Peyton?
Delivery.
Hey, Freddy! Great.
It is so beautiful in here.
Thank you.
Are these for the party?
No. No, that's just a little extra Christmas magic.
No, the party's got a totally different theme.
Well, everyone in town is trying to guess what it is.
Really?
Ford Sherman's got a pool going down at the hardware store.
Well, everyone's gonna have to wait until Christmas Eve.
It's a surprise.
I'll see you and your wife there.
She's already got a dress.
"Buy... a... dress".
Thank you for the reminder.
Say hi to your folks from me.
Will do.
Great. We'll expect you on the 6th.
And you'll love the Pine View suite.
Okay.
I ordered
new Christmas stockings for the staff.
You think of everything.
I try!
The fire department is having a toy drive.
All right.
Gotta buy them a toy.
Mom, I can feel you worrying from here.
I'm just concerned
that maybe you're taking on too much.
I'm fine.
I can do the accounting stuff in my sleep.
And I know it's my first time planning a party,
but I am loving it.
We just got a whole bunch more RSVPs.
This is gonna be our biggest party ever.
I really appreciate you letting me plan it this year.
And you're doing a wonderful job.
These would look so great
hanging from the fireplace mantle.
Not another project.
Mom!
Get your sister to help you.
- Love you guys. - Love you, too.
She is fine.
She says she wants to try event planning,
we've got to give her the chance.
I know, but she's doing so much.
Relax.
Peyton has got this totally under control.
Jake, are you leaving town?
There's a snowstorm on the East Coast,
and they're short-handed.
But you'll be back for Christmas, right?
He promised.
- I'll call you from Boston. - Okay.
Bye.
Love you.
I love you, too.
I'm sorry.
It's okay. Gotta get used
to a pilot's schedule if I'm married to one now.
But I've got a million things
that I can do to keep busy.
Well, do you want a million and one?
I gotta hang up all these Christmas cards?
I love this.
What? What is it?
It's... Ben Tyler.
Did you know he was back in town?
Yeah, for, like, a year now.
Where have I been?
You've been married and oblivious.
Did you see him?
No! I don't want to see him.
It's been 10 years.
Olivia. He left.
I told him I had feelings for him
and he left for California the next day.
Maybe he changed.
It doesn't matter.
It was a silly little crush and now it's over.
What? What is that?
You and Ben were friends for a long time.
He was a huge part of your life.
You really don't miss him?
At all?
No. Not at all.
Okay.
Have a fun vacation, Dr. Tyler.
Thanks, Louise.
You have a wonderful Christmas with your family.
Thank you.
Paging Dr. Gillis. Paging Dr. Gillis.
- Dad? - Ben!
Hey.
I was hoping you could stop by.
What time's your flight to Honduras?
Not until 7:00. I've got plenty of time.
Yes, but it's always good...
- To be early. - I know.
Dr. Camran's going to love you.
Yeah. Hey, dad, listen...
I didn't say anything to the staff.
I told them I was going on a diving trip.
Why?
Well, I didn't want to make a big deal out of it,
especially if I don't get the job.
Well, fair enough,
but I'll bet you Camran hires you on the spot.
This is a great opportunity for you in Honduras.
Doctor's Care International is a fantastic group.
Yeah, it really is.
I'm really proud of you.
Thank you.
When do you head to Vermont?
Christmas day.
Can't wait to hit the slopes.
Catch up when I get back?
Yeah, I'd like that.
Have a merry Christmas.
Yeah. You too, son.
Party supplies. Can I help you?
Hi. How are you?
Listen, I'm coming in
to pick up some party supplies right now,
but it's a little bit slippery out here,
so I'm taking it real slow.
Don't worry. We'll be here.
All right, great, thank you. See you soon.
Peyton Canaday.
Hi, Ben.
- Hi. - How are you?
You look... you look well.
Are you okay?
Yeah. I'm fine.
This is gonna sound crazy, but did you see a reindeer?
I did!
Where'd it go?
I don't know. Looked like he was running from something.
Like what?
Like a girl reindeer
who was trying to tell him she had feelings for him.
Sorry, what?
What?
Nothing.
Great to see you.
- Yeah. - 'Kay.
Need a ride?
Yeah.
I think I do. Thank you.
Sure. No problem. Come on.
You going... You going to the gym?
Airport.
Is that okay?
That's fine.
That's great.
I should call the repair shop, see if they'll grab my car.
Sure.
The repair shop read your mind.
Dr. Tyler.
When?
Okay, no, thanks for letting me know.
Yeah, I'll come right in.
What's the matter?
Ford Sherman. There was an accident.
He's in the hospital.
Oh, gosh. Okay. Come on.
Dr. Tyler? I thought you were on your way to Honduras.
Honduras?
Vacation.
Ford Sherman is here?
He's in exam room three.
- What happened? - He fell off a ladder.
They just x-rayed his knee.
And his daughter's in the lounge.
- I'll go check on Lily. - I'll find Ford.
Those are beautiful drawings, Lily.
- Peyton! - Hi.
Listen, everything's gonna be okay.
Dr. Ben just went to check on your dad,
and he's basically the smartest guy I know.
Nothing to worry about, all right?
Okay.
Okay. What are you doing here?
That looks like one
of the gingerbread men your mom used to make.
The ones with buttons made out of gumdrops.
Only the red ones!
Right, because you don't like the green.
You fell off a ladder? Really?
I was hanging Christmas lights, my knee gave out.
It was a stupid accident.
Yeah, 'cause most of your accidents are so smart,
like that time you biked right into the tree?
It was genius.
I forgot how funny you aren't.
Hey, James.
Thanks for taking care of my buddy here.
Give me some good news, doc.
Looks like you tore the acl on your bad knee.
