Christmas at the Catnip Cafe (2025)

[bunniefuu]

You better watch out

You better not cry

You better not pout

I'm tellin' you why

Santa Claus is coming to town

He's makin' a list

checkin' it twice

Gonna find out who's naughty or nice

Santa Claus is coming to town

He sees you when you're sleepin'

He knows when you're awake

He knows if you've been bad or good

So be good, for goodness sake

Oh, you better watch out

You better not cry

Better not pout

I'm tellin' you why

Santa Claus is coming to town

[cats meowing]

[car engine starts]

[car honks]

Okay, well, your parents are gonna call

once they land in London, but until then,

are you ready for our next

holiday adventure?

First up on the list is...

[both] Christmas cookies.

[kitten meows]

Hey, what was that?

What? I-I don't see anything.

Oh.

It was probably nothing.

[Esther] Wait till you see the

Christmas cookie cutters I got.

[kitten meows]



[Victoria] So, what do you think?

It's pretty amazing, right?

It's perfect.

[Victoria] Isn't it?

It is from my vision boards

everything I have ever wanted.

- Perfect.

- Mm-hmm.

And it is move-in ready.

Wha...

What's the catch?

Catch?

We've been looking for three years

and you have never shown me

a place this nice.

[Victoria] Okay, there may be

a teeny-tiny catch.

Oh, there it is.

Look, I am aware of your price range.

Which is realtor speak

for out of my budget.

Not necessarily.

The mortgage payments

could be in your budget.

If...

If you have a bigger down payment.

How much bigger?

Twenty-five percent.

Twen...

- Victoria!

- Olivia.

You run your own

marketing company, okay?

You make good money.

There's normal people good money,

and then there's,

"I wanna buy in

Rock Ridge" good money.

They are not the same thing.

That is more reason to jump on this unit

while you still can, okay?

Opportunities like this one,

they move fast.

An extra five percent?

That's not an insignificant amount.

I feel like I've been saving forever.

It is a great place.

It could be a great home.

It's what you've always wanted.

I know.

Hmm.



[Olivia] That's a great point.

And I agree.

But if we move the promotion

up by two days,

we can catch people

before they leave town.

[Claire] That's a key demographic.

Mmhmm. Yes, exactly.

We can reframe it as a holiday send-off.

- [Claire] Oh, I'd like that.

- Ah, great!

Okay, well, I will email you

the updated roll out timeline

for the pop-up gifting suites

by end of day.

- That timing works well.

- Ah, wonderful.

Thank you, Claire.

[phone pings]

Huh? A meeting about my aunt's estate.

What's that about?

A cat caf.

- [Olivia] Did you just...

- Yes.

- Say...

- Yes.

- A cat...

- Caf.

- Is in a caf...

- With cats.

In Felicity, New York,

which your great Aunt Esther

left you half-owner of in her will.

Wow.

Her only listed assets were the house,

which still has a significant mortgage

that the bank is looking to recover,

and the caf.

So, you are the sole benefactor.

Wait, I'm sorry.

Did you say I'm half-owner?

Correct. Yourself and Ben Kane,

who owned it with Esther.

You each have an equal share.

Do you happen to know if this

Ben Kane person wants to sell?

If he's just an investor?

I haven't asked.

If he does, and if the sale

goes fast enough,

I can have enough for

a down payment for this

dream condo.

It-it would be the Christmas

miracle I'm looking for.

Oh, well, actually,

I've been contacted by Walter Morley.

He buys and sells property in

that area of upstate New York.

He's interested in buying the caf.

Would you like his number?

I would love his number.

Do you have any way

to contact this Ben person?

I can arrange a meeting if you'd like.

I would love.



[Ben] Boomer is doing great.

But I would like to see him back here

again next week, though.

- So soon?

- Yeah.

Ah, Christmas is just,

so busy this time of year.

Ah... yes.

Uh... free of charge.

We wanna make sure Boomer

is 100 percent.

I can't tell you how much

I appreciate that.

I'll make sure to bring you

some of my famous

snickerdoodle cookies.

I can't wait, they're my favorite.

Hey.

Tell you what.

You stay safe out there, okay?

You take care of yourself.

[Woman laughs]

Merry Christmas.

Okay.

We are gonna see Boomer next week.

Margaret is going to give us

a batch of her snickerdoodles.

Mm-hmm.

[exhales] Is that it for today?

There was only supposed to be

one appointment after 4:00.

I know, but then Gladys

cornered me in the supermarket

because Sadie was lethargic.

And Mr. Lane was worried because

Odin had eaten too much cheese.

You know, now might be

a good time to remind you

that while treats are lovely,

it's hard to keep the lights on

with gingerbread and sugar cookies.

You know, now is not

a great time to remind me.

Also, I do say no. Okay?

- Mm-hmm.

- Occasionally, so...

You know what else would really help

- right about now?

- Nope, don't even say it.

- Don't even...

- Another vet.

I said don't even say it.

Not saying something never

made anything not be true.

There's too many negatives

in that sentence.

- Ben!

- Oh... yes.

Hello, Mrs. Lombardo.

Now, don't forget to stop

by the house tonight

about that squeaky door.

I haven't forgotten. You tell Mr. Lombardo

that I will be there tonight

with mince pies

from The Hash House and

treats for Fluffle-stiltskin.

Oh, you spoil us.

The least I could do.

It's you who spoils me.

- Oh, thank you.

- I'll see you tonight.

You bet. Okay.

Uh...

What?

Mr. Lombardo's hips are not so great.

You are such a softy.

You say that like it's a bad thing.

I am.

Millie. You're up.



These decorations are looking perfect.

No, it looks great.

So, did you know she owned one?

Your aunt, I mean, with the cat caf.

Not a clue.

I want a cat.

Oh...

- You do?

- Cat?

Well, I guess we'll

have to go visit the caf then.

After I moved out west

life just got so busy.

I'd get updates from my mom

about her, but...

I just really wish I'd worked

harder to keep in touch.

Yeah, I mean, but... it's life.

It's full of distractions.

And the saddest part is

I missed her funeral.

Hmm. How'd that happen?

I was working, I was at

a conference in Fiji, and

it all happened so fast,

and there were these

limited flights, and I just...

I couldn't make it home.

She clearly felt close enough

to you to leave you

half of a caf.

- [sighs]

- Okay.

Hey, when do you go there, by the way?

Um, I fly to Buffalo day after tomorrow,

and then I'm driving up

to Felicity, where the caf is.

Thank goodness it is the holidays

so work is slow and I can work remotely.

Mmhmm.

I'm gonna stay there until

I make sure that caf is sold.

Yes.

Well, we are going to miss you.

I'll miss you too.

I'm all done!

[both women] Oh!

Well, look at this artist.

What is that you're making?

A turtle.

[both women laugh]

Snow is fallin'

Lightly on the ground

People smilin'

Love is all around

- There's a feelin'...

- Oh! Hi, puppy.

In the air tonight

You are here beside me

And the stars are shinin' bright

Oh, oh!

- Sorry!

- Careful!

- Ah!

- Are you okay?

Naughty or nice

It's a wonderful life

It's my favorite time of year

I can hear the sleigh bells

through my window

I can feel the love up in the air

All the city streets

lookin' like a snow globe

Feelin' like magic everywhere

Holiday lights and ugly sweaters

Well, hello there, cutie.

[cat growls]

I bet you're not as grumpy as you look.

