All language subtitles for A Dickens Of A Christmas (2025) en

Merry Christmas to you. -

Merry Christmas to you.

- ♪ Jolly Old Saint Nicholas... ♪

Oh, could you hand me that?

This is a little more Christmas
than I was expecting.

It's just a couple snowflakes.

Chloe, thought we said no tree.

You said, "No big tree."

And it's modern,
you'll barely even notice it.

Oh.

Morning, Simon!

Drop your other cases.
You need to work exclusively on this one,

it's going to arbitration.
Any questions, ask me directly.

Of course,
I'll get right on it. - And Zara,

the Bensons are
long-time clients of ours.

Can't afford to lose 'em.

This could be your opportunity
to move up the ranks...

or down.

Great.

So this will either
make me or break me.

I know just the thing
to cheer you up.

Bam.

- That wind!
- Yeah.

Hey!

Halloween is over!

He's right. We look ridiculous.

No, we look in character.

People don't just wear
costumes at Halloween.

I'll have to get this
dry-cleaned before I return it.

And these boots are killing me.
How did women walk back then?

Rich ones didn't.
They had carriages.

I could use one of those right
now. Let's go back and rent one.

Look, I know the holidays
are hard for you.

But you promised you'd try to
have fun. Don't be such a scrooge.

These clothes aren't practical.

Okay, well, I'm happy
to suffer for one night

as a Victorian fashion victim.

Hi, Simon.

They have?

I understand.
I'll have them to you

as soon as possible. Yeah.

Okay. Bye.

- Hey!
- You're working your life away.

Come on! I don't wanna miss out
on any of this.

The yummy food, and getting
to tour a beautiful old house.

- Come on.
- Victorian-era houses often had brickwork.

These were painted over
in a horrible green.

Do you think
he could explain... - We want...

the entire history

of brickwork indoors,

preferably by a radiator?

Well, you wouldn't
believe it. The other side of these bricks

were perfectly fine.
So, we cut them out,

and turned each
and every one of them around,

and voilà!

- Come along.
- This is just the thing

to get you in the holiday
spirit. I promise.

The holidays creep up
earlier and earlier. -

I never feel prepared or ready.

I always end up
last minute shopping. - Forget that.

Get ready to leave
modern times... -

and to enter the 19th century.

Only if this century would
let me... -

How bad is it?

I know a great seamstress.

We'll figure it out later.

God!

It's warmer in here. It's nice.

Aw!

Let's breathe...

- You know what you're doing.
- Oh! Okay.

Alice, can you please
take a picture of Zara and me here?

Of course! You girls would fit

right into the Victorian era.

Thank you.

Sorry, I think it's just
my allergy to the smoke.

That's okay. We... we'll try
another. -

Oh. Okay.

- We're good. Huh.
- Okay.

Oh!

Let me fix, let me fix,
let me fix it.

Hey, it's good,
it's good, it's good. - Oh, are you sure?

It's good. Yeah.

- Here you go.
- Oh.

I took quite a few.

I need to make sure
the main dish is ready.

- Oh. Delete those!
- No! They're not all bad,

there's some
good ones here. Look!

Those are terrible!

Look at that, look at...
Okay, okay, fine.

I promise, no more photos.

You look beautiful.

This is our priceless collection
of Victorian dolls.

- Aren't they gorgeous?
- Mm,

those are a bit
too lifelike for me.

- They're creeping me out.
- Me too.

I've seen
way too many scary movies

with creepy dolls
that come to life.

A toast to the beginning
of our Dickens dinner... -

- and the holidays.
- Cheers.

Now, during the Victorian era,

salad was reserved
for the upper class

because lettuce was expensive
and perishable,

especially during
the winter months.

- Mm.
- Thank goodness for refrigerators.

And chilled champagne.

Could you pass
the Yorkshire pudding, please?

Uh, I don't,
I don't see any pudding, Alice.

Oh.

Hmm. Mm. I had no idea
this is what pudding looks like.

How is it?

- It's kind of dry.
- The best and really

only way to eat it
is with gravy.

Oh!

Mm!

I'm so full.

Whoa! Oh!

What? What happened?

Are you okay?

Oh.

Okay, just hang in there.
The evening's almost over.

Come on, put it in your purse
or something. -

If I eat another bite,
I'm gonna explode out of this dress.

Oh, I have room for dessert.

Especially
if he's dishing it out.

Hmm?

These antiques
are so temperamental.

Now, last but not least,

I'd like to introduce our host

for the dessert course,

Rafe Morrissey
and his son, Nate,

and his friend, Austin.
But before they delight us

with their scrumptious desserts,

Rafe is going to explain
a little bit about the history of the home.

- Oh!
- Good evening, folks.

I apologize I don't really
speak in public often,

so thanks for bearing with me.

This house had, uh,
belonged to my aunt and uncle.

It's been in my family
for years.

When they passed away,
their son had left it vacant.

He eventually accepted our offer
to donate it to the historical society.

Well, I've been left in charge
of renovating it. - Oh, how sweet.

I'm
a general contractor... -

- Okay.
- But my passion is

renovating old homes.

Anyway, we had to restore
the entire house

because the top floor
was left uninhabitable

due to water damage.
Shall we go take a look?

Wait, go slow, go slow.

Now, I'm on my feet
all the time,

so my favorite way to relax
is to sit down

with a good book.
Most of these have been here

since my aunt
and uncle lived here. -

Uh, again. Um,
one more thing about this house,

that we have a ghost.

Don't worry, he's not scary.

It's been known to occur
in these old houses.

Yeah, this happens all the time,

often with the lingering smell
of a pipe.

I would find a misplaced book,
often about Charles Dickens,

and usually in the bathroom.

I guess our ghost
enjoyed leisurely baths

while reading
when he was alive. -

Oh, my, it's time
for dessert, everybody.

Nope. We need to tell
the ghost to stay put,

- so he doesn't follow us.
- I don't believe in ghosts.

Well, I could show him to you
if you like.

