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When I saw this happening,

I thought it was very bad.

But like most things that happen at Merry Christmastime…

…it turned out to be very good.

I didn't know it at the time, but that little abandoned girl puppy

would eventually become the best thing…

…that ever happened to my pack.

But I guess I'm getting ahead of myself.

So let's start at the very beginning.

- Perfect Christmas. - So cute.

It was Merry Christmastime when I first met my pack.

Ooh.

- Great. Yeah. - Sander.

This last one is from me and Hunter to you and Barbara.

It was love at first sniff.

Who are you?

- I learned he was my dad. - Merry Christmas, Mom.

Yes.

- Merry Christmas, Dad! - And she was Ello, my girl.

Merry Christmas.

"Merry Christmas" was the first word I ever understood.

It means people are happy.

And it's my favorite word.

My mom and dad loved Merry Christmastime.

He called her Barbara.

She was his mate.

- People need mates. - Whoo-hoo!

There was a time when I thought I needed one.

But now, not so much.

At Merry Christmastime,

my whole pack would get together, and they were just happier…

Merry Christmas, everybody!

…than they were at any other time of the year.

The next Merry Christmastime…

…the babies arrived.

- I did this. - Here's your brothers, Ello.

Winstead, wanna say hi?

I couldn't stop kissing them…

…and I didn't know why.

There were more Merry Christmastimes.

And as I got bigger, so did everybody else in our pack.

I used to be able to sleep through the night

without going outside for a leg lift.

But those days are gone.

Dad has the same issue.

The night is when I do my best hunting.

Mm, garbage juice.

I always check on my pack.

The babies got way bigger. Night is the only time they're quiet.

But I love the babies.

They always remember to feed the dog on the floor.

Okay, yeah. That's better.

My girl, Ello, doesn't play with me much anymore.

She's either sad or yelling or crying.

The only time she's really happy

is when she's out there sliding around on the ice.

It's who she truly is.

Oh, tonight she left me a treat.

The tired ones.

I worry something big is happening between them.

It's snowing. It's snowing.

Though when they fight, they seem to enjoy it.

Some people call them Hunter and Juliana.

So I think of them as Hunter Dad and Juliana Mom.

This is where we sleep.

Dad is very sad, and I know why.

It's been two Merry Christmastimes since Mom got sick and went away.

I first noticed that bird the day Mom left us.

It's like the bird is watching over us.

Okay.

Oh, oh. Okay. All right.

Okay. That's… All right. Yep.

Nope. Ow!

Not a word of this to anyone, Ello. I'm issuing a gag order. Down, Winstead.

Not that Grandpa even cares.

Um, can you take this up to your grandfather?

God, who died and made me a waitress?

Um, your grandmother, that's who.

Why does he have to live here? It's not even fair.

They always make me work for it.

He spent all of his money on medical treatments,

and now he was forced to move in here, but he's family, so…

Deal with it, missy.

I just don't like him.

I mean, he's against everything that I stand for.

Oh, really?

In this house, we respect our elders.

Period.

Oh, that actually includes me.

Why is the food always up there?

I love you!

Whatever.

Oh God.

Oh my God. Oh my God.

I thought you were dead.

So you give me a heart attack?

Yeah, well, Mom told me that I needed to respect you.

So here's your eggs and toast.

I know a dog who deserves some toast.

I don't want it.

Okay, boomer.

Which one's that?

That one's Ewan.

Ewan, you either stop or finish the job.

I look forward to the day when I can eat eggs without screaming in the background.

Well, at least you get to escape to your office.

For me, the screaming never stops.

- Yeah. - Don't forget, we have lunch today.

Mrs. Espinoza's taking the twins.

No, today I have that meeting with my new boss, Nina O'Brien.

- I told you about this. - And I told you we need to talk.

It's really important.

So be there,

or I'm showing up at your office with the twins.

- Okay. - Ello.

We got some very exciting news

about you on the parent portal this morning.

- Chewy. Mm-hmm. - Your essay on ice dancing won this…

- Mine. Ello, mine. Mine. - Winstead. Give it back. Come on.

It says here,

"Eloise Goss…" That's you.

"…will receive a $2,000 college grant…"

- Two thousand dollars. That's great. - A lot of money.

"…and will be hosted in evening wear

on the mayor's float in the Christmas parade."

They're gonna announce it at the assembly today.

- Yay! - Oh, look at that.

Congratulations, honey.

- That's great. Wonderful. - So cool.

No. No, I resign.

- You can't resign from a scholarship. - Uh, no, I don't think you understand.

If I do that, Brittne's gonna hate me, and then all my friends are gonna hate me.

- Because of the scholarship? - No.

Brittne's gonna hate me because of the outfit.

Honey, I think we just need to calm down and think about this.

You know what? This is the worst day of my life, okay?

Wow. Okay. All right.

- No! - No. Not today, guys.

I've got a massive headache.

When she's alone with the babies, she struggles.

I wish I could help.

When everybody leaves, he gets so sad.

Something's different about him today.

And it's not good.

Don't look at me like that.

Let's go for a walk.

Walks fix everything.

Okay.

We'll go for a walk first.

They start Christmas earlier every year, Winstead.

Barbara loved it. No idea why.

Who's that?

- What? - There.

He looks homeless.

- In a cashmere coat? - Um, what a beautiful dog.

See how his nose is down? He's tracking.

Mm. Oh, you and your dogs.

- Oh, got a scent. On it. - Hey! Winstead!

Uh-uh. Oh-oh…

- Tracking. Tracking. - Stubborn. So stubborn. Winstead!

He says that word so much, but it never comes with a treat.

So I don't let it distract me from my tracking.

Oh, no cherry pie for you. Hey, but you can have dog treats.

- I love her. She smells like sugar. - Winstead.

- I'm so sorry. Off. - We should take her home with us.

Winstead, Winstead, stop it.

I'm sorry, ma'am.

Oh. "Ma'am"? Really?

Miss. Lady.

Ma'am's fine.

Madame.

- My sincerest apologies. - Hey. No problem.

- Bye. There he goes. - Come on. Winstead.

"Ma'am."

He called you "ma'am."

I think he probably stole that coat.

I've never seen him this sad.

This is the last thing Mom touched.

It still has her scent.

Her breaths were getting slower.

She was leaving us.

I could feel it.

She touched it with such love.

Maybe he'd feel better if he just smelled it.

I told you, quit looking at me like that.

I can't take it.

Come on. Let me give you a treat. Come on.

Winstead.

Winstead, will you stop it?

Winstead--

How can I love him more?

Just let me go, will you? Just let me go.

Because I need his pain to go away.

It's so nice to finally, uh, meet you one-on-one, Ms…

- Nina. - I prefer Mrs. O'Brien.

Mrs. O'Brien, yes.

Great choice.

Oh, well, thank you for your approval.

Sit, sit, sit.

I am known as a job cutter. I move fast, and I break things.

On average, 10% of employees are worthless underperformers, so…

You know.

I do have my firing boots on.

They're really nice boots.

It's not about the actual boots. You know, why don't you tell me about you?

Uh, okay. Well, um… I'm Hunter Goss.

- Mm-hmm. - I'm the facility manager here.

Um, wife's a lawyer.

Twin toddlers, a 17-year-old daughter.

A widowed father lives with us and his, uh, old basset hound.

Oh, I love those smooshy faces.

They have these smooshy faces.

Really smooshy face.

- He's got such a smooshy face. - Hm.

So you don't talk about the job. You go straight to family. I like it.

Unless, of course, it's a cheap play to my emotions

because you expect a woman to care more about family.

- Uh, no, I-- - I do have a son, Sean.

He's going to start at Traverse City North after Thanksgiving.

My daughter, Ello, goes to school there as well.

She, um… she… She could probably show Sean around.

