(bright festive music)
- that is the perfect necklace
for that dress.
- Stop carrying things.
- Oh stop,
I'm fine.
I'm hoping there's some christmas stuff
in here, who would've thought a vintage store
would run out of inventory.
- Oh, wow, nice. - Right.
Oh, there's a little tear,
but that should be easy to refurbish.
- Well easy for you.
You're so good at taking secondhand stuff
and making it look brand new.
Where did you get all this stuff?
- I have no idea.
There's four boxes in the back,
I didn't even realize we had.
(holly laughs)
okay, it's Thursday, don't you have dinner with your dad?
- Yeah, I told him I was gonna be a little bit late
because I wanted to do this.
(light music)
I was gonna give it to you at the party,
but it couldn't wait, so you have to open it now.
- It's a baby gift?
- More like a best friend gift,
I didn't really think an infant
would appreciate it, so.
(megan gasps)
- these are gorgeous.
- Well, you always look so great
in drop earrings.
I use diamonds
because it's April's birthstone and it's when you're due.
- Holly.
This is one of the most incredibly thoughtful gifts
anyone's ever given me.
Thank you.
- Oh, you're gonna get so many gifts for the baby
at the party and I just wanted to give you
something for you.
- You're amazing.
Thank you so much.
- You're so welcome.
- Oh, I've got this, you go.
Say hi to your dad for me.
- I will.
- Aren't these beautiful?
She makes jewelry.
(bright festive music)
- so what's new?
- Oh, let's see.
I talked to mom.
She and roger are going to st bart's for the holidays.
(holly laughs)
spur of the moment.
- So like your mom, she loves the sunshine.
- No, it's the caribbean, I mean, who wouldn't?
- It's christmas time.
Give me white snow over the white sand.
(holly laughs)
- well, you might have to go upstate for that.
- It's gonna snow, don't you worry.
Hey, what you gonna have to drink?
- Is that apple cider?
- Yes.
- Is it good?
- It's really good.
- I'll have that.
(bright festive music)
- yes, I understand,
but that's why I pay extra every year
so that they come already wrapped.
Okay.
Well then you should tell your manager
that forcing your customers to wrap their own gift cards
is a terrible business decision.
Yep.
Merry christmas to you too.
Thanks.
- Working hard on the article?
- Who cancels their gift wrapping business
right before christmas?
- Well, maybe it's time to try something new.
Go shopping, pick out meaningful gifts,
hand write something personal on the card.
- Okay.
- All right.
I got your email saying you finally
have a story to pitch me?
- Oh, yes.
Okay.
Here it is.
A guy from gramercy park goes out to lunch,
leaves a $200 tip.
I'm gonna interview the lucky server in a half an hour.
Boom.
- Hmm.
- What?
No, this is perfect for my holiday hero story.
- I was hoping for something a little more personal.
I want our readers to be moved by the magic of christmas.
Maybe you feel more inspired
if you did a little more decorating?
- What do you mean?
Look at this, this ball.
- Not the office decorations, your own things.
- Look sheyla, I know that my last few features
have not been pulitzer material,
but this piece is gonna knock your socks off, I promise.
- We'll see.
2000 words.
Copy in my inbox by noon on the 23rd.
- All right.
(bell rings)
- here.
- You didn't have to get me anything.
See?
Now I'm embarrassed because I didn't get you
(suspenseful music)
a bunch of folded up pieces of paper?
- Draw a name for the office party.
- See, I'm sorry, I actually, I can't make it
because I'm renewing my driver's license
and you know how difficult it is
to get an appointment at the dmv.
- You used that one last year.
- It's an annual thing.
Okay. Sheyla, look, you know I hate these things.
You got to get a present for someone
that you don't even know, gotta get all dressed up.
- All these things can be fun if you just let it.
Good luck on the interview.
Let me know how it goes.
(greg chuckles)
- of course.
(bright festive music)
- how did megan like her earrings?
- She loved them.
- Of course she did.
(holly giggles)
- oh, that reminds me.
You are planning to come to her
gender reveal party on the 21st, right?
I spent a lot of time planning it, so don't say no.
(dad laughs)
- that's adorable.
What is megan gonna do once the baby comes?
- Oh, at the store?
- Yeah.
- She's gonna work part time.
And she was gonna hire more help but I told her not to,
I can pick up the slack.
- That doesn't really leave you a lot of time
for your jewelry, does it?
- Well, I will make time.
Somehow.
Look, I know that you want me to focus
on eventually trying to sell my stuff, but-
- but what?
- Well then I have to worry about people wanting to buy it.
- Avoiding.
- Oh look, a dessert menu.
(dad laughs)
I think I will have the apple (foreign language).
(light music)
- I guess virginia,
there's such thing as too much christmas.
Hi, I'm here to see tony.
- Over there.
- So when I went back to the table to give the guys change,
that's when I saw $200 tucked under his water glass.
- How did you feel?
You must've been elated?
- Absolutely.
I mean, 200's a lot, especially this time of year
when you're trying to buy your girlfriend something nice.
(greg laughs)
and that's why it was such a bummer
when I had to give it back.
- What?
- Turns out the guy taking it out of his wallet
when he paid the bill, forgot it.
He didn't mean for it to be a tip.
- Hold on.
He asked for the money back?
- Yeah.
About an hour later after he realized it was missing.
- This isn't a feel good story at all.
- I know, especially for me.
I felt terrible.
(slow music)
- I bet.
- Thank you.
Wow.
Thank you again for your dinner.
- Oh, you're very welcome.
Hey, you sure you don't want to ride home?
- No, that's okay.
I will just take a cab.
- All right, it's good to see you.
- You too.
Love you.
- Oh.
I am so sorry.
- My (foreign language).
- Your what?
- My (foreign language).
- Okay, hold on, actually, I have an app that can translate.
- Translate what?
- Oh.
I'm really sorry about your, whatever that is.
I can give you some money?
You can go get a new one
and I can find someone to clean this up.
- Yeah, okay.
Thank you.
- Yeah, that's actually not gonna work
because I just gave tony all of my cash.
He's one of the servers.
I felt really bad for him.
It's a long story.
If we go in together, I could pay with my credit card.
- You know what?
Nevermind, it's okay.
I'll just try the (foreign language) next time.
- When will that be?
Maybe I could meet you?
- Really, don't worry about it.
- Some other time then?
(holly chuckles)
- are you asking me on a date?
(greg laughs)
- I'm not a big fan of labels,
but yeah, you could call it that.
- I appreciate the offer but no thank you.
Have a nice night.
(bright festive music)
wow.
Look at this one.
- A 1950s swing dress.
- Beautiful.
- Love the peter pan collar.
- [holly] I know you do.
- Get out the egg nog.
- Mom, hi.
- Hi honey.