Come here.

This is my ancestor,

Aubrey Morrissey,
the, uh, original owner.

That's him with his wife,
Eliza, and his son, Henry.

Oh! They looked happy.

Well, they used to be,

until Eliza died giving birth
to her second child.

- Oh. How sad.
- Yeah.

I didn't know Aubrey
was a man's name.

Uh, well, it was back then.

OMG.

I just, I just saw the ghost.

- I took a photo.
- I thought we said no more photos.

I lied.

- Oh. He's not in here.
- Because he doesn't exist.

Or maybe he didn't wanna
be seen by us, and just you.

- Uh...
- I'm Chloe, and this is Zara.

- Don't encourage her.
- Okay.

Well, uh, ladies,
I'm sure you can find

your way back
to the living room.

I'm gonna go
take care of dessert.

Mm?

Can't control what you post.
Just don't tag me.

My clients will never
take me seriously if they see me like this.

Nobody reads
your boring legal blogs.

At least you'll get some likes
with this one.

I keep saying you need
better social media presence.

Here you go.

- Thank you.
- Uh...

Zara, I noticed
you were limping. You okay?

Oh, yeah, I'm fine.
I'm just not cut out

for Victorian times,
unfortunately.

It's been one
wardrobe malfunction after another.

Um, I could try to fix
one of those for you.

Give me your boot.

- Really?
- Come on, give me your boot.

Let's see.

- If you insist.
- Yeah, let's see.

Wow!

Look at that.

Okay.

In this colorful dish,

we have trifle,

which is fruit and sponge cake

soaked in sherry and custard.

Now, the other one
is a traditional Christmas pudding,

which some of you
may have had before.

Mm, compliments to the chef.

I don't think I have enough room
for dessert.

Everyone has room for dessert.

Mm, I agree!
And dessert has two S's in it,

so I'm gonna have both.

Well, I'm not
gonna eat for a week.

Okay, um...

uh, here, allow me.

Please.

Oh, um, are you sure?

Let's try it. Sure. Okay.

That was fast.

There you go.

Good old superglue
did the trick.

- Thank you!
- Dad?

Um, I'm sorry, uh,
kitchen emergency.

Yeah.

That was like you're Cinderella
and he's Prince Charming.

Except I'm not wearing
glass slippers,

and I don't remember superglue
being part of the story.

Mm, I'm gonna need
more of this triffle.

It's pronounced trifle.

How much sherry
was in that trifle? -

Oh, that's, uh,
my Welsh grandmother's recipe.

No wonder she always went
for a wee nap after Christmas dinner.

- Sorry, forgot my muff.
- Well, that brings us to the end of a wonderful evening,

and I'd like to thank
our generous host.

And I hope everybody had
a great night.

Oh!

- I'm so sorry.
- Oh, no, no, no,

i... it's okay.
I should've secured it better.

Nice catch, Austin.

- Do you play baseball?
- Uh, no, hockey.

I'm a goalie, so...
Nate's on the team too.

It explains
why you have quick reflexes.

- You okay?
- Yeah. Fine.

- And the house is beautiful.
- Oh, well, it was our pleasure.

You know,
Zara likes to read too.

Uh, what kind of books?

Well, as a lawyer, I really only
have time to read legal briefs.

- Ah. I understand.
- So...

Um, hey, uh...

sorry, I only have one left.

Oh, it's okay. Give it to Chloe.

- I'll get your info from her.
- Sure.

- Thank you.
- Uh, well, if you ever need any work done on your home,

- I'm your man.
- Thanks.

And if you ever need
any legal help,

Zara is your girl.

Okay.

- Thanks, Rafe.
- Mm-hmm.

I'm gonna go
say goodbye to Alice.

Good night.

Yes, okay.

I'm sorry,

I can't take
another step in these.

Oh! Um, I wouldn't
really make a habit of that.

We're supposed
to get a hard freeze.

- Really?
- Yeah.

Don't worry, I won't.

- Well, it's nice meeting you.
- Yeah.

- Good night.
- Good night.

Ooh, that is cold! Oh!

Come on, Chloe.

Ah!

Well, that was fun.

One candy cane,
gingerbread latte with extra whip.

Yum! Mm.

Mm, I didn't think
I'd get here today with these icy roads.

Someone warned me about
what we were in for,

so for once, I was prepared.

Hey, are you,
uh, seeing someone?

You know I'm not.

Chloe, can I see that, please?

Great! Now my mom thinks

I have a boyfriend
I haven't told her about.

Look, 50 people liked it.
Well, loved it.

- Isn't that cool?
- Not cool.

I don't want him getting
the wrong idea!

Thank goodness
he hasn't seen it.

He has. And he liked it.

And we followed each other,
and I tagged him.

Why did you have to post
this photo?

Would you rather I post
the one of you mid-sneeze?

I'll put Rafe's contact info
into your phone.

Hand me the Benson file, please.

Okay.
So we have to prove

that Franelli Remodeling
was at fault

for the wall coming down
at the Benson residence.

I need you to go
over the contract with a fine-toothed comb.

I got my comb,
and I'm ready to fine-tooth it.

- Thank you.
- You're welcome.

- Did you not go to lunch?
- Mm, I wanted to get through this.

You drive me crazy, but you're the
best paralegal assistant and friend.

I know.

Oh, no!

What?

Is that a pipe?

Chloe, you've gone
too far this time.

Hello.

Hi. Is this Rafe?

Yes, it is.

Hi, it's, uh, Zara,

from the Victorian dinner.

- Nate, turn that down, please.
- Sorry to interrupt.

No, no, it's, uh, it's fine.
Um, uh, good to hear from you.

Well, you might wanna wait
to hear why I'm calling

- before you say that.
- What's going on?

I came home to a soggy carpet.

Well, I... I can come by now
if you'd like.

Oh! No, you don't have
to come over right now.

Yeah, are you sure?

Yes, yes.
No, it's, it's too late.

Um, I can handle it for now,
um, if you just

- maybe tell me what to do.
- Okay.

