Two Turtle Doves (2019) - full transcript

Dr. Sharon Hayes (DeLoach) searches for a beloved family heirloom in a small Christmas town. When she unexpectedly discovers an adorable little girl and her disheartened father (Rady), she realizes that Christmas miracles really do happen.

RIP-FIXES-SYNC

by VaVooM

Hi, this is Lucy,

leave a message.

Hi, sorry I missed you again.

So I have one quick meeting

with my mentor

and then I'm on my way to you,

I will meet you in town square,

and then we're gonna wrap

that tree in so much tinsel,

they're gonna be able to see it

from outer space.

I love you, call me back.

Come in.

Merry Christmas.

Sharon, congratulations.

How do you feel?

I am still in absolute shock.

I mean, the MacAdam's Fellowship,

it's just one of those things

that you joke about winning,

but I never actually expected

to be nominated.

Well, I can't think of anybody

more deserving.

Come.

Okay.

I know I'm not supposed to ask,

but did you nominate me?

Sharon Harper.

You know as well as I do

that nominations

are to remain anonymous.

But on a completely unrelated

note, Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas.

Look, they already know that

you're a brilliant neuroscientist.

If you wanna stand out,

you're gonna have to focus

on the future, not the past.

Tell them how you'd like

to change the world.

Don't overthink it.

Do you have

any fun holiday plans?

I do.

Yes.

I'm going home now to celebrate

with my cousin Lucy

and her husband.

Is this the first time

you're going home since...

The funeral, yeah.

I've gotten quite a few messages

from my grandmother's

estate attorney

about my part of the will,

and so I have to handle that.

But it's gonna be great.

My grandmother loved Christmas,

so it's the perfect way

to celebrate her.

That sounds great.

Is your town the kinda town that

likes to go all out for Christmas?

There she is.

I'm here.

Where are you?

Sorry, I went home.

My feet were killing me.

Can you scoop me

up here instead?

Of course, I will come to you.

You okay, Share Bear?

Yeah, it's, you know,

it's strange being back.

When I was here in January...

It was not exactly the most

wonderful time of the year.

Yeah.

I'm actually having

a real hard time

getting in the spirit this year

without her.

I can't even imagine how much

harder it must be for you.

Oh stop, she was

your grandmother too.

Gramma Vera was the world's

best grandmother to me.

But she raised you.

Yes, yes, and she also taught us

that no matter

how hard things get,

that Christmas is

an all-out joyfest,

and we are not gonna let

our Christmas blues

get in the way

of celebrating her,

we are going to do

this thing right.

Which way are you facing?

Towards the Christmas shop.

Okay, turn.

Turn.

Turn.

Stop.

You are a genius.

I am getting us

a dozen snickerdoodles.

Actually, could you get me

salted chocolate chip cookies

and a jar of mayo?

Sharon?

Okay.

See ya soon.

Sharon.

Andrea, hi!

It's so good to see you.

It's so good to see you!

I was hoping that you could swing

by the counseling center.

We renamed it after gramma Vera.

Naturally, since she was its founder.

I did not hear that.

That is so wonderful.

Sharon Harper, is that you?

Hi miss Pat.

How are you?

I'm headed to Holly and Ivy.

- Me too.

- Okay.

Good morning.

I read about your latest

study in psychology now.

It looked like it got excellent

peer reviews.

Thank you so much

for reading it.

Yeah, I'm pretty excited

about it.

Coffee black

and a plain croissant.

Now, I heard a rumor

that you are nominated

for some big fancy award?

The MacAdam's Fellowship, yeah,

it's a creative award.

But I thought

you were a scientist.

Well, science is very creative.

I am so excited for you.

Sharon.

Yeah.

Ethel.

Snickerdoodles.

How did you know?

Hi.

Nick, Nick, get out here.

Coming, coming, coming.

It's little Sharon

snickerdoodle Harper.

Hey, where's Lucy?

Well, that's

actually why I'm here.

She would like a dozen of the

salted chocolate chip cookies,

specific craving request.

I'm on it.

Thank you.

Vera did say that

you weren't married,

and I think my David would be

a wonderful option for you.

David?

Please.

My Wyatt is handsome

and a firefighter.

- Sharon.

- Yes.

Sharon Harper.

Hi.

Sam Taylor,

your grandmother's estate attorney.

Oh yeah, of course,

it's nice to meet you.

- Likewise.

- Yeah.

Pardon me, do you have

a quick second to chat?

Absolutely.

- Yep.

- Thank you.

These are on the house.

Thank you guys,

I will be seeing you soon.

Merry Christmas.

Thank you so much.

Trust me, I've been there.

They mean well,

but it can be a lot.

Have we met?

I am your grandmother's

estate attorney,

that was not just great improv.

No, no, no, that's not it.

I'm also her next-door neighbor.

Yes!

Yeah, Sam Sam, see,

I knew you looked familiar.

I've heard so much about you.

- Really?

- Yeah.

I've heard a lot about you too.

It's nice to officially meet you

outside of a few neighborly waves.

Yeah, well, work has been so busy

that Christmas has been

more of a fly in,

fly out extravaganza

for the last, well,

how long have you been here?

- Six years.

- Six years?

It's so weird we never met.

It's always busy at the holidays,

probably just bad timing.

So if you have a little bit

of time tomorrow,

maybe we could go through

the last part

of your grandmother's will.

Actually,

do you have time today?

4:00?

Sounds great.

- Okay.

- Bye.

For me?

You shouldn't have.

I didn't!

Sorry, Roland, you have been

usurped by your child-to-be.

- Hey.

- Merry Christmas!

I know, I look like

I'm short two wise men.

Listen, I was hoping you'd talk

some frankin-sense

into your cousin.

There's that wit.

She's very excited to see you,

but she's also quite...

Fully capable of deciding

what she can and can't handle.

Hi!

Hi!

You look so amazing!

Thank you.

- So good to see you!

- So good to see you.

- You got the goods?

- Oh, yes, how could I forget?

The goods.

The goods.

Cookies.

- And?

- Mayo.

Thank you!

Yum, okay,

can you take these inside?

Yep.

Thank you.

Okay, bye sweetie!

Bye, have fun!

