Original subtitles

♪ A Christmas city is big and beautiful

♪ Bright lights everywhere

♪ A place where you can meet St Nick

♪ So join our journey there

♪ A Christmas city is a magical sight

♪ No other place compares

♪ The smell of pine trees The crackling fires

♪ Christmas is in the air

♪ Gifts for all the reindeers racing

♪ Snowmen come to life

♪ Christmas trees are twice the size

♪ As noel flights arrive

♪ Elves are laughing, packing presents

♪ To give to one and all

♪ Santa's sleigh is fit to burst

♪ We're gonna have a ball! ♪

It was love at first sight.

Anyone could see that.

And it was obvious that this would be nothing short

of a whirlwind romance.

Nothing was going to keep us apart.

Dean Papadopoulos, I love you.

And I think you feel the same way about me.

Don't you?

I can't believe this is finally happening.

What are you doing?

Dean.

Is that my hat?

Did you make me into your snow boyfriend?

No! I was just practicing.

Come on, let's go, you guys.

Katie Lou Decks told me what happened.

I'm sorry, Sarah.

Dean's a jerk.

Thanks, Nick.

Come on.

Come on!

What are you doing?

Just help me.

Forget about Dean. You could have any one you want.

He can be short.

Or tall.

If that's what you like.

I like tall. And smart.

Great. Bigger brain.

What else? Somebody brave.

Oh, and romantic.

Someone who can sweep me off my feet.

And nice. And can make me laugh.

Well, there you go.

Everything you want is right there.

Thanks, Nick. You're a really good friend.

Let's do this every year, and one day,

when I finally meet my dream boyfriend,

we won't have to build him any more. Now all it needs is a name.

What about Cole?

Yeah, I like Cole.

We'd better take a picture. You don't want to forget the day

you found a guy of your dreams.

Now all we have to do is wait. Who knows?

Maybe we won't have to build it next year.

Ow!

He's so gorgeous.

♪ We wish you a merry Christmas

♪ We wish you a merry Christmas

♪ We wish you a merry Christmas

♪ And a happy New Year

No.

What are you doing?

♪ Now bring us some figgy pudding

♪ Now bring us some figgy pudding

♪ Now bring us some figgy pudding

♪ And a cup of good cheer

♪ We wish you a merry Christmas

Not like that.

♪ And a happy new... ♪

Hi.

Morning, dad. Hey, kid.

This looks great. Yeah, I'm using that stain you got me for Father's Day.

It's fantastic. And you shouldn't have done it.

You need to be spending your money on yourself.

It was practically free.

From Italy. Need any help?

No, Herb and I have it covered.

Herb, can I get a clean rag?

Are you sure you don't want my help?

Well, Herb likes to stay useful.

This table's going to be ready in a few days. Do you think you can

put it online over the weekend? Of course. Heading into the office early?

No, um, heading to Nick's.

I thought we'd catch up and...

...have coffee. I know what that means.

You broke up with Brian.

Yeah. Can't say I'm surprised.

Though you did just start dating.

It's been three weeks.

There's no spark. I figured I'd let him down gently

before it gets too close to Christmas and I chicken out.

I don't want to settle for someone just to have someone to kiss on New Year's Eve.

I don't want you to just settle either.

But I'm worried that you're too focused on the spark.

Sometimes love is just a slow burn.

I know.

But I've been waiting my whole life for someone to sweep me off my feet.

I'm not giving up now.

You and Mom set the bar too high.

I just want what you guys had.

As far as break-ups go, you've definitely had worse.

Except for the part where the waiter spilt the soup all over the guy.

Ugh. Yeah, that wasn't great.

Yeah. All right. I think I've finished.

Sadly, that's pretty accurate.

Yup, another for the Hall of Fame.

You know, you keep burning through boyfriends like this,

I'm going to have to get another hard drive to store all those.

If you weren't my best friend, I'd actually be offended.

I hate to break it to you,

but I'm just way too cool to be your best friend. Too cool? Yeah, OK!

I always forget how good you are.

Yeah, you and everyone else.

I take it all isn't well in the world of cartooning?

Well, I sent out a comic strip to a few publications.

Got a couple of responses.

Yeah? What did they say?

If I printed them off, I'd have enough rejection letters

to wallpaper this entire place.

Try this one.

Are you serious?

I showed my boss some of your work and she wants to meet with you about doing some art for the magazine.

You did this? You did!

You're awesome. I just made sure she found out.

Maybe we'll get to work on something together.

Yeah, I'd like that.

I mean, this is good and all, but I definitely prefer your other work.

Yeah.

You're good, though?

Yeah. It was...

It was my decision, but still.

Break-ups are the worst.

Here's to another Christmas being single.

You know, I gotta say, you really ran this one down to the wire.

It's December 12th!

Hello? Wow!

I almost forgot.

Looks like it's another Christmas building my snow beau.

Yeah.

I should get to work. Right.

Thanks for listening.

You're a great friend, Nick.

See you tonight?

Yeah.

Great friend.

Good morning.

Good morning, Isabel.

Oh, morning, Sarah!

You want some elk jerky? 100% home-made.

Fired up the smoker this weekend.

No, I'm good. Thanks, though.

OK. Let me know if you change your mind, though, because I got, like...

...like 90lb of it at home.

Wow. Elks are huge.

So, I did it. I ended things with Brian.

Oh, really? I'm sorry.

You OK? Yeah. It was for the best.

It's not like he was the one or anything.

I'm not crazy, am I?

For wanting that bolt of lightning?

Well, I've been struck by lightning before.

Citrus fruit tastes like pennies now.

Am I giving guys enough of a chance?

Like, does that spark need time to flare up into a raging fire?