Are you sure you wanna offer that?

Yeah. Of course, absolutely.

All right.

So I understand that you are doing a complete,

expensive redesign of these offices over the break.

Yes, yes. So, this, uh,

presentation will show how an open concept

fosters cooperation,

and how an open space--

I don't care.

We are in a crisis here.

Engineering productivity is down 20%

since we made everyone come back to the office.

And now corporate is no longer sure

that they want this branch to be our national headquarters.

And your big genius fix to this problem is to spend $3 million on, of all things,

office furniture.

- It was approved by Mr. Greenlee. - Who's no longer here.

Gee, I wonder why.

Anyway, here's the deal.

If this redesign miraculously turns this branch around,

you will be my boy wonder,

and I will make you Global VP of Facilities.

Hm.

Hm.

However, if it fails, I will throw you under the bus.

This branch will close.

All of your little friends will lose their jobs,

including, of course, you.

So… you know.

Good luck with that.

Hm.

So… Mrs. O'Brien, she's, uh…

Mm-hmm.

…kind of mean.

Um…

But I think she liked me.

Good.

And if she likes the installation,

she said I would get promoted to Global VP of Facilities.

Global?

- Yeah, I know. - That's…

Ha! That's your great news?

Okay. That you're gonna be

gone more than, um, usual,

and I'm just gonna be at home piloting the Titanic by myself.

No, it's more money.

- Hunter, I'm drowning as it is. - I just…

I think that if she sees how productivity is really gonna just boom--

Hunter!

Will you please listen to me? I'm not happy in the marriage.

Wait, hol…

Are you… Are you wanting a divorce?

No. This is gonna sound terrible, but…

The twins are the worst thing that ever happened to me.

I'm losing my mind.

I was the top litigator at my law firm,

and now I'm… I'm… I'm a hockey goalie for thrown food.

You're gone. Your dad is no help.

I don't even have time to go to the doctor.

And Ello is… …literally psychotic.

Do we know that for sure?

Well, no, she's… Of course not. She's not…

- You just said "literally." - Hunter, she's a teenage girl. She--

- Keep your voice down. - I will not keep my voice down.

I will keep my voice down for now.

I think that you don't lift a finger around the house.

Well, I… Look, if you…

If you want, you… you can go back to work.

Oh, can I? How?

Who's gonna take care of the twins and do the shopping and the housekeeping

and the laundry?

Hunter, I am suffocating.

And for an unprecedented third year in a row,

our Traverse City Christmas Parade Trampoline Toss Elf is,

of course, Brittne Malone.

Brittne! Brittne! Brittne! Brittne!

And finally,

the $2,000 Munson Scholarship is awarded to Eloise Goss.

Oh my God.

So random.

I don't know what kind of sick I am.

You call me to pick you up and don't know what kind of sick?

What kind of sick would you like me to be?

How about the kind where you're nice to your mother?

Do you know how stressed I am?

- Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and… Just… - Right. Right.

'Cause Christmas is your Super Bowl.

And Thanksgiving is the kick-off of the so-called magic of Christmas.

You know, honestly, I'm just…

I'm not feeling great either.

I hope we're not both coming down with something.

- Oh, translation, please. - Oh. He said Garrett peed his pants.

- What? Did he? - No way am I checking that.

Oh, just… Could…

Figure skating has a new champion right here in front of us.

Ello needs to help Juliana Mom.

Come on, Ello.

Follow me.

Oh my God, Mom. Are… Are you okay?

Oh.

- Oh God. - It's not, like…

Like, not morning sickness, right?

Oh no, no.

I mean, your dad's been so busy.

- We haven't had the time to… - Oh, okay. Please stop talking.

Okay. Oh.

Here.

Oh, thanks, honey.

- Oh. - Are you okay?

This is horrible.

I hope this isn't what you have.

No, I mean, what I have is just, like, high school.

- Oh God. - Okay, here, hold on.

- Oh, my-- - Okay. It's okay. Come on.

Here we go.

- Sorry, Winstead. - I want to help.

It's okay.

But I don't know how.

Sorry, Mr. Goss.

So nothing yet. We're running tests.

Odds are it's just a really bad UTI.

We need to keep her, make sure it's not a kidney infection.

- Wait. Can I see her? - She's resting.

So why don't you go home, get some sleep?

Uh, my phone died.

What time is it?

It's 6:30 a.m.

Oh God. I… I… I gotta get to the office.

- I'll be back at lunch. Thank you. - Mm-hmm.

- What's happening? - Where's your mom?

Where's the food smells? Where's Juliana Mom?

Mom's in the ER.

So no breakfast.

ER?

Why didn't you call?

What's up with Mom?

Uh, my phone died. Hey, is, uh… is my dad there?

He's bitching about his room service.

Where are you?

I'm at the office. It's the first day of the big install.

What? It's Thanksgiving. It's not even legal to work.

- Yeah, well, engineers are… - Hello, Hunter.

Hey. Okay.

Engineers are expensive.

It was the only way we could get a four-day install without missing work.

Well, that's stupid.

Yay!

Come on, Dad. We're doing zoomies.

Yeah!

Your mom's gonna be okay. She's gonna be in the hospital a few days.

So could you just take care of things at the house?

Make sure the twins stay alive?

What? It's Thanksgiving. What am I supposed to do?

I don't know, Ello. Make a turkey.

Mom does everything. Now you want it all on me.

Okay, okay. God, just…

You'll figure it out, all right? I gotta go.

How about first you make me breakfast?

God, I hate this family.

Will somebody please tell me what is going on around here?

Well, it's Thanksgiving.

Yeah, I know it's Thanksgiving.

Okay, and this is Mom's playbook.

She is like the Patrick Mahomes of Christmas.

I've about had it with your attitude lately, young lady.

- My attitude? - Yes.

What about your attitude, old man?

You know that your room was supposed to be my room

so that I could have my own bathroom?

Which I don't even know why you need because you only shower once a month.

And you're just this mean old man who treats me like some servant girl.

I don't get why you can't just be nice like every other grandpa ever invented.

Why are they so angry?

Well, maybe I've

been in a bad mood lately.

Really? Lately?

Yeah, try forever.

My wife died.

- She died. - Yeah, well, my grandma died.

Did you ever even think about that?

All of us lost her.

No, I didn't think about that.

If I could just get them to play together,

they might remember that they love each other.

- Winstead. - Winstead.

Now they're having fun. What would they do without me?

This Thanksgiving, I mean, it's, like…

How hard can it be?

I looked it up on the Google.

God. Please don't call it "the Google." You sound crazy.

Well, it says that we should have been thawing out that turkey,

like, three days ago.

Turkey?

No, we get it fresh. Mom always gets it from the grocery store.

Which closes at 5:30, so…

Oh.

Uh…

Well, I can go to the grocery store.

Great.

Uh…

Do we need anything else?

Yeah, everything else.

All right, make a list.

Huh, what do you know?

And I'll get dressed.

No more angry smells at all.

"Pumpkin pie stuff. Cranberry stuff."

"Stuffing stuff."

Ope.

Yeah, let me get the…

"Dinner rolls. Dinner rolls."

Dinner rolls. She wants dinner rolls.

Uh, here. Let me put you out of the way here.

Okay, boys, look.

- Be right back, all right? - Okay.

Gluten-free.

Sugar-free, taste-free.

I'll take about a pound of the lamb.

- No problem. - Thank you.

Oh! Oh… …my.

- Oh, boys, boys, boys. - Hi. Hi.

Boys, boys.

Are these your lobstermen?

- Here. Here. - It's just…

If I say no, will you take them?

Wow.

Every time I see you, you're surrounded by cute.

The basset, these little fishermen.

Uh… Oh, sorry. You don't actually remember me, do you?

Oh yes, ma'am, I do.