[cat growls]

[cat grumbles]

[Man] Hi, there.

Hi.

Don't mind him,

he's just naturally grumpy.

[cat grumbles]

Welcome. Can I get you

started with anything?

Coffee. Black.

- Sure.

- Thank you.

Actually, what kind of beans do you use?

Beans.

- Um...

- Never mind.

Earl gray tea.

- Coming right up.

- Thank you.

Saw you with the cat there.

Just so you know, uh, all the cats are

available for adoption,

if you're interested.

Oh, I'm not here for the cats.

I'm here to meet somebody.

I think that might be me.

Oh.

- Hi.

- Hi.

No, I mean, I'm actually here

to meet somebody,

as in, it was planned.

Oh, I see.

Still, I think that might be m.

If you're Olivia Pierce.

- So, you're...

- Not a creeper, no.

I'm the guy you planned to meet.

- Ben Kane.

- Ben Kane.

Thrilled to finally meet you, hi.

- Oh! [Gasps]

- Aww. Here.

Nice to finally meet you both.

This is Holly.

When I was contacted by Mr. Henry,

I was curious to know

who the other owner was.

I was happy it was Esther's niece.

We all were.

[Olivia chuckles nervously]

- My aunt never told me.

- Seriously?

Wow. Then this must...

This must be quite the surprise.

Uh, welcome to the Catnip Caf.

[cats meowing]

Thank you. And it is a surprise.

For so many reasons.

Yeah, uh, good ones, I hope.

Uh, do you wanna sit?

Frank, would you mind?

Coming right up.

Thank you.

[Olivia] Hmm.

Um, well, uh...

There-there is one good reason.

I found the perfect condo for me.

- I love it.

- Great. Okay.

Yeah, but I don't have enough

money for the down payment.

So that's why all of this

is incredible timing.

[cat yowls]

Aww.

[Ben] Got a little friend there. Uh, well

the caf is beloved, but unfortunately,

it's anything but a lucrative venture.

Well, I never assumed that

the caf was actually profitable.

Oh.

It's a cat caf in a small town.

It's not exactly a resort in Vegas.

Um, excuse me, ma'am, would you

good girl.

Uh... yeah.

You know, most resorts in Vegas

would actually be so lucky

to have the impact

on a community that

the Catnip has on Felicity.

You seem a little annoyed.

- I'm not annoyed.

- You sure?

- 'Cause...

- Yeah. Nope.

Uh, the estate lawyer, Mr. Henry,

said that you wanted to talk

to me about something, so.

I wanted to make sure

we're on the same page.

What page is that, that you're on?

I- I'm so touched that my aunt

thought to give me this gift,

but I don't have any space

in my life for a caf,

let alone one that's

centered around animals.

- [cat growls]

- [Ben] Um...

Please tell me

that what you're about to say

is that you are planning

to be an owner in absentia.

I wanna sell. ASAP.

Mr. Henry told me that there's

a developer that's interested,

so it'll go quickly.

Ben.

[Ben] Ms. Pierce, it seems that

we are not on the same page,

because I absolutely do not want to sell.

I'm not just an investor.

This caf means the world to m.

I can understand that.

Then buy me out.

I wish that I could.

My money is tied up in my clinic.

Then I guess we're at an impasse.

Guess we are.

Hm.

[sentimental music]

Okay, pass me the plug.

Okay. There we go.

[gasps] Oh.

The lights don't work.

That's because one of them is out

and it's up to us to find it, fix it,

so that this string

of lights can shine again.

- I got it!

- [Esther gasps]

[Esther gasps]

Perfect. [Laughs]

[phone ringing]

Oh. Mr. Henry, hi.

Hi.

[Olivia] Thank you for

getting back to me so quickly.

- Of course.

- Uh...

What I was wondering is

if he doesn't wanna sell

his half, what are my options?

You could file a partition

action with the courts,

legally forcing the sale of the caf

and dividing the proceeds.

Well, how long does that take?

Year. Year and a half, maybe.

Depending on if Dr. Kane wants

to delay things.

Which he will.

And by that time, the condo will be sold.

Bye-bye Christmas miracle.

Thank you very much.

- [Mr. Henry] Bye-bye.

- Okay. Take care. Bye.

I just don't understand why

Esther would leave the caf

to someone who wouldn't appreciate it.

Olivia Pierce can't appreciate

what she doesn't know,

which takes time.

Yeah, well, I don't have time.

Okay, well, speaking of time,

I need to get back to Dan and the kids.

Yes. Go.

- Also...

- Yeah.

- Mom called.

- Mm-hmm.

She wants to know if you're

bringing someone to Christmas.

Oh, does she? What'd you tell her?

I said we all wanna know

if you're bringing

someone to Christmas.

Yeah, well, you know what?

Next time you can just say... someday.

You and Abby ended seven years ago,

so you're kind of heading in

the wrong direction of someday.

Yeah, well, you know,

with running the clinic

and, uh, the caf,

and being the town's de facto handyman,

I haven't had a lot of time

to find the perfect person to, you know,

spend the rest of my life with.

But, um, I'll put it on

the list for tomorrow.

By the way, I cannot for the life of me

find Esther's Christmas binder

and I'm kinda freaking out.

Yeah, sorry, I haven't seen it, but...

I'll keep an eye out for it.

Great.

Great, great, great, great, great, great.

Great.

[car alarm chirps]

[quirky music]

[doorbell rings]

- You.

- Me.

What are you doing here?

Oh, you know, just, uh,

returning home from a long day

of caring for animals

and meeting my new co-owner

of a caf who wants to sell,

regardless of the impact to

the townsfolk and felines alike.

You said returning home?

Yeah.

I live, uh, just down the block.

What are you doing here?

I told Mr. Henry I'd help

pack up my aunt's things

to prepare for the bank sale.

So, I'm staying here while I'm in town.

Well, I just stopped by to find something

that I'm hoping is inside the house, and

noticed the lights were on.

- You have a key?

- Yeah.

Esther and I were really close.

I used to look after

the place occasionally.

Um, I don't suppose you've seen a...

Christmas binder for the caf

lying around anywhere by chance?

Actually, I think I know

what you're talking about.

Hang on one sec.

A-ha!

- This is it?

- Yeah.

- Yeah, it was in a box.

- Great.

That is a road map for

all things Catnip Christmas.

We've been doing it

for the last five years.

It looks like quite the production.

It was Esther's pride and joy.

My aunt did all this by herself?

Essentially.

Although she wasn't trying

to run a vet clinic

at the same time.

I'm not quite sure how

I'm going to do it on my own.

Should be interesting.

I will take that.

You don't need that. Thank you.

But you do need these.

Night.

Wait.

I can help you.

With that.

Why would you do that?

In exchange...

There it is.

You don't delay the sale of the caf.

Ha!

I think I was pretty clear.

I don't wanna sell.

I know you don't wanna sell,

but I think you also know

that you can't stop the sale.

You can only slow it down.

And I need this to go quickly.

You know, that would mean

three whole weeks

working very closely

in and around that caf.

As long as it results

in you agreeing to sell

your half of the caf...

I'm good.

Yeah, or you realizing

how important the caf is

to the community

and deciding not to sell.

Won't happen.

Tell you what.

Uh...

You study that tonight.

And tomorrow we will

go over the whole thing.

- Does this mean...

- Oh, yes.

We have a deal.