Yeah, I've been caught in a forest fire, too.

It was like right after the lightning strike.

That was not a good day.

Like, I want excitement. I want adventure.

Is that too much to ask?

Well, here. This jerky will take you on a flavour adventure.

Sarah, can I see you in my office, please?

You know how much I love your work.

You're one of the best writers we've got.

Frankly, Twin Cities Life wouldn't be the same without you.

Thank you.

Wait, you're not cheerfully firing me, are you?

Oh, my gosh, no, no.

I'm so sorry. That's not what I meant at all.

What I wanted to talk to you about was the e-mail you sent me,

regarding your request for more diverse assignments.

The travel section?

Well, I think it would make a great addition to the magazine.

Give our readers a taste of all things to explore in the world.

And honestly, I would jump at the chance to pursue travel writing.

This is Twin Cities Life.

I mean, I think a travel section is just a teensy bit outside of the magazine's scope.

Oh. And your leisure articles are so great.

It's like you know the Twin Cities inside and out.

That's what happens when you never leave.

Exactly! I mean, who better to write about

all the amazing things to do in St Paul and Minneapolis

than somebody who's never been outside the city limits?

Right.

Uh, I hear you.

I'll stick to what I know. I knew you'd understand.

You're so great, Sarah, you know that?

Thanks.

Dad? I'm in here!

Here, let me, let me help you with that, Herb.

Rough clay?

Yeah, you could say that.

Well, broke up with Brian, got shut down by my boss,

and later tonight I'll be building a snowman,

which will serve as a lifelong reminder

that I've never had anything close

to resembling a romantic, long-term relationship.

That's one way of looking at it.

Or you dumped your boyfriend because you weren't right for each other.

From what you tell me on the phone, your boss is very pleased with your work.

And later tonight you're going to see your best friend

and partake in a Christmas tradition that dates back almost 20 years.

You're not supposed to poke holes in my whining.

It's your fault I'm so wistful, you know.

Oh, this should be good! Well, you and Mom met in Paris!

You spent your first year together travelling Europe.

How am I supposed to be content with Brian and St Paul, Minnesota?

Dad, do you ever think about leaving?

Doesn't it make you sad,

staying here? Sleeping in the same bed?

It's been almost ten years.

You know, there's still not a day that goes by

that I don't miss your mother.

But leaving behind the life we built?

It's not going to make me miss her any less.

When you first saw her, you knew, didn't you?

All I want is to feel the same thing.

Do you really think I'm going to find that if I stay here?

It's not about where you are, sweetie.

It's about who you're with.

Oh, Dad... l

Come on. I want to show you something.

I never told you this, but the night before I met your mother,

I made a wish. You did?

It was Christmas Eve.

I was alone in Paris.

The city of love.

So I wished that I'd find the love of my life...

...and the next day I saw her.

And she was wearing this.

That's the first thing I noticed about her,

this bright red scarf in a sea of blacks and greys in the streets of Paris.

If it hadn't been for this, I might never have seen her.

You have your mother's heart.

Who knows? Maybe this will work its magic on you like it did with her.

Thanks, Dad.

Oh, it's Nick. He's outside.

See? It's working already.

Dad!

It's Nick. We tried that once.

Didn't work. Oh, sure, in high school.

But you were kids. And no offense,

but you were both kind of obnoxious back then.

Go on.

Don't keep him waiting.

Let's go! Hurry up.

It's freezing.

Hey, nice scarf.

Those the goods? Yup, straight from my closet.

Anything you could possibly need to build the man of your dreams.

Let's get to work.

OK. He's a blank canvas.

We've got a lot of options.

Hit me.

He's got to be adventurous, not afraid to go off the beaten path. OK.

Maybe his job lets him travel, see the world.

Nothing says adventure like flannel.

What's next? This goes without saying, but he's got to be gorgeous.

Charming. A perfect gentleman.

Are you drawing abs on our snowman?

Don't judge me! OK!

He's got to be smart but not arrogant, sweet,

down to earth. And he's got to make me laugh.

Well now he's perfect.

I'd want him to be incredibly romantic.

Someone who will...

Sweep you off your feet.

I know, you've been saying this for 20 years!

OK.

Anything else?

I want excitement. I want my heart to be set on fire.

When I look in his eyes, I want to know.

Uh, yeah... I don't have anything for that.

Come on.

Come on.

Hey, smile, come on!

Most of all, I wish this is finally the year I meet the man of my dreams.

That, come Christmas, I'll be in love.

You good?

Yeah.

Just tired.

Think I'm going to call it a night. Yeah.

Text you tomorrow?

Night, Nick.

Goodnight.

Mom.

Hey, morning, kid.

Morning, Dad. This smells good.

You're awfully chipper.

Here I was worried about you after we talked last night.

I'll admit I was a bit morose,

but it's just a symptom of December 12th that I've dealt with for the

better part of my life. I'm glad you're feeling better...

It's a zit.

I woke up with it. But, yeah, I mean,

who cares if I don't fall in love by Christmas?

I have you, St Paul is fine,

and if I need a change of scenery I can go to Minneapolis.

Over there, somewhere.

And if I get lonely over the holidays, I can just get a turtle.

I'll be a turtle lady.

Clearly, you're not fine.

I'm better than fine.

I guess that explains the snowman.

Yeah, it does.

Wait, what are you talking about?

I was surprised, this is the first time in 20 years I

haven't seen him in our front yard on December 13th.

Didn't you and Nick make one last night?

If someone tore down our snowman...

I'm sure there's an explanation.

Probably Dean Papadopoulos Jr, who's an even bigger bag of rocks than his clad was at

his age. When I find him, I'm going to claw out his...

...eyes.

Hi.

Hi.