- Okay, yes. You called me ma'am. - I'm sorry. I'm just a little frazzled.

It's Thanksgiving. Of course you're frazzled.

Um, well, I'll leave you to it.

It looks like you got your hands full.

Yeah.

Excuse me. Excuse me. Uh…

Uh… What's your name?

I'm Claire.

Claire.

Claire, I will give you $1,000

if you will make Thanksgiving dinner for us.

That's funny.

Good luck.

Uh, Claire. Claire.

Ten thousand dollars and a free twin.

I don't think you should give those guys up.

They're pretty cute.

Last chance.

It… Garrett…

Hey, hey, you're sitting on the dinner rolls.

This is…

I guess you think I'm a pretty worthless, grumpy old man, huh?

Well…

I bring you breakfast every morning, and you don't say thank you, so…

I'll take that as a yes.

Mm.

They both seem unhappy right now

even though there's a hungry dog and food nobody's eating.

I can fix that.

Winstead!

Winstead, no!

Come on. When food's on the floor, it belongs to the dog.

- No. Give me that. - That's the rule.

Winstead. Give it back.

That was my turkey leg.

So close.

Oh, nice save, Grandpa.

I think I'm ready for dessert.

Yeah, dessert sounds good.

Dessert sounds great.

The peas made it.

All right.

Thanks.

For what?

Thanks for bringing me breakfast.

Yeah.

Hey, don't put peas in your nose.

Oh.

What?

Whi… Which one is he?

That's Ewan.

Ewan. Ewan.

What'd he say?

Well, you told him, don't put peas up his nose, and he asked you, "Ever?"

That's right, yeah.

Don't put peas up your nose ever.

Oh, now you did it.

Oh no. We just cleaned up.

It's raining peas.

Oops.

Happy Thanksgiving, Winstead.

All right.

- Hey. - Now we're talking.

See?

Everyone is so much happier when they feed the dog on the floor.

We're out of coffee.

I ain't gonna go through this day without coffee, okay?

Just hang out here, and I'll be right back, all right?

And this was the day a little girl puppy changed our world.

I thought, "I have got to get out of this car ride."

"Someone has to help that little puppy."

She's out there all alone.

How do I get out? I need to go help her.

Without humans…

…a dog is lost in the world.

We're gonna work on the forecheck.

- Okay. - We're running drills all day.

- Ah, similar to last time, then. - Yeah, I suppose.

Okay, fine, whatever. Guess nobody cares. I'll walk home.

Puppy. Hello.

Who are you?

Who are your people?

You don't have a collar.

I'm gonna take you home, okay?

Yeah. Here.

Let's get you a collar.

So we can walk home, yeah?

It's a ruby red collar. Maybe I should call you Ruby.

There we go.

Here, let's see.

Oh, my goodness.

Look at your little heart butt.

Yeah.

Okay. Let's go.

Come on, Ruby, let's go.

Nap time.

He so gets me.

Wait. Something smells familiar, but I'm too tired to check it out.

- You have a nice nap? - Uh…

'Cause you forgot to pick me up.

- Oh. - Oh yeah.

Oh.

What the hell is that?

Wait. Whoa.

What? She followed me home. She has a heart on her butt.

- What was I supposed to do? - It's the little girl puppy.

And she's okay.

Oh, great.

That's all we need.

I can't help it.

Dog pee in the house always makes me feel guilty.

Oh, hi, Dad.

Hey.

Thank you.

Hey, boys. Uh…

Whose… Whose puppy?

Yours.

Mine? Okay, well, obviously, we can't keep a puppy.

So, hey, Ello, you're gonna have to take it to a shelter.

How is Mom? When can I see her?

They're still saying no visitors yet.

Look, your mom's got an infection.

She's on antibiotics.

But they want to observe her for a couple of days.

Look, I'm still slammed between work and the hospital, so I just…

- I really need the two of you to carry on. - No, no, no. No.

No, no, no. No can do.

I can either take care of your kids and Grandpa and keep them alive,

or I can take Ruby to a prison.

- You can keep her for a few days. - She's not going to a shelter.

Hey, Ello. I, um…

I need a favor.

- It's actually… It's… It's kind of fun. - Yes? Uh-huh.

So my new boss, Mrs. O'Brien, has a son. His name is Sean.

He's about your age,

and he's gonna be starting school at TC North.

Boy, that is really fun news.

No, here's the fun part. I told her that you could show him around.

Oh my God, just kill me now.

Ello. It would… It would really, really help my situation at work

if you could just do this.

Fine.

Fine. My life's over anyway, so yeah.

- Thank you. - Whatever.

Hey, you guys eat dinner? Is there any food?

Yeah, fried chicken.

Wait, what?

Wow, I'm impressed.

Yeah? Well, I'll be sure to thank the colonel.

Oh, okay. Got it.

Look, puppies can be annoying.

I mean, they're just rude.

But they always find new ways to have fun.

Lick them clean. Lick them clean.

All she does is sit And stare and smile

Well, pididdle-a-diddle

Pididdle-a-diddle…

Oh my God. My bra?

Pididdle, oh baby…

- Oh my God. - I guess…

- Winstead, Ruby, what are you guys doing? - …I'm hoping we keep her.

I don't know why you gotta be so negative about this O'Brien kid.

He's gonna be some awful dorky loser.

Oh my God.

…goodbye to your brother.

Come here. Come here. Come say hi.

- Bye, Mom. - Bye, honey. Have a good day at school.

Love you.

Come here.

Oh, that's a good girl, a good girl.

- Hello, sir. Nice to meet you. - Hey. Hello.

And you must be Ello.

Who's a good girl?

Sean O'Brien.

Pleasure.

Oh, come on.

Sorry Mom saddled you with the dorky new kid.

- Smooshy face. - Later, Mom.

Who's a good girl?

Bye.

"Dorky new kid."

Hey, boys.

What's going on?

Well, this is fun.

Cute puppy.

I like this new boy.

He has the happy smell of someone who appreciates a fine, crispy bacon.

Good. Hi.

Come on, Ello. Sniff this bacon boy.

Reminder to all students.

There will be a general assembly in the gymnasium on Thursday at 10 a.m.

Cool lunchroom.

Hey, Ello.

Girl, over here.

Oh, great. Are those your friends?

Um, yeah.

- What's that all about? - Hi.

- Hey. - I'm Danny.

And you're the hot new guy.

Like, no chance at all you're gay?

No, but I am an ally.

Of course you are. 'Cause you're literally perfect.

Well, nice to meet you. I'm gonna be stalking Ello like a bad fan

because they don't have a schedule for me yet.

- Probably ruin her life, but-- - No.

Quite the opposite, actually.

Those are the girls that hate her at present.

The alpha mean girls. They wanna, like, ruin her life.

Like, first, Ello wins some big award. Now she's gone all exclusive on you.

Jealous much, Brittne? It's all anyone's talking about.

What?

Do they hate you because you're so much prettier than they are?

- Well, you are. - Yeah.

This might work out fine.

Steve!

Wha…

What… What is with the cardboard?

They took our cubes.

Yeah, no, an open floor plan fosters collaboration.

I hate collaboration. That's why I'm a software engineer.

- You left this on my desk. - Thank you.

- She's coming. - What?

Mrs. O'Brien, she's coming. Good luck.

Hunter.

I am well aware that any woman boss is automatically a bitch,

but I'm actually not,

because I believe in giving people an opportunity

to correct their massive screwups.

So, uh, the chairman of the board,

my boss, is coming to town Christmas Eve to visit family,

and he's going to do a site visit to determine,

as I have mentioned, whether or not we are closing this branch, so…

I have to get rid of this cardboard hellhole,

or I will fire you in front of the chairman on Christmas Eve.

Hey, Garrett.