I still think it's gonna happen.

I still think you're wrong.

We'll see.

Yeah, we will.

[kitten purrs]

What possessed you to make

such an all-or-nothing deal?

Well, I didn't really have a choice, did I?

Besides, you said it yourself.

Olivia Pierce doesn't know the Catnip,

or Felicity, for that matter,

and it takes time.

Well, now we have time.

Heart sounds great. There's no murmur.

And you think three weeks

is enough time

for her to change her mind?

Better be, 'cause it's all we got.

That and cute cats to disarm her.

[imitates punch] You want a piece of me?

[imitates punches]

Does she know everything

that's involved?

Well, I gave her the binder.

Esther handled it, and she was 80.

Yeah, but Esther...

She was a special person.

Yeah.

She sure was.

I hope she knew what she was doing

when she put Olivia in her will like this.

You and me both.

All right.

Let's get you outta here,

you're healthy as a horse.

[Ben] A very little horse.

[phone rings]

- Hello?

- [Walter] Olivia Pierce.

That's me.

I'm Walter Morley.

I got your number from

your aunt's lawyer.

[Olivia] Yes. Hi.

You're the developer he mentioned.

[Walter] That's right.

I heard you were interested

in selling the cat caf.

I am, and quickly.

Well, I don't know about quickly.

I've already spoken to your co-owner.

He's a firm "no" on selling.

I know.

But I am working on that.

[Walter] Glad to hear it.

[Olivia] Thank you for calling.

I'll talk to you soon.

[exhales]



[cat meows]

Hello.

Hi.

Three weeks.

Olivia, three weeks.

You can do this.

Hm.

[Molly] Joshy, we have to get going now.

Time to say goodbye to Snowball, okay?

Okay, Molly.

Goodbye, little buddy.

See you next time.





Look, look how sweet they are

at four weeks.

[chuckles] Oh, come on.

Look, this one reminds me of Bailey.

Same eyes.

[Abby] He was such a good boy.

[Ben] Oh, he was such a good boy.

Grant's cousin said they'll be

old enough in a few weeks

if you're ready to adopt one.

You know I would consider

another puppy, but

life's a little complicated right now.

Speaking of.

Hi. Sorry I'm late.

I went by the caf

to get the lay of the land.

Uh, Abby, this is Olivia Pierce.

- Olivia, this is Abby Carter.

- Hey.

Uh, Abby and her husband Grant

own the Juniper and Pine.

Oh, nice to meet you.

Your place is beautiful.

Nice to meet you too, and thank you.

Christmas makes everything look better.

- True.

- Oh, Ben, uh, one more thing.

Grant wanted me to ask you,

can he borrow your...

- Gutter... scoop.

- Gutter scoop. Yes!

- Yeah.

- Yes, it's a disaster.

And apparently, this thing's a wonder.

[Ben] I will bring it by the house.

Thank you.

If you need anything, just let me know.

[Olivia] Thank you.

She seems lovely.

She is very nice.

I'm assuming you've had

a chance to go over the binder?

Yes, and there are so many

great options for events.

Options?

But the trick is which event to pick.

The sock puppet idea, that is a no go.

That is a little odd.

The big Christmas party.

We are too close to the date

to pull that off.

I don't know what

a Merry Mistletoe Market is,

so maybe you could

explain that to me sometime.

Oh, absolutely.

That leaves us with

the Merry Catmas Story-time,

or the Catnip Christmas

pajama party movie night,

both of which I think sound good.

So, I thought we could do pros and cons

for both and then pick one.

Okay, uh, we're not gonna pick one.

We're not gonna pick one?

No, we're gonna do all of them.

- What?

- Yeah, all of 'em.

As in... in totality.

As in each and every.

As in the whole kitten caboodle.

Pun intended.

That's impossible.

Now, you can understand

why I'm so grateful

for your incredibly generous offer to help.

Sorry, you do every one

of these events every year?

Esther did, yeah.

Oh, FYI, that, uh,

odd little puppet show?

That's tonight.

Tonight? [Phone pings]

Yeah. Oh, sorry. One sec.

You're kidding me.

Well, it looks like

my almost 22-minute lunch

has come to an abrupt end.

- You're leaving?

- [Ben] Yes. Duty calls.

I will spare you the details,

but it involves a Chihuahua

and a missing wedding ring.

I will see you at

the caf tonight and we will

go over all of the events.

Uh, oh, and I ordered

a vegetarian beef stew if you're hungry.

That's all yours. It's delicious.

Thank you... what...

O Christmas tree

O Christmas tree

Your leaves are so unchanging

O Christmas tree

O Christmas tree

Your leaves are so...

[Esther] You see?

See how none of the needles

come off easily?

That means it's a fresh tree.

It's not gonna make a mess later.

Oh. It smells so good.

Excuse me.

Do you deliver?

Perfect. I'd... [phone pings]

The script?



You seem nervous.

No, not nervous.

I was just

hoping for a little better turnout.

Okay, so I can't do this,

so I'm just gonna...

Oh, no.

No, no, no.

I sent you the script.

A half-hour ago. I didn't read it.

Why would I read it?

I didn't think I was in it!

Because you signed up

for Catnip Christmas

and it's meow time.

I don't ad-lib.

[Olivia] I really don't think

this is a good idea.

Ready?

- No.

- Too bad.

[clears throat]

Good evening.

I am your host, Richard Cattenborough.

[whispering] What's up with the accent?

I watch a lot of BBC documentaries.

Am I supposed to do an accent?

No, Coco doesn't have an accent.

A cat who was searching,

for a home.

[Olivia] Is that me?

[Ben] Coco, the brave

stray kitty followed

the twinkle of the magic

Christmas collar

all the way to the North Pole,

only to find... Santa Paws.

Ha!

h*-h*-h*!

[Olivia] Hi.

Suddenly, a snowflake landed

on Coco's nose.

[exaggerated sneeze]

Why would you sneeze?

I... a snowflake fell on her nose.

A cat's not gonna sneeze if

a snowflake falls on its nose.

[Olivia] What? Is this really

the time to debate this?

'Cause I don't think we

should talk about this right now.

Good point.

Coco.

- [Olivia] Yeah.

- [Ben] What is your wish?

To not be here.

That's too meta.

To be somewhere else.

Come on, we're losing 'em out there.

To have a warm home

with a new family

where I can watch the snow.

[crowd awws]

[Ben] Granted.

Brief intermission.

Say something about granting your wish.

Oh, I'm so happy Santa Paws

is granting my wish.

Yes.

Coco.

Would you like to join

our family and have a cozy home

where you could watch the snow?

Sure! Sounds great.

Seriously?

Wha... more than anything!

There we go.

And that, folks,

is the true magic of Christmas.

As long as you listen to your heart,

you will always find your home.

The end.

Meow!

[sparse applause]

Should've practiced the accent.

Esther was so much better at this.

So, you do this every year?

Yeah. Last year it was

Claw-La Land the Meow-sical.

It was a huge hit.

Hmm, okay, well, we need

to bump up the attendance

on these events,

so I am going to take over.

Merry Catmas story-time.

Which is a sentence

I have never before said.

As in on your own.

You think you can do a better job?

Yes.

'Cause if there's one thing

I do not need a script for,

it is how to market events.

I got this.

Perfect.

- That was really cute.

- Oh.

- That whole plan. Yeah.

- The... oh, yeah.

- Thank you.

