Original subtitles

Hot chocolate?

Hot chocolate?

Hot chocolate?

Hot chocolate?

It's cold out.

One for me.

Cold enough to be tempting.

Yeah, it is. I can't tell if it's really late or really early right now either.

Hot chocolate?

I'll take a cup.

$2 .50.

Here you go. I got some quarters in here somewhere.

I accept tips if you want to round up.

Here,

I got you covered.

I'll take a cup, too.

Thanks.

Thank you.

Yeah, just a couple of quarters.

Still appreciate it.

Interesting wallet choice.

It makes you look like a little kid, doesn't it?

I mean, who doesn't love dinosaurs?

You'd be surprised, but...

They're my favorite.

Hot chocolate.

You do this every year, the Black Friday shopping?

Oh, no.

No, no, no.

If I had it my way, I'd still be in my PJs.

So what's on your list to bring out in the cold?

Pretty much everything my niece wants.

My sister -in -law all but guilted me into coming.

Did she dangle the favorite aunt title?

No, I'm the only aunt.

So, no need.

What about you?

What? Brought you out here.

Well, my brother and his wife are watching my daughter so I can shop

her. Oh, that's nice of them.

Yeah, her mom and I split up years ago, so the extra help is always appreciated.

Well, make sure you do a good job of hiding the presents. Otherwise, it'll

be for nothing.

Well, she has yet to find where I stash her gifts.

So, have you started your Christmas shopping at all?

Uh, gym shorts for my brother. Does that count?

Not really.

On that case, I still have a lot to get.

Well, make sure you prioritize what you pick up first, you know, based on what's

most likely to sell out.

At least that's what my sister -in -law always tells me.

Yeah, I will.

Ladies and gentlemen, we'll be opening the store momentarily. Please be patient

and enter the store in a nice, orderly fashion. Thank you.

They're opening up early.

Looks like it.

Well... Good luck.

Shopping.

Thanks. You too.

Oh, excuse me, do you know where I can... Sorry, all the stock we have is

here.

Oh, hey, where did you find those?

This one's mine.

Okay.

Here you go.

Happy holidays. Thank you.

You're right.

Sold out.

No, what were you looking for?

This doll thing on my daughter's list.

Should have gone for that purse.

I'm sorry.

Hang on a second.

Was this it?

Yes. Yeah, these were pretty popular this year. I know.

Here.

Oh, no, no, no. That's yours or for your niece.

I have a really long list of other gifts for her, so don't worry.

I couldn't. Take it, really.

Are you sure?

Yes.

Yes.

How much do I owe you? Don't worry about it. I can't not worry about it. First

the hot chocolate, now this.

It's no big deal.

Can I at least buy you breakfast?

There's a...

A diner nearby that's open 24 -7.

All right.

I'm Theo.

Kim.

So my roommate would set up a tent over her bed and would, like, go in there and

zip it up, like, all the time.

What was her reason?

Germophobia? Agoraphobia?

Well, that's what I thought at first, but no.

Shyness, it turns out. Really?

Thank you.

You bet.

Let me know if you need anything else.

Uh, yeah. I guess sharing a room in college scared her.

But the crazy thing was, is I never knew if she was in there or not.

There was this one night, it was getting late, and I was worried that she wasn't

back yet. And then all of a sudden, she popped out of the tent.

Scared you to death?

Nearly. But you want to know the funniest part?

Oh, don't keep me hanging. She is my sister -in -law now.

No. Uh -huh. My brother came by to visit, and they totally hit it off.

She came out of her tent and then out of her shell.

Surprisingly, she's the most outgoing person now. But the good news, she put

away the tent when they got engaged.

So no king -size bed tent on their wedding registry.

No, thankfully.

So is she the one who guilted you into coming out today? The very one.

She's probably buying at a few other stores across town.

Shopping is very much part of Thanksgiving weekend to her.

How about you? What would you prefer to be doing today?

Decorating my own Christmas tree. Maybe grading a few papers just to stay ahead

of things.

Teacher?

Yeah. But other than that, I'd be spending time at my parents' place.

exciting, really.

Well, uh...

I will be spending most of my weekend building the best gingerbread house

possible. Oh, your hobby or your daughter's?

Both.

Last year we entered this contest at the City Art Museum, and it was such a hit

that she's already sketching what she wants to do this year.

Well, that sounds... Messy. I was going to say fun.

That too.

Yeah, I'm sure she'll be ready to jump into it as soon as we get home.

But I'm really hoping I can convince her to watch a movie so I can catch up on

some sleep.

Good strategy.

Yeah.

So, what's your daughter like?

She's nine years old.

Smart. And she knows it.

Creative.

Mischievous in a fun sort of way.

She makes me laugh a lot.

Oh, she's always curious.

Well, that's good.

Depends. She has a tendency to wander off. Yeah, I had a few heart -stopping

moments losing her in stores.

Thanks for breakfast.

You're welcome.

So what else do you have on your list?

Ornament. Oh, well, I did break one off my mother's tree last year.

Shameful. I was helping to put everything away, and I don't think she

noticed. Maybe you should get her a replacement?

Oh, it was a dog.

Ceramic one, I think. What type of dog?

I have no idea, but this one looks close enough.

Aw.

Hey, look.

This one's perfect for you.

I actually have that one already.

You would. It's a good choice. Oh, hang on.

I will get it for my niece, so she will think of her aunt each year.

Nice.

And for you, we should get something.

What about this one?

The gingerbread houses we make aren't that fancy, but it's perfect.

Oh, you don't have to buy it. No, no, I want to.

It's just what my tree needs.

There's a jingle in the air.

I'm feeling everywhere.

It's the best time of the year whenever you're here.

Don't let it know.

No, no, we could stay home, home, home.

I've got the tree, you bring the light. You bring the naughty, I've got the

nice. I'll hang a mess, so you bring your kids there.

Baby, you'll be buried in every Christmas.

At the top of my wish list, hey, hey, hey.

You're the happy in my holiday.

Okay,

I think I'm ready to get out of the cold. Me too.

How about this one?

There's something kind of disheartening about all of this, isn't there?

How do you mean? I mean, go get my wish list from the store.

There's no magic or thought or sincerity.

I see your point.

I'm being somewhat of a Grinch, aren't I?

