Flipping for Christmas (2023) Movie Script
1
Okay. I know
exactly how to fix this.
Tear it down. No, no.
Just the wall between the
kitchen and the dining room.
Then add the marble tile
and the backsplash
behind the counter.
Added like $15K
to the asking price.
Oh, sorry. I got to
wrap this up.
I'm pitching a
new client shortly.
DevaCore. Thanks. Bye.
All set. Sparkling
water and chocolate
truffles are on the boardroom table.
Great. He's the CEO of DevaCore.
This is a really big deal.
Okay, let's stay focused.
He'll be here any minute.
How did you land this pitch, anyway?
My old college friend works there.
My sister's calling.
I'm going to take this.
You go ahead
and I'll be right behind you.
- Hey, Abby.
- Hey Claire.
Sorry to bug you, but we've got
a bit of a situation.
Whew! Endless energy,
these kids.
Oh, dad's fine.
In fact, he wants to say hi.
I gotta find the pliers.
Dad, it'll take two seconds.
Guys, I only have, like, a
minute before I have to go.
Hi, Abby.
I'm fine.
Your sister's got me
living in the guest house.
It's the garage, Dad.
I just try to stay
out of the way
while I get ready for Christmas.
I'm sure you're not in the way, Dad.
Listen, I'm just prepping for a meeting,
so you know how that goes.
Right.
Hello?
Sorry.
He's having a hard time
with Mom being gone.
Anyway, John and I
are in a bit of a bind,
and we could really use
your help.
Is there any chance
that you could come over
for the holidays
early, like tomorrow morning?
John's Grandpa Frank
passed away.
He was 104,
so we all saw it coming.
But Grandpa
Frank left John his home and
we take possession tomorrow
and we want to fix it up
and flip it.
which you are so good at.
And then with the extra money,
we want to build
an extension here
with an actual space for Dad.
Because right now, you know,
I love him to death,
but sometimes I could actually
love him to death.
Wow, that was a lot.
Let me see how today goes
and then I'll circle back.
But no promises. Okay?
Love you. Bye.
Antonio, this is the Abigail
Jones I've been telling you
all about.
Antonio,
very nice to meet you.
Thank you.
Blair has been singing
your praises.
Thank goodness
for social media,
because all you seem to
do is work these days.
It's a labour of love.
This is quite a nice office.
Beautifully done.
It's my home away from home.
I see you've met my assistant, Jessica.
I think you're going to love
the presentation
we've created for you.
I'm looking forward to it.
- Shall we?
- Please.
After you.
Hey, good luck.
You nail it,
you make me look like a hero.
Please don't mess this up.
Working
with an established company
like DevaCore
would be a perfect fit.
I owe a lot of my company's
success to my upbringing.
My mom loved interior design,
and my dad
always says, "You don't stop
when you're tired.
You stop when you're done."
Something we've taken on
as our motto here.
Which is why I've been able
to provide families
with beautiful homes
while always staying
focused on profit and ROI.
Impressive.
See? She is great.
I told you, I did tell you.
You know,
we have a lot in common.
You flip
houses only to recognize
something that lacks value,
and then you breathe
new life into it,
which is exactly what we do.
Only on a larger scale.
Yes, this is our new development,
The Luxadoor
100 luxury units.
The plan is to break ground
early next year
and be move-in
ready by year end.
We start pre-sales next month.
What do you think?
It's beautiful.
I had a vision
to reimagine the neighborhood.
Of course, gentrification
sometimes comes at a cost.
You have to break a few eggs
to make an omelet, right?
We need someone
we can count on.
Someone who can see value
where others see nothing
at all.
A real professional
who isn't undeterred
by little inconveniences like
holiday shutdowns.
Wait, I'm sorry.
We're
working over the holidays?
I'm kind of a 24/7 person, so
regardless of the season,
I'm always on the job.
Well, then we just found
our person. Yes.
Yes!
Congratulations.
Thanks, Antonio.
I won't let you down.
We'll be in touch
After you, sir.
Nailed it.
This is huge for us.
An awesome Christmas present.
- I love this time of year.
- I suppose.
Come on.
The sound of carolers
singing, the days of hot
chocolate with candy canes,
coming down Christmas
morning to a warm fire
to open up gifts with your--
Oh, I'm sorry.
No, it's okay.
It's just a bit weird
this year.
I know I'm not a kid anymore,
but the first Christmas
without my mom is different.
Of course, I understand.
I'm sorry.
Do you want to
talk about it?
No. Let's just focus on work.
Right? Okay.
Should I start setting up
pre-sale meetings
- for after the break?
- Sure.
Sounds good.
And it looks like
I'll need to work remotely
for the next couple of days.
Oh.
Are you
okay to hold down the fort?
Yeah!
Hey, Dad.
Did you want to help us
decorate?
I'm not much of a decorator.
How come he didn't
want to help us decorate?
Oh, well,
I just think that
Grandpa needs some quiet time,
so we should give him
some privacy.
Oh, but guess what?
- What?
- Aunt Abby is coming!
Yes!
Excuse me.
Sorry to bother you.
Do you know when they'll be
reopening?
Yeah.
Ten minutes.
No, I know. I meant
when did they put the sign up?
Just before she left.
Right. But if she left, like,
eight minutes ago,
she'll be back in two minutes.
And if she left two minutes ago,
she'll be back in eight minutes.
So do you know what time
she left?
I know that it was less
than ten minutes ago.
Right. But does it feel like
she just left a minute ago or
more like she's been gone
for a while?
- Yes.
- Which?
- What?
- A short time or a long time?
Since she left or
until she's back?
That's what I'm asking you.
You know what? Forget it.
Is there somewhere else I can
grab coffee?
Somewhere else? Yeah,
let me think. Oh.
There's a diner just
on the other side of town.
Great. And how far is that?
Oh, it's about--
About ten minutes.
You're enjoying this,
aren't you?
A scale of
one to ten, maybe a nine.
Really?
Thanks for watching.
The place was out of milk.
No problem.
You were a big help.
Anytime.
Hello?
Aunt Abby!
Hey, guys!
- Hey, Abby!
- Hey.
How are you, little rascals?
Are you excited for Christmas?
Yeah.
Claire's
in the kitchen. Kiddos.
How about we get ready
for dinner and let Aunty Abby
and your mom catch up?
I'm so sorry to hear
about your grandfather.
Thanks.
He was a pretty great guy.
I was surprised at
104 years old,
but still a big loss for us.
- Of course.
- Come on in
- Let me get that.
- Thank you.
And he shook my hand and said,
"Congratulations,
you're our new realtor."
Biggest account of my career.
Wow, that's amazing.
- Abby.
- Hey, Dad.
Dad, Abby was just telling me
about this massive account
she just landed.
She's a chip off
the old block.
Congratulations, kiddo.
Thanks, here. Come
sit down and chat.
I haven't seen you in weeks.
I can't right now.
I'm kind of busy.
Everything okay?
Yeah, it's all good.
I'll see you later.
You know that
he's proud of you.
- Yeah.
- He's just...
He's just going through a lot
right now.
I mean, imagine losing
your company, your pension,
and your wife
all back to back.
Also, it's the first Christmas
without mom, so.
But she would have been
all over you.
"Oh! My little munchkin.
Businesswoman.
Buttercup."
What's
he so busy doing out there?
No idea.
Every time I ask he just
says he's sorting stuff out.
Always the organizer,
I suppose
He's not even joining us
for dinner?
I offered.
But anyway, thank you
for coming home early.
So, tell me about this flip.
What do I need to know
about the property?
Are you hungry?
We should eat.
Aren't these?
Yeah.
Mom loved this set.
I'm trying to carry
on her traditions.
Dinner!
Well, did you tell her?
- Not yet.
- Claire!
She needs to know.
This is kind of a big wrinkle
we need to have
- ironed out.
- I know. I just.
I haven't found the right time
to tell her.
I'll tell her over dinner.
Okay great.
So she's going to be selling
like a thousand condo units.
Well, 100, actually.
Still, that's a big deal.
I don't know how you handle
that kind of workload.
You must be exhausted.
Well,
it's like Dad always says,
"You don't stop
when you're tired.
You stop when you're done."
Done what?
- Pardon?
- You stop when you're done what?
Well, I guess
whatever it is
that you're doing.
Great Grandpa Frank used to
always tell us to stop and smell
- stuff.
- Flowers.
Stop and smell the flowers.
Oh, right. So, was Great Grandpa
Frank wrong?
No, no--
Great Grandpa Frank wasn't wrong
and neither is your Aunt Abby.
Everybody sees things differently.
That's it.
I'm sorry again about Frank.
He was quite the character,
a real fixture
in the community.
We'll show you
the house in the morning,
and hopefully
it'll be a quick flip
so we can get the profit
to build an extension
on this house,
which we desperately need.
Frank would loved knowing
how much this is going to help
our family.
Well, I'm sure
it'll be quick and simple.
I think this
could use a little cheese.
Who wants Parmesan?
- Me!
- Okay.
Wow. The porch is huge.
You still haven't told her.
I couldn't find the right time.
He's going to be here
any minute.
Beautiful. Really well-kept.
Frank loved this place,
it was his pride and joy.
But he was 104,
so the interior is a little
dated.
Okay, well, cosmetic
touch ups are my thing.
We're only an hour
from downtown,
so that means the property
values here are set to take
off. He'll turn a sweet profit.
Hey, Bo.
- What's he doing here?
- I'm so sorry, Abby.
I couldn't find the right time
to tell you this.
Tell me what?
The house wasn't exactly left
to just John.
He's a co-beneficiary.
The other half of the house
was left
to Frank's contractor, Bo.
And he doesn't want to sell.
He wants to turn into a bed
and breakfast.
What? He left it
to his handyman?
So it's not as simple--
I wanted to tell you last
night, but I chickened out.
We're hoping that once you do
your flipping magic,
that Bo will see
how much money
we can all get for the house.
And he'll be on board
to sell and split the money.
- Claire!
- This for all of us, Abby.
But mostly, it's for Dad.
Abigail. This is Bo.
Well, hello again.
- Again?
- Wait?
You two know each other?
No, he just gave me the
runaround at the coffee shop.
Okay, well, technically,
it was
you couldn't just relax and wait
a few minutes for a coffee.
I'm not here to relax.
I'm here to flip this house
and help my family.
Is that why you asked me here?
Look, I'm sorry that you made
the trip for nothing, okay?
Maybe
come back after the holidays
and you can stay here
when it's a bed and breakfast.
Oh, no, that's okay.
I prefer to stick around
and sell this place.
Bo, we know Frank loved you.
And we love you, too.
But we're stretched
to the max.
We need to sell this home
and give our family a house
we can live in.
You know, my dad's
living with us now.
I know. I know.
I totally get it.
But I also know
that this place would serve
the community best
as a B and B.
Is it an option to buy John
and Claire out of their half?
I can't swing it.
All my money's tied up keeping
my business afloat.
And we're living paycheck
to paycheck.
- Oh, boy.
- Look.
Frank lived here to 104
with my help, okay?
And I know that he would want
this place for people
visiting Granbury,
especially over the holidays.
I think he would have wanted
his immediate family
- to be comfortable.
- Okay.
We need to figure out
what we're going
to do with this house
and bickering
isn't
going to get us anywhere.
All right.
So what do you suggest?
Maybe
we solve this the way
we solve things with our kids.
- Excuse me?
- Your kids?
Whenever our kids
have a problem
that they can't figure out,
we put them
in their room together
so that they can focus
and work it out.
I do not follow.
Look, whether this place gets
flipped or turned into a B and B
the house is still going to need
some sprucing up. Agreed?
- Yes, but--
- Agreed.
So. with Abigail as our proxy,
the two of you can work
in the house
getting it ready together
while coming to an agreement
and working out
your differences.
- Guys, I don't have time.
- Please.
Frank had the biggest heart
of anyone you ever met.
I know he'd want us
to find a happy compromise.
Okay,
- Sure.
- Yes!
Well, we should probably.
Just leave you two to it.
Don't go.
Follow me.
Okay, so normally
this would be all decked out
for the holidays,
but Frank got sick--
Hold on.
And I need condo floorplans
in the different unit
sizes, period.
Thanks, period.
- Sorry. Work stuff.
- Ah.
There's so much space here.
I'd love to extend
this vestibule
and create
a nice transition area
for when the new homeowner
walks in.
And I think
the guests at the B and B
would probably prefer it
to be an open space
like it is now,
you know, easier for them
to set their luggage down
and settle in,
maybe a little table
with some treats or even
a little check-in podium.
Oh, this isn't so bad.
I can just tear
the wallpaper off in here.
Oh, and in here.
And repaint the rooms
to revitalize
the entire space.
New buyers love that.
You know who else loves that?
People checking into a newly
renovated bed
and breakfast.
But I can repaint the trim here.
That would look good.
Okay, and for the stairs,
we can just rip up
these carpet
thingies and
refinish the treads.
Totally change the entire
entryway for the new buyer.
Fresh, shiny, new staircase.
Except for the fact that
the guests at the B and B
would probably prefer
the feeling of soft,
warm carpet under their feet
as they mosey on up to bed.
Instead of, you know,
cold, hard wooden floors.
Are you kidding me?
You've got a problem
with hardwood.
Are you kidding?
You have something
against carpeting.
And this
guy's definitely got to go.
That is art.
So what now?
Well, we both agree
it could use a new paint job, right?
- Sure. Agreed.
- Great.
I think a soft beige colour
might be nice.
I prefer red, it's more festive.
Okay.
You know,
this has been delightful.
I need to get back to my shop,
so why don't we just pick
this up in a few days?
A few days?