- [laughs]

Thanks.

Ah, cats make everything

better, am I right?

- I like cats.

- Me too.

- A lot.

- Yeah.

- I love them.

- Okay.

Yeah.

I'm getting that. Yeah. I don't think...

You should really think about

adding a fireman to the whole..

To the whole thing.

- Fireman? In the...

- Yeah, cats...

Cats love a man in a uniform.

Isn't that right? Yeah.

I have one at home.

- A cat.

- Fireman.

- And a cat.

- Oh.

Two.

Maybe three. [Chuckles]

- I'm gonna...

- Okay.

[cat meows]

Hello, do I know you?

It feels like we've met before

Perhaps in the town square

Or was it the general store?

I know

You are someone

that I do not want to forget

So, may I be so bold?

To compound with a cold

And give this love a chance

In our timeless Christmas

I know this love

we found will transcend

When everything falls into place

When inhibitions are erased

When time stands still

And love begins

It's a timeless Christmas

[dogs barking in the distance]

[kitten meows]

Hey. [Kitten meows]

It's okay. Hi.

Did you fall? Come here.

[kitten meows]

Oh my goodness.

Aunt Esther?

What's the matter, honey?

[gasps] Oh...

Will you look at that.

Oh. Poor thing.

We gotta get her inside

and keep her warm.

Come on.

[Olivia] Will she be okay?

[Esther] Oh, I think

you found her just in time.

- She's purring.

- Yeah!

That's because she knows

she's safe now.

[kitten meows]

[purring]

It's time for dinner.

You don't want to go to sleep.

[knocking]

Oh.

- Hello.

- Hello.

One woman caroling troop? Or...

Um, I have a situation.

- Oh.

- Hmm.

Tree-related.

Oh, no.

My tree is currently

au naturel.

Oh, the old birthday suit.

[Olivia laughs]

Most people normally

decorate their trees.

I was considering going for

kind of a woodland minimalist theme.

Landed on "gave up before I started"?

Hey now, I have been extremely busy.

Oh, I've seen, yeah, I've seen

your posters everywhere.

Even Frank's impressed.

He is.

He doesn't like me, does he?

I don't think he loves

the idea of losing his job.

Well, maybe

maybe the developer I've been

talking to will keep it a caf.

Walter Morley?

No, he won't. It'll be storage.

But back to the issue of

what to do with your tree.

Yes.

So I was wondering

this is a favor...

Do you have any extra

Christmas decorations

I could borrow while I'm here?

I might have one or two.

- Come on in.

- Oh.

- [Ben] Do not judge.

- [Olivia] Oh...

Are you running some sort of

holiday decoration side hustle?

You know, that sounded

a lot like judging.

It's a lot.

Yeah, I know. You know what,

my mom and sister got me

just a ton of stuff

the first year in the house

to make it feel more like

home after, um...

After what?

Uh, after I, uh... uh, moved in.

Oh.

Well, on top of being some

sort of secret decor dealer,

you have a serious

vinyl situation happening.

Oh, yeah. I mean, it's just a showcase.

The milk crates, but...

- Oh, it's working.

- Uh...

No, my uncle Teddy was a trombonist

in the US Army band, and, uh, -Oh.

He got me hooked on jazz

when I was a kid, and...

I don't know, I guess

I just kinda ran with it.

Hmm.

Uh, these,

believe it or not, one day,

uh, were originally

supposed to be shelves.

I was gonna turn this into a

kinda like a listening

music studio for myself.

Oh, it'd be perfect for that.

Yeah.

So, what's stopping you?

[exhales]

Yeah, uh, life?

I know exactly what you mean.

Um...

Tell you what, you start with these.

- Oh.

- And then, uh,

I'll give you these and these.

- And we can just get, let's...

- Oh, these are...

[both laugh]

Okay.

Now, this... is a Christmas tree.

This is a tree.

It's beautiful.

Uh, what would your tree

be like at home?

Oh.

- Petite.

- Oh.

Um...

Themed by soft pink twinkle lights.

Glass ornaments.

Glass? Oh, you're brave.

You definitely don't have pets.

Neither do you, by the way.

Which I think is

honestly, a little odd for a veterinarian.

Uh, I did.

I had a dog.

George Bailey, uh, but he, uh,

crossed the Rainbow Bridge

a couple of years ago.

I don't know, I guess I thought

about getting another one.

I just, I don't have the capacity.

The capacity?

I don't know, I'm... I'm busy.

I'm a busy guy. I'm busy with stuff.

- Got it.

- And...

I'm a very important man.

Oh, I see. Very important.

Well...

You know, it is okay to take

some time for yourself.

Noted.

I'm gonna...

Yeah. [Clears throat]

Well, thank you for all of this.

Oh, yeah.

You really did have a lot of extra.

Listen, make no mistake,

this is very calculated.

This is part of my charm offensive.

So you will see the error of your ways

in selling the caf.

Not gonna happen, Busy Ben.

Not with that attitude.

Bye.

Hmm.



[cat grumbles]

- [Meredith] There you go.

- [Olivia] Thank you for coming.

Hello.

[Ben] Oh, hello, ladies.

Oh, and they're gone.

- Okay. [Chuckles]

- Hi.

Hey, Mere.

- Sorry I'm late.

- Yeah, no problem.

- Dan had a work also.

- Of course.

Hey, uh, Olivia,

this is Meredith, my sister.

Mere, this is, uh, Olivia Pierce.

Oh, nice to meet you.

I have heard so much about you.

Good things... mostly.

Sorry, I need to go chase the kids.

Thank you.

Decent turnout.

Yeah.

Well, it's no puppet show.

- Ouch.

- Mmm.

Uh, we're ready.

Why don't you, uh...

- What?

- Go up, say some words.

Introduce it.

We didn't say anything

before the puppet show.

Well, this is no puppet show.

- Oh...

- Well, we got more people here.

You're a victim of

your moderate success.

- Get up there.

- I don't know what to say.

Just say whatever comes to min.

Nothing comes to mind.

You saw me at the puppet show.

I don't ad-lib.

Yeah. Good point.

All right.

Gather ye round, everyone.

Gather ye round.

We shall begineth

Merry Catmas story-time.

Friends, find your felines. Take a seat.

First of all, I would just like

to thank everyone

so much for being here.

It's so incredibly important

that we spend this time

with these little guys,

because it builds social skills

that are so important when

they're looking at adoption.

So, thank you.

Uh, full credit

to Ms. Olivia Pierce,

who organized the big event.

In fact, she just informed me

she has prepared a speech

that she would like to deliver

so let's get her up here.

How about a big round

of applause for Olivia Pierce.

[applause]

- Thank you... for that, Ben.

- Yeah. You bet.

Um, thank you for the warm welcome.

Hi, everybody.

Merry Catmas!

[crowd] Merry Catmas!

Uh, well, the idea is simple.

You've already picked your kitties,

and now you're gonna pick a book

and you're gonna read to them.

Although I have to admit,

I've never done this before.

Super easy to read them.

Cats are very good listeners.

Thank you for telling me.

I'm excited to find out.

And it's true.

Stories are very important

for people and pets...

Wa... I have an idea.

How about after we read them

their Christmas stories,

we tell their stories.

Oh, maybe we could even draw

their picture.

And then we can use them

for potential adopters to get

to know their cats better.

How does that sound?

[crowd] Yeah! Yeah!

Great.