Not to get too technical, but it's a mess.
It'll need surgery.
But that can happen after Christmas, right?
No. We need to treat this now.
Aw, man.
If we don't treat this immediately,
you could permanently lose the use of your knee.
How soon can you do it?
We have to wait for the swelling to go down,
so we'll get Ford here a room and reassess tomorrow.
See you in the morning, Ford.
Thanks, James.
Thanks.
- Well... - All right, I'm outta here.
What are you doing?
I can wait for the swelling to go down at home.
Are you kidding me?
You've been ignoring this thing for a year.
Yeah, well, I'm gonna ignore it a little longer.
He wasn't kidding around. Ford, this is serious.
You're risking permanent damage here.
Listen, you're probably right, but it's just...
No, no, no, no, no. No "buts".
Be smart about this.
I'm at your disposal. I don't fly out till 7:00.
I can run errands. I can do paperwork.
I can check in at the hardware store,
whatever you need.
What I need is someone to look after Lily.
What?
I'm not worried about the store.
That's fine, Frank can handle that,
but I need someone with Lily.
What about your sister?
You don't think she'd be a better choice?
She's out of state with her in-laws.
I know it's a big ask.
You're leaving town.
No. Hey, hey!
Come on.
Not another word.
I will look after Lily.
I can postpone the flight, yeah.
- Yeah? - Yeah.
Thanks, man.
One more thing?
We do a lot of these family traditions.
Lily loves them,
and I've been trying to keep them going
since Patsy passed.
So, I need you to be the Christmas guy.
Can you do that, for me?
You know I can.
Thanks, man.
Are those snowflake lights?
Special ones for the porch.
Daddy's putting them up tonight.
Hey. There's my girl.
Daddy!
Ford! How are you?
I'm gonna be just fine.
But...
I have to stay here a couple days
so the doctors can fix my knee.
However,
uncle Ben's gonna take you home and hang with you
while I'm gone.
- Really? - Really?
Come on. It'll be fun.
You know who makes pancakes shaped like a stethoscope?
This guy.
So, Lily...
Your dad tells me you have some Christmas traditions.
Do you have a list?
Drawings. Can I show you guys?
Absolutely.
Hey. You've got this, right?
Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
Okay, good.
Hey, Lily. Come here. Give me a hug goodbye.
Can't you stay a little longer? Please?
I mean, at least
let me make you a cup of coffee.
You never come over anymore.
Yeah, I can stay for a minute.
Just grab my purse.
You thought you'd be on the beach in Honduras,
and now you're taking care of a little girl.
You gonna cancel your trip?
No, no, no, just postpone it a few days.
Okay.
Man, I love this old place.
Me too.
Okay.
I miss you, Pats.
Here are all the drawings I did at the hospital.
These are all your Christmas traditions?
No. There's more.
Dad and I have already done some of these.
So...
Presents?
Homemade presents.
Mom always said homemade presents are the best.
Last year, I gave dad a keychain,
and socks,
but I didn't make the socks.
Okay.
And what is this one?
Cookies for my teacher.
We need to buy some gumdrops.
See if you can get a package with lots of red ones.
Good note.
And... what...
What's this one?
Reindeer food.
I'm sorry, what?
You know... Reindeer food. Oats and hay.
And glitter. Edible glitter.
That's right. Santa gets cookies and milk.
Reindeer get reindeer food.
Exactly.
And where do we get the glitter?
The candy store downtown. They'll have the gumdrops, too.
And if you drop my name at the hobby shop,
they'll give you a discount on art supplies.
Art supplies?
For the homemade gifts.
Right.
You guys are gonna have so much fun.
Can we hang the snowflake lights tonight?
Sure.
Mom always hangs snowflake lights
the day before we put up the big tree, and that's...
Tomorrow.
Tomorrow?
Big tree.
Got it.
They need me at the Inn.
All right, Lily. I'm gonna go. I'll see you soon.
- Bye. - Bye.
Hey, Peyton.
Can I, talk to you for a second?
Yeah.
Thank you.
What's up?
What are you doing for the next few days?
My job
and throwing the Inn's biggest Christmas party ever.
Right.
Why?
I could really use your help here.
You know what, I wish I could, but I don't have time.
You remember when I said I got this?
I don't got this.
This is so much bigger than baking cookies
and green gumdrops.
Red gumdrops.
Right.
This is about what Patsy created.
I don't want to mess it up, I don't want to disappoint Lily.
Ben, you're a doctor.
I'm sure you're smart enough to figure this out.
I order a tie online
and send it to my dad's hotel room...
That's about as close to tradition as I get.
Please...
Peyton, I need you.
Come on, this is our best friend's little girl.
Lily deserves every tradition on that list.
If you honestly think that I can handle this,
on my own,
I'll go back inside right now.
I...
Hey, Lily?
Would it be okay if I hung out for a couple of days
and helped out?
Yea-a-a-ah!
- Thank you. - You're welcome.
I gotta just call my parents at the Inn
and tell them what's going on.
Here, we have
the Sherman family Christmas traditions,
with artwork by...
...Lily Sherman!
It's a Christmas masterpiece.
So what do we do first?
Snowflake lights!
Someone's got the Christmas spirit.
And no coat on.
I'm on it.
I'll be right out.
Okay.
Hello?
Dr. Camran, hi. Dr. Ben Tyler.
Hi, how are you?
I'm good, thank you.
Listen, I have a little bad news.
I have to delay our interview.
Is there a problem?
Your father said you were
very interested in the position.
No, I'm definitely still interested.
I have to look after my friend's daughter
while he's in surgery.
It'll just take a couple of days,
and I will let you know as soon as I know more.
Well, I'm sorry to hear about your friend,
and I do understand,
but we really need to find someone
who can be on-site at the beginning of the year.