Garrett, don't murder your brother.

Isn't that him again, from the festival?

Uh, I saw him at the grocery store. Those are his grandkids.

No grandmother?

He might be an eligible bachelor. I'm gonna go find out.

Oh. Okay. I think we're… We're going.

Boys. Hey, boys. Come on. We gotta go.

- Come on! - Good afternoon, stranger.

I'm Lucille Vargas,

and these are my friends, Claire and Allison.

- Hi. - Hey.

I'm Sander.

Sander.

- Sander Goss. - I like the one with treats in her pocket.

- So you're babysitting grandchildren. - Fraternal twins, right?

- Uh, yes-- - Nice of you to give the wife a day off.

No. Uh, I mean, yes. Uh…

They're fraternal twins.

And, uh, n… no.

My wife, Barbara, she passed about two years ago.

Oh, oh, oh.

He smells very afraid of something.

I'm a widow myself.

Five years.

My Thomas, uh, he passed two years ago.

And my husband's been gone almost ten years.

What's your dog's name?

Uh, Winstead.

Winstead.

Hello, Winstead.

Aw.

Are you a deer hunter, Sander?

Huh?

Well, it's just that so many of the men around here,

they let their hair and their beards grow out all unruly

for deer hunting seasons.

Yeah.

Unruly. Yeah.

These women are definitely a pack.

They smell like they're hunting, and Dad is their prey.

We all want to know,

have you permanently settled in Traverse City?

No, I live here.

Well, where have you been hiding all this time, mister?

Oh, speaking of time, kids. Hey, hey, boys.

It's time to go. Really, come on.

I'm so sorry. I… I do have to go.

Uh… Thank you for the dog treats.

Oh.

Sure. I make them myself.

I'm between dogs.

It's hard.

Come on, boy.

Are… Are you coming back tomorrow?

Uh, maybe, uh, on Thursday.

Okay. Come on, buddy.

Bye, Winstead.

We'll see you Thursday, Sander Goss.

Kids, come on.

Thursday!

Dad smells afraid but excited.

This one is tough to figure out.

I used to play with the dog in the wall myself

until I realized it's not real.

Come on, Ruby. Let's do "Chase Me."

- Okay, now for the hair. - Is that a Shop-Vac? What is that?

No, this is a Flowbee. It makes it so anyone can cut hair.

Our bird is back.

I… a…

Winstead, no barks.

He always says, "No barks." No idea what it means.

That's our bird. He never looks!

He goes nuts for no reason at all.

Next time, I'll have to bark louder.

Why are you getting rid of this whole, uh, Gandalf look?

I was in the park.

And these women, they said that I looked unruly.

- Women? - Yeah, you've heard of them.

Yeah, but I mean, like, plural. More than one.

Three.

- All widows. - All widows. Ah!

Three. It's like you're doing The Golden Bachelor.

What? No. Whatever that is, no.

- No. - Kind of.

- Wait. Hey, hey, hey. - It's okay.

- What is that? - Sit still. Stop moving.

There's more love between Ello and Dad now.

It's like this puppy came, peed on stuff,

- and somehow my whole pack got closer. - You gotta hold still.

See, it's like…

I mean, you kind of got to, like… Hold on. Hold on. Stop touching.

He does not like getting groomed any more than I do.

You've been asleep for so long.

How are you feeling?

God. Why aren't you getting better?

God.

Please get better.

Hey.

How's Juliana?

Any change?

No.

She's getting worse.

Don't tell Ello.

Where is Juliana Mom?

We need her.

It's definitely a kidney infection.

Yeah, they're… There's… They're worried about sepsis.

- Oh wow. - Yeah.

Okay.

Well…

You need to eat.

Want me to make you some waffles?

You make waffles?

Oh yeah. I make really crappy waffles.

Ello helps. Hey, hey.

Besides the new haircut, what have I missed?

Are the twins in Harvard?

You want yours burned or unburned?

Surprise me.

Come on. We both know I'm a dog who deserves bacon.

Santa, tell me

If you're really there

Don't make me fall in love again

If he won't be hear next year

Santa, tell me

If he really cares…

Hey.

- Sean, what are you doing here? - I met the hockey coach.

And guess what? I'm on the team.

- Of course you are. - Yeah. Figured I'd watch for a little.

You watched me skate?

Yeah. I was very impressed. You're really good.

- Do you have time to stay for a little? - Um…

Yeah.

I see the alpha mean girls are having a little party.

Ugh.

Forgot it was December.

Normally, I would have been invited.

'Cause it's Brittne's whole birth month, you know.

Birth month?

Oh yeah. Yeah, she takes the whole month.

Anyways, what do you wanna do? You wanna… just, like, skate or what?

Santa, tell me

If he really cares…

What?

My aunt's an ice dancing coach.

- I probably forgot to mention it. - Aha.

- Yeah. You did. - Come on, let's skate.

- Uh, spiral drag? - Let's do it.

On the 25th, by the fireplace Oh-woo-oh

Yeah.

But I don't want a new broken heart

- Show me a spin. - Okay.

This year, I've got to be smart

- Oh, baby - Santa, tell me, Santa, tell me

Oh yeah.

If he won't be here

Hello.

Ello's got skills.

Santa, tell me…

Thanks.

Well, they're watching.

Wanna give them something to talk about?

- What do you have in mind? - Carry lift?

I mean, you're the one who has to lift me.

Piece of cake.

If he won't be here next year

Santa, tell me…

- Oh, baby - Don't make me fall in love again…

Brittne's not happy.

What about you?

Are you happy?

So happy.

If he won't be here next year

Yeah!

Hello.

Hey.

Hi, Ruby.

Hi! Yes.

Hello, Ruby.

Any news on Mom?

Well, uh, your dad texted. Uh, she's still asleep.

Okay.

Yeah, but, uh…

I have an idea of what we should do.

We should get this house ready for Christmas for when she gets home.

- Okay. - Okay. Let's do it.

- Let's do it. - Come on.

Let's go, Ruby! Come on!

Ruby and I have no idea what we're doing,

but we're doing our best to help.

It's coming on Christmas

They're cutting down trees

They're putting up reindeer

And singing songs of joy and peace

Oh, I wish I had a river

- All right. - All right.

I could skate away on

But it don't snow here

It stays pretty green

I'm gonna make a lot of money

Then I'm gonna quit this crazy scene

Oh, I wish I had a river…

I wish I had a river so long

I would teach my feet

- To fly - To fly

What do you think, Ruby?

I wish I had a river…

No, no, uh…

Mom's gonna throw us out of the game for this mess.

I'm going in.

You're good, yeah. Christmas cheer.

Christmas cheer.

Don't you wanna go? Come on.

Well, some of us are just gonna go inside.

- Come on, sweetheart. - Really?

Come on.

Sander!

Sander! Sander, over here!

Sander! Yes!

He's coming over. He's coming over.

Don't act weird.

Don't talk about homeless. Don't talk about dogs.

Sander!

So nice of you to come in the rain.

We didn't know if you were gonna make it.

Hello, Winston.

- It's Winstead. Winstead. - Winstead. Hey. Sit, sit, sit.

Sit? I can do that one.

You shaved your beard, Sander. You look very nice.

- Less unruly. - Uh… Ah.

It's a nice haircut. Very… Different, but nice.

- Can I give Winstead a treat? - Yeah. My… Oh yeah.

- Yeah, sure. - I carried some…

Whoa! She dropped a treat.

My granddaughter, she said it's a… a thing.

Hey, let go of my leash.

Almost there.

- Would you like some wine? - Come on.

- Oh, come on. - Got it.

- Stay a bit. Are you sure? - I can't. Thank you.

Yeah. Yeah.

You seem to be totally unaware of the impact it has

when an eligible, attractive bachelor comes into a group of available women.

