Original subtitles

Happy to be around, happy to say I'm here

It's Christmas.

It's Christmas.

It's Christmas.

It's Christmas.

Honey,

your cookies are ready, I think. Oh, thank you, Mom.

Cookie, cookie, cookie.

They're looking so good.

Hey,

no, Cliff.

What?

Don't you want an impartial tester for when you place these in front of the

judges at the bake-off? You are emceeing the contest.

You'll get to taste all of the cookies then. Nope. I didn't have one.

Just wait for them to cool down a little. Plus, they're not even decorated

yet.

Are you allowed to have any space whatsoever for my things?

Oh, sorry, Mom.

Just move anything you need for some space, okay? Oh, thanks. That's so

generous of you in my house. Oh, come on. You invite me over here every year

and ask me to do this.

Because if I didn't, I don't think I'd see you the entire month of December

until Christmas Day.

Oh, seriously, Cliff?

What? Oh.

Well, how do they taste?

Ashley?

These cookies are absolutely delicious.

Even if I get one in my mouth.

Good. Serves you right.

Nope.

Hi.

The usual?

How did you know?

And?

Yes, your famous Christmas cookie is finally here.

Can you marry a cookie?

Because this is one I want to spend the rest of my life with.

Is this the final version?

I'm still tinkering with the recipe, but it's close.

Well, here you go. Thank you so much.

Have a great one.

Thanks. See you later.

You too.

Here's your cappuccino. Ooh, I'm honored that the vice president of the store

brings me my morning coffee.

Please promise to still do this when Mr. Collins retires and you take over the

store.

Also, not to be greedy, but is this all you have for me? I do believe Christmas

cookies are in the building.

Ah, word really does travel fast.

Ah!

See, this is why I love my queen of Christmas.

I don't suppose you have a hot guy in there, too?

No, sadly not today.

All right. Well, that needs to be a priority on your holiday to-do list,

okay? Because as much as I love you, we cannot have another year where we're

each other's dates for New Year's Eve.

Andy, you know that Christmas is the busiest time of year for me. The last

thing I have time for is finding a date.

Well, speak for yourself, because I am determined to find someone to kiss at

midnight this year.

You know that was fine just the way it was.

I just want it to be perfect.

That's why I love you.

I'm what makes doing this so much fun.

Ashley McKenzie, the Stanton Village, please. Paging Ashley McKenzie. Again?

Oh, jeez. Here, leave it. I got you.

Are you sure?

Thank you. You're my hero.

OK.

It's OK.

It's OK. You really don't have to. have to do that don't worry about it well

thank you yeah no problem yeah no I just I'm trying to figure out how

a seven-year-old can make such a mess in less than five seconds sadly it's not

the first time it's happened

um

well since you helped me is there anything I can help you with today yeah

yes

Would you happen to know where Mr. Collins' office is?

Mr. Collins, the store owner.

Yeah, he's just in the back where the administrative offices are.

I'm heading that way. I could show you. Great, yeah. Is there something you came

in for today? Yeah, I volunteered to play Santa. I had no idea what I was in

the store for. Turns out the kid that made a mess in here also took out a

Christmas tree on the main floor.

Thanks,

John. I'll be right there.

Good.

Never a dull moment.

Um, sorry, I have to handle this, but if you follow this hallway all the way

down, there's a really big door, and he's behind that, so... Great.

Thank you. Yeah, no problem.

No problem.

Okay, Cliff, can you just move a little bit to the left?

My left.

Oh.

Okay, and then, do you think maybe you could smile?

My smile left five minutes ago, Ash. Ashley, I'm sure we already have a photo

we can use. I am just asking for one more minute of patience, okay?

Cliff, have I ever complained when you asked me to carve 12 pumpkins on

Halloween for your display? No?

And Mom, have I ever complained about wearing a turkey hat on Thanksgiving?

I have not.

So all I need is 30 more seconds, okay?

Okay, I am pressing the timer... now.

Say Rudolph!

Rudolph!

Oh,

okay, yeah, no, it's not bad. I mean, it's not a Vanity Fair cover, but it'll

do. Let me see. I want veto power. Oh, absolutely not, no.

You lost all of your privileges when you started playing around with Photoshop.

People still talk about that photo, and it was very embarrassing.

Yeah, that was good.

Oh, Mom, you never guessed who I heard from the other day. Who's that?

Ben. You remember Ben?

Who? You know, Ben, we went to grade school together.

Ben Collins?

The two of you were inseparable.

Sorry, who's this Ben?

I'd forgotten all about him.

Mr. Collins' son from his first marriage. Wait, Mr. Collins, my boss?

Mm-hmm. He has a son?

How did I not know about this?

Well, his parents divorced when he was young, and he went to live with his

mother, and then, like, I think to boarding school. I don't know.

I never really saw him after that.

Huh. It's kind of strange. I think you would have mentioned him at some point.

No, we don't know the whole story.

I'm sure he had his reasons.

So what brings him to town after so many years?

I'm not sure.

I'm going to see him later, though. I'll ask him.

Can we do one more?

Oh, please.

Okay, then of the three, I think we should go with this one.

I feel like we have this dilemma every year.

What's wrong?

You seem preoccupied.

Ashley, you know how much you mean to me and the store.

That's nice of you to say.

And I've been trying to figure out how to have this conversation for days,

and, uh... What?

What is it?

I have the same discussion with myself every year.

What the future will bring.

And should I hand over the reins to someone else?

Really? I had no idea.

Well, I think you know how much I appreciate what you've done to bring the

Emporium to where it is.

You're like family.

So are you.

Which is why I didn't want you to be blindsided.

Oh.

Bye.

Well, you don't know this, but I have a son from my first marriage.

And he's come home.

I, uh... I actually found out about this yesterday.

Oh? It turns out that my brother Cliff and him were friends when they were

little. Oh.

I have to say, I'm...

I'm a bit surprised you never mentioned him.

It's a tough situation to talk about, so generally I don't. I feel like I've

failed as a father.

But we're having a brand new start, I hope, and we're figuring things out.

And hopefully he's going to help expand our online presence.

I mean, you're still going to be the vice president in charge of day-to-day

operations, but I'd love it if you could show him the ropes.

help him get a better understanding of how the business works.

And if things work out, I'm hoping he'll take a bigger role here. I see the two

of you working together to make this store the best it can be.

Of course. Sure, yeah.

You know, he's here. Why don't I introduce you?

Oh, okay.

Ben!

Hey,

everything okay in Santa's workshop?

Uh-huh.

Right. Yes.

Yeah, everything is fine now. Good.

You two know each other?

Yeah, we met briefly yesterday.

Hi, I'm... Ashley. How did you know? Oh, Cliff.

Yeah, he told me you ran things here.

Right.

Well, this makes me feel better. It's a good thing, I think, huh?