Well, first you're gonna
wanna turn off the water main.

- Do you know where that is?
- In the furnace room.

Okay. Then you're gonna wanna
dry the carpet as much as possible,

- as soon as possible.
Do you have a fan... -

or some rags and towels?

I have one fan and a few rags.

Okay. Well, then you're gonna wanna
soak up as much water as you can

with the rags and,
and just keep drying it with the fan.

Great. Okay. Sounds, sounds good.

Um... I'll just text you
my address then.

Sure. I'll see you
first thing in the morning.

See you then.

- Good morning.
- Morning!

- Come in.
- Thanks.

Thanks so much for coming.

Yeah, don't mention it!
Glad I could help.

Bless you.

Thank you.

You know where the leak started?

Uh, yeah, just, um, over here.

Oh.
Oh, yeah, your garage is beneath this.

Uh, I'm assuming
that a pipe had burst

'cause of the cold snap.

- Great.
- Yeah.

Do you think you can fix it?

Well, I'll have to go down
and take a look.

- Bless you.
- Thanks.

Anyways, yes, I can fix it.

Uh, question,
do you have allergies?

- Tons.
- Yeah?

You name it, I've got it.

Even my allergies
have allergies.

Well, you might...

wanna remove this carpeting.

I can seamlessly match
the original hardwood.

How much would that cost?

Ah, I can get you a,
a wholesale discount

on the materials.

Maybe get a quote to you
later tonight.

Great.

Could you start right now?

Sure, yeah. Fine,
I'll just go ahead

and replace the pipe,
and we'll get that water

- turned back on for you.
- Thank you.

Um, well,
I have to get ready for work,

but I'll leave you a spare key.

Yeah.

Are you a kleptomaniac?

Oh, no! Um,

Chloe accidentally
brought that home with her,

I think.
I found it in my computer bag.

- You sure it was her?
- I know that book's about Charles Dickens,

but it has Chloe Johnson
written all over it... -

believe me.

Haven't opened this one yet.

Maybe Aubrey made sure
that it ended up in your bag.

Aubrey?

A... as in the ghost?
No. - Yes.

I think there's a perfectly
mortal explanation for this.

Mm.

However, it ended up with me.
I'm sorry.

- Um, please take it back.
- No.

No, you know what?
Um, you keep it, really.

I read somewhere
something about a book being destined

to find the right person
at the exact time it needed it most, so...

Okay.

- Thanks.
- You know, a book

lives through its characters

and is alive long after
its author isn't.

- Aren't you the philosopher?
- Nah, I just like to read.

Maybe that book will give you a
chance to escape the legal world.

Maybe.

- Shall I show you the garage?
- Sure, yeah.

Not funny, Chloe.

Oh,
Charles Dickens' Love Stories.

- Mm. Where'd you get that?
- You know where,

because you took it
from Rafe's library

and hid it in my computer bag.

What? No, I didn't.

Mm, smells like a pipe.

Chloe,

you were playing matchmaker
all evening.

You put the book in my bag
along with his card.

- It wasn't me, Zara.
- Right.

- "Forgot my muff."
- I did!

I swear. I didn't do
anything this time, okay?

I was actually looking
for that card yesterday and it disappeared.

Uh-oh.

We forgot
to tell the ghost to stay put.

He followed us! Well, I mean,
you, and brought the book with him.

You mean you forgot
to tell the ghost to stay put.

I can't believe
we're having this conversation.

Enough with the ghost already.

I actually saw him.

What happened?
You're never late.

A pipe burst. Rafe came over.

Rafe, huh? Mm-hmm.

I had to find someone to fix it!

I was looking for his card,
and then I remembered he gave it to you,

which is when I found it,
in that book, in my bag.

I think the ghost is the one playing the matchmaker.
- There is no ghost!

Okay, well,
if the book suddenly appeared,

then maybe it's a magical book.

"A magical book"? Right.

Do you at least believe
it wasn't me?

Fine.

But there has to be
a logical explanation

- for how I found it.
- Yeah, I think the book

was supposed to find you.

You sound just like Rafe.

What in the world?

I just need to get some rest.

That's what this is.

"David Copperfield
and the Perfect Love Triangle. -

David's wife,
flighty and childish Dora,

was incapable of anything
but painting flowers.

Agnes is the true heroine.

As David's best friend
and moral compass,

she warns him against
the bad angels in his life.

He loves her as a sister
until the end.

After Dora dies, David realizes
Agnes is his true love."

"No two people
were more equally matched

than David and Agnes."

How's it going?

Bored out of my skull.

If Simon asks me
to make one more note

to this pre-arbitration doc,
I'll scream.

I meant reading the ghost book.

Uh, the ghost book?

Uh, yeah, I,
I was reading it last night

and I was a bit overtired,
but, yeah, um,

yeah, it's old-fashioned.

Like, David Copperfield,
who's infatuated with Dora,

even though she's all wrong for
him, but he marries her anyway.

And then, before she dies,
she convinces him to marry Agnes,

his true love and best friend.

Wasn't your true love supposed
to be your best friend?

- That's why I'm still single.
- You're right.

My standards are sky-high too.
Swore I'd never settle.

Yes.

Uh, Rafe's just finishing
something up at the house,

I'll just answer him.

Speaking of high standards,
I think he fits the bill.

We're from two different worlds.
- Well, at least you're both

from the world of the living.

All right,
these need to be signed

before the end of the day.

Get on it.

Wow!

That makes such a difference!

- The room looks so much bigger.
- Yeah, it sure does.

I must be getting old.

The floor seems so much further
than it used to.

You were here so early
that I went to a bakery

and got us breakfast.
I hope that's okay.

Yeah, of course. Thank you.

So, do you have
any butter or jam?

Oh, when you have
the perfect croissant, like this one,

you don't need to add anything.

Look.

This is pure
butter heaven, mon ami.

And this is how they eat it in France.

Okay.

Uh...

Mm, you're right.