No, I think Christmas can feel like that.

But?

I guess it makes you search for ways to add the magic back in.

Well, and you do that how?

Like traditions, maybe. Or just spending time together.

I guess my mom does insist we go see A Christmas Carol, the play.

We go every year the weekend before Christmas.

Be a good example.

Oh, do you hate it?

No, I suppose it gets me excited for the holidays, but my favorite is Christmas

Eve. We go to this Christmas -themed village every year for the Santa send

Have you been? No.

You should.

Quaint village with all these different buildings and Christmas activities and

food. And, of course, Santa leaves and everyone cheers and waves.

My niece loves it. It's, well, magical.

Wow, that sounds amazing.

So what else did you do besides gingerbread creations?

We have some epic.

Camp outs under the Christmas tree.

Christmas stories at bedtime.

We do the 12 days of Christmas thing where you send like a gift or a treat to

somebody new each day.

And we serve meals at the shelter.

Oh, that's nice.

Oh, and sledding, of course.

So what do you do if there's not enough? No.

Ice blocking.

What?

The thing I learned in college.

You buy an ice block from the grocery store.

put a blanket on it to sit on, and then... I have never heard of that

You should try it.

I'm sure your daughter loves it. Loves all of it. It sounds... It sounds

perfect.

I'm sorry.

I just have one more thing on my list.

Yeah. I mean, great.

I'll grab it real quick.

Uh -huh.

Hey.

Okay, Theo, this is the part where you ask her out.

No big deal. Just... Hey.

Hey. Hey. Hey.

Just... Would you want to go grab lunch?

In six more hours?

Hey, would you want to come check out my gingerbread house?

That sounds really sketchy.

Kim?

Theo? Theo?

Hey, there's no need to panic.

Please, be careful as you're moving around.

I'm sure that the power's going to be back on soon.

Excuse me. Sorry. Our registers are down, so we can't process any sales.

you for understanding.

Oh, okay.

Hey, can someone pick up all these ads, please?

Bill, honey, there's whipped cream in the fridge, too.

Thanksgiving leftovers.

My favorite.

Are you all hungry?

Mom, we haven't even fully digested Thanksgiving yet.

Yeah, but all that shopping you did builds an appetite.

Hey, is Mia around?

Yeah. Close your eyes. I have tons of presents for you.

Where are they? They are in my car. I just wanted to get you excited.

Oh. We beat you home.

Oh, I did take a little longer.

Did you get everything you circled in the ad? That would have included every

for Mia and a vacuum she marked. I don't think she knew what it was, but it was

pink. It wasn't so long ago you were pouring over all the dead tubeless.

That was Kim, actually.

You had a colored marker of your own, so that what you wanted didn't get mixed

up with my choices.

I was 13.

Did you use a green marker this year? Because I see a lot of circles here.

Enough of that, you two.

Fine.

Oh, leftover pie.

It's a pity we didn't have a larger party this year.

Have you heard from Zach at all?

Not since we broke up. And that works for me. Besides, aren't I special enough

alone? Of course. No.

Babe, it's not really Kim's fault he didn't want a future together.

Of course not.

Thank you.

I don't know.

He's a pretty special guy, though.

Hello? Shh.

Where's Hunter and Clarissa?

Sleeping.

Oh.

Great babysitting.

Did you get me lots of presents?

None whatsoever.

Who's there?

Cleo? Yeah.

Morning. Yeah, it is.

Ashley, are you hungry?

I think Clarissa's going to make pancakes. Clarissa? Oh, no, no, don't

You're okay, right, Ashley?

Mm -hmm. No trouble.

I'm sure you're hungry.

Besides, Clarissa's sister's coming by for breakfast.

Sharon? Is Clarissa still trying to set me up with her?

What's so bad about that?

Would you appreciate it if our situations were reversed?

Actually, I kind of met someone last night. Really?

That's great. When are you going to see her again?

I didn't get her number.

Theo, come on.

Hey, Theo.

Hey, Clarissa. How's Ashley for you? An angel, of course.

Anytime you need us to babysit, we're here. Thank you.

Really, though, we mean that.

Could be good practice for us.

Where are you?

We're accepting.

Congratulations.

Thanks. Oh, you're going to have a cousin, Ashley.

Is it a girl?

We don't know yet.

Oh, that's Sharon.

Just go with it.

Go with love.

Nothing. If it's a girl, you have to name her Ashlyn.

Ashlyn and Ashley?

I'm sure Grandma wouldn't find that confusing at all. Oh, no.

Morning. You're just in time.

He's here?

How do I look? Great. Come help me make pancakes. I always burn them. Just hold

the flipper thing and look like you know what you're doing and I'll handle the

rest.

Good morning.

Hey. Hey, Sharon. Hi, Theo.

Okay, time to put that away.

But I have it in my time limit. Then save some for later today, then. Come

Oh, Sharon, there's some berries in the fridge.

How was Thanksgiving for you all?

It was great.

We had a feast with my mom.

How is she doing?

Oh, good.

Fine. You know, same as always.

Wait, did you tell mom about the baby?

I did, yeah. Sorry, you're the last to know.

Better me than her.

How excited was she?

Very.

Good. So, Theo, do we get you for Christmas this year?

I mean, you and Ashley with our side of the family?

Ah, you know my mom would be all out on site. Actually, I invited mom to come

along, so.

Great. We'll all be together then.

Sounds like it.

Come in.

You're awake.

Oh, barely.

What is all that?

Presents for Mia and Glenn and your parents. Is it okay if I stash them

Sure, but do you really need to worry about Glenn and my parents snooping?

first of all, your brother has gotten worse.

Even Mia has more self -restraint. And second of all, we can have a huge gift

-wrapping party before Christmas.

You mean an all -nighter with eggnog and gift wrap? That's exactly what I mean.

What are you doing?

I'm grading papers on the Cretaceous period.

Which one was that? The one after Jurassic.

You can just wait till Monday.

Too much to do?

Hey, did you end up getting that doll that Mia wanted? Yeah, no peeking. And

yes, I actually gave it away.

Kim, she really wanted that doll.

I can get Mia another gift on her list. Besides, I met someone who desperately

wanted one for his daughter and I felt like it was the right thing to do.