Uh, wonderful.

Well, uh, grab your books

and let's get reading.

[Olivia] Enjoy, everyone.

[Ben] You know, if I didn't

know any better, I'd say you were

getting a little soft for these cats.

Oh, don't read into that.

I'm just doing what I do.

Yeah. Marketing. Yeah, I know.

Cold. Calculated.

Oh, no one's reading to that cat?

Oh, that's, uh, Gingerbread.

He's actually been here the longest.

Really? How long?

Three years, give or take.

Why so long?

He is a cat of particular taste.

Hasn't found his person yet.

What's that?

Story-time. Oh, yes. Of course, sorry.

I gotta go.

[cat grumbles]

[cat grumbles]

[clears throat]

[cat grumbles]

T'was the night before Christmas

[young Olivia] when all

through the house.

Not a creature was stirring,

not even a mouse.

That's good, 'cause you'd

probably chase it.

The stockings were hung

by the chimney with care.

Think Mom and Dad

will let me keep her?

We'll see.

She needs a name.

Noelle. Because it's Christmas.

Oh...

Noelle.

You're so sweet.

Look at you.

[Gingerbread grumbles]

[emotional music]

[camera clicks]

Okay.

[message sends] And there it is.

Oh.

Okay. I think it looks

like you're settling in.

Only until Christmas.

Then the sale is fast-tracked

and I am on a plane back

to buy my dream condo.

And you don't think that

this veterinarian's gonna try

to slow things down?

He gave me his word.

And he is practically a boy

scout he's so considerate.

Okay.

Are my ears deceiving me,

or did you just get

a little, uh,

dreamy when you talk

about the good doctor?

[scoffs] No.

I'm just telling you why,

when he gives his word,

I know he means it.

Okay.

[keyboard clicks]

What are you doing over there?

I am looking at Ben Kane,

doctor of veterinary medici...

Yep. Okay.

Yeah, there it is. Just as I suspected.

He is cute.

Vic, there is nothing

going on between me and

the admittedly cute vet.

Other than planning a bunch of

cat-themed holiday events.

[Victoria] Okay, if you say so.

So, what is next on your list

of Christmas Catnip things?

Mistletoe.

Mistletoe.

I like mistletoe.

[chuckles]

[cheerful music]

[Ben] Feel free to come by any time.

Thank you, guys. Enjoy your evening.

Whoa, hey!

Are you trying to get Snowball adopted

by someone other than Joshy?

I would never.

No, Snowball is

the ambassador for the event

because he's so mellow.

Smart.

[crowd yelling] Mistletoe!

Uh-oh.

[singing] Deck the halls

with boughs of holly

Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la.

'Tis the season to be jolly.

Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la.

Don we now our g*y apparel.

Fa-la-la, la-la-la...

Very good. Very, very good.

[Ben] Bravo!

Oh, that is a Merry Mistletoe

Market tradition.

You might notice that there's

bundles of mistletoe

hanging all over the market.

And if you get caught standing

underneath one by somebody else,

then you have two choices.

You can kiss, or...

You can sing a Christmas

song loudly in public.

[chuckles]

Oh, I already checked.

I looked. We're safe.

But step lightly.

It's dangerous out there.

Hi, Snowball.

Joshy, sweetie.

[Molly] We'll be at the booth

next to you, okay?

Okay, Molly.

Oh, Joshy loves that cat.

- [Ben] Yeah.

- He's such a sweetheart.

Actually, I don't know

if you know his story, but...

Joshy is in foster care,

and Molly and Luke

are looking after him.

They bring him by the caf

a couple times a week

to play with Snowball.

It's kind of his safe space.

Oh.

Well why don't they adopt Snowball?

They're waiting for Joshy's adoption

to go through first.

It just hasn't happened yet.

Oh. Why?

I guess adoption is rarely linear.

They have no idea

how long it could take.

It could take months.

And the caf could be sold by then.

[crowd] Mistletoe!

Yeah.

[singing] Joy to the world.

The Lord has come.

Let Earth...

Receive...

Her King...

[Ben] Thank you.

[Walter] A lovely rendition.

Olivia Pierce.

Walter Morley.

Nice to finally meet you in person.

Walter Morley, it's very nice to meet you.

It's great that you came.

Walter.

Surprised to see you out shopping local.

I make an exception for the holidays.

It's hard to resist

the Merry Mistletoe Market.

Made a lot of changes

to the booth this year.

It's been a lot of unexpected fun.

Good. Listen, I'll have

the paperwork ready

in time for the Christmas

party, like we discussed.

Christmas party?

It's the last of the events I committed to,

so everything should be

wrapped up by then.

Perfect! Once you're done

with your Catnip Christmas obligations,

we can all sign

and make the sale official.

I'll see you both then.

Okay, great. Good night, Walter.

So, he's gonna bring the paperwork

to the Christmas party.

Yeah, there's no reason

to drag things out.

Yeah. No, no.

Ben... you said

you wouldn't drag this out.

I'm not gonna drag things out.

Gimme that cheer,

gimme all that cheer

See the snow it's gently falling

children playing...

[Meredith] Do you wanna race?

Race to the kitties!

What's the password?

[Meredith] Oh, there you are.

The twins insisted on seeing

Uncle Ben before we left.

Okay, I gotta get this.

Hold on. Oh... [Ben and girls laugh]

Very nice. Okay, okay.

Okay, I'm sending these

to Mom and Dad right now

because they have been

begging me for updates.

Hi, I'm Dan, Meredith's husband.

Hi. It's nice to meet you.

Mere told me you knocked it

outta the park

with the Catmas story-time.

She did an incredible job.

- Truly.

- [Mere] Oh.

Speaking of fun things,

Olivia, do you have plans

for dinner tomorrow night?

I don't have any plans.

Just coming up with ideas

for the Christmas party.

[Meredith] Perfect!

We can discuss ideas

over dinner at our place.

Dan makes the most amazing lasagne.

Not gonna lie, it's pretty good.

And, Ben.

You're on dessert duty. Again.

Like, every Sunday.

Well, that's a great way

to find out. Thank you.

[laughing]

I'd love to, but I insist

on bringing something.

Oh, no, that's not necessary.

I will not say no.

Bring whatever you like.

[group laughs]

That's wonderful, thank you.

I'll be in touch.

Thank you so much.

Have a good night.

So.

What should I bring

to Meredith tomorrow night?

- Oh.

- Food wise.

Yeah. Good question.

Uh, whatever you like.

Ooh.

I don't know if I have any cookware.

Might all be in boxes.

Well, you could always

come to my place and

cook there, and then, you know

we'll head over together.

Are you sure?

Yeah.

Tomorrow night.

[Ben] Okay.

- Should we pack up?

- Yes.

Wonderful.



I never thought I'd meet

someone who shared

my appreciation for espresso.

Well, you play your cards right,

maybe I'll bring one

to your house one morning.

Oh.

What kinda beans you use?

St. Helena's.

Mere says that I'm a coffee snob,

but I prefer just a general snob.

So, that's why you partnered on the caf.

You have surprising layers, Ben.

Much like this dish that we're making.

What is this?

Oh, this is a Christmas tian.

What makes it Christmas?

- Mostly the colors I'm using.

- Oh.

Red tomatoes, white onions,

green zucchinis.

My mom learned to make it

one December in Provence.

And then after that, she would

make it most holidays.