I could understand

if you're a little nervous

to be back at her house,

because...

This is the first time

I'm staying here without her.

- Right!

- Right.

But I am not gonna

let that overshadow

a lifetime of happy

memories, right?

Right.

Because you're not

gonna do it alone.

Okay.

All right.

Ready?

Yep.

Thank you.

So tell me about

this crazy award again.

The award is

half a million dollars.

Half a million dollars?

Yeah, yeah.

And you can use it

to advance your expertise

or jumpstart a new project,

change career paths altogether,

but either way, it is insane

that someone nominated me.

No it isn't.

You've always been super smart.

Thank you.

Now, the interview

is on the 30th,

and I just have to come up

with a plan

of how I would use the money.

Knowing you,

I'm sure you've come up

with a color-coded

100 page plan.

It is 50 pages, thank you

very much, and color-coded.

But I will probably use

the money for my research,

if I get it, and that is a big if.

Sharon.

Yeah.

Take a break.

Not until I hang the 12 days

of Christmas ornaments.

Do it later.

No!

These were my favorite

when I was a kid.

- Especially the...

- Two turtle doves, I know.

I remember the tears

the year I tried to hang it

instead of letting you.

You know what,

that was my ornament,

and gramma Vera said so.

I gotta go, I'm gonna be late.

I will see you in an hour?

I love you?

Yeah?

Okay.

Love you too.

Just one second, I wanna

make sure everything's in order.

This is your daughter Mikayla,

right?

Yes, although she's twice as big

and twice as loud now.

She's really cute.

Gramma Vera

talked a lot about her.

Yeah, we liked to claim Vera

as family.

We got very close

after Mikayla's mom died.

I really felt like she should

talk to someone,

and there's no one better

than Vera.

That is true.

I'm sorry about your wife.

I'm really sorry

about your grandma.

Thanks.

Would you like to have a seat?

Yeah.

Okay.

I didn't know that gramma Vera

was Mikayla's therapist.

I mean, not that she would've

ever said anything.

No, no, I guess

that makes sense.

Help yourself.

Thank you.

Never pass up a cookie.

Okay, so, here's the deal.

Vera knew that you had

a very full life

outside of Pine Springs,

and she did not want you

to feel obligated to have

to maintain a house

that was in a town

that you didn't want to live in.

She also wanted to make sure

that you got the decision

before it went to someone else,

since you grew up here.

She is still somehow the most

considerate human being

I have ever known.

This is where it gets tricky,

though.

She has compiled a list

of Harper family

Christmas traditions,

and she would like you

to complete all of them

before Christmas,

at which point in time

you would then be able

to make the decision

about the house.

I'm gonna let her

explain it to you.

Wait, what?

She thought it might be better

coming from her.

After Jennie died,

I really wished that I had

more things with her voice,

and so we both agreed

that it might be nice

to record her explanation.

Okay, so I'm gonna

just leave this here,

and you just press play

whenever you're ready,

I'm gonna step outside,

just give you a second.

Let me know when it's ready.

I pushed record,

you can start any time.

Well, that's not a great start.

Say hi to Sharon, Sam.

Hi Sharon.

Right.

Okay.

My dearest Sharon,

please know that I am

squeezing you right now,

even if you can't feel it.

I am so proud of the woman

you've become, Share Bear.

After your mother passed away,

it occurred to me that

I might leave this world

while you're still fairly young.

So I started jotting down

the family Christmas traditions

in these journals,

so you'll always have a connection

to the Harper women

who love you.

So these are yours,

written to you,

because I know

this first Christmas without me

might be hard.

In my experience, having

something positive to focus on

is the best way to keep going.

And because, my little scientist,

I know you love clear parameters

for an experiment,

I'm giving you until Christmas

to complete

12 of these traditions,

one for each of our cherished

12 days of Christmas ornaments.

And I promise you, if you do

12 of these by Christmas,

you won't need more time,

you'll know if this house

and this town are the place

for you or not.

There's no wrong answer,

Sharon, only discovery.

I want you to know

that so much, my love.

From here,

there is only discovery.

I love you.

Hey, how are you doing?

Good.

I'm good.

Would you like some water?

No, no, it's okay.

You know what, I think

I'm just gonna go

and process all of this,

you know?

If there's anything else

I can do for you...

Yeah, yeah, yeah,

thank you so much.

Thank you, and for the cookie.

Thank you.

Hey, and remember,

I live right next door.

Yep.

I know, thank you so much,

thank you.

How are you feeling?

I am feeling like someone

cracked my heart open

and fried it like an egg.

That is vivid,

but understandable.

I really just thought

that I was gonna relax,

sign some papers,

and then get back to work.

But it's sweet, in a way.

It sounds like she was worried

about this first Christmas

and wanted to give you

something positive to focus on.

Something positive to focus on.

It's tough, but it's important

to remember

that we're hurting because

we lost someone worth missing.

Have you ever heard

of synaptic pruning?

How did we get here?

Okay.

So, our brains are full of neurons

that are wired together,

and these connections,

they get stronger or weaker

based on our experiences,

so what we focus on grows.

Okay, so if we focus

on the sad things,

then our brains

will theoretically rewire

to focus on the sad things,

but if we focus on

the happy things,

say, our grandmother's

amazing Christmas traditions,

those things will grow

and our brains will be wired to focus

on the love, not the loss.

I'm not gonna bypass

my grief with positivity.

Besides, gramma Vera always said

"sometimes you just have

to sit with the hard things."

Or, or we could go ice skating,

or have a cup

of the best hot cocoa in town,

or decorate the house,

she said those things too,

and wouldn't that feel

so much better?

I wish I had your energy,

but this?

This is hard for me still,

and I was hoping with you home,

I wouldn't be alone in that.

But you won't be alone.

You won't, we would be

doing these things together,

and then she would also

get to be a part of it.

Do you remember that every year,

there is a competition

on our street

for best Christmas lights?

We may not take top prize

every year,

but I am proud to say

our house never disappoints.

Hey.

Hi.

Hi, just wanted to check on you,

see how you're doing,

I feel really bad

about the way things

went down in my office,

I shouldn't have

sprung it on you like that.

No, no, it's fine.

You know, I'm actually

really excited about this,

it gives me something positive

to focus on.