Okay, Black Friday shoppers are the worst. They're so manipulative. You

right into his scheme. There was no scheme.

He was nice.

And he didn't even ask. I offered.

Who is this nice man?

Theo.

Theo who?

Just Theo.

Is it holding?

Yes, I don't know.

Okay, I think another minute or so.

I want to make it like a fairy house.

Okay, so like Tinkerbell?

No, like Mrs. Pullman's garden.

All right, so garden gnomes and fairies.

Yeah. All right.

I will get started on an awesome toadstool day.

Oh, and a picnic bench.

Right away.

Oh, actually, I got us a little something.

What?

Ta -da!

A new ornament for our tree.

I love it.

Can I hold it? Yeah.

Oh, it's so quick to try.

I got it. I got it. Okay, good.

Okay, that is it for today, but fair warning, your in -depth papers and

sauropods are due in a week.

I appreciate any early papers turned in. Not that it'll happen, but just

throwing it out there.

All right, that's it. Thank you.

Thank you, Dr. Fennec. You're welcome.

Thank you.

See you tomorrow.

I don't know why, but I've always loved you in the lab coat.

Zach.

How are you?

I'm good.

What are you doing here?

I wanted to see you.

Is that really fair?

You broke up with me months ago, and I... I regret it.

What?

I know what I said a few months ago, but I was wrong.

You said you didn't see our relationship going anywhere. I'm scared.

These past few months apart, I... I missed you.

Oh, hang on. Not on the skeleton, please.

Really? I thought it looked kind of cool.

Yes, but they're, you know, kind of fragile.

Thank you.

All right, how about this?

Could I take you out again? You know, start over? We can't just erase the

Zach. Well, then let's pick back up where we left off.

I can't do that either.

Hey, no, definitely not there.

Kim, please, just give me another chance.

I have to get back to work. At least have dinner with me.

Fine.

I'll give you a call, yeah?

Yeah.

Oh, how about we hang these on the railing?

You know what? These would look awesome.

The Sagasaurus upstairs.

Especially not there.

I'll go take it down. Thank you.

I don't like this this year.

I've put it up and I've taken it down three times. It's just, it's not

So don't use it.

You have to do a garland.

Okay, let's buy some new garland then.

Nope, I am determined to make do.

Help me out here.

I thought I was done decorating when I left work.

Uh, let me try something.

How was work today?

Fine, I guess.

Zach came by.

Oh. Mom, do not get your hopes up.

Sorry? So what'd he want?

He wanted to, I don't know, start things up again, I guess.

What'd you say?

I think I agreed to go on a date with him.

That's wonderful, but that's so sudden of him.

I mean, I'm not surprised at all because you're amazing.

But how do you feel about it?

I'm not excited.

I feel more nervous.

Because he hurt you before.

Yeah.

And there's someone else.

There is?

Kind of.

I met this guy the other night shopping.

Oh, the doll guy.

Yeah.

He likes dolls?

What? No.

He was shopping for his daughter.

I think there was something between us, and I can't stop wondering about it.

It's probably just the holiday spirit.

Mom, are you saying that because you think Zach is so wonderful?

He is wonderful, although I do think I need to give him a stern talking to

dumping you.

Ugh, I hate that.

But, Kim, you know Zach, whereas with Mr.

Dollguy... Yeah?

You only had a brief time with him, so you're probably remembering things in a

rose -colored way.

Yeah. I guess.

But he was... When we talked, everything was so easy.

Every word he said, I drank it up.

He made my heart melt, you know?

Does that make sense?

So why don't you call him? We got separated.

I lost him, and I don't have his number.

I don't even know his last name.

You're going to tell me to forget him, aren't you?

No.

Do you want to see him again?

Then find him.

I would love that.

But how?

Well, you said you hung on his every word, right?

What do you say?

Don't drop it. I won't.

We've had so many entries this year. I'm just amazed at everyone's creativity.

No kidding.

It's amazing.

I got it. I got it.

This is beautiful.

I can tell you worked hard on it. Thank you.

My dad helped.

Good. Well, this will be on display with all the other houses until New Year's.

And the contest?

The winners will be contacted December 22nd.

Did you fill out the form so we could reach you?

Here it is.

Perfect. Well, good luck then.

Thank you.

Wow.

Look at that. Holy smokes.

That's made out of pure chocolate. Look at that.

Don't trap me.

Can I put on the cool ornaments?

Only if I get to put on the ones you've made.

Oh, we just made a new one in school.

Really? Let's see it.

Oh, I love it.

Oh, no. My field trip.

You have to sign this permission form.

All right, all right. Let's see.

I have to turn this in tomorrow or I can't go.

Got it.

And my homework. I forgot. My teacher wants us to figure out what our parents

want for Christmas. Really?

Yeah, she wants to make it a money problem for math.

Hmm. Let's see.

A good daughter.

Dad, come on.

Okay, socks then.

Why do you always say that? Because you can never have too many.

Really.

I just want to be with the people I love.

And the answer to a math problem for that is priceless.

I'll tell her socks.

It's quite the collection this year, isn't it? I had no idea people took

so seriously.

Oh, yes. We've got kids, adults, and even amateur bakers who participate.

Wow.

Do you know who made each of these?

We do, but it's kept confidential for the judging process.

And people's privacy, of course.

Is there any way you could tell me if there's someone named Theo who brought

a gingerbread house?

Theo? It doesn't ring a bell.

In a name like that, I think I'd remember.

But the winners will be announced just before Christmas. You should come back

then. Okay.

Thank you.

Looking

good.

Hey, Theo. Hey. I got a message from some shop. Hey, how's that Rodriguez

coming? Great.

Almost ready for standing.

Oh, good. And, uh, Carmen's order?

A little behind.

He's so impatient, and he wants it installed before Christmas.

Do you want us to work overtime on it?

No, I'll take care of it tonight myself.

All right.

Is that my credit card?

Oh, man.

Merry Christmas. Thank you.

Hi. I got a call about my credit card being here, Theo Hall. Oh, yeah.

Oh, sorry. Buried under a pile of receipts.

It's been crazy. I bet.

Christmas rush.

Yeah. Thanks for keeping it safe.

You're welcome. Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas.

Hey, I was here on Black Friday with someone and she bought one of these

ornaments. Is there any way you can look up her name?