Well, you two must just have so much to talk about, so I'll leave you to it.

Then I'm really looking forward to working with you same here

She's

great you're gonna love working with her there's so much you can learn from her

dad I have an MBA

I've worked for companies a lot bigger than this.

Yes, but, I mean, she knows the store backwards and forwards, and the

employees love her. I mean, that's important.

Well, then, maybe you don't need me here.

No, I'm sorry. I wasn't suggesting... Look, I know we have some things to work

through, but, you know, I don't want to get off on the wrong foot here.

You know, I'm glad you're here.

Okay.

Great.

So what have you heard?

Rumor has it Mr. Collins is bringing in some kind of wonder kid to help grow the

business. Yeah, some kind of NBA type who has lots of ideas, causing a lot of

changes.

You know something.

You can't tell anyone.

Promise? It's me!

Come on!

Nothing has been announced yet, but yes, he is bringing in someone.

And get this.

It's his son, Ben.

Mr. Collins has a son?

Mm-hmm.

Is he single?

Is that seriously always your first thought?

Yeah! I told you I'm determined to find a date for New Year's Eve.

Don't tell me he has a girlfriend.

Or he's married.

You really are unbelievable.

No, he, um...

Apparently he came back because they haven't talked in years and he wants to

rebuild the relationship.

Oh, that's kind of sweet, but how are you doing with all this? I mean, how is

this going to impact you?

I don't know.

It's all so complicated.

Nothing's been determined yet, but I can't say I'm not at least a little

worried, especially after putting in so much work the last few years.

Well, yeah, I mean, we both thought you would take over for Mr. Collins when he

retired, but now you have to deal with the prodigal son returning?

I hate to say it, but maybe you should reconsider that other job opportunity.

I know, I thought about that. I do want to see how things play out here, but

you're right.

It's probably smart to keep my options open, at least until I know what all of

this means.

Yeah, I don't disagree.

So what's he like?

The son.

That's the worst part.

He's actually really nice.

Okay.

The way you say that makes it sound like he's kind of hot.

Oh, I did not say that.

Okay, show me a pic.

Show me a pic. Andy, why would I have a picture of him? Did you not do an

internet search?

No.

Ashley.

Ben Collins?

Ben Collins.

Huh.

Huh.

That's your response?

Well, yeah, he kind of looks like this guy that was in my section today.

At first I was like, hello, hottie. But then he started asking all these weird

questions. Well, strange how?

Like he was talking about profit margins and efficacies of sale.

And then when I heard the rumor, I thought it was kind of odd.

Yeah.

Good morning.

I know Christmas is our busiest season, which makes it tough on all of you.

But I couldn't be more proud of this store.

you, and what we've accomplished.

I like to feel we're a family here.

And without family, where would we be?

And speaking of family, one of mine has come back into my life.

My son, Ben.

We recently reconnected, and as you can see, the apple hasn't fallen far from

the tree.

For me, this store is my life.

And as I look to the future, I feel I've taken this store, the Emporium,

as far as I can on my own.

But with Ben's skills and experience, I know he can keep us competitive

and take this store to the next level.

And to that end, please help me welcome my son, Ben.

Thank you all for that warm welcome.

I'm extremely excited to be... Oh, God. Why is he wearing that suit?

I'm gonna love a man in a suit.

Yeah, but it's a bit corporate, don't you think?

All of you, as we bring the Emporium to the national stage.

Thank you.

Candy cane?

Uh, no, thank you.

You may want to ditch the suit.

I was worried you'd say that. I was getting a couple of looks from the

crowd. Don't get me wrong. You look great in it. It's just, I think for some

people, it was a tad intimidating.

You've seen the people around the store. No one really dresses like this.

Yeah. Except for the salespeople.

In the suit department, yeah. In the suit department, yeah.

I was trying to make a good impression.

Oh, and I totally get that. It's just, you know, we're a tight-knit group, more

like your dad said, like a family.

And the suit just feels a little... Management. Yeah.

You just want to be approachable.

Thanks. And I'm still navigating these waters, so I appreciate that.

Yeah. Speaking of navigating waters, I know this is all new, but I've been

thinking. I've been walking through the store, and I think there's a couple of

ways we can improve and update things.

Oh. I, uh...

I was under the impression that you liked what I had done here.

Oh, I do.

I do.

But I think change is good.

I just, I want to keep the store in sync with how people act in shop today.

Okay. Um, such as?

Well, we need to focus on some higher profit margin goods.

Push people to order online, come into the store, pick up what they ordered,

and get out.

It's just, it's more efficient over time and it reduces overhead.

Okay, it's not that it's a bad idea. It's just a little impersonal.

What makes this store special is the personal touch that we give to

everything. And we have done surveys with our shoppers, and that's what's

keeping them loyal.

And I appreciate all that.

But ultimately, we want to appeal to a broader customer base.

People want things quick and easy. It increases sales, and everyone's happy.

Don't you think you want to just, you know...

observe a little, settle before you start summarily making changes.

Ashley, I've been doing this for years.

That's great. So have I.

And I hear that, but I bring in fresh perspective and years of experience in

the industry. Change can be good. I am not opposed to change, but I don't think

that means that you completely ignore what's worked in the past.

I have been working at this store.

for a very long time, and I have a pretty good idea of what works and what

doesn't. Okay.

I appreciate your competitive spirit.

Oh.

Are we turning this into a competition? Because I do love a good challenge.

Well, if that's how you want to play it, you do things your way, and I'll do

things mine, and I think you'll come to appreciate that mine are just better.

Oh, I am so sorry to tell you that you are already losing because you are so

wrong about that. Don't worry.

I am very sure you'll get used to it.

She reacted how? Well, I must have caught her off guard a bit. I mean,

she's feisty. I like that.

Yeah, she's feisty.

There's no doubt.

Well, you know, she's been there for years really making that store what it

is. You got to understand, for the past decade, it's just been her and your dad

running the place. So you coming in probably threw her.

Yeah.

Yeah, I got that.

Plus, she was raised in a house where we all played sports.

You know, she's super competitive.

And I know it might seem like she's got a rough exterior, but I'm telling you,

on the inside, she's a softie.

She loves and knows that place better than anybody other than your father. You

just got to respect that.

Yeah.

Yeah, I hear that.

I just, I guess, in some ways, I'm jealous of her relationship with him,

you know?

It's like they have the relationship I've always wanted.

I just... It's like I don't know him at all, you know?

Well... I'm positive Ashley would be more than happy to help in any way.

She loves your dad. She'd do anything for him, and I'm pretty sure this

qualifies.

You think she'd do it?

Yeah, of course.

Hey, you hungry?

Look at Eve.

My parents live really close to here. My mom is an amazing cook.

Let's go grab some dinner.

Ashley might be there.

And I know my parents would love to see you.