No, I'm on a very tight--
Timeline.
Lean your ear this way
That's great, Jessica. Thanks.
Tell them if they can't get
the marble backsplash,
just go with the ceramic tiles.
Less expensive
and it has the same effect.
Yeah, great!
Oh, and one more thing, Jessica.
I'm going to be
selling a house here soon, so
I need you to do a marketplace analysis
on the residential properties
in Brenbury.
Yep, okay. Eight
bedroom Victorian.
Consider it done.
Hey, it sounds
very festive there.
Where are you?
I don't know.
But if I see an elf
I'm coming home early.
Got to go.
I was just on the phone
with my assistant.
Sorry.
Getting my ducks
in a row for the flip.
Sorry. What was that?
I wasn't listening.
Oh, okay.
I've got something
I want to show you.
Oh, no, not. Not, not,
not, not there.
Not there.
Here.
Anyway,
I put this together so
you can see the transformation
and see its potential.
Okay.
I think it's going to change
your mind.
Now, watch this.
See how removing a wallpaper
and the carpet
on the stairs
brighten up the space.
And then when you add curtains
to the windows,
pretty cool, huh?
Renovations are about hammers
and nails and blisters.
Not video cartoons.
Now, let me show you
what I've been working on
so you
can get an idea of my vision.
So this is where the sign is
going to go in the front lawn.
And then just the inside.
It looks the same.
It sure does.
Except
now it's a bed and breakfast.
Are you familiar with the idea
of leaving well enough alone?
Listen, Bo. Imagine
a new young family is looking
for their forever home.
They walk
into a beautiful vestibule.
And as the kids race upstairs
to see what the bedrooms look like,
the happy
couple hug each other
knowing they have finally
found their forever home.
Okay. Nice.
Imagine this.
It's Christmas time.
A family decides
to take a break
from their hectic lives
and bring their children to
a quaint bed and breakfast.
The snow
crunches under their feet
as they walk up the front steps.
They can feel the stress
melting away as they walk
into the open space
in the front lobby.
There's a fireplace
in the corner,
a beautiful Christmas tree
next to it,
and our friendly staff
bring them
warm cups of eggnog
as they settle in
and join the rest of our
guests in festive activities.
You are impossible.
Where are you going?
I've got errands
to run, deliveries to make.
Not all of us can sit around
all day and watch cartoons.
We haven't even talked about
paint colours.
I'll meet you at the hardware
store first thing tomorrow.
Don't be late.
It's just not a very
welcoming shade.
Red makes me think of a stop
sign or do not enter.
Red makes me think of high
blood pressure.
Okay, you know what else red
is the color of?
- Please don't say Santa--
- Santa Clause! Okay?
Beige? Beige is so
dull and boring, beige
is the color of a rock or dry
sand or oatmeal.
Oh, beige
is the color of oatmeal.
Hey, oatmeal is very healthy.
Here, give it here.
Oh, Abigail Jones?
You know,
believe it or not, I'm not
actually at my desk right now.
If you send...
Sorry. Yeah, I'm
just at a construction site.
Bo!
Hey, Ella! How's it going?
Good.
Can I put in a request?
Sure. What do you got?
Absolutely.
What was that all about?
Oh, that was just
a work thing.
Hey, guys. Bo.
You just missed Clarence.
He was in here boasting
about all the work
you did to fix his shed.
No more raccoons?
Not a creature stirring.
- Not even a mouse, huh?
- Nope.
What can I get for you guys?
Uh, coffee?
Yes, please.
You want oat
milk in it, city girl?
Very funny.
Two festive cinnamon
coffees, please.
- Chloe.
- Oh, no. Sorry.
Just a regular black
coffee for me.
Okay, no problem.
And you can put your money away.
It's the least that I can do
for you.
Fixing the coffee
shop sign for me.
Come on.
The sign was on the house or
above the
house or something like that.
I'm paying
and there's an argument.
Okay?
I'll be over here.
He's something, isn't he?
He certainly is.
Thanks for the coffee.
You're welcome.
You were like Mr.
Popularity in there, huh?
Oh, what can I say?
It's a community
full of people
with really great taste.
Right.
So you're like a
jack of all trades
kind of guy?
Master of none.
Yeah, I saw your
pencil drawings.
Ouch.
Well played.
What's that all about?
- What's what all about?
- That.
That's got to be like
75 acres of open land.
90, actually.
It was left to the community
a few years ago
by one of the residents.
Now it's up for sale,
which is too bad,
hoping someone will just
leave it as is.
Or we built a church or a
community centre for the kids.
- Work.
- Of course.
Hey, Jessica, how's it going?
Good. I have those
numbers for you.
Okay, so based on comparable
eight bedroom
Victorian listings
in the area,
it's even more than we thought.
Wow. That's fantastic.
Nice work.
Yeah, It's
a really quaint neighborhood.
I think this flip will do well.
There's even a massive piece
of land for sale
that they might build
a community centre
on, which would also help
the market value.
Wow. That's
almost big enough for--
Sorry, Jessica,
I got to go,
but I'll call you later.
Hello?
Is this DevaCore?
Yeah, I'd like to speak to
Antonio, please.
This is Abigail
Jones's office calling.
Okay.
This shouldn't be too hard.
Yeah.
FYI,
I do this for a living,
so you might want to watch
and learn.
There's a specific technique
to using a roller.
You can't just be all willy
nilly with your strokes.
- There's a method to it.
- I see.
May I?
- Sure.
- Great.
Thank you.
So you mean something like.
I don't know.
This?
What?
I can't believe you just did that.
It looks good. Wow.
Okay, well,
better on me, than
on the wall.
What are you doing?
What? Nothing.
Don't even think about it.
- What?
- We're even now.
- It's over.
- Even? We're not even.
We have a lot of work to do.
Okay, that's it.
You're toast.
- I am toast, you know why?
- Why?
Because beige
is the color of dry toast.
Okay, okay. Truce, truce.
Oh, truce, sure.
Come on, we had a truce!
Get back here!
You should fix that.
Excuse me, sir.
I was hoping
I could talk to you about
taking a couple of days off
over Christmas.
Blair, what do you think
about DevaCore
expanding
outside of the downtown core?
Oh, well,
that is pretty risky, sir.
We've established such a great
track record here.
We'd be better off
sticking with what
we know rather
than taking any chances.
Now about Christmas?
What about Brenbury?
Who-bury?
We should probably rethink this.
Yeah.
It's less festive,
more circus.
Maybe we should, uh.
I don't know,
get lunch and try again later.
You mean together
or do you mean you go
get lunch and I go get lunch
and then we meet back later?
Well, I mean,
we both have to eat, right?
So I just thought maybe we'd
get lunch together, but
I did, whatever you think.
Doesn't matter to me.
No. Yeah, that.
That would be good.
I'm just going to,
I just need to run home and
change into something
a little less splattered.
Right. Yeah.
You know, it's a shame.
if you want to meet outside,
Java Dreams in an hour,
I know a place near there
where we could go?
- Great.
- Great.
The Nightmare
Before Christmas.
What happened to you?
You should see the other guy.
Things got a little out of
hand at the house.
I'll say.
You look like you got into a
painful fight with Santa's elves
and lost.
What's happening out here?
Well, he's
trying to figure out
which bulb is causing
the whole thing not to work.
I think he's just lost
without Mom
and his career.
Yeah.
I get that.
Okay,
I'm going to shower quick and
then go grab a bite with Bo.
Well, you'll have to wait
because John's in the shower.
Oh, okay.
Because we only have one bathroom.
Right.
Because our house
is too small.
Got it.
So small that Dad has to live
in the garage.
And I'm sleeping on the couch.
I got it. I promise I'll
flip this property ASAP.
Can I help you with all this?
Yes, please.
- What?
- Nothing.
Just this kind of mess
would drive me crazy.
Oh. I know.
You were the kid who had to
have everything neat and tidy.
Just a certain way.
Just like Dad.
I always admired his
efficiency and organization.
I remember Christmas mornings.
Mom would sit in her
chair, smiling ear to ear,
watching you
because you insisted on
being the one to
hand out the gifts
from under the tree.
And nobody was allowed
to start opening
until we all had
our own little piles.
And then everybody went one
at a time, one by one.
The whole thing took forever.
I like things
to be organized.
And I like to see
what other people get.
Why, how do you guys do
it?
- Six minutes. Start to finish.
- What? No.
Our record is
actually four minutes.
It was like a wrapping paper tsunami.
You, Mom and Dad
used to come over post
frenzy and miss the chaos.
I think you and Dad are
in for a shocker this year.
You were just as
bad as me when we were kids.
Okay, maybe not as bad, but
you were a control freak, too.
Well, I think we came by it, honestly.
Mom and Dad were all about
keeping order in their house.
Wait. So then how did you break
that habit?
You seem totally fine
with all this chaos.
Well,
early in our relationship,
John picked me up for a date
wearing a t-shirt
that said, "Relax.
Nothing is under control."
I thought it was funny
at first, but
it started
this whole talk about
letting go and just working
with what life throws at you.
That's John's
philosophy, and it's
one of the reasons
why I fell in love with him.
And once
I wrapped my mind around it,
the stress just melted away.
Everything
felt easier and happier.
And that's how I
quit the whole control
freak thing.
That's amazing.
No, no, no, no, no, no.
I'm sorry.
The shark goes with the sea
creatures in the blue bin.
So it goes
birds in the purple,
mammals in the pink, reptiles,
obviously in the green.
And then the sea creatures
in the blue.
I'm a work in progress.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
You really meant it
when you said grab lunch, huh?
You're not a fan of the ho
ho hotdog?
- No.
- Oh.
Never had
cranberry sauce
on a hot dog before.
'Tis the season, remember?
I also had something
a little more seated
and heated in mind.
Right.
Well,
the owner of the food truck.
Had some medical issues.
So he could
really use the business.
Oh.
Speaking of business, can
you hold this for a second?
Yeah.
Text Jessica.
Hey, Jess how are the DevaCore
pre-sale meetings going?
Question mark.
Let's make sure
they're afternoon meetings
delete, delete, delete,
morning meetings.
Period. Thanks. Period.
I think you might
have gotten an exclamation
mark in there
somewhere, period.
- Thank you.
- You're welcome.
I can't believe that land
is just sat empty.
There's so many things that
could have filled that space.
Yeah, but why?
I mean, what's
wrong with the way it is now?
It's peaceful,
serene, stress free.
You know, not everything
in life is about bigger,
better, faster, wealthier.
But it is about progress.
That's how you get to the top.
My dad always says, "You don't
stop when you're tired.
You stop when you're done."
Kind of a
tradition that stuck with me.
Hey, speaking of tradition,
there's something
I could use an
extra pair of hands
with if you're up for it.
It won't take long.
- Now?
- Please?
All right.
What's the harm?
Yeah.
Christmas tree park.
Close. Christmas tree farm.
Frank and I would come here
every holiday season.
We'd get two trees,
one for his place
and the other to donate to a
local Christmas charity drive.
Christmas is all
about traditions.
Where do you get your tree
from?
From the box
in my storage room.
What? No, seriously?
- A fake tree?
- Yeah.
It's esthetically perfect,
and I can control the design--
But you don't get the smell of
an evergreen
on Christmas morning.
Oh, yes, I do.
- There's a spray for that.
- A spray?
What? It lets me control
the ambiance.
The ambiance? Yeah, right.
This is beautiful.
Yeah,
It's a remembrance tree.
And the idea is that
people will donate
to the Brenbury
Christmas Charity Fund.
They'll take an
ornament, they'll
write the name of a loved one
that they've lost and
hang it up to honour
their memory.
I love that.
It was planted
almost twenty years ago.
By Frank.
You made all these?
Yeah.
Well, I mean, the community
makes the memories.
I just make the ornaments.
All right, let's go
cut down
a Christmas tree, huh?
- What?
- Now remember,
Don't stop when you're tired.
Stop when you're done.
Very funny.
But you're going to do
the actual cutting, right?
Okay,
so the key to a good Christmas
tree is the height to density ratio.
Oh. Are you a tinsel person?
Tinsel?
No, tinsel
is way too messy for me.
Oh, you smell that?
I love that smell.
You know,
this farm has been here
for almost 200 years.
Oh, hey.
You see that wooded area
over there?
That is part of the vacant
lot for sale.
It's a habitat
for deer, foxes, rabbits.
Very cool.
- It's so close to the city.
- Yeah.
Schools will hold
outdoor classes there.
They'll try to teach kids
to appreciate nature.
You know, maybe ween them off
their obsession
with cell phones.
I'll just
get that later.
Yeah.
Oh, hey, that one's perfect.
Oh, yeah, Yeah.
This one is perfect.
I mean,
I don't know about perfect.
It looks a little crooked,
and there's a big hole
where the branches
are supposed to be.
Oh, come on.
It's only uneven
because some of the
branches are covered in snow.
Speaking of which.
Don't you even think about it?
- Don't you dare!
- This is also
part of the tradition.
Game on!
You're going to have to do
better than that.
You missed!
Hey, you're not getting
away that easy!
Think I might!
You're quite the outdoorsman.
My mother was a lumberjack.
- Really?
- No. She was a lumber-jill.
My mom would have loved it here.
Oh, you should
bring her next year.
That might be tricky.
She passed away.
I'm so sorry.
First Christmas without her,
She just got really sick.
And then...
It's been really hard
without her.
Hey, you know, the cool thing
about cutting down a tree?
Is that you get to take away
the part that's above ground
that you've
been looking at for years.
But the roots still remain.
All the memories
and the DNA of the tree
become a part of the earth
so it never really goes away.
I think this might be
our tree.