You were with her but don't know her name?

It's Kim something.

Please.

Okay.

Nope.

I can't look up customer info. It's all hidden. I think it's part of a financial

security thing.

Right. Thanks anyway.

Yep.

Actually, I'll take this one.

Sure.

Thank you, Kim.

A dinosaur.

I love it.

You couldn't find something less tomboy?

Nope. And besides, Mia loves an early Christmas present.

Don't you, Mia?

Can I open up more?

No.

So, how'd the gingerbread thing go?

Not so great. I keep thinking about what we talked about, and I realize that he

didn't share as much as I did.

It makes me wonder if me looking for him is a mistake.

I probably bored him all night.

I doubt it.

But I'm willing to bet that you remember more than you realize.

Here.

Okay, let's think.

What do you know about him?

Well, we know his name is Theo, and he has a daughter.

He's divorced.

He camps under the Christmas tree with his daughter every year.

Oh, I know. And they volunteer at his shelter.

Ugh, this guy's a thief.

Okay, what else?

He talked about his mother and his brother, his sister -in -law.

But beyond that...

I really did do all the talking. I'm sure it's not as bad as you think. Yeah,

but I have nothing to go on there.

Okay, well, where'd you go? Together, I mean.

We were at the shopping center and the toy store, but separately.

He asked me to breakfast.

Okay, good.

Then the ornament stand and the store we got separated in.

Perfect. How is that perfect?

Go back to the place where you guys had breakfast, ask for the waiter who served

you, and then ask them if they remember anything about him or if they knew who

he was.

Same with the ornament stand or the last store you visited.

Well, the machines were down, so people couldn't really buy anything.

I'm willing to bet they have security footage.

That's a little extreme, isn't it?

Depends on how badly you want to find Theo.

Do you see?

Grab a seat wherever you want. Hi.

Actually, I'm here to talk to you. I was here the morning of Black Friday.

Sorry. I don't remember anyone from my last shift, much less back then. Right.

Okay. But I was here with this guy, and I hoped maybe you recognize him. Maybe

he's regular here.

Describe him.

His name's Theo.

He's tall, handsome.

You actually winked at him?

Huh. Uh, I don't... Oh, you two sat over there. Yeah, he's a cutie. Okay, so you

do know him. No, but I wouldn't get all the cute ones.

Right.

So have you seen him here before?

No. Are you sure?

He knew this place.

Maybe he's been in before, but it doesn't mean it was during my shift.

I... I guess not.

Any way you know his last name?

Like, did he pay with his credit card?

Oh, I remember. He paid cash. Left a good tip.

Sorry. Get you anything to eat while you're here?

No.

Thanks. Sorry,

I don't have any of that information.

Thanks anyway.

Hello?

Sorry, I lost track of time. I'll be right there.

Even though everything you see here is from a long, long time ago, there is

still so much for us to learn. What we do here is we study the fossils of

and animals to better understand what life was like millions of years ago.

Yes. Do you get to dig up the bones?

I have before, and I still do every so often, but most of my time is spent here

or in this lab.

Yes, go ahead. What's your favorite?

My favorite dinosaur?

Triceratops, definitely. Although there are other types of dinosaurs in that

family with similar features. They're called ceratopsians, and they are pretty

cool.

Yes? Do T -Rexes see well? My dad says they do, but my mom says they don't.

Um, hi.

Hi.

Want to know my favorite dinosaur?

I do.

What is it?

Brachiosaurus. Good choice. My students are writing a paper on Brachiosaurus and

other sauropods.

How can I be a paleontologist like you?

Well, you can study it in college like at this university, or there are other

universities with a paleontology program.

It's a lot of work, but it's fun.

Do you think I might be able to discover a new dinosaur?

Maybe. You never know what's still out there for us to learn.

Have you gotten a sticker yet?

No. Here, I'm on it.

Favorite.

Thanks, Doctor.

Oh, then I... Okay, bye.

Bye.

Hey, Zach.

Hey, how's your day going?

Fine. Field trip day, but otherwise the usual.

Oh, good. You love those. Yeah.

So, what's up?

I wanted to ask about dinner.

How's this weekend?

Oh, um, I... I already made reservations at your favorite place for Friday and

Saturday. You pick.

Okay. Um, Friday then.

Perfect.

And then the tin soldier melted down to a small lump.

The next day, the servant came and swept up the ashes and there found what

remained in the shape of a small tin heart.

Wow. I don't know why you like this story. It's like the most depressing one

ever. No.

The soldier's brave and the ballerina too.

They both get burned up or melted.

Yeah, but they love each other.

They do.

Are you turning into a little romantic now?

Clarissa read Pride and Prejudice to me. Oh, so sorry.

Oh, don't be. I liked it. Oh, my. Okay, quick. Tell me about your field trip.

We went to a dinosaur museum. It was really cool.

There's huge fossils.

Oh, I got a sticker.

Nice. Do you think we could go sometime and maybe make it like a Christmas

tradition or something?

Maybe. It just doesn't seem that Christmassy.

I actually heard about a family who goes to see a Christmas play every year as a

tradition. We could maybe try that out.

Yeah, sure.

Hi. Hi. You ready to check out? Oh, no, sorry, but I do have a strange request.

Do you still have your security footage from the day after Thanksgiving?

You're in luck.

Another week and these files would have been archived.

I wouldn't know how to find him at that point.

Okay, so what time were you here?

Before dawn, 5 a .m., maybe 6.

Huh.

So I've got the hour before that.

Oh, were you here during the power outage? Yes.

Yeah, um, I think that may have messed up the files.

Before and after that, it worked fine.

But with the power going out, I don't know.

Probably surged and damaged the videos before they could really save.

Oh. Yeah, I'm sorry about that.

Good luck, though.

Hey, thanks for trying.

Yeah. Oh, hey, in case you don't find them, I'm Dan.

Thanks.

Merry Christmas, Dan.

Merry Christmas.

Hi. Hi.

Too much?

No, these are great.

Let me put these in a vase so we can go.

That was the best comedy show. We had such a good time together.

We sure did.

We should go to one of those again.

Yeah, maybe.

So, how'd it work?

I got promoted.

Congrats.

What are you doing now?

Senior claims manager.

Basically overseeing elevated health claims, helping keep claims wrapped in

line, that sort of thing.