Holly.
- Welcome, welcome.
- I thought you were gonna go straight to the apartment?
- No, I changed my mind.
I couldn't wait to see you and my soon to be granddaughter.
Or is it grandson?
- Nice try.
Megan has sworn me to secrecy.
(becky groans)
- yup.
I told the doctor, all I care about
is that the baby is healthy
and that way we can share the surprise
with the people we love the most.
- Aww.
Honey, you are so much bigger than I was at five months.
Look at you.
And this place is gorgeous.
You've done so much since I was here last.
- We have, you haven't even seen the back.
Let me show you.
- Absolutely.
- We have reorganized everything.
I know you do.
(light piano music)
- honey, it's so organized now.
- I know.
What is that?
- It's a charm bracelet.
I found it in the pocket of this coat.
- Oh, the charms are all christmas themed.
- Oh, it's really small.
Obviously it belongs to a woman.
- I bet it fell off when she put her hand in her pocket.
- I have no idea where I picked this stuff up.
I go to so many different stores each week.
- But everything is donated at those places, right?
- Huh-uh.
- So maybe the owner decided
she doesn't wanna keep it.
- True. - Oh, I don't think so.
I mean, no one just gives away a charm bracelet.
They're like little history books
that tell the story of your life.
- The owner could have died and went to a few estate sales.
- Yeah, then she would've given it to her kids.
- Well, maybe she didn't have kids.
- Oh no, she did.
Look, two of the charms say baby's first christmas.
- Oh, that's so sweet.
- This was definitely a mistake.
Someone wants this back.
Wow, is that the logan's?
- [megan] let me see.
- What's logan's?
- Oh, his high-end jewelry store uptown,
everything they sell is rose gold
and has these signature marquee diamonds.
- How do we find the owner?
- Put an ad in the lost and found.
- Mom.
- What?
- [megan] do those even still exist?
- We could post a photo of it on our shop's instagram page,
see if anyone responds?
- There you go.
I'll take a picture.
- You know what?
I'm gonna remove one of the pieces,
that way if someone tries to claim it,
they have to describe the missing charm
and we know it's really theirs.
(light piano music)
- [becky] oh, it is so lovely.
- [megan] it is beautiful.
(bright music)
- beautiful as it glistens.
I'm somewhere in between the two.
I don't know, what do you think?
Because they're all 24 caret.
Boy, the craftsmanship on these charms is really impressive.
- I know.
I would really love to get this back
to the owner by christmas,
what a great surprise that would be.
And I know if someone showed up at my door
with the one I lost, I'd be so grateful.
See now, there's a date stamped on here, 1983.
- Really?
Where?
- Right there.
- You're right.
- I'll tell you something else.
The birthstones on these baby charms with the real deal,
this was made by a jeweler.
- Hey, do you remember the charm you got me?
The little heart with the ruby?
- Yeah, of course.
Do you remember where you got it?
- Sure.
That was a jeweler over in the upper east side,
what was his name?
Merle, I think.
- Last name?
- You know what?
I bet you, I still have a couple of cards
of his in the back.
Let me just go look.
- Great.
Thank you, dad.
♪ ding dong merrily on high ♪
♪ in heaven the bells are ringing ♪
♪ ding dong verily the sky ♪
♪ is riven with angel singing. ♪
- hey.
- Hey paul, how's it going?
- Terrific, just finishing my article
for the christmas issue.
- Oh, good.
Good for you.
Listen, I'm having a little bit of trouble.
The piece that I was working on didn't pan out
and I'm trying to think of something new.
And your music, I'm finding it hard to focus.
- Sorry.
Left my earbuds at home.
- Thank you.
- Hey, I got a no-brainer for you.
My cousin delivered her neighbor's baby
when they were both snowed in
and couldn't get to the hospital.
She's an obstetrician, so that helps.
It's your story if you want it.
- Yeah, thanks, I'll keep it in mind.
(bright piano music)
- I used to love that bracelet.
(bright festive music)
- hi, can I help you?
- Hi.
I was hoping that I could show you a bracelet
if you don't mind.
Great.
- [store manager] what a beautiful collection.
- It's actually not mine.
Someone lost this and I'm trying to track down the owner.
- How incredibly kind.
That's a rare trait these days.
- Do you recognize this tree charm?
They look like your signature diamonds.
- Definitely looks like one of ours.
Let me go get our catalog and I'll be right back.
- Thank you.
- You know, if you want to find the owner of that bracelet,
you should post it on social media.
You reach more people, especially if you make it shareable.
- You know, most people apologize
before they admit to eavesdropping.
- Guess I'm not like most people.
- I can see that.
(greg laughs)
thank you for the tip, but I've already done that.
- So where'd you find that thing?
- At a store?
- What store?
- I'm sorry, but I'm not telling a complete stranger
where I work.
- I'm hardly a complete stranger,
it's less than 24 hours ago
that you asked me to buy you a piece of (foreign language),
which after googling,
I learned it's just the german word for cake.
- Asked you?
No, I was gonna let you to make up
for the one that you ruined.
- Which I would still like to do.
So should we get a cab to take a train?
Come on, when do you take lunch?
- You ask a lot of questions.
- Maybe that's because I'm a reporter for new york voice
and it's just in my nature.
And I'm guessing that you work
at that little perfume shop around the corner.
- Am I right?
I'm good at this.
- Wow.
This is even more of an awkward conversation
than when you thought I only spoke german.
- I believe it's this one.
It was released in 1984 and discontinued in '88.
- Well, at least two of the charms are from the '80s.
Is there anything else you could tell me about the charm?
- Just that the charm is worth
anywhere between two to $3,000 to a collector.
(greg laughs)
- that's worth $3,000?
Sorry.
- Thank you for your time.
- So what are you gonna do now?
- I am not going to lunch with you,
if that's what you're getting at.
- What's your next step to find the owner?
- Oh.
- Are all of those charms worth a couple of grant?
'cause if so, the owner's gonna be thrilled
to get that back.
- Yeah, but she'll be thrilled
because this bracelet took a decade to complete.
You may think you can just go buy new charms,
but you can't.
- We were just in a jewelry store.
- Okay, you don't understand.
Maybe the charms were a gift
and maybe she bought them for herself,
but they each represent something special
that happened in her life.
So special that she wants to keep them with her.
When you lose a charm bracelet,
it doesn't feel like you've just lost a bracelet,
it feels like you've lost a piece of your history.
That's why I need to find her.
So if you'll, excuse me, I don't want to be late to work.
- Wait.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Whoa, whoa.
You still haven't answered my question.
- Which one?
There are so many, I lost count.
- What's your next step?
- I will figure it out.
- What if it helped you out?
As a reporter, I am very good at hunting down leads.
- You said you worked for the voice,
aren't those all just fluff pieces?