Perfect just the way it is.

- You have a, a crumb.
- Oh.

Thanks.

So, have you ever been to Paris?

Once, with my high school
French class.

Now, all I can remember is...

Let me guess, uh,

private school
and then university?

- Mm-hmm.
- I never made it past

Springer Pines
Community College.

There's nothing wrong
with that. - Oh, I know. Mm,

I did get my business degree.

I actually took
an architecture class while I was there.

Just loved old buildings.

So that's how you got
into restoring old houses.

That's right. Yeah.

But, man, I would love to go
to Paris one day, you know?

See the Eiffel Tower,
the, the Arch of Triumph,

the, the modern pyramid
at Louvre.

And, ah,
all those old, cool houses,

you know, on,
on Île Saint-Louis. Just...

Well, maybe
when Nate's done high school.

Yeah, that would be great.

Have you started
reading the book?

I... yeah.
Just the beginning. Yeah.

More exciting
than the law documents you usually read,

or just as dry?

It's been pretty interesting, actually.

I'm glad that Aubrey chose
a bestseller for you.

Mm-hmm.

Ah! You don't believe in ghosts.

Hmm. Well,

hmm, look, um,

I should probably
finish up here and...

- I'll, I'll grab all this.
- Oh, no, don't worry about that.

- I can take care of it later.
- You sure? Um,

it'll only take me
a couple minutes to wash up.

Yeah, I have to go
into the office anyway.

You're working on Saturdays?

Well, you are.

Touché.

Text me if you need anything,
or if anything goes wrong. - Sure.

I'll just be in the garage
most of the day paintin' the walls.

I'll lock up when I leave.

Great. Thanks.

Have a great day.

"No two people were more equally matched

than David and Agnes."

Huh.

- Hello.
- I said to leave the dishes.

Ah, well, it's, uh, no biggie.

Um, least I could do
since you made breakfast.

I didn't make anything
but the coffee.

The Grand Parisian Bakery
did the rest.

But, anyway, I appreciate it.

Oh, I, I figured
the last thing you needed

was to come home to a bunch
of dirty dishes to wash.

Actually, I was gonna cheat
and put them in the dishwasher.

Oh. Well, how do you know
that's not what I did?

Well, thank you.

And the floor looks beautiful.

When should I expect your bill?

I'll email it this week.

Great. Sounds good.

Uh... good night then.

Right. Uh, good night.

I'll, I'll see you around.

Thanks for your business.

Those were his last words,
"Thank you for your business"?

Yeah.

I was expecting something
a little more... friendly.

Okay, what did he say
before that?

- "See you around."
- That's more promising!

- Is it?
- Mm-hmm.

See me around where? When?

Shopping or, um, the gym.

Ugh! I feel like
we're back in high school

and we're dissecting Brian's reply to my
imitation of the "Sadie Hawkins Dance."

- What did he say again?
- He said, "No!"

Oh, right.

Why am I even wasting my time
discussing this?

We should be looking at the details
of the Bensons' one-year warranty

that was included
in their contract.

Yeah, right, 'cause that's
so much more fascinating.

Um, I can't work late on Friday.

You know, you remember,
the weekend,

when people forget about work?

I'll try.

This isn't happening.

I'm losing my mind!
I'm losing my mind.

"Great Expectations."

Okay, I read this one. Ages ago.

And my mind is just
conjuring up memories from that.

That's what's going on.

That has to be it.

- "One of the themes
is deceptive first impressions. -

Pip comes from better parents
than Estella.

But when they meet,
she thinks she's above him

and makes fun of his clothes.
Her name does mean 'star.'

However, it comes to light
that her parents were criminals.

There's always more to someone
than we think.

There are actually two endings
to Great Expectations."

Wait, what?

"In Dickens' original ending,

Pip and Estella meet
after many years,

and he sees her
for the heartless woman she is,

and they part ways.

However,
one of his fellow writers

convinced him his readers
wanted a happy ending.

So, Pip returns
to where they met

and a changed Estella appears.

We are led to believe
that they reunite forever."

Of course it's a happy ending.

This room needs something.

Hello?

How in the world
did you get here?

Wouldn't be so dusty
if I could store it in the house.

No.

Coming, Mom!

- Here it is.
- Oh.

Yes.
Sorry I didn't call you back

last week. I've just
been swamped at work. - Oh.

Well, you shouldn't be.
This is the holiday season!

It's a, it's a time to relax
and have fun!

Tell that to my boss.

Good point.
Could you pass the flour?

I'm dying of curiosity.
Who was that charming man on Chloe's post?

- Well, he's not my boyfriend.
- Oh.

He was just one of the hosts
at the Dickens dinner

- that Chloe dragged me to.
- Yeah.

That looked like a lot of fun.

It was, actually.

Since you broke up
with Mike, I just...

I've been worrying that you,

I don't know, might end up
a poor old maid like Miss Havisham.

Miss Havisham?

Uh, from Great Expectations.

I know who she is!
I was just reading a book about it.

A what...
That is so funny!

- Hilarious, Mom.
- No! Th...

I went into our old bookstore

and there was a new edition
that had come in,

so I bought it
and I've been reading it too.

Here comes more snow.

I know the holidays
are difficult...

for all of us, honey...

but it will be good
to spend them together.

Yeah.

- It will.
- Yeah.

Oh, dear.

Beats me.

I wish your dad was here
to help,

but, you know,
he's not very handy, so...

call an electrician?

Mm.

I'll ice the cookies at home.

Bye darling.

- Good luck.
- Thanks.

This is Rafe. Please leave me a number

and I'll get back to you
as soon as I can.

Hi! I bet you weren't expecting
to hear from me again so soon.

I have another problem that,
uh, I need help with.

Actually, two.

So, um, call me back?

It's Zara, by the way.

Hey, I think I found it!

Power's back in the kitchen!

What do you think
caused the fuse to blow in the first place?

Well, usually it's
from excess current.

I just turned on a mixer.

Mm.