Right. Our tree.
Okay, I've never actually cut
down a tree before, so
I wouldn't know
where to start.
The trunk.
Seems right.
Okay. So just...
Here, here.
Easy. You're not fighting
the tree, okay?
You just keep it flat
and straight,
back and forth.
Slowly but surely,
the tree will start to tip over.
It gets easier and easier, okay?
Yeah, and then, uh.
Maybe we'll just take turns.
Sure.
- You go first.
- Okay.
Don't hit the sides.
- You got it?
- I got it.
- Don't worry.
- I'm going to return the saw,
and then I'll meet you
back at the truck?
Okay.
Technically,
I got it down.
Okay technically,
it was already leaning.
And you just got, like,
the last little--
That's all that matters. Secondly,
I'm the one who
got it down.
Where have you two been?
We went to a Christmas tree park.
- Farm.
- Farm, Christmas tree farm.
and a snowball fight broke out.
- Which she started.
- I did not!
You made the first snowball
and also made that look.
- What look?
- This look.
- That look?
- Mm-hmm.
I do not make that look. And you
threw the first one.
Self-defence!
Totally self-defence.
- I almost lost an eye.
- He's kidding.
I took off
and then he chased me.
- And then I caught her.
- I slowed down for you.
Anyway, we found this huge
Christmas tree.
It's only about eight feet tall,
it's not that huge.
And I cut it down.
- Well, we...
- Okay, we.
- We cut it down.
- Thank you.
And then we lugged it
three miles all the way
- to Bo's truck.
- It wasn't three miles.
It was three miles.
It was a long time.
- And I carried it.
- Did you?
- All by myself.
- Really?
- No help.
- That's how you remember it?
Yeah.
Wow. That was
quite the adventure.
Yeah.
So where's, uh.
Where's John?
He's watching the game
in the living room.
Maybe I'll pop in and say a
quick hello before I take off.
Oh, really?
I mean, I mean, yeah,
we should.
Yeah.
I'll see you in the morning.
In the morning?
- In the morning. Yeah.
- First thing.
We still have
a lot of work to do.
We sure do.
So I will see you
in the morning.
See you tomorrow.
Is there something
brewing between you and Bo?
What? Brewing?
No, no. I don't have time for
that kind of distraction.
Things with work are going too,
going too well to,
you know.
Yeah, totally not distracted.
Oh, shoot.
I forgot this was on vibrate.
Okay, I need to
take this somewhere private.
Hey, Antonio.
Sorry, I'm just working
on some closet designs.
I've been trying to get a hold
of you for a few hours now.
So tell me about this
parcel land for sale.
Excuse me? What parcel?
What parcel?
I got a call from your assistant
today telling me that
there's a huge piece of land
for sale in Brenbury.
Oh, that.
That was just something
I mentioned in passing.
You know, I think
expanding outside
the city core is the way to go.
Really? No.
I think Brenbury is too
small potatoes for a company
like DevaCore.
You should really just
focus on--
I just closed a deal
with a coffee chain.
I think putting one of those
coffee shops in a new condo
development
outside the downtown core
would show growth potential.
Well,
unfortunately, Brenbury
already has a coffee shop
and this little community
is really not big
enough for two coffee shops.
Exactly.
It's an upgrade.
This is a huge opportunity.
We can start there
and expand our way
through the rest of Brenbury.
Just think about your sales opportunities
if we gentrify
an entire municipality.
Gentrify? Antonio,
that is that is a lot of uprooting.
Like you said
got a break
a few eggs to make an omelet.
Wait. Hello? Hello?
Yeah, we were
hoping for a better season.
You know,
that's the way it goes.
Yeah, yeah, I know
what you mean.
I am so sorry.
I had no idea that this wasn't
something that you wanted
and that it would
cause problems.
Hang on a second, Jess.
- Thanks, Chloe.
- No problem. Hey.
If you're free tonight,
I'm having a girls night
at my place.
Sugar cookies, eggnog,
Christmas movies.
It'll be fun! Want to come?
That sounds so fun,
but unfortunately,
things are a little hectic
at work right now, so I can't.
- But thank you.
- No worries.
Next time.
Yes. I know
your intentions were good,
but you got to check with me
first on these things.
Okay?
I'm sure Antonio is just
spitballing this whole thing.
Let's not panic.
Hello!
I'm gonna
have to call you back.
Wait! But I--
Hey, Blair, what a surprise.
You know, I got a bit
of a bone to pick with you.
- Oh?
- I knew from everyone
raving about you
that you'd be good.
But apparently you're too good.
You lost me.
Antonio is so keen
on this gold mine
you found that
my Puerto Vallarta plans
might be going Adios.
Oh, I don't know if I would
call Brenbury a gold mine.
But I suppose
bring you in does
make me look like a superstar.
Anyway, I'm
doing a valuation of the area
so Antonio can make
an official offer.
Wow, that was quick.
Isn't it something
to mull over first?
Antonio is not a muller.
He's a pouncer.
That's why
he loves the holiday season.
I don't follow.
He knows that
everybody is distracted
by all this sensitive, gushy
Christmas stuff
and their guard is down.
That's when he swoops in
and grabs deals.
That's strategic.
Yeah. Yeah.
This place any good?
- Yeah, it's actually really--
- Great. Hey!
I'm going to get a decaf
peppermint mocha.
Half sweet, no whip,
no foam, extra hot. Pick me up.
And congrats.
We're going to be rich.
- Hey.
- Hey.
You okay?
You seem a little distracted.
No, I'm fine.
I'm just tired.
Thanks.
Sorry, I almost forgot.
Yeah, about that. I should,
I should explain.
It kind of has
sentimental value.
So I was actually married
when I was younger.
Too young, really.
Oh, so this was her chair?
No, no, no, no, no, no.
Not that.
I was.
I was really crushed
when she left.
And I guess
it kind of triggered
this whole abandonment thing
because my dad left
when I was a little kid
and I didn't
have anyone to turn to.
And I kind of fell
into this dark stage
in my life.
- So no Christmas music?
- No.
No Christmas music.
It was actually Frank
who pulled me out of it.
Frank?
Yeah.
He kind of became the father
I never had.
Took me under his wing and
helped me understand
why sometimes bad things
happen to good people.
And as I got older,
he encouraged me
to follow my passion
for woodworking,
even cosigned the loan
that helped me open this place
so I could help people
in the community.
After my marriage
fell apart he
was right there to pick up
the pieces.
I made these two chairs
for us, and every morning
we would sit in his porch
we'd sip our coffees
and we talk about life
and just
wave at passers by.
It' s where he helped me
figure my life out.
Silly, right?
They're just chairs.
No, I think it's beautiful.
Frank, used to have this quote,
it would help me see things
more positively.
He'd say,
"Don't cry because it's over.
Smile because it happened."
That's really nice.
Who wrote that?
Walt Whitman?
It's Dr. Seuss, actually.
Dr. Seuss? Really? Huh.
Anyway,
we should get back to work.
Yeah.
Let me show you this.
Oh, boy.
Another cartoon, maybe we should
go make some popcorn.
Oh, very funny.
Just look.
Hey, Dad,
you got a second?
Sure.
I got a lot of them.
Make yourself useful.
I'm trying to figure out
this work-life situation,
and I'm kind of stuck between
a rock and a hard place.
That's no fun.
Everything feels
complicated and conflicting.
Like I know what
the smart business move is, but
now there's this other voice
in my head
that's starting to nag at me.
I don't
know what the right move is.
Did you
ever have that struggle
when you were working?
Well, sure.
When I was a younger man,
I just would put my head down
and push through
whatever or whoever
was causing the problem,
get my business
goals in place.
I know.
"Don't stop when you're tired.
- Stop when you're done."
- Yeah.
Yeah, about that.
You know, your mother used to
put all these decorations up.
I know.
It wasn't exactly your thing.
No, I was always rushing to meetings,
closing deals,
trying to reach
some sort of brass ring.
She would just smile,
and hum a Christmas carol,
and happily go about making our
home look so...
After she put these up,
people would walk by the house
and admire it.
Comment on the,
on the Christmas colours,
how they were perfectly hung
and made our house
look so warm and friendly.
But nobody saw
the complicated mess
before they went up.
Nobody ever saw the homeowners
scratching their heads
and trying
to figure out the puzzle
and the hopelessness
of it all.
Okay.
It's all about perspective.
The holding in your mind's
eye what really matters
in the end,
sometimes things happen
that are beyond your control
and that can knock
the wind out of you.
I lost someone
that meant the world to me.
But if I just think of her smile
and hear her
humming "Silent Night",
then suddenly a tangled mess
becomes more manageable.
Don't bulldoze
your way through life
like I did.
Find that part of your problem
that means the most to you
and focus on that.
I miss her too, Dad.
Okay,
let's go to the house.
I made some Christmas cookies.
You did?
Claire just made a batch.
I love your sister,
but I'm not really
a gingerbread
kind of guy.
See, this alone will add value.
To people
checking into the B and B.
I know.
You know
that wall is mostly beige,
and the red on the bottom
is just an accent colour.
So technically, I won.
Whatever you
gotta tell yourself.
Okay, so be honest.
Why the B and B obsession?
You can't tell me that
changing bed sheets
and baking
muffins is your true calling.
Frank spent 104 years
loving life here,
and people will tell you
that he was the cornerstone
of the community.
But it wasn't just him.
It was this house.
He hosted Boy Scout meetings
here, annual
Christmas cookie exchanges,
dinners for people
who had nowhere else to go.
This place was somewhere
where you could slow down
and really connect with what
actually matters in life.
And opening a B and B
for visitors to do
the same is exactly
what Frank would have wanted
and what this place
still needs.
I know he would have wanted it
to continue
to be something special and
so do I.
Oh.
Hey, um.
I know it's pretty late, but,
you want to grab
something to eat?
I'm familiar with your dining
preferences and I have a strict
no ho ho hotdogs
before bed policy.
Besides, I've got some work
I've got to catch up on.
Right, yeah. Work.
Some other time, then.
Yeah,
another time.
I swear I never intended
for any of this to happen
when I mentioned it
to Jessica.
And now Antonio wants to buy
the lot and gentrify the area.
It's just so funny.
All these years
I've come to visit you.
I never spent
any time in your community.
I see why you love it,
but I don't know what to do.
Do I tell Bo now?
Do I not tell Bo?
Oh, I feel sick about what
I've done.
Abby.
I think you
have feelings for Bo.
No.
No. Okay, maybe. Yes.
Maybe I have feelings for him.
And maybe I just destroyed
his entire life
and ruined everyone's
Christmas.
My string of lights
are so tangled.
Well,
you lost me with that one.
Well I tried to ask
Dad for business
advice, but,
you know, instead, he just.
He tries to be all stoic.
I think he really regrets what
he sacrificed for his career.
Things he'll never get back.
I can't make the same mistake
as him, Claire.
I have to figure out a way
to fix this.
It's okay.
We can figure it out together.
I mean, one of the perks
of living in a small community
is that you know everyone.
And I
just so happen to know
the mayor.
Well, technically,
I take yoga with his wife,
but close enough.
Thank you.
And you're okay with how
this might affect
your big work deal?
Well no, I mean, I haven't even
really thought that far.
You should get some sleep.
Everything is clear
in the morning.
Hey, did you know that Bo
used to be a bit of a rebel
when he was younger,
and he went through
a dark period?
I did.
Amazing how
some people can change, huh?
Did you want
me to turn out the lights?
No, it's okay.
I still have some work
I got to do.
- Okay. Good night.
- Good night.
So we explain the situation
to the mayor
and ask him to put a.
stop to the sale of the land.
Right.
What's wrong?
You seem nervous.
I thought presenting
was your thing?
It is.
You know, it's
just not usually
to Santa.
You'll be fine. Let's go.
Morning Mayor Kumar!
Ah, Claire.
Cathy says you weren't at yoga
this morning.
Well, my downward
dog needed a cat nap.
- This is my sister, Abby.
- Hey! How are ya?
Mr. Mayor. Your Honour.
Is it your Honour?
Sir Santa? Nope.
That doesn't sound right.
- Mayor Kumar is fine.
- Great.
Mayor Kumar, I understand that
DevaCore has put in an offer
to buy that vacant
lot here in Brenbury.
Yes. How did you find that out?
Well, that
doesn't really matter.
If they buy that land,
they're going
to put in a big high rise
condo with coffee
chains and box stores.
That's called investing money
into our community.
That's a good thing.
They will come in and bulldoze
through everything.
They will heartlessly rip
the roots of this town
up the ground and completely
change the way of life here.
DevaCore
will gentrify the entire area.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Who said anything
about gentrification?
The CEO of DevaCore.
Look at this.
This is Brenbury now
full of shops,
parks, food truck,
the Christmas tree farm.
- Fred's barber shop.
- Fred.
I've been going to Fred
for 35 years.
This community is so warm
and welcoming.
Everyone's
in the Christmas spirit.
So stress free.
But DevaCore
will change it
to this fast food franchises.
Tree farms turn to parking
lots, overpriced coffee
chains, box stores,
super clubs hair cutters.
Bye bye, Fred.
I understand.
But it's about balancing
budgets and allocating funds.
Running a municipality
is about fixing roads,
collecting garbage,
shoveling sidewalks
and keeping
the Christmas lights on.
This deal will provide
an influx of funds and
relieve the pressure.
However,
this is
not what I had in mind.
Okay.
I'll take it under advisement.
Now, if you'll excuse me,
I have a toy
drive to tend to.
One of the perks of the job.
Of course.
Thank you for your time.
Thank you, Mayor Kumar.
Gee, you did it!
We'll see.