Good for you.

Do you like it?

It's a work, but it's a nice change for me.

Well, I'm glad.

I also bought a house.

I'm remodeling it right now, but you should come see it sometime.

Zach, that's great.

I thought you loved your apartment, though.

I wanted something more permanent.

When we broke up, I was a little antsy.

All the minute, I was unhappy.

And then I got promoted, and I thought that would fix it.

Then I started to feel like something was missing.

Someone.

And I know I was a fool, but I'm humble enough to admit it, and I'm hoping that

you'll forgive me.

Zach, of course I forgive you.

But I meant what I said before.

I'm not ready to pick back up where we were.

No, no, of course I get it.

I had to move on.

Are you... Do you mean to say you're seeing someone else?

No. Okay, good. Look, we can take it really slowly.

I just want us both to be happy, and I think that can happen if we're together.

Okay?

Excuse me.

Hi. Hi. Are you here to volunteer?

Oh, no, I'm actually here to find out about someone who did.

I don't follow.

Here, let me.

I have a friend who volunteers, and I think it's at the shelter, but I don't

know its full name.

Your friend?

I know. I just was wondering if you knew him. His name's Theo?

Doesn't sound familiar to me.

But we get a lot of volunteers this time of year, and most of them aren't

regulars.

It was a long shot.

If he did come here, he might have signed the log.

The log?

You can sign in over there.

Can I take a look at it?

Go for it.

Thank you.

Anything?

No. Nothing.

Thanks, though.

Well, have a good night.

Actually, can I lend a hand?

That'd be great.

All right.

Clemens' order is almost done.

We are installing the cabinets next week. Oh, perfect.

Hey. Why don't we plan to check it out once the countertops are installed? Just

make sure everything's okay. Okay.

Hey, would you mind closing up tomorrow?

I just have some plans. Sure thing. Thanks.

What plans? I thought we were grabbing a bite to eat.

For lunch today, yes.

Talking tomorrow, taking Ashley to a play.

I thought you didn't like plays.

I'm willing to give it a shot.

And Kim said she goes every year.

No last name Kim.

Yeah. Still thinking about her.

Yeah. And going to the same place she might be at hopefully the same time is

best plan you have to find her. Well, I've tried searching for teachers in the

area named Kim, so that seems even more far -fetched. Yeah, there's probably a

lot of them. Yeah, I even thought about going to schools and asking around. I

can see the strange man arrested at elementary school headline now.

All right, where are we going to eat?

I was thinking tacos.

Always. All right.

Here we go.

Hey, where's Glenn?

He's running late again.

Vicki texted 15 minutes ago, and they're on the way. Is that coming? I can still

get another ticket.

No, Mom.

He loved it last year.

Oh, here you are. Hey.

Sorry. Were you all together?

Yes, these seats right here. Thanks for getting the ticket. Yeah.

Mom. What is it, honey? I don't feel good.

She looks a little green.

Oh, what's wrong?

My stomach hurts.

Maybe we should take her home.

But the play.

Maybe just give her a moment.

Come here, honey.

Oh, she feels a little warm.

I guess we better pass on tonight.

Yeah. You two stay.

I'll take Mia home and get her ready for bed. Oh, no, I can take her. You guys

have a night out.

Is that okay, Mia?

Let me go now.

Are you sure?

Yeah. Mia, you ask Aunt Kim to call us if you need us to come home early, okay?

Bye, you guys. Thanks, Kim. No problem.

Thank you.

Looks like I have two extra tickets.

Oh, do you want me to see the box office? We'll issue a refund.

It isn't worth it, Catherine.

I'll take care of it. You settle in.

How's your tummy? Can you watch the car all right?

I think so.

There.

All right, let's get the tickets.

Excuse me.

Do you need a ticket?

Oh, we're just waiting in line to get some.

Well, I ended up with two extra.

Please. Oh, really?

How much do I owe you? No, no, already paid for. My daughter and my

granddaughter had to leave, so enjoy the show.

Thank you. Okay.

Thanks. Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas.

All right.

Okay, Dad.

Come on. All right.

Catch!

I like the play. Yeah,

me too.

Going to be warm enough?

I think so.

Okay, did you brush your teeth? Yes.

Good.

So, Dad, do you think you'll call Mom again?

Why do you ask?

Uncle Hunter and Clarissa talk about it a lot.

How do you feel about it?

I don't know. It's up to you, isn't it?

Partially, but you come first.

I do.

Of course.

Well, it's okay as long as she likes me.

Well, that will be very easy then because everybody loves you.

So, do you want to fall in love?

Is it you asking or Hunter and Clarissa?

Me. Okay, just checking.

Well, I haven't really thought about it like that.

But yeah, I guess I do.

Have you met anyone?

Um... There is someone.

I'm just having a hard time finding her again.

You... just have to look for her.

Yeah, I guess I do.

I do.

Hey. Hey.

I come bearing gifts. Not that I want to turn these down, but why?

For taking care of Mia.

Oh, how is she?

Oh, she's so much better. Good.

So, I never got to hear about how your date with Zach went.

Trying not to think about it.

What are you thinking about instead?

You could probably guess.

Theo, you know the more I say his name, the more romantic it sounds.

So no luck?

No, dead ends everywhere I go. Honestly, I don't have much else to go on.

I mean, what more can I do?

You could hire a skywriting plane.

Yeah, no.

Okay, not to confuse you further, but while you're trying to track down this

mystery shopper man,

Do you risk missing out on a second chance with Zach?

Do you seriously think I should consider him?

No. Well, yes, if you still have feelings for him.

Right now, all I feel is awkward.

He asked if I forgave him, and I did.

I do.

But that doesn't mean I still have a future with him.

Yeah, makes sense.

What would you do if you were me?

Would you give Zach another chance?

Or... Or what?

Or ignore that crazy hope you have with someone you barely know, but feel like

you've known forever?

I mean, I wish it was easier to compare me and you.

But with Glenn, I mean, he was my first love.

He pulled me out of my shell.

If it was me, I would probably go back to Zach.

But that's just me, right?

Old, shiny.

If I was you, really you, I'd hold on to hope

that I'd find you, Theo.

This looks nice.

Hey, what are you doing here?

Are we getting lunch today? No. I mean, we can, but, you know.

