you trying so hard?

What do you mean?

You are like invested.

I'm not. not you more

than my snow globe gifter.

You know, you're taking

it to a higher level.

What do you think?

It needs a bow.

Where?

The mug.

Better.

Now what?

Hey, got a minute?

Sure. What for?

It's a fish thing.

The dressing room for Flora.

We're sticking with fish?

I like it.

You wanna go take a look?

I just wanna make sure

everything is as it should be.

Her team keeps bugging me about it.

Sorry, I told them to come

to me and Marie for that stuff.

No, it's fine.

We're ready to go as soon as she arrives.

And the driver's gonna bring

fish here from her hotel.

And everything's ready here, right?

Yes. Yes, and yes.

Okay. I think we're all set.

Everyone stay on top of

your responsibilities.

Let's show Ms. Haynes what

a stellar company we can be.

All right?

Okay.

All right.

Leaving?

Yes.

The playbills finally

arrived from the printer

so I can breathe again.

Good. How about we grab a bite to eat?

Why.

Nourishment?

No. I mean why?

Why not?

Do you ever just watch a show anymore?

I mean, sit down in the

theater like a normal person.

It's been a while.

Do you still like it on

that side of the stage?

Yeah, I do.

There's just never time.

What's your favorite

show you've ever seen?

That's a tough one.

Liar.

What?

You don't have a favorite. I can tell.

I.

Do you even like theater?

Of course.

That was a lie too.

You know, one of those tiny lies

like you're trying not

to hurt my feelings.

Fine. I don't enjoy it per se.

Why not?

I don't know. The jumping

around, the singing.

Well, not every show is a musical.

Still.

I can almost get pulled into the story

and then something

happens and it's too much.

Are you expecting reality?

No.

Hmm. So you have something

against talented singers,

actors, and dancers.

No. I'd just rather do something else.

I take it this wasn't part

of your interview with Helen.

Thankfully she sees the

value in a skilled worker,

not someone who's just another fan.

Okay. Well I won't

tell her if it makes you

feel any better.

Thank you.

That's what coworkers are for.

Friends.

You were gonna use that word?

No.

Oh. Who's the liar now?

It was a slip.

Which means you really meant it.

Like I've been wondering about

what it would've been like

if we would've been

friends in high school.

It's kind of hard to imagine.

Yeah, I know. I know.

But think about it.

If we would've been friends, who knows?

We probably would've been

hanging out at that cafe

that you worked at.

Help study for finals

or AP test in your case.

Or maybe gone to prom.

Yeah. I don't think

that would've happened.

Would it really have been so bad?

No, but we can't go back.

Look, just because things

were one way when we were kids

doesn't mean they can't

be different now, right.

You know, his whole

thing about being friends

kind of sounds like an olive brunch.

A lot of how he's been

acting has seemed that way.

Is that bad?

I'm not sure.

I can't say I haven't thought about it.

Not in depth, but it's been

kind of nice being friendly now.

More than friendly.

Come on. Taking you out to dinner.

Kind of sounds like a date.

It wasn't.

Believe me, it's a miracle

we're nearly friends.

Well, everything takes time.

Some I'm not sure time would

make much of a difference.

I can only trust him so much.

Part of me still feels like

he's pulling a prank on me.

Like he's gonna embarrass me.

Like all of this has been one big joke.

Well, I don't think he would do that.

But if he did,

I tell you what,

there's not a single person at the theater

who would let him get away with it.

Thanks, but we're talking about him.

I can't deny I want to trust him more

and believe what he's been doing

has been genuine, but I dunno.

Do you want some more?

Sure.

Your father thinks we

should just throw it away.

Well, it's no trouble to take a look.

That's what I told him.

He's here already.

Best to make the most of it.

What's this about?

An old disagreement.

About?

Your father thinks

you're over here too much.

Helping us keep up the house and all.

Oh it's no problem.

And he's afraid it's

keeping you from your life.

My life.

You guys are a big part of my life.

There's nothing wrong with that.

Exactly.

Although whatever happened with that girl,

the one at the theater.

Oh, not much.

We're working together.

And that's fine.

We went out to dinner so

we might be friends now.

Well, that's nice, dear.

Any chance it's more than that?

No, not yet.

Hey, guess what?

What.

"The Nutcracker's" starting to sell out.

I compared this to last year

and we're already outpacing it.

The first seven days are sold out

except for the

Monday night show.

The second week is at 85%.

And that's even with

the snag the website had

with taking orders.

That is great.

Your strategy must really be working.

Thanks. What's wrong?

Nothing. I'm happy for you.

Sold out houses are great,

but I'm just a little anxious about it.