- Okay, well.

- Yeah.

Are you sure you wanna start

positively focusing tonight?

It's gonna be dark

in like 11 minutes.

Yeah, maybe you're right,

I got a little overexcited.

Look.

In my experience,

sometimes plans can...

Sam, you seem like a great guy.

Gramma Vera's five-star review

of you feels pretty accurate.

And I appreciate your concern.

But I'm doing great, I am.

I mean, crossing off a

list is very satisfying

for my type a

puzzle-loving brain.

I mean, there are such

doozies as, you know,

watching a Christmas

movie marathon

while wearing fuzzy socks.

Yeah.

Thank you.

Thank you, though.

I will let you know when I have

made a decision about the house.

- Okay.

- Okay.

See, now that's a rookie mistake.

You always put the clips

on the lights

before you climb the ladder,

you know, so that...

Okay, I can't watch this anymore.

Mikayla!

Go run and get your coat!

Okay, uncle Alex!

Excuse me, hi.

You look like you could use

a hand.

You know what,

if my 83-year-old grandmother

can do it, so can I.

She didn't.

She asked me to do it.

At least

for like the last couple years.

Anyways, I'm Alex,

by the way, and this is...

The famous Mikayla!

Gramma Vera talked so much

about you.

She did?

Yeah.

Are you Dr. Harper?

I am.

But you can call me Sharon.

Gramma Vera told me

that once you get a doctorate,

everybody has to call you doctor,

and I thought that was pretty cool.

It is pretty cool.

Are you finished

decorating inside yet?

Because I used to be one

of gramma Vera's best helpers.

I heard that.

I heard that last year,

you were her very best elf.

Well, I still have to buy a tree,

and I have to decorate it.

By yourself?

Well, I think

I can handle a tree.

No, I'm not saying you can't,

I'm just saying that

can and have to might

be different things.

The only things that

I really know about you,

gramma Vera told me.

So tell me something

about yourself.

I'm the lawyer, I should

be the one interrogating.

I will point to Exhibit A,

I was raised by a therapist.

- Good point.

- Yeah.

What do you wanna know?

- That's sweet.

- That's kinda nice.

How do you like your coffee?

Black.

Coffee with milk and sugar

defeats the whole point

of drinking coffee.

What is your most

controversial opinion?

I don't believe in naps.

But naps are life.

I do believe in late lazy

Saturday mornings, though.

- Yeah, that's just...

- Yeah.

What is your version

of the most wonderful

time of the year?

Well, I have a 10-year-old,

so whatever makes her happy.

Yeah, but you must have

some kind of preferences,

you know,

some things that you love.

Dr. Sharon.

What about this one?

Well now this, I love.

It's perfect.

What do you think?

Whatever you like.

It's the one.

Okay, one, two, three!

- Okay, you good?

- Yeah.

All righty.

Thank you guys.

Yeah, let's get

this thing decorated.

Come on guys.

You know what, you

don't have to sweetie.

Hey, Mikayla.

Make sure uncle Alex

doesn't get pine needles

all over her house, please.

On it.

Look, do not feel obligated

to have her help,

but if you do need

an extra set of hands,

she really loved doing this

with Vera last year.

You know what,

that would be really nice.

It's kind of empty in there

decorating the house by myself.

I get that.

Take it from me, nothing

fills up an empty house

like an enthusiastic

10-year-old.

I put all of the angels

on the top shelf,

and then I put the manger

on the middle shelf,

and the three wise men

go on the bottom shelf

so that the whole...

whole bookcase tells a story.

That is exactly how gramma

Vera taught me to do it.

Yes.

You can take over here.

Put those on there.

- Thank you.

- Okay so.

Put me to work.

It's always soft and squishy

on the bottom, got it?

All right.

And then anything that's sparkly

goes in front of a light

so it can send rainbows.

And she's absolutely right,

absolutely right.

Soft and squishy,

high as we can go.

No!

You put it down here.

Hey, thanks for letting me help.

I'm really glad you're here.

I am really glad you're here.

This was always my favorite part

to do with gramma Vera.

Yeah?

This was my second favorite part.

Can you guess my favorite?

I'm gonna give you a hint.

Hanging stockings?

So close!

Hanging the 12 days of

Christmas ornaments on there.

What are those?

What?

I never did that with her.

Wait a second,

wait a second,

you are going

to love this, okay.

Alex, there's an antique

wooden box

in that pile of boxes,

do you mind finding it for me?

Yeah, sure.

All right, so.

Gramma Vera

made these journals for me

and they have all of our

family traditions in here.

Here, okay.

So on this page,

she talks all about

the 12 days of

Christmas ornaments.

So a long, long time ago,

my great-great-great,

let's just say seven greats

grandfather.

He was an artist and

he worked with ceramics.

My mom did that.

Really?

Oh yeah,

that's why we moved here,

so she could open a shop,

she was a very talented artist.

That is so cool.

So he fell in love with my

seven greats grandmother,

but her parents didn't approve

of them getting married.

Why not?

I'm sure they had

very specific ideas

about who they wanted her

to marry, probably, yes,

and that was very common

back then,

we don't do that anymore.

No, we do not.

So he made her these ornaments.

All right, I think I found it.

Yes, yay!

Here, come here,

come here, come here.

Forbidden love,

that's a pretty juicy

family history right there.

I know.

Well, they actually

had to leave for America

before he had time to make

the partridge in the pear tree,

so there's a family legend now

that the two turtle doves

makes people fall in love.

That was my favorite part.

I loved how gramma Vera

told the story,

and I like the ritual of it.

Where's the two turtle doves?

There's only 10.

What?

No.

She's right, there's

only 10 ornaments in there.

But that doesn't make any sense.

Well, it's gotta be

here somewhere.

Look, I pulled out

all the boxes,

if it's not

in one of those boxes,

then I don't know

where it would be.

We're gonna find it, okay?

We're all gonna help you,

right guys?

Yeah, yeah, definitely.

I'll check the rest

of those boxes.

We'll find it, it's okay.

Dr. Sharon, it's Mikayla.

Yeah, come on in.

Hey.

Hey guys, what's going on?

We were sad

that we couldn't find

the ornament yesterday,

and so Mikayla

wanted to make you something

to help you feel better.