We can't put off making a decision for too long.
I understand.
Thank you.
Well, here we go!
I finished first, I win.
Think again.
I'm finished, which means I win.
No, you're not.
"Watt"...
An honour.
I can feel the power...
It's... electrifying.
Please, please, stop with the puns.
Keep... keep us in the dark.
All right.
Here we go!
Ha, ha!
You might want to plug it into the outlet.
Well, guess I'm just a dim bulb.
Do you guys like each other?
- 'Course. - Yeah.
- Of course.
Do you guys wanna get married?
- No. - No.
Absolutely not.
No, no, no, no.
- No, no, no. - No, we're friends.
We've been friends since grade school.
Speaking of school, do you have school tomorrow?
No. It's winter break.
You gotta love winter break.
What do you say, should we see some lights?
- Yes, please. - Yeah.
Come see!
What should we do next?
Dinner!
Dinner.
Lily's great,
but how do people with kids do it?
Babysitters?
Paper snowflakes.
Snowflake lights.
I'm sensing a pattern here.
Yeah, but look at these. These are so pretty.
Gosh, I haven't made paper snowflakes
since I was a kid.
Yeah, it's a whole new skillset for me.
Lily's a great teacher,
but I think we need a new plan.
How about this...
I'll do the cooking and cleaning,
you do the Christmas stuff.
No, you need to participate in the Christmas stuff.
I've got the Inn's party to plan, remember?
What?
What's wrong?
I just don't have a lot of experience with this stuff.
I was with my dad for Christmas,
but we were always going on work trips.
He's a great guy,
but he does not have the triple-h gene.
"Triple-h"?
Ho, ho, ho.
Right. That... That gene, yeah.
Well... who knows?
Maybe this is the year you find your Christmas spirit.
You never know.
Really?
Morning.
Hi.
How'd you sleep?
Every time I heard a sound, I was worried it was Lily.
Me too. I checked on her three times.
I'm not used to worrying about someone.
Me neither.
And it's kind of nice.
So, what's the plan for today?
Well, I need to go by the Inn, try to get some work done,
and then I'm gonna swing by my apartment
and get some clothes.
What about you?
I think I'm gonna bring Lily by the hospital
and check on Ford.
She's gonna love that.
You should take some decorations for his room,
give it a little Christmas.
More Christmas?
Work with me.
Fair enough.
You coming?
Coming where?
Lily wants us to meet Miranda.
Who's Miranda?
This is Miranda.
I got her for my birthday.
Hi, Miranda.
You're beautiful.
She likes you.
There're some carrots over there,
if you want to feed her.
All right, mister. You're up.
Hold your hand out with your palm flat.
I'm not so good with horses.
She won't bite.
She likes you, too.
You're a natural!
Now it's time for her breakfast.
Okay, well, Ben can help you with your chores.
- I'm gonna go to work. - No, no.
I need backup.
I'm only up to carrots.
What? Come on. You can handle this.
What's that, Miranda?
You are so right!
What an intelligent horse.
Peyton should stay and help out.
Miranda, come on.
He's got this under control, right?
Miranda says no.
Way to have a girl's back, Miranda.
You know what? Now you're in charge.
I'm gonna go to work. Bye.
Bye!
Hi! Sorry I'm late.
I had to swing by my place and get a change of clothes.
- How's Lily? - She's great.
Is Olivia here?
I needed her to make up some sample appetizers.
She's been cooking non-stop since Jake left yesterday.
I better get in there.
Peyton?
Do you need help with anything?
No, I got it all right here.
Okay. So you're helping Lily, which is lovely,
but that also means you're spending a lot of time
with Dr. Ben Tyler, who you're not very fond of.
He's not so bad.
It's not a big deal.
We are friends,
and we're never gonna be anything more.
We're doing this for Lily, remember?
Gosh, what is this? It smells incredible.
That is a water chestnut soaked in maple,
wrapped in apple-smoked bacon,
with a little dollop of blue cheese.
You just said all my favourite things
in one sentence.
Where do you get these ideas?
I was up late looking at recipes online.
It relaxes me.
Did you know there are over 200 million bacon recipes?
People love bacon.
Are you okay? Do you want to talk about it?
No. But you're gonna be late.
You should come back for lunch,
'cause I'm gonna make a bacon-tomato sandwich
that's gonna blow your mind.
- Done. I'll be here. - Perfect.
Whoa, Lily.
I think this one's your best one yet.
I think so, too.
So... surgery tomorrow.
Yeah, that's what they say.
How's it going at home?
Yeah, I'm learning.
- Yeah? - I had no idea
that food on a plate doesn't touch,
including orange chicken and rice.
Very important.
Peyton made a note.
Yeah,
she called me, said she was helping out.
Yeah.
How's that going?
Fine.
Yeah?
What? It's fine.
They're friends.
Oh, yeah? Okay.
Since when?
Since grade school.
Since grade school, okay, all right.
Just checking in with you and Peyton.
Which knee was it again?
Okay, all right, I'm done.
So that was maybe 15 years ago and...
Peyton.
This is Miles Kowski.
He's a new reporter for the Birch Creek Gazette.
- Nice to meet you. - Hi.
Yeah, he's doing
a feature article on the Inn and our party.
For the Gazette's special Christmas day edition.
That's exciting.
I'm excited to be on the story.
This party is all anyone in town's talking about.
25 years is a long time.
Well, this year, Peyton is handling
all the event planning for it.
So you're the event planner for the Inn?
Well, no, not normally. I'm the accountant.
But I'm moving on to events.
She's being modest.
But what you have to see
is the ballroom.
Well, lead the way.
No. No! No.
No. Not ready.
Everyone's trying to guess the theme.
Can you give me a hint?
I cannot. No.