Well, whenever we were somewhere

that would allow for cooking.

Allow for cooking?

My parents were nomads.

Mom was a photographer,

Dad's in finance.

So, we traveled so much

when I was growing up,

you would think we were

running from the authorities.

- We weren't.

- Okay, good, 'cause...

- That you know of.

- I'm not a big fan of criminal.

Where are they now? Your folks.

Oh, they are currently in Mallorca,

till the end of the year,

and then they go to Cape Town,

I believe.

- Wow.

- What about yours?

Uh, Arizona.

They retired there.

They move around quite a bit too.

You know, golf course

to the pool, pool to the patio.

Maybe back in the pool,

depending on the day.

Well, that doesn't sound so bad.

Doesn't sound so bad.

So, do you have a place

that you would consider home?

No, we were never

in any place long enough.

I mean, not anything like you have here.

Hmm.

Although I guess the closest thing I have

is my Aunt Esther's.

My parents would occasionally

leave me with her

if they were going out of town for work.

She talked about you.

She did?

Every time you would send

a postcard from one of your

far-flung destinations,

she'd put it up in the caf.

She'd brag about you

to anybody who would listen.

It was really sweet.

I didn't even make it home

for her memorial.

It happened really fast.

Yeah, I still feel really badly about it.

And that I didn't spend

enough time with her.

And then she gave me

half the cat caf, which...

I still don't know why.

Maybe it was as simple

as she loved you.



[Dan] Oh, I can't eat

another bite, I'm sorry.

Oh, come on, it's pecan pie.

It's your favorite.

- Maybe one more bite.

- Yeah.

That's what I thought.

The monsters are officially asleep.

Uncle Ben's powers

of bedtime story reading

are officially undefeated.

They adore you.

Oh, they adore stalling bedtime.

- Yeah.

- They do.

Olivia, the vegetable tian was amazing.

Thank you. Well, I can't

take all the credit.

Ben helped.

Yes, I, uh, watched.

- [Olivia] Moral support.

- [Ben] Yes.

- Which you need when cooking.

- That's big.

That's a big piece.

You two should team up more often.

So, what's the next

big event at the Catnip Caf?

Uh, Catnip pajama party

and movie night.

And we've got a special screening of.

The "Sassy Cat Saves Christmas".

Oh.

- Ben asked for that.

- [Meredith] What?

- Mm-hmm.

- It's a classic.

It's... it's great.

And what about the Christmas party?

Where is that gonna be?

Oh, I have been talking

to Abby and her husband

at Juniper and Pine.

[quirky music]

What?

No, don't. Don't do that.

There's no what. There's... no.

- [Olivia] Did I... I...

- [Ben] No.

I thought you guys were friends, 'cause.

- [Ben] Yes, we are friends.

- You had the gutter scoop thin.

- Yes. They're lovely people.

- [Olivia] Okay.

Tell me I didn't put my foot in it.

You did not.

Abby's Ben's ex-fiance.

There it is. Okay.

Oh.

They were high school sweethearts,

and then Abby went away to college.

They found each other again years later,

and then they got engaged.

Yes, and then we decided

that we were better off

as friends, which we are.

Thank you for that, uh,

incredibly detailed re-telling

of my failed love life.

Oh, I'm sure the right person

will come along someday.

Um... wine?

Olivia?

I would love some, thank you.

- Dan? Mere?

- Please, yeah.

Uh, no thank you.

Well, I guess the secret's out.

What?

What? What se... what?

You're gonna be an uncle again.

- For real?

- [Meredith] Yes!

[Olivia] Aww, congratulations!

[Meredith] Thank you, thank you.

- Thanks, man.

- Oh my gosh!

[Ben] Wow, that's a pretty good secret.

- [Meredith] Yeah.

- Are you nuts?

- I don't know. Maybe.

- What are you thinking?

She is. She is. And so am I!

[Ben] It takes two to tango, pal.

[Ben] I'm so happy.

So.

When Meredith mentioned

having another baby,

did I misread or

did you have a reaction?

- Caught that, did ya?

- Hmm.

Uh, no, y-you didn't misread.

It kinda of just slipped out.

Uh, I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm...

I'm a thousand percent happy

for those guys.

But...

Sometimes I feel like

everyone around me

has all these amazing things going on,

and I'm kinda just

standing still.

Like Mere having baby three on the way

really drove that home for me

in a pretty big way.

Do you want kids?

I do. I mean, I did, yeah.

You're still young,

you have plenty of time.

I don't feel young.

What about you? You want kids?

Um...

I do want kids.

But I am

so busy I can't take care of an animal,

let alone a human being.

Well, you know,

I mean, historically,

people have found a partner

to do the whole kid thing with.

Helps with, uh,

bringing groceries in from the car.

I don't know.

Maybe someone to have a glass

of wine with

after a long day of

scraping crayons out of the carpet.

That would be nice, too.

- [Ben] Yeah.

- Yeah.

Well, um...

Good night.

Good night.



Mom is in the kitchen

Bakin' all of her desserts

Susie's on her way

Yeah, she's always runnin' late

And in case she brings a new friend

Well, we saved an extra plate

Everybody's welcome

There's always room for more

So take off your jackets

leave your worries at the door

And gather round the fire

It's what this moment is for

Okay.

I understand.

Love you too.

They say no?

Mom said it wouldn't be fair

to take care of a kitten

when they're never home

and always busy.

What's gonna happen to her now?

Well

we can take her to

a shelter tomorrow and...

What if no one picks her?

What if she's all alone at Christmas?

Or...

I could keep her.

Really?

Suppose I could use

a little company around here.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Oh.

Oh, you're welcome.

Okay, kitty cat.

It's you and me now.

Oh, I'm so glad

you're here

I knew you had a crush on him.

Okay, maybe it's a small,

little crush. Tiny!

But there's no point because

I'm leaving in a few days.

Yeah, well, there's never a point

to a crush, it's just a crush.

Yeah, well,

I'm still leaving.

Yeah, but...

There are laptops

and phones with screens.

Vic, I don't have time

to date someone in my own city,

let alone someone across the country.

That is so not true.

I mean, how many weekend

nights have you spent

watching movies with me and Sarah?

Yeah, but I love spending

time with you and Sarah.

If you met a guy

who you liked enough

to spend time with,

then you would just find a way.

Probably.

Definitely. So, find a way.

You make it sound so easy.

Yeah, well, sometimes it just is, okay?

I have to get going. I am running late.

Go, go, go! I love you.

Bye.

[Olivia] Hello.

Oh.

Nice to see your face.

- Hi.

- Hi.

I brought you some excellent beans

for your excellent machine.

That was incredibly

thoughtful, thank you.

Lovely.

Shelves?

- Shelves.

- Oh.

Need any help?

Um...

Yeah, I would love that.

Can you operate a sander?

No.

But I can stain.

All right.

Well...

Throw those guys on.

All right.

[upbeat music plays]



[Olivia chuckles]

Well done.

Um, thank you, by the way.

You're welcome, by the way.

No, I mean, you know,

the other night, you, uh,

you said something pretty

profound about, you know,

taking time for myself, and, uh,

this is me taking time for myself.

Yeah.

[phone pings]

- Uh-oh.

- Oh...

Did someone's dog eat

a Christmas ribbon?

Much, much worse.

Max, the pug, it seems,

has had a run-in with a skunk

- on his walk.

- Oh, no, no.

So, that's my day.