Especially when we have a star

like Flora Shelly Haynes coming.

Don't worry.

That'll be fine.

How was your flight?

Hmm?

I trust the hotel is satisfactory.

The performance will be magnificent.

Everything you've asked for

is ready for you in your dressing room.

Hmm.

The head seamstress is waiting

for you for your fitting.

Okay. Everybody should be warmed up.

Let's get into positions

for the top of act two

and get music playback ready please.

Ow.

Lila. Lila it's fish.

She's, oh, there was an accident.

What?

No, she's fine, but she's not happy.

I can't work in these conditions.

I will not jeopardize

my safety or my career.

It was a slight mishap

and completely fixable.

This time. What if

that happened during a show?

I won't be humiliated publicly.

Of course not. And we

don't want that either.

Get out.

So, slight problem.

She's refusing to keep rehearsing.

I'm sorry, but it really an accident.

What happened?

It's okay Steve, just help us understand

so we can figure out what to do next.

We had the set pieces right

where they needed to go,

but somebody changed

the blocking with fish.

Shh. Not so loud.

She hears that nickname we're

gonna have bigger problems.

Wait, they were changing

the blocking this late.

She was insisting. So

we adjusted the set piece.

But before we could lock it off,

let's just say we got

scolded to get out of the way

and one of the other

dancers barely bumped it.

So it shifted and it scared her.

What do we do now?

Don't worry guys.

Keep doing your work.

We'll handle fish.

Ideas?

Not yet.

Can you go sit in her

dressing room and make sure

she doesn't try and

bail on the whole show?

Yeah, go ahead.

Hey.

Fish isn't leaving.

How can you be so sure?

Her contract.

And if she accuses us of

not having a safe environment,

even if it's not true, by

the time we work it out,

the show is blown.

She's just being a diva.

This is what I get.

I knew there was a reason

I didn't like this.

What?

I had a feeling this would go south.

Look, we just need to talk her down.

Okay.

I brought eggnog.

Well, what do you want now?

We just wanna assure you

everything's gonna be be fine.

Ms. Haynes

You've been dancing a long time.

I always admired how

early ballerinas start.

Must be hard.

Is there a point you're trying to get to?

Not particularly.

I I was just wondering.

What?

When you started disliking what you do.

I don't. I mean, ballet is my life.

But somewhere along the way

it started to feel like work,

didn't it?

Maybe.

I get that.

How?

I work at a theater,

but I can't just sit

back and enjoy the show.

Not even at another theater because then

I feel like I'm betraying this place.

It's strange.

Does dancing still make you happy?

Yes.

Just not all the contracts

and travels and pressure.

You could take a break.

Yeah, like my manager would allow that.

Well, you don't work for him.

He forgets.

So do I sometimes.

Do you wanna be here?

Because if you don't, it's okay.

I do.

I just wish it were fun again. You know?

Then let's make it fun.

I'm not gonna say relax because

I know it's not that easy.

But you're not alone.

We're here too.

Wow. That went better than expected.

Yeah. I.

Glenn.

Yes.

I'm your secret Santa.

Oh, thank you.

It's Patty, right?

Yes. In ticket sales.

And I saved the best one for last.

I see that.

I know you're new here and

I'm so glad I got your name.

Merry Christmas.

Thank you Patty.

Merry Christmas.

So Patty got your name.

Yeah. That was sweet.

She gives snow globes every year.

The prevailing theory is she

collected them her whole life

and she realized it's a pain

to dust them all the time.

Wow.

Hey, glad to see you're

leaving at a decent hour.

Why is that?

'Cause you deserve it.

If it wasn't for you today

could have ruined everything.

But you saved it, so thank you.

You're welcome.

Wanna take a walk?

There's some cool

Christmas displays

in a park down the street.

I.

Yeah.

Let me put my bags in my car.

What is this?

I like to think of this as the lava game.

Like don't touch the ground.

You just have to put up

with the freezing cold.

You wanna try it?

Yes.

Whoa.

Oh, careful.

So fish.

How'd you figure her out?

I just took a chance that

she liked to dance still.

Even though she was acting

like it was all a bother.

Normally you don't do all

this if you hate it, right.

So I just figured maybe

something had changed.

Was she unhappy?

Made sense.

So you could relate, right?

A bit.

I think mostly she just

needed to be understood.

Well, good job.

Thanks.

When I came here I was

actually intimidated by you.

Me?

Yeah.

Everyone said you were

amazing to work with

and so pivotal to the theater.

Now though, I'm glad

I got to see firsthand

that that's true.

That's nice of you to say.

I mean it.

There's a lot of things that I overlooked

when we were younger.

I wish I hadn't, but I'm glad

I'm not missing them now.