I just happened to be passing by when I spotted this.

My scarf.

Here.

Suits you. It's beautiful.

Oh, sorry, I probably look like I just rolled out of bed.

Um... No, no. Here.

You look wonderful.

Thanks.

Uh...

I don't know how to thank you... Cole.

Cole?

And you are? I

Sarah. Sarah.

It's a pleasure to meet you, Sarah.

Your hands are freezing.

Oh, sorry, I forgot my gloves,

practically have icicles for fingers.

As for thanking me...

How about lunch?

You want to go to lunch? Yes, I do, with you.

Wow, uh, OK.

I just work downtown at Twin Cities Life, so...

Around noon? Yeah, that's great, I'll pick you up at noon.

Great, good, sounds good.

Great. I

Thank you. I

Sarah, Sarah!

Nick! Good morning.

Scratch that, great morning. What's got you in such a good mood?

It finally happened.

What are you talking about? That bolt of lightning struck.

A bolt of lightning? That feeling that I've been waiting for since I was

11 years old, I'd given up on it, and then I met him.

What him? Cole.

Wait, Cole, like our snowman Cole?

Crazy. Right?

It's like it's a sign from the universe or something.

Yeah, or it's a sign that he's a social media stalker with highly questionable motives.

He's not a stalker, he's gorgeous.

And kind and thoughtful.

He brought back my mom's scarf.

Your mom's scarf? Someone toppled over our snowman...

What? ..And I guess he found it in the street or something. Your hat's gone forever.

OK, but what happened to our snowman?

Nick, who cares about the snowman?

For the first time in my life, I feel that flame.

He's taking me to lunch and I don't even know anything about him.

It's so exciting and mysterious and...

Potentially deadly.

I promise to tell you all about it after work.

Wait, are you going inside?

Yeah, I've got a meeting.

Oh, right. Your boss, yeah, you set it up.

That's great! OK then, let's go.

Wow, tall, handsome, flannel!

Oh, sign me up. I

So, when does he get here?

We said lunch, so...

Soon.

OK, then I am going to eat at my desk so that I don't miss anything.

Do you want an elk sandwich to tide you over?

Hi, ladies. I hate to intrude, but, Sarah, can I steal you for a sec?

Course.

Great. I

Hey. Hey. Sarah, Nick, thank you for being here.

Yeah, yeah, of course.

Um...

Did we have a meeting in the books?

No, I was just talking to Nick, and...

I just love his work.

I was thinking we could use his talents in the Christmas issue,

and since you two are such good friends, I figured,

who better to team him up with?

Congratulations, Sarah,

you are going to be writing the feature story for the Christmas issue of

Twin Cities Life. That's, that's amazing, thank you.

And, Nick, you're going to be illustrating all of it.

Now, you're going to have to crack the angle of it but I trust you.

Yeah, we'll start hashing that out right away.

Now, let me remind you how important the Christmas issue is.

Our subscription renewals happen at the end of the year,

so the feature story is the crown jewel.

You feeling up to it? Definitely.

Oh, yeah, we won't let you down.

I'll let you two get at it.

Let's talk story ideas first thing tomorrow morning.

That's, that's not a lot of time.

Like at all. I knew I could count on you.

Wow.

Congratulations. Congratulations.

Hey, a featured story, that's great.

And look at you getting published.

Thanks to you.

OK, well, let's get started I guess.

Oh, I can't, um, it's almost noon.

Right. Hot date.

And I have to work on a story for the rest of the day but let's start

brainstorming tonight. I can come over and we can have dinner.

Seven?

Sure. That sounds good.

I'm really glad we're doing this.

It's going to be fun.

My God, Sarah, you have to come outside and see this.

Hey, Nick. Seriously. Come on.

Cole?

Good afternoon, Sarah. Are you ready for lunch?

He picked you up in a carriage?

Yeah, he did!

I got this for you.

Thank you.

OK, this is ridiculous.

Where are we going? On an adventure.

Check out that deer.

I paid that deer to walk through right there, so you could see it!

The reindeer?

I ordered the sun for today, I hope you're good with the temperature.

Yeah, it's, it's nice with this fur.

I got this for you.

Did you study that in like Boy Scouts or something?

It's an ancient recipe. You made this?

Yeah. Wow, OK.

Man, it's good. Thank you.

It was a beautiful carriage you showed up in.

The hot chocolate was a nice touch, too.

Thank you. Thanks.

I'm glad that you liked it.

Thank you. I

Whoa. I

What's wrong?

Nothing. Nothing, I...

Do you find it warm in here? No.

It must just be me then, I'm probably just a little nervous.

OK, so now that you've heard the ups and downs of writing for the online

lifestyle magazine, now it's your turn.

What do you do for a living? Er...

Have you ever heard of extreme tourism?

Yeah, it's basically travelling to dangerous places and doing dangerous things.

Well, you pretty much hit the nail on the head, yes!

OK. I work for an agency that coordinates extreme tourism trips.

So my job is to basically go in,

find the most treacherous and remote areas in the world and lead

expeditions to them, and through them.

That sounds crazy. I know, and I love it.

So where have you been? All over the world.

OK, my particular niche is polar exploration.

So if it's dangerously cold, chances are I've probably been there.

I mean, you name it. Russia, Alaska, Winnipeg, Antarctica.

Pretty much have ice in my veins.

So what brings you here?

I come home every Christmas.

You're from St Paul? Yeah, I was born here.

What?! Yeah, I know.

I mean, truth be told, I traveled a lot growing up so it doesn't really

feel like home when I'm here, although I was shaped here.

But... I still kind of feel like a tourist, I guess.

Well, if you're looking for someone to show you the sights,

I think I'm uniquely qualified.

