A Furry Little Christmas (2021) Movie Script
1
Are you ready to fall
in love this Christmas
Under the mistletoe
Is a kiss on the top of your
wish list
Well, I know a girl
you should know
If you're ready to fall
in love this Christmas
So, we will see Kona
back in two weeks
- for a teeth cleaning, okay?
- Okay.
Thank you so much
and Merry Christmas.
Thank you, you too.
Scarlet, Scarlet!
Mrs. Hoffman had to leave
for a very important meeting,
but she asked me to tell you
that Hamlet's cough
hasn't gotten any better.
She'd like to refer him
for a CT scan.
Do you need a CT scan, Hamlet?
I don't think so either.
Has she been giving him
his antibiotic?
The night nurse decided it
wasn't working.
The night nurse?
Mrs. Hoffman's job is very
demanding.
She needs her sleep.
Did she mentioned if she was
giving him anything else?
He's looking very colorful.
Uh, yeah, that's from
the turmeric.
Okay, we need to remind
Mrs. Hoffman
that if Hamlet doesn't
get over his kennel cough
he's not gonna be able to go to
Switzerland with her
for Christmas.
I'll let Fabiana know right now.
Oh, Mrs. Hoffman
also wanted to know
if she could do something,
anything
that could get his muzzle
back to normal.
Give her a bottle of that
oatmeal shampoo.
If it doesn't work,
just tell her to lean into it.
Buy Hamlet a turmeric
yellow jacket and booties.
Everyone in St. Moritz
will be dying to know
who does his highlights.
You, my dear, are a genius.
A genius whose train
leaves in 90 minutes.
Justin, can you take over
please?
Wait a minute.
Uptown Animal Clinic,
David speaking.
Oui? Oui!
Oui. Doc!
Mr. Lefarge is on the phone.
Can you take a message?
It's an emergency,
but from what I can
understand, they're
about to take off
for Paris and Mr. Lefarge
forgot to bring Bardot's
health certificate.
I failed ninth grade French,
so we're at kind of an impasse.
I'll take that.
Uptown Animal Clinic.
Oh, hi Virginia.
Doc, Milo's angel of an after
school teacher is on the line.
Virginia, I'm so sorry.
I'm on my way, okay?
- Bye!
- She's on her way.
Merry Christmas.
Hi, Riley.
Hi pretty girl.
Merry Christmas.
And that's your gift,
a week of vacation.
I didn't think you had it
in you.
I feel like since you've
opened the practice
you've taken off, what,
four days in a row?
Three. But the vet that worked
with my dad just retired
and she always covered
Christmas,
so we're doing it in Vermont
this year.
I thought Christmas
in New York was kind of
your family's thing.
Well, who knows?
Maybe you'll find your dream
guy nestled in a snow drift.
Well, the whole point
of this trip is
to spend time with my dad,
not troll for babes.
You've always been good
at multitasking,
but maybe not at that
particular task.
The only man in my life
is 10 years old,
and I don't see that
changing anytime soon.
So call me if you need
me literally any time.
Hang on. I forgot the most
important thing,
a Christmas hug.
- Be good, stay safe.
- Okay, take care.
Bye.
Okay, let's get back
to business.
- Oh...
- Hello.
It's really coming down
out there.
Hi, my name is Scarlet Miller.
I'm here to pick up an order.
Sure,
let me get that right for you.
Oh, my goodness,
I cannot believe
you have manchego back in stock.
- Yeah, just got them back.
- Can I get a quarter pound?
And one of these Brie,
this goat cheese.
We have a very long
train ride ahead of us.
No judgment.
- These are so beautiful.
- Yay, I'm glad you like them.
Thank you so much.
Nothing like a New York
Christmas, right?
Thanks for coming.
Merry Christmas.
Thank you, Merry Christmas.
Down the road ran
the gingerbread man
with the horse and the cow.
- Ran and ran until he came to...
- I'm here.
- I'm so sorry I'm late.
- No, it's okay.
Milo was telling me you
have big Christmas plans.
Do we have to go to Vermont?
Can't grandpa just come here?
Yes, we do.
And no, he can't.
But all my friends
are in New York.
It's gonna be great,
unless we miss our train,
which leaves in a few minutes,
so we gotta go, buddy. Oh.
This is for you.
Thank you so much
for putting up with
Milo's punctuality
challenged mother.
Oh, it's fine.
Have a great Christmas.
Thank you. We don't deserve you.
Merry Christmas.
- Merry Christmas.
- Come on, buddy.
Let's see how fast
those shoes can go.
- Okay.
- No, no, this way!
You excited, buddy?
- Yes.
- There he is.
Hey.
My two favorite people.
- Hi, buddy.
- Hi, grandpa.
- How you doing?
- Hi, dad.
- Hi sweetheart.
- Oh, I missed you so much.
I was afraid you weren't gonna
make it.
Finally caught the last train
out, so.
- Big case?
- A very difficult cat client.
They were shocked and appalled
that their sphynx kitten
had wrinkles.
They wanted to take him
for anti-aging treatment.
Oh, boy. I wouldn't last a week
with an owner like that.
Oh, yeah, your clients just
treat their dog's fleas
with sheep dip and think
that corralling barn cats
for their vaccines is part
of your job description.
Try to remember, you loved
being my barn cat whisperer.
- But I'm glad you're here.
- Me too. Oh.
All right, who's hungry?
Starving.
Could we get sushi delivered?
Well, there's really no
delivery around here,
and no sushi, but there is
spaghetti and meatballs at home.
Mom tried to make
meatballs once.
They came out burnt
and raw at the same time.
Yeah, pretty much sums it up.
I cannot believe you made
meatballs.
I am so happy right now.
Well, I still know the way
to my little girl's heart.
Why don't we stop at
the store on the way home
and get some decorations?
And that way after dinner,
you guys can help me
deck the halls.
What happened to all your
Christmas stuff?
This is the first time we've
had Christmas in Vermont
in a while, so I thought
maybe we should get
some new bobbles and bangles,
and a tree.
Well, you know we're here
till the day after Christmas,
so that leaves us plenty
of time for celebrating.
I wanna get the biggest
tree there is!
Grandpa, they ran out of
Christmas decorations.
We sold out of Christmas
decorations weeks ago.
I'm sorry, buddy. I should've
been more on top of this.
Dad, don't worry about it,
we're just happy to be here.
Okay? Milo, did I tell you
about grandpa's meatballs?
They're legendary.
People actually tell tales
about them?
Well, if they don't,
they should.
I bet I can eat six.
Probably.
Mom is always hungry.
Don't I know it.
I was the one responsible
for feeding her
for the first 18 years.
So, let's get you home to dinner
and me home to dinner before
I take a bite out of your arm.
Come on, let's go.
- Thanks, see you.
- Bye.
Don't get it on your school
uniform,
'cause it'll be hard to get out.
Oh, scientists make
potions? Okay.
Are you on Christmas
vacation too, grandpa?
Well, since Dr. Ross retired,
I'm really the only vet
for around 50 miles,
so I don't really get
to take a vacation.
But at least we're lucky tonight
we haven't had any emergency
phone calls.
- Mm-hmm.
- Mm.
Ah.
Well, I guess I spoke too soon.
Dr. Miller.
Yeah. Okay, uh...
Yeah, don't worry, I'll be there
in about a half an hour.
- This is my favorite meal.
- Yeah.
All right, I gotta run.
Why don't you guys get
unpacked, get settled,
I'll be back before you know it.
Where are you going?
Well, the Jacksons have a heifer
that's in labor up at the farm,
so I've gotta go help out.
Are you going too, mom?
Your mom could have done this
when she was 12 years old,
but she's probably a little
out of practice by now.
Probably doesn't even
know which end of the cow
the calf comes out of.
I wouldn't go that far.
Oh, when was the last
time you touched a cow?
It might've been vet school,
but I was great with them.
It's like I'm part Holstein.
Oh, well then, you're telling me
you could get this calf
delivered?
- Sure.
- Good.
That'll give me time
with the big guy here
and we can break out
some Christmas cookies.
And mom can have
some when she comes back.
Right.
Wait, what?
Right behind you is the mudroom
and there's a pair of coveralls
in there.
You should go try them on.
Okay.
Good. This is gonna be really
good for your mom.
She'll get back
in the swing of things.
- They're a little roomy.
- It's okays, sweetheart.
We can take you to the store
tomorrow
and get you suited up.
Meantime, I'll go
take care of this.
- It's probably for the best.
- No, no, no. I'm gonna go.
I'm sure I brought something
with me that'll make do.
Okay, I can do this.
I can do this.
Right?
Nope, I haven't done
this since vet school.
Nope.
I should Google this.
Uh...
Okay.
No, I remember it.
This is easy. This is easy.
Okay, okay.
Ropes.
You have faith in me, right?
I can do this.
I can do this.
There, oh, yeah.
Can I do this?
All right, here we go.
Hey, dad.
Oh, he was the cutest little
bull calf.
I wish you could have seen him.
Of course I tried the ropes.
I was so nervous at first,
but it was so much fun.
Yeah, yeah, I'm gonna, I'm gonna
stop at the store
and then I'll be home, okay?
All right, bye.
I know, I know, you close
in 10 minutes,
but I really have to find
something
to make my dad's house
a little bit more festive.
Just don't spread that mess
around my nice clean shop.
Never.
- Oh! Sorry.
- Whoa there, cowgirl.
I'm just trying to make it home
without a side trip to the ER.
It's just been one of those
days.
I actually kind of
want these too
because does it look like
I've had an easy day?
I guess it's relative.
I started mine at 6:30.
- Six o'clock.
- Yeah.
But I've been going
nonstop ever since then
dealing with every single sore
throat and
sprained ankle you can
imagine in a 20 mile radius.
I've been daydreaming about
these bad boys
ever since my lunch break,
which I worked through.
Probably only something a
doctor would understand.
Well, what do I look like?
I give up.
A doctor.
I'm a doctor too.
I'm an actual doctor.
Like, medical school graduate
type doctor.
- Oh, really?
- Yeah.
- Where'd you go?
- Cornell.
Well, I went to Cornell
Vet School,
which is actually harder
to get into
than Cornell Med School.
And it's in Ithaca,
where it snows
eight months out of the year
and only the strong survive.
Oh, you're Dr. Miller's
daughter?
I am, but you can just call me
Dr. Miller.
Oh, um...
This is a little awkward.
Yeah, you know us vets,
we have a saying.
Real doctors treat more than
- one species.
- Huh.
Just this morning
I was performing surgery
to remove a peach pit from
a Yorkie's small intestine.
Where do you get peaches
in December?
And a newborn Holstein
calf is alive tonight
because of my real doctor
skills with a calf jack.
Okay.
I'll let you win.
You know what, never mind.
You don't need to be a doctor
to know that
that stuff will kill you.
Nice to meet you.
Five days until Christmas!
- Six days until we go home.
- Oh.
- Oh, hey, dad.
- Hi, grandpa.
Wow, I can't get over how
great the place looks.
Yeah, Santa must've sent
over a few elves last night
with a flare for interior
design.
Yeah, I'd say so.
Oh, so I met a friend of yours.
I didn't catch his name,
but he made sure I knew
it started with doctor.
Don't tell me, tall,
dark hair, nice smile,
- kind of a good looking guy?
- He's fine, I guess.
That's Josh Foster.
He's a good egg.
- I'll take your word for it.
- What are we doing today?
Well, the shelter is putting
on an adoption event.
They need some folks to
check out the animals
before they go
to their new homes.
- Hm.
- You up for it, doc?
Oh, sure, as long
as I'm not needed elsewhere,
because you know,
after last night
I am very much in demand
as a cow obstetrician.
Oh, of course, yes.
And Duane Wright just
got a new Clydesdale mare
and they need to have
a wellness check,
so I will go take care of that.
I've never seen a Clydesdale
except for once in a commercial.
Well, go get dressed
and you're gonna be
my assistant today.
Ooh, that sounds fun, buddy.
- What a great kid.
- He's the sweetest.
I guess I'll have to
break in my new
coveralls some other time.
Well, you could stay in
town a little longer, do some
more farm calls, and you'll get
those duds broken in.
I wish I could, but you know
I have to be back by the 26th,
and even then I'm gonna have
to pull a few overnights
just to get caught up.
Oh, that's a pretty
challenging life
you've set up for yourself.
You know, you might
think about moving back.
- To Vermont?
- Yeah.
There's plenty of room
for you and Milo, and...
Dad, we're doing fine.
Nobody's denying that.
I'm thinking about retiring,
and this job was tough
when I was your age,
but I ain't getting any younger.
Well, you definitely need
to hire a new associate vet.
Or you could stay on and help
and eventually take over
the practice.
I don't know, dad.
You know there's no one
I'd rather work with,
but Milo and I are New
Yorkers now, it's our home.
Yeah, I just...
You know, I've always had it
in my head that
you and I would work
side by side one day.
I just think it's wrong
that there are so many miles
between us.
Why don't you move in with us
in New York?
You could work in my practice
part time if you want.
Oh, honey, that's so sweet.
I'm probably getting
to be a little too old
to pull up my roots.
Hey, guys.
How are you?
Oh, you found a new friend.
Oh, look at this baby.
So cute.
Daddy, I want this one.
Good treat there.
Hi.
Hi, what's your name?
Oh, hi Banjo.
How's it going?
How's it going?
Don't let them get you down,
Banjo.
You're a VIP too.
See?
Camera loves you.
- Yeah.
- Hi.
- You're looking much cleaner.
- Hi.
Uh, thanks.
I'm Josh Foster, by the way.
Scarlet Miller.
Who's this big guy?
This is Banjo.
Hey, Banjo.
I can't believe he
hasn't been adopted yet.
I guess no one thought he'd
be as much fun as a puppy.
Yeah, don't you hate it when
people make snap judgements?
Well, it was a pleasure to
see you again, Dr. Miller.
You too, Dr. Foster.
- Hi, Dr. Foster.
- Hey.
- How are you?
- Good.
- Who is this?
- This is Tots the corgi.
Oh, Tot.
Well, it was good to see you
again. Stay well.
You too.
Do you want
to see one of the dogs
- I saw at the adoption event?
- Yes!
His name is Banjo and no one
was paying attention to him
even though he's like the
sweetest boy.
Can we adopt him?
Honey, you know we can't.
But what if nobody else does
either?
Oh, don't worry, Ace,
he'll find his person.
Christmas makes things
like that happen.
Yeah, thanks for making dinner,
dad.
I could get used to this.
I wish you would.
- Mm.
- Dr. Miller. Yeah.
How long?
Is it getting worse or better?
My daughter?
Yes, she is visiting.
Yeah, Cornell Vet
School, top of her class.
Oh, I don't know if I should
send her over on a house call.
She may be a little out of
her depth.
- What?