We kind of see it as Golden Bachelor, Traverse City version.

Yeah. I… I don't watch, uh, reality TV.

- Aw. - Oh. Well, that's Claire.

She likes to read poetry and listen to Joni Mitchell.

- What? - What?

You're gonna laugh.

I…

I am an actual member of the Joni Mitchell fan club

for like 40, 45 years.

- Really? - Yeah.

Oh, well, me too.

I mean, it's not a popular opinion, but I actually believe

that she should have won the Nobel Prize for Literature

instead of Bob Dylan.

- Totally agree with you. - Yeah.

I mean, I'm not gonna take anything away from Dylan, but you know what?

I don't even know what he's saying half the time,

but Joni, she speaks to me.

- Yeah. - Yeah.

Me too.

Uh, I gotta go.

Oh, well, here, let me walk you to your car.

- Uh, it's okay. It's-- - No. No.

No, no, no. I'd love to. I would like to…

- Let me be perfectly frank. - Oh my.

Allison is the pretty one.

I guess Claire is the smart one.

And me, do you wanna know what I bring to the table?

I… Uh, what?

Well, my husband left me very well provided for.

In this pack, she's the alpha.

The only thing I'm missing is a satisfying love life.

I like men a lot. Mm-hmm.

Hey, Lucille?

Ooh, the alpha's going for the kill.

I don't know if… if I… if I'm really ready for what you think I'm ready for.

Oh, Sander, you're not going to ruin all our fun, are you?

All I'm proposing is you get to know us one-on-one,

and then, you know, we'll maybe take it from there.

Come on.

What do you have in mind?

So it is The Golden Bachelor, then.

It's three dinners, three nights.

I mean, that's what The Golden Bachelor is.

Hence, the makeover.

Here. Wear this and this together.

And…

Just burn all of that.

I can tell something bad is happening.

Dad.

- I need to talk to you. - All right.

Dogs don't always know what's going on,

but we do understand our people.

Here she comes.

Where are the twins?

I already dropped them off with Ms. Espinoza. Um…

Honey, there's no easy way to say this, but your mom is in organ failure.

They need me to be a very good dog right now.

What? Well, uh…

I'm sorry, what does that even mean?

Well, it was what they were worried about. Uh, sepsis.

It started small, but the infection's gotten so bad

that it's moving into her vital organs.

Had to put her in a coma to reduce her brain swelling.

Her heart is racing.

So, we are going to go to the hospital.

We'll put the dogs in the garage.

So why don't… why don't you go upstairs and get a coat, okay? Put your shoes on.

Yeah.

Come on, Winstead.

- I'm going to get dressed. - Okay.

Ello, you're gonna have to take that dog to a shelter.

I don't have the bandwidth for this right now.

Just get this water for him.

- All right. - Okay. There you go.

Get in the bed. Come on, we gotta go.

- Okay. - Get in. Good boy.

Okay. Be good, Ruby, okay?

- You have Winstead. - Stay.

- Take the bed. - Okay. Okay.

Ruby doesn't understand that sometimes we don't get to go

with our people.

My job now is to guard the house and to take care of the puppy.

Oh, Ruby.

Don't worry, Ruby. You're not alone. You're part of our pack now.

It's okay. You can touch her, honey.

Mom, I wish I could have been here.

I'm really sorry I said that I hated you because…

Because I don't hate you. I love you.

And I'll clean my room,

and I'll make sure that Ruby goes to a rescue, and…

Just please come home, Mom.

- Please. - It's okay.

She's gonna be all right.

I can't survive without you.

Dr. Alexander to Emergency. Dr. Alexander…

Hey. It's gonna be okay.

She's gonna be all right. Okay?

- Okay. - Okay.

She'll be okay.

Um…

So I'm… I'm just gonna be here.

Ms. Espinoza said that she could watch the twins as long as we need.

Oh. Ello and I got it covered. Hmm?

- Mm-hmm. - Okay.

Just focus on taking care of your wife.

Ello.

Ello, I want you to listen to me for a minute.

Listen to me.

We are not getting rid of Ruby.

All right?

When your grandma was sick, it was Winstead that saved me.

He's still saving me.

Thanks, Grandpa.

And I'm gonna pick the twins up.

And we're gonna stick together as a family because that's what families do.

- Is Mom dying? - No.

Nobody said anything like that.

So that is not what is happening here.

Isn't that just like denial?

Yeah, call it denial. But that…

Sometimes, that is the only way to cope in this world.

So, that's what we're doing. We're practicing denial.

Deal?

I'm in.

Okay. Deal.

Now we need burgers. That's what we need. Cheeseburgers.

And we're gonna get puppy cones.

You know, I think burgers are probably the official food of denial.

Come on. Let's go.

Hold on.

- Hey. - Okay. Okay.

Come here and have your burger.

Then we're gonna get the twins, get a Christmas tree,

so everything's ready when your mom gets home.

- All right. - Right? Let me have that one.

- Give them their pup cups. - Okay.

Here, take that one. There you go. There you go.

- Here, you want one? - You want the pup cup?

I knew if we were good dogs, it would work out. See?

- See how they love us, Ruby? - That's good.

Oh yeah.

Hey, Grandpa, come see. The twins only broke three ornaments.

It's totally perfect.

It's a sign. Mom's gonna be fine.

I agree.

It's a sign.

- It's beautiful. - Mm-hmm.

Oh, Ruby. That is so bad dog.

- And that's another sign. - Ruby, no.

I thought the puppy was named Ruby.

Ruby, no.

But now I'm thinking it's "Ruby, no."

Okay, so pick a partner and conduct your interviews

for the five-page biography due next Friday.

Take turns asking each other questions. Okay? Got it?

Sick of me yet?

No.

In fact, I do have questions.

Shoot.

Why are you always so confident? Aren't you freaked out to be the new guy?

Are you kidding?

I'm faking it.

It's my senior year, and I'm at a new school.

Seriously, I told my mom I'll do homeschool.

Why didn't you homeschool? It…

- I mean… - I met you.

And I've been watching you. And you… You don't seem good today.

Is something wrong? You okay?

Yeah. I'm sorry.

What's happening?

Ello.

My mom is in a coma.

And I'm trying to do denial, but… …it's…

It's really hard.

Okay.

Oh, Ruby, you fix everything.

So, what's up with all the bachelor widows?

Hey, this is my spot.

Oh.

That dinner, it's tomorrow, and…

But… But first it's Claire, then Allison,

and then "Lucille for dessert," as she puts it.

I mean, it's so, so stupid.

I'm gonna… I'm gonna cancel it.

- What? No. - Yeah.

- No, no, no. Denial was your idea. - Yes. I'm… No.

Okay, if I have to go to school, you gotta do the dinner.

You can't cancel. I'm serious.

Yes, ma'am.

It's her. The one that smells like sugar.

- Oh, hello. Hi. - Hi.

I… I'm so sorry I'm late, but I can't do this.

Mm…

I think it's appalling that you've got family in the hospital.

And if you wanna take somebody out of this stupid competition,

I pick me. I'm out.

Don't go.

I know you're a very nice man, and--

Oh. Needless to say, I'm… I'm…

I'm in love with your dogs, but…

But I can't imagine that dating is at the top of your agenda right now.

No, it's not.

- No. - No.

But here. Here.

What, uh… You want me to hold…

She likes you.

Ruby's the best thing that ever happened to our pack.

- She's bringing us new people. - Look, uh…

I'm only here because…

…my granddaughter and I, we're practicing denial.

And she, you know, wanted me to do it. I said, "Yes, ma'am."

- You call her "ma'am" too? - Yeah, I… Yeah.

Look, I'm not really hungry.

But… But I wouldn't mind having a piece of this chocolate mousse pie

that they have here.