I might just take you up on that.

You should. I've been here my entire life.

I'd love to travel and see the world.

But, you know, sometimes...

I feel like I'm just stuck standing still.

Yeah, I know exactly what you mean.

So why don't you leave? I've tried.

But everything I know is here.

I've got so many memories and people anchoring me here.

Maybe you just need the right gust of wind.

Yeah. Maybe you're right.

Well, I had a wonderful time.

Me too. I

I should get back to work. Yes, of course.

Oh, oh! I

You OK? I

Yeah, I'm OK. So, when do I get to see you again?

I don't know. How about tonight?

Tonight? No, I...

I can't do tonight. I have a project I have to work on.

Well, how about dinner beforehand? I promise you'll still

have time to work. I just can't wait to see you again.

Yeah, yeah. OK.

OK? I can do that.

I'll see you tonight. See you later.

I know, I know. I'm sorry. I know.

I kind of...

...went out with Cole again.

You what? I know, and I'm the worst.

You've been sitting here waiting. That's why I brought you back dessert.

What is it?

Seven layer cake.

Oh, you're lucky.

Get the forks.

You got anything?

You?

I don't see how that's helpful.

Well, hey, it's a super intricate process.

So, I take it the date with what's his name went well.

You know his name.

And, yes, it went great.

Great. Really great.

Really great.

And you don't find it just a little bit strange that this

seemingly perfect guy with the same name as your fake dream boyfriend

just happens to breeze into your life and melt your heart?

What are you asking?

I don't know. I just... I think it's just weird, that's all.

You don't even know him.

OK, fine, it is a little coincidental.

Thank you. But obviously, that's what it is, a coincidence.

What other explanation is there?

OK, fine.

Let's say it's a coincidence. I guess it's possible that,

at some point in your life, you'd run into a guy named Cole. Thank you.

But isn't it also possible that you are

letting that color your judgment just a little? What is that supposed to mean?

I don't know. Maybe Cole isn't the man of your dreams.

Maybe he's just some really good looking dude.

But because you've built this image up in your mind,

you're falling for the idea of the guy that might not even be real.

OK. First of all, we've been on two dates.

Second of all, they went great.

You should be happy for me.

Why are we even talking about this?

I just don't want to see you set yourself up to get hurt, OK?

I've seen you in this position before.

This is different, Nick.

It feels right and I want to see where it goes.

And as my best friend,

you are bound by blood and friendship bracelets to support me,

no matter what. Even if I'm making a mistake.

OK. Fine.

I'm sorry. I'm just...

...frustrated, I guess.

Of course you are.

We've been at this for hours and gotten nowhere.

Look, I'm glad you had a nice date.

Thank you. I'm sure it was magical.

It was.

You know you have to send me a picture of that doodle by the way?

Oh, yeah, sending now.

Ahh... Woops.

Woops?

Yeah, I thought I was replying to an e-mail thread with just the two of us,

but I may have sent it to Amanda by mistake.

So what you're saying is, instead of sending a list of story ideas for tomorrow's meeting...

...you sent my boss a doodle of me calling a man a stallion?

No!

Yeah. Yeah, that's what I'm saying.

Nick! I'm sure it's fine.

OK? You know Amanda.

She'll probably love it.

OK. So, what exactly is perfect about it?

Young love, a carriage ride, a stable in downtown St Paul.

I mean, that is your story idea, right?

Exploring the traditional, fun,

romantic things young couples can do in the Twin Cities at Christmas time.

I mean, obviously, that's what we were going for.

Was it?

You two. You are too much.

I knew I was right about this pairing.

OK, wait. So, the idea is that Sarah and her new boyfriend go on

romantic escapades around the city and I just tag along to illustrate them?

Yeah. That's what we were talking about, right, Nick?

Nick, I know what you're thinking.

"Doesn't that make me the third wheel?"

How's this for a thought? Take Isabel with you.

That way Nick can be the fourth wheel.

Four wheels are great. It's a whole car.

It's a whole car, Nick.

Yeah. I think that's a...

Sounds like a great idea. It'd be a good story.

OK, so, romantic carriage rides is taken care of.

What's next?

It's beautiful out here. I can't believe you grew up here

and you've never skated the ponds. You must not have gotten out much, huh?

No, I wouldn't say that.

I just didn't spend much of my time here, you know.

But I'm glad I get to spend it with you now.

Sarah and I used to come here every Christmas growing up.

Oh, yeah? Yeah, and somehow, we're still terrible skaters.

Yeah, speak for yourself.

Oh, OK, is that how it is?

Here. You should wear this.

Oh, thank you.

You stay warm. Left mine at Nick's, I think.

You should give that back to her.

Aren't you cold? You're not even wearing a coat. No, not at all. No.

I was born in the snow.

OK. Come on.

Watch your step, dear.

Slippery

Aren't they cute?

Adorable.

So, where's the most amazing place you've ever skated?

Oh, that's a tough question.

Zermatt in Switzerland is incredible.

Don't even get me started on the Red Square in Moscow.

We won't. But the best place, honestly?

Oh, man, the best place is this lake that I literally stumbled upon.

It's 5,000 feet up in the Canadian Rockies.

It is only accessible by a helicopter.

And the views are breathtaking.

Sounds amazing.

And convenient.

Maybe I'll take you sometime. That would be fun.

You ready? I

Yeah. You guys coming?

Oh, no. You know, I'm going to get a jump start on all this wintry splendour.

In a bit.

Yeah, you... You guys go ahead. I'll keep him company.

OK. See you out there.

All right.

You're a natural.

Thanks for letting Nick and Isabel tag along.

I know you wanted a date.

It's for work, I totally understand.