The mayor is a smart guy.
He'll do the right thing.
Now, I am kid
free for the morning.
So let's go do something
fun and kidless.
Okay.
You want to see how the house
is coming along?
Yes, yes.
Yes, I do.
Wow. This is incredible.
It, it is.
Where did all this stuff
come from?
This is all the furniture
I wanted.
The walls are beige and red.
Why are you surprised?
I thought the two of you
worked on this together.
We did, but not, not all this.
This is so...
Festive.
Our tree.
Santas, not so little helper.
Hey, hey, hi, hey.
How did you?
What time is it?
- 10:30.
- A.M.?
Did you do all this?
Oh, yeah. I, uh.
I guess I got a
little carried away.
I mean, it took her
two colours and made them work
so well together last night.
I just figured I'd keep going.
And maybe add little holiday spirit.
Too much?
No, no, it all looks amazing.
I'm just surprised
because the accents,
the furniture, pieces,
these were all my choices.
Really? Wow. Yeah.
Look at that.
I guess you got pretty good
taste then.
- Thank you.
- Yeah.
I mean, your work
ethic is a little
questionable,
but your taste is--
Excuse me?
I'm just saying I was here
working all night.
You were out gallivanting.
Gallivanting? Where have I
been gallivanting in Brenbury?
Brenbury is very gallivant-able.
- Trust me. Yeah.
- Is it?
Anyway,
it looks like you two
have the place almost ready
for what exactly?
- A sale.
- B and B.
Super. Okay, well,
I still have a few hours of me
time before I have
to go back to the circus.
So I'm going to go
do some last-minute shopping.
Countdown
to Christmas morning chaos.
I will leave you two to it.
Look this all looks amazing
and you did great.
But I still think flipping
this place--
Just maybe it'd be best if we
talked it out over dinner.
Like a date?
No, not a date.
A date date?
More like a, like a business
date thing.
Will we be sitting when we eat?
Don't push your luck.
It's pretty amazing, huh?
It's breathtaking.
So peaceful.
And it never gets old.
Is that
downtown over the tree line?
Yeah.
I love the core.
The bright lights,
where all the action is.
If you ask me,
that's
where all the action is.
Something
the urbanites can't see.
What do you mean?
Well,
despite being too preoccupied
and distracted
to actually look up and gain
some perspective,
all the lights ruin
the opportunity.
They miss out
on the beauty of life.
The brighter the skyline,
the dimmer the stars.
That's beautiful.
Dr. Seuss?
No, it's an original
wrote it myself, actually.
Should put that on a T-shirt,
sell it online.
Wow, always
looking to make a profit,
huh Jones?
Don't shortchange downtown life.
There's a certain energy
and pace to it
that can be invigorating.
Although,
I'm starting
to see the appeal here.
Thank you
for all your hard work and
showing me what life
in Brenbury is like.
Yeah, my pleasure.
I'm really glad you came.
I'm so sorry.
I thought I turned that off.
Just, oh boy.
Would you kill me
if I got this?
It'll be super quick,
I promise.
I think I know
what he's going to say.
I just want to hear it
in real time.
- Really?
- Two seconds.
Don't go anywhere.
Hey, Antonio.
Look, I know it's late,
but I just want to let
you know that our offer to buy
the Brenbury property
was declined.
Oh, no,
that's too bad.
I'm sorry.
So, I had to add another
ten percent to the offer,
and he jumped at it.
We got it, Abigail.
I'll be there day after
tomorrow to sign the deal.
That is so great.
I can't believe it either.
Congratulations to you, too.
Yeah.
Hey. Everything okay?
Yeah. Yeah.
No. Totally great.
Huh? Oh, wow.
I'm actually
feeling pretty tired,
and I think
I should call it a night.
So if you want to just
scoot me home real quick,
that that would be great.
Hang on. Hang on.
What's going on?
Before I left the city,
I landed this
really big client.
They build condos
and housing developments.
It was a really big opportunity
that I was very excited about.
Was?
When you told me
about that land for sale
and how there might be
a new community centre
or a new church or something.
I mentioned the vacant
lot to my assistant,
a very matter of fact,
passing comment.
Totally harmless.
Go on.
She told
the guy who runs DevaCore,
and the next thing I knew,
he pounced on it and
made an offer to buy the land
and build condos on it.
And now I guess
the mayor accepted the offer.
Wait,
so your client is going
to build condos in Brenbury?
- For starters? Yes.
- For starters?
They're all about urbanization.
Eventually, they'll buy up
more land and build
high-rise buildings
and parking lots, and--
Please stop, stop, stop.
I'm so sorry, Bo.
You used me.
You just want some
big business deal.
So you used me to get to know Brenbury.
You don't care
what this place means to me.
You just, you just wanted
your hooks in the land.
No, no, no, no.
- It's not like that.
- Unbelievable.
I finally start to open up
and have feelings for someone.
You know, you're obviously
very good at what you do,
and I respect that. But,
at what price?
Good luck with your big deal.
I'll drive you home, but after
we finish flipping the house
then we should go
our separate ways.
- What's wrong?
- Well,
I just explained to Bo,
and I'm worse
than a home wrecker.
I'm an entire community wrecker.
And at Christmas.
His Majesty mayor rejected
the original offer,
but then accepted
a counteroffer.
They close the deal
in the morning.
Oh, shoot.
Bo hates me now,
so that's over.
And who can blame him?
I'm part of the problem.
and I've completely destroyed
his life in the process.
You know, you and I
were cut from the same cloth,
but we always saw
things a little differently.
You held
Dad in such high regard
and always wanted his approval
for your life choices.
But he's a different person
from a different time.
And maybe it's not our job
to achieve someone else's
happiness.
Come here. Come here.
Come on, come on, come on.
So a couple of years ago,
John was playing
Karate Kid with the boys.
The kids won,
and this door lost.
Dylan put his foot,
like right through it.
So we hired
Bo to build us a new door.
It's nice, huh?
It's a solid oak door
that's been painted.
It's fine.
Is there a point?
Fine? Come on.
Look at this.
He is quite the craftsman.
He put so much thought
into all of his work.
And I think the point is
that you should pay
more attention when you're
working in our guest office.
Because he carved this
beautiful saying on the back.
I think you found your new door.
- But how am I supposed to--
- Ow!
If these boys have been told
once they've been told
a million times, these animals
are kept in a specific place.
Boys,
come and put your toys away!
A fox can't just
live anywhere, you know?
- Hey!
- Jess? I need your help.
When I think about the time
when I was young
All I see is snow
Bells and mistletoes
All December I stay
home and pick my brain
Just to find a way
To make a Christmas day
So what do you think?
I'd like to see the property
before we sign.
Great.
It's just down the street.
A walk or a drive?
Oh, it's just a block.
Understood.
Oh, sir.
Right. Yeah. Driving.
I hope she likes it.
Excuse me? Hi.
What's happening here?
Oh, he does this
every year on the 24th.
The kids think he's
Santa's associate,
so they all place their orders
directly with him.
I'm not convinced
they're wrong.
He made Ella this
beautiful sled.
Merry Christmas.
So they'll just fly in here
and make it a little home.
There you are.
Merry Christmas.
You're amazing.
Sorry, I'm closing up.
I'm done,
by the way.
What, what's that
supposed to mean?
Like, "Don't stop
when you're tired.
Stop when you're done."
I'm done.
I realized there's,
there is no finish line.
It's just an endless,
exhausting race
with no substance.
That's great.
I'm happy for you, okay?
Now, if you don't mind.
It's because I found this
beautiful place
where everyone is so relaxed
and authentic and happy.
And I found.
I found you.
I found you, Bo.
I never meant
for any of this to happen.
Not the slip up
with my assistant,
not the land being bought,
and not these feelings
for you, but they did.
And now...
Now what?
Listen, I don't expect you to
forgive me or understand
any of this.
I just want you to know
how deeply sorry I am.
I'm gonna,
I'm going to go now and
try to fix this.
Or if I can't just
go back home.
Just please remember that
I'm so sorry.
Me too.
Welcome to Brenbury
and season's greetings.
Sorry, I lost track of time.
Just trying to make sure
the less fortunate kids
in the area get lots of love
from Santa, too.
Antonio is a very busy man,
so if you could just move
this along.
Yes, of course.
Your counter offer for this
one piece of property
was too good to resist.
Good then.
You have the cheque?
Yes, I sure do.
This will fix
a lot of potholes.
- Wait.
- Um, excuse me?
We're in the middle
of something here.
Abigail?
Antonio.
Blair.
Sorry, Mr. Mayor, but
looks like DevaCore can't
make this purchase after all.
- What?
- Excuse me?
This deal
has been eating away at me.
And then yesterday,
I remembered what Bo told me
about all the animals
that call that land home.
So I researched local Brenbury
bylaws and
I had my assistant
talk to the Department
of Environmental Protection,
and it turns out I was right.
This property qualifies as
environmentally protected land.
See now that it's owned
by Brenbury
and not owned privately,
it has to adhere
to these bylaws
and regulations.
Mayor Kumar. We had a deal.
It says right here.
"Pursuant to paragraph 26,
any development
or construction
on protected property
must be presented, voted on
and passed by the board
as per the bylaw regulations."
What? This is ridiculous.
However,
if we keep the protected land,
we can build this
great not-for-profit
community centre.
Huge benefits
for the residents.
There's a playground
for the kids.
Outdoor festival grounds.
Charity fundraisers,
Christmas fairs in the winter.
There's a castle and a chair
where you can play Santa.
Tourists coming in
from all over to help
support
local small businesses.
And while they're here,
they can stay at a quaint bed
and breakfast.
Well, this would be nice
for the community.
And yes,
there will be less money
in the bank at first,
but you'll be saving
the protected land
and you'll keep Brenbury, Brenbury.
Mayor Kumar.
We had a deal.
Bottles will have to wait.
She was your idea.
To be fair, college
was a very long time ago.
Hey, Antonio.
Remember in our first meeting
when you said I had a keen
eye and can see value where
others see nothing at all?
Well, you were right.
I've decided to re-imagine
my client base
and resign your account.
Merry Christmas.
You know what?
You will regret this.
Well, thank you, Miss Jones.
I guess your work here is done.
Not quite.
Hey. Oh.
Oh. Oh.
You scared me.
Sorry.
No, no, it's okay.
I was actually just
- going to come look for you.
- What?
Look,
I realize that none of this
is actually your fault, okay?
It was obviously an accident
that just snowballed
out of control.
And the truth is,
that meeting you
has changed everything for me.
It doesn't matter anymore.
Bo, it's over.
All right? Um.
It was nice getting to know you.
No, no, no.
The problem is over.
I killed the sale.
No more DevaCore.
- What? You're kidding.
- No.
No. I stopped the sale
and dropped them as a client.
Wait, so Brenbury
stays exactly as it is?
Well.
It's just missing
one more thing.
- What's that?
- A bed and breakfast.
Claire wants to know
how it went.
- Ah.
- Great.
Exclamation mark, exclamation
mark, exclamation mark.
Fill you in shortly.
Do you want to come with me
to tell my sister?
You betcha.
"I've reimagined my client
list."
- You actually. Said that?
- Sure did.
So you gave up that huge
account for Brenbury?
After consulting
with a very wise man
who lives in your guest house.
Garage.
Well, besides,
I think it was the lesser
of the two things
I could have lost.
Hey, I hate to throw a wrench
into the celebration,
but we still have issue
of the inheritance house.
Huh? Well, I think
we have a solution for that.
If we can get the bed
and breakfast ready
within the next
four to six weeks,
it could start to a profit
within two months.
You guys will be silent partners,
which would give you
an ongoing bump in monthly
income
to help with living expenses.
And in the meantime,
Bo has offered to donate
some of his time and labour
to doing renovations here
for the extension
and living space for Dad.
That's amazing. Thank you.
Thank you. Wow.
Ho ho ho. Ho ho.
Merry Christmas!
Santa!
Santa! Santa!
Hello, little ones!
Have you been good boys
this year?
- Yes.
- Yes.
It's debatable.
- Are you sure?
- Yes.
Here's one for you
and one for you.
Hurry inside
before you catch a chill.
Merry Christmas, Dad.
'Twas the night
before Christmas
with Edward in the garage
and all the festive joy
that he tried so hard
to dodge.
His dear wife passed,
leaving him alone
with his girls.
He realized he was missing out
on their world,
but with a little untangling
and opening his heart,
Edward gets to share
in a brand new start.
Your mother would be so proud
of you.
Both of you.
And I am, too.
I am going to get Santa
the most delicious
gingerbread.
Oh, yuck.
Good morning. You're up early.
All the Christmas gifts
get opened already?
- Just under three minutes.
- Really?
A new record and the craziest
thing I've ever seen.
Can I get you a hot chocolate?
No, I'm okay.
Just wanted to come by
and thank you.
Thank me?
But you didn't
get to flip this place.
True.
I did lose that,
but I found something bigger.
The real meaning of Christmas.
And I wanted to give you this.
You didn't have to.
It's nothing big. It's just
something I thought you'd like.
Okay, well,
should I open this now
or do you want to open this
first?
Oh, my gosh.
Really?
You first.
It's my mom's patterns.
- How did you--
- Claire sent me a picture.
What is it?
It's a, it's a case.
For your cell phone.
- It's engraved.
-"Call Bo."
Oh, exclamation mark.
I love it.
Thank you.
- Now it's your turn.
- Okay.
Frank.
It's for the tree.
Our tree.
So I don't really know
how to tell you this, but.
What kind of a B and B
are you running here?
I guess rules are rules.
Santa sure knows how to
pick his associates.
Merry Christmas, Abby.