You know, I haven't felt
Aubrey's presence

since the other day at dinner.

You and Chloe and that ghost.

Are you tryin' to move
all this by yourself?

I tried to, yes.

You know, Nate and I
could maybe come by on Saturday

and help you move it all.
Extra pair of hands.

- Would you?
- Yeah.

I could bring
this up for you too. - That old thing?

That was here when I bought the house.
- Yeah, it would look perfect

in your living room.
I could refurbish it for you.

- Okay. Knock yourself out.
- Okay.

Uh, sorry, I gotta get goin',
I'm coaching Nate's hockey team.

Hockey? Cool!

Well, it's not big-time, and...

maybe you wanna come
and watch a practice?

We could head over there
Saturday after I'm done here.

Oh, no! Um, no, thank you.

I have plans on Saturday night.

Okay.

Sure.

Oh, Zara.

I give up.

This is beyond bizarre.

But there's nothing
I can do about it.

"The Pickwick Papers'
Perfect Christmas."

Try saying that
ten times in a row.

"Christmas was close at hand,
in all his bluff and hearty honesty.

It was the season of hospitality,
merriment, and open-heartedness."

Ha-ha-ha.

This week flew by.

Hey, Simon.

- Would you like some coffee?
- Uh, no, thanks.

I was just telling Zara here
about my friend.

She's being fined with eviction
because her landlord changed the rules

and now she can only have
one cat instead of two.

Easy solution. She needs
to get rid of one of the cats.

How could you ask someone
to make such a heartless decision?

She needs legal advice.

Well... I don't think
you have time for that.

Benson arbitration hearing
is few weeks away.

When was the last time
you decorated for Christmas?

Well, based on how much dust
is on these,

a very, very long time.

This is so cool!

Yeah, we... I...

I was really into trains
when I was a kid.

- My mom loved trains too.
- Really?

It's nice to have that
in common.

Ah, look at all this!

I am so sorry.

Oh, it's okay.

I'm sure I can find someone

who might be able to fix it.

Not exactly
my area of expertise,

but I'll give it a try.

And here's the locomotive,
so we should be in business.

So cool.

All right, pal, we're gonna get
goin' in a few minutes, okay?

Um, hey, do you need
any help movin' these?

Oh! Uh, no, thanks. I'm good.

Zara, do you wanna come
watch our practice?

- Uh, I don't think so. Uh...
- She probably has plans, it's Saturday.

- No, I just...
- We're in this huge Christmas tournament.

I think she
already said no, pal.

Um, excuse me.

Hello?

Oh, okay, it...
it's not working at all?

I, I, I know
it's freezing, yeah.

Okay, uh, yes, okay, I'll,
I'll, I'll be there right away.

Um, hey, um, I hate to ask this.

Um, my client has a broken
furnace and no other heating source.

Would you mind taking Nate
to his hockey practice?

I can't miss practice.

All... all you need to do
is just drop him off

and pick him up.

- All right.
- Yeah.

Thank you. Um,

I'll send you the address.

- You sure you don't mind?
- Yeah, no.

Thank you.

Why isn't this thing working?

- Yeah, yeah.
- Here.

Yeah!

Yes!

All right.

Hey.

Come on.

Let's go.

Yeah!

Hey! You looked good out there!

Thanks!
Hope you can keep coming.

I know,
but work's got me pretty busy.

I know, but, uh,
here, just in case.

Hey, buddy, come on!
Time to get up. -

I thought only figure skaters
had to get up this early.

Well, they got
our time slot today,

so come on, please.

Now!

Hey, is your mom comin'
to the game tonight?

I,
I hope so. She might be working.

She used to come
to all our games!

I know, but, um,

she's taking on
extra shifts since, uh,

she and my dad separated. So...

All right.

Yes!

Is Austin getting ready
for fashion week, mm? -

- Dad.
- Yeah?

Do you like Zara?

Of course I like her.

No, but...
do you, like, like her?

She's very nice,

but like I said,
she's not my girlfriend.

Well, she could be,
but you'd have to ask her out... -

- on a date first.
- Hmm.

You know, I don't even know if
I know how to do that anymore.

Haven't asked anyone else
since your mom.

I think Mom would like her.

She likes trains and hockey.

I don't know
about the hockey, but...

I think that's why
you like her, mm? -

There he is.

It's about time!

Come on, get in.

- That looks nice!
- Yeah.

Glad we got it out
of the garage?

- Oh!
- Oh.

Beauty is in the details.

- Um, may I?
- Yeah.

Thank you...

for everything.

Uh, look, um,
I don't know why, but it seems like

there is a broken-furnace
epidemic in this town, and...

well, Austin's mom is not free,
and I know you're busy.

Okay.

- Just one more time.
- Great.

Um, look, I wanna thank you
for helpin' us with everything.

Maybe eat pasta at our house?

That sounds nice.

Hey, Zara!
I'll text you when we're done.

Go backwards!

- All right.
- Yeah!

You okay?

Yeah, I'm just not in a good

headspace today.

It's okay to be nervous.

Maybe you just need to get out
of your head a little bit.

Why don't you take
some deep breaths with me?

In through the nose.

One, two, three, and out.

Two, three, four, five, six.
And again.

One, two, three, out.

Two, three, four, five, six.

One more time.

- Any better?
- Yeah.

You can do this.

- Ready to go back out there?
- Yeah, thanks.

- Woo!
- Yeah!

- Cheers.

I imagine Nate and Austin and their
friends won't get much sleep tonight.

Yeah, it's
all-night video games.

Didn't you just put that on?

Yeah.

Huh.

I really appreciate
your culinary skills.

Oh, thank you.

Mind passing me
that jar of pasta sauce

that I made from scratch?

That's Nate's mom, Noelle.

Maybe that's why Aubrey showed
up after we inherited the house.

We're both widowers.

Oh, I'm so sorry.

- I didn't know.
- Thank you. Um...

she was born around Christmas.

Said that Nate was
the best gift she ever got.

How about you?
You ever been married?