It's a placeholder.

This is perfect.

Thank you so much.

Come here.

So, I was gonna hang

one ornament

for each tradition that we

crossed off gramma Vera's list.

This is the one

for decorating the house.

Can I do it?

Absolutely.

Any leads?

No, I'm gonna stop by

gramma Vera's old office,

and then if it's not there,

I'm gonna

turn Lucy's house inside-out.

Well that's a start.

Well, let us know if there's

anything we can do to help.

I'm a great detective.

I bet you are.

So does that mean

I'm gonna see you guys later?

Yeah, we'll see you later.

Good.

Great, thank you again.

Buh-bye.

- Bye.

- Bye.

Hey.

Hi.

Hi, I just wanted to give you

a five-minute warning

before the next appointment.

Thank you.

Any luck?

Nothing.

No.

Do you know anywhere else

she might've stashed it?

No, if it's not in one of those boxes,

then it's not here.

But you might try to do

some sleuthing

at the town tree lighting tonight.

A couple of years ago

the mayor invited every family

to hang one personal ornament

on the town tree,

so maybe there was

a mix-up there.

That is a great idea.

I will definitely do that.

Thank you.

And I'll clean everything up,

just give me two seconds.

- Thank you.

- Thank you so much.

One of my favorite days

of every Christmas season

was watching your face

when you came home from school

and saw Santa and his reindeer

right there, at our house.

You told me as long

as we displayed our Santa,

the real Saint Nick would always

know he was welcome here.

I thought that was the cutest

thing I'd ever heard.

And so every year, up he goes.

What are you doing?

If you don't know,

then I'm worse off than I thought.

Okay, here, let me help you,

stay there.

No, it's balanced,

I'm almost there.

Nope, I got it.

See?

I'm assembling Santa

and his reindeer.

Why?

So Santa knows

that he's welcome, right?

There.

Wasn't this list supposed

to bring you Christmas joy?

What is more joyful than Santa?

I don't know,

maybe not assembling

a 15-foot lawn ornament

all by yourself.

You know what, okay.

You don't appreciate my Santa,

you don't like sweets,

you don't have a tree preference.

I'm starting to think

you just don't like Christmas.

Okay.

- First...

- That's heavy.

Nobody enjoys assembling

these things by themselves.

I'm having a great time!

Right, okay, talk to me tomorrow

when everything hurts.

That is not my point.

You're evading my point,

which is you don't like Christmas.

I think you're a secret Scrooge.

- Let's do this one.

- All right.

- Right to this one, okay.

- Yeah.

You know, the first year

after Jennie died,

I went all out for Christmas.

We just had a rough year,

and I was so excited

to finally have something

to celebrate.

Man, I did the cookies,

half-eaten carrots,

little hoof prints

through the snow,

and there was a suit involved.

That sounds amazing.

Yeah, Mikayla

still talks about it.

It had to be this big,

over-the-top thing

that would distract her

from the fact

that her mom wasn't there,

and it had to be

a big enough gesture to

remind her that I always would be,

and that Santa

would be there too.

You are a really great dad.

Doing all that without Jennie,

I wanted to sleep

right through January.

It was rough.

Yeah.

Last one.

I don't understand why anyone

who doesn't have kids

would want to do this.

I mean, I would be inside

by the fire,

reveling in the joys

of adulting.

Well, it's because I'm not

doing it for me either.

I'm trying to remember her.

Why is this so hard?

Why is she making me do this?

Because she loved you.

Come on, let's see

how we're lookin' here.

Yeah.

Okay.

Okay.

Now we just have to put

together Santa's village.

I'm sorry, what?

The traditional lighting

of the town Christmas tree.

I'll never forget the first time

you saw it.

The lights came on and your eyes

went wide as saucers.

I just love when we light candles

and the whole town sings.

There's something so magical

about the stillness

in that moment.

Well?

No, looks like she's doing

her thing,

I don't think she wants to talk

to anyone right now.

Okay, well, I'm sure

she'll make an excuse for you.

Come on, let's go see

the reindeer.

Oh, yay.

All by yourself over here.

- Hey.

- Hey.

Yeah, Andrea

mentioned gramma Vera

possibly putting the ornament

on the tree.

So I just thought I would...

Yeah, nothing yet though?

Nope.

I checked Lucy's and the

counseling center, and nope.

Just a couple of days of nope.

Some guy came and humbugged

all over your Santa.

That was really great.

Lighting this tree

later tonight.

Yeah.

It used to be

one of my favorite traditions.

Is it always gonna be like this?

I just, I keep having

these flash memories

of being here with her

and my mom,

and if Christmas

is gonna be like this,

I just, I don't think I can do it.

Yeah.

First year after Jennie died,

it was really hard

not to feel like Christmas

was just a giant shadow

that Jennie would just, she

would light up the whole house.

But whether she was gone or not,

I was not gonna let

how I felt about Christmas

ruin it for Mikayla,

'cause she's a kid,

she gets to be a kid once,

and when you're a kid,

Christmas should be magical

no matter what.

How did you do that?

No, seriously, I'm just

by myself and I can barely do it.

At first I took it

one step at a time.

Like driving with your headlights on,

you know,

you just focus

as far as you can see.

And most importantly,

you don't do it alone.

My brother Alex,

he moved here just to help me out.

And Vera, and Nick,

and Ethel, yeah,

a whole town full of wonderfully

nosy neighbors

who were ready to help make

Christmas Magic happen

when I didn't feel

like I had it in me.

You're welcome to join us

if you want.

Okay.

- Dad!

- Hey.

I pet the reindeer!

Nice.

And he licked the corn

right out of my hand.

Gross!

And awesome.

So, Dr. Sharon,

did you find the ornament yet?

I did not, but thank you

so much for asking.

It's okay, we'll find it.

Please join me

in the traditional lighting

of the Pine Springs

Christmas tree.

Five!

Four!

Three!

Two!

One!

And as your mayor,

I want to welcome

everyone who's come

near and far to join us.

The spirit of generosity

this town embodies

is truly a miracle every season.

Hello, my friend,

Dr. Sharon Harper,

is missing an ornament that

used to belong to Vera Harper.