Merry Christmas, Bo.
Okay. I know
exactly how to fix this.
Tear it down. No, no.
Just the wall between the
kitchen and the dining room.
Then add the marble tile
and the backsplash
behind the counter.
Added like $15K
to the asking price.
Oh, sorry. I got to
wrap this up.
I'm pitching a
new client shortly.
DevaCore. Thanks. Bye.
All set. Sparkling
water and chocolate
truffles are on the boardroom table.
Great. He's the CEO of DevaCore.
This is a really big deal.
Okay, let's stay focused.
He'll be here any minute.
How did you land this pitch, anyway?
My old college friend works there.
My sister's calling.
I'm going to take this.
You go ahead
and I'll be right behind you.
- Hey, Abby.
- Hey Claire.
Sorry to bug you, but we've got
a bit of a situation.
Whew! Endless energy,
these kids.
Oh, dad's fine.
In fact, he wants to say hi.
I gotta find the pliers.
Dad, it'll take two seconds.
Guys, I only have, like, a
minute before I have to go.
Hi, Abby.
I'm fine.
Your sister's got me
living in the guest house.
It's the garage, Dad.
I just try to stay
out of the way
while I get ready for Christmas.
I'm sure you're not in the way, Dad.
Listen, I'm just prepping for a meeting,
so you know how that goes.
Right.
Hello?
Sorry.
He's having a hard time
with Mom being gone.
Anyway, John and I
are in a bit of a bind,
and we could really use
your help.
Is there any chance
that you could come over
for the holidays
early, like tomorrow morning?
John's Grandpa Frank
passed away.
He was 104,
so we all saw it coming.
But Grandpa
Frank left John his home and
we take possession tomorrow
and we want to fix it up
and flip it.
which you are so good at.
And then with the extra money,
we want to build
an extension here
with an actual space for Dad.
Because right now, you know,
I love him to death,
but sometimes I could actually
love him to death.
Wow, that was a lot.
Let me see how today goes
and then I'll circle back.
But no promises. Okay?
Love you. Bye.
Antonio, this is the Abigail
Jones I've been telling you
all about.
Antonio,
very nice to meet you.
Thank you.
Blair has been singing
your praises.
Thank goodness
for social media,
because all you seem to
do is work these days.
It's a labour of love.
This is quite a nice office.
Beautifully done.
It's my home away from home.
I see you've met my assistant, Jessica.
I think you're going to love
the presentation
we've created for you.
I'm looking forward to it.
- Shall we?
- Please.
After you.
Hey, good luck.
You nail it,
you make me look like a hero.
Please don't mess this up.
Working
with an established company
like DevaCore
would be a perfect fit.
I owe a lot of my company's
success to my upbringing.
My mom loved interior design,
and my dad
always says, "You don't stop
when you're tired.
You stop when you're done."
Something we've taken on
as our motto here.
Which is why I've been able
to provide families
with beautiful homes
while always staying
focused on profit and ROI.
Impressive.
See? She is great.
I told you, I did tell you.
You know,
we have a lot in common.
You flip
houses only to recognize
something that lacks value,
and then you breathe
new life into it,
which is exactly what we do.
Only on a larger scale.
Yes, this is our new development,
The Luxadoor
100 luxury units.
The plan is to break ground
early next year
and be move-in
ready by year end.
We start pre-sales next month.
What do you think?
It's beautiful.
I had a vision
to reimagine the neighborhood.
Of course, gentrification
sometimes comes at a cost.
You have to break a few eggs
to make an omelet, right?
We need someone
we can count on.
Someone who can see value
where others see nothing
at all.
A real professional
who isn't undeterred
by little inconveniences like
holiday shutdowns.
Wait, I'm sorry.
We're
working over the holidays?
I'm kind of a 24/7 person, so
regardless of the season,
I'm always on the job.
Well, then we just found
our person. Yes.
Yes!
Congratulations.
Thanks, Antonio.
I won't let you down.
We'll be in touch
After you, sir.
Nailed it.
This is huge for us.
An awesome Christmas present.
- I love this time of year.
- I suppose.
Come on.
The sound of carolers
singing, the days of hot
chocolate with candy canes,
coming down Christmas
morning to a warm fire
to open up gifts with your--
Oh, I'm sorry.
No, it's okay.
It's just a bit weird
this year.
I know I'm not a kid anymore,
but the first Christmas
without my mom is different.
Of course, I understand.
I'm sorry.
Do you want to
talk about it?
No. Let's just focus on work.
Right? Okay.
Should I start setting up
pre-sale meetings
- for after the break?
- Sure.
Sounds good.
And it looks like
I'll need to work remotely
for the next couple of days.
Oh.
Are you
okay to hold down the fort?
Yeah!
Hey, Dad.
Did you want to help us
decorate?
I'm not much of a decorator.
How come he didn't
want to help us decorate?
Oh, well,
I just think that
Grandpa needs some quiet time,
so we should give him
some privacy.
Oh, but guess what?
- What?
- Aunt Abby is coming!
Yes!
Excuse me.
Sorry to bother you.
Do you know when they'll be
reopening?
Yeah.
Ten minutes.
No, I know. I meant
when did they put the sign up?
Just before she left.
Right. But if she left, like,
eight minutes ago,
she'll be back in two minutes.
And if she left two minutes ago,
she'll be back in eight minutes.
So do you know what time
she left?
I know that it was less
than ten minutes ago.
Right. But does it feel like
she just left a minute ago or
more like she's been gone
for a while?
- Yes.
- Which?
- What?
- A short time or a long time?
Since she left or
until she's back?
That's what I'm asking you.
You know what? Forget it.
Is there somewhere else I can
grab coffee?
Somewhere else? Yeah,
let me think. Oh.
There's a diner just
on the other side of town.
Great. And how far is that?
Oh, it's about--
About ten minutes.
You're enjoying this,
aren't you?
A scale of
one to ten, maybe a nine.
Really?
Thanks for watching.
The place was out of milk.
No problem.
You were a big help.
Anytime.
Hello?
Aunt Abby!
Hey, guys!
- Hey, Abby!
- Hey.
How are you, little rascals?
Are you excited for Christmas?
Yeah.
Claire's
in the kitchen. Kiddos.
How about we get ready
for dinner and let Aunty Abby
and your mom catch up?
I'm so sorry to hear
about your grandfather.
Thanks.
He was a pretty great guy.
I was surprised at
104 years old,
but still a big loss for us.
- Of course.
- Come on in
- Let me get that.
- Thank you.
And he shook my hand and said,
"Congratulations,
you're our new realtor."
Biggest account of my career.
Wow, that's amazing.
- Abby.
- Hey, Dad.
Dad, Abby was just telling me
about this massive account
she just landed.
She's a chip off
the old block.
Congratulations, kiddo.
Thanks, here. Come
sit down and chat.
I haven't seen you in weeks.
I can't right now.
I'm kind of busy.
Everything okay?
Yeah, it's all good.
I'll see you later.
You know that
he's proud of you.
- Yeah.
- He's just...
He's just going through a lot
right now.
I mean, imagine losing
your company, your pension,
and your wife
all back to back.
Also, it's the first Christmas
without mom, so.
But she would have been
all over you.
"Oh! My little munchkin.
Businesswoman.
Buttercup."
What's
he so busy doing out there?
No idea.
Every time I ask he just
says he's sorting stuff out.
Always the organizer,
I suppose
He's not even joining us
for dinner?
I offered.
But anyway, thank you
for coming home early.
So, tell me about this flip.
What do I need to know
about the property?
Are you hungry?
We should eat.
Aren't these?
Yeah.
Mom loved this set.
I'm trying to carry
on her traditions.
Dinner!
Well, did you tell her?
- Not yet.
- Claire!
She needs to know.
This is kind of a big wrinkle
we need to have
- ironed out.
- I know. I just.
I haven't found the right time
to tell her.
I'll tell her over dinner.
Okay great.
So she's going to be selling
like a thousand condo units.
Well, 100, actually.
Still, that's a big deal.
I don't know how you handle
that kind of workload.
You must be exhausted.
Well,
it's like Dad always says,
"You don't stop
when you're tired.
You stop when you're done."
Done what?
- Pardon?
- You stop when you're done what?
Well, I guess
whatever it is
that you're doing.
Great Grandpa Frank used to
always tell us to stop and smell
- stuff.
- Flowers.
Stop and smell the flowers.
Oh, right. So, was Great Grandpa
Frank wrong?
No, no--
Great Grandpa Frank wasn't wrong
and neither is your Aunt Abby.
Everybody sees things differently.
That's it.
I'm sorry again about Frank.
He was quite the character,
a real fixture
in the community.
We'll show you
the house in the morning,
and hopefully
it'll be a quick flip
so we can get the profit
to build an extension
on this house,
which we desperately need.
Frank would loved knowing
how much this is going to help
our family.
Well, I'm sure
it'll be quick and simple.
I think this
could use a little cheese.
Who wants Parmesan?
- Me!
- Okay.
Wow. The porch is huge.
You still haven't told her.
I couldn't find the right time.
He's going to be here
any minute.
Beautiful. Really well-kept.
Frank loved this place,
it was his pride and joy.
But he was 104,
so the interior is a little
dated.
Okay, well, cosmetic
touch ups are my thing.
We're only an hour
from downtown,
so that means the property
values here are set to take
off. He'll turn a sweet profit.
Hey, Bo.
- What's he doing here?
- I'm so sorry, Abby.
I couldn't find the right time
to tell you this.
Tell me what?
The house wasn't exactly left
to just John.
He's a co-beneficiary.
The other half of the house
was left
to Frank's contractor, Bo.
And he doesn't want to sell.
He wants to turn into a bed
and breakfast.
What? He left it
to his handyman?
So it's not as simple--
I wanted to tell you last
night, but I chickened out.
We're hoping that once you do
your flipping magic,
that Bo will see
how much money
we can all get for the house.
And he'll be on board
to sell and split the money.
- Claire!
- This for all of us, Abby.
But mostly, it's for Dad.
Abigail. This is Bo.
Well, hello again.
- Again?
- Wait?
You two know each other?
No, he just gave me the
runaround at the coffee shop.
Okay, well, technically,
it was
you couldn't just relax and wait
a few minutes for a coffee.
I'm not here to relax.
I'm here to flip this house
and help my family.
Is that why you asked me here?
Look, I'm sorry that you made
the trip for nothing, okay?
Maybe
come back after the holidays
and you can stay here
when it's a bed and breakfast.
Oh, no, that's okay.
I prefer to stick around
and sell this place.
Bo, we know Frank loved you.
And we love you, too.
But we're stretched
to the max.
We need to sell this home
and give our family a house
we can live in.
You know, my dad's
living with us now.
I know. I know.
I totally get it.
But I also know
that this place would serve
the community best
as a B and B.
Is it an option to buy John
and Claire out of their half?
I can't swing it.
All my money's tied up keeping
my business afloat.
And we're living paycheck
to paycheck.
- Oh, boy.
- Look.
Frank lived here to 104
with my help, okay?
And I know that he would want
this place for people
visiting Granbury,
especially over the holidays.
I think he would have wanted
his immediate family
- to be comfortable.
- Okay.
We need to figure out
what we're going
to do with this house
and bickering
isn't
going to get us anywhere.
All right.
So what do you suggest?
Maybe
we solve this the way
we solve things with our kids.
- Excuse me?
- Your kids?
Whenever our kids
have a problem
that they can't figure out,
we put them
in their room together
so that they can focus
and work it out.
I do not follow.
Look, whether this place gets
flipped or turned into a B and B
the house is still going to need
some sprucing up. Agreed?
- Yes, but--
- Agreed.
So. with Abigail as our proxy,
the two of you can work
in the house
getting it ready together
while coming to an agreement
and working out
your differences.
- Guys, I don't have time.
- Please.
Frank had the biggest heart
of anyone you ever met.
I know he'd want us
to find a happy compromise.
Okay,
- Sure.
- Yes!
Well, we should probably.
Just leave you two to it.
Don't go.
Follow me.
Okay, so normally
this would be all decked out
for the holidays,
but Frank got sick--
Hold on.
And I need condo floorplans
in the different unit
sizes, period.
Thanks, period.
- Sorry. Work stuff.
- Ah.
There's so much space here.
I'd love to extend
this vestibule
and create
a nice transition area
for when the new homeowner
walks in.
And I think
the guests at the B and B
would probably prefer it
to be an open space
like it is now,
you know, easier for them
to set their luggage down
and settle in,
maybe a little table
with some treats or even
a little check-in podium.
Oh, this isn't so bad.
I can just tear
the wallpaper off in here.
Oh, and in here.
And repaint the rooms
to revitalize
the entire space.
New buyers love that.
You know who else loves that?
People checking into a newly
renovated bed
and breakfast.
But I can repaint the trim here.
That would look good.
Okay, and for the stairs,
we can just rip up
these carpet
thingies and
refinish the treads.
Totally change the entire
entryway for the new buyer.
Fresh, shiny, new staircase.
Except for the fact that
the guests at the B and B
would probably prefer
the feeling of soft,
warm carpet under their feet
as they mosey on up to bed.
Instead of, you know,
cold, hard wooden floors.
Are you kidding me?
You've got a problem
with hardwood.
Are you kidding?
You have something
against carpeting.
And this
guy's definitely got to go.
That is art.
So what now?
Well, we both agree
it could use a new paint job, right?
- Sure. Agreed.
- Great.
I think a soft beige colour
might be nice.
I prefer red, it's more festive.
Okay.
You know,
this has been delightful.
I need to get back to my shop,
so why don't we just pick
this up in a few days?
A few days?