Not just for work. Isabel's my friend

and Nick's one of my favourite people in the world.

Oh, hey, just as long as I get to skate with you.

That Cole's really something, huh?

Yeah, he's something all right.

So, how long you been in love with her?

Oh, yeah, don't deny it. Yeah, it's real obvious.

Well, I met her in the first grade, so pretty much my whole life.

Does she know?

I don't know.

I tried telling her a few times over the years,

but she's either always had a boyfriend or just fantasizing about some

dream guy. That doesn't really inspire a lot of confidence.

Yeah. I get that. I

We did date for a week in high school though.

That was until the...

Oh! The Christmas pageant?

You know about that? Oh, yeah, man. Everybody knows about that.

I mean, it has all the components of, like, the most classic break-up, right?

It's got a public setting, epic misunderstandings,

hilarious pratfalls.

Yeah, OK, that's great.

This is...

I heard., I heard that the gym in the school still has, like,

a huge dent from the impact when you fell off the stage.

Ironically, it's heart-shaped.

You know, I know I should give up on it, but I just can't.

Even when it's clear what she really wants.

You know what always makes me feel better?

Fresh elk jerky.

No, I'm serious.

Have some. I have so much, it's not even funny.

Come on.

Home-made.

Right? I

My lady. Wow. Such a gentleman.

Thank you. Watch your step here.

Thanks for driving, Isobel.

Thanks.

I can take these. Oh.

I always wondered what this place looked like on the inside.

What do you mean?

Oh, I hung out in the neighborhood a lot, but I've always loved this house.

Really?

I wonder if we ever played together as kids.

I'm sure we did.

Hey! You're home!

Dad!

You must be this Cole that Sarah's been talking about.

I'm Alan. Nice to meet you.

Pleasure to meet you, sir.

Well, thank you for today. Yeah. Should probably get going.

OK. Don't forget about our plans for tomorrow.

Oh, never. As soon as the sun comes up, I'll be right here.

OK. I'll make coffee.

Bye.

What? A whole year?

In Europe? Yeah. Isn't that the best story?

Man, I wish I could do that.

Look, I know that your whole life here, but...

You know it's not going anywhere, right?

All I'm saying is, I don't want you to wait to fulfill your dreams.

You know, if you wait in one spot too long, you can get stuck.

Trust me. I

Hey, I didn't know that you and your dad sold furniture.

Yeah. Well, my dad does most of the work.

My mom used to help him so I just pitch in where I can.

The only reason he still does it is to feel closer to her.

I think he's ready to retire, but I don't know what I'll do when he does.

The house is technically mine now, which is great.

Um...

But it just feels like this big anchor.

Have you ever thought of selling?

I don't know if I could ever do that.

It's the only home I've ever had.

I understand.

But a ship can't set sail until it raises anchor.

It's too bad it isn't January. In a month,

this place is going to be crammed with people for the winter carnival.

Winter carnival? What's that?

What, you grew up here and you don't know what the winter carnival is?

No, I'm usually gone by Christmas.

It's this amazing outdoor fair with ice sculpting and food trucks and music.

It's one of my favourite things about this city.

Plus, there's like deep-fried everything.

Like, it's magical.

Do you remember when we were eight and Katie Wudeckis threw up that

deep-fried Twinkie all over the ice palace?

I forgot about that. And then Ryan Schneider slipped and fell in it.

Yeah.

Hey, we've been going to this thing for, like, 20 years now together.

We have. That's a lot of good memories.

Yeah. Yeah, a lot of good memories.

So, what's on the agenda?

Only one of the best free activities available

to everyone in the Twin Cities during winter.

Snow sculpting.

No way. I

I'm so excited right now. Yeah, we're just basically building snowmen.

Yeah, I love snowmen.

Hey, dibs on that pile right there. OK?

Oh. OK.

Hey, what do you say we team up and show Cole how this is done?

This is incredible. Sarah, you've got to come check this out. Come here!

I'd better go over there before he hurts himself.

I'm not going to hurt myself. Come here.

Yeah, that would be terrible.

Real bad.

All right. Here, you take this.

We're going to make a big pile.

Like this big. OK? OK. Come on. Yeah.

Pile there. Stack it up.

Hey, why don't I be your co-pilot?

No, what's the point?

Well, I mean, you could beat Cole at something

and rub it in his big, beautiful face?

You're an artist and...

This is clearly his first time.

What do you say?

Oh, they don't stand a chance.

Oh, yeah.

And you've never done this before?

No. Never. I

I just get snow.

Do you guys see this?

I mean...

I mean, it's good. Yeah.

But, you know, get a load of ours!

Yeah. Yeah.

I like that you've got this slug thing going on.

No, no. Come on, it's a shark.

Obviously. Like, come on.

See? You get it?

It's got a little Santa hat.

See? Yeah, Santa jaws, right?

Oh! Yeah.

Yeah, no, I see it. It's great.

I've got to be honest, I don't see it, but hey, I love the effort, little guy.

Come around here, let's get a picture.

Oh, yeah. Great idea. We're going to get one...

Come on.

Oh. Ice cream store.

You want ice cream? It's 15 degrees outside.

I love 15 degrees. I love ice cream.

I love winter.

Yeah? OK. Jump on the sled.

We'll go. I

Shark.

OK, so, if we start with ice skating,

what about a full page next to it with this?

That's amazing!

I love how you captured the moment.

That's really wonderful.

Yeah, we have to use that.

Yeah. Thanks.

We should also think about a picture for the front page.

She hasn't asked yet, but knowing Amanda, she's going to want, you know,

this perfect image that encapsulates the future story.

Yeah. Any ideas?

I... I can mock up a few drawings here.

It would have to be something meaningful, something important.