You're gonna find out on Christmas Eve.
Well, you know, to be fair,
she hasn't even told me or her mom.
But I'm sure it's gonna be great.
I am positive as well.
You know what I can show you...
I do have some photos from...
And the big, magical holiday theme
for this year's party is...
Nothing.
And now that one goes over there,
on top of that one.
You're sure about this?
Yeah.
You'll see.
And now you put that one on top of that one.
That can't be right.
You'll see.
Okay.
Oh... boy.
Now turn around and let me finish it.
Are you almost done?
I can't wait to see what you're up to.
Finished!
Your snowman is doing a handstand.
Yeah, mom taught me.
That is so cute.
I remember when I used to make those with your mom.
It is cold out here.
Who wants to decorate a Christmas tree?
Me! Yes.
Sounds great! Me too!
Let's go!
It's my favourite.
You said that about the last five ornaments.
I love them all.
You know, I've never heard of decorating
three different trees.
Is that another Sherman family tradition?
Yup. First, we do the one in front of the barn,
and then the porch,
and now the big tree.
It is so beautiful.
In fact,
I think it might be time
for the moment we've all been waiting for.
The lights.
Now, we have a very big decision to make.
A very big decision.
You see...
There are those who prefer clear...
And there are those who prefer...
Multi-coloured.
Yeah!
Let's see those options one more time.
Clear...
And, wait for it...
...multi-coloured.
It's Christmas magic.
Clear, multi-coloured,
two perfectly good options.
I say we take a vote.
Clear.
Multi-coloured.
We have ourselves a tie!
Looks like the tie-breaker...
...goes to Peyton Canaday!
That means you're the tie-breaker, Peyton Canaday.
The entire fate of Christmas rests in your hands.
A hush falls over the crowd while she weighs her options.
Lily...
Drum roll, please.
And the winner
is...
Clear!
...and... multi-coloured!
The crowd goes wild!
Maestro, a little music, please.
I love this song!
Lily, let's dance!
Okay, twirl!
And back again!
Okay, big dip. Ready?
Come on, Ben, let's dance!
- No, no, no, no. - He doesn't have to dance.
I'm not a big da...
He doesn't want to dance. No, it's fine.
Well...
- Little spin? - Oh, sure.
And back.
'Kay.
- And a dip? - Yep.
Can I go put these on the back door?
Yes! Of course.
- Did you hear a "ding"? - I did, yeah.
- That's my phone. - I think it was, yeah.
Is everything all right?
Yeah. Yeah, it's just this party.
The famous Canaday party.
It's all anyone at the hospital can talk about.
Ben, can I tell you something that...
That I haven't told anybody?
I need a theme for the ballroom,
and I got nothin'.
I mean, I am stuck.
You got time.
I'm sure you'll come up with something.
I've got five days, and the thing is,
this is really, really important to me.
This is my chance to show everybody
that I'm more than just an accountant.
I want to be an event planner,
and this is my chance to prove to everybody
that I can do it.
But can I?
Yes. I'm sure you can.
I'm running out of time.
And the Gazette's gonna run a big story on Christmas day,
and if I mess up, my name's gonna be in the paper.
You'll find your idea.
They always come when you least expect them.
Why don't you try...
Not thinking about it for a while?
I don't think that's gonna work.
But I guess
it couldn't be worse than what I'm doing right now.
Right.
Why don't you just have a little fun
and see what happens.
"See what happens".
There she is.
I miss daddy.
Yeah, I bet you do.
Well, they're fixing his knee up tomorrow,
and he'll be home before Christmas.
Yeah, he just needs a couple more days
for his leg to get better.
You know, once, when I was probably about your age,
I spent Christmas with my aunt.
And she got me a little Christmas tree of my own,
and she told me that every light on it
was for someone who loved me.
Ben, can you read me a story?
Yeah.
Love to.
What do we got?
"Humphrey the swimming reindeer".
"Once upon a time,
there was a reindeer named Humphrey.
But Humphrey didn't fly,
he swam".
"And Humphrey swam the toys to the children on the island,
and Christmas was saved.
The end".
That is a good story.
Look what I found.
Now, Ben, what did your aunt say about the lights on the tree?
She said
that every light is for someone who loves me.
Goodnight, mommy.
Goodnight, daddy.
What were you doing up there?
Nothing.
What are you doing?
It's a dollhouse that Ford ordered for Lily.
He asked if we would put it together.
What do you think? You up for it?
You bet.
Scalpel.
So your mom is saving the whales?
Yeah. She loves it.
She's an amazing person.
She sure is. My dad is, too.
He saves people. She saves animals.
They're both pretty amazing.
They just weren't amazing together.
What are you working on over there?
Christmas decorations for the dollhouse.
You made that?
Yeah.
How?
Ribbons, pipe cleaners, old coffee stirrers...
I raided Lily's craft box, so...
Why are you laughing?
We're not even finished building it yet,
and you've already decorated it.
I can't help it.
This is the part I love.
You always were good with design.
You're gonna be an incredible event planner.
So far, as an event planner, I make a really good accountant.
I mean, I've done it,
I've done the budgets, and the research,
and the scheduling, and the charts.
As long as everybody's okay
having the party in an undecorated ballroom,
it's gonna be awesome.
Sounds like you need a vacation.
I should've booked Christmas in Honduras, like you.
Warm, sandy beaches,
drinks with tiny, little umbrellas in them.
Speaking of Honduras,
I...
I've been meaning to...
Ben? Can I get some water, please?
Yeah, I'll be right there, Lily.
- Hey. - Hey.
I hid the dollhouse in the back of Ford's truck.
Great, that's really smart.
- She's asleep. - Yeah?
I'm gonna go to bed.
Yeah, me too.
Okay. Goodnight.
Goodnight.