No, I'm on a very tight--
Timeline.
Lean your ear this way
That's great, Jessica. Thanks.
Tell them if they can't get
the marble backsplash,
just go with the ceramic tiles.
Less expensive
and it has the same effect.
Yeah, great!
Oh, and one more thing, Jessica.
I'm going to be
selling a house here soon, so
I need you to do a marketplace analysis
on the residential properties
in Brenbury.
Yep, okay. Eight
bedroom Victorian.
Consider it done.
Hey, it sounds
very festive there.
Where are you?
I don't know.
But if I see an elf
I'm coming home early.
Got to go.
I was just on the phone
with my assistant.
Sorry.
Getting my ducks
in a row for the flip.
Sorry. What was that?
I wasn't listening.
Oh, okay.
I've got something
I want to show you.
Oh, no, not. Not, not,
not, not there.
Not there.
Here.
Anyway,
I put this together so
you can see the transformation
and see its potential.
Okay.
I think it's going to change
your mind.
Now, watch this.
See how removing a wallpaper
and the carpet
on the stairs
brighten up the space.
And then when you add curtains
to the windows,
pretty cool, huh?
Renovations are about hammers
and nails and blisters.
Not video cartoons.
Now, let me show you
what I've been working on
so you
can get an idea of my vision.
So this is where the sign is
going to go in the front lawn.
And then just the inside.
It looks the same.
It sure does.
Except
now it's a bed and breakfast.
Are you familiar with the idea
of leaving well enough alone?
Listen, Bo. Imagine
a new young family is looking
for their forever home.
They walk
into a beautiful vestibule.
And as the kids race upstairs
to see what the bedrooms look like,
the happy
couple hug each other
knowing they have finally
found their forever home.
Okay. Nice.
Imagine this.
It's Christmas time.
A family decides
to take a break
from their hectic lives
and bring their children to
a quaint bed and breakfast.
The snow
crunches under their feet
as they walk up the front steps.
They can feel the stress
melting away as they walk
into the open space
in the front lobby.
There's a fireplace
in the corner,
a beautiful Christmas tree
next to it,
and our friendly staff
bring them
warm cups of eggnog
as they settle in
and join the rest of our
guests in festive activities.
You are impossible.
Where are you going?
I've got errands
to run, deliveries to make.
Not all of us can sit around
all day and watch cartoons.
We haven't even talked about
paint colours.
I'll meet you at the hardware
store first thing tomorrow.
Don't be late.
It's just not a very
welcoming shade.
Red makes me think of a stop
sign or do not enter.
Red makes me think of high
blood pressure.
Okay, you know what else red
is the color of?
- Please don't say Santa--
- Santa Clause! Okay?
Beige? Beige is so
dull and boring, beige
is the color of a rock or dry
sand or oatmeal.
Oh, beige
is the color of oatmeal.
Hey, oatmeal is very healthy.
Here, give it here.
Oh, Abigail Jones?
You know,
believe it or not, I'm not
actually at my desk right now.
If you send...
Sorry. Yeah, I'm
just at a construction site.
Bo!
Hey, Ella! How's it going?
Good.
Can I put in a request?
Sure. What do you got?
Absolutely.
What was that all about?
Oh, that was just
a work thing.
Hey, guys. Bo.
You just missed Clarence.
He was in here boasting
about all the work
you did to fix his shed.
No more raccoons?
Not a creature stirring.
- Not even a mouse, huh?
- Nope.
What can I get for you guys?
Uh, coffee?
Yes, please.
You want oat
milk in it, city girl?
Very funny.
Two festive cinnamon
coffees, please.
- Chloe.
- Oh, no. Sorry.
Just a regular black
coffee for me.
Okay, no problem.
And you can put your money away.
It's the least that I can do
for you.
Fixing the coffee
shop sign for me.
Come on.
The sign was on the house or
above the
house or something like that.
I'm paying
and there's an argument.
Okay?
I'll be over here.
He's something, isn't he?
He certainly is.
Thanks for the coffee.
You're welcome.
You were like Mr.
Popularity in there, huh?
Oh, what can I say?
It's a community
full of people
with really great taste.
Right.
So you're like a
jack of all trades
kind of guy?
Master of none.
Yeah, I saw your
pencil drawings.
Ouch.
Well played.
What's that all about?
- What's what all about?
- That.
That's got to be like
75 acres of open land.
90, actually.
It was left to the community
a few years ago
by one of the residents.
Now it's up for sale,
which is too bad,
hoping someone will just
leave it as is.
Or we built a church or a
community centre for the kids.
- Work.
- Of course.
Hey, Jessica, how's it going?
Good. I have those
numbers for you.
Okay, so based on comparable
eight bedroom
Victorian listings
in the area,
it's even more than we thought.
Wow. That's fantastic.
Nice work.
Yeah, It's
a really quaint neighborhood.
I think this flip will do well.
There's even a massive piece
of land for sale
that they might build
a community centre
on, which would also help
the market value.
Wow. That's
almost big enough for--
Sorry, Jessica,
I got to go,
but I'll call you later.
Hello?
Is this DevaCore?
Yeah, I'd like to speak to
Antonio, please.
This is Abigail
Jones's office calling.
Okay.
This shouldn't be too hard.
Yeah.
FYI,
I do this for a living,
so you might want to watch
and learn.
There's a specific technique
to using a roller.
You can't just be all willy
nilly with your strokes.
- There's a method to it.
- I see.
May I?
- Sure.
- Great.
Thank you.
So you mean something like.
I don't know.
This?
What?
I can't believe you just did that.
It looks good. Wow.
Okay, well,
better on me, than
on the wall.
What are you doing?
What? Nothing.
Don't even think about it.
- What?
- We're even now.
- It's over.
- Even? We're not even.
We have a lot of work to do.
Okay, that's it.
You're toast.
- I am toast, you know why?
- Why?
Because beige
is the color of dry toast.
Okay, okay. Truce, truce.
Oh, truce, sure.
Come on, we had a truce!
Get back here!
You should fix that.
Excuse me, sir.
I was hoping
I could talk to you about
taking a couple of days off
over Christmas.
Blair, what do you think
about DevaCore
expanding
outside of the downtown core?
Oh, well,
that is pretty risky, sir.
We've established such a great
track record here.
We'd be better off
sticking with what
we know rather
than taking any chances.
Now about Christmas?
What about Brenbury?
Who-bury?
We should probably rethink this.
Yeah.
It's less festive,
more circus.
Maybe we should, uh.
I don't know,
get lunch and try again later.
You mean together
or do you mean you go
get lunch and I go get lunch
and then we meet back later?
Well, I mean,
we both have to eat, right?
So I just thought maybe we'd
get lunch together, but
I did, whatever you think.
Doesn't matter to me.
No. Yeah, that.
That would be good.
I'm just going to,
I just need to run home and
change into something
a little less splattered.
Right. Yeah.
You know, it's a shame.
if you want to meet outside,
Java Dreams in an hour,
I know a place near there
where we could go?
- Great.
- Great.
The Nightmare
Before Christmas.
What happened to you?
You should see the other guy.
Things got a little out of
hand at the house.
I'll say.
You look like you got into a
painful fight with Santa's elves
and lost.
What's happening out here?
Well, he's
trying to figure out
which bulb is causing
the whole thing not to work.
I think he's just lost
without Mom
and his career.
Yeah.
I get that.
Okay,
I'm going to shower quick and
then go grab a bite with Bo.
Well, you'll have to wait
because John's in the shower.
Oh, okay.
Because we only have one bathroom.
Right.
Because our house
is too small.
Got it.
So small that Dad has to live
in the garage.
And I'm sleeping on the couch.
I got it. I promise I'll
flip this property ASAP.
Can I help you with all this?
Yes, please.
- What?
- Nothing.
Just this kind of mess
would drive me crazy.
Oh. I know.
You were the kid who had to
have everything neat and tidy.
Just a certain way.
Just like Dad.
I always admired his
efficiency and organization.
I remember Christmas mornings.
Mom would sit in her
chair, smiling ear to ear,
watching you
because you insisted on
being the one to
hand out the gifts
from under the tree.
And nobody was allowed
to start opening
until we all had
our own little piles.
And then everybody went one
at a time, one by one.
The whole thing took forever.
I like things
to be organized.
And I like to see
what other people get.
Why, how do you guys do
it?
- Six minutes. Start to finish.
- What? No.
Our record is
actually four minutes.
It was like a wrapping paper tsunami.
You, Mom and Dad
used to come over post
frenzy and miss the chaos.
I think you and Dad are
in for a shocker this year.
You were just as
bad as me when we were kids.
Okay, maybe not as bad, but
you were a control freak, too.
Well, I think we came by it, honestly.
Mom and Dad were all about
keeping order in their house.
Wait. So then how did you break
that habit?
You seem totally fine
with all this chaos.
Well,
early in our relationship,
John picked me up for a date
wearing a t-shirt
that said, "Relax.
Nothing is under control."
I thought it was funny
at first, but
it started
this whole talk about
letting go and just working
with what life throws at you.
That's John's
philosophy, and it's
one of the reasons
why I fell in love with him.
And once
I wrapped my mind around it,
the stress just melted away.
Everything
felt easier and happier.
And that's how I
quit the whole control
freak thing.
That's amazing.
No, no, no, no, no, no.
I'm sorry.
The shark goes with the sea
creatures in the blue bin.
So it goes
birds in the purple,
mammals in the pink, reptiles,
obviously in the green.
And then the sea creatures
in the blue.
I'm a work in progress.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
You really meant it
when you said grab lunch, huh?
You're not a fan of the ho
ho hotdog?
- No.
- Oh.
Never had
cranberry sauce
on a hot dog before.
'Tis the season, remember?
I also had something
a little more seated
and heated in mind.
Right.
Well,
the owner of the food truck.
Had some medical issues.
So he could
really use the business.
Oh.
Speaking of business, can
you hold this for a second?
Yeah.
Text Jessica.
Hey, Jess how are the DevaCore
pre-sale meetings going?
Question mark.
Let's make sure
they're afternoon meetings
delete, delete, delete,
morning meetings.
Period. Thanks. Period.
I think you might
have gotten an exclamation
mark in there
somewhere, period.
- Thank you.
- You're welcome.
I can't believe that land
is just sat empty.
There's so many things that
could have filled that space.
Yeah, but why?
I mean, what's
wrong with the way it is now?
It's peaceful,
serene, stress free.
You know, not everything
in life is about bigger,
better, faster, wealthier.
But it is about progress.
That's how you get to the top.
My dad always says, "You don't
stop when you're tired.
You stop when you're done."
Kind of a
tradition that stuck with me.
Hey, speaking of tradition,
there's something
I could use an
extra pair of hands
with if you're up for it.
It won't take long.
- Now?
- Please?
All right.
What's the harm?
Yeah.
Christmas tree park.
Close. Christmas tree farm.
Frank and I would come here
every holiday season.
We'd get two trees,
one for his place
and the other to donate to a
local Christmas charity drive.
Christmas is all
about traditions.
Where do you get your tree
from?
From the box
in my storage room.
What? No, seriously?
- A fake tree?
- Yeah.
It's esthetically perfect,
and I can control the design--
But you don't get the smell of
an evergreen
on Christmas morning.
Oh, yes, I do.
- There's a spray for that.
- A spray?
What? It lets me control
the ambiance.
The ambiance? Yeah, right.
This is beautiful.
Yeah,
It's a remembrance tree.
And the idea is that
people will donate
to the Brenbury
Christmas Charity Fund.
They'll take an
ornament, they'll
write the name of a loved one
that they've lost and
hang it up to honour
their memory.
I love that.
It was planted
almost twenty years ago.
By Frank.
You made all these?
Yeah.
Well, I mean, the community
makes the memories.
I just make the ornaments.
All right, let's go
cut down
a Christmas tree, huh?
- What?
- Now remember,
Don't stop when you're tired.
Stop when you're done.
Very funny.
But you're going to do
the actual cutting, right?
Okay,
so the key to a good Christmas
tree is the height to density ratio.
Oh. Are you a tinsel person?
Tinsel?
No, tinsel
is way too messy for me.
Oh, you smell that?
I love that smell.
You know,
this farm has been here
for almost 200 years.
Oh, hey.
You see that wooded area
over there?
That is part of the vacant
lot for sale.
It's a habitat
for deer, foxes, rabbits.
Very cool.
- It's so close to the city.
- Yeah.
Schools will hold
outdoor classes there.
They'll try to teach kids
to appreciate nature.
You know, maybe ween them off
their obsession
with cell phones.
I'll just
get that later.
Yeah.
Oh, hey, that one's perfect.
Oh, yeah, Yeah.
This one is perfect.
I mean,
I don't know about perfect.
It looks a little crooked,
and there's a big hole
where the branches
are supposed to be.
Oh, come on.
It's only uneven
because some of the
branches are covered in snow.
Speaking of which.
Don't you even think about it?
- Don't you dare!
- This is also
part of the tradition.
Game on!
You're going to have to do
better than that.
You missed!
Hey, you're not getting
away that easy!
Think I might!
You're quite the outdoorsman.
My mother was a lumberjack.
- Really?
- No. She was a lumber-jill.
My mom would have loved it here.
Oh, you should
bring her next year.
That might be tricky.
She passed away.
I'm so sorry.
First Christmas without her,
She just got really sick.
And then...
It's been really hard
without her.
Hey, you know, the cool thing
about cutting down a tree?
Is that you get to take away
the part that's above ground
that you've
been looking at for years.
But the roots still remain.
All the memories
and the DNA of the tree
become a part of the earth
so it never really goes away.
I think this might be
our tree.
Right. Our tree.