- I think you mean puff pieces,
and the technical term is actually soft news,
regardless, I'm very good at tracking people down.
- I can see that.
- All right, so what do you say?
- I appreciate the offer, but I got this.
Merry christmas.
- And that's what makes you a holiday hero?
(bright festive music)
hey.
- Whoa, no running in the hall.
- Sorry, I need to do some research.
- For your story?
- Yeah.
- Oh, I haven't seen you this excited for a long time.
- You want a great holiday hero story?
I've got it.
- Great, pitch me.
- Not yet, it's too early,
I need to make sure that it pans out first.
- And I need to make sure it fits
with all the other articles.
- Okay.
A woman found a charm bracelet
and she's determined to track down the owner
and return it to her by christmas.
- I like that, it could actually be our cover.
- Don't get too excited.
I'm living proof that investigative pieces
don't always work out.
- Greg, you have to stop blaming yourself for what happened.
- I know, I know.
Hey, listen, if you were to lose a bracelet,
where's the first place that you would look?
- I don't wear bracelets.
- Thank you.
That was very helpful.
Okay.
She works in the village.
Must love her bracelets.
She had vintage written on her bag.
(bright music)
village vintage.
That's it, that was what was on her bag.
(greg laughs)
- how cute.
Should I get this for megan?
Or this one?
- I think you should wait
because you're gonna find out soon enough.
(doorbell rings)
- hi.
Can I help you?
- Hey, holly.
- You're stalking me?
- Well, if by stalking,
you mean employing my superior investigative skills
to locate you and then offer up my services?
- Mm-hmm.
- Yeah.
The bag that you had the bracelet in
was a decent enough clue.
- I was pretty clear that I don't need your help.
- Help?
- To find the owner of the bracelet.
You see, I'm a reporter for the voice.
- A reporter?
How exciting.
- Hi, I'm becky.
- Greg matthews.
How's the search going?
- It's great.
- Terrible.
- It's great.
I have not found her yet, but I'm getting closer.
- She's gonna be very excited.
Just picture the look of delight
when she slips that bracelet on to her wrist,
really is a good story.
- Where are you going with this?
- If I can find someone
who doesn't want to be found like yourself,
that I'm certain, that I can find someone who does?
Let's team up.
- For someone who doesn't know a lot about jewelry,
you suddenly care an awful lot
about if this woman gets her bracelet back.
Why?
- Those charms represent
monumental events in that person's life.
(holly chuckles)
- okay.
- Okay, I want to feature your journey for a piece
that I'm doing for the magazine called holiday heroes.
- No, no, no, no way.
- Wait, why not?
Why not?
If this bracelet is as important as you say it is,
she's gonna be absolutely thrilled.
And the effort that you're putting into it is inspiring.
- Holly's always inspiring.
- Thank you.
But I am not doing this for recognition.
I'm doing it because I would want someone
to do the same for me.
- That's exactly what makes you a holiday hero.
- No.
- Okay, hol, maybe it's not such a bad idea to get his help.
He does seem like he's kind of good at finding stuff out
and we've hit a wall.
- Can we at least discuss this over coffee?
One cup.
No refills.
(bright music)
- peppermint latte, please.
- And I will have a hot chocolate
and slice of (foreign language).
We'll share.
- We'll make that two slices of (foreign language)
and separate checks please.
- Be right back.
- Thanks, tony.
I wasn't really that hungry, but okay.
- Okay.
So you can do your article.
- Really?
- Mm-hmm.
- Well, I thought you'd at least hold out
until after the drinks,
- but there are three rules.
- Hit me.
- This is a strictly professional relationship.
So no meeting up at each other's houses,
no doing research over romantic dinners,
and definitely no dessert splitting.
- So basically ain't no fun at all?
- I'm serious.
- Okay.
Can I at least interview you,
so I have something to write about?
- Yes.
- Thank you.
- December 10th, the maximillian german house restaurant,
a very formal interview with holly hayes.
So holly, tell me a little bit about yourself.
- Oh.
Well, I...
I work at the village vintage
with my best friend from college, it's her store.
We went to design school together
and megan got her degree in fashion
and then she decided she really wanted to-
- whoa, whoa, whoa, wait,
this is a lot about megan, let's focus on you.
- Yeah, of course.
I got my degree in jewelry design.
- Okay.
And how would you describe
the kind of jewelry that you like.
- Classic (light music)
or the sort of funky flare, clean lines,
simple, balanced.
I liked to make delicate pieces like this.
- It's very pretty.
- Thank you.
- Your eyes light up when you talk about your jewelry.
(holly chuckles)
- well, it's always been a passion.
My dad owns an engagement ring store and he says
that jewelry should tell people something about you
that they don't already know.
- That is a good quote.
(holly laughs)
I might just use that.
(phone rings)
- wow, speak of the devil, excuse me.
Hey dad.
- Hello sweetheart.
Listen, I got some news.
I spoke to the new owner of that jewelry store,
she said merle hall sold her the place a little while ago,
but she still knows how to get in touch him.
- Well, that's great.
We have a lead.
- At christmas time she works afternoons
in the holiday market down on santa's village.
He's there right now.
- Well, we are on our way.
- [sam] all right, good luck.
- Thank you.
Could we actually get those cakes to go please?
- Sure.
- Thank you.
- So where we going?
- The north pole.
(greg chuckles)
(bright music)
- wow, they really go all out for christmas.
- The kids are having a blast.
Didn't you come to santa when you were a kid?
- Yes, but now it's put up the decorations, check,
get presents, check, christmas parties, check,
take down the decorations, check.
I don't shop here on a regular day,
let alone christmas time.
- Wait, have you never been to this market?
- Nope.
- This is the place for holiday shopping.
- The exact reason why I stay as far away as possible.
- Okay, well where do you shop then?
Boutique stores?
- Online.
- For all of it?
- Every last gift card.
- Yeah, that's fine for people you don't know very well,
but what about your family?
What do you usually get your parents?
- Gift cards?
They love them.
- From their son?
Please tell me they are not pre-wrapped.
That is terrible.
- No, it's perfect because they actually like shopping
and I don't, so it's win-win.
- Okay, but I feel like you're missing out.
Picking out the perfect gift for someone
and then finding the right bow and paper,
it's all part of what makes christmas exciting
for them and for you.
Hi, excuse me, we're looking for merle hall.
- Well, he's a little busy at the moment.
(holly laughs)
- we were hoping that he could help us
regarding some charms on a bracelet,
we heard that merle,
that santa has an expertise in that sort of thing.
- Oh, well he takes a break at six,
so you can come back then.
- Thank you.
We will do that.
- Oh, by the way,
there's a vendor over there that serves all kinds of chile,
santa likes he's without onions and extra crackers.