Lily... Breakfast is ready.
I'll be down in a minute!
Hey, so, Ford's surgery is at noon today,
and I just want to keep her occupied
until we know it went well.
Good idea.
Morning.
Morning!
This looks good! You made Christmas bells.
They're stethoscopes.
If you squint your eyes,
they kind of look like stethoscopes.
Thank you... Lily.
Hey, Lily?
What do you say... We do that today?
Main street.
Main street?
Looking at all the pretty lights.
Yeah, I haven't done that since I was a kid.
Well, you know what?
I've got a lot of work to do at the Inn today,
but I could meet up with you guys afterwards,
maybe around 1:00?
It's a date.
I mean, you know, for all of us.
These are the best stethoscope pancakes I've ever had.
Jake.
How are you?
But you'll be here for Christmas, right?
Yeah, it's fine.
I love you, too.
What's wrong?
Jake's just getting sent to Albany.
But he is sure he will be home in a few days.
Of course he will.
How are you?
I'm great.
Great, great.
That is a lot of "greats".
Can I show you something?
Sure.
Peyton!
I know.
I'm having a lot of trouble coming up with the theme.
Yeah, but Peyton, the party is in four days.
Yeah, I know, but I want it to be special.
Okay, well...
If not, we will just tell people it's a minimalist party.
Why is it so hard?
Gosh, maybe I should be an accountant.
This shouldn't be so difficult.
Well, of course, it's difficult.
You're putting yourself out there,
and it's scary,
but I know you can do it.
You do?
Yes, you got this.
And if not,
we will just put up last year's decorations
in a whole new way,
and no one will know better.
But... I will.
It'll be great.
Right?
Look at that!
What do you think?
Is Santa feeding him reindeer food, Lily?
No. No glitter.
Kind of reminds me of our reindeer.
You have a reindeer?
No, I was kidding.
Hey, I have a question.
If you could decorate the window display,
however you wanted, what would you do?
A big snow globe, with snow falling down.
I love that.
And something special.
A family,
a pet... Miranda!
I love it.
I'm gonna go check out the craft store.
It's the hospital.
Mark. Hi.
Thank you for letting us know.
Ford sailed through the surgery.
That's great.
Should we bring Lily by?
Yeah, in a little bit.
I think he needs some time to recuperate.
That's great.
This is where we make our homemade presents.
Homemade presents are the best. Can we do this?
- Sure. - Sure.
Your dad's gonna love that, Lily.
I think so, too.
Who's that for?
This is for my sister.
It's a cookie platter.
And what do you got?
Is that a reindeer mug?
As a matter of fact, it is.
Who's that for?
Me, I guess.
You should give it to your dad.
Yeah.
Lily, I love this bracelet.
Mom gave it to me.
She says snowflakes are like kisses from heaven.
It's snowing!
What a lovely family.
Pretty!
That is gorgeous.
You should get it for the party.
Well, I still do have "get dress" on my to-do list.
What party?
Did your dad ever tell you about the big snowstorm
they had when he was a kid?
Okay, 25 years ago, Christmas Eve,
all the electricity goes out in Birch Creek,
but the Inn had a generator,
so my mom and dad got an idea.
Before I knew it, the entire town
was in our ballroom,
and my folks know how to party, so they just thought,
"why not invite everyone every year?"
So we do.
Are you going to the party?
I'm not, I'm going be in Honduras.
Yeah, he's going on vacation.
Actually, Peyton, I should tell you something.
What is it?
It's not a vacation.
It's a job interview.
What's the job?
You've heard of Doctor's Care International?
Yeah.
So it's a three-year contract in their Honduras clinic.
My dad spent most of his career doing this sort of thing.
It's my turn.
Why did you want me to think you were going on vacation?
I'm sorry.
I didn't want to say anything until I knew I had the job.
Well, thanks for telling me.
Sounds like a great opportunity.
I bet you'll get it, Ben.
Yeah.
Ben, come look at this.
It's complicated.
It sounds complicated.
What did you say?
What was I supposed to say?
I mean, it's a noble job,
and he's a noble man for doing it.
But he's bad boyfriend material.
Geographically speaking.
I don't want a boyfriend.
Then it's not a problem that Ben's leaving.
Exactly. This is a good thing.
Ben and I figured out how to be friends,
and we're never gonna be anything else,
and it doesn't mean that we can't
have a good time with Lily.
Yeah, that makes sense.
Yeah. All I know is,
I want to throw the best holiday party
this Inn has ever seen.
I also know that, speaking of boyfriend material,
this guy right here might be my perfect match.
Look at this...
Crusty on the outside,
super-sweet on the inside.
Hello, sir!
You're not going anywhere.
And you and I have no history whatsoever.
I think I'm in love.
What's your name?
Pecan pie.
Hello, pecan pie. My name's Peyton.
I'm gonna call you "Steve" as a nickname.
Yeah, I think you and Steve are moving a little too fast.
Fine! Take Steve!
You know what?
I gotta call the chair rental people.
And confirm.
No, they were delivered last night.
I put them in the storage room.
And you can cross shrimp off your list,
because I confirmed with the supplier this morning.
Is there anything else you need?
I mean, I could use some cookie supplies.
Why?
I'm just baking cookies with Lily this afternoon
for her teachers.
What else do you need?
Everything.
Thanks.
Hey, Miles.
Hey, Peyton.
We're here taking some pictures for the Christmas article.
- Great. - And guess what?
What?
You've got the whole front page.
It's gonna be all about your party.
Think of the headline...
"Anniversary celebration at the Canaday Inn...
Most beautiful party in 25 years".
- It's a great hook, right? - Yeah, I guess so.
My editor loved it.
Hey, do you have some time?
For what?
I'd like to interview you.