No.

I was in a serious relationship,
though.

Or I thought I was.

But when Mike got this great
offer to be a DA in another state,

I didn't wanna move.

I wasn't ready to be away
from my parents

after everything
that happened, and...

work was always
more important to me.

And how about now?

Well, now, my career's
still important, but...

I'm not sure it's enough.

Oh.

- I'm so sorry.
- It's, it's, it's okay.

That's Austin's mom.
I should grab it. - Yeah.

- Sorry.
- Yeah, of course.

Hello.

Is he okay?

I'll, I'll be right there.

Okay, bye.

Is everything okay?

Yeah, it's Nate.
He's just feelin' nauseous.

Probably too much pizza
and ice cream.

You know, these sleepovers,
they don't exactly eat that healthy.

- Mm. Where's the fun in that?
- Right.

Were your favorite foods
celery and carrot sticks... -

- when you were younger?
- Hmm.

Listen, uh,
sorry the dinner got cut short.

I'll make it up to you. Promise.

It's okay.

I'll help you with the dishes
so you can get going.

Yeah.

"Dombey and Son and Eternal Hope."

Never heard of this one.

"Dombey and Son,
or should it be Dombey and Daughter?

- For once in a Dickens novel,
a woman is the lead role... -

with Florence Dombey
as the main character.

Out of spite,
Florence's father sends Walter

to work at his firm
in faraway Barbados.

Florence receives news
that Walter's ship is lost at sea

and he is feared drowned.

However, Walter returns,
and he and Florence embrace...

reunited to live
happily ever after."

In conclusion,

I will reiterate
that Franelli Remodeling,

in removing the wall
in the house of my clients,

Mr. and Mrs. Benson,
are at fault for negligence

and owe my clients damages.

- I hope you're ready.
- I'm prepared.

I hope so.

Remember how important
this is to them, us...

and you.

Ugh, this case and Christmas.

I'm counting down the days
until they're both over.

Look, I know you've learned
to play it safe.

But you've been making progress,
dating again.

Maybe it's time you got over
something else too.

What do you mean?

Snowmobiling.

I would go with you.

No.

I'd keep seeing Flynn's face

and... reliving that day.

Why couldn't he wait
until my exam was over?

- Why did he have to go alone?
- Look, you can't change the past...

but our loved ones
are always with us.

That's what I think about
with my grandma.

You know, sometimes it helps
when you talk about it.

Here.

That's way too much frosting.

What? The icing is,
like, the best part!

I'll check the kitchen
for some muffins or something.

Ew, no. Muffins are like
when someone's baking cupcakes

and they run out of icing.

Mm, anyway,
I saw Alice the other day.

You know, the guide
from the Dickens dinner?

She saw you walking
up to Rafe's house.

She was surprised.
She didn't know you two hit it off so well.

- She was surprised?
- I don't know,

I guess he didn't mention
seeing you again to her.

I guess he's a private person.

- Okay.
- Zara,

she was glad
that you guys were getting along

and she thought it was nice
that they finally

had a "woman"
in their lives again.

Mm.

All right, boys, let's go
hard, all right? Let's go. Go.

- Yeah!
- Didn't expect to see you.

Thought I'd check in
and see how the team's doing.

You know what was great
about the 19th century?

People couldn't hound you 24/7

because cell phones
didn't exist.

Right. Have you
been reading the book?

I have!

And learning a lot
about that time period.

Wasn't all bad.

No. No, it wasn't.

You like your job?

I do.

Usually.

It's just this case
that's stressing me out.

What's it about?

Right, I'm sorry.
I shouldn't have asked.

Client confidentiality.

- Yeah.
- Yeah.

Thanks for comin'
to his last practice.

And thanks
for the after-practice snack.

You're welcome! You guys looked
really good out there.

Good enough
to win the tournament?

Well, you gotta
believe in yourself.

Listen to your dad.

Well...

- I better go.
- Okay.

Did you just throw that?

Stop.

Feel free to retaliate him.
He deserves it.

How about you guys against me?

Hey...

Hey, hey, hey. Just stop. Uh...

Hey... uh, Zara.

Zara, you okay? Hey!

Yeah! Yeah, I'm fine.
I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I just, um,

my brother, Flynn,
used to do that.

And when I turned around,
at first, it was like...

it was him... standing there
instead of Nate.

It's okay. It's okay.
Y... you, you have a brother?

He died, um...

in a snowmobile accident...

a few days before
he was supposed to leave for Sweden.

- Oh, God.
- He was drafted to play hockey there.

Oh, God, I'm, I'm...
we're so sorry.

No wonder you didn't
wanna go to the rink.

Yeah.
At first, I didn't.

It was the last thing
I wanted to do.

I haven't been
to a game since he...

But watching him play...

has actually really helped me.

- You've both really helped me.
- Yeah. I'm sorry.

Hi, honey.

Hey, Mom. Um...

I was just wondering, um,

what time you and Dad
were coming over on Christmas?

- Oh, I... I thought
I'd already told you. -

You probably already did. Um...

I think I just wanted
to hear your voice.

Is everything okay?

Yeah.

It is now.

Anything you wanna tell me?

Yeah.
Actually, um...

remember that guy on...
Chloe's post?

Uh-huh.

Well, we did end up
going out, and... -

- he's a really great guy.
- Aw!

And I'm finally...

trying to put the past
behind me...

all of the past.

- I'm glad to hear that, honey.

And I can't wait to see you.

I can't wait to see you.

Just one more case,
and I get to relax.

- Ah.

Um, I'll,
I'll talk to you later.

- I love you.
- I love you too.

- Bye, darling.
- Bye.

I can't wait
for this to be over.

I thought you liked
proving people wrong.

I do.

In the case
of Benson vs. Franelli,

prosecution, are you ready
for your opening statement?

Yes, Madam Arbitrator.

We're here to prove the guilt
of Franelli Remodeling

for negligent construction
in the Victorian home

of my clients,
Tom and Nancy Benson.