- Yeah, I know, city vets,
they all need a staff of 10
and a surgical suite to clip
a toenail.
That's not true.
Well, now she's being stubborn.
I think she's insisting.
Okay.
Well, yeah.
I'll send her right over.
All right, I guess
I'll go get my coveralls.
Oh no, you won't need those.
This is a dog that was adopted
from the shelter event today.
As of a couple hours
ago all of those animals
were as healthy as
little horses.
Yeah. Just run down to Josh
Foster's and check it out.
- Josh Foster's?
- Yeah.
I didn't know he was in
the market for a dog,
but apparently he
picked one out.
Well, there was a litter
of golden retriever pups.
I guess he snagged one of those.
Well, couldn't you just
take him up to
the 24 hour clinic in
Burlington?
Oh, I wouldn't wish that on
my worst enemy
on a night like this on a
highway in freezing rain.
Oh, but your daughter,
that's another story?
Come on, Josh is just down
the hill,
and the van has nice new tires,
and you're a Vermont girl.
Okay, fine.
I'll go.
And don't worry about us.
We'll be fine.
I won't do anything crazy
with him.
We won't stick marshmallows
on a candy cane
and stir our hot chocolate
with it.
Yeah, we definitely
won't do that.
What?
It's just tinted lip balm.
It's cold outside.
- Oh, yeah.
- Oh, my gosh.
Good luck.
- I'll see you later.
- Okay.
Be careful.
Tinted lip balm.
Come on, Scarlet,
it's just a little freezing
rain.
You used to do this all the
time.
Okay.
No, no.
Ugh, this would not be happening
if you were back in New York
where people actually
bring their animals to you.
Well, now there's a concept.
Yes, Jade.
Okay, good night.
No, no, no.
I'm on the edge of my seat,
I promise.
Yes, I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Okay.
All right, bye.
Um, Dr. Miller,
thank you for coming.
Hi.
Sorry, please come in, come in.
So when I brought him home,
he was great actually,
and then I went upstairs
and I worked on the computer,
and when I came down and he was
like this.
Banjo?
Well, yeah. I wasn't really
looking for a dog,
but there's just something
about him.
Well, Christmas has a way
of making things like
that happen.
Let's see what's going on.
How you doing?
Good boy, good boy.
Well, he's a little dehydrated.
Come here.
Good boy.
Good boy.
Heart and lungs sound fine.
A couple of minutes ago
it was crazy high, like 130.
Well, that's normal
if you're a dog.
Oh, belly's a little tender.
I have been hearing
a lot about parvo.
We mostly see parvo in
young dogs and puppies.
No offense, sweetheart.
Aw.
If you don't mind, I'd
like to take a look around,
see if he left us some clues.
Yeah, knock yourself out.
Wow, what's all this?
Okay, please pardon the mess.
Uh, this is a Buche de Noel,
a Yule Log Cake.
At least, it will be.
Um...
Yeah, I thought I'd try my
hand at it, surprise the staff.
I am not done yet,
so go easy.
- Mystery solved.
- What is it?
- I did not give that to him.
- Mm-hm.
Well, he got it
and he enjoyed it.
Wow, he ate all of it.
- That is really good.
- Yeah?
- Yeah.
- Does it pass the test?
Mm-hm.
Oh, but his poor belly.
Yeah.
We'll get him fixed up.
So Milo, you know,
I think I've told you
that when your mom was your age,
I used to take her with me
on house calls.
I used to take her with me
to the farms
to take care of the animals
and she learned a lot about
veterinary.
So I was wondering, maybe
you'd like to come along.
Something on your mind, Ace?
I still don't have a
Christmas present for mom.
Can we go to the all night
drug store?
Well, there's not one
of those around here,
but what do you think
she'd like?
Well, you know how crazy
mom is about Christmas.
I want to buy her something
to remind her of Christmas
all the other times of year.
Okay. Well, I'll tell you what,
why don't we finish
our hot chocolate
and then I will help you make
her something for Christmas.
- Mm.
- Mm.
Mm-hm.
I'll give him something
to settle his stomach
and then I'll leave you to get
back to your Buche de Noel.
You can't drive home in this.
It's not far, I'll be fine.
And get up that hill?
No.
Yeah, it was already pretty
slippery on the way down.
Yeah, and if you bang up
your dad's van,
you're gonna be in some serious
grounded for the rest of
senior year kind of trouble.
And there is no way
I'm missing prom.
Seriously, the storm
is gonna blow over
in about an hour or so,
and I just made you
a cup of coffee.
Thank you.
So, just relax and wait it out.
- Cheers.
- Cheers.
That's it.
Don't be afraid of the hammer.
I'll get it lined up for you.
Okay, go ahead.
Good, good.
Good.
All right.
Really, that's great. Okay.
The nail went in kind of
crooked.
Oh, you know what?
That's okay.
It gives it character.
I just want it to be perfect.
Yeah, I know, Milo.
But in my experience,
character trumps perfection
every time.
All right, so let's get to
painting.
You want to use green?
So I'm obviously the worst dog
dad ever.
What? I can't even keep Banjo
out of trouble
for less than a day.
It was an accident.
And you wouldn't believe
the things
I've seen owners do on purpose.
- Like what?
- There was this one lady...
who wanted to straighten her
poodles hair because she wanted
him to match
her daughters
for the Christmas card picture.
You're just trying to make me
feel better.
- It did.
- How did that work out?
Not well, as you can imagine.
And I have had my share of
parental fails.
Sure.
One time a while back,
when I was even later than usual
picking my baby up from
daycare...
What, they had already
cleaned the kennels?
No, not my dog.
My kid, my actual human son.
- Oh, you have a son?
- Yeah.
Are you surprised?
No. I kind of thought of
you as just, you know,
pretty girl in a big
city, hitting the clubs,
breaking all the guys' hearts.
Well, until they start letting
you leave
a little boy at coat check...
What's his name?
Milo.
Milo, like
"The Phantom Tollbooth?"
Yes!
No one ever gets that.
It was my favorite book
as a kid.
Mine too!
Oh, my goodness.
My husband always thought
it was an unusual name,
but he eventually went along
with it.
He knew better than to
argue with a pregnant lady.
Well, he's a smart man.
So, how's he liking Vermont
so far?
Um...
Well, he loved it.
He passed away eight years ago,
just a couple of weeks
before Christmas.
- Milo was two.
- I'm sorry.
That's awful.
Yeah. Yeah, it was bad.
We were fresh out of vet
school, just moved to the city,
and after it happened,
my dad wanted me to move back
to Vermont,
but I just, I couldn't
imagine giving up so easy.
So I just holed up in the
apartment for the first week
and had groceries
and diapers delivered
from the bodega downstairs.
So, eventually I bundled up
the kid
and we took the subway
to Chinatown
where we ate our weight
in dumplings.
And then we walked up
to little Italy
to see the Christmas lights.
And the next day
we took the subway
to see the holiday
windows at Fifth Avenue.
And then pretty soon we
were taking the three train
to the nine like it was nothing.
Well, it couldn't have
been easy then,
and even now.
Yeah, but we've got it down
to a science.
So what about you?
When do you ever get a break?
You know, if you wanted
to go for a run
or on a date or something?
Well, I'll worry
about my cardiovascular health
and my love life once Milo
heads off for college.
But I'm fine.
We're fine.
Ask anyone.
Oh, I will.
It is still coming down
pretty hard.
Do you want to just help me make
some of the cakes
for the veterans home?
You don't have to do
anything, just supervise.
That's more my speed.
Okay.
Here, follow me.
- Is that mom?
- Yes, it is.
- Is this Josie?
- That is Josie the kitty.
You know, your mom used to
decorate the Christmas tree
with kitty toys and kitty
treats.
And by morning, all the
treats would be gone.
- Who's this?
- That's grandma.
- She was pretty.
- She was pretty, yeah.
I think this one got into the
Christmas pictures by accident.
Let's see.
No, you know what?
That was actually Christmas Eve.
I got a call
from the Marris farm
that one of their mares
was colicky.
- What is that?
- Uh...
It's like a really bad
tummy ache.
How did you make her better?
Well, believe it or not,
I put a tube up her nose.
That's crazy!
Yeah, the horse thought so too.
Good thing your mom was with me.
What did she do?
Well, she rubbed the horse's
neck in just the right place
and she sang Christmas carols.
And before you know it, the
horse was all calmed down.
I didn't know mom knew
how to calm down a horse.
Yeah, after we got the horse
calmed down
it was too late to cook,
so we decided to go out
and have a Christmas Eve
ice cream supper.
Let's see, what else?
Oh, wow.
Who's this?
Bet you recognize those three
characters.
It's me and mom and dad!
I wish I could remember
being with him that day.
Or any other day, actually.
Well, you know, your dad,
when he finished building
a snowman,
he built a snow dog
and a snow kitty
and three little
snow guinea pigs.
Mom said the only thing
he loved more than animals
was me and her.
Yeah, that about sums up
your dad.
And your grandpa, too.
So, let's pick a picture
for your mom's frame.
- Okay.
- Yeah, that's a good one.
That's a good one too.
- I think this is the best.
- Okay.
When mom looks at it,
it'll be like
she's with you every day.
Well, you know, if I had you
and your mom
with me all the time,
it would be like Christmas
every day.
Well, I can't tell if it's...
Maybe it's too cold?
It's supposed to be holding
together.
You got me.
I'm not exactly what you
would call a gifted baker.
We order in a lot, especially
on days when I work late,
which is pretty much always.
Ah-ha!
Oh, there you go.
Uh, that's not half bad.
I think it's great that your
kid is able to see his parent,
you know, working hard
doing something they love.
Give me a job.
Give me something to do.
- I wanna help.
- Uh...
This was tough enough,
and you said
you can't bake your way out
of a paper bag. No.
Well, you shouldn't bake
in a paper bag.
It's a fire hazard,
everyone knows that.
Come on, give me
something to do!
Uh...
Okay.
So these, um,
these are white chocolate
with food coloring,
and we basically just have
to decorate the top now.
- Grab a piping bag.
- Okay.
You can do the red berries.
You're right, this
is harder than it looks.
Wow, you're-you're
an artist, too.
How is it that
we never crossed paths
at Coolidge High?
Um...
Probably because I went to
Bronx Science.
- Wait, so that means...
- I'm a New Yorker.
So what brought you here
to Vermont?
So, after my residency,
I joined a two year
program where
you go and you work
in an underserved rural area,
and then they wipe out
your student debt.
I realized I really started
enjoying my life here.
I-I have such an insane
schedule.
I work full time
at the office, and then I spend
another day and
a half at the veterans home.
I just love living here.
Everything from like the air,
to the trees, to the stars.
And then also everyone
here is just so nice.
Just a wild guess,
how many of these nice people
are female?
I guess probably...
Yeah, so the women in
Vermont are very friendly.
Okay, so why did you leave?
Um...
Well, I didn't want to stay
in one place for the rest
of my life.
New York was just so
strange, and hard, and weird
that conquering it made
me feel like a superhero.
I think I fell in love
with that feeling,
and then the city along with it.
Being here with my dad is great,
but New York during
the holidays?
I just remember icy sidewalks
and trying to build a snowman
out of slush
from the fire escape.
And then I would look out
the window
and I would just see tourists
flooding in,
wanting that New York
Christmas experience.
I don't know,
I just didn't get it.
See, that's the thing.
To really enjoy Christmas
in New York,
you have to embrace your
inner tourist.
'Cause then you have ice
skating at Rockefeller Center.
- Okay.
- You have Santa Land at Macy's,
Christmas movies
at Nighthawk Cinema.
We go every year and we watch
"Miracle on 34th Street"
and we eat this huge
tub of parmesan popcorn.
And then you've got the
Nutcracker and the peace tree.
Peace tree?
That's a new one for me.
Oh, it's this huge
Christmas tree
at the Cathedral of St. John
the Divine.
And they string it with a
thousand white origami cranes
that represent dreams come true.
Okay, I'm sorry,
I have to stop you.
Everything you're saying
is great.
You have this thing
on your chin.
- What?
- Can I just...
Can I please get that for you?
- Yes.
- Yeah?
Please.
I'm sorry.
It's so embarrassing.
- Oh.
- What's that?
Uh, the meringues.
They're very temperature
sensitive.
All right, coming in.
- Oh!
- Oh.
Sorry.
Hang on, here. Um...
So they were supposed
to look like mushrooms.
- Look who's made a recovery.
- Oh, Banjo!
Do you want to say thanks
to Dr. Miller?
He can call me Scarlet.
You can call me Scarlet.
All right, well,
if we can call you Scarlet,
can you at least call me Josh?
It'd be nice not to be
Dr. Foster for a night.
Sure.
Well, I guess it looks
like I can, um...
- Get going.
- Yeah.
He's better,
and the weather is...
Yeah.
Oh, hey, can I get
your phone number?
I mean, you know, just in case
Banjo gets in to
any other kind of trouble.
- Sure.
- Yeah?
Hey, do you wanna try
a mushroom?
Oh, sure.
Thank you.
So, here.
It's a little deflated.
- Hey, Scarlet?
- Hmm?
I know what you're saying
about Christmas in New York.
Mm-hmm?
But I really think this
year, Christmas in Vermont,
you won't miss a thing.
Well, we'll see.
You have to, you have to,
you have to chew.
You have to chew?
Are you still at work?
Nope.
But doc, Mr. Smith just
called on the emergency line.
Baby Cat won't eat her
bedtime snack.
He's beside himself.
Gently recommend that he stop
feeding her
half a pound of salmon
for dinner every night
and that should clear
the problem right up.
Oh... Wait a minute,
are you still out?
I just finished up a house call,
actually.
Oh, so that's what the kids
are calling it these days?
The weather was terrible,
so I watched the owner
make a Buche de Noel
while I waited out the storm.
Some nice old lady?
A young man, actually.
I knew it!
I knew it, I knew it!
All right,
that's enough out of you.
Bye!
I'm so happy, grandpa.
I was afraid there wouldn't
be any good trees left
four days before Christmas,
but I'm pretty sure
I found the perfect one.
You sure did.
I can't believe I got to
help with the axe part.
Tell you what, if you can
keep a secret, so can I.
Okay.
What a perfect morning
for a walk.
Oh, what's going on here?
Grandpa didn't put the
ornaments in the shed after all.
We found them while we were
putting away the Christmas...
Yeah, I thought it'd be best
to not have them, you know,
out so that the raccoons could
play bowling with them.
So we went out and found
the perfect Christmas tree
in the woods,
and we've been decorating
it right now.
Oh.
Well, that's not exactly
truth in advertising.
I guess they were fresh out of
Christmas pain in the
butt for dad ornaments.
Oh, wow.
- You found Hazel!
- Who's Hazel?
Well, one winter when
I was about your age,
there was this little rabbit
who used to come visit us
on the back porch.