I bet I can even guess your party theme.
That would be a trick.
I wish I could, I'm so busy.
I've got lists up to, like, here.
But...
- Maybe another time? - Yeah, sure thing.
- Great. Thanks. Bye! - Bye.
So, Christmas socks, huh?
Yeah.
I get them for my dad every year.
I saw your picture on the fridge.
I thought it was a Christmas stocking.
Nope! Socks.
Shall we go in?
Absolutely.
Do you like these?
Or... these?
Mm-Kay...
Or... these?
I kind of like all of them.
Which ones do you think your dad would like the best?
These! Because he loves cars and trees.
I think we have a winner.
Ding-ding-ding!
I love that!
Are those gingerbread doctors?
Yes, they are.
Smorgas-board-certified.
Right. Yeah. He's a vet who fixes broken animal crackers.
This is so fun!
I can't remember the last time I made Christmas cookies.
Yeah, me either.
Because I have never made Christmas cookies.
That's sad.
Well, I'm making up for it now, aren't I?
All right, well,
put your gingerbread medicine men on this plate
and then we'll get ready to go.
This is where Mr. Pascal lives.
Hola, Mr. Pascal!
We made you some cookies.
Gracias.
Lily, do you remember the word for "cookies"?
Galletas.
Excelente.
And these are "galletas de jengibre..."
Gingerbread cookies.
My favourite.
Feliz navidad.
Thank you. Feliz navidad.
- Adios. - Adios!
Every time I smell gingerbread, it's like I'm a kid again.
You know what reminds me of being a kid again?
What?
You are... hold this, Lily.
What? No, no, no.
- Yeah. - No.
- That's not how it works. - Oh, yeah.
No. No, no, no, no. No! No!
That's it.
Merry Christmas, Mrs. Conway!
Thank you, Lily.
Peyton Canaday?
Ben Tyler?
You two are still getting into trouble, I see.
Yes, ma'am.
These are beautiful.
We all decorated one of those.
Lily...
I bet this bright one is yours.
And Peyton, I remember you from my art class.
This one is yours.
You were always a good artist.
I loved your class.
This one's yours, Ben.
Yes.
You've gotten much better than when you were in my class.
Thank you, Mrs. Conway.
Extra marshmallows for Lily and Dr. Ben.
Thank you.
And a dash of cinnamon for Peyton.
Thanks.
I thought you were on vacation.
I'm flying out on the 25th now.
Well, have a good time.
Christmas is not a fun day to travel.
Well, I've done it before.
You know, it's funny, for the first time in my life,
I'm actually enjoying the Christmas holidays.
And wouldn't you know it, I have to leave.
You know, if you're in town for Christmas Eve...
...I can come to the party.
25 years...
That's a lot of parties.
Which one was your favourite?
Hard to say.
You know what? Probably the first one.
There was so much snow, it was like...
A winter wonderland.
I was about your age. I wish you could have seen it.
Me too.
Wait a second.
That's it.
What?
I see it so clearly...
For the first time.
What is it?
The theme! For the party.
I gotta go.
Where are you going?
You'll see!
Hey! How's it going?
I think I got it!
Hey, Ben.
I'm here, too!
How's it going?
Really, really well. How are you?
Couldn't be better.
We were just starting to think about dinner,
and wondering if you were gonna be home soon?
I wish I could,
but I can't, I've got to work late.
And you know what? I'm just gonna sleep at my place tonight,
so I don't wake you up when I come home.
I'll see you guys tomorrow.
I love you.
We love you too! Bye!
Bye.
Okay.
Chores are done.
I was looking at your drawings on the fridge this morning.
Want to do some Christmas crafts?
Can we go see Peyton?
She's... She's awfully busy.
What's that, Miranda?
Ben and I should go see Peyton?
You're a quick learner, kiddo.
Don't come in!
The elves are working!
Peyton?
It's us.
Hi!
We brought supplies.
You guys are the best.
Thank you.
Here.
Thanks. Here.
Looks like you're making some progress.
Yeah, well, I hope so.
In a day and a half, the whole town's gonna be here.
Is there anything we can do to help?
Yeah! Can we help?
It's looking good.
Yep. We're getting there.
Are you gonna put presents under all the trees?
No, those are decorations.
You've got to have presents!
Hey. Can I talk to you guys?
Sure, honey. What's up?
Lily just gave me a great idea,
but it's gonna require a lot of extra work.
I think it's finally time I asked for your help.
So I want to make the fire department's toy drive
a part of our holiday party.
I already talked to the fire chief.
You did?
If we work together,
I think we can make this a new holiday tradition.
I love that idea.
We're on it.
We'll contact everyone who's coming to the party.
The fire department needs presents,
we'll get them presents.
You guys are amazing.
I have one more request.
I want to go and get Lily a Christmas present,
and I think Ben does, too.
Is there any way you would babysit?
We can have a tea party!
I think that's gonna be just fine, Peyton.
Thank you.
Wait, hold on, let's meet back right here,
in half an hour.
We're not shopping together?
No! You need to pick out something that's just from you.
You think Lily would like a necktie?
- No. - No?
Half an hour.
- Okay. - Okay.
You know what, there's this thing I wanna...
Yeah, I'm just gonna go this way.
- Hi. - Hi.
I ordered for us.
Thank you.
With a dash of cinnamon, just the way you like it.
- What'd you get? - Neckties.
Art supplies.
She's gonna love this, Ben.
What did you get?
Ribbon...
And a ball?
Just a little Christmas magic.
Some assembly required.
What is it?
It's a surprise for Lily.
You've heard of surprises, right?
To surprises.
And to a wonderful party.
You believed in me when no one else did.
I know you, Peyton.
I knew you could do it.
Thank you, Ben.
There you go...
Just like you like it, nothing touching.