Yeah, that sounds great.

Let me just run by mine. I don't want to show up empty-handed.

Okay.

Can you get carpal tunnel from tying too many ribbons?

How many is that? I don't even know, but I have four left.

I can't wait to get mine. I look forward to it every year.

Well, unfortunately, you're going to have to wait this year because the first

batch is going to the people at the store.

I had no less than ten people ask me about it today.

Fine. Then you'll have to wait to get your batch of Christmas bark.

Oh, but you know how much I... You know how much I love that stuff.

Well, like you, I'm making it for the people at my work.

I do love that you make so many homemade gifts for people, Mom.

It's clearly rubbed off on me.

It just means that much more.

I agree.

Even if my fingers fall off from tying all these bows.

Mom? In here.

I've got a surprise for you.

I hope it's okay to add one to dinner.

Ben, is that you?

How long has it been? I don't think you even came up to my waist last time I saw

you. It's been a while.

Welcome. I hope this is not an imposition.

Cliff said I could come over.

Oh, of course not. We're just happy to see you.

Hi, Ashley.

Hi, Ben.

So, how can I help with dinner?

You can't. You're our guest.

You relax.

Everything's ready out here. And Cliff, you help me set the table. And Ashley,

why don't you show Ben around?

Duty calls.

Play nice.

These decorations are beautiful.

Your mom has a nice touch.

I actually did them.

Ah.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised. What is it you call yourself? The queen of

Christmas?

I don't call myself that.

Other people call me that. I can't help what they say.

Right.

Mmm. That candle smells amazing.

Reminds me of Christmas at my house.

You should probably buy a few from my place.

I'm assuming you got them at the Emporium.

No, actually.

I gave those to my parents for Christmas last year.

I made them.

Guess I shouldn't be surprised after seeing the wonders you've done in the

store.

I just really love making things for people for Christmas.

I think these days people often buy something without really giving much

thought to it and it's so transactional. Whereas if you make something for

someone, it just, it really shows them you care.

That's odd.

Coming from someone who runs a department store.

Don't get me wrong. You can absolutely buy something special for someone, too.

That's why I like to support our local artisans and have their stuff at the

store. Dinner's ready!

Mrs. McKenzie, thank you so much. This was amazing.

Well, we're so glad to have you here at dinner and back in town.

Yes, and I get to work with your incredible daughter.

I'm sure you both know how talented she is. Well, we are very proud of our

little girl. She's done wonders at the store.

Such attention to detail.

That she gets from her mother.

Oh, which reminds me.

This is for you.

Man, it's gorgeous.

Did you make this?

I did. I do a bit of woodworking in my spare time.

I have this really cool machine that carves any shape out of wood. As long as

you put the design in the computer, take it out, sand it off, and varnish it, and

voila. Ashley, will you look at this?

It's very impressive for something made by a computer.

Let's see.

Ashley,

it looks like he could give your ornaments a run for their money.

I know just where I'm going to put it.

It's getting the prime spot on the tree.

Oh, you don't have to do that.

But I want to. This is special.

It deserves to be seen.

Whoa.

Ashley's ornaments getting dethroned.

You were in on a Saturday morning.

So were you.

I was just looking through these cards. We pick one to send to our customers

every year. I just, your dad forgot to choose one the other day.

What do you think?

We need to get his signature before I send anything off to the printer, but...

Hmm.

What?

Oh, it's pretty, but... But what?

Every year we work with local artists. These are the three finalists.

I think I'm leaning towards this one, though.

Yeah, I mean, if we want to reach a wider audience, why don't we just switch

it up this year?

Bear with me.

I'm thinking a video-y Christmas card.

Something that's super easy to share on social media.

We could get everyone involved. It could be really fun.

I don't know. We're just so close to the deadline already to get these sent out.

Aren't you the one saying that this story is one big happy family? Uh-huh.

What better way to showcase that than getting everyone to participate in a

card?

I've been toying with some ideas, and, uh... Oh, hey, Dad. Hey, what's going

on? Hey. Quick question for you.

Ashley and I have been talking about the Christmas cards. Yes, in fact, I

actually have the final proofs here for the concept that you approved. We just

have to pick one.

And I was thinking maybe we could do something different this year.

I'm thinking of a video e-Christmas card.

If it's well done, it could go viral, bring national attention to the store.

I like the sound of that.

Keep in mind, our customers love receiving these Christmas cards. Yeah,

but actually, if we can reach out to a wider audience, you know, this might be

something worth considering.

How soon could something like this be done?

Give me a few days.

Sounds good.

And we got the cards as a backup.

Yeah.

Listen, I got to run. I'll see you later.

Okay. Oh, I didn't mean to... Oh, it's okay. I'm flexible.

Um... Okay, I'm trying to be flexible. It's... It's not that I don't like the

idea. It's just not what we normally do.

Mm-hmm.

So, between the, hmm, ornaments and this, what is the tally?

Oh, I'm sorry.

Are we keeping score now? I think that's what you were doing earlier, yeah. Mm

-hmm. Well, first of all, I think my parents were just being kind because you

were their guest, you know, the ornament.

I don't know.

Your mom said my ornament was getting prime real estate on your tree. And

second, the jury is still out on this video, so I wouldn't count your views

before you've even uploaded.

That's cute.

You know, in the business, A lot of people would say I'm an expert at this

sort of thing.

Before I came here, I was kind of a big deal in retail.

Oh, that's right. I forgot about your power suit.

Touche. Well played.

Well, I could really use your help on this video.

You know everyone in the store, so... Okay, fine,

but... As long as you do not ask me to sing or dance because I have two left

feet and a voice better left for the shower. That is a deal I can live with.

Although I really want to see you sing and dance now. Yeah, that's never going

to happen.

Okay.

Hey, Ben.

Yes.

Uh, Cliff and Andy and I were going to go Christmas tree shopping later. If you

want to tag along, we could talk about the Christmas video.

That'd be great.

Great.

Okay.

Oh, by the way, I invited Ben.

You invited Ben?

Yeah, he doesn't know anyone in town.

Also, he wants to talk about the Christmas video, and selfishly, I would

like your opinion on him. I'm still not... entirely sure how I feel about

him. Well, technically, I've already met him.

Yeah, but I would like your unbiased opinion.

Of course, there. Oh, hey!

Good evening, ladies.

Hey. Hey, Andy.

Hi. Good to see you again. I know, it's been forever. How are you?

Yeah, I'm good.

Good. Good.

Oh, sorry.

This is my buddy Ben.

Yes, we met at the store. I haven't been formally introduced, but... It's nice to

see you. Nice to meet you again, Ashley.

All right, guys, you ready to get your Christmas tree on?

Yeah.

I just said that.

Well, Ben here went to a fancy boarding school, you know, in the woods.

They did this whole outward bound sort of thing.