I hear it's, like, incredible.

So, would you…

…share a piece with me?

Uh, just as friends?

- Yeah. - Hmm.

- Yes, I would be honored. - Oh, okay.

Wow. An igloo in the snow. This is very lovely.

Aw…

A dog's purpose is to make people happy,

and Ruby is great at it.

So I am officially declaring this season of The Golden Bachelor canceled.

- Ruby! - Ruby, no!

- Ooh, hey! - It's not safe!

- Oh God! - Watch out!

Ruby! Oh my God. Are you okay?

Ruby, you scared all of us.

You scared me.

Bad, bad dog.

It's all right, honey. She's okay.

- Oh my God, Mom. You okay? - Yeah.

Ruby knows she's in trouble.

- Since when do you have a puppy? - I found her a few weeks ago.

She's not chipped.

Well, you can't just find a dog and keep it. Right, Mom?

I do not like the smell of these two women.

She's right. You can't just keep it.

Bad women.

Winstead, stop it.

That's about dumbest thing I've ever heard of.

Oh, I don't know who you are,

but I'll tell you that I volunteer one day a month in rescue.

And she's right. There's a process.

Oh.

Oh, I'm sorry. I'm just trying to process your bullshit.

So it's your contention that it is the mission of animal rescue

to take found puppies away from their people. Is that it?

Well, maybe we should call an ACO.

A what?

An ACO, animal control officer,

who is the only person empowered to remove a dog from its owner,

which you would know if you spent more than one day a month

of your precious time at the rescue.

- But you know what you should do? - Hmm.

Stop enabling every little bratty impulse in your kid

and explain to her that the real world

does not tolerate mean girls past high school.

- Are you ready, honey? - Yeah.

Come on, Winstead. Let's go.

Come on.

When did you become such a kick-ass grandpa?

I'm whatever grandpa you need.

The best days end here.

Car rides are proof of how amazing people are.

Whoo-hoo!

As long as you can smell your person, it means they're still here.

Hey.

I, um, just came home to shower, get a change of clothes.

Hunter Dad is so tired.

I wanna thank you for everything you've been doing around here. I know it's--

No. Hey. To tell you the truth, it feels good not to feel so worthless.

- Yeah. - But, uh…

Ello has been great.

Do you know she's got a boyfriend?

Wait, I'm sorry, what?

Hunter Dad is shocked.

- Don't freak out. - Are we in danger?

- Do I need to protect us? - When did this happen?

- No barks. No barks. - I'm just gonna bark.

Look, he's a boy, and they're friends.

I… I don't know if he's a real boyfriend, all right?

- Okay. - But it's your boss's kid.

Sean O'Brien.

Oh God. That's…

That's gonna make it real awkward when she fires me.

That's not gonna happen.

If I can't get these engineers to take down their cardboard cubicles,

then…

You know what I would do with that?

As a former firefighter, I'd take it down myself.

It's a fire hazard.

Dad.

You know I'm thinking about selling this thing?

What are you talking about? Dad, you love this car.

I love what it represents. But it doesn't run.

And…

It's like a metaphor for my life. I mean, it's stuck in the past.

Wow. Dad, that is a whole other level of deep for you.

I'd rather spend time with my grandkids.

And if I'm gonna be driving them around,

I'm gonna need something a little less emasculating than your minivan.

Yeah, it's got no stones. Definitely a eunuch-mobile.

Thanks, Dad.

Yesterday, you were, like, so kick-ass grandpa.

And you were just, like…

Like, "Get back in the car, you pathetic, fake rescue bitches."

Wow.

I wish I had said that.

Oh, well.

You deserve a friend that's gonna cheer for you, Ello.

Brittne…

…is not that friend.

It's Dad.

On FaceTime.

- Hi, Dad. We're driving home. - Hey.

I know you guys are driving, but pull over for me.

Yeah, hold on.

Listen.

Whatever's happening, we're in this together.

What's going on?

Look, I wanna… I wanna show you something.

Look who it is.

Oh my God.

She's awake.

- Yeah. - She's awake.

Yeah, she… she… she just opened her eyes.

She's not out of the woods yet, but, uh…

Hi, Mom.

She's awake.

Hi, honey. Hey, look who's here. Look who's here.

Hi.

Juliana, you can't talk yet or move.

It's called acute flaccid paralysis.

It's caused by your brain swelling, which is hopefully temporary.

Your system is still in shock from the secondary infection.

But you're gonna get better. Okay? You're gonna get better.

You're gonna be okay, Mom.

- See you soon, all right? - Nice job, bro.

Now on ice, holiday free skate.

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire…

- Hey. - Hey.

Is everything okay? How's your mom?

Oh, she's awake.

I know. They think she'll be okay.

- I mean, not for a little while, but… - Hello, Ello.

- That's amazing. - Yeah, it is.

- That's the best news ever. - It really is.

God, we're doing this really bad.

I don't care. It's the best spin ever for the best news ever.

Everybody knows a turkey…

Thanks for being the friend who cheers for me, Sean O'Brien.

I am that friend.

Help to make the season bright…

Oh, we have, uh, interviews due Friday.

Sure.

- Sure. Okay, then. - Sure.

- Favorite ice dancer? - Meryl Davis.

I used to have a signed letter from her, but it got lost in a move.

I blame the twins.

What did the twins do?

Oh, nothing. I just like to blame them.

Okay, my turn.

Favorite hockey player?

Wayne Gretzky.

- Wayne Gretzky? - The Great One?

Duh.

Don't know him.

I'm joking. I'm joking.

Merry Christmas

Come on, Wayne Gretzky. Come on.

To

I'm all right.

You

So individually lifting each finger reestablishes the neural pathways.

You'll wanna do the same with her feet.

She's lucky.

Not all patients have someone willing to spend the time.

No, I'm the lucky one.

She's my everything.

It's okay, I got it.

Yum.

You've got such nice feet. I never noticed.

No doubt. Hm.

- Let's try this one. - Hmm.

What is this?

- Hmm. - What is that?

Okay, there it is. It still fits.

Oh!

It still fits.

Mm.

- We're still married, right? Yeah? - Mm.

Hi.

Hi.

I… Uh, I just brought you some of my…

…dog treats.

I know that Allison and Lucille brought casseroles,

which is much more practical, but…

I hate casseroles.

Anyway, I don't wanna intrude.

You're not intruding.

Uh, we just had a tragic colored hair gel incident.

I could use your help.

Well, I am good at tragic hair gel incidents.

Oh wow.

It's a circus around here, isn't it?

Oh, crazy. They look like little Loraxes.

Yeah. Next show starts in five minutes.

All right, Ruby. She makes "Chase Me" even better.

Welcome to my world.

Wow.

God, nothing worse than a bath.

Seems like a pretty severe punishment for a game of "Chase Me."

Whoa, what happened in here?

- Looks like a bunch of murder victims. - Oh, uh, they got in your hair gel.

Oh boy. Okay.

- I'm Claire, and I just-- - Hi, I'm Ello.

- Hey. - Hi.

I… I just dropped off some dog stuff, and…

- Well, I should probably go. - No.

- No, no, no. Um, you can stay, yeah. - No. No.

And finish hosing down our murder victims.

Okay.

I like Claire the best.

You guys want out?

She's like a good dog who chases Dad's sadness away.

Dad is with some lady by her car?

Oh yeah, that's Claire. She's one of the women that Grandpa's dating.

One of the women?

- Mm-hmm. - Wait. What?

Yeah.

Look, a lot has happened, Dad.

She's nice.

Huh.

Huh.

Wild.

Y… You know, it's my understanding that if you wanna kiss a girl these days,

you gotta, like, fill out a bunch of forms and hire a couple lawyers.

How do you feel about that?

I feel that's excessive.

And I personally like

the just old-fashioned way of doing things.

