♪ When you're not here ♪
♪ Some days I wonder ♪
♪ Wonder why I'm blind ♪
♪ Love like we had, girl... ♪
- Hey! - The party's about to start.
This is a no-work zone for the rest of the night.
Well, it's not work. It's a gift.
All right, five minutes, or you're on the naughty list.
Whoo-hoo, babe, um,
what do you spike the eggnog with?
Rum or Bourbon?
- Either. - Hmm... 14
First guests!
I'm not a guest?
Girl, no. You're family.
I'm gonna use both. 19
Never mind, it's just my brother.
Wow. Let's dial down the enthusiasm, sis.
Hm.
And careful spiking that punch, Martin.
This is a Christmas party, not a frat party.
No, no, Jack, please, don't get up. I've got it.
And a Merry Christmas to you too, Jolie.
Enough squabbling, you guys.
Jack gets a pass from helping, because he showed up.
That's not fair!
We made a deal. If I came to the party,
I didn't have to help decorate.
A deal's a deal.
Seriously? That is the standard he's held to?
- Showing up? - Yep.
I do not want a repeat of my wedding, where you two were
just fighting all night about who's giving the last toast.
Yeah, I'm a writer
and her brother, so it should've been me.
I was the maid of honor.
All right, look, just
be pleasant when the guests arrive, all right?
OK.
What? Him? He's always a grump, but you?
Why are you so fussy?
Come on, it's Christmas. Aren't you excited to go home?
- About that. - What?
- You're not going home? - No, I'm going home,
but so is Foster and his new girlfriend.
- Already? - Mm-hmm.
I know, I just found out today.
- It's only been six months! - I know!
I was freaked out knowing that I was gonna have to see him,
and now, I'm gonna have to hang out with him and her
the whole time.
Do you have to see him?
Yeah, our dads are getting this big award,
because they've been putting on the Christmas Market
for, like, 30 years,
so the Mayor's giving them keys to the city.
And then, our parents do this big bonfire
right before Christmas Eve every year, and
they've been doing it since we were kids.
Any chance of breaking those traditions?
I mean, I can probably skip that bonfire, but...
No, the market's really really special to my family.
And me.
What if you bring a date?
Oh, yes, cool, I'll just go get a date real fast.
Every guy I know is either married or...
or related to me.
All right, it's gonna be OK. We'll think of something.
♪ Oh, jingle bells, jingle bells ♪
♪ Jingle all the way ♪
♪ Oh, what fun it is to ride... ♪
All right, let's find you a date.
♪ Jingle bell, jingle bells ♪
♪ Jingle all the way ♪
♪ Oh, what fun... ♪
Maybe...
Nope!
Here we go.
Oh...
But like, it's not as exciting as it sounds, you know?
In fact, most publishers, they only wanna sell books...
And, bingo.
Hey, big brother,
remind me of your Christmas plans again.
You know how I'm going to Colorado with Martin's family,
and Mom and Dad are doing that Mediterranean cruise?
I feel like you've lectured me about this already.
Uh, I don't have any plans.
I'm just gonna be writing.
- You should go home with Jolie. - What?
Yeah, you'll spend Christmas in Louisiana with the Guidrys.
What?
You're always saying you wanna travel more.
Yeah. Alone.
You can be alone anytime.
What am I missing?
What Naomi is doing with the subtlety of a baboon,
I might add, is trying to get me a date for Christmas,
'cause Foster's bringing home a new cute girlfriend, so...
You don't have to go with me to Louisiana.
Oh, no, no, no, no. You should go.
Listen, the food alone is worth the trip.
Martin!
Exactly. And you can write from anywhere.
Guys, he'd be, like, pretending to be my boyfriend.
That's... It's weird.
- I'm weird? - No, I mean, you're not...
You're not weird, but the situation is weird.
See? There you go. You already sound like a couple.
No, we don't.
OK, what if it's more like a buffer than a boyfriend?
You know, a plus-one to make it less... awkward.
Oh, less awkward. Cool.
Exactly, but, baby,
what would Jack be getting out of this?
Yeah, what would Jack be getting out of this?
The joy of knowing that you're helping out a friend.
Ooh, hard pass.
Actually, I could use a website for my novel.
Yes! Perfect.
No. I mean, no offense, but you're just
not the most reliable guy.
What does that mean?
I'm sorry, do you not remember,
what was that, like, 5 months ago?
OK, wait, hold on, what am I missing?
She didn't tell you?
Martin. OK, when I moved here, like, 6 months ago,
Naomi thought it would be a great idea
to set me up with her brother, because I didn't know anybody.
Only, Jack stood me up!
Woop, no. I did not! I did not stand you up.
I called and cancelled. There's a very big difference.
Either way, you flaked! So how do I know
I'm not gonna put all this work into a website
and you just won't show up at the airport?
You know, if I was at the office,
this would be a quick fix.
What do you mean?
Easy.
I'd write a contract.