So he knows a thing or two about the outdoors, don't you?

Yeah. He can help you pick out the perfect Christmas tree. It hardly makes

me an expert, but I'm sure I can help.

Well, shall we?

We shall.

What about this one?

Um, I don't know about that one.

That's a balsam.

Cleans up really easily, but it looks like it's crooked.

Besides, I think you're more of a knowable fur type.

Really? Why do you say that?

It's more classic. Seems like it would suit you.

Hmm.

Well, maybe I'm not that predictable.

What about this blue spruce?

Has upturned branches, holds the ornaments nicely.

Oh, so now you're the arborist.

What can I say? I do my research.

Yeah, but you would be picking up needles on a daily basis. Now, the

Fraser fir, a little bit more costly, but it holds onto its needles better. Mm

-hmm. Except it doesn't have that good Christmassy smell.

True.

Is that how people flirt these days?

I am so off my game, because, you know, I don't know anything about trees.

Oh, well.

You can practice your flirting on me.

I've got years of experience in the field.

I'll let you know if you're good or not.

Okay, then.

What about this one?

The silver fur.

Soft, shiny needles, a great Christmas scent.

You know how to pick them.

Yeah.

This is my tree.

Yeah. Would you like me to help you bring it to your car?

Why do you think I brought Cliff?

What about you?

Are you gonna get a Christmas tree?

No. No, no. I have a fiber optic tree that lights up at the push of a button

on the up.

Ugh. You have a fake Christmas tree and you say that you love Christmas?

I'm sorry, but could your tree put on a sequential twinkle light show with an

adorable Christmas theme? I think not. No. Yeah, because it's gross.

Okay. The best thing about Christmas is untangling the lights and stringing them

on the tree.

Debatable. Speaking of which, why don't you guys come over tomorrow for a little

last-minute tree trimming party?

Yeah. Yeah, that sounds like fun.

Yeah. Yeah.

Since when does she start doing things last-minute? I know.

All right, Cliff.

You want to carry it to the car?

You're up. I'll meet you there.

Come on, Andy. Let's go get more tea. Okay.

Let's go.

Okay, so is this my punishment for having an artificial tree?

Hmm. Oh.

Huh.

Funny how she just happened to have popcorn laying around.

To be honest, I'm actually impressed with her. She usually never wants

anybody helping.

Nobody ever does it exactly the way she wants.

Yeah. That's right.

Oh, wow. That one is beautiful.

Oh, thank you. Yeah, I made this one a few years ago. It's one of my favorites.

Of course you did.

So how do you want the garland?

Well, I think if you start at the top. Top, yeah.

Yeah, and then if you could just keep it as evenly spaced as possible to the

bottom. Good.

I like the attention to detail.

Yeah. How else would you do it?

Do you mind giving me a hand?

Yes.

I'll start this side. Yeah, okay. And then, oh, oh, oh, hold on.

Okay, sorry.

It's okay.

It's okay. Over, under.

It's okay.

There you go.

Would you be willing to just hang it near the top? I just can't quite reach.

Oh, I can probably get that for you. No, no, I got it.

You know what?

Who wants hot chocolate?

Yes. Yeah?

Cliff?

Yeah, sure.

No, I think it needs to go, like, a little bit to the right. And maybe if

you could just spin it. I don't think that's the front.

Yeah, a little lower. Stop. Yeah.

It's perfect.

Yeah.

So, what do you think?

Of?

Ashley and Ben.

Kind of getting a vibe.

Oh, yeah? I didn't get that.

They're so clueless. What?

Well, I haven't seen two people more excited about Christmas stuff.

Yeah, what is it they say? A lid for every pot?

And what about you? Are you a Christmas person?

Yeah, I like Christmas just fine.

But Halloween is actually more my jam.

Really? Yeah, yeah, I love dressing up.

Here, let me.

Okay.

Oh, I ignore.

Oh, hold on. Hold on.

What is this?

It was last year with my ex.

We broke up right after that.

He just didn't get it. You know, I wanted to do a couple's costume, and he

refused.

I mean, why be in a relationship if not for the couple's costumes?

It's like one of the major perks.

Right?

I mean, that wasn't the only reason we broke up, but it certainly was not a

good sign.

I had no idea you loved Halloween so much. Yeah. It's my favorite holiday,

too. Really? Check this out. Okay.

Oh, wow.

That is amazing.

Hey, where's that hot chocolate?

Uh, sorry, just another minute or so.

Maybe turn that down.

To the best tree trimming team.

Cheers. Aw, cheers. Cheers.

Mmm. Let's get a hot chocolate. Oh, this is nothing.

No.

Offense, Cliff and Andy.

Hey, we both stirred this mix with love and care.

No, it's not that. It's just that if you want a truly amazing cup of hot

chocolate, you have to get the Mexican hot chocolate from town.

It's life-changing.

Ben, Ashley knows the best place for everything. She's like the master at

that kind of stuff.

It's true. Really?

I could use that sort of knowledge.

Ash, you should totally show them around town.

You don't need to do that. No, no, I would love to. Yeah, I'd love to. Yeah,

I love showing my favorite places to people.

Yeah? Yeah.

Besides, then maybe you can appreciate my type of Christmas.

Okay.

Okay.

Up there, that's the bakery.

They have the best carrot cake in the world.

I had it every year for like 10 years straight for my birthday. Nothing else

would do.

And up there is the bookstore.

Now, I know you can order books online, but I really like to support the local

stores. And if you ever need a recommendation for a book, you have to

ask for Nancy because if you tell her what you like, she will give you the

perfect recommendation.

Wow, this place changed so much.

I don't recognize any of these places.

But Cliff was right. You do know where to find the best of everything.

Well, it's my job to know.

And it's what makes this town and hopefully the Emporium so special.

We all rely on and support one another.

Oh, and what's that?

Oh, it looks like they're getting ready for the town tree lighting ceremony.

And this is where we have our annual Christmas cookie bake-off. Oh.

Are you, uh, are you entering?

Absolutely.

Okay. I've either won or been runner-up for the last few years. Last year, I

beat little old Mrs. Reese.

She looks like a sweet grandma, but she is a fierce competitor.

She's going to be gunning for me this year, her and the local baker.

But I have been making test batches all week, perfecting my recipe.

Oh!

Cute.

There was one year that Cliff and I got sleds for Christmas.

We were sledding down that hill right there, and I lost complete control over

my sled.

I slammed into a light post, and I had to get seven stitches.

Jeez. I know.

We still refer to that as our emergency room Christmas. I still have a scar on

my knee.

What?

Come on.

How about we show these kids who's bought, huh?

I do love a good snowball fight. Merry Christmas!

Thank you for encouraging me to do this. Thank you for indulging me

Anyway,

this was fun.

Was it?

I am soaking wet.