Okay, I've never actually cut
down a tree before, so
I wouldn't know
where to start.
The trunk.
Seems right.
Okay. So just...
Here, here.
Easy. You're not fighting
the tree, okay?
You just keep it flat
and straight,
back and forth.
Slowly but surely,
the tree will start to tip over.
It gets easier and easier, okay?
Yeah, and then, uh.
Maybe we'll just take turns.
Sure.
- You go first.
- Okay.
Don't hit the sides.
- You got it?
- I got it.
- Don't worry.
- I'm going to return the saw,
and then I'll meet you
back at the truck?
Okay.
Technically,
I got it down.
Okay technically,
it was already leaning.
And you just got, like,
the last little--
That's all that matters. Secondly,
I'm the one who
got it down.
Where have you two been?
We went to a Christmas tree park.
- Farm.
- Farm, Christmas tree farm.
and a snowball fight broke out.
- Which she started.
- I did not!
You made the first snowball
and also made that look.
- What look?
- This look.
- That look?
- Mm-hmm.
I do not make that look. And you
threw the first one.
Self-defence!
Totally self-defence.
- I almost lost an eye.
- He's kidding.
I took off
and then he chased me.
- And then I caught her.
- I slowed down for you.
Anyway, we found this huge
Christmas tree.
It's only about eight feet tall,
it's not that huge.
And I cut it down.
- Well, we...
- Okay, we.
- We cut it down.
- Thank you.
And then we lugged it
three miles all the way
- to Bo's truck.
- It wasn't three miles.
It was three miles.
It was a long time.
- And I carried it.
- Did you?
- All by myself.
- Really?
- No help.
- That's how you remember it?
Yeah.
Wow. That was
quite the adventure.
Yeah.
So where's, uh.
Where's John?
He's watching the game
in the living room.
Maybe I'll pop in and say a
quick hello before I take off.
Oh, really?
I mean, I mean, yeah,
we should.
Yeah.
I'll see you in the morning.
In the morning?
- In the morning. Yeah.
- First thing.
We still have
a lot of work to do.
We sure do.
So I will see you
in the morning.
See you tomorrow.
Is there something
brewing between you and Bo?
What? Brewing?
No, no. I don't have time for
that kind of distraction.
Things with work are going too,
going too well to,
you know.
Yeah, totally not distracted.
Oh, shoot.
I forgot this was on vibrate.
Okay, I need to
take this somewhere private.
Hey, Antonio.
Sorry, I'm just working
on some closet designs.
I've been trying to get a hold
of you for a few hours now.
So tell me about this
parcel land for sale.
Excuse me? What parcel?
What parcel?
I got a call from your assistant
today telling me that
there's a huge piece of land
for sale in Brenbury.
Oh, that.
That was just something
I mentioned in passing.
You know, I think
expanding outside
the city core is the way to go.
Really? No.
I think Brenbury is too
small potatoes for a company
like DevaCore.
You should really just
focus on--
I just closed a deal
with a coffee chain.
I think putting one of those
coffee shops in a new condo
development
outside the downtown core
would show growth potential.
Well,
unfortunately, Brenbury
already has a coffee shop
and this little community
is really not big
enough for two coffee shops.
Exactly.
It's an upgrade.
This is a huge opportunity.
We can start there
and expand our way
through the rest of Brenbury.
Just think about your sales opportunities
if we gentrify
an entire municipality.
Gentrify? Antonio,
that is that is a lot of uprooting.
Like you said
got a break
a few eggs to make an omelet.
Wait. Hello? Hello?
Yeah, we were
hoping for a better season.
You know,
that's the way it goes.
Yeah, yeah, I know
what you mean.
I am so sorry.
I had no idea that this wasn't
something that you wanted
and that it would
cause problems.
Hang on a second, Jess.
- Thanks, Chloe.
- No problem. Hey.
If you're free tonight,
I'm having a girls night
at my place.
Sugar cookies, eggnog,
Christmas movies.
It'll be fun! Want to come?
That sounds so fun,
but unfortunately,
things are a little hectic
at work right now, so I can't.
- But thank you.
- No worries.
Next time.
Yes. I know
your intentions were good,
but you got to check with me
first on these things.
Okay?
I'm sure Antonio is just
spitballing this whole thing.
Let's not panic.
Hello!
I'm gonna
have to call you back.
Wait! But I--
Hey, Blair, what a surprise.
You know, I got a bit
of a bone to pick with you.
- Oh?
- I knew from everyone
raving about you
that you'd be good.
But apparently you're too good.
You lost me.
Antonio is so keen
on this gold mine
you found that
my Puerto Vallarta plans
might be going Adios.
Oh, I don't know if I would
call Brenbury a gold mine.
But I suppose
bring you in does
make me look like a superstar.
Anyway, I'm
doing a valuation of the area
so Antonio can make
an official offer.
Wow, that was quick.
Isn't it something
to mull over first?
Antonio is not a muller.
He's a pouncer.
That's why
he loves the holiday season.
I don't follow.
He knows that
everybody is distracted
by all this sensitive, gushy
Christmas stuff
and their guard is down.
That's when he swoops in
and grabs deals.
That's strategic.
Yeah. Yeah.
This place any good?
- Yeah, it's actually really--
- Great. Hey!
I'm going to get a decaf
peppermint mocha.
Half sweet, no whip,
no foam, extra hot. Pick me up.
And congrats.
We're going to be rich.
- Hey.
- Hey.
You okay?
You seem a little distracted.
No, I'm fine.
I'm just tired.
Thanks.
Sorry, I almost forgot.
Yeah, about that. I should,
I should explain.
It kind of has
sentimental value.
So I was actually married
when I was younger.
Too young, really.
Oh, so this was her chair?
No, no, no, no, no, no.
Not that.
I was.
I was really crushed
when she left.
And I guess
it kind of triggered
this whole abandonment thing
because my dad left
when I was a little kid
and I didn't
have anyone to turn to.
And I kind of fell
into this dark stage
in my life.
- So no Christmas music?
- No.
No Christmas music.
It was actually Frank
who pulled me out of it.
Frank?
Yeah.
He kind of became the father
I never had.
Took me under his wing and
helped me understand
why sometimes bad things
happen to good people.
And as I got older,
he encouraged me
to follow my passion
for woodworking,
even cosigned the loan
that helped me open this place
so I could help people
in the community.
After my marriage
fell apart he
was right there to pick up
the pieces.
I made these two chairs
for us, and every morning
we would sit in his porch
we'd sip our coffees
and we talk about life
and just
wave at passers by.
It' s where he helped me
figure my life out.
Silly, right?
They're just chairs.
No, I think it's beautiful.
Frank, used to have this quote,
it would help me see things
more positively.
He'd say,
"Don't cry because it's over.
Smile because it happened."
That's really nice.
Who wrote that?
Walt Whitman?
It's Dr. Seuss, actually.
Dr. Seuss? Really? Huh.
Anyway,
we should get back to work.
Yeah.
Let me show you this.
Oh, boy.
Another cartoon, maybe we should
go make some popcorn.
Oh, very funny.
Just look.
Hey, Dad,
you got a second?
Sure.
I got a lot of them.
Make yourself useful.
I'm trying to figure out
this work-life situation,
and I'm kind of stuck between
a rock and a hard place.
That's no fun.
Everything feels
complicated and conflicting.
Like I know what
the smart business move is, but
now there's this other voice
in my head
that's starting to nag at me.
I don't
know what the right move is.
Did you
ever have that struggle
when you were working?
Well, sure.
When I was a younger man,
I just would put my head down
and push through
whatever or whoever
was causing the problem,
get my business
goals in place.
I know.
"Don't stop when you're tired.
- Stop when you're done."
- Yeah.
Yeah, about that.
You know, your mother used to
put all these decorations up.
I know.
It wasn't exactly your thing.
No, I was always rushing to meetings,
closing deals,
trying to reach
some sort of brass ring.
She would just smile,
and hum a Christmas carol,
and happily go about making our
home look so...
After she put these up,
people would walk by the house
and admire it.
Comment on the,
on the Christmas colours,
how they were perfectly hung
and made our house
look so warm and friendly.
But nobody saw
the complicated mess
before they went up.
Nobody ever saw the homeowners
scratching their heads
and trying
to figure out the puzzle
and the hopelessness
of it all.
Okay.
It's all about perspective.
The holding in your mind's
eye what really matters
in the end,
sometimes things happen
that are beyond your control
and that can knock
the wind out of you.
I lost someone
that meant the world to me.
But if I just think of her smile
and hear her
humming "Silent Night",
then suddenly a tangled mess
becomes more manageable.
Don't bulldoze
your way through life
like I did.
Find that part of your problem
that means the most to you
and focus on that.
I miss her too, Dad.
Okay,
let's go to the house.
I made some Christmas cookies.
You did?
Claire just made a batch.
I love your sister,
but I'm not really
a gingerbread
kind of guy.
See, this alone will add value.
To people
checking into the B and B.
I know.
You know
that wall is mostly beige,
and the red on the bottom
is just an accent colour.
So technically, I won.
Whatever you
gotta tell yourself.
Okay, so be honest.
Why the B and B obsession?
You can't tell me that
changing bed sheets
and baking
muffins is your true calling.
Frank spent 104 years
loving life here,
and people will tell you
that he was the cornerstone
of the community.
But it wasn't just him.
It was this house.
He hosted Boy Scout meetings
here, annual
Christmas cookie exchanges,
dinners for people
who had nowhere else to go.
This place was somewhere
where you could slow down
and really connect with what
actually matters in life.
And opening a B and B
for visitors to do
the same is exactly
what Frank would have wanted
and what this place
still needs.
I know he would have wanted it
to continue
to be something special and
so do I.
Oh.
Hey, um.
I know it's pretty late, but,
you want to grab
something to eat?
I'm familiar with your dining
preferences and I have a strict
no ho ho hotdogs
before bed policy.
Besides, I've got some work
I've got to catch up on.
Right, yeah. Work.
Some other time, then.
Yeah,
another time.
I swear I never intended
for any of this to happen
when I mentioned it
to Jessica.
And now Antonio wants to buy
the lot and gentrify the area.
It's just so funny.
All these years
I've come to visit you.
I never spent
any time in your community.
I see why you love it,
but I don't know what to do.
Do I tell Bo now?
Do I not tell Bo?
Oh, I feel sick about what
I've done.
Abby.
I think you
have feelings for Bo.
No.
No. Okay, maybe. Yes.
Maybe I have feelings for him.
And maybe I just destroyed
his entire life
and ruined everyone's
Christmas.
My string of lights
are so tangled.
Well,
you lost me with that one.
Well I tried to ask
Dad for business
advice, but,
you know, instead, he just.
He tries to be all stoic.
I think he really regrets what
he sacrificed for his career.
Things he'll never get back.
I can't make the same mistake
as him, Claire.
I have to figure out a way
to fix this.
It's okay.
We can figure it out together.
I mean, one of the perks
of living in a small community
is that you know everyone.
And I
just so happen to know
the mayor.
Well, technically,
I take yoga with his wife,
but close enough.
Thank you.
And you're okay with how
this might affect
your big work deal?
Well no, I mean, I haven't even
really thought that far.
You should get some sleep.
Everything is clear
in the morning.
Hey, did you know that Bo
used to be a bit of a rebel
when he was younger,
and he went through
a dark period?
I did.
Amazing how
some people can change, huh?
Did you want
me to turn out the lights?
No, it's okay.
I still have some work
I got to do.
- Okay. Good night.
- Good night.
So we explain the situation
to the mayor
and ask him to put a.
stop to the sale of the land.
Right.
What's wrong?
You seem nervous.
I thought presenting
was your thing?
It is.
You know, it's
just not usually
to Santa.
You'll be fine. Let's go.
Morning Mayor Kumar!
Ah, Claire.
Cathy says you weren't at yoga
this morning.
Well, my downward
dog needed a cat nap.
- This is my sister, Abby.
- Hey! How are ya?
Mr. Mayor. Your Honour.
Is it your Honour?
Sir Santa? Nope.
That doesn't sound right.
- Mayor Kumar is fine.
- Great.
Mayor Kumar, I understand that
DevaCore has put in an offer
to buy that vacant
lot here in Brenbury.
Yes. How did you find that out?
Well, that
doesn't really matter.
If they buy that land,
they're going
to put in a big high rise
condo with coffee
chains and box stores.
That's called investing money
into our community.
That's a good thing.
They will come in and bulldoze
through everything.
They will heartlessly rip
the roots of this town
up the ground and completely
change the way of life here.
DevaCore
will gentrify the entire area.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Who said anything
about gentrification?
The CEO of DevaCore.
Look at this.
This is Brenbury now
full of shops,
parks, food truck,
the Christmas tree farm.
- Fred's barber shop.
- Fred.
I've been going to Fred
for 35 years.
This community is so warm
and welcoming.
Everyone's
in the Christmas spirit.
So stress free.
But DevaCore
will change it
to this fast food franchises.
Tree farms turn to parking
lots, overpriced coffee
chains, box stores,
super clubs hair cutters.
Bye bye, Fred.
I understand.
But it's about balancing
budgets and allocating funds.
Running a municipality
is about fixing roads,
collecting garbage,
shoveling sidewalks
and keeping
the Christmas lights on.
This deal will provide
an influx of funds and
relieve the pressure.
However,
this is
not what I had in mind.
Okay.
I'll take it under advisement.
Now, if you'll excuse me,
I have a toy
drive to tend to.
One of the perks of the job.
Of course.
Thank you for your time.
Thank you, Mayor Kumar.
Gee, you did it!
We'll see.
The mayor is a smart guy.