(greg laughs)
- good to know.
- Thanks.
- Okay, so that's, all right.
(bright music)
oh wow.
Look at those.
- You've never seen the stars before?
- I told you, I don't shop here.
They really light up the sky.
- And they put them up for christmas
and then keep them throughout the new year.
I think it's one of my favorite parts of this market.
If you watch, they turn a slightly
different color very five seconds.
- It's amazing.
- Well, since we are here,
I should look for a gift for my dad.
- Ah, so I get to see the master shopper
in her natural environment.
So what's your dad like?
I know that he designs rings, but is he sporty?
Because then maybe we can find
a chip bowl shaped like a football.
- Now I know why you stick to gift cards.
Yeah.
(holly laughs)
no, he's artistic, but he also loves history
and geography and gourmet cooking.
So I guess I call him cardigan wearing,
liberal arts, college professor foodie type.
- That's exactly like my dad.
- Really?
- No, not even close.
- My dad's a carpenter, he loves building things.
He'll retire one day, but not anytime soon.
- And how about your mom?
- My mom is retired.
She used to work at a bakery
and she makes the best cookies on earth.
- Sounds like you had a good childhood.
- Yeah, I really did.
What about your mom?
You didn't mention her, what's she like?
- She is mrs adventure,
she loves to travel, loves to be spontaneous,
and my stepdad's a lot like that too.
Oh wow, actually, she would love this,
green is her favorite color.
Hi.
Can I get this?
- That's $5.
- There you go.
Thank you.
Perfect.
- So who do you spend the holidays with then?
Mom, dad, boyfriend?
- That was subtle.
- It's for the article.
(holly laughs)
- I switch off every year,
so this christmas I'm spending with my dad.
No, I don't have a boyfriend,
at least not currently.
You don't need to record that for the article?
- I think I can remember that.
(holly laughs)
- come on, let's go eat.
(bright festive music)
- one large chile, extra crackers.
In all these years, I thought santa only ate cookies.
- You have to try this.
- Yeah?
- It is so good.
Hm?
- You literally could not go wrong with apples and cinnamon.
- Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
(greg laughs)
- so what do we know about our jane doe so far?
- Jane doe?
- Yeah, it's a term that you use for someone
you don't know who they are.
(holly chuckles)
- sounds like she's dead or something.
No, we should call her mrs x.
- Fine, mrs x.
What do we know about her?
- Well, she is the mother of two kids.
One was born in may, the other September.
- You got that from the birthstones?
- Yep.
And their space with two charms in between.
So if my theory is right and she added one charm per year,
then the kids are three years apart.
- And then there's these two identical elves,
but they have different colored hats.
- Yeah, those stumped me.
We'll skip those.
- Skip them?
Well, if there's two of them,
they're probably the most important.
- Well, not necessarily.
We should focus on the ones that are most unique.
- They're all unique except for the two elves.
- Okay.
What do you think the elves mean?
- You know what?
Let's circle back to the elves after,
let's just eat some cake.
- Circle back.
(holly laughs)
(bright festive music)
- the craftsmanship's impressive.
The detail on this angel's face,
but no, I don't recall any of these coming from my store.
This nutcracker charm's interesting though.
There was no makers mark,
but it does have a crescent
and a crown stamped at the bottom.
- It does?
- What does that mean?
- That it was made in germany.
To show it's authentic, they use the moon
and the crown hallmark for silver
and the sun and the crown for gold.
My father looked at these with the loop,
how could he have missed that?
- Well, sometimes it's actually easier to see
with a pair of good old fashioned bifocals.
(merle laughs)
- maybe if we search for german jewelers,
we can find the person who sold this charm?
- I guess we were smart to ask santa.
- Well, I can't take the credit.
Christmas just seems to have a way
of bringing people together.
(bright festive music)
- thanks anyways.
- Great, we will see then.
- You have a lead?
- Megan's cousin rsvping for her party next week.
- All right, then that's the last one.
Talking to german jewelers all day.
It's a dead end.
- Oh, well then we can just expand our search.
You take jersey, I'll take maryland.
- We don't have that kind of time,
this story needs to be done by the 23rd.
- Getting frustrated, isn't gonna help.
- You're right.
Sorry, I forgot how frustrating
these investigative pieces can be.
- You used to be an investigative journalist?
- Yeah, a couple of years before working for the voice,
I was a stringer for city insider.
(light music)
- oh, I know that magazine.
Why did you change formats?
- I wasn't very good at it.
- I can't imagine that's true.
- It is.
I messed up big time.
I was doing this story on a doctor
who I thought was defrauding his patients.
And I worked on this thing for eight months,
checking my sources and double checking.
- And then what?
- It turns out that he wasn't.
It was all made up by two of his medical assistants
who thought that they were being underpaid.
But my article almost destroyed his career.
- Yeah.
But that's on the people who lied to you.
- It's not, it's on me
because I'm the one who wrote the article,
I am the one who didn't dig deep enough.
That's when I decided that I was done with it.
(phone rings)
hi, mom.
- We have a problem.
- Your father's working late and can't help set up.
- Oh, did you call uncle gary?
- Yeah, I called everybody and they're all busy.
- Okay.
Don't worry about it, I will find someone to help out.
Just load everything into the van and I will meet you there.
- Okay, thanks.
See you soon.
- Okay.
- Everything okay?
- Oh yeah, yeah.
Every year my mom makes this huge gingerbread city
for the christmas party at her church
and my dad and I help her set it up.
But he is stuck at work and she is short a pair of hands.
- Well, I could help.
Yeah, I mean, I've made gingerbread houses before.
Never a whole city, but I make displays for the store.
- That would be great.
We would love your help.
Are sure that you want to spend the next couple of hours
covered in powdered sugar and icing with me and my mom?
- Well, do I get to try the gingerbread cookies?
- Oh, there will be a dozen
with your name on it if you come help.
- Deal.
(bright music)
okay, so the house is done,
so is the church, the sides and the roof for the school
are on that table
and the trees for the park are in that box.
So what's next?
- Well, I think greg could use some help with the barn.
- Ah, yes.
Okay.
- Sure.
Here.
So you wanna squeeze from the top.
- Okay.
- From the top, yeah.
And you want to act fast because it sets really quickly.
- There you go, she's got it.
- Okay, now you wanna put it on top.
- Okay, I'm gonna help you out.
(greg chuckles)
- okay.
- Just like that.
- You know that when greg was little,
he used to love making things gingerbread cookies with me.
- I don't think holly needs any stories
from when I was a kid, mom.
- Oh, sure I do.
- We used to make gingerbread people
and he would give them names and occupations.
And then one year when he was seven,
he drew this family tree to show how they were all related.
- I think I hear some carolers let's all just be quiet
so we can listen.