And I bet you just wanted to show off your snowball throwing skills. Yet

another thing you're better at than me.

Maybe.

I'm just kidding. It was fun.

Even though we lost those kids. And thank you for protecting me and my ego.

That's so sweet. How romantic.

Well, I guess it's a sign.

A sign?

Yeah. Time to get that hot chocolate you swear is the best. Oh, great.

OK.

So what makes Mexican hot chocolate feel special?

Well, they use these special cocoa nibs that are toasted and ground with

almonds, cinnamon, sugar, vanilla, and then there's some other spices. There's

nutmeg and cayenne.

And then they slowly add it to evaporated milk, and the result is the

silkiest, richest hot chocolate you have ever tasted.

I love how excited you get even about the smallest things.

But are you ready for your life to change?

Let's go.

That's incredible.

I don't think I've had a hot chocolate that's so... Creamy? Yes.

And that cayenne gives it that extra kick. Right?

Mmm.

Come on.

Yeah, it's just, you know, growing up here and things like this, I mean, it

made me really appreciate things made by hand with heart.

Everyone here, they take so much pride in what they do and make. I guess it

rubbed off on me.

That's why I think it's so important to embrace and continue those traditions.

Yeah, I completely agree. I could have two more of these right now.

Well, I'm very glad that you enjoyed it.

There's so many great things about this place.

It must be kind of weird for you, being back after so many years.

Yeah, I mean, I know I didn't spend much time here as a kid.

But oddly, I do feel a sense of home here.

Really?

That... that surprises me.

Really? Why?

I don't know. I guess I just figured you were more of a big city type.

Oh, don't get me wrong. I love being in the city.

But it's not where I want to spend my life.

Hmm.

I figured this was just a... a stepping stone to something bigger and better.

Really?

Why would you say that?

This... this is the place I want to raise a family in.

It's part of the reason I came back.

You've really thought this through, haven't you? Oh, yeah, of course.

I don't do anything half-hearted.

Come on.

Yeah, I'm the same way.

In my family, even if you are giving 100%, it is not enough.

Well, I guess we should get going.

Yeah.

so cute thank you i love that too it's so pretty

oh

okay

merry

christmas everybody like the suit

Oh, that's a suit I can get behind.

Oh, you know, he's actually pretty cute. Oh. Yeah. What? What? I mean, yeah, the

suit is cute. Uh-huh. Yeah, sure.

Suit. Thank you all so much for volunteering.

I hope you guys are ready to have some fun, because we are about to make an e

-Christmas video card.

i put together a poem inspired by it was the night before christmas and i gave it

a few tweaks to reflect the store and what it means to us and the entire

community and i figured out that our very own sydney from cosmetics is very

artistically talented and she's gathered some props and some costumes to really

put it together We're going to be highlighting the departments. We're

going to be highlighting the people that work here. It's going to be a

celebration of the store.

If we play our cards right, with a bit of luck, we might go viral.

Now, without further ado, here's Sydney to give you some of your props. Let's do

this.

Okay, everyone.

Hope you like these as much as we do.

Woo-hoo!

Oh.

So, what do you think so far?

That's a nice suit.

It's an improvement on the last one.

Some people seem to really be into this, so that's a good sign.

Good. Are you going to join too?

Of course. I am part of the store.

That's good. I'm glad.

I'm going to need all the help I can get.

Oh, well.

I don't know how much help I'm going to be. I haven't acted since high school,

and it might be a giant train wreck.

But who knows, maybe that will help it go viral.

We're going to be trending in no time.

Yay.

Okay, Andy.

Whenever you're ready.

Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the store, the elves worked so

hard with ribbons and bows there was wrapping to do.

Huh. Line?

Twas the night before Christmas.

True gifts that keep giving throughout the whole year. To make all of your

holiday fishes come true. To get gifts out the door.

Wishes, wishes, not fishes.

Can I try that again?

True gifts that keep giving throughout the whole year.

Come get gift wrapped here.

I'm Andy.

And if you're single and cute, seriously, come here.

Wishes! I'm just... Just single. It's fine.

Now what?

Caught it.

Thank you so much for your help today.

I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't stepped in when things were

not quite working.

Well, it's a group effort.

Anyone else would have done the same thing. Yeah, but people really look up

to you.

It's really helpful.

See? Sometimes you do need that personal touch.

I will concede that point to you.

While we're on the subject, and if you're willing, I'd love that personal

touch on the edit.

Hmm. If that's something you'd like to help me with.

Oh, so there's something that you're not good at.

That's not what I said. Don't push it.

My place, I have to work.

Sounds good.

I would be honored to help.

Okay.

The elves worked so hard to get gifts out the...

Hi. Hi.

Oh, this is for you.

Housewarming of sorts.

You remember I liked your candle.

Of course.

Plus, I thought you might need something to warm the place up a little.

Mm-hmm.

Well, you're here just in time because I've been stuck on this one spot for a

while. I don't know why it's not working.

Besides, you know everyone in the store and the store itself, so...

Please, come on in.

Thanks.

With ribbons and bows,

there was wrapping to do to make all of your holiday wishes come true.

OK, I think if you tighten up the sequence here, it will help a little bit

with the pacing.

OK.

And then here, I think you need to cut to a wide shot.

It'll help.

showcase the gift a little bit better. I think it's just getting a little stuck

with the close-up.

Done.

Through gifts that keep giving throughout the whole year.

It's like a hundred times better.

You have no idea how helpful you've been.

This is really fun.

You did a great job.

I like this.

With you.

Working.

Yeah, me too.

Um, well, this is going to take some time to render and upload.

I have a... Oh, wow. I didn't even realize how long we'd been working on

this. I had promised my dad I would stop by to take a look at our Christmas

lights display. We normally debut it after our family ugly Christmas water

party.

Right.

Would you, um, would you want to come?

Uh, yeah.

Yeah? Um...

Yeah, let's go Right,

it's such a knot, okay

Cliff, I have told you time and time again about how to put these away,

right? Hey, guys.

I always get a little scared when I see the two of you plotting this lights

display without me.

We really don't need the cops showing up again this year.

So I've been thinking about some options, and I think we should go with

something nice and traditional.

Come on, Ash. I feel like we do that every year. No, come on. It would be

really elegant. I mean, we could have all white lights. We could have white

candles in the windows.

Be very...

Dickensian.

Yeah, well, yeah, I guess we could do that. Yeah, you know, that sounds really

boring, Ashley.

Oh, come on, Cliff. It's classic.

Ben has good taste.

Let's ask him.

Yeah, that sounds nice.

Although, if you really wanted to amp it up and really show how much you care

about Christmas, you... No, there will be no amping. Yeah, no, yeah, he can

amp, amp, amp.

Yeah.