What's up?

Okay. I've been thinking.

What do I know about being a dad?

Ah, you're having your freak out moment. Did you go through this with Ashley?

Yeah.

You get over it. How?

You just read the parenting manual.

Really?

You figure it out as you go.

You may not know everything, but you make up for it by how much you love the

kid.

And you will love him or her more than you can imagine.

the second you hold that baby in your arms. Yeah?

Yeah.

What if I mess it up?

Oh, you will.

I don't want to.

That's life, brother.

Hey, could Clarissa and I watch Ashley more? You know, practice some parenting.

You realize you're having a baby, not a nine -year -old.

Please?

Well, Ashley is home from school on the break.

I could drop her off in the morning before I go and install these cabinets.

Thank you.

Okay, one condition.

Anything. Stop talking about my love life in front of her.

She has ears.

Understood.

Are you going to be late after work today?

No, hopefully not.

You okay being here today?

Um, sir, can I get a letter? Yeah, just ask them. I'm sure Hunter can dig up a

sled somewhere.

Do you think we'll win the gingerbread contest?

Oh, I don't know, honey. There are a lot of good houses there already.

I hope so.

Well, if we don't hear in a couple days, that'll be our answer.

Good morning.

Hey, Sharon.

Hi, Theo.

What are you doing here?

Oh, Clarissa asked me to get the door.

Great.

Are they ready for Ashley?

Yeah, come on in.

Both of you.

Oh, thanks, but I gotta get back to work.

Okay, have fun. Be good.

Of course.

Actually... Feel free to give him a hard time today.

What? Never mind. I love you.

Bye, Dad. See you later. Bye, Theo.

I think we make the baby room blue and pink. That way we're ready for the next

one. Whoa, let's focus on the first baby for now, okay? We don't have to rush.

We still have months.

Let's just wait till we know what this one is. Well, all of my friends say the

due date sneaks up on you, and then suddenly you've got all this stuff to do

get ready, and I really don't want that to be us.

Clarissa, we'll be fine.

I promise.

What if I get sick? My mom had morning sickness, and she said that she could

hardly get out of bed for months.

Well, so far, so good, right?

We just don't know.

And it's not just the room, okay? We still need to purchase the clothes and

stroller and these harnesses.

Sweetie, breathe.

Breathe, okay? You're going to have a panic attack.

I know.

It's okay.

What? It's okay.

Okay.

Oh, hey.

Remember me?

Yes, Brachiosaurus fan.

Yeah, my name's Ashley.

Good to see you, Ashley.

No school today, huh?

We have Christmas break.

Lucky. Wait, don't you need Christmas break?

I do, but today's still a work day.

But that's okay, because I like to play with all the dinosaur bones.

I wish I could do that. Well, I'm sure you could. You know, we do have a summer

program. You can just come on by and see what it's like to be a paleontologist.

Really? Mm -hmm. Just tag your parents. Check it out on the university's

website. Yeah, I will.

So, where are your parents?

I'm actually here with my aunt and uncle.

They're at the top of the sledding hill. Ah, those silly grown -ups. They cut

the line to sled down, too, huh?

Yep.

So, do they know you're here?

Um, I'm not sure.

Well, how about we walk back that way just to make sure? Okay.

How's your day going? Good.

Yeah, that's better. Looks good.

Yeah, it does.

Hey, glad you like it.

If you notice anything amiss, just give me a call, but everything should be in

top shape.

Excellent. Any specifics in terms of, like, cleaning or whatever?

Yeah.

Let me take this.

Ben can walk you through all that, okay?

Yeah, so the best thing to use is just a damp rag. Hey, what's up?

Oh, minor snag, but we can't find Ashley.

What? I'm sure she's around here somewhere. We're both looking. I just

you should know.

Where are you? I'm at the flooding park.

Okay. I'm on my way over right now. Theo, I am so sorry. I'm sure she will

fine. Hunter, less talk. More searching for Ashley. Okay. Yes. Got it. Did you

know crocodiles are like dinosaurs?

Oh. Oh. There she is.

You got her?

She's on her way back right now. All fine here. Sorry about the worry.

Just make sure you don't get too close. Because the good thing about fossils is

they don't bite anymore.

Ashley! Ashley!

Let me guess, you're aunt and uncle.

Yep.

Hey,

I'm so glad you're okay. We've been looking everywhere for you.

You're talking. I just went to the playground.

You need to tell us next time.

We are the worst future parents ever.

Thanks for walking with me. Of course. It was good to see you again.

I've been begging my dad to take me back to the museum.

Well, you both should come. You could show him all the sorrow pods.

And your third top season?

Good memory.

Thank you so much. Of course. She is a great girl.

Bye. See ya.

Have a good afternoon.

Bye.

Zach. Tomorrow.

Yeah, I can come by.

What time?

Sweetie, we talked about the wandering off thing.

I know, but I knew I was the whole time. Yeah, but Hunter and Clarissa didn't.

I left them in charge. They were responsible for you while I was gone.

Or supposed to be.

Sorry.

At least I found a nice person to talk to.

A stranger.

What if they weren't nice?

But she wasn't a stranger. She was a lady from the dinosaur museum.

Okay, I'm just glad that she brought you back safely to Hunter and Clarissa.

Oh, she invited me to come to the museum again. Could we?

I don't know.

And then we could thank her for taking such good care of me while I was lost.

I thought you knew where you were the whole time.

What do you think?

This is beautiful.

Jeff said the walls painted and the kitchen cabinets are new.

Zach, I didn't know you had such great taste.

I even had a designer come in and coordinate the colors.

I was thinking of changing up the flooring. This is what it was before,

thinking of trying something new.

That's nice.

You think so?

Yeah. But if you could pick, would you change it?

Zach, I don't know. This is your house.

Yeah, but I care about what you think. Especially if everything here could be

yours, too.

Zach. I know, but... What happened to taking it slow?

I just wanted to show you that I've changed.

I'm serious about this.

About us.

I'm not running away this time.

Uh, this seems like a really nice neighborhood.

It is.

I don't know what you're thinking.

A half.

A half. Yeah.

It's a little bit much.

Kind of flattering, though.

If I felt the same way, sure.

Was it nice?

Yeah. Yeah.

But this is just so complicated.