It's white with two birds

and a little heart

hanging from it,

so if we could all look,

we can make a Christmas miracle.

Thank you and Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas.

Well, I don't think

I can top that.

Welcome home, Dr. Sharon Harper.

We will all keep

our eyes peeled, yes?

Yes.

And now, please join me

in enjoying

the rest of this fine evening,

Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas!

Is baking Christmas cookies

on your list?

As a matter of fact, it is.

Would you like to bake cookies

with me and Mrs. Ethel?

I would love that.

Thank you.

Do you want me to take you,

or is your dad coming?

- No...

- Yeah, I could swing by.

I thought this was girl time.

Well I will come by at the end, then,

and we can hang out for a bit.

Sounds great.

Okay.

Okay, well, good night.

Come on.

Good night.

Now, I'm no Ethel,

but I just don't think

it's Christmas without

a homemade batch of cookies.

Frosted sugar cookies

are my favorite.

But you love a snickerdoodle,

just like your mom.

It's so much fun to get

your hands messy

and spending time

in the kitchen together.

That's my favorite part.

Your favorite part seems

to be licking the spoon,

and I can't blame you.

I've got something

to check on out front.

Lucy, do you think

you can give me a hand?

Absolutely.

Okay.

I have a very important

question for you.

What is your favorite

Christmas cookie?

I only get one?

You're right, loose top three.

Okay, I like Ethel's

snickerdoodles.

Naturally.

Gingerbread cookies.

Crunchy or soft?

Crunchy.

Yeah.

Good choice.

And I like my mom's

frosted sugar cookies

that were shaped

like snowflakes.

Or at least what I can remember

of them.

You know,

I lost my mom when I was

just a little bit younger

than you.

Yeah, I know.

Gramma Vera told me.

If it makes you feel any better,

I never forgot her.

In fact, I feel I know her

even better now

than I ever did

when I was younger.

Really?

Yeah.

Pinky promise.

Presenting.

Great-gramma Ida's

famous lemon cake.

Really?

For your list.

The ornaments, right?

Yeah.

That looks so beautiful.

It smells just the same.

Ready?

Yes, I am ready.

How did you do this?

She fudged the recipe a bit.

'Cause I know back in the day,

your great-grandmother

wouldn't have baked

with anything but lard, so.

- Lard?

- Lard?

I don't wanna know any more.

That's the best,

don't ask any questions,

just eat the cake.

Hi ladies.

Hi!

Dad!

Hey, hello.

Hey.

I see we're gettin' into a little

dessert before dinner, huh?

Hey Sam, good to see you.

Good to see you too,

this looks great.

Thank you for lending me

your little helper today.

You're welcome.

We still have two more batches

of cookies in the oven.

I wouldn't dare intervene,

but it is getting close

to dinnertime, so do you

want me to go out

and get takeout or something?

That sounds amazing.

Can we get pizza?

Okay.

You should go to Patsy's.

I was talking to her,

and she seemed to recall

Vera mentioned the two

turtle doves ornament to her.

Seriously?

It might not be much of a lead,

but it's something.

Go.

Yeah, yeah, I'm gonna go.

I'm gonna go!

That's fantastic,

thank you so much.

I just need to get my jacket.

It's cold, can you,

sorry, can you hold that?

So has Vera's list

swayed you to the charms

of hometown living?

It would be heartbreaking

to give up that house.

But I'm a finalist

for a MacAdam's Fellowship,

and my interview is on the 30th.

You just became

like 11% more intimidating.

I love my family,

and I love my home.

But my work and my everything

else is somewhere else,

and moving back home

was never part of the plan,

and now I just

feel torn between, you know,

my past and my future.

Well, hey, just to be clear,

I don't think

the goal was ever

to make you choose,

I think it was more

to just give you options.

Well, now you sound

like my mentor.

It's not a bad thing.

I just have a very clear path

for this Fellowship,

and she just keeps urging me

to think bigger

than the research,

and there's no time for that,

'cause in my field, once you take

your foot off the gas,

you just get left in the dust.

Yeah, the New York bubble,

I remember that well.

I live in Minneapolis.

Right, okay, I'm just saying,

New York is an achiever culture.

Yes.

And people who live there,

they think

the world starts

at the East River

and it ends at the Hudson River,

and I loved being there.

I lived off of that

ambitious culture,

that ambitious energy,

that relentless pulse,

a lot of Thai food.

Yeah, there's nothing

resembling Thai food

in Pine Springs.

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

No, but I firmly believed

that leaving Manhattan

would mean a slower life,

a slower career,

that I was settling

for those things,

that all of my colleagues

would rocket past me

to fame and acclaim, and...

So wait, you're saying that

that didn't happen?

No, it totally did.

That's not helpful at all!

But it wasn't settling.

It was a new dream.

A yard for my daughter,

a chance for my wife

to be a working artist.

What I wanted changed,

so the plans changed.

And whatever you choose,

that'll be the right thing too.

Do you miss New York?

Yes.

Some days.

But I mean, look at this place.

I know.

It's the perfect place

for Mikayla to grow up.

Well what about

when she goes to college?

She'll never be that old.

No, I'm not focused on that,

I'm just trying to focus

on Mikayla, it's part

of being a good dad.

Yes, and also...

And also what?

I am not a parent.

But I lost my mom at a young age,

like Mikayla.

And even though gramma Vera

was there for me

every step of the way,

she also went back to school

and she got her

master's degree in social work,

and she opened up

her own therapy practice.

And I watched her do that.

She cared for me, yes,

but at a time in my life

where I was afraid

that being an adult

meant getting sick and dying,

she modeled what it was like

to be a happy, fulfilled adult,

even after loss.

It was one of the most

important things

that she ever gave to me.

Now, it was a long time ago,

so my memory's a little hazy,

but she said something

about an ornament that

your great-great-grandfather

or whomever never made?

He never made

the partridge in a pear tree.

Yes.

And I remember she

mentioned something about

maybe she could get someone

to make one for her.

Use one of the other ornaments

as a model.

Do you have any idea

who that was?

I'm not sure she even got

around to doing it.

I mean, she just sort of

mentioned it in passing.

I'm not sure if

that's helpful, but...

it's more

than I've had to go on so far.