Well, what you could do is you get these really cool devices that allow you to

project holiday images onto the building, onto your house. And then what

you could do is sync the lights to a music playlist, and then that would

allow people to just tune in and listen to it on the radio.

That sounds amazing.

Joe, I like the idea of the projections.

Yeah, you know what I like? The idea of Cliffy's Christmas music playlist.

Okay, let's just take a second. I really don't... And then what you could do as

well, and bear with me, you could get an LED screen that displays holiday

greetings when people walk by or drive by.

Great. Good. I'm into it. When you're finished out here, I have some mug cider

to warm you all up.

Oh, Mom, we were just talking about what to do for the Christmas lights display

this year. I was thinking something really elegant, classic, traditional,

all white lights.

That sounds nice.

Yeah, or, or... A synchronized light show set to music.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And video projection right over the... Yeah. You can do that?

Yeah, yeah. Oh, it's super easy. Just download the app and it coordinates

everything. Easy as pie.

I'd vote for that.

Mm-hmm. Great.

Well, then I guess I will just leave you to it.

Okay.

Great.

Okay. The Emporium wishes you love, joy, and cheer.

Through gifts that keep giving throughout the whole year.

Great, isn't it?

Oh, he showed you.

Yeah, he sent me a link.

Said he was working late last night on it.

Have you seen him yet today?

Uh, no, I haven't.

But I'm sure he'll be very happy that you liked it.

I know a lot of people were working very hard on it.

Ashley, can I ask you a question?

Did I do something wrong?

What do you mean?

You know, he... I've kind of heard he didn't ask me to be in it, you know? He

said he didn't want me hovering.

Congratulations.

You've just described every parent-child relationship.

You're like a second dad to me.

And sometimes I don't want you hovering over me. I want you to trust me, to do

the work that you've hired me to do.

Yeah, but we've built up that trust over years, you know? I missed out on just

being around him, you know? And I don't know how to make up for that.

Just do the best you can.

Right now, in this moment.

You two aren't as different as you think.

In fact, sometimes it's eerie how similar you are.

Just be there for him.

Can you believe that he didn't realize my plans for the lights?

I mean, what is it with men and technology?

You slap a circuit board on something or give it an app and suddenly that's all

they want.

And especially after I helped him with the video.

He had to go and one-up me with my own family.

I don't think I've ever seen you so flustered.

What's going on?

Oh, my God.

You like him.

Yeah, like, like that much. You like him. Yeah.

He's just, he's so great in so many ways. You know, when we're in sync, it's

perfect. And then there are these moments, like with the lights, where I

just really question how I feel.

How can you like something and then really want to change it all at the

exact same time?

You've literally described every boyfriend I've ever had.

true um so speaking of awkward relationships i

wanted to ask you something what what's the deal with

cliff huh what do you mean well

um when we were all together the tree trimming there's kind of a moment

With my brother?

I mean, I guess I've just never thought about you two like that, but... Really?

Yeah.

Yeah, but listen, I would not want to do anything if it would be weird for you.

Because I really wouldn't want it to affect our relationship because I love

you and... No, no, no, no. You should go for it.

Okay. One of us should be happy.

Thank you.

It might just be a tad awkward for me to be your third wheel for New Year's now,

though. It could be fun, though.

Yeah. I mean, we'll probably be getting married soon, so... And you see, it's

already had 30,000 views.

Ben, this is really great.

You know, a bunch of people came up to me this morning in town and told me how

much they loved it.

Well, we really wanted to capture the spirit of the store and show how great

of a family we are.

You certainly did that.

Now, about this chief operating officer role.

You sure that's what you really want?

Absolutely.

I've never been so sure of anything before.

But, um, what about Ashley?

How do you think she'll take it?

Well, it may not be what she pictured for herself, but I'm sure she'll see

that it's in the best interest of the company.

But let's wait for the right moment to tell her, okay? Absolutely.

In the interim, congratulations, Mr.

COO.

Thank you so much.

Let's run it again.

Thank you so much. Have a good one.

Honey, what's wrong? You look like... I can't believe what I just heard, Andy.

What?

Mr. Collins and Ben were talking. Ben is getting the COO job.

After everything you did, that's crazy.

And the worst part is that Ben was wondering how I would take it, and they

both just assumed that I would be fine with it and understand.

No. I mean, I get it.

I get it. Ben is his son, and he is smart, and he is so, so capable.

It's just that I've put in so much hard work for this over the last few years.

Maybe I should just move on.

I'm just surprised that Ben would do this to you.

Yeah.

I mean, I knew that he was going to be an integral part of the company moving

forward. I did. I knew that. But I never in a million years thought that after

showing him the ropes here and making town feel like home for him that he

would just...

Take the one job that I've worked so hard for.

And now you have feelings for him.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Which makes the fact that he stepped over me to get what he wants even

harder.

I could never be with someone who would do something like that to someone.

What are you gonna do?

I am going to take the other job.

I'm gonna take the other job, and I'm gonna give Ben some real competition

while I'm working for our main rival.

Yeah.

Let me buy you a coffee.

We'll figure this out.

Come on.

Yeah,

I'm looking forward to it as well.

It's a great opportunity.

I'm excited.

All right.

Bye. Can I come in?

Yeah.

Of course, as long as the lack of projections in my office doesn't bother

you.

Okay, yeah, I deserve that.

Just kind of why I'm here.

I felt bad I derailed your plans with the lights the other day.

You and I, we have this thing.

Sometimes I go too far if you know I want to be helpful.

Yeah, I have to say I was a bit surprised, especially after I helped you

with the video.

I'm sorry.

I wasn't thinking.

Well, it seems you always get your way, so... I swear it's not intentional.

Is that all?

Yeah. Okay, I just have a lot of loose ends that I need to tie up before the

end of the day, so...

morning coffee to work every day i know i'm really

gonna miss seeing you every day but we can video chat and i'm gonna come home

to see my family and you maybe you can come visit me it's not that far yeah

well i hope the new company knows what a superstar they're getting they do

they kept telling me how excited they are to have me Especially after I

initially turned them down. I have to admit, it is nice to feel wanted.

So when are you going to tell Mr. Collins?

Oh, God.

I hadn't even thought about that.

I don't know if I can face him.

As exciting as this opportunity is, it's really bittersweet.

I don't know if I can go back into the Emporium again.

It's going to be too hard to say goodbye to everybody.

But you have to tell them, you know.

Yeah.

If I write a letter of resignation, will you give it to them?

You know I would do anything for you.

Thank you.

Because I also might need you to clean out my office.

Okay, well, these look really good, so I will get your stuff in exchange for a

tin of these.

Deal. Deal.

Two tips? No, just one.

Hey,

I'm glad I caught you. Have you seen Ashley?

Yes, and she asked me to give this to you.

What's this?

Let's just say you totally blew it.

Call Mom.

Hi, honey.

It's so late. Is everything okay?

Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't realize what time it was.

Oh, no. I mean, it's okay.

Oh, we haven't had a chance to talk since you moved.

Yeah. Yeah.

Work's been busy, and these last couple of days have thrown me a bit. Does this

have something to do with your father?

No. Actually, after a bit of a rough start, things there are...

They're better.

No, um, it's this girl.

I can't quite get a read on her.

Oh, well, that's a change for you.

What's the problem?

I don't know.

We have this great connection, you know, in this sort of, like, competitive way,

you know?

It seems every time I want to impress her, it just has the opposite effect.

Well, maybe stop trying to impress her and just show her you care.

There's this cookie bake-off thing she's really excited about.

Do you remember when we made Christmas cookies when you were younger? The old

secret family recipe?

Why don't you make her a batch of those as a gift?

It'll show her you appreciate her and what she's passionate about.

Write this down on a piece of paper or a tablet.

All right?

All right.

Go. Hit me.

Okay. You need three cups of flour.

Hold on. Three... Hold on. Three cups of flour.

Two cups of sugar.

I'm gonna get it right.

Yeah, you know...

Let's go, Ashley!

Dad, Dad, you know this is an event that requires cheers.

Give me an A!

A! A!

That was loud.

Not embarrassing at all.

What's Ben doing here?

Yeah, he told me you weren't returning his text or his calls. What happened

between you two?

It's a long story.

Thanks.

Okay.

It's okay.

Hello. Hi, everyone.

First of all, thank you so much for coming to our annual Christmas cookie

bake-off.

Hey.

I know most of you are here because you want to be able to taste some of these

incredible cookies, and I can tell you, you will not be disappointed this year.

According to our judges, we've had some very strong entrants, and it was a very

difficult... and delicious decision so may i please have the envelope sir

thank you very much okay all right in third place it's

mrs reese and her frosted egg not cookies that's a good sign right yes

except for the fact that the town baker is still in it and he might win we still

got a chance yes and in second place

Ashley McKenzie and her Swiss chocolate spice cookies. Hi, good job, honey. Good

job. At least if I had to lose, it was to a professional baker.

And in first place, it's newcomer Ben Collins.

That's my boy.

That's surprising.

Yeah.

May I?

Yeah, please.

Wow.

This takes me back.

You may not remember this, but you, your mother, and I all made these

cookies the last Christmas we spent together.

Yeah. Really?

Yeah.

We ate them and decorated the tree, and we sang Christmas carols.

It's one of those memories that I always cherish.

Ben, I hope we can create more memories like this in the future.

Yeah, I'd like that.

I'm proud of you, Pumpkin.

Second place, not so bad.

Look.

You really did it.

You did that.

That's got to be more meaningful than winning first prize.

Dad, I have to go.

Ashley, wait.

Ashley.

Ashley.

What are you running off so fast for?

Sorry, Dad. It's just the last few weeks, so much has changed. I just feel

like my entire life is falling apart.

I was at least hoping to regain my queen of Christmas crown, but to lose to Ben

of all people.

Honey, we love you.

And we love everything that you do.

Thanks.

It's just that Christmas is what I had.

You know, I mean, you have the 4th of July.

Mom makes Thanksgiving unforgettable every year. And Cliff, his Halloweens

are legendary.

Ash, I love you.

And I love that you want to make Christmas great.

But let's not forget the true meaning of the holiday.

Because you have so much to be thankful for.

Yeah.

You're right.

You're right. I am right. I know. You always are.

Maybe this new job is exactly what I need.

Change is good, right?

Right.

Well, that did not work according to plan.

I went to the contest thinking it'd be a good way to get Ashley to talk to me

again, but she just... ran off.

Yeah, I'm not sure what's going on there.

Cliff? It was Andy. Maybe she knows.

Hey. Hey.

Hey.

What's up?

Ben here is convinced that Ashley doesn't like him.

He's not wrong.

Told you. Wait, really?

Can you blame her after everything you did?

So is she still mad at me because of the Christmas lights or the cookie contest?

You really don't get it, do you?

Get what?

I mean, I thought we had something special.

I was looking forward to sharing the co-COO position with her, and then she

just joins her biggest competitor.

The co-COO?

What are you talking about? I thought you were going to be COO. I was. I mean,

I am.

Supposed to be the two of us, together, sharing the position.

How is she supposed to know that?

It was supposed to be a surprise. We were waiting for the right time. Oh, no.

Okay. Okay, we need to fix this. I don't want her leaving.

Leaving? Let's go.

Let's go!

Come on!

Hurry up! Come on!

Where is my favorite sweater?

Did I leave it at the office?

Ashley? Ben?

Andy? Cliff?

What are you guys doing here? Ashley, there's been a misunderstanding.

Well, thank goodness I found you both. Come quick!

What in the name? What happened?

The video. I guess it went viral and everyone came to check out the store.

It went viral overnight, that can't be.

Ben, that's amazing.

Yeah, it's nice that everyone showed up, but we were totally overrun.

As you can see, the shelves are bare and everyone's exhausted.

I don't know how we're gonna restock everything by tomorrow.

That's not good. Yeah, and there was a huge line of kids to see Santa. We had

to turn people away.

A lot of people left in a huff complaining.

Well, we can all help restock the store, but I don't know what we'll do about all

the increased traffic to Santa.

I think I have an idea.

Sun is coming back to town.

And the spirits high.

Yeah.

Sun is coming.

Sun is coming back to town.

And the spirits high.

Oh, hey, folks. Make sure you snap a selfie while you wait in line. And if

you don't want to wait in line, make sure you send us a text or an email or

record a message to Santa telling him exactly what you want. And we promise

he'll get the message.

Guys, this is such a great idea. I love the new area where you can take a selfie

and then tag the store.

Yeah, people really seem to like it. But I have to give Ben credit for that one.

It was a joint effort.

And look, we're already getting a bunch of letters to Santa.

What's all this?

Welcome to the Emporium's Christmas 2.0.

Over here, kids can text or email their wish list to Santa.

They can upload a photo, and they can even put in an address if they want to

to make sure that Santa gets their presents to the right person at the

right place because, you know, kids tend to worry about that.

Isn't that amazing, Dad?

I actually thought of this.

Yeah, I guess technology isn't all bad.

And what's great, too, is if you look here...

All of the wish lists are automatically uploaded to our servers, so we can see

what kids want in real time, and then we can stay on top of the trends and make

sure we have everything in stock.

That's an incredible application tool for us, isn't it? Yep.

Oh, look, we're already getting so many wish lists uploaded.

Okay, we have Dylan, age 6. He wants an action figure.

Stacy,

age 10, wants a video game. Okay. And kids can upload videos, too, which is so

cute. Oh, here's one. Luke, age eight, he just... Oh, um...