Kim, I hate to say it, but maybe you should consider going back to Zach.

No, I can't.

Because of you?

No, because Zach feels this way now. But what if he suddenly changes again?

And he's not paying attention to how I feel.

So Theo really has nothing to do with it?

I keep wondering why did I even meet him, you know?

Why would I just lose the chance of it being something more?

It's like I'm being teased, and what I want is kept out of reach.

Oh, Kim, I'm sorry.

I wish I had the answer.

I beg not.

Give me something to wrap.

Yeah, I'm here. Oh, good.

We just got a shipment in. I think it's a specimen from the Montana dig.

I'll be right there.

Hey, let's clear space for that shipment.

Thank you.

Wow, look at the teeth on that guy.

Look at that.

Holy smoke.

How did they brush those?

This is where the actual paleontologists work, like Dr. Fennick.

Really? That's neat.

Oh, is that her?

She might not be here today.

Well, you've been here before. You could give me the tour.

Okay. This way. I'll show you.

Come on. Let's go, Dad.

Come on.

Okay, okay.

There's this really cool skeleton.

It's huge.

What's it called?

Brachiosauri.

You got it? Yeah.

Hey, you okay?

Yeah, I'm good.

Hey, be sure to finish your milk. I will.

And then where does your bowl go?

The dick bowl.

Hello?

Hi, this is Lynn calling from the City Art Museum for Ashley regarding the

gingerbread contest.

Yeah, hang on. She's right here.

Okay, we're listening.

I'm pleased to inform Ashley that her fairy garden gingerbread house won third

place this year.

Really?

Ten. I won. That's great news.

We'll have a little ceremony with the winners this afternoon at 3 p .m. Do you

think you can make it?

Yes. Yes. Yes, we'll be there. Thank you.

You did it.

Ten. I won.

We're delighted by all the holiday spirit we see in this competition.

The entries we saw this year were top -notch. We'd like to acknowledge two

entries with honorable mention.

Candace Perez with her Marshmallow Snowman Cottage.

And Jimmy Alto with his Army Man Gingerbread House.

Now for our winners.

In third place, Ashley Hall.

Thank you. With her Imaginative Fairy Garden Gingerbread House.

Ashley wins a gift card to them all.

Congratulations, Ashley.

In second place, we have Samuel Hazlitt.

Okay, you ready?

Yeah. One, two, three, two.

Got it.

Can we take it home now?

Oh, no, we have to wait till January so everyone can see it.

All right.

So do you want to spend that gift card now or...

Wait a little while.

No, I better wait till January.

I don't want to buy something I might get for Christmas.

Good thinking.

All right, get your kit.

Let's go.

I don't want to go to the museum.

Oh, sweetie, you'll love it. I promise.

Mia, we're going to go see some cool gingerbread houses.

Yeah, and hopefully find out Kim's soulmate.

Very funny.

And then tonight, we're going to go have dinner at Grandma's, and then the rest

of the video will be fun. I promise.

All right.

Good girl.

Wow.

See, not so bad, right?

Look at these. These are amazing. I know.

You know, Glenn and I tried to make one last year.

He ended up eating just the candy.

Ha, typical.

What did you guys make?

I made a campsite.

With a tent?

You are never going to let that go.

Nope. Hey, look, honorable mentions.

Let's see, Candace Perez, Jimmy Alta.

Winners, Ashley Hall, Samuel Hazlitt, and Yelena Ellis.

No, Theo, Theophilus, Theobald.

Nope.

Theophilus? I don't know.

Well, I'm sorry his name's not here.

Yeah. At least it was worth it for Mia.

Mia!

Tell me about the house, Zach.

I think you should come and see it. I can't do it justice.

Love you.

That's Kim. I'll get it.

Hey,

what's... Zach's here.

Wait, what? It's kind of my fault.

Also, Glenn, I was talking to him about Zach and the house, and your mom may or

may not have been right there when we were talking about it, and she got

excited and invited him over for dinner.

I'm so sorry.

Hi, Kim.

Hey, Zach.

So, Zach was just telling us all about the house he's remodeling. Yeah, I am so

glad the carpenter came in and installed the cabinets on time. You know how

construction is.

Hey, how did you like their work? Because Bill and I are thinking about

remodeling this kitchen.

No, we're not.

Uh, yes. I've wanted to for years, and you always talk me out of it. That's

because there's nothing wrong with our kitchen.

Shush. Think of it as an early birthday present.

They're great. I'll give you their number.

It's Theo Hall something or other.

Theo? Theo Hall Carpentry. That's it. I'll look it up.

Catherine. Thank you so much, Zach. It's great.

Catherine.

Excuse us.

It has to be him.

Oh, I want to believe more than anything that that's true, but there's probably

a kind of Theo's out there. I seriously doubt that.

You'd be surprised.

What, did you Google him or something?

Not important.

Was I a small carpentry?

Yeah.

Are there any pictures?

Uh, cabinet, furniture.

None of him. Well, I mean, it's his business. He probably can be a

Look, it's in town.

You have to go.

What if it's not him?

Well, I mean, it never hurts to call.

Or, you know, show up in person.

I thought the store was closed today.

It is.

Hi, Theo.

Sharon. Hi.

Clarissa said you were catching up on some work today. And with it being so

close to Christmas, I thought, well, that's no fun.

So I brought some lunch for you and Ashley.

Oh, thank you.

That's nice of you.

Come on in.

Thanks. Dad.

Felix. Good.

Come eat.

I'm hungry.

This looks great.

Marissa told me you love fried chicken.

She did, huh?

And Ashley loves brownies.

Here, grab a plate.

Thank you for lunch. That was very thoughtful of you.

I'm glad you liked it.

Maybe we could do it again sometime?

Sharon, I value our

friendship, and I don't want to jeopardize that.

We're practically family.

And that's enough.

Oh.

I see.

I'm sorry.

Don't be.

Would you do me a favor, though?

Of course.

If you change your mind, tell me.

Maybe... You never know.

I will.

See you later.

Bye.

Bye, Ashley.

Bye.

Oh, Ashley.

Merry Christmas Eve. Can we open presents?

No.

Just one?

Honey, we always open one tonight.

How about this morning instead?

If I let you open one, will you let me sleep?

Yep.