I named her Hazel.
And I used to leave food out
for her every single day.
What time did you get in
last night?
Oh, around 10:30-ish.
Uh-huh.
Freezing rain was out of
control,
so I had to wait for it to stop.
Is the dog all better?
Actually, it was Banjo.
What was wrong with him?
Well, he had what vets call
a dietary indiscretion.
It means he ate something
he shouldn't have.
Let me guess, French fries?
Chicken wings?
No, he knocked over a bowl
of frosting
and had a little feast.
Oh, so Josh is also a cook?
Oh, are you expecting someone?
No, I don't think so,
but, you know,
it's not unusual in these parts
for a neighbor to come by
to say hi
and just happened to have
a cat with a sore paw.
Hey, Josh.
Hi, Banjo.
Banjo!
Wait, wait.
- Hi.
- Hi.
- You must be Milo.
- Yeah!
Banjo is so amazing.
Banjo is incredible and I
am very lucky he chose me.
- Yeah.
- Do you want to play with him?
Oh, yeah!
When Scarlet was over last
night,
she told me about a tradition
that she and Milo have,
and I got an idea.
Hoping you could help me
with it.
Come on, buddy, I think
you're gonna love this.
Whoa! Is this like our own
private movie theater?
- It most certainly is.
- Wow, this is something.
So, I know it's a little early,
but you can't have a movie
without snacks, right?
- Here.
- Parmesan corn!
Yep. Your mom told me
it was your favorite,
but in my family,
we're all about the candy.
Are you sure you're a doctor?
Knock yourself out,
we're on vacation.
So, is your family coming
up for the holidays, Josh?
Here you are. Um...
No, unfortunately they are
not gonna make it this year.
I've got Banjo.
Isn't that right, boy?
Banjo!
- Oh, come here.
- He's so cute.
- Do you have any pets, Milo?
- Well...
Our life is just too crazy
right now.
Well, maybe it wouldn't be
quite so crazy
if you lived in Vermont.
What, are you thinking
about moving back?
- Not really.
- Maybe.
All right.
Well, let's start this show.
Mom, look,
"Miracle on 34th Street!"
I know. And we thought
we wouldn't
get to see it this year.
That's very sweet.
My pleasure.
This is amazing.
It tastes just like
the Parmesan popcorn
at Nighthawk Cinema.
Thank you.
It's actually a modification
on my mother's top secret
cheddar recipe.
Can you tell me?
I'll guard it with me life.
Okay.
So, you have to mix the
popcorn with the butter
and you have to stir in
an insane amount of grated
cheddar cheese.
Hmm, okay.
And, I mean, that's it.
She does something to make
it taste really fancy...
- Uh, sea salt maybe.
- Mm.
Well, you definitely
inherited your mother's gift.
I can only hope I have
something half as good
to pass down to Milo.
What are you talking about?
He's probably gonna grow up
with this incredible talent
for delivering calves
wearing pink coveralls.
Those pink coveralls
brought me good luck.
I should wear them on all my
farm calls.
Your coveralls are
actually really inspiring.
- Thank you.
- You're welcome.
I was thinking about it,
what are the odds
that we were
at the same general store
in the same aisle at the same
exact time?
And that I also felt the need
to critique your choice
of breakfast cereals.
That was only
after I accidentally
criticized your profession,
which I want to make sure
you know
I have nothing but respect
for vets.
And I have nothing but
respect for frosted cereal.
You wanted them too.
I did.
I did want them.
Santa!
Maybe I didn't do such a
remarkable thing after all.
That was awesome.
Yeah, it gets better
every time, doesn't it?
Chris Kringle would be a
perfect name for kitten.
I wonder if Santa has a vet
on the staff.
Well, yeah, of course he does.
He's gotta make sure those
reindeer
can help him deliver
all those presents.
I wonder if one of the reindeer
had a dietary indiscretion.
Well, if he did,
I'm sure they'd fly back
from the North Pole
so your grandpa
can take care of them.
Maybe even your mom.
It would definitely
be my grandpa.
I feel like a reindeer
would have a hard time
figuring out the subway.
I see. But there are advantages
to living in the boondocks.
There definitely are,
but me and mom are New
Yorkers and it's cool there.
What's the best part?
I like to go see Santa
at Macy's.
Mom's favorite thing is ice
skating at Rockefeller Center.
Oh, are you a good skater?
I'm actually a very good
skater, but my mom is worse.
That is true. That's very true.
In fact, one time she fell
right in the middle
of the skating rink
and couldn't get up,
so she had to slide to
the edge on her butt,
and her jeans got so
wet it looked like she...
Okay, okay, all right, all
right. That's a great story.
I think we can end it right
there.
Well, it sounds like
a lot of fun.
There is great fun to
be had in Vermont, too.
Like a movie in a barn.
They definitely don't have
that at home.
They definitely don't.
Look! A reindeer!
It could have been Santa's.
Yeah, probably getting
ready for that long ride.
Well, I hate that I have
to go to work, you guys.
We could have made this a
double feature, stayed in.
Next time.
What are you doing today?
Um, I don't know.
Speaking of work,
remember Maisy Phillips?
Oh yeah. She had those two
little colts I loved as a kid.
And now it's a little herd
and they're due
for their shots today.
How are you on herd health?
I think I can manage.
Okay then.
Well, looks like I'm
going to work today too.
Off you go.
All right,
Merry Christmas, Maisy.
All right.
Make sure to send me pictures
as soon as Gertie has her foal,
and if she has any
problems, give me a call.
Thank you so much, Scarlet.
- Thank you.
- Merry Christmas.
- Merry Christmas.
- Bye.
Hey.
Can we do tooth whitening
on a dog?
No.
What if she's got an audition
for a national commercial?
Not even if she's accepting
the Nobel Peace Prize.
You would not believe
the state I am in,
and in public no less.
Doc, try me.
Well, I have a crazy idea.
How about you hop on a train,
come up here for a few days,
and then you're back in New York
in time for Christmas dinner?
Radical change of plans,
I like it.
Sometimes a radical
change of plans
is just what the doctor ordered.
I can't wait!
Shelby, no tooth whitening
on the dog, please.
Oh, good. Looks like
you're getting the hang of it.
- Mm-hm.
- That's great.
You know, when your mom
and I first did this,
she was just out of third grade,
and we got out the potatoes,
and got out all the ink
and the ink pads,
and we got ink all over
the place and all over us.
So we ran down
to the old swimming hole,
and splashed around for
awhile, and got all cleaned up.
Wow.
That sounds so cool.
Wouldn't it be awesome
if I can come visit you
for the summer?
Awesome doesn't begin to
describe it.
Who is the greatest sheep
vaccinator
in all of New England?
Dr. Miller.
Well, you're right,
I am pretty good,
but you're coming right along.
Ha-ha, so funny.
What's going on here?
Potato stamping.
The presents were too brown.
They needed a little zhuzh.
Oh, what a great idea.
Oh, dad, do you mind if David
comes up for a few days?
Of course not.
The more the merrier.
Oh, man, these are so much
neater
than the ones
that we used to make.
We used an 11 scalpel,
and that really did the trick.
Wait, you let a 10 year old
use a scalpel?
Grandpa held the bottom
and I held the top.
Yeah, give me a little credit,
honey.
After all, you survived
all the way to adulthood
under my watch.
That's so nice.
- What's that?
- It's Josh.
He's inviting us all to go
see "The Nutcracker" with him
tomorrow afternoon at the
community barn.
I made an appointment
with the Davis farm
for two o'clock.
Do I have to go?
Well I love ballet,
especially "The Nutcracker."
Do you remember when we went
last year
and the tree got so big,
like magic?
That was fun, right?
That was one minute
in like 10 hours.
Sometimes you have to try things
a few times before you know
you really like them,
and it was very nice of
Dr. Foster to invite us,
so we're gonna go and we're
gonna have a good time
and keep an open mind.
And we're gonna be thankful
that we have such
a thoughtful friend.
Doesn't it usually take
more than a few days
to make friends with someone?
Sometimes you just
have a feeling.
It's three days
before Christmas,
don't we have other things
we need to do?
I'm sorry to say it, buddy,
but I think we're all caught up.
- Hi.
- Hi.
I'm really happy you guys
made it.
Me too.
Thanks for inviting us.
It was very nice of you.
I'll keep an open mind.
I know you're probably used to
the New York City
Ballet's "Nutcracker," but this,
I think, will
be a little more fun...
- Especially for Milo.
- Ooh.
Any children who would
like to be in the show,
please come sign up.
- Yes.
- What's this?
This is the best part.
- Hi, Dr. Foster.
- Hi.
Oh, any child in the
audience can be in the show.
We have lots of parts
to pick from.
That sounds fun, Milo.
What do you say?
We have spots open for guests
at the fancy Christmas party?
No?
Snowflakes?
- Uh, candy canes?
- Un-unh.
The Mouse King's soldiers?
- That could be okay.
- Yeah.
We have one spot left,
but you have to be
really scary though.
Can I see your
most terrifying face?
Arrr!
Very impressive.
You're hired.
Just go right on in there
to get set up
with some ears and cheese.
Vivian sweetie,
go take him to the
dressing room, okay?
And now you guys get to
have a real child-free date.
Enjoy.
- Oh.
- Oh.
We're not actually on a...
They also have hot chocolate.
- Oh.
- Hi, come on in.
Come have your seats.
Hi, come on in.
Hello.
We're about to start the show.
Come have a seat.
- Hi.
- Hi. Good to see you.
Hi. Come have a seat.
If everyone could please have
their seats.
Good evening, everyone.
Welcome.
Thank you all so much
for being here tonight.
We're so excited.
So sit back, relax,
and enjoy our production
of "The Nutcracker."
Places!
Throw the cheese.
Do you see him?
I've never seen him have so much
fun. That was incredible.
Yeah, he was throwing
that cheese
like he was in the major
league, it was amazing.
It was so cute.
It was fun.
Actually, can you excuse
me just for a minute?
Oh, yeah, sure.
Mom, did you see me?
There's my favorite
little rodent.
You were awesome, buddy.
And you were too.
That's Vivian.
She's shy.
She only talks to people
she knows.
Well, she doesn't know you
that well either, does she?
We were mouse soldiers together,
so we're pretty much best
friends.
Well, that's great.
That was fast.
Sometimes you just have
a feeling, you know,
like you said about Josh.
All I said was that I have
friendly feelings for doctor,
uh, Josh, like you and Vanessa.
Vivian.
I love her and she loves me.
I actually never said anything
about love.
Okay.
Let's take a selfie.
Milo, get in here with mom.
Here. All right, everyone ready?
You got to do something really
ferocious.
- Rawr.
- Rawr!
Uh, we should go.
Yeah.
Vivian?
There you are, cupcake.
You did such a good job.
That's so nice.
And you were a great mouse too.
Thank you.
So was Vivian.
I'm Scarlet, by the way.
- Scarlet Miller?
- Yeah.
I'm Alice Barstow.
We were in advanced biology
together senior year.
- You remember Mr. Hayden?
- Yes.
He used to tell the rest of
us that we should
all aspire to be more like you.
That is mortifying,
but it's really good to see you.
I had no idea we were
neighbors again.
We should get the kids together
for a play date sometime.
That is, if you guys
aren't too busy
getting ready for Christmas.
Milo and I don't actually
live here,
and Josh and I,
we're not together.
I mean, we're physically
standing
- here together, but...
- Right.
Just to clarify,
we're just friends.
Got it.
You're being so weird, mom.
I heard a crazy rumor
that Santa might be
coming into town tomorrow.
That actually sounds perfect.
My friend David is coming
in town from New York,
but he doesn't get in
until late.
David is definitely not just
your friend.
Oh, okay. We're gonna, um,
we're gonna get out of here
It was so good to see you.
Thank you so much.
- It was my pleasure.
- Bye.
- Bye.
- See you.
Hi, my name is Scarlet Miller.
I'm here to see Dr. Foster.
You must be Dr. Miller's
daughter.
That's me.
I remember you when
you were little.
How you used to always love to
come with him on his
house calls.
By the time I was eight,
I figured
I was pretty
much a doctor myself,
and I was ready to go
to work as his partner.
I know he'd love it if you did.
Go ahead and take a seat
and I'll call Dr. Foster.
Okay, awesome.
Thank you so much.
And I'm gonna take the children
and we're gonna go
find some candy.
Okay.
So we just need to make sure
that you're keeping up
with your exercises,
and of course the glucosamine.
Okay.
I surely will, doc.
And you make sure you and your
family
have a nice Christmas,
all right?
And don't let your wife
do too much work.
Oh, that won't be happening.
I'm not married.
You got a girlfriend?
No, not at the moment.
Oh, doc, you better get on that.
It's really not that hard.
You a smart doctor.
You need a smart, nice girl.
Hi, Josh.
- Scarlet.
- Ooh, she'd do just fine.
- I'll do what just fine?
- Uh, nothing.
You know, it's really
not good to be alone,
and she look like a nice
church girl,
- come from a good home.
- Thank you.
- Thank you very much.
- And she cute.
- Merry Christmas.
- Merry Christmas.
Mrs. Bix, thank you.
That's Mrs. Bix.
She's one of our patients.
Um, she's a character.
Yeah.
Sorry, I wasn't
expecting you so early.
Santa's not here yet.
I have to run into my office
and get him.
- Okay.
- Wink, wink.
- This one's cool.
- Yeah.
Ho, ho, ho, ho!
Merry Christmas!
Ho, ho, ho.
Hey, Santa, Vivian said you
look very much like Josh.
Hm. Well, I'll let you in on
a little secret.
It is me!
It's Josh.
Now, Santa was very busy today,
so because I'm such good
friends with him,
he asked if I would stand in
for him.
But unfortunately,
the elves that he sent
seem to have disappeared,
and all they left behind
are their hats.
Now, would you two be
willing to stand in
and be my elves for the day?
Definitely.
But Vivian wanted to point out
that those hats still have
the price tags attached.
What? What?
Uh, those elves can be
so tacky sometimes.
There. Now, I'm gonna need
your help
to pass these cookies out.
Vivian also wanted to
know if we could eat it.
Of course.
What time did the last batch
come out?
Uh, 11:15.
I swear I haven't felt
this out of my depth
since organic chemistry.
I actually kinda
liked organic chem.
Of course you did.
All right everyone,
gather around.
- Are you ready?
- Yes.
We're gonna make this
the best Christmas ever.
- Yes.
- Hands in.
Elf power on three.
One, two, three.
Elf power!
Ho, ho, ho, ho!
Merry Christmas!
Ho, ho, ho, ho!
You're just in time.
Ooh
We wish you
a Merry Christmas
We wish you
a Merry Christmas
We wish you
a Merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas to you
Thank you.
- Thank you, Santa.
- Thank you.
Ooh!