Thanks.

This os cool.

You wanna ride?

What? What's wrong?

Is this a joke?

What?

No. I thought this would be nice.

Well, it might've been, but senior year,

the Christmas fair.

The hayride. Lila,

that's not what this is.

I want to believe you,

but I just keep waiting

for the real you to reappear

and I don't wanna be hurt

when that happens.

Okay, this is the real me now.

I was immature and and thoughtless,

but I've changed or at

least I'm trying to.

Lila, please.

Maybe we should just keep our interactions

work related and at the theater.

Lila.

Donuts.

No thanks.

Donut.

- Yes.

- Thank you so much.

You're welcome.

Hey Zeke.

I like the maple ones.

Hey.

You can take your pick.

I have a call.

Okay. Is she like avoiding you?

Kind of.

I thought you were getting along.

Yeah, me too.

Who is it?

Chris.

Good. You can let yourself in.

Amy and Lacey made you some brownies.

Hmm? That's nice.

In your pajamas already?

Yes. It's been a long week.

"Christmas Carol" just

finished two days ago.

So now we can fully focus on

launching "The Nutcracker".

We have full rehearsals,

the scenery, the works.

Well, when's opening night?

Friday.

That's when we're wrapping

and delivering the presents

for the sub for Santa family.

Oh, well it's a really busy night,

especially with Flora

Shelley Haynes here.

I feel like that name

should mean something to me.

Probably not, but

I need to be around.

Always some reason, right?

Can we not do this right

now? I have a lot on my mind.

Fine.

Hey, pass the popcorn.

Please tell me it's caffeine.

In some form.

It's fudge, expired six months ago.

Any idea who it's from?

Yes, I was right.

Derek told me himself.

And then one of the dancers came

and said he'd given up sugar. So.

Ah. Well you win, I guess.

Are you any closer to figuring out

who your secret Santa is?

No. And I haven't gotten

anything yet this week either.

Maybe he or she is procrastinating or shy.

Oh, what if it's Glenn?

No, the gifts have been way too nice.

You keep thinking he

is incapable of kindness.

Doesn't matter.

If it didn't matter,

you would just accept the possibility

that he could be your secret Santa

and you wouldn't give it another thought.

Instead, you keep analyzing his motives.

Because I still don't

know if I can trust him.

Okay, I do not deny that

you have issues with trust.

But it's not just Glenn.

When you hang around here constantly

as if you were to leave, the

entire thing would fall apart.

That's not true.

Then what is it?

Do you not trust that anybody

else could fix any problems?

No.

Lila, when are you gonna acknowledge

how much everyone else does around here?

I do.

We have an amazing team.

And yet you don't trust them.

I mean, what are you gonna

do if Flora Shelly Haynes's

costume rips in the middle of the show?

Are you gonna rush in

and sew her back together

in between numbers?

Just think about it.

And with Glenn, love him or hate him.

But if I'm right, then he's the one

who's been putting a lot of effort

into each one of these gifts

just to make you smile.

And that means something.

Oh, hey.

The messages came in. I thought

I could wait till tomorrow.

But since you're still

here, and just so you know,

you're supposed to reveal yourself

to your secret Santa this week.

Ah, great.

With opening night, that's what

everyone needs, distraction.

Kind of the idea.

I like to think.

Helps us relax.

Could you give my gift to Lila?

I'll bring it in tomorrow.

I could, but don't you want the credit.

At this point?

I'm not sure what she'll think.

It's up to you.

I'm your assistant.

And you're the boss.

Well, she might be more the boss than you,

but that's not the point.

I can give it to her if

that's what you want.

Or you could just leave it

for and not tell her it's you.

I thought you said we had to tell them.

Yeah, but it's Christmas.

No one cares about a little mystery.

She'll know it's me pretty easily.

Then even if I give it

to her, she'd know, right.

Right. Goodnight.

Hey, it's Chris.

Look, I know you probably

can't make it tomorrow,

but if something changes,

we'll be at my house starting around six.

So guests will start to

arrive in about half an hour.

It'll be fixed in time.

You're amazing.

Thank you so much.

Hi. Slight maintenance

issue, but we will be ready.

I believe you.

Are you running some errands?

I actually realized

I have some things

to do with Chris and my mom,

but everything looks great here.

So do you mind if I

leave it in your hands?

It's opening night.

I think you can handle it.

Yeah, I mean I can.

Thanks Marie.

Enjoy your night.

I will.

I'll get it.

Are there still presents for me to wrap?

Look who I found.

Lila.

Hey Lacey.

You came.

Well get over here. Pick

some wrapping paper.

Well get over here. Pick

some wrapping paper.

Okay. What have we here?