- We used to eat cookies and wrap presents
and decorate the tree, it was so much fun.
(mary laughs)
I think we need some more gum drops, I'll go get them.
- Wrapping presents and making cookies,
I thought you didn't like that stuff.
- It's all fun when you're a kid.
But when you're an adult, they make you clean up afterwards.
(holly laughs)
I'm serious.
What is the point of putting up a tree
if you're just gonna take it down a month later?
- Because it's fun.
If by fun, you mean a hassle?
Then yeah.
I agree with you.
- You spend a lot of time worrying about wasting time.
Maybe you should just try and enjoy
whatever it is you're doing in the moment.
Have to take a picture of this for megan,
she is going to love it.
- Hi.
How's it going?
Welcome.
- Here you go.
(greg laughs)
- thank you.
- Here, milk.
- More of a coffee guy.
- It's for your cookie.
You can't have gingerbread without milk.
- Really?
Is that a rule or something?
- Yeah, actually, they posted a sign about it inside.
- Listen, thanks again for tonight.
You were great.
- Yeah, I had no idea what I was doing.
- Even so, you took charge
and it all came together because of you.
(phone rings)
- my car is here.
- Good night, holly.
- Good night.
(light piano music)
(doorbells ringing)
- excuse me.
- Oh, hi.
How can I help you?
- I'm actually not here to buy anything.
I believe you found my bracelet.
- Oh.
- I saw your post online and I'm just so glad you found it.
You have no idea what that bracelet means to me.
- You know what?
Actually I do.
- Spent so much money on those charms.
Christmas tree alone was nearly $3,000.
- Yeah.
To make sure that the person claiming it was legit,
I removed one of the charms.
Would you mind describing it for me?
- Was it a wreath?
- No.
- Okay.
- At least you didn't give it to some scammer,
they're everywhere this time of year.
What is this?
- A build it yourself chocolate bar,
where you have marshmallows, candy canes,
caramel, cinnamon sticks and mint chocolate chip.
- You don't have to go to all this trouble for me.
- I always do this.
I figure if I'm gonna drink hot cocoa,
I may as well make it fun.
- Okay.
(greg laughs)
it definitely does look fun.
Starting with some of the these,
'cause extra chocolate and you just can't go wrong.
- Makes it better.
- Marshmallows, obviously.
- [holly] of course.
- You barely put any in there.
(holly laughs)
- that woman really had me going
until she mentioned how much she paid for the tree charm,
I knew she couldn't have had it since the '80s.
- Wait a minute, it wasn't her bracelet,
but she knew how much the tree charm was worth,
she would only know that if-
- she's a charm collector.
- We've been going about this all wrong.
- Instead of talking to people who sell terms,
we need to be talking to people who buy them.
- Exactly.
- Good catch.
(gentle music)
- greg.
How's the story going?
- Slow, but plugging away.
You don't happen to know anyone
that collects charms, do you?
- Actually I do.
My friend does and has for years,
she would be a good resource for you.
- That's fantastic, can I get her number?
- That's the problem, she's out of town at the moment,
but I invited her to our office party,
so you can chat with her then.
- Did it on purpose, didn't you?
- You're welcome.
- You can't force me to come to your christmas party.
- I think I just did.
- She did.
(bright music)
- what do you make of the steam engine charm?
- Toy trains are popular at christmas.
- Did you have train set when you were little?
(light music)
- yeah, actually I did.
When I was about five, I came down christmas morning
to find one circling the tree.
I loved it.
- Hey, do you still have it?
- Yeah, but it's just packed away
in my storage closet with all the other decoration.
- Oh, can I see it?
I mean, it may help us figure out what this time means.
- Of course it was all the way in the back.
(holly laughs)
- when is the last time he saw that train?
- It has been a long time.
Wow, it's a lot heavier than I remember it being.
- That is heavy.
Oh, I love it.
Wow, it's so detailed.
(holly laughs)
I was hoping it would give us some kind of clue
about the steam engine, but nothing.
It's beautiful though.
(bright festive music)
since all these decorations are already out,
- you wanna put them up?
- We could use a little inspiration.
Come on.
- Does this go on a tree?
- Yes.
(holly laughs)
- do we just do the front or do we do all the sides?
- All of it.
(indistinct)
- that's is crinkly.
(laughs loudly)
- [greg] looking good?
- I think it completes the tree definitely.
- Turn it on.
(train engine roaring)
- yay.
- [toy santa] all aboard.
(holly laughs)
- so what do you think?
- Think we make a pretty good team.
- Me too.
- My editor sheyla, has a charm collector
to our company christmas party tomorrow night.
- Oh great.
- Yeah, so I was thinking
maybe we could show her the bracelet,
see what she thinks.
- We?
Do you want me to go to?
- Yeah, everyone brings a date.
Well, not a date.
Everyone just brings someone that they know.
And since this is to learn about the charm bracelet,
it makes sense that you would come with me,
as date, not date.
(playful trumpet music)
- sure.
Okay.
Yeah.
- Okay, so I'll pick you up at 7:00?
- 7:00 it is.
(bright music)
- [greg] hi.
- Hey, come on in.
So, I just have to throw my heels on,
they're hiding somewhere in my closet.
- You look great by the way.
- You too.
(gentle music)
- this looks exactly like the gingerbread house my mom made.
- That was the inspiration actually.
Yeah, I thought appendant would be cute
for a necklace or something.
- If you ever end up making it,
I'd love to give it to my mom for christmas,
it would be a perfect present.
- Yeah, of course.
I will give it to you when I'm done.
- Yeah?
- [holly] yeah.
- Oh, gift.
I forgot to get sheyla a present.
- Your editor?
- Yeah, yeah, we do this secret santa thing
and I'm the one who pulled her name and I forgot.
I mean, we could get her a gift card,
but I don't even know where she shops.
- I have an idea.
What kind of jewelry does she like?
- I know she doesn't like bracelets, she told me that.
Necklaces maybe?
- All right.
Do you know what length she likes?
Matinee, opera.
- Long, longish I guess.
- Okay.
What about the style?
Does she like cable link?
Rope?
- Is twine a thing?
- No.
- Oh, you know what?
Here.
Let me show you a picture of her from the company bio.
- Ah, so she likes lariats.
Oh, okay.
How about this?
Similar in style but it has a snowflake.
- Did you make that?
- Yeah.
(bright music)
- it's stunning.
- Thank you.
- Well, if you think she'll like it,
I can go wrap it up for you real quick.
- Yeah.
- Okay.
(upbeat festive music)
(holly laughs)
- it's true.
- [holly] oh wow, this is beautiful.
- Yeah, it looks great.
I've never come to one of these before.
- I can't believe you didn't want to come tonight.
- We should probably put this under the tree.
This one here.
- Greg.
- Hey sheyla.