Oh, come on! You both could sign,
No!
I... I...
Let me do this!
They didn't give me that fancy law degree for nothing.
- No, that's... - Jack...
You'd get a website, she'd get a date, everyone wins!
Look, I'm... I'm sorry...
but, you know, I was planning on writing alone this Christmas.
See? There you guys go. We're good.
All right, Devon, give me some good news.
I have something, but you're not gonna like it.
Are you aware you say that every time we meet?
It's a ghostwriting gig,
and I know how you feel about ghostwriting.
Yeah, I'm over it. I just wanna write my own stuff.
I'll tell you what.
If you promise to get this one done,
I will try and get some real traction with your manuscript.
A romance? Devon, come on!
What? You can do it.
I don't do romance. I've never written romance.
Is this one of those Parker Hollowell novels?
They sell like hotcakes.
Ugh, they're terrible,
and they're all exactly the same except in a new setting.
Do you want it or not?
You promise to send my manuscript
to every publisher you know?
I promise.
Is this the outline I'm supposed to go off of?
"Dance under the stars"? "Flee from danger together"?
"Teach a skill"?
"Profess love in a passionate speech"!
That one's original! This isn't a plot.
This is a terrible to-do list.
He's gotten pretty lazy lately.
You think?
Here.
Read this.
Have your characters do everything on that list and
follow the same plot as all his other books,
except this one just has to be set in Louisiana.
Did you say Louisiana?
- Hello? - Hey, sis.
I was thinking more about your offer
to go Louisiana with Jolie for Christmas.
Hey!
Jolie. Sit down.
You texted me this was an emergency
and I had to come over right away.
What's he doing here?
It's nice to see you, too.
It is an emergency.
The two people I care most about are in trouble,
and they need my help.
My best friend, my beautiful genius,
my sad, lonely, broken-hearted bestie...
Thank you.
Needs guidance through her breakup
and a distraction to keep her Christmas jolly and bright.
And my big brother,
whose professional life is in a dismal, downward spiral,
desperately needs to jump-start his career
and rebrand himself as not a ghostwriter
but a proper novelist.
Are you done?
What I have before me
is the Christmas contract.
Solves both problems.
And all you have to do is sign on the dotted line.
That was a beautiful speech, Naomi,
but I'm pretty sure your brother made it clear last night
that he's not interested.
Actually, I've been thinking about it
and I think it's a good deal, for both of us.
So, I'm down if you are.
I mean, I don't...
I don't know. It's...
I thought you might say that.
Foster posted this on social media last night.
Where do I sign?
Here you go.
Thank you.
Great! I'll go make copies.
You like Parker Hollowell novels?
Sure.
You don't think they're a little bit like...
- Sappy? Yeah. - Yep.
I mean, my mom really likes him.
Hmm.
You do know you're going to have to talk to my family, right?
I know.
You can't just sit in a corner and read a book the whole time.
Yeah, I got it.
OK.
OK, so what are we doing right now?
Is your family here right now?
Oh, my God! This is gonna be a disaster.
- OK. - Mm-hmm.
One for you...
And one for you.
I love you both. Have a very Merry Christmas.
Oh!
- I love you. - Bye, sis.
Don't forget to call me.
- Don't kill each other.
Thanks for picking us up, Dad.
Of course. It's so good to see you, Jo-Jo.
It's good to have you here, Jack.
Oh, yeah. It's uh, it's great to be here, Sir.
We've had Naomi over here, uh, a half a dozen times.
We adore her. Smart as a whip. Good people.
In two days, folks, make your way to the 30th
- annual Christmas Market at Acadian Village. - Hey!
Bring your family and friends.
It's gonna be a great one this year.
So this is the Christmas Market I was telling you about
that my dad and Foster's, uh...
Mr. Rocky have been running for 30 years.
Yeah. You ready to check out the maze?
I'm sure Jolie's told you all about it.
He is so excited.
He just can't stop talking about it.
You betcha! Yeah, I can't wait.
Home sweet home.
- Hello!
Is that my big city girl?
Hi, Momma. I missed you!
Oh, I missed you so much, honey.
This must be Jack.
Hi.
A fun surprise.
Did you hear that? I'm a fun surprise.
I never used the word fun.
Aunt Jolie!
What's up, honey? You're so big!
And this is Jolie's sister Breonna.
Hi.
So you're the secret boyfriend
we've heard absolutely nothin' about.
Bri... Hi.
Luc.
Jack. It's good to meet you.
Well, listen now, why don't you guys go settle in a bit,
and we'll see you after a while. OK?
Yeah.
Uh, Jack, uh, you're in here.
Great.
"Twas the night before Christmas,
- and all through the house
did not a thing pass, not even a mouse.
The children were nuzzled..."
- Hi, Momma. - Hi, sweetie.
Hmm, wow. These are beautiful.
Oh! Flattery'll get you everywhere, Jack.
Mom's got a booth at the Christmas Market.