Oh, beautiful work everyone.

Beautiful work.

This is for curtain call.

That was an amazing opening night.

Congratulations.

And nothing went wrong. I.

Yeah, Lila would be relieved.

Have you seen her?

Yeah. She went home early.

She did?

Yes. It's a miracle, I know.

Yeah. Good for her.

Lacey, wait up.

Come on.

Is this the right address?

Yes.

I double checked him.

Remember that one year?

Oh yeah.

Hey, w We made a family

very happy that year.

It's just the wrong one.

Can I knock on the door?

We ready?

Go ahead, Lacey.

Merry Christmas.

Joy to the world the Lord is come

Let earth receive her King

That's pretty one.

Do we have any purple icing?

No.

Oh, Chris,

we should made these earlier to take

to the sub Santa family.

Looks like there's more

for me tonight though.

You need it.

Good night, huh?

The best.

I'm glad you made it.

Me too.

Can I ask you what changed your mind?

Yeah, I guess I figured

out that being manager

means leading and leading doesn't mean

doing everything on my own.

Good.

And I was starting to lose

the love for it, you know,

for the theater.

I don't wanna resent it.

I wanna still be able to go

and just get lost in the magic.

Aw, look at you, growing up.

Shush.

So what's going on with Glenn?

Nothing.

Why not?

You know why.

Hmm. It's a shame.

You know, for someone

many who supposedly hate,

I could've sworn I saw some

sparks between you two.

Okay. I don't hate him

and there were no sparks.

Sure.

You know, years ago, before Lacey,

Amy and I nearly called it quits.

Really? What happened?

We were going through

some problems, silly things,

but it all just boiled

down to us not listening

to each other and then us getting upset

at each other for it.

And then she asked me, what did I want?

Stay together or not.

You know, I nearly said the wrong thing,

but then I had this thought.

If I didn't give us one

more chance, I'd regret it.

Now look at us.

That one that you were given.

There's not one thing I

would change since then.

I just don't want you to miss out

on a chance at being happy.

Who says Glenn is that chance?

Who says he's not?

Lila?

Yes ma'am.

The reviews for the show.

Excellent.

It was fantastic.

Oh, that's great.

Good work.

Thank you.

I'll pass it along to everyone.

They worked really hard.

Keep it up.

Thanks.

I've put a quote here for

the new lighting package.

The one Steve keeps pushing for.

Yeah.

I told him.

What's that?

I think it's from my secret Santa.

To find your last gift, you'll

need to talk with the person

who keeps the dancers on their toes.

Cute. It's like riddle.

Who keeps the dancers on their toes?

Tobias?

Yes. That makes sense.

Is he here yet?

I think so.

Let's go.

Tobias.

Lila, I've been expecting you.

You have.

So are you.

Am I?

My secret Santa?

Oh.

No, but this is for you.

Oh, thanks.

Another one?

I guess.

You can't buy whiteout

without authorization

from this department.

Office supplies, accounting?

But who?

Oh.

Hey, Evan.

We were just coming to see you.

Okay, i Is this what you were looking for?

Are you my secret Santa?

Is that what this is about? No, I'm not.

Oh.

Who gave you that envelope then?

I'm guessing I shouldn't tell you.

Do I have to try?

Read it?

If you need a better seat,

this person will find the

best one in the house for you.

Oh, Patty.

Good luck.

Thank you.

Okay.

The shows look beautiful,

thanks to this person.

They're not talking about

the dances again, are they?

Looks beautiful.

Maybe the makeup.

Oh no the scenery.

Steve.

Hi Steve.

It took you long enough.

Do you have an envelope for me?

No, but I was told to give you this.

Go on.

Right.

Oh, nice.

Okay. Going with the keeping warm theme.

No, it's crocheted, handmade.

Lila?

I know who it's from.

This fell.

Thanks.

The scarf isn't perfect, but neither am I.

If you can overlook that, wear the scarf

and meet me at Santa's

house for a photo together.

Excuse me.

I'm so sorry. Excuse me.

Nice neckwear.

Thanks. It's new.

This guy I know made it for me.

He made it for you, huh?

It's a pretty rare talent nowadays.

Maybe. It's the thought that counts.

I hope so.

Thank you for the gifts.

You're welcome.

All of them were really special to me.

They showed me that

someone saw me and knew me.

A few weeks ago I never

would've thought that was you.

I understand why,

But you have changed and

I really admire you for it.

You do?

Thank you.

I was hoping you'd forgive me

for so long, but the thing is,

that's not all I've wished for.

What more do you want?

For you to feel something

beyond admiration for me?

You think you might have a chance?

I do?

Yeah.

Merry Christmas.