Hi darling, how are you?
Please excuse me.
I was wondering if maybe
you had some plans?
- What? What?
- Oh.
Sorry. Sorry.
Uh, I was wondering if maybe
you could sneak away
for a little bit tomorrow night.
Well, that's very sweet,
but I know if I keep Milo
out late on Christmas Eve
he'll never get to sleep.
Oh. Uh...
I-I mean just you,
maybe after you put Milo to bed.
Well, yeah, my dad could
watch him, so that would be...
That'd be great.
Scarlet!
Oh, my friend David
just got into town.
- Hi.
- Hi.
- Oh, my goodness.
- I missed you.
I missed you too.
- Hi, I'm David.
- I'm Santa.
Josh. Um...
Well, you look great.
Hi, kids.
Let's go, come on.
Thank you again for today.
The kids loved it.
I did too.
It was a million times better
than going to
see Santa in New York.
At Macy's you never
get to be an elf.
Could we come here the
next time we're in Vermont?
I'm sure that we could work
something out.
So, how's 8:30, the pine woods
trail head?
Sounds perfect.
Vivian?
Hey, sweetie.
Come here.
Hi, Scarlet.
Hi.
Hi, Santa.
Ho, ho, ho, ho.
Thank you so much
for inviting Vivian today.
She was a fantastic elf.
Oh, Abigail can't wait to
see you tonight.
She said to come hungry because
she got way too much steak.
Oh, I'll take steak over
milk and cookies any day.
Now, come on my elves,
We have gifts to pass out.
Ho, ho, ho.
"Too much steak."
Oh, Abigail has such a crush
on him.
Well, kind of like every
other woman in this town.
Can you believe that she
would pass on a message
from his hot date just
like right in front of me?
Does she know you're into him?
I am not into him,
but she should know
that it's inappropriate
to talk about that sort of
thing while he's working.
And plus he's got this like
whole Casanova thing going on.
- Hey, doc?
- What?
The two of you are crazy
about each other.
- I saw it with my own eyes.
- That is so not true.
Even if it was,
it doesn't even matter
because we live like 300
miles away from each other.
What do you always tell me
when we have 20 appointments
to fit into 15 appointment
slots?
- I tell you to make it work.
- Scarlet.
Make it work.
I thought most Christmas Eve
surprises
happened in front of
a roaring fire,
or underneath
the Christmas tree,
not in the dark woods
in the middle of the night.
It's 8:35 p.m.
And I'm pretty sure you know
your way around these woods.
Yeah. Me and my friends actually
used to have a fort
right here between
these three trees
in front of these princess
pines.
- Princess pines?
- Yeah.
Princess pines.
Oh, because they're small
and cute.
When I was little,
I used to come out here
and, uh, my friends and I,
we would decorate all these
princess pines for Christmas.
We would imagine all the
birds and mice and chipmunks
just gathering around and
opening their presents,
and singing carols.
That actually sounds like
a lot of fun.
It was.
You know, New York has
so much to offer,
but I have to admit
that I do get a little sad
knowing that Milo won't grow up
playing in the woods like I did.
Well, who knows.
Life is full of surprises.
And I'm gonna be taking you
someplace
that I think will cheer you up.
Where are we going?
You'll see.
You ready?
Welcome to Rockefeller Center.
Wow, this is...
It-it's beautiful.
What is all this?
Well, they decorate it
for the winter festival.
I might yield a little
influence in this town,
so I made a couple calls.
You wanna go skating?
I-I would love to, but I...
Don't even worry about it,
I got you covered.
Here, have a seat.
Oh, thank you, but those
are not gonna fit me.
I have tiny Cinderella feet.
- No, this is mine.
- Oh.
These are for your little
Cinderella feet.
- Weren't these heavy?
- Uh...
Yeah, I thought I was
gonna keel over back there.
- I have to tell you...
- I have to warn you,
I'm actually really bad
at skating.
Me too.
The truth is, once I outgrew
decorating Christmas trees
for woodland creatures,
I started to spend all
my time in the library.
Of course you did.
All I wanted
was to get into college
and out of Vermont.
And by my 18th birthday,
I was gone.
You didn't miss it?
Of course I did.
I mean, leaving my dad was like,
I don't know, like
leaving my heart behind.
But I knew if I stayed
I would never get a
chance to come into my own
or even figure out
what that meant.
You seem to have done
pretty well for yourself.
I think so.
And New York was the
perfect place to do it.
Shall we?
Okay.
Go ahead.
- Oh.
- I'm okay. I'm good.
- Are you okay?
- Yeah.
Just got to get my ring legs.
Oh, my goodness.
It sounds like we had pretty
similar high school experiences,
except I couldn't wait to
leave New York.
- Why is that?
- Uh...
I mean, don't get me
wrong, I love my family,
I just wanted a different life.
And then I got here and now
I can't imagine leaving.
I never imagined air
could be this good.
It even tastes good.
- I think you're right.
- We're good.
All right, I'll admit it,
this is better than
Rockefeller Center.
Right?
I am victorious!
And to be honest,
I would spend most of my
time over there on the edges
just holding on for dear life.
Well yeah, only because
those little seven-year-olds
with the skating outfits
are in the center
doing triple axles.
Right? Making me wonder
just how I've managed
to accomplish so little
with my life.
Well, 'cause let's face it,
you do nothing but lie
around and cure sickness
and raise a child.
Yeah. Let's see one of those
little smarty pants
try to vaccinate a ram.
That's not bad.
I... I can't.
I can't do this.
Uh... what? But why?
No judgment, and you should live
your life however you want,
but I can't be just another
girl in your fan club.
Another woman?
Scarlet, what are you...
I'm sorry, what are you
talking about?
You cannot be so naive
to think that
you don't have every woman
in this town
wrapped around your little
finger.
I'm the only doctor in town.
All these women,
they're my patients,
but you are not.
I feel like we fit
really well together
and I would hate for us to
walk away from that feeling.
I think we should figure it out.
Long distance is so hard.
So what if it wasn't long
distance?
You and Milo could move back.
That's your solution?
I mean, yeah.
Yeah.
It would be, it would be
absolutely perfect.
Your dad has plenty of room.
He and I can help with Milo.
And I know you love taking
care of all the sheep...
You know what? I-I have been
making my own decisions
- for a long time now, Josh.
- I know.
And I don't see any reason
to stop now.
You know, eight years ago,
Milo and I decided to make
a go of it in New York,
and I built a business
and a life that I am proud of.
And you just expect me
to just give that all up
because you have a good
feeling about us?
We've known each other
for five days.
Scarlet, Scarlet, hang on.
Scarlet, that's not what
I'm saying.
I-I swear just when I look at
you and Milo,
really you both
look so happy here.
I am not a damsel
in distress, Josh.
And Milo and I,
we don't need saving.
I'm sorry.
I have never met anyone
like you before,
and I-I probably
never will again,
but I am not ready to
give up my entire life
based on a feeling.
Phoebe was just getting a
little too rambunctious, huh?
I think she fell off a stump
and really scraped her leg.
Oh. That's interesting,
she climbed up on a stump.
- Hey.
- Hi, dad.
- Hi, honey.
- Hi, Suzanne.
It's really good to see you.
It's been a long time.
Sophie here cut her leg,
so I just want to clean it up
and put a few stitches.
Okay. You want me to grab
the chlorhex?
- Yeah.
- Okay.
What was Josh's big surprise?
Roller skating.
Well, that sounds like fun.
It was okay.
- All right, here we go.
- Okay.
Get you all set up here.
Okay, so I wanna do a ring block
so she doesn't feel the sutures.
Okay. You should probably give
her some Vanamine too.
I already did.
See? Great minds think alike.
I'll place the block.
- Ready?
- All right, here we go.
- You're doing great.
- Well, I learned from the best.
Why don't you grab
the suture too?
All right.
Good girl.
There you go, sweetie.
Yeah.
All right.
- All right, I think that's good.
- There we go. You okay?
- That should do it.
- Perfect, okay.
There we go.
All right Suzanne, so she'll
be okay in a few days.
Just try and keep her off of
that hoof.
Thanks, doc and doc.
Yeah, thanks for your help, doc.
Yeah, it was fun.
It is fun working together,
isn't it?
It is.
I'm gonna upstairs
and check on Milo.
All right, I'll clean up.
All right.
Thanks, dad.
All right, sweetie.
Is it Christmas yet?
Not quite, sweetie.
I'm so happy because
it's almost Christmas,
but I'm also sad because after
Christmas we have to go home.
I wish we could stay
here forever.
Well, it's always hard when
vacation comes to an end.
I liked the vacation parts,
but I liked the other parts
even better,
like Josh, Vivian, grandpa,
and Banjo.
They're here when it's not
even vacation.
But if we stayed here
in Vermont,
wouldn't you miss being
a New Yorker?
We'd still be us,
just in Vermont.
Is Josh going to come
for Christmas tomorrow?
I really like Josh.
Me too.
Well, he's out like a light.
He's such a great kid.
And he's having a blast.
Yeah.
Well?
Date didn't go as planned maybe?
I don't know, dad. Josh asked me
to stay here in Vermont.
And what do you think?
I just can't imagine
moving backwards.
I don't think moving
back to Vermont
would be like moving back
in time.
I mean, look at all
you've gained.
Your character, and know how,
and silly pastel overalls.
Those are yours to keep.
Look how you handled
that goat today. So confident.
Thanks, dad.
I will always love New York
for showing me how strong I am,
but I see how much Milo
loves it here in Vermont
and how great it is
to sit down to dinner
with the two of you every night,
and how much fun it is
to deliver a baby calf
and walk around with an
old school doctor's bag.
Oh, yeah, there's that.
I see how life could be
less of a sprint.
How I'd have a lot more
time to stop and smell the...
Roses.
Princess pines.
Stop and smell
the princess pines.
I'm just not used to needing
anything from anyone.
Well, I know a little bit
about that.
When you were a baby
and your mom had passed,
I was hell bent against
letting the townspeople
come to my rescue,
so I learned to change
a diaper with the best of them,
wrestle you into your coveralls,
and then later on
make potatoes stamps.
And I wouldn't trade any
of that for one minute.
But the whole time I thought
I had something to prove,
and I didn't.
People want to help,
and it's no surrender
to let them.
Raising a kid on your own
is hard,
even for pros like us.
What do you want?
I just can't believe that
Josh would ask me to give up
everything I've worked
so hard for.
You know, nobody's perfect.
You don't get to be my age
without being able to
pick up a few things
from across the room.
What, like a tooth root
infection
or a ruptured cruciate ligament?
Love, sweetheart.
Love.
Josh likes you a whole lot.
And he just wants to
get to know you better
without there being 300 miles
between you.
Well, people can't always
get what they wish for.
Well, you know,
it's Christmas time.
And sometimes,
if you wish hard enough,
miracles can come true.
Thanks, dad.
Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas, sweetheart.
Oh what fun it is to ride
in a one horse open slay
Jingle bells
Good morning.
You're up early.
Yeah, I've been doing some
thinking, and I wanted to see
if you'll watch Milo for me
this morning.
- Of course.
- Okay.
Wait, wait, wait.
What's the big hurry?
I have a few Christmas
miracles to attend to.
Jingle bells,
jingle bells
Jingle all the way
- Hi.
- Hi.
I-I came over early
to look for you.
I actually went
looking for you too.
- I'm sorry, I overreacted.
- No, it's okay. I-I'm sorry.
I should've never made you feel
uncomfortable or overstepped.
I just needed to figure a
few things out for myself.
This is beautiful.
Wow.
I-I remember
all the paper cranes
on the tree at the Cathedral
of St. John the Divine,
how they represent dreams
coming true, and
I want all your dreams
to come true, Scarlet.
That's, that's all I want
for you.
How did you make all these?
Oh, I, I might have poured
my heart out
to Mrs. Bix, and she rallied
the troops
and everyone pulled through.
And then I got here and your
dad's truck wasn't here,
and then I was worried
that you had left.
- No.
- I should've never acted like
Vermont was the only place it
could happen,
or that it's the only
place that we could happen.
- Vermont is your home.
- I want you to be my home.
I want to be yours.
I know we haven't known
each other for very long,
but sometimes you just
have a feeling.
Was that a meow?
When I went to your house
and you weren't there,
I had to go pick up
something for Milo.
But I thought you said
a meow wouldn't work
with your life in New York?
Why don't you come on inside?
- Can I help you with that?
- Please.
- All right, a snake.
- This guy's for you.
How does that feel?
- Heavy?
- Furry.
Furry!
- Merry Christmas!
- Hey!
- Hey, Josh, Merry Christmas.
- Mom.
Can we open presents now?
Yes, we can.
- Merry Christmas.
- Uh-oh. Uh-oh.
- All right, come on.
- Okay, let's get in here.
- I got a snake.
- Wow, look at this thing.
- That's amazing. Wow.
- And I also got dinosaurs.
And you also have one more
very special surprise.
I think you should open it
right away.
No way!
He's seriously mine?
He seriously is.
But I thought you said
our crazy New York life
wouldn't work for a kitten?
That's true.
But I think a kitten
would be very happy
with our new Vermont life.
What are you talking about?
Yeah, you're gonna have to
expand on that.
I will always love New York
for showing me I can do
anything I want,
but what I want has changed.
What I want is to come home.
I can't wait to tell Vivian!
Let's go call her right now,
okay?
We can show your new
friend around the house.
Surprise.
Uh, wow.
Mm-hm.
What do you think?
Well, I think now that I've
gotten to know your family,
I guess it's time for you
to meet mine.
I would love that.
Next time they're in Vermont
we should have them
over for dinner.
Well, I was thinking we could
go visit them
next weekend for New Years.
Oh. Where is it?
Uh, it's a small little get
together, Time Square.
Yeah, I think I've heard of it.
Yeah?
So you're in?
- I'm in.
- For New Years?
For all of it.
- Kiss him!
- Kiss him!
Kiss him!
Easy going on a slay ride
to somewhere far away
Easy knowing you're out
here on such a winters day
When it's late
and we're tired
We can stay close to
keep us warm
And we'll wait till
the snow piles higher
And together we can weather
the storm
Holiday dreaming
here with you
Holiday dreams
are coming true
Holiday dreaming here
with you, oh
Holiday dreams
are coming true
We'll make snowmen and
angels on the ground all day
While winds keep blowing
They'll be carrying our cares
far away
Sat at night by the fire
We can dream like
we never have before
When the lights all expire
We'll be cozy
close together evermore
Holiday dreaming
here with you
Holiday dreams
are coming true
Hanging lights around
the tree
To make it glow so bright
A in't nowhere I'd rather be
Than right here
with you all night
Holiday dreaming
with my baby
When it's late
and we're tired
We can stay close
to keep us warm
And we'll wait till
the snow piles higher
And together we can weather
the storm
Holiday dreaming
here with you
Are you ready to fall
in love this Christmas
Under the mistletoe
Is a kiss on the top of your
wish list
Well, I know a girl
you should know
If you're ready to fall
in love this Christmas
So, we will see Kona
back in two weeks
- for a teeth cleaning, okay?