Removing a wall caused
the upper floor to cave in.

My clients are requesting damages
proportionate to the cost of repairs

and in accordance
to their warranty.

Franelli Remodeling...

and that's confirmed to be mold.

All my clients damages.

Mr. Franelli was not qualified
to make that decision.

Regretfully.

- We got this.
- I think so.

Madam Arbitrator,
we'd like to call in

our expert witness
for the defense.

His testimony will support
Mr. Franelli's unwillingness

to remove the wall
in the Bensons' home in the first place,

and the clause in the warranty
entitling him to do so.

- You may proceed.
- Thank you.

Uh-oh.

Please state your name for the record.

Uh, objection.

The defense hasn't disclosed
a change in witness.

Overruled.

Please state your name.

I'm, uh, Rafe Morrissey,
Your Honor.

I'm not a judge.

But do you swear
to tell the truth,

the whole truth,
and nothing but the truth?

I... I do.

Mr. Morrissey,
what is your profession?

I'm a independent contractor.

Hmm. Do you know my client,
Mr. Franelli?

I do not.

Do you know
the prosecution's clients,

Mr. and, uh, Mrs. Benson?

No, I don't know them either.

Doesn't this constitute
conflict of interest?

Not unless he's
an expert witness for our side.

What is your specialty
in your line of work, Mr. Morrissey?

Victorian homes.

And you have, uh,

several years' experience

- preserving them?
- I do, yes.

Oh, what can you tell us
about Victorian houses?

Well, uh, the first rule
is do no harm.

- Like the Hippocratic Oath?
- Objection.

The witness is not
a medical expert.

Overruled.

The witness may answer
the question.

It's, um,
it's kind of like that.

See, people who purchase
Victorian homes,

the... they often wanna make
all kinds of changes,

but really they should
just be preserving the historical details.

Mm, they wanna take smaller
rooms and make them bigger rooms

by takin' out walls,
and it's a huge mistake.

- Dangerous even.
- Hmm. And why is that?

Because the walls are load-bearing
and they're absolutely necessary.

You remove one, and, well, the
floor above is gonna start to sag.

- Or, in this case, cave in.
- Thank you.

Why is my mind
a complete blank? - No further questions

- for the witness.
- You got this.

Does the prosecution have

any questions for the witness?

I do.

Mr. Morrissey, you said you're
an expert in Victorian homes.

I did, yeah.

Do you have a degree
in engineering or architecture?

I do not.

What do you have a degree in?

Business.

No further questions,
Madam Arbitrator.

The witness is excused.

In the hearing of
Benson vs. Franelli Remodeling,

I find the defendant...

guilty.

Congratulations.

Congratulations.

How could you do that to me?

I... did what I had to.

I had no idea you would testify
on their side.

They called me last minute.
Their original witness got sick.

It was nothing personal.

It was just my chance
to prove myself.

At my expense.

Thanks, Simon.

Yes, I understand.

I'll get back to you
before the end of the day.

Did we get a promotion?

We did.

Congratulations! That's awesome!

Is it?

It means
I'll be working even more.

- And so will you.
- Oh.

When you put it like that...

I barely have a life as it is.

Oh, I know.
I manage your calendar.

I threw myself into work after Flynn
passed away because I needed an escape.

I wasn't ready
to face life without him.

But then, once Rafe came
into the picture...

that changed.

Things haven't felt as heavy.

And look what I've done.

He probably hates me.

Look, I'm sure
he'll come around.

You're were doing
your job, Zara.

Exactly.

If doing my job means
pushing him away...

I need to figure
something else out.

I need to find balance.

Well, it sounds like
you found your answer.

I'm not coming back, Simon.

Hey.

Hey.

Nate sent me a cryptic text
that didn't really make much sense.

What happened?

Um, I... I don...
I don't know. Um...

they, they're keeping me here overnight just
to make sure that I don't have a concussion.

- But I'm fine.
- Except for that.

Yeah, yeah. The doctor said

that I don't need surgery.
It's just a minor fracture.

Well, that's good.

You should really
be more careful.

I was, okay? Uh,
that door opening

was like a freak accident.

I don't know if I believe in
that... or coincidences anymore.

Where's Nate?

He's at Austin's,
stayin' the night.

Good.

Um...

look, I...
I just wanted to apologize

for the way that I acted
at the arbitration.

No, no, it's, it's okay.

Yeah, um, didn't really think
you wanted to see me again.

I know how much your job
means to you.

Hmm, well...

about that, um, I quit.

Winning the case wasn't worth it
if it meant losing you.

And besides,
now I get to spend more time

with my family
over the holidays,

which I haven't
in years because...

I've always been tryin'
to get ahead.

Maybe spend more time
with Nate and me?

I'd love that.

Yeah.

One last chapter. Little Dorrit.

I haven't read that one.

Neither have I.
I just watched the show.

Look, um,

I'm not really used to sittin'
in a room doing nothing.

Maybe we could read it together?

- Okay.
- Yeah?

But there's...

something I didn't tell you

- about this book.
- Well...

What's that?

Wait.

- Is that...
- Us as the main characters? Yes.

You not only have a ghost
in your house,

but a magical book.

I just can't wait to read it.

Hmm. Well, maybe
I'll lend it to you one day.

What?
Well, it was my book.

Yeah, but you said that
Aubrey meant for me to keep it. Remember?

Okay. Yeah.
I'm a man of my word. -

This story is
about this poor girl, Amy,

whose father's
in debtors' prison,

and she gets a job as a maid
for this mean old lady,

and she meets her son, Arthur.

And Arthur tries to pay off
her family's debts,

but then, her father finds out
that he's an heir to a fortune,

and he ends up in prison.

And are Amy and Arthur in love?

Of course. But as always,

they don't figure it out
until the end. - Of course.

"There's a recurrent theme
of self-sacrifice

with Arthur wanting to help
Amy's father's debts

and by Amy giving up
her inheritance...

in order to be with
Arthur. He's lost his fortune

and finds himself
in debtors' prison."