Thank you.
Thank you both so much
for your help with the ballroom this week.
It was fun.
You know,
I wasn't entirely sure a couple of days ago,
but now I feel like it's gonna be a really wonderful party.
So would you say that everything on your list is done?
Yeah, I mean,
I've got a couple of odds and ends left, but...
What?
What's this?
It's a surprise.
You've heard of surprises, right?
What?
Now. Now.
Now?
We thought of you when we saw this.
What is this?
It's the dress from the store!
Is it for the party?
I love it! You guys, thank you so much.
I don't know what I would do without you two.
It was our pleasure.
Truly.
I'll get it!
Hello?
Daddy!
He's coming home tomorrow morning!
She was asleep
before Humphrey even delivered the gifts.
Thank you.
What'd you find?
I found us.
Glitter.
I've never seen any of these.
Yeah. Look at us.
You know, I've thought a lot about that night over the years.
Didn't really know how to bring it up.
Well, what... What's there to talk about?
I told you I had feelings for you,
and you didn't feel the same.
That's not exactly true.
My life was complicated.
I had just graduated from med school.
I was leaving for my surgical residency
in California.
But you didn't call, you didn't write.
I found out from Freddy that you were back in town.
I guess I didn't want to be unfair to you.
I figured I must have hurt you.
I guess I didn't want to hurt you anymore.
And then...
You know, when I saw you the other day...
I thought you'd forgotten about it.
I'm sorry.
I really, genuinely am.
Thank you for saying that.
It's okay.
It's in the past.
But do me a favour.
When you go to Honduras,
keep in touch.
I mean, let me know how you're doing, okay?
Promise.
Well, what do you think, Miranda?
You're an intelligent horse.
She's here
and I'm moving halfway around the world.
Is there anything we can do?
Yeah, I can't think of anything either.
There they are!
- Hi! - Daddy!
I'm so excited you're home.
- Yeah, me too. - Hey, folks.
Hey. Welcome home.
Thank you.
Hey, buddy.
Hey, man.
I need to decorate those.
You do need to decorate these. That's a great idea.
You got everything you need?
Yeah. Yeah, yeah. We're gonna be good.
The neighbour's already offered to bring us over
Christmas dinner, so that'll be fun.
You two have been a godsend.
I'm never gonna forget what you did for us.
Appreciate it.
Lily, give me a hug.
I had the best time with you.
Thank you for giving me such a magical Christmas.
I'm gonna miss you, kiddo.
I'll be right back.
Where's she going?
I drew this for you.
I love it!
I'm gonna put this in a frame. Thank you!
I'll drop off your present on Christmas day.
And this is for you.
Are you kiddin' me?
It's my favourite.
"Humphrey the swimming reindeer".
Thank you.
All right, let's get you inside.
- All right. - Okay, let's go.
Doctor's orders.
Gotta go. See you, guys.
- All right. - Bye.
Right back where we started.
With you giving me a ride.
Seems like such a long time ago.
It's only been a couple of days.
Well, a couple of days and ten years.
Why are we acting like this is goodbye?
I'll see you tomorrow at the party.
Yeah. Yeah.
Thank you for the ride.
- Luis! - Hey, Peyton.
Hi.
Just dropping off a toy for the toy drive.
Thank you.
We'll see you at the party.
All right, see you soon!
People have been coming by all morning.
I'll make sure I call the fire department.
It's already done.
They're gonna send a crew over after the party
to pick up the toys,
and they will deliver them to the kids
on Christmas morning.
Thanks, you two.
You're awful quiet.
I just checked the forecast in Albany.
I'm worried about Jake getting home in time for Christmas.
Is their airport still open?
So far.
Fingers crossed.
Let's change subjects.
What is going on with you and Dr. Ben?
Forecast isn't so good there, either.
No, it's fine.
It's just we're back to being friends,
and that's enough.
Sure.
It is!
We could have met in the hospital cafeteria.
Yeah. This is nicer.
What time's your Honduras flight?
Christmas day at 6:00 p.m.
My flight to Vermont is at 7:00.
We should carpool.
Yeah. Yeah, that'd be great.
Let me ask you something.
You traveled around for work a lot,
and it was important work,
but did you ever miss being at home?
Well, of course, I did,
but think of the difference I made in people's lives.
It's all worth it.
You'll see.
What's this about, son?
It's nothing.
What time do you want to pick me up?
- About 4:00. - Okay.
Come in!
Hey.
Hi. What's all that?
Well, it's the big party tomorrow,
and I know how you get distracted,
and I want to make that sure you eat.
You want to make sure a lot of people eat.
Smells like bacon. Have you been stress-cooking?
I'm trying to cook through all 200 million bacon recipes,
and so far, I'm up to 34.
You talked to Jake.
Yeah. He got snowed in. He won't be home for Christmas.
Oh, no.
I'm so sorry.
I just wanted to wake up on Christmas morning
with my new husband there.
Okay, I know it's not the same,
but how about this...
On Christmas morning,
I'm gonna come over,
and we're gonna go out into the yard,
and we're gonna make snow angels
just like we did when we were kids.
I'd like that.
Me too.
I'm sorry.
It's okay.
Everything looks great, honey.
Yeah.
Can't we stay a little bit longer?
Well, we have to get home
and make reindeer food, remember?
Yeah, I forgot.
It's a tradition.
Hi.
The fire chief says
that this year's toy drive is the most successful ever.
And it's a brand-new family tradition for us.
- I love it. - I love it, too.
Okay, I'm gonna go get ready for my speech.
- Okay. - Okay.
- Hey, how's it going? - Going like clockwork.
Great, you'll let me know if you need me.
Yeah. Enjoy your party.
Thank you.
Hey, Lily. How are you?