- Okay.
Thank you so much
and Merry Christmas.
Thank you, you too.
Scarlet, Scarlet!
Mrs. Hoffman had to leave
for a very important meeting,
but she asked me to tell you
that Hamlet's cough
hasn't gotten any better.
She'd like to refer him
for a CT scan.
Do you need a CT scan, Hamlet?
I don't think so either.
Has she been giving him
his antibiotic?
The night nurse decided it
wasn't working.
The night nurse?
Mrs. Hoffman's job is very
demanding.
She needs her sleep.
Did she mentioned if she was
giving him anything else?
He's looking very colorful.
Uh, yeah, that's from
the turmeric.
Okay, we need to remind
Mrs. Hoffman
that if Hamlet doesn't
get over his kennel cough
he's not gonna be able to go to
Switzerland with her
for Christmas.
I'll let Fabiana know right now.
Oh, Mrs. Hoffman
also wanted to know
if she could do something,
anything
that could get his muzzle
back to normal.
Give her a bottle of that
oatmeal shampoo.
If it doesn't work,
just tell her to lean into it.
Buy Hamlet a turmeric
yellow jacket and booties.
Everyone in St. Moritz
will be dying to know
who does his highlights.
You, my dear, are a genius.
A genius whose train
leaves in 90 minutes.
Justin, can you take over
please?
Wait a minute.
Uptown Animal Clinic,
David speaking.
Oui? Oui!
Oui. Doc!
Mr. Lefarge is on the phone.
Can you take a message?
It's an emergency,
but from what I can
understand, they're
about to take off
for Paris and Mr. Lefarge
forgot to bring Bardot's
health certificate.
I failed ninth grade French,
so we're at kind of an impasse.
I'll take that.
Uptown Animal Clinic.
Oh, hi Virginia.
Doc, Milo's angel of an after
school teacher is on the line.
Virginia, I'm so sorry.
I'm on my way, okay?
- Bye!
- She's on her way.
Merry Christmas.
Hi, Riley.
Hi pretty girl.
Merry Christmas.
And that's your gift,
a week of vacation.
I didn't think you had it
in you.
I feel like since you've
opened the practice
you've taken off, what,
four days in a row?
Three. But the vet that worked
with my dad just retired
and she always covered
Christmas,
so we're doing it in Vermont
this year.
I thought Christmas
in New York was kind of
your family's thing.
Well, who knows?
Maybe you'll find your dream
guy nestled in a snow drift.
Well, the whole point
of this trip is
to spend time with my dad,
not troll for babes.
You've always been good
at multitasking,
but maybe not at that
particular task.
The only man in my life
is 10 years old,
and I don't see that
changing anytime soon.
So call me if you need
me literally any time.
Hang on. I forgot the most
important thing,
a Christmas hug.
- Be good, stay safe.
- Okay, take care.
Bye.
Okay, let's get back
to business.
- Oh...
- Hello.
It's really coming down
out there.
Hi, my name is Scarlet Miller.
I'm here to pick up an order.
Sure,
let me get that right for you.
Oh, my goodness,
I cannot believe
you have manchego back in stock.
- Yeah, just got them back.
- Can I get a quarter pound?
And one of these Brie,
this goat cheese.
We have a very long
train ride ahead of us.
No judgment.
- These are so beautiful.
- Yay, I'm glad you like them.
Thank you so much.
Nothing like a New York
Christmas, right?
Thanks for coming.
Merry Christmas.
Thank you, Merry Christmas.
Down the road ran
the gingerbread man
with the horse and the cow.
- Ran and ran until he came to...
- I'm here.
- I'm so sorry I'm late.
- No, it's okay.
Milo was telling me you
have big Christmas plans.
Do we have to go to Vermont?
Can't grandpa just come here?
Yes, we do.
And no, he can't.
But all my friends
are in New York.
It's gonna be great,
unless we miss our train,
which leaves in a few minutes,
so we gotta go, buddy. Oh.
This is for you.
Thank you so much
for putting up with
Milo's punctuality
challenged mother.
Oh, it's fine.
Have a great Christmas.
Thank you. We don't deserve you.
Merry Christmas.
- Merry Christmas.
- Come on, buddy.
Let's see how fast
those shoes can go.
- Okay.
- No, no, this way!
You excited, buddy?
- Yes.
- There he is.
Hey.
My two favorite people.
- Hi, buddy.
- Hi, grandpa.
- How you doing?
- Hi, dad.
- Hi sweetheart.
- Oh, I missed you so much.
I was afraid you weren't gonna
make it.
Finally caught the last train
out, so.
- Big case?
- A very difficult cat client.
They were shocked and appalled
that their sphynx kitten
had wrinkles.
They wanted to take him
for anti-aging treatment.
Oh, boy. I wouldn't last a week
with an owner like that.
Oh, yeah, your clients just
treat their dog's fleas
with sheep dip and think
that corralling barn cats
for their vaccines is part
of your job description.
Try to remember, you loved
being my barn cat whisperer.
- But I'm glad you're here.
- Me too. Oh.
All right, who's hungry?
Starving.
Could we get sushi delivered?
Well, there's really no
delivery around here,
and no sushi, but there is
spaghetti and meatballs at home.
Mom tried to make
meatballs once.
They came out burnt
and raw at the same time.
Yeah, pretty much sums it up.
I cannot believe you made
meatballs.
I am so happy right now.
Well, I still know the way
to my little girl's heart.
Why don't we stop at
the store on the way home
and get some decorations?
And that way after dinner,
you guys can help me
deck the halls.
What happened to all your
Christmas stuff?
This is the first time we've
had Christmas in Vermont
in a while, so I thought
maybe we should get
some new bobbles and bangles,
and a tree.
Well, you know we're here
till the day after Christmas,
so that leaves us plenty
of time for celebrating.
I wanna get the biggest
tree there is!
Grandpa, they ran out of
Christmas decorations.
We sold out of Christmas
decorations weeks ago.
I'm sorry, buddy. I should've
been more on top of this.
Dad, don't worry about it,
we're just happy to be here.
Okay? Milo, did I tell you
about grandpa's meatballs?
They're legendary.
People actually tell tales
about them?
Well, if they don't,
they should.
I bet I can eat six.
Probably.
Mom is always hungry.
Don't I know it.
I was the one responsible
for feeding her
for the first 18 years.
So, let's get you home to dinner
and me home to dinner before
I take a bite out of your arm.
Come on, let's go.
- Thanks, see you.
- Bye.
Don't get it on your school
uniform,
'cause it'll be hard to get out.
Oh, scientists make
potions? Okay.
Are you on Christmas
vacation too, grandpa?
Well, since Dr. Ross retired,
I'm really the only vet
for around 50 miles,
so I don't really get
to take a vacation.
But at least we're lucky tonight
we haven't had any emergency
phone calls.
- Mm-hmm.
- Mm.
Ah.
Well, I guess I spoke too soon.
Dr. Miller.
Yeah. Okay, uh...
Yeah, don't worry, I'll be there
in about a half an hour.
- This is my favorite meal.
- Yeah.
All right, I gotta run.
Why don't you guys get
unpacked, get settled,
I'll be back before you know it.
Where are you going?
Well, the Jacksons have a heifer
that's in labor up at the farm,
so I've gotta go help out.
Are you going too, mom?
Your mom could have done this
when she was 12 years old,
but she's probably a little
out of practice by now.
Probably doesn't even
know which end of the cow
the calf comes out of.
I wouldn't go that far.
Oh, when was the last
time you touched a cow?
It might've been vet school,
but I was great with them.
It's like I'm part Holstein.
Oh, well then, you're telling me
you could get this calf
delivered?
- Sure.
- Good.
That'll give me time
with the big guy here
and we can break out
some Christmas cookies.
And mom can have
some when she comes back.
Right.
Wait, what?
Right behind you is the mudroom
and there's a pair of coveralls
in there.
You should go try them on.
Okay.
Good. This is gonna be really
good for your mom.
She'll get back
in the swing of things.
- They're a little roomy.
- It's okays, sweetheart.
We can take you to the store
tomorrow
and get you suited up.
Meantime, I'll go
take care of this.
- It's probably for the best.
- No, no, no. I'm gonna go.
I'm sure I brought something
with me that'll make do.
Okay, I can do this.
I can do this.
Right?
Nope, I haven't done
this since vet school.
Nope.
I should Google this.
Uh...
Okay.
No, I remember it.
This is easy. This is easy.
Okay, okay.
Ropes.
You have faith in me, right?
I can do this.
I can do this.
There, oh, yeah.
Can I do this?
All right, here we go.
Hey, dad.
Oh, he was the cutest little
bull calf.
I wish you could have seen him.
Of course I tried the ropes.
I was so nervous at first,
but it was so much fun.
Yeah, yeah, I'm gonna, I'm gonna
stop at the store
and then I'll be home, okay?
All right, bye.
I know, I know, you close
in 10 minutes,
but I really have to find
something
to make my dad's house
a little bit more festive.
Just don't spread that mess
around my nice clean shop.
Never.
- Oh! Sorry.
- Whoa there, cowgirl.
I'm just trying to make it home
without a side trip to the ER.
It's just been one of those
days.
I actually kind of
want these too
because does it look like
I've had an easy day?
I guess it's relative.
I started mine at 6:30.
- Six o'clock.
- Yeah.
But I've been going
nonstop ever since then
dealing with every single sore
throat and
sprained ankle you can
imagine in a 20 mile radius.
I've been daydreaming about
these bad boys
ever since my lunch break,
which I worked through.
Probably only something a
doctor would understand.
Well, what do I look like?
I give up.
A doctor.
I'm a doctor too.
I'm an actual doctor.
Like, medical school graduate
type doctor.
- Oh, really?
- Yeah.
- Where'd you go?
- Cornell.
Well, I went to Cornell
Vet School,
which is actually harder
to get into
than Cornell Med School.
And it's in Ithaca,
where it snows
eight months out of the year
and only the strong survive.
Oh, you're Dr. Miller's
daughter?
I am, but you can just call me
Dr. Miller.
Oh, um...
This is a little awkward.
Yeah, you know us vets,
we have a saying.
Real doctors treat more than
- one species.
- Huh.
Just this morning
I was performing surgery
to remove a peach pit from
a Yorkie's small intestine.
Where do you get peaches
in December?
And a newborn Holstein
calf is alive tonight
because of my real doctor
skills with a calf jack.
Okay.
I'll let you win.
You know what, never mind.
You don't need to be a doctor
to know that
that stuff will kill you.
Nice to meet you.
Five days until Christmas!
- Six days until we go home.
- Oh.
- Oh, hey, dad.
- Hi, grandpa.
Wow, I can't get over how
great the place looks.
Yeah, Santa must've sent
over a few elves last night
with a flare for interior
design.
Yeah, I'd say so.
Oh, so I met a friend of yours.
I didn't catch his name,
but he made sure I knew
it started with doctor.
Don't tell me, tall,
dark hair, nice smile,
- kind of a good looking guy?
- He's fine, I guess.
That's Josh Foster.
He's a good egg.
- I'll take your word for it.
- What are we doing today?
Well, the shelter is putting
on an adoption event.
They need some folks to
check out the animals
before they go
to their new homes.
- Hm.
- You up for it, doc?
Oh, sure, as long
as I'm not needed elsewhere,
because you know,
after last night
I am very much in demand
as a cow obstetrician.
Oh, of course, yes.
And Duane Wright just
got a new Clydesdale mare
and they need to have
a wellness check,
so I will go take care of that.
I've never seen a Clydesdale
except for once in a commercial.
Well, go get dressed
and you're gonna be
my assistant today.
Ooh, that sounds fun, buddy.
- What a great kid.
- He's the sweetest.
I guess I'll have to
break in my new
coveralls some other time.
Well, you could stay in
town a little longer, do some
more farm calls, and you'll get
those duds broken in.
I wish I could, but you know
I have to be back by the 26th,
and even then I'm gonna have
to pull a few overnights
just to get caught up.
Oh, that's a pretty
challenging life
you've set up for yourself.
You know, you might
think about moving back.
- To Vermont?
- Yeah.
There's plenty of room
for you and Milo, and...
Dad, we're doing fine.
Nobody's denying that.
I'm thinking about retiring,
and this job was tough
when I was your age,
but I ain't getting any younger.
Well, you definitely need
to hire a new associate vet.
Or you could stay on and help
and eventually take over
the practice.
I don't know, dad.
You know there's no one
I'd rather work with,
but Milo and I are New
Yorkers now, it's our home.
Yeah, I just...
You know, I've always had it
in my head that
you and I would work
side by side one day.
I just think it's wrong
that there are so many miles
between us.
Why don't you move in with us
in New York?
You could work in my practice
part time if you want.
Oh, honey, that's so sweet.
I'm probably getting
to be a little too old
to pull up my roots.
Hey, guys.
How are you?
Oh, you found a new friend.
Oh, look at this baby.
So cute.
Daddy, I want this one.
Good treat there.
Hi.
Hi, what's your name?
Oh, hi Banjo.
How's it going?
How's it going?
Don't let them get you down,
Banjo.
You're a VIP too.
See?
Camera loves you.
- Yeah.
- Hi.
- You're looking much cleaner.
- Hi.
Uh, thanks.
I'm Josh Foster, by the way.
Scarlet Miller.
Who's this big guy?
This is Banjo.
Hey, Banjo.
I can't believe he
hasn't been adopted yet.
I guess no one thought he'd
be as much fun as a puppy.
Yeah, don't you hate it when
people make snap judgements?
Well, it was a pleasure to
see you again, Dr. Miller.
You too, Dr. Foster.
- Hi, Dr. Foster.
- Hey.
- How are you?
- Good.
- Who is this?
- This is Tots the corgi.
Oh, Tot.
Well, it was good to see you
again. Stay well.
You too.
Do you want
to see one of the dogs
- I saw at the adoption event?
- Yes!
His name is Banjo and no one
was paying attention to him
even though he's like the
sweetest boy.
Can we adopt him?
Honey, you know we can't.
But what if nobody else does
either?
Oh, don't worry, Ace,
he'll find his person.
Christmas makes things
like that happen.
Yeah, thanks for making dinner,
dad.
I could get used to this.
I wish you would.
- Mm.
- Dr. Miller. Yeah.
How long?
Is it getting worse or better?
My daughter?
Yes, she is visiting.
Yeah, Cornell Vet
School, top of her class.
Oh, I don't know if I should
send her over on a house call.
She may be a little out of
her depth.
- What?