I- I have

really enjoyed your company

doing these Christmassy events.

This has been a nightmare for me.

I've enjoyed it too.

Um...

I'm excited to see what you come up with

for the pajama party.

Well... picture this.

- Close your eyes.

- Okay.

Imagine it, see it in your mind's eye.

Oh, my. There it is.

A winter wonderland.

[Ben] Okay. [Phone pings]

Oh, oh.

[Olivia] Oh, no. What now?

Uh, that's my sister threatening to quit

if I don't deal with

the skunk situation, so.

That is okay, gotta do

what you gotta do, so...

Hey, remember the... the cats can't eat

- the fake snow. You got it.

- The fake snow!

I know, I read it in the binder.

You read the binder, okay.

[Olivia] Good luck.

[upbeat Christmas music]

Hi, buddy.

Are you excited for this movie, buddy?

He always checks to make sure

no one's claimed him.

Oh, well, it looks like

Snowball's claimed him.

[Abby] Hey, you going inside?

Or you gonna watch

the movie from out here?

Oh, I was, uh

yeah, going in.

- Are you, you going in?

- Yeah.

I wanna talk to Olivia

about the Christmas party.

Plus... cats, movies.

Pretty hard to resist.

It's really good of you

and Grant to let her

use the restaurant.

Oh, yeah. We're happy to help.

Maybe we can make it even,

like, a... annual thing.

- What?

- Yeah. No.

Uh, I would love nothing more.

We should get in there.

I think they wanna start the movie.

Oh, you like her.

- What?

- I know that look.

- Oh, do you?

- Yes.

- Yeah?

- I do.

Okay.

Ben, no one deserves to find

the right person more than you.

Thanks.

You could probably use a few

more inches on those pant legs.

All right.

[Olivia whispers] She's coming.

You guys, I just gotta get right by you.

Oh my goodness, hello.

Hi.

Oh, thank you for coming.

Wow.

Are you wearing a onesie?

You better believe it. It's a real fleece.

- Feel it.

- Wow.

- Yeah.

- Oh, that is.

That's right.

Got this baby the first year we did this.

Saw no reason to change.

- Very on brand.

- Yeah.

Place looks incredible. What a turnout.

Thank you.

I'm glad it meets your approval.

Yes. And then some.

Shall we, uh, introduce the-the movie?

I actually invited Frank to do the honors.

'Cause if you think about it,

this place is partially his to.

Yeah.

Okay! Welcome, everyone.

How are we doing today?

[crowd cheers] [Frank] Yeah?

Welcome to the Catnip

Christmas pajama movie night.

[crowd cheers]

[Frank] Yeah!

Everyone, grab a blanket and a buddy.

It can be a cat

or a human.

Tinsel's gonna be my buddy tonight.

Get comfy and we will start

the Christmas show soon.

[crowd cheers]

[crowd laughing]

Thank you for staying after

to help me clean up.

It's the least I could do.

Although,

if it's all the same to you,

maybe we can hold off

on planning the Christmas party

until tomorrow.

Max's great de-skunking kinda

took it outta me.

Poor Max.

Poor Max?

- Poor Ben.

- Yeah, thank you.

Thank you.

I was thinking, we don't have

to have the party

at Juniper and Pine if you don't want to.

When I suggested it, I-I didn't know.

- I didn't...

- No.

Of course we have

to have it there, it's perfect.

Why? Because of Abby?

No.

It's fine.

It was seven years ago.

There's

there's been no one for you since then?

You know, it's a pretty small town.

It's not every day

a beautiful, eligible woman

just waltzes in off the street.

It does happen, though.

Occasionally.

How about you? Have you ever, uh

you know... been in love?

That whole thing.

I was married once.

Right after college.

- Wow.

- Mm-hmm.

His name was Oliver.

You're kidding me.

Oliver and Olivia.

- Yes.

- Good.

It seemed fated.

It was not.

When did you realize it wasn't?

Well, I figured it out when

I realized he thought love was

all pursuit and passion.

Constant pursuit is exhausting.

And passion fades.

Real love takes work.

A little passion is nice though.

[Ben] In my humble experience.

That's true.

You know, my parents, they

they didn't necessarily provide

the most stable home life

for their only child, moi.

But they did

provide a perfect example

of a healthy relationship.

Do you speak French?

Un pet it peu. Et toi?

Un peu, un peu, a little...

a little peu, yeah.

I always wanted to go to Brussels.

Still haven't gotten there yet.

Seems to be kind of a theme for me.

You know, you can tell people "no".

Yeah.

Who am I if I'm not the guy

that people rely on?

Who takes care of you?

No one.

[Frank] Gingerbread.

No, wait! Come back!

[grumbles]

Oh, oh, here. Oh, wait.

Oh.

He's letting you hold him.

[Gingerbread purrs]

See, isn't this nice?

He seems pretty comfortable.

I'll bring him to the catio.

[doorbell rings]

Good morning.

Morning. I come bearing gifts

as promised.

Thank you.

Um, I'd love to know what

you think of the coffee.

Oh, yes.

Perfect.

I was right.

Lucky me.

Maybe lucky both of us.

- Do you wanna come in?

- Oh, um.

No, I would love to.

I, um...

I have to go to work.

Yes.

Uh, um, I'll see you later.

Definitely.

You will definitely see me later.

Uh, by the way,

I'm taking point on getting

the restaurant ready tonight

for the Christmas party.

- No, no, that's...

- I'm not

- too much for one person.

- No, I insist.

I gotta pull my weight.

You did the story-time.

You did the pajama party.

I got the... I'm doing it.

- Are you sure?

- I got it.

Okay.

Have a good...

[Ben] Day... I will now.

[cat purrs]

Those RSVPs keep coming in.

We've never had this many

for the Christmas party.

I bet we get several adoptions outta this.

Aww. Good.

I know Ben was concerned about it.

Me too.

- Yeah?

- Yeah.

I didn't anticipate

getting so attached, but

it is hard not to.

[Frank] It shows.

You know, you've really made

these Christmas events feel

different this year.

In a good way.

[entrance bell rings]

Well, don't you two look nice?

We wanna put Snowball on hold.

I'm getting adopted.

Oh... congratulations!

Oh.

Thanks, uh, it's been quite the journey.

Understatement, but

we got our own Christmas miracle.

You know, Snowball has been

looking for the perfect person.

He was looking for me, right?

Mom?

That's right, honey.

Now, let's go see Snowball.

Let's go see Snowball.

[emotional music]

Hello?

What are you doing?

I said I got it.

Yeah, yeah.

You know what?

I'm so glad you're here.

There's no way I can do this on my own.

Well, I come bearing helping

hands and good news.

I will take both.

Joshy got adopted.

- [Ben] Oh...

- Mmm.

That means Snowball found

his forever home too.

What is thi...

Are you kidding? What are you do...

What is this?

I hope you don't mind,

we brought reinforcements.

- Are you kidding me?

- The more the merrier.

No.

Hey, you've always been there for us.

[Meredith] Olivia called.

And since you never ask for help.

She did the asking for you.

I don't, I...

This is... look at, look at all of you.

Thank you for this.

Truly, I don't even know what to say.

Aside from

get to work.

[Olivia] Yes!

We should split up into teams.

I'm gonna set up the tree,

if you guys wanna take...