Yeah.

Hey, what about, um...

What about something like this? Cole?

Hi. Hi, what are you doing here?

I'm sorry. I don't want to interrupt.

I just thought that maybe you could use some brain fuel.

That's so thoughtful.

Thank you. I hope you like traditional Nordic cuisine.

I found this great Norwegian restaurant.

And, apparently, they have the best lutefisk in town.

Lutefisk? Yeah. It's what people eat.

I mean, the locals, you know. It's fish.

Oh, yeah. I

Yeah, no, I'm pretty sure that's pudding.

Ha! You're funny! I've got another fork. There you go.

Ladies first. Here you are.

And don't think I forgot about you, little guy.

Oh, great. Yeah.

That's... Eat up. Yeah, eat up, Sarah.

Yeah. OK.

Yeah. You know what? I like trying new things so this is...

Mm!

I knew she'd like it.

You OK? I

I'm just not really used to the consistency.

I'm sorry. I totally should have asked you

- what your favourite take-out was. - Burritos.

Sorry. I think the lutefisk is about to swim to the surface.

Swim? What? No, Sarah?

What? What happened? What did I do?

Hey, is she OK?

Well, she's in bed with a bucket beside her, so she's been better,

but nothing to worry about.

It's Katie Wudeckis all over again.

It's my fault. Relax, dude.

She ate some bad fish. It's not the end of the world.

I want to make her feel better.

I don't want her to Katie Wudeckis into a bucket.

OK, well, I'm going to leave you guys to it.

I'm going to go back and check on her.

Thanks, Alan. Yeah, thank you, sir.

Can I ask you a serious question?

Yeah. What brought you here?

See, Sarah thinks it's

fate or a Christmas miracle or something, I don't know.

I just, I don't buy it. You don't believe in fate?

Only when it feels right.

Did you plan all this?

Did you look her up online, learn some things about her to win her over?

I just showed up.

Look, Nick, I know what this is about.

Your Sarah's best friend.

You want to make sure that she ends up with a good guy. I get that.

I promise you...

...making sure that Sarah's happy is the only thing I care about.

You know that she made a wish to fall in love by Christmas?

How did you know about that?

She told me.

I don't want there to be any bad blood between us, OK?

So if you need to ask me anything,

to make sure that my intentions are true with Sarah, ask.

OK, little guy?

OK, so where did you go to college?

I didn't. I've been travelling for as long as I can remember.

Yeah, I got a better education

living in igloos than I would have in the classroom.

Yeah, OK, that's great,

but what's the name of the adventure tourism company that you work for?

Adventure Tourism Company.

I don't know. I mean, it's kind of weird not having a permanent address, right?

I never stay put long enough to have one. I don't see what the big deal is.

So, you don't know where they are?

No, never really met my parents.

Oh. That must have been really hard.

How are you doing over there, little guy?

So, what about this year? Are you planning on sticking around for Christmas?

You know what, I mean, I have some deadlines at work, but just depends where I'm at with those.

Are you warm? Ls it warm out here?

Finding it really warm.

I've got to cool down.

Wow.

OK.

It's done. Like, all of it?

Take a look.

I'm still tinkering with the title, but other than that,

it's ready to send to Amanda.

Do you hate it?

No. No, no, I like it.

It's very accurate.

Yeah?

That means a lot to me.

It's... Cole.

He is asking when I'll be back at the house.

He has a surprise for me.

Come on, then. Better get you back.

Hey.

Hey-HEY-

Hi.

Are you ready for your surprise? Yeah.

Dean Papadopoulos?

Hey, Sarah.

Wait, is this your house?

What are you doing here?

I asked him to come.

You were right, Cole. This place is sick.

That's a real estate term.

What is he talking about?

You know what? I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

You listed the house?

No, of course not. I informally pitched the idea around town, that's all.

Why? That is none of your business.

I know, I just thought it would be a good idea

to talk through all the options. Talk? You want to talk to Dean Papadopoulos?

Nothing is officially listed. Nothing is happening. Sarah?

I did this for you. How is this for me?

You said this place was an anchor.

OK, perhaps it's too big for you and your dad.

OK, you also said that your dad wanted to retire, right?

So what! That doesn't give you the right to intervene. Cole, we just started dating.

Is this their first fight?

Yeah. I guess Sarah's dream man's human after all.

Try not to act so cavalier.

My daughter's upset.

Yes, sir. Sorry, sir.

Nick... l

You know I have always rooted for you, ever since you and Sarah were kids.

I've never mentioned it to Sarah.

You know how she is. She wants to do things her own way.

Oh, yeah. But you can't just wait around.

How many more snowmen are you planning on building?

I'm sorry. I should have talked to you first.

Sometimes I just feel like my head is full of snow, but honestly...

...l just want you to be happy.

Cole... You know what?

I have something that might help you make up your mind.

I know, Christmas, it's a few clays off still, but I just couldn't wait.

What is this?

I'm leaving Christmas Eve.

You're leaving?

Boss says he wants me back on the road.

What about us?

Open it.

A plane ticket. I want you to come to Paris with me.

To Paris?

I can't fly to Paris.

Why not? It's Christmas. You could take a week off,

or more if you want to stay longer. Stay longer? Yeah.

I can't stay longer.

Why not? I have a job.

The house.

My dad. Quit your job.

You already know you could sell this place.

Your dad could come with us, if you want. Quit my job? Yeah.

I can't just drop everything to go to Paris with you.

OK.

OK. Yeah, I'm going to do it.

I'm going to tell Sarah how I feel.

Right now? Yeah. Right here, right now.

If there's a chance that I'm going to lose her,

then I'm not going to wait another second.

I just want you to come to Paris with me and spend the holidays.