- Yeah, I know, city vets,
they all need a staff of 10
and a surgical suite to clip
a toenail.
That's not true.
Well, now she's being stubborn.
I think she's insisting.
Okay.
Well, yeah.
I'll send her right over.
All right, I guess
I'll go get my coveralls.
Oh no, you won't need those.
This is a dog that was adopted
from the shelter event today.
As of a couple hours
ago all of those animals
were as healthy as
little horses.
Yeah. Just run down to Josh
Foster's and check it out.
- Josh Foster's?
- Yeah.
I didn't know he was in
the market for a dog,
but apparently he
picked one out.
Well, there was a litter
of golden retriever pups.
I guess he snagged one of those.
Well, couldn't you just
take him up to
the 24 hour clinic in
Burlington?
Oh, I wouldn't wish that on
my worst enemy
on a night like this on a
highway in freezing rain.
Oh, but your daughter,
that's another story?
Come on, Josh is just down
the hill,
and the van has nice new tires,
and you're a Vermont girl.
Okay, fine.
I'll go.
And don't worry about us.
We'll be fine.
I won't do anything crazy
with him.
We won't stick marshmallows
on a candy cane
and stir our hot chocolate
with it.
Yeah, we definitely
won't do that.
What?
It's just tinted lip balm.
It's cold outside.
- Oh, yeah.
- Oh, my gosh.
Good luck.
- I'll see you later.
- Okay.
Be careful.
Tinted lip balm.
Come on, Scarlet,
it's just a little freezing
rain.
You used to do this all the
time.
Okay.
No, no.
Ugh, this would not be happening
if you were back in New York
where people actually
bring their animals to you.
Well, now there's a concept.
Yes, Jade.
Okay, good night.
No, no, no.
I'm on the edge of my seat,
I promise.
Yes, I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Okay.
All right, bye.
Um, Dr. Miller,
thank you for coming.
Hi.
Sorry, please come in, come in.
So when I brought him home,
he was great actually,
and then I went upstairs
and I worked on the computer,
and when I came down and he was
like this.
Banjo?
Well, yeah. I wasn't really
looking for a dog,
but there's just something
about him.
Well, Christmas has a way
of making things like
that happen.
Let's see what's going on.
How you doing?
Good boy, good boy.
Well, he's a little dehydrated.
Come here.
Good boy.
Good boy.
Heart and lungs sound fine.
A couple of minutes ago
it was crazy high, like 130.
Well, that's normal
if you're a dog.
Oh, belly's a little tender.
I have been hearing
a lot about parvo.
We mostly see parvo in
young dogs and puppies.
No offense, sweetheart.
Aw.
If you don't mind, I'd
like to take a look around,
see if he left us some clues.
Yeah, knock yourself out.
Wow, what's all this?
Okay, please pardon the mess.
Uh, this is a Buche de Noel,
a Yule Log Cake.
At least, it will be.
Um...
Yeah, I thought I'd try my
hand at it, surprise the staff.
I am not done yet,
so go easy.
- Mystery solved.
- What is it?
- I did not give that to him.
- Mm-hm.
Well, he got it
and he enjoyed it.
Wow, he ate all of it.
- That is really good.
- Yeah?
- Yeah.
- Does it pass the test?
Mm-hm.
Oh, but his poor belly.
Yeah.
We'll get him fixed up.
So Milo, you know,
I think I've told you
that when your mom was your age,
I used to take her with me
on house calls.
I used to take her with me
to the farms
to take care of the animals
and she learned a lot about
veterinary.
So I was wondering, maybe
you'd like to come along.
Something on your mind, Ace?
I still don't have a
Christmas present for mom.
Can we go to the all night
drug store?
Well, there's not one
of those around here,
but what do you think
she'd like?
Well, you know how crazy
mom is about Christmas.
I want to buy her something
to remind her of Christmas
all the other times of year.
Okay. Well, I'll tell you what,
why don't we finish
our hot chocolate
and then I will help you make
her something for Christmas.
- Mm.
- Mm.
Mm-hm.
I'll give him something
to settle his stomach
and then I'll leave you to get
back to your Buche de Noel.
You can't drive home in this.
It's not far, I'll be fine.
And get up that hill?
No.
Yeah, it was already pretty
slippery on the way down.
Yeah, and if you bang up
your dad's van,
you're gonna be in some serious
grounded for the rest of
senior year kind of trouble.
And there is no way
I'm missing prom.
Seriously, the storm
is gonna blow over
in about an hour or so,
and I just made you
a cup of coffee.
Thank you.
So, just relax and wait it out.
- Cheers.
- Cheers.
That's it.
Don't be afraid of the hammer.
I'll get it lined up for you.
Okay, go ahead.
Good, good.
Good.
All right.
Really, that's great. Okay.
The nail went in kind of
crooked.
Oh, you know what?
That's okay.
It gives it character.
I just want it to be perfect.
Yeah, I know, Milo.
But in my experience,
character trumps perfection
every time.
All right, so let's get to
painting.
You want to use green?
So I'm obviously the worst dog
dad ever.
What? I can't even keep Banjo
out of trouble
for less than a day.
It was an accident.
And you wouldn't believe
the things
I've seen owners do on purpose.
- Like what?
- There was this one lady...
who wanted to straighten her
poodles hair because she wanted
him to match
her daughters
for the Christmas card picture.
You're just trying to make me
feel better.
- It did.
- How did that work out?
Not well, as you can imagine.
And I have had my share of
parental fails.
Sure.
One time a while back,
when I was even later than usual
picking my baby up from
daycare...
What, they had already
cleaned the kennels?
No, not my dog.
My kid, my actual human son.
- Oh, you have a son?
- Yeah.
Are you surprised?
No. I kind of thought of
you as just, you know,
pretty girl in a big
city, hitting the clubs,
breaking all the guys' hearts.
Well, until they start letting
you leave
a little boy at coat check...
What's his name?
Milo.
Milo, like
"The Phantom Tollbooth?"
Yes!
No one ever gets that.
It was my favorite book
as a kid.
Mine too!
Oh, my goodness.
My husband always thought
it was an unusual name,
but he eventually went along
with it.
He knew better than to
argue with a pregnant lady.
Well, he's a smart man.
So, how's he liking Vermont
so far?
Um...
Well, he loved it.
He passed away eight years ago,
just a couple of weeks
before Christmas.
- Milo was two.
- I'm sorry.
That's awful.
Yeah. Yeah, it was bad.
We were fresh out of vet
school, just moved to the city,
and after it happened,
my dad wanted me to move back
to Vermont,
but I just, I couldn't
imagine giving up so easy.
So I just holed up in the
apartment for the first week
and had groceries
and diapers delivered
from the bodega downstairs.
So, eventually I bundled up
the kid
and we took the subway
to Chinatown
where we ate our weight
in dumplings.
And then we walked up
to little Italy
to see the Christmas lights.
And the next day
we took the subway
to see the holiday
windows at Fifth Avenue.
And then pretty soon we
were taking the three train
to the nine like it was nothing.
Well, it couldn't have
been easy then,
and even now.
Yeah, but we've got it down
to a science.
So what about you?
When do you ever get a break?
You know, if you wanted
to go for a run
or on a date or something?
Well, I'll worry
about my cardiovascular health
and my love life once Milo
heads off for college.
But I'm fine.
We're fine.
Ask anyone.
Oh, I will.
It is still coming down
pretty hard.
Do you want to just help me make
some of the cakes
for the veterans home?
You don't have to do
anything, just supervise.
That's more my speed.
Okay.
Here, follow me.
- Is that mom?
- Yes, it is.
- Is this Josie?
- That is Josie the kitty.
You know, your mom used to
decorate the Christmas tree
with kitty toys and kitty
treats.
And by morning, all the
treats would be gone.
- Who's this?
- That's grandma.
- She was pretty.
- She was pretty, yeah.
I think this one got into the
Christmas pictures by accident.
Let's see.
No, you know what?
That was actually Christmas Eve.
I got a call
from the Marris farm
that one of their mares
was colicky.
- What is that?
- Uh...
It's like a really bad
tummy ache.
How did you make her better?
Well, believe it or not,
I put a tube up her nose.
That's crazy!
Yeah, the horse thought so too.
Good thing your mom was with me.
What did she do?
Well, she rubbed the horse's
neck in just the right place
and she sang Christmas carols.
And before you know it, the
horse was all calmed down.
I didn't know mom knew
how to calm down a horse.
Yeah, after we got the horse
calmed down
it was too late to cook,
so we decided to go out
and have a Christmas Eve
ice cream supper.
Let's see, what else?
Oh, wow.
Who's this?
Bet you recognize those three
characters.
It's me and mom and dad!
I wish I could remember
being with him that day.
Or any other day, actually.
Well, you know, your dad,
when he finished building
a snowman,
he built a snow dog
and a snow kitty
and three little
snow guinea pigs.
Mom said the only thing
he loved more than animals
was me and her.
Yeah, that about sums up
your dad.
And your grandpa, too.
So, let's pick a picture
for your mom's frame.
- Okay.
- Yeah, that's a good one.
That's a good one too.
- I think this is the best.
- Okay.
When mom looks at it,
it'll be like
she's with you every day.
Well, you know, if I had you
and your mom
with me all the time,
it would be like Christmas
every day.
Well, I can't tell if it's...
Maybe it's too cold?
It's supposed to be holding
together.
You got me.
I'm not exactly what you
would call a gifted baker.
We order in a lot, especially
on days when I work late,
which is pretty much always.
Ah-ha!
Oh, there you go.
Uh, that's not half bad.
I think it's great that your
kid is able to see his parent,
you know, working hard
doing something they love.
Give me a job.
Give me something to do.
- I wanna help.
- Uh...
This was tough enough,
and you said
you can't bake your way out
of a paper bag. No.
Well, you shouldn't bake
in a paper bag.
It's a fire hazard,
everyone knows that.
Come on, give me
something to do!
Uh...
Okay.
So these, um,
these are white chocolate
with food coloring,
and we basically just have
to decorate the top now.
- Grab a piping bag.
- Okay.
You can do the red berries.
You're right, this
is harder than it looks.
Wow, you're-you're
an artist, too.
How is it that
we never crossed paths
at Coolidge High?
Um...
Probably because I went to
Bronx Science.
- Wait, so that means...
- I'm a New Yorker.
So what brought you here
to Vermont?
So, after my residency,
I joined a two year
program where
you go and you work
in an underserved rural area,
and then they wipe out
your student debt.
I realized I really started
enjoying my life here.
I-I have such an insane
schedule.
I work full time
at the office, and then I spend
another day and
a half at the veterans home.
I just love living here.
Everything from like the air,
to the trees, to the stars.
And then also everyone
here is just so nice.
Just a wild guess,
how many of these nice people
are female?
I guess probably...
Yeah, so the women in
Vermont are very friendly.
Okay, so why did you leave?
Um...
Well, I didn't want to stay
in one place for the rest
of my life.
New York was just so
strange, and hard, and weird
that conquering it made
me feel like a superhero.
I think I fell in love
with that feeling,
and then the city along with it.
Being here with my dad is great,
but New York during
the holidays?
I just remember icy sidewalks
and trying to build a snowman
out of slush
from the fire escape.
And then I would look out
the window
and I would just see tourists
flooding in,
wanting that New York
Christmas experience.
I don't know,
I just didn't get it.
See, that's the thing.
To really enjoy Christmas
in New York,
you have to embrace your
inner tourist.
'Cause then you have ice
skating at Rockefeller Center.
- Okay.
- You have Santa Land at Macy's,
Christmas movies
at Nighthawk Cinema.
We go every year and we watch
"Miracle on 34th Street"
and we eat this huge
tub of parmesan popcorn.
And then you've got the
Nutcracker and the peace tree.
Peace tree?
That's a new one for me.
Oh, it's this huge
Christmas tree
at the Cathedral of St. John
the Divine.
And they string it with a
thousand white origami cranes
that represent dreams come true.
Okay, I'm sorry,
I have to stop you.
Everything you're saying
is great.
You have this thing
on your chin.
- What?
- Can I just...
Can I please get that for you?
- Yes.
- Yeah?
Please.
I'm sorry.
It's so embarrassing.
- Oh.
- What's that?
Uh, the meringues.
They're very temperature
sensitive.
All right, coming in.
- Oh!
- Oh.
Sorry.
Hang on, here. Um...
So they were supposed
to look like mushrooms.
- Look who's made a recovery.
- Oh, Banjo!
Do you want to say thanks
to Dr. Miller?
He can call me Scarlet.
You can call me Scarlet.
All right, well,
if we can call you Scarlet,
can you at least call me Josh?
It'd be nice not to be
Dr. Foster for a night.
Sure.
Well, I guess it looks
like I can, um...
- Get going.
- Yeah.
He's better,
and the weather is...
Yeah.
Oh, hey, can I get
your phone number?
I mean, you know, just in case
Banjo gets in to
any other kind of trouble.
- Sure.
- Yeah?
Hey, do you wanna try
a mushroom?
Oh, sure.
Thank you.
So, here.
It's a little deflated.
- Hey, Scarlet?
- Hmm?
I know what you're saying
about Christmas in New York.
Mm-hmm?
But I really think this
year, Christmas in Vermont,
you won't miss a thing.
Well, we'll see.
You have to, you have to,
you have to chew.
You have to chew?
Are you still at work?
Nope.
But doc, Mr. Smith just
called on the emergency line.
Baby Cat won't eat her
bedtime snack.
He's beside himself.
Gently recommend that he stop
feeding her
half a pound of salmon
for dinner every night
and that should clear
the problem right up.
Oh... Wait a minute,
are you still out?
I just finished up a house call,
actually.
Oh, so that's what the kids
are calling it these days?
The weather was terrible,
so I watched the owner
make a Buche de Noel
while I waited out the storm.
Some nice old lady?
A young man, actually.
I knew it!
I knew it, I knew it!
All right,
that's enough out of you.
Bye!
I'm so happy, grandpa.
I was afraid there wouldn't
be any good trees left
four days before Christmas,
but I'm pretty sure
I found the perfect one.
You sure did.
I can't believe I got to
help with the axe part.
Tell you what, if you can
keep a secret, so can I.
Okay.
What a perfect morning
for a walk.
Oh, what's going on here?
Grandpa didn't put the
ornaments in the shed after all.
We found them while we were
putting away the Christmas...
Yeah, I thought it'd be best
to not have them, you know,
out so that the raccoons could
play bowling with them.
So we went out and found
the perfect Christmas tree
in the woods,
and we've been decorating
it right now.
Oh.
Well, that's not exactly
truth in advertising.
I guess they were fresh out of
Christmas pain in the
butt for dad ornaments.
Oh, wow.
- You found Hazel!
- Who's Hazel?
Well, one winter when
I was about your age,
there was this little rabbit
who used to come visit us
on the back porch.
I named her Hazel.