...the holidays till I am with you

I'm in a Christmas mood

Tinsel all over the house

Snowfall that don't make a sound

Can't wait to be with you

I'm in a Christmas

Christmas mood





Looks beautiful.

[Ben] Thanks to you.

Well, thanks to both of us.

And all the people who showed up

and wanted to help you in return.

I still can't believe it.

Oh. I almost forgot.

This came in the mail today.

Said it was, uh, overnighted.

I gotta head back to the caf,

finish up some paperwork.

- Night, Frank.

- Thank you.

Seriously.

It's from Mr. Henry.

He said he found something

when he was going through.

Esther's paperwork.

For the girl who believed

saving even one cat

can make a difference.

Oh...

Oh.

Wow.

Is that you?

Yep. That's me.

And the cat I found when I was nine.

My parents said I couldn't keep it,

so Aunt Esther did.

The cat that you found was Noelle?

- Yeah.

- Your aunt used to

talk about that cat all the time.

She said that after Noelle,

she wanted to help every

single cat that needed a home.

Thus the...

Catnip was born.

So, that's why she gave me half the caf.

You're the reason it exists.

Hey.

I am so grateful

that Snowball found a home.

I hope this last event helps

all the cats get adopted.

That had a bit of a heavy ring to it.

Do you mean

last event this Christmas or do you mean

last event... last event?

Oh.

Wow.

Uh, okay.

I'm just gonna...

I'm gonna put this out there.

Olivia, I think that

you should, uh... stay.

And keep the caf for so many reasons.

Ben...

I was clear from the beginning.

I was always intending to sell.

You-you knew that.

I have a whole life in California that I...

I- I worked really hard to build, and...

I- I need stability.

I need to settle down,

I need a home, you know, and that's

that's within reach.

Yeah.

I just

thought maybe the place

was winning you over.

Maybe I was

winning you over.

You have.

I- I didn't anticipate feeling this way.

I...

I really like you.

Uh, well, I've made a deal,

and I'm a man of my word,

and I will agree to sell.

I wish it was different.

Walking away from my life,

that's not a small thing to ask.

I know.

I just...

That kiss seemed really real.

Anyway, um.

Uh... Yeah. Everything is good.

This is good here.

And you have more than fulfilled

your half of the deal.

Um, I see no reason to stay

for the Christmas party.

I will finalize things with Walter,

and you're free to go.

Right.

Um...

Maybe that's for the best.

[dramatic music plays]

Packin' up my bags

And puttin' on my coat

I'm gonna jump the last train

that'll take me home

Do my eyes deceive me

or are we getting out on time

on Christmas Eve?

Gotta get ready for the Christmas party.

Uh, thank you again, by the way,

for helping last night.

- That was...

- Of course.

When Olivia called

to say you needed help,

everyone jumped in.

Yeah.

Uh, well, I might

need help around here, too.

- Oh?

- Yeah.

I think it's time to look for another vet.

- Are you serious?

- Yeah.

Oh, I already have job postings ready...

- After Christmas.

- Okay.

I'm gonna get ready for the party.

Okay.

Hey.

Are you good?

Yeah.

Christmas time in the city

The streets are paved with gold

[Olivia] The snow is really coming down.

[Victoria] Where are you?

I'm a couple hours out of Buffalo.

My flight is in eight hours.

[Victoria] Eight hours?

It's Christmas Eve.

It's the only flight I could find.

Well, you still could've gone to the party

and made your flight.

There's Santa Claus!

[Olivia] Ben doesn't want me there.

Okay.

Yes, he does. He...

He was just upset.

[Victoria] Do you honestly believe that?

He was so hurt.

I didn't know what to say, I just froze.

[Olivia] I am not a good ad-libber.

What would you have said if you were?

Maybe...

I know this is complicated.

[Olivia groans] I don't know.

Let's go to Brussels for an espresso.

What?

It's a long story.

[Victoria] So what about the condo?

Are we making an offer?

I'm at a gas station, I gotta go.

I'll call you back, okay? I love you.

You got this. Love you.

[Instrumental Christmas music

playing on radio]

Hi. Uh, cashier's inside.

Oh.

Uh, no. [Cat meows]

I just heard the music.

Hi, kitty.

This is Guy.

He's my buddy.

Likes to watch me work.

I rescued him.

Did you say he was a rescue?

There's this cat caf

over there in Felicity,

and, um...

I got him from this really

nice lady about, um

about six years ago.

Thank you.

Do you have a cat?

Not yet.

Thank you.

- Merry Christmas.

- Merry Christmas.



[holiday music playing]

[Abby] So, you're really gonna sell?

I'm so sorry.

I- I know how much

the caf means to you.

How much Olivia...

Yeah.

Thank you.

She made her choice, though,

and I have to respect that.

Hey, maybe after New Year's,

you could show me those puppies again.

Really?

I think it's time.

Okay.

Will you, uh, excuse me?

Walter.

Olivia will not be joining us.

I got your message.

But you're here and...

Do you wanna sign now, or...?

No need to wait.

[cat grumbles]

[cat meows]

Is he about to attack?

Probably, yeah. He's pretty dangerous.

I think that's it.

[exhales]

He likes it when

you scratch behind his ears.

[cat meows]

Excuse me, thank you.

- Ben.

- Liv?

I thought you were halfway

to Buffalo, what are you...

I had to come back. I just, I fe...

I felt like my Aunt Esther

was reaching down from heaven,

telling me I was making a mistake.

A mistake? Uh...

Wait, is that the contract?

Yeah, I-I signed.

[Olivia] No!

No, no. Hey, listen. Uh, we made a deal.

I- I made you a promise,

and you fulfilled your end of that.

And I made some bad assumptions,

but I signed it.

I just want you to be happy.

No.

No, the caf is not for sale.

Mr. Morley.

Olivia.

I think he likes me.

Here's the deal.

I thought I always knew what I wanted,

but my aunt,

she-she gave me a chance

at something better.

To continue what she started.

A place where

people and animals, they find

connection.

Belonging.

The Catnip Caf is my aunt's legacy,

and I intend to keep that going.

For her. For me.

I'm not selling.

Okay.

[both] Okay?

Yeah.

I didn't come for a fight.

I came for signatures.

But then this guy jumped into my lap.

I didn't have the heart to move him.

He's too cute.

Well

the kids have been asking

for a while, so.

[cat meows]

Thank you.

Merry Christmas.

Aww.

And I'm happy for you.

Hi.

Are you sure?

Absolutely.

I realized

all I've ever wanted is home.

I found that.

Here.

With the caf.

With the town.

With...

With me.

Unless I read that wrong.

No.

You didn't read that wrong.

Let's go tell everybody the news.



[Ben] Eventful evening.

[Olivia] It was.

[Olivia chuckles]

So, we have

three applications to foster.

- Wow.

- Four holds to adopt.

Okay.

And one adoption.

Who's the one?

Me.

For Gingerbread.

[laughing] Okay.

You know, he's a cat of particular taste.

Oh. Well...

I am a woman of particular taste.

Clearly.

I was also thinking.

Hmm.

How

would you feel

about being neighbors?

Ooh.

'Cause there is this charming

older house

that I have my eyes on.

- Yeah?

- Yeah.

Heard there's a grumpy guy

down the block.

[Olivia laughs]

I think I can win him over.

Then I think it's perfect.

[Gingerbread grumbles]

My man, we've got to work

on your timing.

I'm just gonna steal her for a second.

[romantic music heightens]