All this other stuff can wait.

Who knows, maybe we'll have an amazing Christmas.

Might even be the Christmas you deserve.

Might even have a little adventure.

Isn't that something you've always wanted?

Yeah.

Let's adventure then. OK.

OK? Yeah.

Let's go.

Nick! You'll never guess what happened.

Cole and I are spending Christmas in Paris.

Nick?

Hey!

Nick, what's going on?

You're going to Paris with him?

We're going for a week. What's the big deal? Look, I just...

I know that if you leave, it will probably be too late.

What are you talking about? I can't keep doing this.

Doing what? Waiting.

Watching you fall in and out of love and then having to help you

pick up the pieces when the illusion gets shattered.

OK. I'm taking myself off the article, I'm calling Amanda tonight. Nick, don't do that.

I can't keep drawing you two together.

OK? It's too hard.

I'm happy for you. I really am.

I just can't keep pretending that it's making me happy.

Have fun in Europe. Send me a postcard.

OK. This isn't healthy.

You've got a good view.

Take that in.

OK? You know what?

Here. You take this. You stay warm.

Nick, don't do anything stupid.

Let me see. Yeah, you're looking good.

Looking good, Hank.

OK.

Looking good.

Nick. We need to talk.

Yeah, sure thing. What's... What's on your mind, little guy? Enough with the little guy, OK?

I don't like you.

Oh. And I don't believe that you just happened to be named Cole or that

you coincidentally have every quality that Sarah's looking for in a man.

Or how you knew exactly what buttons to press

to get her to fall in love with you. I like buttons.

Look, I know I should be happy for her and I know I should have backed off,

but I just can't let her fly out of my life

without knowing exactly what you're after.

I want her to find true love, Nick.

And I think if she comes to Paris with me, shall have that,

just like her parents.

So, what, you're going to trick her into falling in love with you?

No. I'm helping her find what she's always wanted

and if she doesn't fall in love by Christmas, then...

I don't know what's going to happen.

I do.

She's going to come to her senses and she's going to find love with the right person.

I can't take that chance, Nick.

So why don't you just step aside and let Sarah have the life she's always wanted?

OK, little guy?

Oh, my... With the little guy!

Hey! Hey! You leave Hank out of this, all right?

You don't like when I meddle with your snowman? No. No? I don't.

Whoa, seriously. I said don't touch that.

Don't touch... Seriously!

Seriously! You know what?

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

No! Hank! Buddy!

Hang in there, man!

Keep the pressure on. We're good.

Keep the pressure on. Keep the pressure on.

Murderer!

What is wrong with you?

Slug. It's a shark. It's clearly not a shark.

Have you ever seen a shark before? Amateur!

Stop!

Hank had nothing to do with it. Yeah, we were having a talk, but you know, he...

He's never been in a fight ever before.

I promise. He's really not an aggressive person.

This is really out of character for him.

I...

I'm going to go talk to him.

So?

Care to explain why my best friend and my boyfriend were fighting in a park?

Well, technically, it was a snowball fight.

It's completely... different.

OK.

Look, I don't know what happened, OK? We were talking about you

and then he started talking about the trip and...

...l just lost it.

Nick, you have to let this go.

I can't. OK? He's not right for you, Sarah.

Don't let him trick you into going to Paris with him.

Trick me? Yes.

Wow. You are unbelievable.

Sarah, I...

Sarah!

Sarah, wait.

Why are you doing this?

Come on, you know why.

No, I don't, so explain it to me.

Why are you trying to ruin my relationship with Cole?

Because I've been in love with you since the fifth grade.

Ever since we built that first snowman together.

It was a crush at first, but after that, I knew.

Nick... Sarah, I've always known.

OK? And I think, deep down, you've always known too.

We grew up together.

If you really felt this way, don't you think you would have said something before?

Believe me, I've tried.

I have.

But you've been so obsessed with finding this crazy, unrealistic version of...

It's not crazy, OK? I have that with Cole. That's not real.

It's a fantasy. You're not thinking straight

because he promised to whisk you away on some romantic adventure.

OK? And What happens when the vacation's over, Sarah?

What, you're going to live happily ever after with him?

I don't know. I do.

When the adrenaline wears off, you're going to be disappointed. Once again.

It's because you're terrified to accept anything else than

what you've been waiting for.

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

Yes, I do.

See, you think it's giving up.

You think it's settling.

But it's not, Sarah.

True love's not about the butterflies or giving up your mundane life.

It's knowing somebody and being there for them, no matter what.

OK? And that's what we have.

So this is your idea of being there for me?

Ruining my chance at love?

Oh, you're not in love with him.

Are you in love with him?

You're not the only one waiting for a wish to come true.

Because every single Christmas,

I fall more in love with you.

And every single Christmas, I wish that you'd finally see it.

I guess this year's no different.

OK if I come in?

Yeah.

Seems like you had quite the day.

Yeah, it was...

...illuminating.

I had a fight with Nick.

'I heard. I

I know this is none of my business.

You're a grown woman. You know what you want and I admire that.

Nick's a good kid. Try not to hold it against him.

Love makes you do stupid things.

He must really be in love to do something that stupid.

Maybe he is. I

And even if he's acting like an idiot,

try to remember it's because he cares about you.

That's a rare thing, to have someone that

you know will always be there for you.

Especially when it hurts.

I just hope Cole shows you as much support and devotion.

Two clays before Christmas and you're still going at it.

I just want to make sure Amanda has everything before the issue posts.

I don't know what she's going to do without Nick's illustrations.

Why are you still here? Oh, family's doing some hunting over the holidays.

Oh, yeah. I

I can get you a Christmas goose, if you want.

No, thanks.