Thank you so much.

Do not take his money, no no no,

your money's no good here

tonight.

Thank you, Patsy.

You're welcome.

Welcome home, honey.

- Merry Christmas.

- Merry Christmas.

And I will let you know

if I find it.

Great.

Dr. Sharon.

Yes.

Are you going

to the Christmas pageant?

Because I'm going to be

an angel.

I wouldn't miss it.

Pinky promise?

And then we get hot cocoa.

Mikayla.

What?

Gramma Vera always took us

to go get hot cocoa after.

It's on the list.

Have a cup of the best

hot cocoa in town.

I'm doing it for 11 pipers piping,

you wanna know why?

Why?

Because the cocoa

will be piping hot.

Dr. Sharon, seriously?

You're better than that.

I know, I know.

All right.

Sharon?

Hi.

Okay.

So you know how

this field works.

I can't just press

pause on my research

to pursue some sort of

passion project, you know?

Once you lose momentum,

there is no going back,

the path is very clear,

it is very specific, it is very...

Very limiting.

Which is the beauty

of this Fellowship.

I've seen scientists use this

award to fund their research,

and that would be great,

but I've also seen them use it

to integrate their work into

community outreach projects,

to write books,

start treatment centers.

So if you win, the question

you'll have to answer

is what would you do

if there were no more limits?

Well that is

a terrifying thought.

Why?

What if I choose something else,

and I fail?

You know?

All of that research,

all of that work, for nothing.

If you care more

about defending your path

than exploring the possibilities

right in front of you,

you're gonna get stuck, fast.

Thank you.

I need an elf to help me

pass out candies

to these boys and girls,

do you think you can help?

Yes.

Merry Christmas.

Well, it's been a year since

I was here with gramma Vera.

You know, I can remember

the exact fabric

from the chairs

in the waiting room,

I can remember pretzels are

B7 in the vending machine,

but I have the hardest time

remembering

what kind of candy

Jennie put in the stocking,

or how many cookies

we left out for Santa.

I just wish that I didn't have

such flash-bold moments

from those last terrible days,

and then such hazy memories

of our best family moments.

And I really wish

that when those memories

did come back into focus,

they just didn't...

Knock the wind right out of you.

Because they're

just memories now.

I know.

This week, it seems the more I try

to keep Christmas alive for her,

the more painfully real it becomes

that she is not here anymore.

I never would have been able

to confront

any of those memories if I hadn't

been making new ones with you.

Okay.

I am going to show Sharon

some more Christmas decorations.

Okay.

Well, I am going to do

the last of the shopping.

Do you need anything else?

No, yes.

I am in desperate need

of wrapping paper.

Okay, cool.

Well, I will see you all later.

Thank you.

Look at this place,

did you do all of this by yourself?

No, my dad and uncle Alex

helped a little bit, but...

This is one of the first

ornaments my mom made.

That is so beautiful.

- Yeah.

- Yeah.

And this is the one

I made in preschool.

Very nice, I can see

where you get your talent.

Thank you.

This is my dad's.

Yes.

Yeah, that one

we can just tack around

the back side of the tree there.

Oh no no, I think that

this should go front and center.

Right?

- So everyone can see it?

- Yes.

Okay, I'm going to show you

where all the Santas go.

- Okay.

- Come on.

All right.

There are 37 Santas over here,

and my mom,

she would always put lights

and ribbon on the garland,

and she would always help me

put teddy bears up there.

Wait a second.

What happened

to the teddy bears?

I think they're

with my mom's stuff

in a box in the basement

somewhere.

Wait, what?

Which box,

I'll go get them, honey.

It's okay.

So, we would always

save the tree for last,

for when dad got home.

And while we waited,

we would make muddy buddies.

You know what?

I'm gonna need to know

what a muddy buddy is.

Okay.

You okay?

I don't remember

the teddy bears.

You know what, it sounds

like that was something

that was between

she and her mom.

I wouldn't worry

too much about it.

We would always take these

and cover them

with chocolate

and peanut butter,

and then shake 'em up in a trash bag

with powdered sugar.

I do not remember that.

'Cause we ate 'em all

before you got home.

You what?

Well, do you wanna

make some now?

No thank you.

Why not?

Because it would make me sad.

Hey.

Sweetheart.

It's okay to be sad.

But you don't get sad.

Sure I do, I miss your mom

every day.

Not at Christmas.

You're always happy.

Especially at Christmas.

I just,

I don't wanna talk about it

because I want Christmas

to be so magical for you.

Because I love you.

And I know that's what

your mom wants for you too.

I thought I was the only one

that got sad.

You're not alone, okay?

I get sad, uncle Alex gets sad,

Sharon gets sad.

I mean, she's been sad all week

because she misses

her gramma Vera.

It's true, I have been so sad.

And you know what,

talking to your dad about it

has really helped me.

He's actually

a really good listener.

You can tell me anything,

you can ask me anything.

Okay.

Is Christmas always

going to be a little bit sad?

You know what?

I think Christmas

sometimes feels sad

because we just want everything

to stay the same, you know?

And it can't.

But I realized something

this week.

You know all those traditions

that gramma Vera

wrote in the journal?

Well, once upon a time,

someone made them all up.

Really?

Yeah.

There were no ornaments,

and now we hang them

every single year,

and my great-grandmother

would make her lemon cake,

and now I eat it every Christmas.

Or the Christmas that uncle Alex

came down for the first time.

Yes!

So if we can just make space

for the past

and also make some fun

new memories

that make us so happy,

Christmas doesn't have to be as sad.

Does that make sense?

Okay.

So what if you and I

do something new?

Would that be fun?

Yeah.

Should we come up

with a new cookie?

Should we paint an ornament,

we could make a wreath, we could...

Oh yeah,

we don't have a wreath!

Okay.

We're making a wreath, then.

Okay, you go get your coat,

go get your gloves,

get your hat, and we're gonna get

some awesome supplies, okay?

Okay.

I don't know

how to make a wreath.

Okay, it's easy, actually,

you just bend some branches

and get some snazzy ribbon.

I don't know how to get snazzy

with ribbon.

Well, you know,

a really wise person

once told me that you don't

have to do it alone.