Hmm?

Yeah.

Oh!

They're touching noses. Dad hasn't done this since Mom left.

I sure hope we keep Claire.

Oh man.

Don't start. She's just a friend.

She's a good friend.

- Next topic. - All right.

Can you help me tomorrow

with a little plan I'm forming for the, uh, cardboard problem?

Yeah, sure. Anything you need.

- Good night. - Good night.

Enjoy yourself.

Don't you start.

Why? Why are they taking our car ride away?

Winstead.

No! No!

I know. I know, buddy. I know.

We spent a lot of miles with Mommy on the road in this car.

It's the only place that smells like her.

- I'm gonna trade it in on a new one. - Dad, don't do it.

He's really taking this hard, huh?

- Yeah. - Okay.

With our car ride gone,

this is the last thing that smells like Mom's love.

What is it with you and that book?

Just pick it up.

Oh my God.

My love…

…I'll be leaving soon.

I'm ready.

Just one thing.

Please open your heart wider.

Please find love again.

It's what I want for you.

I'm okay.

The fire marshal is doing a surprise inspection

that's not in my calendar.

You know, they don't really schedule surprise inspections.

I do all the work around here, and nobody tells me anything.

- And now we have a surprise fireman. - Firefighter.

- Are you Mr. Goss? - I am.

I am Fire Marshal Marshall,

and I demand to inspect your facility immediately.

Um…

- Right this way. - All right.

You wanna dial down the acting to just, like, a little bit?

It's going great.

Heads up. I am Fire Marshal Marshall.

And this workplace is in violation of section three of the Flammable Code.

So how many of you wanna keep your cardboard?

All right. Fine is a thousand bucks a day.

And for your convenience, we take Venmo.

Hunter. Hunter. The fire marshal is here.

- Yeah, I know. Fire Marshal Marshall. - Not Fire Marshal Marshall. Another one.

- What the hell is going on here? - Mind if we have a word, sir?

Just this way.

Who are you people?

My name is Hunter Goss. I'm the facility manager.

This is my father, Sander.

Uh, today, he is a fire marshal.

Yesterday, he was the mayor of Cleveland.

But none of this is true. Right, Dad?

No.

So why don't you tell this nice man who you really are?

It's okay.

I'm… I'm an astronaut for SpaceX.

Mm-hmm.

I'm the head astronaut. I'm president of the astronauts.

And I'm an excellent driver.

You understand what I'm saying, right?

I understand.

- Okay. Thank you, sir. - Thank you.

Thank you for coming by.

Hunter.

Hunter.

Hey.

Hey. Look at you. You can talk. My God. You can talk.

- Hi. - Hi. Hey.

Thank God.

You…

Lift… fi…

Sorry.

No, no, no. Hey, you have nothing to apologize for, my love. Take your time.

Hey, take your time, sweetheart. Take your time.

I s… said

you don't lift fin…

I don't lift a finger at the house. Yeah, I rem… I remember.

I remember you telling me.

You do… lift a finger.

My finger.

Always.

I wasn't listening.

I'm so sorry, my love. I wasn't listening, and I almost lost you.

I'm gonna do better.

Okay?

I'm gonna do better.

- I love you. - I love you too.

Love you too.

- Okay, okay. - A lot of people.

Something big is happening. Could be about chicken.

- Here. - Um…

Why don't we take the roses? You keep the puppy.

- Thank you. - You look great.

- You look so great. - You're gonna kill it.

Have fun up there.

Oh. Excuse me. Sorry. Hey. Excuse me.

- There you are. - Hey. Hello, sir.

- Hey. Hey. - Dad, you made it.

I've been looking everywhere for you. Oh, look. You gotta see this.

Oh, here she is. Look.

Ello.

- Yeah. - Oh my God.

Hi, Mom.

- Wait, she can talk? - She can talk.

Oh my God, she can talk.

Hi, Mom.

- Hi. - You're really gonna be okay.

Suddenly, everyone is so happy.

I'll let you do your thing. We'll be set up over here.

We'll be watching, okay? I'm so proud of you.

- See you soon. - Thank you. Love you.

Ladies and gentlemen.

Please find your seats.

The show is about to begin.

- Hey. - Hey.

- Dad, hey. Over here. - Hi.

Hey. Hey. Over here.

I love this place. So many smells.

All right. Come on. Hey, guys. Come here. Let's get these off.

- All right. Come on. - See you later.

- Okay, thanks, Pop. - See you soon.

Yep.

Hey, come here, buddy.

All right.

The Traverse City Light Parade proudly presents

the TC North District Champion marching band.

Oh, my boys.

Oh, they're so cute.

- Thank you, sir. Thank you, Santa Claus. - I got one.

You got one.

Hey, there's a dog.

Everyone, please welcome,

for the third year in a row,

our very own Trampoline Toss Elf, Brittne Malone!

Whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!

- And now… - There's your sister.

- …His Honor, Mayor Dan Angel… - Hi! Hi, guys!

…accompanied by the lovely Munson Scholarship winner…

- Aw. - …Eloise Goss.

So proud.

- Oh, she looks beautiful. - Yeah.

- Hi. - Hi!

Now it makes sense. We're all here to see Ruby.

Say hi.

She's more popular than chicken.

- Good boy. - Wow, look at it.

- Nice of your dad to let me walk you home. - Oh yeah.

Dogs are the best at knowing if humans are good.

And Bacon Boy, he's good.

Hey, I, uh, have a Christmas present for you.

Can I give it to you now?

Yeah, I, um, actually got you one.

I just didn't know if I should give it to you or…

What?

Ello.

Wow!

It's actually signed by him. By… By Gretzky.

I mean, it's… It's not in very good shape. It's kind of inexpensive.

- I… I found it online, and-- - Ello.

- What? - It's way cool.

Thank you.

Mine was even less expensive. Free, actually.

So you have me beat there.

Gosh, you wrap like my grandpa.

I tracked down Meryl Davis.

You said she's your favorite skater.

I told her about how you lost the letter she sent, and…

Well, she's really proud of you for winning that scholarship, Ello.

Thank you, Sean.

You're a real friend.

Come on, touch noses.

Come on.

Almost there.

Finally.

What would they do without me?

Well, the rink's open.

Should we give it a whirl?

I mean, we got our skates.

- Yeah, let's do it. - Let's do it.

Come on, Winstead.

Come here, baby. Come here.

You gotta love a boy who travels with his own dog bed.

Good boy, Winstead.

Good boy. Good boy.

In this smoking chaos

Our shoulder blades kissed

I found you

I found you

I found you

I found you beautiful

I found you exploding

I found you

I found you

I found you

I found you beautiful

I found you exploding

I found you

I think Bacon Boy is part of our pack now.

- Hello? - I have good news.

Contrary to all expectations,

the chairman loves everything that you have done.

So he's not closing this branch,

and you are my new Global VP of Facilities.

I predict you'll be very happy with your compensation package.

Plus, all those sweet frequent flyer miles.

You know what, Mrs. O'Brien? I have a counteroffer for you.

Thanks for bringing me here, Claire.

- It's really beautiful. - Yeah.

Hey, I got you a Christmas gift.

- "Claire." - Yeah. I spelled it right, correct?

- You did. - Good.

- Oh… - Look at this.

It's two tickets.

Newport Folk Festival.

Wow!

Brandi Carlile was there a few years back.

- Joni Mitchell… - Joni Mitchell, I know.

Joined her on stage.

I would've given anything…

- Yeah. - Our bird is back!

Oh. Oh wow.

Look, that's… That's a northern cardinal.

Seems almost tame.

And they don't come out at night. Ever.

Seems like our bird likes Claire.

He barks at cardinals.

Winstead, Winstead. Come on.

Stop it. Come on.