No, I'm more of a store-bought kind of girl.

Why was that there?

Where do you keep your crossbow?

So, tomorrow's the big day, huh?

Still going? Yeah. Bags are all packed, we leave first thing in the morning.

Wow. Christmas in Paris.

You know, I have to say, it's not really for me,

like, but I'm sure it's going to be very romantic.

Yeah. I'm sure Nick's not going to be too happy about that.

No, he's not.

I don't know what the big deal is. It's just a week.

Yeah, but you know, what if it's not?

I mean, I'm sure he's worried you're going to go over there and get, like,

swept up in the whole whirlwind of it all and never come back.

Or, you know, come back with a honkin' ring on your finger.

Well, I should get to the cabin.

But you have a great time on your trip, OK?

Thanks. Merry Christmas.

Aww, right back at you.

Sarah, you should probably call Nick and say goodbye before you go.

I mean, he is your best friend.

OK. Take care.

Sarah. Literally my favourite person in the entire world.

Yeah, I just wanted to make sure you didn't need anything before I head out.

Oh, you're so thoughtful.

No, I think everything's set.

Good.

I also wanted to apologies for Nick and the artwork.

I know it's a last-minute curve ball.

It's my fault.

Curveball? I thought they were great.

He gave them to you? Oh, yeah.

I'm not going to lie, I was a little worried after his phone call.

But he sent them in this morning.

Oh. Well, that's great.

I just didn't get a chance to see them.

Well, then, you'd better make sure you read the article when it posts tomorrow.

You're going to love them.

And seriously, Sarah, the feature you wrote for this issue, it's perfect.

Now go get out of here and take a well-deserved week off.

And when you get back, as our new head writer,

we're going to have to sit down and talk about the magazine's new travel column. Really?

Amanda, thank you so much.

Thank you. Now, go have some fun.

OK.

Oh, and merry Christmas. Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas Eve.

Not going to lie, a part of me was hoping that you'd change your mind.

Oh, you didn't get more gifts, did you?

No. Well, those are for Herb.

Should I put them under the tree or...?

Who's that from? Well, I...

I found that on the porch this morning.

On the porch?

Nick!

Do you really think he's in love with me?

Of course he is. I

Anyone can see that.

And I've seen you two together since you were kids.

Are you really going to try to convince me

you don't have any feelings for him? I don't know.

It's Nick. When I first met your mother,

it felt like someone set my heart on fire.

See, that's what I want.

That feeling didn't last forever.

Really? Even with Mom?

My first year with her was great.

We were head over heels with each other.

But, frankly, that didn't hold a candle

to what we felt when we moved back here.

She became my best friend, my partner.

She knew me better than anyone else in the world.

When we first met...

...all we had was romance.

It wasn't until I got to know her that I knew I was in love.

And then when you came along,

well, that just grew.

Dad... Loving your mother...

...was the greatest adventure I'll ever have.

And more than anything,

I want you to experience that.

So, if you think you can find that with Cole, then you should chase after him.

Even if it means missing Christmas with your old man.

But if you want my honest opinion,

love shouldn't require you to leave your entire life behind.

You can always try and find a happy middle ground.

I just want you to be sure that what you're feeling is more than romance.

Other than that, I will support you no matter what.

Thanks, Dad.

He's here.

I'll help you with your bags.

Hey. Hi.

You ready? I

I think so.

Oh, Alan, hey, thank you.

Let me grab that.

Have fun. I

Go have yourself a romantic Christmas whirlwind.

Thanks, Dad.

You almost forgot this. Dad!

Just take it. He's your best friend.

The least you can do is open his Christmas gift.

You keep an eye on her.

Will do, sir. I

Hey. You OK?

Yeah.

I'm just going to talk to your dad for a minute.

Ready when you are, garcon.

Hey, is everything OK? Yeah.

Yeah. It's just a Christmas present from Nick.

Oh, that's nice.

I like that little guy.

Yeah. I do too.

Can we stop? Yeah, absolutely.

What's wrong?

I think I'm making a mistake.

I got caught up in the whirlwind.

And I'm afraid that once the excitement dies off...

...I'll regret what I left behind.

You're great, Cole. You really are.

And these past few weeks have been incredible.

And the thought of being whisked away to Europe,

like how my parents met, is a dream.

But maybe it really is a dream, you know?

Maybe I already have something real here waiting for me.

Sarah, I can't make you come with me, but...

...l do need to leave. I'm sorry.

I guess I don't just want adventure.

I want true love.

And I think I found that a long time ago.

I just didn't see it. As long as you're happy.

Sarah!

Nick?

Hey. I was afraid I'd missed you.

You're wearing my mom's scarf.

Yeah.

Didn't want you to go to Paris without it.

Look, I wanted to apologies.

I'm really sorry for how things ended.

I don't want to stand between you and romance,

so if that's what you want...

I don't want romance.

I want love.

And it wasn't until now that I realized the way I feel about you,

the way I've always felt about you,

that's what love really feels like.

Seriously, Nick, these are really good. Right? I know.

Finally the world's going to recognize my genius.

Took them long enough. Hey, what's happening with your travel writing?

Uh, it would be exciting,

but I don't think I want to leave my whole life behind any more.

Who knows? Maybe Amanda will sponsor a fully-illustrated travel issue and

we can stay here and still see the world.

That sounds like a happy middle ground.

Well, all I know is that whatever happens, it will be an adventure.

And I'm glad I'll get to go on it with you.

I love you, Sarah. I love you too.

Looks like I got my Christmas wish after all.

I guess I did too.

You know, I think we're going to need a new Christmas tradition,

since, you know, we don't need to build a snowman any more.

No more Coles, please. Please, no more Coles.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media