- This is anastasia.
Anastasia, greg.
And you must be holly.
- Yes, hi.
- Nice to meet you.
- Likewise.
And thank you so much for taking the time.
- The caterer had a question for me,
so I'm gonna let you guys talk.
- So you have a bracelet to show me?
- Yes.
There you go.
- Oh, wow.
Look at this one.
- Oh, the angel?
I know it's so detailed.
- That's not an angel.
It's (foreign language).
- It's what?
(laughs loudly)
- the snow maiden, in russia, father christmas or santa,
comes on January 7th instead of December 25th.
(foreign language) is his granddaughter.
And she plans spectacular new year's parties
for all the children, with music and food
and festive decorations.
- So that's not a halo?
- It's a (foreign language) a traditional russian headdress.
See how it's slightly pointed at the top?
- Oh yeah.
So our owner is either german or russian
or maybe just a world traveler.
- What makes you think she's german?
- The nutcracker made in germany.
- That might be true, but this is painted to look russian.
This uniform matches the costume of the nutcracker
in the russian ballet.
- She's right, they're identical.
- I'm thinking, since all the charms
represent big life events,
maybe mrs x has something to do with the russian ballet,
maybe she's a ballerina.
- And if so then she most likely has a russian name.
- Okay, now we actually have something to go on.
Thank you so much.
(bright festive music)
- don't forget the charms are in chronological order.
So let's say she got one charm per year,
that makes the two baby terms from 1984 and '87.
Wait, we know something else.
- What?
- What do most couples do before they have a baby?
They get married.
Look at the charm she added a year before the first baby.
Initially I thought that they were christmas bells,
but they're wedding bells.
- So that means that she was married in '83,
so if I pull the marriage records
and then I cross reference them
with the ballet roster from 1980.
- That's great.
Okay, I still have these almost identical elves,
'85 and '88.
- [greg] and then we also have the steam engine.
- Yeah.
Hey look, there's something scratched on the bottom.
- Does it say joy?
Maybe that's a name?
- Yeah.
- All right everyone,
it's time for our secret santa gift exchange.
- I will be right back.
- Greg.
- Hey.
- Hey, just so you know.
My cousin got into the hamptons last night
in case you're still looking for a hero story.
- Oh, I actually found one already,
but thanks, I appreciate it.
- Here's denise's number in case you change your mind.
Merry christmas.
- Okay, I'll start.
(bright music)
it's gorgeous.
So striking and chic,
it must've come from someone who knows me really well.
Greg, you pick this out.
The credit goes to holly
and she designed that too by the way.
- It might be my favorite present this year.
Just don't tell my husband.
- [husband] heard that honey.
(crowd laughing)
- everyone seems to like the necklace you made sheyla.
- I know.
One lady asked me how much should I charged,
and I did not know what to tell her.
- You never sold your own jewelry?
- No.
- Why not?
- Because starting a business is scary.
What if I put all my time and money into something
and then it never takes off.
- You never know unless you try.
- Is that 47?
Come here, I wanna show you something.
Ta-da.
(holly laughs)
isn't that awesome?
The train even looks like yours.
- Yeah.
- Oh, I love this store window.
It's just inspiring me,
the amount of attention they put into the details
and it's stunning.
(bright music)
- stunning for sure.
- It's getting late, so we should probably go.
- Yeah, we should go.
(greg laughs)
(bright music)
hi.
This is greg matthews from the voice,
I just have a question for you.
Was the long island christmas train
running during the 1980s.
- So if the person guesses she's having a girl,
they write their name on this one.
And if they guess it's a boy, this one.
- Adorable.
Well, you've done such a great job planning for this, holly.
I really appreciate it.
- Of course.
(doorbell rings)
hey.
- Hey, I am really sorry to interrupt you at work,
but I found another lead and it's a good one.
- That's great.
Where are we going?
(bright upbeat music)
- back in time.
- How am I supposed to know what to wear
if I have no idea where we're going?
- Anything from the '30s will be just fine,
besides I thought you'd surprises.
- Here you go, size 11.
- And we're gonna be inside or outside?
Will I need a coat?
- Coat is probably good idea.
- This should fit.
(holly laughs)
- so we're looking for a guy named buddy
who works for the long island railway for 40 years.
- Yes.
See, I was thinking about how you said
each one of the charms means something.
So if the owner has a charm
that looks like this old steam engine,
maybe it means something special
and buddy might know something about it.
- Yeah, but how do you know the buddy's
gonna be here tonight?
- You'll find out.
(bright festive music)
(horn blaring) (train bell ringing)
- this is amazing.
- The long island railroad puts this vintage train
back into service every December.
And then at the end of the kickoff party,
everyone can get on the train and takes around the city
drops you right back off here.
- I can't believe I spent my whole life here
and I never even knew about this.
- And the guy that I spoke to assured me
that buddy would be here.
- Let's take a picture.
- All right.
(indistinct)
(holly laughs)
there we go.
(camera operates)
that's pretty good.
- I'm a good photographer.
- The trilby is a nice touch.
- Pardon?
- Oh your hat.
- Oh.
Thanks.
You don't happen to be buddy do you?
- No, john.
But if you're looking for buddy harrison,
you're in the right place.
- You know him?
- Well, certainly, he was a conductor here,
my wife and I have ridden this train
at christmas time for years and he's always here.
- A conductor you said?
- Yeah.
Sorry, I don't see him now,
but the train doesn't depart for another hour,
so there's plenty of time.
- Thank you.
- You bet.
- This is great.
- I know.
(festive jazz music)
- may I have this dance?
- Ah, look at them.
Right now, they're the only two people in the world.
- Would you like to dance with me?
- Right now?
- I know that one of the rules
was to have absolutely no fun at all,
but I think the ship's already sailed.
- Far, far out to sea.
Wow.
Someone took lessons.
- 12, one hour lessons to be exact,
for a story I was doing.
- What kind of story?
- About a guy who runs a dance school for children.
- Really?
- Uh-huh.
- He taught children how to do this?
- Yes.
Believe it or not.
There are children out there that can do this
(holly laughs)
better than I can.
- Now you're just showing off.
- Look there he is.
There's buddy.
- Where?
- [john] buddy.
- Hi.
- I'm sorry to bother you,
but we heard you used to work on this train.
- That's right.
- I know that this is a long shot,
but we were hoping you might remember a woman
who rode the train and she wore this bracelet.
- She had a charm that looked exactly
like this old steam engine.
- Oh, well it sure does.
(buddy laughs)
I'm not good with faces and let alone jewelry.
- What about this scratching on the bottom?
Does that ring any bells?
- Well, it looks like j infinity y.
No, I'm sorry.
(holly gasps)
- infinity sign?
- Greg, he's right.
It's not an o, it's j infinity sign y.