Well, he just wants the basic necessities. He wants socks without

holes, a winter jacket, and new clothes for his little sister.

He even asked Santa if he would bring a doll for her.

Wow, that's so sweet, and that's so selfless of him. Yeah.

Yeah.

I wish it was something we could do.

Maybe there is.

I have an idea.

What if we use this technology to benefit others?

Think about it. People could come into the store and they could adopt a family

or a bunch of families if they wanted to. I mean, if people could buy an item

of clothing or a toy, then we could make these families' holidays magical.

Yeah, and since the video went viral...

I can put a link at the end of the video so people could easily just donate if

they wanted to. Yeah.

Better yet, we could get the store behind this. And then when people are

checking out, we can ask them if they're interested in helping a family in need.

And then we can get the gift for the child on their list.

You would do that?

Yeah.

All right, well, if we're going to make this happen, we better get to work.

Ashley, I need... Not right now, Ben.

Okay? Let's just focus on helping the families. That's what's important.

Yeah.

I hate that she still thinks I'm trying to take her job.

Look, you can explain everything tomorrow night at the McKenzie's.

And maybe you should plan something special for her.

Hmm? Hmm.

More? What is this?

The fourth delivery here today?

We may need more room for all the gifts.

Honey, I am so proud of you, but why did you have them all delivered here?

Oh, well, I was kind of hoping that I could hand deliver them tonight to the

families that registered on our website in hopes that people could have presents

under the tree when they wake up in the morning. I just, um, never thought we

would get so many.

That is so sweet of you.

Thanks, Mom.

Merry Christmas!

I see you found your New Year's date.

Isn't he handsome?

Hi, I'm Ashley.

Ha ha, very funny.

Just so you know, my friend has had very questionable taste in men over the past

few years, so know that I am watching you.

You don't have to worry about anything, sis.

I'm going to treat her right.

Oh, I think I'm catching it.

There we go. I'm so happy for you guys.

Well, remember, we have a pact to each have dates for New Year's Eve, so you

better get on that. Yeah.

Maybe Santa will leave me one under the Christmas tree.

Love you.

Ben.

What are you doing here?

Oh, Cliff said it was okay. Is that okay?

I need to talk to you and explain something.

No, you know what, Ben? It's okay. You don't have to explain anything. It's

Christmas Eve. Just enjoy the party.

Oh, thank you so much for coming. It's so good to see you.

Thanks for having us. You put the gifts here? Yeah.

Isn't it amazing?

And thank you so much for everything you've done for me over the past few

years.

Wow. Look at what you did.

We did it.

You know, I intend to make Adopt-A-Family an annual event at the

store.

I think it would be a nice new memory for my son and I to share.

But we have to make sure it's okay with the new chief operating officer.

And as I've said already, Dad, I love the idea.

Yes, but we have to make sure it's okay with the new co-chief operating officer.

Ashley?

Huh? Yes, you.

You are the new co-chief operating officer.

What? I thought Ben was the COO. No, you both are.

That's the way it's supposed to work. It was Ben's idea.

He insisted that you both be chief operating officers.

Since the two of you came together, look what you've done to the store. It's

amazing.

The video went viral. Mm-hmm.

People are flocking to the store. The sales are up. People are happy.

And I couldn't be prouder of the two of you.

Plus, I cannot have you going to the competition.

So?

Yes. Yes, of course. Yes.

Thank you so much.

Come in. Come in. Come in, come in, come in.

I want to thank you all for being here. This is one of my favorite times of the

year, to be able to open our house and share with friends and family this

wonderful holiday.

And I would like to thank my daughter, Ashley, who always makes our home look

incredible with her beautiful decorations.

Ash, why don't you come on up here for a second?

Everybody knows her.

Thanks, Dad.

Thank you all so much.

With all the gifts that we've received and the clothing that's been donated, we

have the opportunity to make some families' Christmases really special

this year.

I have to say, this year I got a little carried away.

Yeah. That sweater is the best, worst thing I have ever seen.

No, not with the sweater, Cliff.

Oh. But thank you.

No, this year I kind of forgot what the holidays were all about.

My dad had to remind me. Thanks, Dad.

He reminded me what the true spirit of the holidays are.

And I could not have done any of this alone.

Ben.

Ben, I have to admit, had a very particular effect on me this year.

He brought out the best in me, even if it took a little friendly competition to

make it happen.

And together, we were able to make the holidays really meaningful.

And with all of the gifts and the incredible reception we've had online,

we at the Emporium...

Have decided to make this a yearly tradition Thank

you all so much Merry Christmas now don't eat drink and be merry

So

how

about you go grab your coat

Then come with me.

What is it?

Okay, I just wanted to show you all the amazing comments and the feedback about

the new setup in the store.

Oh, wow.

And our video e-card has gone more than a million views.

Ben, that's incredible.

And it's all thanks to you.

Between the video and adopting the families, it's been wonderful seeing the

community and the store come together during the holidays.

And I know that you kept telling me that this is why the store is so special. I

didn't understand it, but now I do.

So you no longer have to worry about me coming in and changing everything.

In fact, now more than ever, I need you to stay to make sure it stays that way.

I'm so excited about...

Riding this place with you.

Me too.

There's something else.

What?

Look.

Ever since I first met you, I've

been wanting to ask you out on a proper date.

And I thought, what could be more romantic?

than two co-COOs on a horse-drawn sleigh ride together.

I love it.

And I accept.

But... But?

I think there's one thing that could make it even more special.

What do you say we go deliver those gifts to all the families that uploaded

their wish lists?

Yeah.

Ben, I think this might be the best date I have ever been on.

I agree.

But what if I said I could make it just a little bit better?

I don't know how, but I'm intrigued.

With a cup of the best Mexican hot chocolate in town.

You really do pull out all the stops, don't you?

What can I say? When I do something, I go all in.

I was thinking...

Maybe you and I could be queen and king of Christmas.

What do you think?

I like that idea.

But you're gonna have to work on your ugly Christmas sweater game.

Hmm. You don't like the one I'm wearing right now. It's nice. It's just plain.

Oh, okay.

Really?

Oh, my gosh.

Always with the tech stuff, huh?

This time I love it. Yeah?

Good.

I feel like a Christmas princess in this sleigh.

Well, maybe you are.

What do you mean?

I know I got exactly what I wanted for Christmas.

What did you want?

To be happy.

To be here with you.

Well, then I guess we both won our little Christmas competition.

Three, two, one.

Nice one, Dad.

When did you do this?

Last night, when you were still at the store. I came by and I made a few

changes.

What do you think?

it's perfect i love it it's the perfect combination of the two of us

I think I'll catch the love fever.

Yeah, my heart is a disease that has made me a believer.

Catch the love fever.

There's no viral infection. It's a stronger connection to love.

Oh, love.

That's right, baby, believe it. I know that you can feel it. Love.