You've got Alex

and you've got Nick,

and you've got Ethel,

and you've got a whole town

of really nosy neighbors

that will help.

And me.

You got me.

And I can get really snazzy

with a ribbon.

Did you mean what you said

about making Christmas new?

Not until I said it.

And when I said it,

it hit me that it was true.

Okay, I'm ready.

- Let's go.

- Yeah.

Did you know wreaths

are a Christmas symbol

for eternity, because they have

no beginning, and no end.

I will forever remember

making wreathes with you

and your mother.

It was a nice reminder

when I needed it most

that life may be brief,

but some things are everlasting.

All right,

let's see it, let's see it.

- Okay.

- Yeah.

Hold it up.

- That is beautiful.

- Oh my gosh.

It's beautiful.

What do you think?

I like it.

I like it too.

I like it a lot.

I think I'm going to go hang this

on the front door.

- Perfect.

- Good idea.

And thank you guys, because

making a Christmas wreath

was on gramma Vera's list,

and now I can cross that off.

See that?

You're welcome.

I think I should give you guys

some time alone.

No, look, you don't,

it's really fine.

No, besides, I have

a Christmas movie marathon

to cross off my list.

Look, I mean, there must be

some kinda rule in there

about not watching

a Christmas movie alone, right?

I might've read that somewhere.

And hey, even if you

didn't read it in there...

Stop shaking it.

Don't shake it, stop.

Thank you guys so much

for indulging me.

Oh no, twist my arm,

movie night.

Is it time to press play?

I call sitting by Sharon.

I call dibs on the armchair.

Get in here.

There you go.

- Yeah.

- Okay.

Okay, we're ready.

It's from London.

Mr. Gower cabled

you need cash, stop.

My office instructed to advance

you up to $25,000, stop.

Heehaw and Merry Christmas,

Sam Wainwright.

Will you just...?

Yeah.

Morning.

Good morning.

I was wondering

if Mikayla wanted to

go ice skating tonight,

you know?

Keep the streak alive.

She's actually at a sleepover

at her friend Kara's house.

Well.

Worth a shot.

Have a good day.

I could go.

You know, you don't have to.

Maybe we could go out

to dinner before, or...

Yeah?

Yeah.

I mean, hey, you have lots

of crossing off to do,

and list takes priority, but hey,

ice skating alone sounds a little...

- Well, not as much fun.

- No.

No.

Okay.

Yeah.

Dinner and ice skating.

- Dinner and ice skating.

- Yeah.

- I'll see you tonight.

- See you tonight.

There is nothing wrong with

wanting to date him, by the way.

It's just...

I know, I know,

it's not a good idea

to start something if I

don't plan on staying.

Look, I now can't imagine

not being here for that baby,

and I can't imagine not having

Christmas in that house,

and I can't imagine not seeing

Mikayla run across the yard,

or Sam.

Or Sam.

And I also can't imagine

walking away

from everything that I have

worked for for my entire life,

and by the way, the interview,

it's in 48 hours now.

I don't wanna pick.

I don't wanna pick.

You've got a double whammy

right now.

You are confronting

the death of gramma Vera,

probably after outrunning it

all year,

if I know you at all, and I do.

Plus it's Christmas.

A whole season of new beginnings

in the midst

of unlikely circumstances.

Death and birth and miracles,

those are all

terrible times

to make permanent decisions.

Yeah, well you know what?

Gramma Vera didn't exactly

leave me a lot of time.

Gramma Vera, she was

a wonderful grandmother,

and I loved her,

but that was a bad deal,

and I think

you should ignore it.

Keep the house for now.

Sell it later.

Take a sabbatical from work

and write or paint, or whatever.

Ask them to delay the interview

for the award.

I don't think it works that way.

Just because that's not the way

it works

doesn't mean it shouldn't work

better than the way it works.

You know what, you were

on a real roll until then.

I just can't believe

that a smart woman like you

can't buy herself some more time,

and some better options.

Thank you.

Thank you.

- Here we are.

- Here we are.

So any luck with the ornament?

No.

And I think that's okay.

Yeah, I think that I am

just gonna take a break,

and focus on the good things

that I have left

right in front of me.

Now it's my turn

to cross-examine you.

- My goodness.

- Yeah.

Do you bring a lot of dates

to Chez Noel, Samuel?

Objection, leading the witness.

Overruled.

I have frequented Chez Noel

many times, but no.

I can't say that I've brought

many dates here.

That would require dating.

Is that because

you didn't want to,

or because the options

were limited?

At first, I didn't want to.

In the beginning,

I was just really trying

to take it one step at a time.

But then

when I was finally open to it,

I remembered that I live

in a very small town.

So this not only limits

your options...

it insures that everyone knows

how that date went

by the time they buy

their coffee the next morning?

Yes.

Yeah.

Trust me, I know.

Try dating as a teenager

in Pine Springs.

Yeah, yeah, you get it.

I do.

But yes, I do want to be dating.

So wait, ice skating

is a Harper family

Christmas favorite.

- Only every Christmas.

- Favorite?

And every Friday

in middle school,

because what else

was there to do?

Oh man, I forgot

Mikayla's gonna be

in middle school next year.

Middle school.

I don't know anything

about middle school girls.

Well, tell her

she can always call me.

I feel like I'm going to blink

and she's gonna be in college.

Oh man.

- It's just like...

- What's the plan after that?

I have no idea what

I'm gonna do with myself.

Anything you want.

The world is your oyster.

Wait, so ice skating

was which ornament?

10 lords a-leaping, of course.

That was really good,

by the way.

Come on.

Come on.

- Now you have to do it.

- What?

- Yeah, leap!

- That, no.

- Yes.

- No thank you.

Are you all right?

I'm so sorry, you okay?

No, I'm fine.

I'm so sorry I pulled you down.

No, I tried to catch you,

and then I lost my balance.

Mikayla is so excited

that you're coming

to the Christmas pageant,

by the way.

I got a glimpse of the angel

costume she's gonna wear,

it is, what?

I got an email and they

changed the interview,

and I actually, I gotta fly

to New York in the morning.

- I am so sorry.

- Okay, hey.

No, it's okay.

Mikayla will understand.

What about you?

Yes.