Initials.
(greg chuckles)
- anymore y names?
- Oh yeah, lots.
Yesenia, yelena, yose beta, yava, yunetta,
and the list goes on and on.
But we are making good progress.
- Yeah, but it doesn't matter unless we actually find her.
And by the 23rd or I don't have a story.
- Don't worry, we will find her.
- What makes you so sure?
- Because magical things happen at christmas time.
(gentle music)
- let me see jane doe's, I mean, mrs x's bracelet again.
That is interesting.
- What?
- The empire state building,
the hudson river is on the right,
so it would be facing south, see?
- Oh, you're right.
- If it were a photo,
it would've been taken somewhere in midtown,
but what building would have that view?
- Well, it have to be in between fifth and sixth avenue .
- Yeah and north of bryant park.
- And the angle is really high,
so it'd have to be from a skyscraper.
- [both] the whitmore.
(bright festive music)
- wow, it's beautiful.
- It's amazing.
(holly laughs)
this is it, this is the view.
- Let's see if it matches.
(holly laughs)
it does.
- It's perfect.
- It is so quiet up here.
- Things are constantly changing
but this view's stay the same.
- I feel closer to her.
This was a charm right before her wedding bells.
- I know.
(bright festive music)
so you're looking at the photo?
Okay, great.
So is that charm something that your gift shop
may have ever carried?
You've never sold charms of skylines?
Yeah, I agree.
It's probably custom.
Okay, thank you so much for your time.
(greg exhales heavily)
- things not going well?
- Every time we get close, we hit a wall.
- I have faith you and holly will figure it out.
I'm here if you need me.
(light music)
(phone rings)
- hey, I'm just about to run into my dad's store
but I can come over right after.
- Actually something came up
and I need to head to the hamptons for the day.
But maybe we can meet for dinner tonight?
My place?
- Yeah, sure.
- Okay, great.
I'll see you then.
- Okay.
Bye.
(gentle piano music)
- thanks.
- Oh, hey there stranger.
How's it going?
- Hey dad.
Could you fire this for me?
- Hey, this is nice work.
Is this for your mom?
- Greg's mom, actually.
He's the reporter that's helping me
track down the owner of that bracelet.
- Oh, right, how's that going?
- Well, I would love to find her by christmas,
but we are running out of time and greg's busy today.
- And?
Come on, you can do it yourself.
- Yeah.
At first I thought that I could,
but it turns out it's a lot more fun with greg as a partner,
he's way better at this stuff than I am.
(holly sighs)
(bright festive music)
(knocking on the door)
- hey, come on in.
- Hey.
I hope that you're not starving
because of the ham still has about another half hour.
- Smells delicious.
- I know, but this is a flagrant disregard
for the third rule.
Wait, was it the second?
What was the one that said
we weren't allowed to have romantic dinners?
- Most people who are trying to be romantic
don't tell the other person that's what they're doing.
- I'm not like most people.
- I'm very aware.
(greg laughs)
- well, to breaking the rules.
- And to finding mrs x.
- It smells like something's burning.
- Oh, it's my gravy.
It's gonna be fine.
(phone beeping)
- [automated voice operator] one new text from paul.
Hey greg, just talked to my cousin.
She said you were up in the hamptons today,
and reviewing her for your holiday hero piece,
just wanted to check in and see how it went-
- did you interview someone for the article today?
- Yeah.
I was gonna talk to you about it later.
- Was she a charm collector?
(slow music)
- it's for a different story.
- But your text message said
that it was for the holiday hero piece.
- Holly, there's nothing that I wanna do
more than the article on you,
but I have a hard deadline on the 23rd and-
- you don't think we'll find her?
- Not on time.
- So you're bailing on me?
- No.
- You said that we were a good team.
- I'm not abandoning you.
I'm still gonna help you find her.
I need to finish this article.
- You're gonna help me find her, just not by christmas?
- The problem with these kinds of articles
is that you don't know how long it's gonna take.
And when you have a deadline, at some point you need to-
- bail.
And not take the risk.
- No, that's not it, that's not the same.
- Yeah, well, I think I should go.
(melancholy music)ic)
- there you are.
What is this?
The christmas stork lives next door?
Is it a joke?
- If you don't like title, I can change it?
- Where is the charm bracelet article?
- Is it stork that you're bumping on?
- I want my cover story.
- I told you we're not gonna find the owner
of the bracelet by the 23rd, it's two days away.
- Well, if it's the deadline that's the problem,
I'll extend it.
January 25th, problem solved.
It'll be my cover story for February.
It's not the deadline though, greg, is it?
What's the real reason you bailed on the charm story?
- Why does everyone keep using that word?
- Because you did.
Look, I know you spent six months at city insider
working on a story that didn't pan out.
- Eight.
It was eight months.
- But you're never gonna get anywhere
making the safest choice possible.
Not even at the voice.
Watching you guys try to put that puzzle together,
it's the happiest you've been in a long time.
Don't let one setback keep you from doing what you love.
Look, I'm not gonna force you to do the bracelet story
because well, legally I can't.
(greg laughs)
as your editor and your friend,
I'm asking you to go back to doing what you're good at
and love to do.
This is not it.
- You ready?
- I'm ready.
- Okay, everyone.
It is time for the couple of honor
to find out what they're having.
(megan shouts)
but first megan would like to say a couple of words.
- Okay.
Oh.
Hi.
(megan laughs)
I just wanna thank all of you
for celebrating this journey with us.
Holly, you've just been such a great friend,
helping me every day at the store
and planning this incredible party.
I mean, I couldn't do half of what I do without you.
So thank you.
The love and the help and the generosity
you've all shown over the years means so much to us.
And I'm just excited for this child to meet all of you.
(laughs loudly)
- red if it's a boy and green if it's a girl, everyone.
- Okay.
(laughs loudly)
wait, twins?
- Twins?
Twins.
(megan shouts)
- I'm in shock.
Okay, now I know why you gave me earrings.
- Well, they do come as a pair.
- [voice recorder] you know your eyes light up
when you talk about your jewelry.
- [holly] that's always been a passion.
My dad owns an engagement ring store
and he says that jewelry should tell people
something about you that they don't already know.
That jewelry should tell people something about you
that they don't already know.
- I thought you would have invited greg
to the party last night?
- No, that's over.
- Oh sweetie, I'm sorry.
- You wanted to see the video of megan opening the box.
- Yes, I do.
- The love and the help and generosity
you've all shown us over the years,
(becky chuckles)
thanks so much.
- That's it.
It really has been right in front of me.
(gentle piano music)
oh my gosh, I did it.
(holly laughs)
I figured it out.
- What, what did you figure out?
- Megan sources all the clothes she buys
from charity organizations that accept used clothing.
- Right?