He'll do the right thing.
Now, I am kid
free for the morning.
So let's go do something
fun and kidless.
Okay.
You want to see how the house
is coming along?
Yes, yes.
Yes, I do.
Wow. This is incredible.
It, it is.
Where did all this stuff
come from?
This is all the furniture
I wanted.
The walls are beige and red.
Why are you surprised?
I thought the two of you
worked on this together.
We did, but not, not all this.
This is so...
Festive.
Our tree.
Santas, not so little helper.
Hey, hey, hi, hey.
How did you?
What time is it?
- 10:30.
- A.M.?
Did you do all this?
Oh, yeah. I, uh.
I guess I got a
little carried away.
I mean, it took her
two colours and made them work
so well together last night.
I just figured I'd keep going.
And maybe add little holiday spirit.
Too much?
No, no, it all looks amazing.
I'm just surprised
because the accents,
the furniture, pieces,
these were all my choices.
Really? Wow. Yeah.
Look at that.
I guess you got pretty good
taste then.
- Thank you.
- Yeah.
I mean, your work
ethic is a little
questionable,
but your taste is--
Excuse me?
I'm just saying I was here
working all night.
You were out gallivanting.
Gallivanting? Where have I
been gallivanting in Brenbury?
Brenbury is very gallivant-able.
- Trust me. Yeah.
- Is it?
Anyway,
it looks like you two
have the place almost ready
for what exactly?
- A sale.
- B and B.
Super. Okay, well,
I still have a few hours of me
time before I have
to go back to the circus.
So I'm going to go
do some last-minute shopping.
Countdown
to Christmas morning chaos.
I will leave you two to it.
Look this all looks amazing
and you did great.
But I still think flipping
this place--
Just maybe it'd be best if we
talked it out over dinner.
Like a date?
No, not a date.
A date date?
More like a, like a business
date thing.
Will we be sitting when we eat?
Don't push your luck.
It's pretty amazing, huh?
It's breathtaking.
So peaceful.
And it never gets old.
Is that
downtown over the tree line?
Yeah.
I love the core.
The bright lights,
where all the action is.
If you ask me,
that's
where all the action is.
Something
the urbanites can't see.
What do you mean?
Well,
despite being too preoccupied
and distracted
to actually look up and gain
some perspective,
all the lights ruin
the opportunity.
They miss out
on the beauty of life.
The brighter the skyline,
the dimmer the stars.
That's beautiful.
Dr. Seuss?
No, it's an original
wrote it myself, actually.
Should put that on a T-shirt,
sell it online.
Wow, always
looking to make a profit,
huh Jones?
Don't shortchange downtown life.
There's a certain energy
and pace to it
that can be invigorating.
Although,
I'm starting
to see the appeal here.
Thank you
for all your hard work and
showing me what life
in Brenbury is like.
Yeah, my pleasure.
I'm really glad you came.
I'm so sorry.
I thought I turned that off.
Just, oh boy.
Would you kill me
if I got this?
It'll be super quick,
I promise.
I think I know
what he's going to say.
I just want to hear it
in real time.
- Really?
- Two seconds.
Don't go anywhere.
Hey, Antonio.
Look, I know it's late,
but I just want to let
you know that our offer to buy
the Brenbury property
was declined.
Oh, no,
that's too bad.
I'm sorry.
So, I had to add another
ten percent to the offer,
and he jumped at it.
We got it, Abigail.
I'll be there day after
tomorrow to sign the deal.
That is so great.
I can't believe it either.
Congratulations to you, too.
Yeah.
Hey. Everything okay?
Yeah. Yeah.
No. Totally great.
Huh? Oh, wow.
I'm actually
feeling pretty tired,
and I think
I should call it a night.
So if you want to just
scoot me home real quick,
that that would be great.
Hang on. Hang on.
What's going on?
Before I left the city,
I landed this
really big client.
They build condos
and housing developments.
It was a really big opportunity
that I was very excited about.
Was?
When you told me
about that land for sale
and how there might be
a new community centre
or a new church or something.
I mentioned the vacant
lot to my assistant,
a very matter of fact,
passing comment.
Totally harmless.
Go on.
She told
the guy who runs DevaCore,
and the next thing I knew,
he pounced on it and
made an offer to buy the land
and build condos on it.
And now I guess
the mayor accepted the offer.
Wait,
so your client is going
to build condos in Brenbury?
- For starters? Yes.
- For starters?
They're all about urbanization.
Eventually, they'll buy up
more land and build
high-rise buildings
and parking lots, and--
Please stop, stop, stop.
I'm so sorry, Bo.
You used me.
You just want some
big business deal.
So you used me to get to know Brenbury.
You don't care
what this place means to me.
You just, you just wanted
your hooks in the land.
No, no, no, no.
- It's not like that.
- Unbelievable.
I finally start to open up
and have feelings for someone.
You know, you're obviously
very good at what you do,
and I respect that. But,
at what price?
Good luck with your big deal.
I'll drive you home, but after
we finish flipping the house
then we should go
our separate ways.
- What's wrong?
- Well,
I just explained to Bo,
and I'm worse
than a home wrecker.
I'm an entire community wrecker.
And at Christmas.
His Majesty mayor rejected
the original offer,
but then accepted
a counteroffer.
They close the deal
in the morning.
Oh, shoot.
Bo hates me now,
so that's over.
And who can blame him?
I'm part of the problem.
and I've completely destroyed
his life in the process.
You know, you and I
were cut from the same cloth,
but we always saw
things a little differently.
You held
Dad in such high regard
and always wanted his approval
for your life choices.
But he's a different person
from a different time.
And maybe it's not our job
to achieve someone else's
happiness.
Come here. Come here.
Come on, come on, come on.
So a couple of years ago,
John was playing
Karate Kid with the boys.
The kids won,
and this door lost.
Dylan put his foot,
like right through it.
So we hired
Bo to build us a new door.
It's nice, huh?
It's a solid oak door
that's been painted.
It's fine.
Is there a point?
Fine? Come on.
Look at this.
He is quite the craftsman.
He put so much thought
into all of his work.
And I think the point is
that you should pay
more attention when you're
working in our guest office.
Because he carved this
beautiful saying on the back.
I think you found your new door.
- But how am I supposed to--
- Ow!
If these boys have been told
once they've been told
a million times, these animals
are kept in a specific place.
Boys,
come and put your toys away!
A fox can't just
live anywhere, you know?
- Hey!
- Jess? I need your help.
When I think about the time
when I was young
All I see is snow
Bells and mistletoes
All December I stay
home and pick my brain
Just to find a way
To make a Christmas day
So what do you think?
I'd like to see the property
before we sign.
Great.
It's just down the street.
A walk or a drive?
Oh, it's just a block.
Understood.
Oh, sir.
Right. Yeah. Driving.
I hope she likes it.
Excuse me? Hi.
What's happening here?
Oh, he does this
every year on the 24th.
The kids think he's
Santa's associate,
so they all place their orders
directly with him.
I'm not convinced
they're wrong.
He made Ella this
beautiful sled.
Merry Christmas.
So they'll just fly in here
and make it a little home.
There you are.
Merry Christmas.
You're amazing.
Sorry, I'm closing up.
I'm done,
by the way.
What, what's that
supposed to mean?
Like, "Don't stop
when you're tired.
Stop when you're done."
I'm done.
I realized there's,
there is no finish line.
It's just an endless,
exhausting race
with no substance.
That's great.
I'm happy for you, okay?
Now, if you don't mind.
It's because I found this
beautiful place
where everyone is so relaxed
and authentic and happy.
And I found.
I found you.
I found you, Bo.
I never meant
for any of this to happen.
Not the slip up
with my assistant,
not the land being bought,
and not these feelings
for you, but they did.
And now...
Now what?
Listen, I don't expect you to
forgive me or understand
any of this.
I just want you to know
how deeply sorry I am.
I'm gonna,
I'm going to go now and
try to fix this.
Or if I can't just
go back home.
Just please remember that
I'm so sorry.
Me too.
Welcome to Brenbury
and season's greetings.
Sorry, I lost track of time.
Just trying to make sure
the less fortunate kids
in the area get lots of love
from Santa, too.
Antonio is a very busy man,
so if you could just move
this along.
Yes, of course.
Your counter offer for this
one piece of property
was too good to resist.
Good then.
You have the cheque?
Yes, I sure do.
This will fix
a lot of potholes.
- Wait.
- Um, excuse me?
We're in the middle
of something here.
Abigail?
Antonio.
Blair.
Sorry, Mr. Mayor, but
looks like DevaCore can't
make this purchase after all.
- What?
- Excuse me?
This deal
has been eating away at me.
And then yesterday,
I remembered what Bo told me
about all the animals
that call that land home.
So I researched local Brenbury
bylaws and
I had my assistant
talk to the Department
of Environmental Protection,
and it turns out I was right.
This property qualifies as
environmentally protected land.
See now that it's owned
by Brenbury
and not owned privately,
it has to adhere
to these bylaws
and regulations.
Mayor Kumar. We had a deal.
It says right here.
"Pursuant to paragraph 26,
any development
or construction
on protected property
must be presented, voted on
and passed by the board
as per the bylaw regulations."
What? This is ridiculous.
However,
if we keep the protected land,
we can build this
great not-for-profit
community centre.
Huge benefits
for the residents.
There's a playground
for the kids.
Outdoor festival grounds.
Charity fundraisers,
Christmas fairs in the winter.
There's a castle and a chair
where you can play Santa.
Tourists coming in
from all over to help
support
local small businesses.
And while they're here,
they can stay at a quaint bed
and breakfast.
Well, this would be nice
for the community.
And yes,
there will be less money
in the bank at first,
but you'll be saving
the protected land
and you'll keep Brenbury, Brenbury.
Mayor Kumar.
We had a deal.
Bottles will have to wait.
She was your idea.
To be fair, college
was a very long time ago.
Hey, Antonio.
Remember in our first meeting
when you said I had a keen
eye and can see value where
others see nothing at all?
Well, you were right.
I've decided to re-imagine
my client base
and resign your account.
Merry Christmas.
You know what?
You will regret this.
Well, thank you, Miss Jones.
I guess your work here is done.
Not quite.
Hey. Oh.
Oh. Oh.
You scared me.
Sorry.
No, no, it's okay.
I was actually just
- going to come look for you.
- What?
Look,
I realize that none of this
is actually your fault, okay?
It was obviously an accident
that just snowballed
out of control.
And the truth is,
that meeting you
has changed everything for me.
It doesn't matter anymore.
Bo, it's over.
All right? Um.
It was nice getting to know you.
No, no, no.
The problem is over.
I killed the sale.
No more DevaCore.
- What? You're kidding.
- No.
No. I stopped the sale
and dropped them as a client.
Wait, so Brenbury
stays exactly as it is?
Well.
It's just missing
one more thing.
- What's that?
- A bed and breakfast.
Claire wants to know
how it went.
- Ah.
- Great.
Exclamation mark, exclamation
mark, exclamation mark.
Fill you in shortly.
Do you want to come with me
to tell my sister?
You betcha.
"I've reimagined my client
list."
- You actually. Said that?
- Sure did.
So you gave up that huge
account for Brenbury?
After consulting
with a very wise man
who lives in your guest house.
Garage.
Well, besides,
I think it was the lesser
of the two things
I could have lost.
Hey, I hate to throw a wrench
into the celebration,
but we still have issue
of the inheritance house.
Huh? Well, I think
we have a solution for that.
If we can get the bed
and breakfast ready
within the next
four to six weeks,
it could start to a profit
within two months.
You guys will be silent partners,
which would give you
an ongoing bump in monthly
income
to help with living expenses.
And in the meantime,
Bo has offered to donate
some of his time and labour
to doing renovations here
for the extension
and living space for Dad.
That's amazing. Thank you.
Thank you. Wow.
Ho ho ho. Ho ho.
Merry Christmas!
Santa!
Santa! Santa!
Hello, little ones!
Have you been good boys
this year?
- Yes.
- Yes.
It's debatable.
- Are you sure?
- Yes.
Here's one for you
and one for you.
Hurry inside
before you catch a chill.
Merry Christmas, Dad.
'Twas the night
before Christmas
with Edward in the garage
and all the festive joy
that he tried so hard
to dodge.
His dear wife passed,
leaving him alone
with his girls.
He realized he was missing out
on their world,
but with a little untangling
and opening his heart,
Edward gets to share
in a brand new start.
Your mother would be so proud
of you.
Both of you.
And I am, too.
I am going to get Santa
the most delicious
gingerbread.
Oh, yuck.
Good morning. You're up early.
All the Christmas gifts
get opened already?
- Just under three minutes.
- Really?
A new record and the craziest
thing I've ever seen.
Can I get you a hot chocolate?
No, I'm okay.
Just wanted to come by
and thank you.
Thank me?
But you didn't
get to flip this place.
True.
I did lose that,
but I found something bigger.
The real meaning of Christmas.
And I wanted to give you this.
You didn't have to.
It's nothing big. It's just
something I thought you'd like.
Okay, well,
should I open this now
or do you want to open this
first?
Oh, my gosh.
Really?
You first.
It's my mom's patterns.
- How did you--
- Claire sent me a picture.
What is it?
It's a, it's a case.
For your cell phone.
- It's engraved.
-"Call Bo."
Oh, exclamation mark.
I love it.
Thank you.
- Now it's your turn.
- Okay.
Frank.
It's for the tree.
Our tree.
So I don't really know
how to tell you this, but.
What kind of a B and B
are you running here?
I guess rules are rules.
Santa sure knows how to
pick his associates.
Merry Christmas, Abby.
Merry Christmas, Bo.