I have thought
about you every day,

every hour, every minute
that I've been in here.

Did I say that right?

- Yeah.
- Yeah?

- That was perfect.
- Good.

You, you should get into acting.

Yeah, sure.

- "Never to part..."
- my dearest Arthur.

Never anymore until the last.

I was never rich before.
I was never proud before.

I never was happy before.

I'm rich in being taken by you.

What is so funny?

She's declaring
her love for him. - I... I know, I know.

I... I'm just, uh,

I like seeing you like this.

- Stop interrupting.
- Okay.

"I love you dearly.

I would rather pass my life
here with you

and go out working
for our bread...

than have
the greatest fortune that was ever told."

Well, I better go. Um...

but you take care.

Okay. Thanks.

.

Not today.

Hey, what are you doing?

Huge favor to ask.

- Hey, you made it!
- I wouldn't miss your tournament

for the world!
You remember Chloe?

- Yeah, of course. Hi.
- Hi.

Hey, boys, listen up.
Okay, we're still in this.

Our offense is on point
and the defense is rock solid.

So how about we get out there
and win this, huh?

- Come on. Let's go.
- You forgot

the most important thing.

What's that?

Have fun.

Yeah!

I saw someone selling
hot chocolate over there.

- Would you like one?
- You can't leave now.

We've already missed
the first period. - What?

- How many periods are there?
- Three.

Unless there's a tie.
Then there's an extra period.

Okay, and if they're
still tied after that?

Then it's a shoot-out.
A goalie's worst nightmare.

I'll be right back.

And I thought football
was complicated.

Whoop.

Keep going.

Yes.

Oh!

Hello? Penalty!

Yeah, I know,
he must not have seen it.

Can't have eyes everywhere,
I guess.

Oh!

Oh!

Yes.

Finally, a power play for us.

Austin and Nate
could be pros someday.

Come on, boys, come on.
Yes, yes! Come on. Yes.

They're still better than us.

Hey, you just scored
and now we're tied.

Yeah, the game isn't over yet.

Yeah, don't remind me.

Stay out of your head.

Trust yourself. You got this.

You're doing good.

You guys all are.

- They're so close.
- Yeah.

I told 'em to pull out
all the stops,

but it looks like we might need
an extra period.

Or maybe they have
what it takes to do it in three.

There's your pep talk, coach.

Thanks. Hey, um, listen,

do you like
to have dinner again?

Maybe make up for last time?

Yeah, that'd be nice.

Good.

Oh, okay!
Who are we playing again?

- The Bellevue Foxes.
- Oh!

Foxes and Wolves.

You gotta admit,
their logos are kind of similar.

Just focus on the colors.
We're blue.

Okay, got it.

Now, if only the puck
was a fluorescent pink,

then I could see it.

- Thanks for coming.
- Mm.

I know this isn't
how you expected

- to spend your Saturday.
- It's no worries.

It's so much fun with you.

- That was offside!
- Yeah, that was offside!

- Yeah, I know, but...
- That ref needs glasses.

Totally.

Okay, guys, this is it,
all right?

You stick with them,
protect your goalie,

and make a break
for it when you can. All right?

Support each other
out there, okay?

- Now, let's go. Let's go!
- Let's go, boys...

- Go, go!
- Come on.

- Yes!
- Why did they switch sides?

They switch every period.

No, no, no.

Oh!

Shoot. Ah,
hopefully we can kill... -

this penalty.

Yes, yes...

there it is! Yes, yes! Go! Go!

Come on, shoot!

Whoo!

Yeah!

- Woo-hoo!
- Woo!

Wait. Hey, Dad!

Oh, yeah, you gotta
get out there. - Yeah.

- Thank you.
- We gotta make the team photo.

Let's go.

Nah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

- Ooh! Oh!
- Oh! Oh!

Zara, what about
all that melted snow

- on your new floor?
- Oh, I wouldn't worry about that, Nancy.

I made sure that it was
pretty waterproof. -

- Oh!
- Nate started the snowball fight.

No, I didn't. Zara did.

Did not!

We were just talking
about your new job.

We are happy you're
branching out on your own.

It's exciting, but scary.

There's not as much prestige
or money as a sole practitioner,

but I'll get to decide
who I wanna fight for

- and make my own hours.
- Mm.

Yeah. We're done
with the corporate rat race.

And thank you for taking a risk
coming on board with me.

As long as you let me decorate
the entire office for Christmas,

- we'll be good.
- Deal.

Speaking of Christmas,

those presents aren't gonna
unwrap themselves.

- Right...
- You're right, Mom.

Go ahead.

Wh... what's this?

It's a goalie coordination ball.

- Oh!
- It's to practice hand-eye coordination.

- Thanks, it's awesome!
- Can I see?

Oh, cool!

- Thanks, Dad!
- I felt sorry for you having to drag

that old duffel bag
around everywhere.

Uh, here.

Thank you.

Oh.

Aw.

You fixed it! Thank you.

Oh, I can't wait to attach them!

- Can we have some hot chocolate?
- Yes, please! It was freezing out there.

- Mom's is the best.
- Mm-hmm.

And those were Flynn's
favorite cookies.

- Mm-hmm.
- Aw.

Mm, this is
the perfect amount of icing.

- And you know your icing.
- Harold?

What's wrong, honey?

Did you drink
all the hot chocolate?

I wouldn't dare, dear.

- It was Aubrey.
- What, sweetie?

Oh, uh, it was the air.
It, it probably evaporated...

because it's winter,
and the dry heat, and...

Let's whip up a new batch.

- Hmm?
- Oh, okay.

- Evaporated?
- Yeah.

It's nice to stretch. Ah.

Looks like I can put
some weight on it now.

Only a couple more weeks
until it comes off.

Yeah.

I almost forgot about your gift.

Oh, thank you.

Oh, this is great.
I can study them now

until I can see
the buildings in person.

Can I properly thank you,
mademoiselle?

You may, monsieur.