Fine.

Wait!

Don't open any!

I have to prove which one.

Nope,

not that one.

No, no, no.

This one.

This one?

Or we can wait till tomorrow.

Cool things, Dad.

You're welcome.

There?

Perfect.

Which one are you going to open?

Oh, I don't need one.

You have to get something.

Do I?

Hey, what if we did something fun tonight for my present?

You could go back to his work after Christmas.

What would be the point? To chew him out for leading you on?

Maybe he would just be nice.

Besides, he would think I was obsessed for dwelling on this so long.

But after all the searching, are you really satisfied to just not know what

felt when you met a month ago?

No.

But what if talking about it makes it worse?

I don't want to risk getting hurt again.

For what it's worth, I wish he was everything you thought he was going to

Seeing how you feel, though, I do need to give you a little heads up.

Again? What now?

So your mom asked me if she thought she should invite Zach to the Santa set -off

tomorrow. And given the latest with Theo, I told her that I thought it was a

good idea.

It's okay.

Really?

Not that I'm falling in love with Zach again, but I might as well make my mom

happy. I think she likes him more than I do.

We're supposed to go to Clarissa's parents' house tonight, and now you want

go to some Christmas village thing? Yeah, come on. It'd be something

Is this just some way to stay clear of Sharon?

No.

We talked, and we're on the same page.

Ouch. Hey, I was nice.

Now, if you want to blame anyone, blame you and Clarissa for encouraging her.

But no, this is something else.

What?

Kim.

Let me guess, this is another place she's supposed to be if you can just

to be there at the same time. She said they go every Christmas Eve.

And that the best time to go is this Santa send -off thing she mentioned.

Great, so better odds this time.

She really got to you, huh?

It's been a month, and I can't stop thinking about her.

It's not like I bore my soul to her or anything.

But the way...

I felt around her.

I can't leave that behind.

All right, I'm sold.

But what am I going to tell Clarissa?

Or her mother? Or our mom?

She was looking forward to a night in where she didn't have to do the cooking.

Just invite them along.

Not everybody's going to go for that.

Look, we can come back after, but I have to try.

Okay, we start with Clarissa. If we can get her on your side, the rest is easy.

Great.

This is impressive.

I never knew about this.

I heard they do a Christmas thing every year.

Where's the special send -off? I don't want to miss it.

Probably this way, but we've got a few minutes.

So, have you been here before?

No, first time. I think Mom would have really liked it. Oh, except the cold.

But maybe next year we'll see if she wants to come along.

Can I get a treat?

Sure.

Merry Christmas.

Hello, Zach. Thanks for inviting me.

We're glad you could come.

Come on. I wonder if they have anything new in the village this year.

Are you warm enough?

Yeah. Thanks.

Can I have a hot chocolate with extra marshmallow?

Make that two.

That'll be $2 .50 each.

So $5.

We accept tips, too.

I accept tips if you want to round up.

Here, I've got you covered.

Interesting wallet choice.

Yeah, it kind of makes you seem like a little kid, doesn't it?

Dad?

Sorry.

Thank you.

Hey, Ashley.

The woman from your field trip.

What?

What's that?

Hannah, hurry.

Ho, ho, ho.

Merry Christmas.

Thank you for coming to see me off.

Nope, not going tonight. I hope you've been good this year.

No. Tonight is a special night.

The busiest and one I treasure.

My reindeer take me all around the world. And sometimes...

I need some extra help. Do you know what that is?

You. Your belief in me and your excitement for the big day tomorrow.

So let me hear your best train whistle.

Toot toot! Toot toot!

One more.

Toot toot!

Now I'm ready.

Merry Christmas to you all. Merry Christmas!

Conductor. If you please.

Hey,

drink that up now before it gets cold.

It's warm.

Oh.

Ashley, I was going to ask you.

The woman from the park that was also at your field trip, what was her name?

Oh, you mean Dr. Fennec?

Yeah, but what was her first name?

I don't know.

Do you remember what she looks like? The dinosaur lady?

Not the best way to describe any woman.

She's pretty. She has really long hair.

That could describe half the women here.

Anything else?

She looks like... Like... Like her!

Dad, that's her!

That is her.

Can we go say hello?

Absolutely. A couple moments, folks. We need to wait for that bar to go up.

Does that really hurt?

Come on, come on.

Okay, enjoy.

Okay, come on.

Where did she go?

Oh, there she is.

Ashley, wait for me.

Ashley, hey.

Did you lose your aunt and uncle again?

No, I'm here with my dad.

Ashley!

Leo?

Kim.

It's really you.

I have been looking everywhere for you since that night.

You have?

Yeah, not in like a bad, creepy way.

I don't think.

No, it's...

It's okay. I've been searching for you, too.

Really?

Yeah.

Well, I'm really glad that I found you here tonight.

This was kind of my last chance.

Why?

Well, I sort of didn't have any more clues after this.

I know what you mean.

So you know my dad.

Yeah, I do.

Ashley, this is Kim.

Dr. Penning. Yes.

This is my dad, Theo Hall.

Oh, nice to meet you.

What's going on?

We found her.

There are... Two things I wanted to do a month ago before we got split up.

And what are they?

Ask you for your phone number.

Easy enough.

And the other?

Shall we?

Yeah.

Victoria, Merry Christmas.

Oh, Clarissa, she is adorable. Thank you. Oh, little baby. First Christmas.

Treasure it.

Ashley, grab that one for baby Victoria.

Okay.

Here you go. Hi,

Victoria.

Okay, does everyone have a present to open?

Oh, working on it.

Here. Thank you, sweetie.

Thank you.

Oh, here.

Tim, what do you think it is? This one's from my dad. Oh, is it?

Mm -hmm.

And this one's from Tim, too. Oh.

Mm -hmm.

I have no idea. Oh, God.

What do you think it is?

Well, first of all, we've got to work on your handwriting a little bit, babe.

Okay, if you don't like it, we can return it.

Honestly, it doesn't matter what it is.

Well, I wish you would have said that before because I went to four different

stores on Black Friday for this.

I will love it because it's from you.

Really? Really.

Well, I suppose I'm lucky then because it's a pair of socks.

Well, what do you think I got for you?

It doesn't really matter to me either because I have everything I want right

here.

Merry Christmas.