You know, the Ojibwe believed

that cardinals carry the souls of our loved ones who have passed.

- Huh. - Yeah.

This bird wants Claire in our pack.

- What? - Uh, it… it could be Barbara.

- Or my Andrew. - Huh.

Well, I hope they approve.

Her numbers are way better, and so is her speech and motility.

Unfortunately, we can't send her home for Christmas Eve. I'm sorry.

There's nothing you…

Christmas is her favorite.

Like, it is… It is her goal every year to make sure we have a perfect Christmas.

So there's nothing you can do to, uh…

However, since she's no longer in ICU,

the nursing staff said they'll look the other way

on the visitor age limit for a surprise Christmas Eve visit

with your twins and the whole family.

Thank you so much.

Our house has all the Merry Christmas smells.

Except for the smell of Juliana Mom.

I wish I could track her, but I can't find the scent.

Okay, you just hang in there. Okay. Right.

Hey, we're still doing all this.

- Okay. - But we're gonna do it at the hospital.

- It's okay. We can bring the whole family. - The whole family?

They do know that Winstead and Ruby are part of the family, right?

They're the most important part of the family.

All right.

I'm not really confident about this whole plan,

considering it's riding on your acting ability.

Don't you worry about that, missy.

I've got this.

Okay.

It's okay. Okay, let's do this.

I smell chicken, but also Juliana Mom.

So stubborn.

I finally get it.

"Stubborn" means "follow the scent." I'm on it.

Oh my God. I'm so glad you made it.

- I wouldn't miss this. - Mm-hmm.

Tracking.

- Tracking. - Merry Christmas.

We are the Goss family. We're here to see Juliana.

- Um, hi, guys. Hey, Dad, you-- - Hey.

- You brought your Seeing… Yes? - Hi.

You brought your Seeing Eye dog. Yeah, it's me.

What do you expect? I'm blind.

Yes.

- Fried chicken for all my friends. - Time out for fried chicken.

No, Winstead, no!

- Winstead, no! - Then I track Juliana Mom.

Okay. Down, boy.

- There it is. - Sorry.

Just let her out.

Seems like you see pretty well for a blind guy.

- Oh, poor baby. - Oh my God.

And what is this? Is this your service puppy?

- Yes. - Yeah, yeah.

- Bonnie, I'm so sorry. Look, I-- - Okay, no. Don't even, Hunter.

All right, as a hospital, we take the ADA very seriously.

We are not fans of fake service dogs.

That's a felony.

And we're sure not fans of fake blind guys.

That's just offensive.

Hmm.

Pretty good fried chicken, though.

All right, Nancy, get the bag. We're putting all their cell phones away.

Take out your cell phones. No videoing.

Guys, come on. Just put them in the bag.

Put them in. Thank you. Let's go. Follow me.

Come on. Let's go.

Juliana Mom. Got it. On it.

- Come on. - Tracking.

Come on, you guys.

- So close. - Let's go.

Tracking.

Ooh!

- Juliana is our Christmas miracle. - Hey, guys. Look at the lights!

There was a gala last night for the bigwigs.

And I thought, well, as long as I don't see it on social,

I might as well let you and your very illegal dogs enjoy.

Merry Christmas, Goss family.

Thank you.

I did it.

- I found her. - Hi.

- I missed you. - Oh, Winstead!

Hey.

Hey, Merry Christmas. Hi.

Hi. I missed you.

Okay. Okay. Okay.

- Merry Christmas, Mommy. - Hi!

Mom, you look so great.

- I love you, Mommy. - It's so good to see you.

Yeah. So apparently the twins can talk now.

Wow, how many years was I out?

This is our new puppy.

Yep, we have a new puppy right there.

And this… I'm so sorry. This is Claire.

- This is Dad's girlfriend. - Oh yeah.

And this is Sean. Sean, come here. This is Ello's boyfriend.

- What? - Yeah.

- Nice to meet you. - It's nice to meet you too.

Take your brothers. Go. Go ahead. Go with your sister.

So that, uh…

Hi. It's a lot. Um…

About five minutes ago, they offered me that VP job

which I promptly said no to

and negotiated a consulting gig where I can stay at home

so the boys can finally throw food at me for once.

And the crazy California lady?

She said yes.

- Yeah. - What?

So, if you want to, you can go back to work.

I'm re… I'm really trying this, uh, listening thing. It's a Christmas miracle.

Wow.

Merry Christmas, honey.

Merry Christmas.

I love you.

I love you too.

- I love you all so much. - Aw.

Even the ones I don't know.

A thing dogs know about life

that people forget is that it's always good.

This is literally the perfect Christmas, and I didn't have to do a thing.

No, not a thing.

But life's just a little bit better

at Merry Christmastime.

The snow is falling down

Whoo-hoo-hoo!

Gets colder day by day

I miss you

Whoo!

What is that?

The children will sing…

Oh my gosh!

Wait. Hold up. Show your mom. Turn around. Show your mom.

Oh my goodness.

Merry Christmas.

I have to wonder, what does Ruby think of all this?

Merry Christmas.

Wow. I suddenly get it.

That word, "Merry Christmas," means people are happy.

It must be Christmastime

Our new pack is bigger and happier than ever.

We needed to love Dad back to happy, and we did.

Ruby helped.

'Cause, let's face it, puppies are magic.

This is our most perfect Merry Christmastime ever.

Until the next Merry Christmastime…

…which will be even better.

Which way the wind's gonna blow

You think you have an idea

How this song's gonna go

'Til it turns upside down Somehow out of the blue

There you are

Your compass keeps spinning Around and around

Like a red bird That's racing the clouds

Isn't that life, baby What can you do?

Keep on, keep on going

Keep your heart wide open

'Cause you never know

Just what kind of magic Is waiting down the road

When you least expect it

Life can turn to gold

Don't you worry, baby, it will be

Better than you ever could've dreamed

You think that life

Is a highway That's made of straight lines

Point A to point B

But it's really more like

Writing your name With a plane in the sky

With the moon on your back

And the stars in your eyes

You never know just what kind of magic Is waiting down the road

When you least expect it Life can turn to gold

Don't you worry, baby, it will be

Better than you ever could've dreamed

Better than you ever could've dreamed

Don't step on her.

Oh yeah

Keep on

Keep on going

Keep your heart wide open

'Cause you never know

Just what kind of magic

Is waiting down the road

- And when you least expect it - Oh, wake up!

Life could turn to gold

Don't you worry, baby, it will be…

Good boy. Stay. Good boy. Stay. Good boy. Stay.

Better than you ever could've dreamed

Eh-eh-eh

Better than you ever could've dreamed

Load up. Stay.

Stay. Stay.

All right. Load up. Stay.

Good stay. Good stay. Good stay.

All right.

All right.

Hi. Uh, who is this, Bruce?

- Who are you holding? - Uh…

This is William.

He's playing a corgi puppy.

- Ah. - In real life, he's a German shepherd.

- Yes. I'm totally convinced. - He's playing a corgi.

Hair and makeup just completely…

- Amazing. - …changed his look.

And he's very, very adept at being a dog.

He does lots of dog tricks.

- He can skateboard. - Oh!

He can hang glide.

He can pilot a small airplane.

Last night, he made me a pizza.

This dog is just…

You can't believe how talented this dog is.

And, uh, yes, he's gonna make me a star.

He's making… He's gonna make me a… a star.

I… I actually think you are making him a star.

I think that's what's happening here.

- That's what's happening? - Say, "Woof."

On your mark. Stay. Say, "Woof."

No, get on your mark.

Say, "Woof." Say, "Woof."

Get on your mark. Say--

Yes. Okay. Good boy.

I'm trying to capture that…

I thought it was a…

Isn't that a flashback?

Now drag.

And up.

Yes. Beauty.