- So if the owner was willing to donate a coat,
of course she's giving to other charities too.
And I'm sure this organization has kept donors records
look it's the charm for this year.
- Each christmas donors were invited to a holiday gala
where they receive a silver charm.
The donor appreciation dinner is always held
at chateau on the park, on December 22nd.
That's tonight.
- I'm sure that somebody there has to know who she is.
Maybe she'll even be there.
(holly laughs)
oh my gosh.
She's gonna get her charm bracelet by christmas.
Oh my gosh, I can't wait to tell megan.
(bright music)
- a person's jewelry should tell you something
you don't know about them.
What do you know about her?
She's russian, she loves ballet, obviously her children,
presumably new york city and riding trains.
The elves, that's the only thing we don't know.
(jiggle bells ringing)
(light festive music)
- hi.
- Good evening ma'am.
Are you here for a charity event?
- Yes, I am.
- [doorman] last name?
- Oh, I'm not actually on the list.
See, I'm just here to return to something
to one of the donors.
- Who you looking for?
I can see if they checked in.
- I don't know her name exactly.
- What does she look like?
- I don't know that either.
Can I just take a quick peek inside?
- I'm sorry.
- You don't understand.
It's really important that I find her.
I promise that I won't touch anything or eat anything.
What if I made a donation right now,
then I would be a donor and I could come in, right?
- Ma'am, it's $500 a plate and invite only.
- I understand.
- Hi, sorry I'm late, sheyla.
You forgot this at the office.
- Hey, greg matthews, sheyla green with the voice.
Thank you.
- Okay.
What just happened?
- Every year they ask the voice to cover this event.
So I called your store and megan's mom told me
that you're already here.
So be my photographer tonight?
- You're just back on the story now?
- I am really sorry for leaving you hanging.
And I promise you, I will never do that to you again.
- What about your other story?
- This is the only story that matters.
If we don't find mrs x tonight,
then I guess we should just have a good time of the party?
- Don't do it again.
(holly laughs)
- yes, this organization definitely
does a lot of wonderful things for children.
By any chance, did either of you ladies
happen to use a charm bracelet?
Okay, well, thank you.
- Would you excuse me for just a moment.
- Anything?
- No.
- Pardon me, I just heard you asking our donors
if they had lost a bracelet?
Are you actually from the voice
or is this some kind of scam?
- Oh, I'm looking for the owner of a bracelet I found.
Whoever lost it is a donor
and they've been to this event twice.
- Oh, well, I'm the director of this organization,
I have been for almost 30 years.
May I take a look?
- Of course.
- Here, pass me that.
- There you go.
- Oh, isn't that lovely.
Unfortunately, I don't remember anyone
who would have had this,
but there are photos from every gala
in that hallway back there where you came in.
- That's great.
Do you mind if we go have a quick look?
- Oh, my pleasure.
Happy hunting.
- Okay, so this must be the hall that she's talking about.
- Oh yeah.
- Why does everyone always have their arms
around each other in pictures, who started that?
(holly laughs)
- greg, that's the coat.
The bracelet was in the pocket of that coat.
That's her.
- Wait a minute.
Isn't that the guy from the train station, john.
- John and yelena davis, 1988.
- J infinity sign y.
- We found her.
(both laughs)
(bell rings)
- [yelena] greg and holly, please come in.
- Mrs davis, it is so nice to meet you again.
(greg laughs)
- please, call me yelena.
John will be so happy to see you.
I'd asked my daughter to donate some old clothing
and I didn't realize, obviously neither did she,
that I'd left it in the pocket.
Bringing this back is the best gift you could have given me.
Thank you.
- You're so welcome.
I figured it was important to you.
Would you mind telling us what the charms mean?
We spent so much time speculating about it.
- All of the charms, except the elves of course
were gifts from john, so I'll let him talk story.
(john laughs)
(gentle music)
- I met yelena when she was over here
with the russian ballet company dancing in the nutcracker,
I went to their hotel for dinner
and heard some people speaking russian
and I turned to look and locked eyes
with the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.
So I invited her to have dessert with me.
- And you obviously said yes?
- I did.
And that's how the tradition started.
The day before I was to leave,
the hotel staff came to my door and brought this.
(john laughs)
- I looked all over for a nutcracker charm
on very short notice.
(greg laughs)
and finally found a german woman who sold me hers.
Yelena and I wrote back and forth
and phoned for an entire year.
And then that upcoming December,
I applied for a tourist visa
and went over to join her for christmas in moscow.
- That's when he gave you the snow maiden?
- Yes it is.
And the following year, I came here and john proposed to me
on the terrace of a hotel.
- The whitmore?
- How did you know?
- We went there.
(laughs loudly)
- that's why we were searching for buddy that day
on the train when we met you.
We were hoping if we showed him the steam engine charm,
then he remembered who you were.
(john laughs)
- well, it sounds like you've been
to all our favorite places.
- You know what's fantastic?
This bracelet took you on the same journey that we took.
- Oh, you're right, honey.
Well, that sounds like kismet, wouldn't you say?
(john laughs)
- well, whatever it is, it definitely is magical.
- It's the most inspiring article you've ever turned in.
Probably the most inspiring we've published.
(greg laughs)
good job.
- Thank you.
There's one more thing.
I've really enjoyed working here
and I've enjoyed working with you, but I think it's time-
- greg, I have to let you go.
This particular article aside,
you not a good feature writer
and that's why I've reached out to a friend of mine
at new york magazine,
who's looking to bring on another investigative reporter.
You have a meeting with him on the third at 10 o'clock.
- Thank you.
Thank you so much.
- [greg] for you, mom.
- Oh, it's too small to be a gift card.
- No more gift cards.
(mary laughs)
- oh greg, it's so beautiful.
- Holly made it.
- You did?
- I keep telling her
she should be selling the pieces she makes.
- Well, since you mentioned it, I do have some good news.
I decided to open a jewelry store.
- Oh, you're kidding me.
- Right next to megan.
- Congrats.
Oh, come here, gimme a hug.
My girl, oh, I'm so proud of you.
Well done.
- [holly] thank you.
- We have a lot to celebrate.
- We do.
- I suggest we start with the cookies on the side table,
I don't know how they know my name,
but they are just yelling at all night.
(laughs loudly)
- do you know what?
I've made three types of cookies and two pies,
what do you take in your coffee, sam?
- Just sugar please.
- Well I have plenty of that.
We're all so glad that you and holly joined us.
Let's have dessert in the dining room.
- Let's go.
- Excellent.
- Ah, hold on, wait, wait.
I have a present for you.
(gentle music)
- is this (foreign language)?
- In english, we actually call it cake.
I know it's been a while since you've worn one of these,
but I thought maybe it was time to start a new one.
- The start a new journey.
(upbeat festive music)