It's just hit me,

this week is gonna end

and it's probably

not gonna end with you

packing up and moving

to palm Springs.

- I don't know that.

- Yeah.

I don't, I mean, the fact

that I'm here right now

and not frantically pacing

and preparing for this interview

speaks volumes about

how I've changed my mind

about Pine Springs.

Being here, it just, it showed me

how much I was missing,

home and community and

a connection to my past, and...

Future possibilities that

I have never even considered.

I want you to know how hard it is

to not kiss you right now.

I'm sorry, I can't.

Look.

I wish I could be the guy

that just kisses you

and doesn't care what it means,

but if I'm being honest

with you,

this is new to me.

Feeling this way again.

The part of me that just needs

the world to make sense

needs to know

that when I kiss you,

you're not gonna have

one foot out the door.

Sam, I wish that I had

a definitive answer

to be able to give you, I just...

No, I really, really need you

to not answer right now,

a giant pit of guilt would

just open up and eat me,

and swallow me whole.

I couldn't live with myself if I felt

like you decided

not to stay and then

me kissing you just somehow

may have made a difference.

I'm sorry.

Why didn't you kiss him?

Because he made it very clear

that he did not

want to be kissed.

No.

He wanted to kiss you,

he just needed you to say

that you were staying first.

Lucy, you were the one

that told me not to kiss him.

Don't listen to me,

what do I know?

Well, this has been

supremely helpful.

I gotta go.

What's your plan here, Share?

To have absolutely no plan,

that's what I've got.

All right, I gotta go,

I'll call you after, okay?

Bye.

We will be well on our way

to creating

a culture that knows

how to heal trauma.

That knows how get down

on the ground with the wounded

and say,

"I know that this hurts.

"But you are not broken,

and you cannot stay here.

"Because anything bad

that happens to you

"happens to us too."

15,000,000 views and counting.

Countless media appearances.

You've jump-started

a major conversation

about a topic that most people

would prefer to avoid.

That's inspiring.

We were particularly struck

by how your talk

made the scientific,

creative, and personal.

Can you speak to how

this Grant and Fellowship

would personally

change your life?

Earlier this year

I lost my grandmother.

The woman who raised me

and inspired me

to go into this field.

A week ago, I went home

to celebrate Christmas

and get her affairs in order.

Even though I'm supposed

to be an expert in this field,

even though I was prepared

for how

my brain and body might respond,

I discovered that this experience

brought me to my knees.

And it made me think more deeply

about the gap between

what we know

and how we actually

experience things.

I love you, dude,

but you have like zero chill.

I mean, what did you think

she was gonna say?

I don't know.

I thought

I was stating the obvious.

Right,

because your life screams

"I am open to dating right now."

- Now come on...

- What?

You're living

with your younger brother,

who is helping you raise

your 10-year-old daughter.

Okay, but...

And you know I loved Jennie.

- Right.

- Okay, all I'm saying is,

if you really are ready

for your life to change,

you have to make space

for something new.

How did it go?

I got it.

I can't believe that I got it.

Okay, this is a teddy

I got for your mom in college.

I gave that to her

on our first official date.

Hey.

What are you doing?

Making space.

These are the last of Jennie's

boxes from the basement.

And they liked that?

They loved

that I was thinking big,

and they got really excited

about some of my ideas.

Even if you don't know

how to make them happen?

Well, if I knew how

to make them happen,

then that would mean

that someone

had already done them, right?

Okay, so all of this

can go to Gloria for sale?

- Yeah, I love that idea.

- Okay.

And then, this should go

to Nick and Ethel.

Okay.

- By the door, Nick and Ethel.

- Got it.

What's that?

This, I don't know what this is.

Maybe this decision will take me

off of the track

that I had planned.

It is going to be super scary,

for sure, but new always is.

But it could also be bigger

than anything

that I have ever planned.

It's messy, very messy,

and I definitely have

more questions than I have

answers right now, for sure,

but I just have a feeling

that I will know the answers

- when I see them.

- Dad.

"Dear Jennie, I can't tell you

how delighted I am

"that you've agreed to make us

a partridge in a pear tree

"to complete our family set.

"I so love your work,

and I'm sure

"if anyone can do it, it's you.

"Please use this ornament

as a model

"and return it

when you're finished.

"Take all the time you need.

"Love, gramma Vera."

Look, little lady,

I just don't want you

to get your hopes up.

You don't understand.

She pinky promised.

I know, but hey, things happen,

and Sharon's got a lot

on her plate right now.

Dad, if you break

a pinky promise,

I don't wanna get into it,

but it's messy.

She's going to be there.

Okay.

All right, we gotta go, hon,

let's go.

Do I have my, yeah.

Long, long ago,

under the biggest star

the sky has ever seen,

an angel sent a message of hope.

Any word from Sharon?

No.

You were magnificent!

I'm really glad you came back.

I'm gonna

go talk to your dad, okay?

Okay.

Okay, I'll see you in a few.

You did so good.

Hey.

So how did it go?

Did you get the...

Okay, now it's my turn

to ramble, okay?

Since gramma Vera passed away,

I have been running

as fast as I can,

just chasing goals to a place

where she would be proud of me.

I decided to take

a leap of faith.

Believing her

when she said that I could

never disappoint her.

I think that's a great...

I'm not finished.

I'm gonna break

gramma Vera's challenge.

I'm not gonna make

a decision on the house yet.

I'm gonna hang on to the house

for a year.

A year?

What are you gonna do?

I'm gonna write a book.

I am going to collect

people's stories

and use story to shift

how we view

the brain in the face of loss.

And who knows, maybe I'll open

a grief center, I don't know.

Okay, so I'm guessing

you got the Grant.

I did.

Okay, so a year, and then...

I know you told me that

you didn't wanna kiss me

with one foot out the door,

and maybe the promise of a year

isn't enough for you, but man,

I would really love to kiss you

on the promise of tomorrow.

And I don't have a sign,

a big neon sign

to prove to you that...

There might be signs.

They might not be neon,

but sometimes there's signs.

Where did you?

It's the craziest story.

Isn't it amazing

how seven generations ago,

two people fell in love

one day at a time,

and now here we all are.

RIP-FIXES-SYNC

by VaVooM