- Good. - You look beautiful.
Hi, sweetie. You look so lovely.
Look at you.
Man on crutches. Watch your feet.
Hello, everyone!
Hi!
Thank you for coming.
Welcome to the annual Canaday Inn Christmas party.
For 25 years,
my parents have shared Christmas magic
with all of us.
And I think, over the years,
I may have lost touch with that magic a little bit.
But, this Christmas,
my friend...
Lily Sherman...
Helped me find it again.
So, at that first party,
there was a magical Christmas wonderland outside,
and so, tonight,
we have tried to bring that back to all of you.
Lily...
Can you please help me with the doors?
It looks beautiful.
Hey! Look at the snowflakes.
Snowflakes are like kisses from heaven.
Yeah, that's what your mom always said.
Mom and dad!
Hi!
What do you think?
Sweetie, it is magical.
I love it.
I absolutely love it.
We knew you could do it.
Thanks, guys.
What's up, sis?
I'll see you later.
So? What I'd miss?
Mom and dad love the party.
Of course, they do.
And I wonder if there's any more
of those tinny little bacon appetizers I love?
- Sure. Yeah. Why? - Great.
I just thought that your husband might want to try one.
What?
Your husband.
What?
Hi.
Peyton! Hi.
Hi.
I'm about to file my story for the Christmas edition.
I must admit...
The party's not what I expected.
It's not?
- No. - Okay.
It's better.
It's really spectacular.
You have a gift for this.
Thank you so much.
You're welcome.
If you'll excuse me.
- Hi. - Hi.
You look incredible.
Thank you. You do, too. You look very handsome.
Thanks.
Shall we?
I really did have a fun time this week.
I did, too.
You know, I didn't think I was a Christmas guy.
Well, Lily put a stop to that.
You both did.
Merry Christmas, Peyton.
Merry Christmas, Ben.
I think this party might be my favourite tradition of all.
Well, for it to be a tradition,
you've got to do it every year.
Can we talk?
Yeah, sure.
Look, first of all, it's an interview.
I might not even get the job.
You're gonna get the job, Ben.
They'd be crazy not to hire you.
So come with me.
Peyton...
I didn't tell you how I felt about you
the last time I left town,
and that was a mistake.
And then spending this week with you,
it made me see how full my life could be,
and I don't want to walk away from that.
Come with me, to Honduras.
But I don't know what I would do there.
And plus, my family, my whole life is here.
And I just figured out what I want to do with my career.
I... you know,
you don't have to go on this interview.
You could stay here.
I want to make a difference in people's lives.
What about your life?
What about that?
Peyton, you're just the woman I'm looking for.
I'm interrupting something.
No. No, no, it's okay.
We were just...
Are we finished?
Yeah.
I gotta pack.
Yeah.
- You take care of yourself. - You take care.
Hi.
I wanted to tell you
what a wonderful job you've done with the party.
Thank you. Thank you very much.
It's my silver anniversary in June,
and I'm in love with what you've done here.
Could I hire you to plan my party?
I would be honoured.
Yes.
Great.
Let's talk after the holidays.
- You bet! - Exciting!
Exciting!
- Hi. - Hey.
Hey, you can put that in back.
Well...
Actually,
I got a Christmas present for you.
Is it a tie?
Not this year.
I made something for you.
It's silly.
It was just a, you know...
Ben, I love it.
Yeah?
Yeah!
That's great, thank you.
- Yeah. - Yeah.
It is pretty silly.
It is!
Jake, I'm glad you made it home for Christmas.
Me too.
- Merry Christmas. - Merry Christmas.
Peyton, your father and I have something for you.
It's not present time yet.
Just this one.
We're so proud of you, Peyton.
You did great, kid.
We're ordering the new business cards next week.
Business cards?
"Peyton Canaday... Event planner".
Thank you.
A Christmas toast...
Yes.
Thank you.
...to this wonderful family.
To family.
There's a lot of snow on the road.
Yes.
Which is why it's always...
...good to be early.
You're exactly like me.
Looking forward to your trip?
To be honest...
I'm not sure.
I don't know if the choices I'm making
will give me the life that I want,
or the life that I'm supposed to want.
Well, you're the only one that can work that out, Ben.
I hope you know you can make different choices than I did.
You'll always have my love and support.
You see that deer?
It wasn't a deer.
What?
It was a reindeer.
That smells amazing.
Turkey will be ready in two hours.
I feel so bad you have to work on Christmas day.
Cooking for my family is not work.
Are you okay, sweetie?
Yeah, I'm okay.
Dr. Ben does not know what he's missing.
We should go make snow angels.
No.
Since dinner's not till 6:00,
I'm gonna run Lily's gift over to her.
Okay, but don't eat too many cookies, please.
There is so much food coming at you.
This is you not stress-cooking.
- Go! - Okay!
And this one is from me.
That's very thoughtful of you, Peyton.
My pleasure.
What is it?
It's Miranda!
You said you like homemade gifts.
Thank you!
You're welcome.
- Merry Christmas. - Merry Christmas.
How'd you get a horse in there?
Magic.
That is so cool.
Goodnight, everybody! Merry Christmas.
Ben?
What are you doing here?
Dad was driving me to the airport...
And I saw the reindeer.
You... you saw our reindeer?
I don't think he wants me to go to Honduras.
And I'm realizing
that I don't think I want me to go to Honduras.
My dad lived his whole life abroad.
And he was doing important work,
but I don't want to live his life.
I want a home and a family.
And there are plenty of groups
that need doctors to donate their time,
whether overseas, or here.
I can do that from Birch Creek.
I should have said this ten years ago, Peyton.
I love you.
And I'm really hoping you feel the same way.
I want to spend every Christmas with you
for the rest of my life.
Should we make it a tradition?