And I used to leave food out
for her every single day.
What time did you get in
last night?
Oh, around 10:30-ish.
Uh-huh.
Freezing rain was out of
control,
so I had to wait for it to stop.
Is the dog all better?
Actually, it was Banjo.
What was wrong with him?
Well, he had what vets call
a dietary indiscretion.
It means he ate something
he shouldn't have.
Let me guess, French fries?
Chicken wings?
No, he knocked over a bowl
of frosting
and had a little feast.
Oh, so Josh is also a cook?
Oh, are you expecting someone?
No, I don't think so,
but, you know,
it's not unusual in these parts
for a neighbor to come by
to say hi
and just happened to have
a cat with a sore paw.
Hey, Josh.
Hi, Banjo.
Banjo!
Wait, wait.
- Hi.
- Hi.
- You must be Milo.
- Yeah!
Banjo is so amazing.
Banjo is incredible and I
am very lucky he chose me.
- Yeah.
- Do you want to play with him?
Oh, yeah!
When Scarlet was over last
night,
she told me about a tradition
that she and Milo have,
and I got an idea.
Hoping you could help me
with it.
Come on, buddy, I think
you're gonna love this.
Whoa! Is this like our own
private movie theater?
- It most certainly is.
- Wow, this is something.
So, I know it's a little early,
but you can't have a movie
without snacks, right?
- Here.
- Parmesan corn!
Yep. Your mom told me
it was your favorite,
but in my family,
we're all about the candy.
Are you sure you're a doctor?
Knock yourself out,
we're on vacation.
So, is your family coming
up for the holidays, Josh?
Here you are. Um...
No, unfortunately they are
not gonna make it this year.
I've got Banjo.
Isn't that right, boy?
Banjo!
- Oh, come here.
- He's so cute.
- Do you have any pets, Milo?
- Well...
Our life is just too crazy
right now.
Well, maybe it wouldn't be
quite so crazy
if you lived in Vermont.
What, are you thinking
about moving back?
- Not really.
- Maybe.
All right.
Well, let's start this show.
Mom, look,
"Miracle on 34th Street!"
I know. And we thought
we wouldn't
get to see it this year.
That's very sweet.
My pleasure.
This is amazing.
It tastes just like
the Parmesan popcorn
at Nighthawk Cinema.
Thank you.
It's actually a modification
on my mother's top secret
cheddar recipe.
Can you tell me?
I'll guard it with me life.
Okay.
So, you have to mix the
popcorn with the butter
and you have to stir in
an insane amount of grated
cheddar cheese.
Hmm, okay.
And, I mean, that's it.
She does something to make
it taste really fancy...
- Uh, sea salt maybe.
- Mm.
Well, you definitely
inherited your mother's gift.
I can only hope I have
something half as good
to pass down to Milo.
What are you talking about?
He's probably gonna grow up
with this incredible talent
for delivering calves
wearing pink coveralls.
Those pink coveralls
brought me good luck.
I should wear them on all my
farm calls.
Your coveralls are
actually really inspiring.
- Thank you.
- You're welcome.
I was thinking about it,
what are the odds
that we were
at the same general store
in the same aisle at the same
exact time?
And that I also felt the need
to critique your choice
of breakfast cereals.
That was only
after I accidentally
criticized your profession,
which I want to make sure
you know
I have nothing but respect
for vets.
And I have nothing but
respect for frosted cereal.
You wanted them too.
I did.
I did want them.
Santa!
Maybe I didn't do such a
remarkable thing after all.
That was awesome.
Yeah, it gets better
every time, doesn't it?
Chris Kringle would be a
perfect name for kitten.
I wonder if Santa has a vet
on the staff.
Well, yeah, of course he does.
He's gotta make sure those
reindeer
can help him deliver
all those presents.
I wonder if one of the reindeer
had a dietary indiscretion.
Well, if he did,
I'm sure they'd fly back
from the North Pole
so your grandpa
can take care of them.
Maybe even your mom.
It would definitely
be my grandpa.
I feel like a reindeer
would have a hard time
figuring out the subway.
I see. But there are advantages
to living in the boondocks.
There definitely are,
but me and mom are New
Yorkers and it's cool there.
What's the best part?
I like to go see Santa
at Macy's.
Mom's favorite thing is ice
skating at Rockefeller Center.
Oh, are you a good skater?
I'm actually a very good
skater, but my mom is worse.
That is true. That's very true.
In fact, one time she fell
right in the middle
of the skating rink
and couldn't get up,
so she had to slide to
the edge on her butt,
and her jeans got so
wet it looked like she...
Okay, okay, all right, all
right. That's a great story.
I think we can end it right
there.
Well, it sounds like
a lot of fun.
There is great fun to
be had in Vermont, too.
Like a movie in a barn.
They definitely don't have
that at home.
They definitely don't.
Look! A reindeer!
It could have been Santa's.
Yeah, probably getting
ready for that long ride.
Well, I hate that I have
to go to work, you guys.
We could have made this a
double feature, stayed in.
Next time.
What are you doing today?
Um, I don't know.
Speaking of work,
remember Maisy Phillips?
Oh yeah. She had those two
little colts I loved as a kid.
And now it's a little herd
and they're due
for their shots today.
How are you on herd health?
I think I can manage.
Okay then.
Well, looks like I'm
going to work today too.
Off you go.
All right,
Merry Christmas, Maisy.
All right.
Make sure to send me pictures
as soon as Gertie has her foal,
and if she has any
problems, give me a call.
Thank you so much, Scarlet.
- Thank you.
- Merry Christmas.
- Merry Christmas.
- Bye.
Hey.
Can we do tooth whitening
on a dog?
No.
What if she's got an audition
for a national commercial?
Not even if she's accepting
the Nobel Peace Prize.
You would not believe
the state I am in,
and in public no less.
Doc, try me.
Well, I have a crazy idea.
How about you hop on a train,
come up here for a few days,
and then you're back in New York
in time for Christmas dinner?
Radical change of plans,
I like it.
Sometimes a radical
change of plans
is just what the doctor ordered.
I can't wait!
Shelby, no tooth whitening
on the dog, please.
Oh, good. Looks like
you're getting the hang of it.
- Mm-hm.
- That's great.
You know, when your mom
and I first did this,
she was just out of third grade,
and we got out the potatoes,
and got out all the ink
and the ink pads,
and we got ink all over
the place and all over us.
So we ran down
to the old swimming hole,
and splashed around for
awhile, and got all cleaned up.
Wow.
That sounds so cool.
Wouldn't it be awesome
if I can come visit you
for the summer?
Awesome doesn't begin to
describe it.
Who is the greatest sheep
vaccinator
in all of New England?
Dr. Miller.
Well, you're right,
I am pretty good,
but you're coming right along.
Ha-ha, so funny.
What's going on here?
Potato stamping.
The presents were too brown.
They needed a little zhuzh.
Oh, what a great idea.
Oh, dad, do you mind if David
comes up for a few days?
Of course not.
The more the merrier.
Oh, man, these are so much
neater
than the ones
that we used to make.
We used an 11 scalpel,
and that really did the trick.
Wait, you let a 10 year old
use a scalpel?
Grandpa held the bottom
and I held the top.
Yeah, give me a little credit,
honey.
After all, you survived
all the way to adulthood
under my watch.
That's so nice.
- What's that?
- It's Josh.
He's inviting us all to go
see "The Nutcracker" with him
tomorrow afternoon at the
community barn.
I made an appointment
with the Davis farm
for two o'clock.
Do I have to go?
Well I love ballet,
especially "The Nutcracker."
Do you remember when we went
last year
and the tree got so big,
like magic?
That was fun, right?
That was one minute
in like 10 hours.
Sometimes you have to try things
a few times before you know
you really like them,
and it was very nice of
Dr. Foster to invite us,
so we're gonna go and we're
gonna have a good time
and keep an open mind.
And we're gonna be thankful
that we have such
a thoughtful friend.
Doesn't it usually take
more than a few days
to make friends with someone?
Sometimes you just
have a feeling.
It's three days
before Christmas,
don't we have other things
we need to do?
I'm sorry to say it, buddy,
but I think we're all caught up.
- Hi.
- Hi.
I'm really happy you guys
made it.
Me too.
Thanks for inviting us.
It was very nice of you.
I'll keep an open mind.
I know you're probably used to
the New York City
Ballet's "Nutcracker," but this,
I think, will
be a little more fun...
- Especially for Milo.
- Ooh.
Any children who would
like to be in the show,
please come sign up.
- Yes.
- What's this?
This is the best part.
- Hi, Dr. Foster.
- Hi.
Oh, any child in the
audience can be in the show.
We have lots of parts
to pick from.
That sounds fun, Milo.
What do you say?
We have spots open for guests
at the fancy Christmas party?
No?
Snowflakes?
- Uh, candy canes?
- Un-unh.
The Mouse King's soldiers?
- That could be okay.
- Yeah.
We have one spot left,
but you have to be
really scary though.
Can I see your
most terrifying face?
Arrr!
Very impressive.
You're hired.
Just go right on in there
to get set up
with some ears and cheese.
Vivian sweetie,
go take him to the
dressing room, okay?
And now you guys get to
have a real child-free date.
Enjoy.
- Oh.
- Oh.
We're not actually on a...
They also have hot chocolate.
- Oh.
- Hi, come on in.
Come have your seats.
Hi, come on in.
Hello.
We're about to start the show.
Come have a seat.
- Hi.
- Hi. Good to see you.
Hi. Come have a seat.
If everyone could please have
their seats.
Good evening, everyone.
Welcome.
Thank you all so much
for being here tonight.
We're so excited.
So sit back, relax,
and enjoy our production
of "The Nutcracker."
Places!
Throw the cheese.
Do you see him?
I've never seen him have so much
fun. That was incredible.
Yeah, he was throwing
that cheese
like he was in the major
league, it was amazing.
It was so cute.
It was fun.
Actually, can you excuse
me just for a minute?
Oh, yeah, sure.
Mom, did you see me?
There's my favorite
little rodent.
You were awesome, buddy.
And you were too.
That's Vivian.
She's shy.
She only talks to people
she knows.
Well, she doesn't know you
that well either, does she?
We were mouse soldiers together,
so we're pretty much best
friends.
Well, that's great.
That was fast.
Sometimes you just have
a feeling, you know,
like you said about Josh.
All I said was that I have
friendly feelings for doctor,
uh, Josh, like you and Vanessa.
Vivian.
I love her and she loves me.
I actually never said anything
about love.
Okay.
Let's take a selfie.
Milo, get in here with mom.
Here. All right, everyone ready?
You got to do something really
ferocious.
- Rawr.
- Rawr!
Uh, we should go.
Yeah.
Vivian?
There you are, cupcake.
You did such a good job.
That's so nice.
And you were a great mouse too.
Thank you.
So was Vivian.
I'm Scarlet, by the way.
- Scarlet Miller?
- Yeah.
I'm Alice Barstow.
We were in advanced biology
together senior year.
- You remember Mr. Hayden?
- Yes.
He used to tell the rest of
us that we should
all aspire to be more like you.
That is mortifying,
but it's really good to see you.
I had no idea we were
neighbors again.
We should get the kids together
for a play date sometime.
That is, if you guys
aren't too busy
getting ready for Christmas.
Milo and I don't actually
live here,
and Josh and I,
we're not together.
I mean, we're physically
standing
- here together, but...
- Right.
Just to clarify,
we're just friends.
Got it.
You're being so weird, mom.
I heard a crazy rumor
that Santa might be
coming into town tomorrow.
That actually sounds perfect.
My friend David is coming
in town from New York,
but he doesn't get in
until late.
David is definitely not just
your friend.
Oh, okay. We're gonna, um,
we're gonna get out of here
It was so good to see you.
Thank you so much.
- It was my pleasure.
- Bye.
- Bye.
- See you.
Hi, my name is Scarlet Miller.
I'm here to see Dr. Foster.
You must be Dr. Miller's
daughter.
That's me.
I remember you when
you were little.
How you used to always love to
come with him on his
house calls.
By the time I was eight,
I figured
I was pretty
much a doctor myself,
and I was ready to go
to work as his partner.
I know he'd love it if you did.
Go ahead and take a seat
and I'll call Dr. Foster.
Okay, awesome.
Thank you so much.
And I'm gonna take the children
and we're gonna go
find some candy.
Okay.
So we just need to make sure
that you're keeping up
with your exercises,
and of course the glucosamine.
Okay.
I surely will, doc.
And you make sure you and your
family
have a nice Christmas,
all right?
And don't let your wife
do too much work.
Oh, that won't be happening.
I'm not married.
You got a girlfriend?
No, not at the moment.
Oh, doc, you better get on that.
It's really not that hard.
You a smart doctor.
You need a smart, nice girl.
Hi, Josh.
- Scarlet.
- Ooh, she'd do just fine.
- I'll do what just fine?
- Uh, nothing.
You know, it's really
not good to be alone,
and she look like a nice
church girl,
- come from a good home.
- Thank you.
- Thank you very much.
- And she cute.
- Merry Christmas.
- Merry Christmas.
Mrs. Bix, thank you.
That's Mrs. Bix.
She's one of our patients.
Um, she's a character.
Yeah.
Sorry, I wasn't
expecting you so early.
Santa's not here yet.
I have to run into my office
and get him.
- Okay.
- Wink, wink.
- This one's cool.
- Yeah.
Ho, ho, ho, ho!
Merry Christmas!
Ho, ho, ho.
Hey, Santa, Vivian said you
look very much like Josh.
Hm. Well, I'll let you in on
a little secret.
It is me!
It's Josh.
Now, Santa was very busy today,
so because I'm such good
friends with him,
he asked if I would stand in
for him.
But unfortunately,
the elves that he sent
seem to have disappeared,
and all they left behind
are their hats.
Now, would you two be
willing to stand in
and be my elves for the day?
Definitely.
But Vivian wanted to point out
that those hats still have
the price tags attached.
What? What?
Uh, those elves can be
so tacky sometimes.
There. Now, I'm gonna need
your help
to pass these cookies out.
Vivian also wanted to
know if we could eat it.
Of course.
What time did the last batch
come out?
Uh, 11:15.
I swear I haven't felt
this out of my depth
since organic chemistry.
I actually kinda
liked organic chem.
Of course you did.
All right everyone,
gather around.
- Are you ready?
- Yes.
We're gonna make this
the best Christmas ever.
- Yes.
- Hands in.
Elf power on three.
One, two, three.
Elf power!
Ho, ho, ho, ho!
Merry Christmas!
Ho, ho, ho, ho!
You're just in time.
Ooh
We wish you
a Merry Christmas
We wish you
a Merry Christmas
We wish you
a Merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas to you
Thank you.
- Thank you, Santa.
- Thank you.
Ooh!
Hi darling, how are you?
Please excuse me.
I was wondering if maybe
you had some plans?
- What? What?
- Oh.
Sorry. Sorry.
Uh, I was wondering if maybe
you could sneak away
for a little bit tomorrow night.
Well, that's very sweet,
but I know if I keep Milo
out late on Christmas Eve
he'll never get to sleep.
Oh. Uh...
I-I mean just you,
maybe after you put Milo to bed.
Well, yeah, my dad could
watch him, so that would be...
That'd be great.
Scarlet!
Oh, my friend David
just got into town.
- Hi.
- Hi.
- Oh, my goodness.
- I missed you.
I missed you too.
- Hi, I'm David.
- I'm Santa.
Josh. Um...
Well, you look great.
Hi, kids.
Let's go, come on.
Thank you again for today.
The kids loved it.
I did too.
It was a million times better
than going to
see Santa in New York.
At Macy's you never
get to be an elf.
Could we come here the
next time we're in Vermont?
I'm sure that we could work
something out.
So, how's 8:30, the pine woods
trail head?
Sounds perfect.
Vivian?
Hey, sweetie.
Come here.
Hi, Scarlet.
Hi.
Hi, Santa.
Ho, ho, ho, ho.
Thank you so much
for inviting Vivian today.
She was a fantastic elf.
Oh, Abigail can't wait to
see you tonight.
She said to come hungry because
she got way too much steak.
Oh, I'll take steak over
milk and cookies any day.
Now, come on my elves,
We have gifts to pass out.
Ho, ho, ho.
"Too much steak."
Oh, Abigail has such a crush
on him.
Well, kind of like every
other woman in this town.
Can you believe that she
would pass on a message
from his hot date just
like right in front of me?
Does she know you're into him?
I am not into him,
but she should know
that it's inappropriate
to talk about that sort of
thing while he's working.
And plus he's got this like
whole Casanova thing going on.
- Hey, doc?
- What?
The two of you are crazy
about each other.
- I saw it with my own eyes.
- That is so not true.
Even if it was,
it doesn't even matter
because we live like 300
miles away from each other.
What do you always tell me
when we have 20 appointments
to fit into 15 appointment
slots?
- I tell you to make it work.
- Scarlet.
Make it work.
I thought most Christmas Eve
surprises
happened in front of
a roaring fire,
or underneath
the Christmas tree,
not in the dark woods
in the middle of the night.
It's 8:35 p.m.
And I'm pretty sure you know
your way around these woods.
Yeah. Me and my friends actually
used to have a fort
right here between
these three trees
in front of these princess
pines.
- Princess pines?
- Yeah.
Princess pines.
Oh, because they're small
and cute.
When I was little,
I used to come out here
and, uh, my friends and I,
we would decorate all these
princess pines for Christmas.
We would imagine all the
birds and mice and chipmunks
just gathering around and
opening their presents,
and singing carols.
That actually sounds like
a lot of fun.
It was.
You know, New York has
so much to offer,
but I have to admit
that I do get a little sad
knowing that Milo won't grow up
playing in the woods like I did.
Well, who knows.
Life is full of surprises.
And I'm gonna be taking you
someplace
that I think will cheer you up.
Where are we going?
You'll see.
You ready?
Welcome to Rockefeller Center.
Wow, this is...
It-it's beautiful.
What is all this?
Well, they decorate it
for the winter festival.
I might yield a little
influence in this town,
so I made a couple calls.
You wanna go skating?
I-I would love to, but I...
Don't even worry about it,
I got you covered.
Here, have a seat.
Oh, thank you, but those
are not gonna fit me.
I have tiny Cinderella feet.
- No, this is mine.
- Oh.
These are for your little
Cinderella feet.
- Weren't these heavy?
- Uh...
Yeah, I thought I was
gonna keel over back there.
- I have to tell you...
- I have to warn you,
I'm actually really bad
at skating.
Me too.
The truth is, once I outgrew
decorating Christmas trees
for woodland creatures,
I started to spend all
my time in the library.
Of course you did.
All I wanted
was to get into college
and out of Vermont.
And by my 18th birthday,
I was gone.
You didn't miss it?
Of course I did.
I mean, leaving my dad was like,
I don't know, like
leaving my heart behind.
But I knew if I stayed
I would never get a
chance to come into my own
or even figure out
what that meant.
You seem to have done
pretty well for yourself.
I think so.
And New York was the
perfect place to do it.
Shall we?
Okay.
Go ahead.
- Oh.
- I'm okay. I'm good.
- Are you okay?
- Yeah.
Just got to get my ring legs.
Oh, my goodness.
It sounds like we had pretty
similar high school experiences,
except I couldn't wait to
leave New York.
- Why is that?
- Uh...
I mean, don't get me
wrong, I love my family,
I just wanted a different life.
And then I got here and now
I can't imagine leaving.
I never imagined air
could be this good.
It even tastes good.
- I think you're right.
- We're good.
All right, I'll admit it,
this is better than
Rockefeller Center.
Right?
I am victorious!
And to be honest,
I would spend most of my
time over there on the edges
just holding on for dear life.
Well yeah, only because
those little seven-year-olds
with the skating outfits
are in the center
doing triple axles.
Right? Making me wonder
just how I've managed
to accomplish so little
with my life.
Well, 'cause let's face it,
you do nothing but lie
around and cure sickness
and raise a child.
Yeah. Let's see one of those
little smarty pants
try to vaccinate a ram.
That's not bad.
I... I can't.
I can't do this.
Uh... what? But why?
No judgment, and you should live
your life however you want,
but I can't be just another
girl in your fan club.
Another woman?
Scarlet, what are you...
I'm sorry, what are you
talking about?
You cannot be so naive
to think that
you don't have every woman
in this town
wrapped around your little
finger.
I'm the only doctor in town.
All these women,
they're my patients,
but you are not.
I feel like we fit
really well together
and I would hate for us to
walk away from that feeling.
I think we should figure it out.
Long distance is so hard.
So what if it wasn't long
distance?
You and Milo could move back.
That's your solution?
I mean, yeah.
Yeah.
It would be, it would be
absolutely perfect.
Your dad has plenty of room.
He and I can help with Milo.
And I know you love taking
care of all the sheep...
You know what? I-I have been
making my own decisions
- for a long time now, Josh.
- I know.
And I don't see any reason
to stop now.
You know, eight years ago,
Milo and I decided to make
a go of it in New York,
and I built a business
and a life that I am proud of.
And you just expect me
to just give that all up
because you have a good
feeling about us?
We've known each other
for five days.
Scarlet, Scarlet, hang on.
Scarlet, that's not what
I'm saying.
I-I swear just when I look at
you and Milo,
really you both
look so happy here.
I am not a damsel
in distress, Josh.
And Milo and I,
we don't need saving.
I'm sorry.
I have never met anyone
like you before,
and I-I probably
never will again,
but I am not ready to
give up my entire life
based on a feeling.
Phoebe was just getting a
little too rambunctious, huh?
I think she fell off a stump
and really scraped her leg.
Oh. That's interesting,
she climbed up on a stump.
- Hey.
- Hi, dad.
- Hi, honey.
- Hi, Suzanne.
It's really good to see you.
It's been a long time.
Sophie here cut her leg,
so I just want to clean it up
and put a few stitches.
Okay. You want me to grab
the chlorhex?
- Yeah.
- Okay.
What was Josh's big surprise?
Roller skating.
Well, that sounds like fun.
It was okay.
- All right, here we go.
- Okay.
Get you all set up here.
Okay, so I wanna do a ring block
so she doesn't feel the sutures.
Okay. You should probably give
her some Vanamine too.
I already did.
See? Great minds think alike.
I'll place the block.
- Ready?
- All right, here we go.
- You're doing great.
- Well, I learned from the best.
Why don't you grab
the suture too?
All right.
Good girl.
There you go, sweetie.
Yeah.
All right.
- All right, I think that's good.
- There we go. You okay?
- That should do it.
- Perfect, okay.
There we go.
All right Suzanne, so she'll
be okay in a few days.
Just try and keep her off of
that hoof.
Thanks, doc and doc.
Yeah, thanks for your help, doc.
Yeah, it was fun.
It is fun working together,
isn't it?
It is.
I'm gonna upstairs
and check on Milo.
All right, I'll clean up.
All right.
Thanks, dad.
All right, sweetie.
Is it Christmas yet?
Not quite, sweetie.
I'm so happy because
it's almost Christmas,
but I'm also sad because after
Christmas we have to go home.
I wish we could stay
here forever.
Well, it's always hard when
vacation comes to an end.
I liked the vacation parts,
but I liked the other parts
even better,
like Josh, Vivian, grandpa,
and Banjo.
They're here when it's not
even vacation.
But if we stayed here
in Vermont,
wouldn't you miss being
a New Yorker?
We'd still be us,
just in Vermont.
Is Josh going to come
for Christmas tomorrow?
I really like Josh.
Me too.
Well, he's out like a light.
He's such a great kid.
And he's having a blast.
Yeah.
Well?
Date didn't go as planned maybe?
I don't know, dad. Josh asked me
to stay here in Vermont.
And what do you think?
I just can't imagine
moving backwards.
I don't think moving
back to Vermont
would be like moving back
in time.
I mean, look at all
you've gained.
Your character, and know how,
and silly pastel overalls.
Those are yours to keep.
Look how you handled
that goat today. So confident.
Thanks, dad.
I will always love New York
for showing me how strong I am,
but I see how much Milo
loves it here in Vermont
and how great it is
to sit down to dinner
with the two of you every night,
and how much fun it is
to deliver a baby calf
and walk around with an
old school doctor's bag.
Oh, yeah, there's that.
I see how life could be
less of a sprint.
How I'd have a lot more
time to stop and smell the...
Roses.
Princess pines.
Stop and smell
the princess pines.
I'm just not used to needing
anything from anyone.
Well, I know a little bit
about that.
When you were a baby
and your mom had passed,
I was hell bent against
letting the townspeople
come to my rescue,
so I learned to change
a diaper with the best of them,
wrestle you into your coveralls,
and then later on
make potatoes stamps.
And I wouldn't trade any
of that for one minute.
But the whole time I thought
I had something to prove,
and I didn't.
People want to help,
and it's no surrender
to let them.
Raising a kid on your own
is hard,
even for pros like us.
What do you want?
I just can't believe that
Josh would ask me to give up
everything I've worked
so hard for.
You know, nobody's perfect.
You don't get to be my age
without being able to
pick up a few things
from across the room.
What, like a tooth root
infection
or a ruptured cruciate ligament?
Love, sweetheart.
Love.
Josh likes you a whole lot.
And he just wants to
get to know you better
without there being 300 miles
between you.
Well, people can't always
get what they wish for.
Well, you know,
it's Christmas time.
And sometimes,
if you wish hard enough,
miracles can come true.
Thanks, dad.
Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas, sweetheart.
Oh what fun it is to ride
in a one horse open slay
Jingle bells
Good morning.
You're up early.
Yeah, I've been doing some
thinking, and I wanted to see
if you'll watch Milo for me
this morning.
- Of course.
- Okay.
Wait, wait, wait.
What's the big hurry?
I have a few Christmas
miracles to attend to.
Jingle bells,
jingle bells
Jingle all the way
- Hi.
- Hi.
I-I came over early
to look for you.
I actually went
looking for you too.
- I'm sorry, I overreacted.
- No, it's okay. I-I'm sorry.
I should've never made you feel
uncomfortable or overstepped.
I just needed to figure a
few things out for myself.
This is beautiful.
Wow.
I-I remember
all the paper cranes
on the tree at the Cathedral
of St. John the Divine,
how they represent dreams
coming true, and
I want all your dreams
to come true, Scarlet.
That's, that's all I want
for you.
How did you make all these?
Oh, I, I might have poured
my heart out
to Mrs. Bix, and she rallied
the troops
and everyone pulled through.
And then I got here and your
dad's truck wasn't here,
and then I was worried
that you had left.
- No.
- I should've never acted like
Vermont was the only place it
could happen,
or that it's the only
place that we could happen.
- Vermont is your home.
- I want you to be my home.
I want to be yours.
I know we haven't known
each other for very long,
but sometimes you just
have a feeling.
Was that a meow?
When I went to your house
and you weren't there,
I had to go pick up
something for Milo.
But I thought you said
a meow wouldn't work
with your life in New York?
Why don't you come on inside?
- Can I help you with that?
- Please.
- All right, a snake.
- This guy's for you.
How does that feel?
- Heavy?
- Furry.
Furry!
- Merry Christmas!
- Hey!
- Hey, Josh, Merry Christmas.
- Mom.
Can we open presents now?
Yes, we can.
- Merry Christmas.
- Uh-oh. Uh-oh.
- All right, come on.
- Okay, let's get in here.
- I got a snake.
- Wow, look at this thing.
- That's amazing. Wow.
- And I also got dinosaurs.
And you also have one more
very special surprise.
I think you should open it
right away.
No way!
He's seriously mine?
He seriously is.
But I thought you said
our crazy New York life
wouldn't work for a kitten?
That's true.
But I think a kitten
would be very happy
with our new Vermont life.
What are you talking about?
Yeah, you're gonna have to
expand on that.
I will always love New York
for showing me I can do
anything I want,
but what I want has changed.
What I want is to come home.
I can't wait to tell Vivian!
Let's go call her right now,
okay?
We can show your new
friend around the house.
Surprise.
Uh, wow.
Mm-hm.
What do you think?
Well, I think now that I've
gotten to know your family,
I guess it's time for you
to meet mine.
I would love that.
Next time they're in Vermont
we should have them
over for dinner.
Well, I was thinking we could
go visit them
next weekend for New Years.
Oh. Where is it?
Uh, it's a small little get
together, Time Square.
Yeah, I think I've heard of it.
Yeah?
So you're in?
- I'm in.
- For New Years?
For all of it.
- Kiss him!
- Kiss him!
Kiss him!
Easy going on a slay ride
to somewhere far away
Easy knowing you're out
here on such a winters day
When it's late
and we're tired
We can stay close to
keep us warm
And we'll wait till
the snow piles higher
And together we can weather
the storm
Holiday dreaming
here with you
Holiday dreams
are coming true
Holiday dreaming here
with you, oh
Holiday dreams
are coming true
We'll make snowmen and
angels on the ground all day
While winds keep blowing
They'll be carrying our cares
far away
Sat at night by the fire
We can dream like
we never have before
When the lights all expire
We'll be cozy
close together evermore
Holiday dreaming
here with you
Holiday dreams
are coming true
Hanging lights around
the tree
To make it glow so bright
A in't nowhere I'd rather be
Than right here
with you all night
Holiday dreaming
with my baby
When it's late
and we're tired
We can stay close
to keep us warm
And we'll wait till
the snow piles higher
And together we can weather
the storm
Holiday dreaming
here with you