Ornate Noel.
Yes, that's me. Practically famous.
Practically? She runs it with Miss Meredith.
They sell out every year.
Who's Miss Meredith?
Uh, Meredith Broussard. That is Foster's mom.
So, Mr. Rocky's wife.
Yeah.
Enough about Foster.
So, Jack, tell us how you two got together.
Jolie sort of sprung this on us.
Oh, yeah. That's just 'cause,
you know, it was really new.
Mm-hmm.
So I just wanted to keep it quiet.
Yeah. Real new.
- Yeah.
I'll get that.
Have a seat, Jack.
- Coffee? - Yes, ma'am.
- Foster! - Hey!
Hi.
Come in.
Thanks. Uh...
Oh, wow, it looks great.
Um, I didn't think you were gonna be home until tomorrow.
Oh!
- Hi! - Hi.
- This is Amy. - It's nice to meet you.
Yeah, you too.
I don't think I caught your name.
It's Jolie.
Oh, right.
You know, I'm just here
to drop off some stuff for the market.
Cool! Oh, yeah. Come on through.
Just go with it.
Parrain!
Maximillio!
What did she just call him?
Parrain. That means godfather.
Hey!
Oh, I like your dress!
Oh, hey, man. I'm uh, Foster.
Hey. Jack.
I'd shake your hand, but she's sitting on mine.
What? Oh, I'm sorry.
Hey.
- Hey, Mr. Tim! - Foster!
I got those signs and banners from the printer's,
if you want to take a look at them.
Oh, that's perfect. Perfect!
We're gonna set them up first thing tomorrow.
Hey Luc, come help me load them into the truck.
Oh, I'd give you a hand if you'd like, Tim.
Uh, no thanks, Jack. We're good.
So, uh, Jack, uh... we really don't know much about you.
- What do you do for a living? - I'm a writer.
A writer. That's interesting.
- What do you write? - Usually novels.
Mostly thrillers.
Really? I mean, yeah, usually.
So, who asked who out?
I did.
I mean, you did, but I did also.
At the same time?
Well, no. Actually, we had both texted,
I mean, that we were interested,
and then she made the connection.
So yeah, we were connected simultaneously.
I see... I think.
Well, that's a sweet story.
- Mm-hmm. - Yeah.
So, what did you do on your first date?
We went out.
Yep.
I picked her up from her apartment,
and uh, we walked to Central Park.
From her apartment?
No, uh, he's just forgetting that we rode the subway uptown.
- Yeah. - Then we walked.
Obviously, yeah.
Once we got off the subway, we walked through Central Park
to this great little restaurant called Girard's.
Yeah. I had the chicken and he had the salmon.
When I brought up the crawfish boil,
you said that he had a seafood allergy.
Yep, I do.
- Did I say salmon? - You did.
Oh!
I meant to say he had the steak.
Anyways, after dinner,
we walked up Fifth Avenue to my favorite little jazz spot
and we hung out there for a couple hours
and then grabbed a couple of Oolong teas
and wandered around the city and talked.
Oolong's my favorite.
I know.
And then, I love to tell this part,
but she doesn't like it, uh,
she admitted that she had read everything I'd ever written,
- and was like a huge fan. - Well...
It was almost a little bit too much, you know,
but it was kind of cute.
I definitely don't remember it like that.
Oh, that's pretty romantic.
That is Jack. Mr. Romance.
Oh, yes! Absolutely.
Hey, come on, you guys!
Come on, you all. Come dance with us.
Dance!
Mom!
Come dance with us.
It's your song! Come on!
Come on!
Go, go!
OK.
♪ That all has a strange way of changin' ♪
OK...
FYI, this is my favorite song.
Feels like something I should know.
Mm-hmm.
Tyler Hilton, "When I See You, I See Home."
He's actually playing the Christmas Market this year.
"When I See You, I See Home."
Tyler Hilton. Got it.
Good.
Breonna, do you have your phone with you?
- Yeah. Oh! - Let's take a picture of them.
This is their first Christmas.
Mom, we're good.
All right, you two. Get in close.
Mm-hmm.
Closer.
Oh, look, there's mistletoe.
Oh!
Now you gotta kiss!
- Yeah. - Come on, kiss!
- Good work. - Yep.
Naomi, I just don't think it's gonna work.
Oh, come on, it can't be that bad already.
My family just tried to make us kiss!
What did you do?
Well, I faked it.
Baby, is that Jolie?
Hey.
Hey, Jolie. How you doin'?
Ugh!
Apparently, she's fake-kissing my brother.
Shush!
You know what, I don't even wanna ask about it.
OK, other than that, how's it going?
Well, before or after
Foster showed up with his girlfriend?
Ugh, he would.
I know, right?
He claimed that they didn't realize
I was gonna be home or something dumb.
Baby, the cab's here. Let's go.
All right. I'm sorry, Jolie, I gotta go.
The cab's here to take us to the airport.
OK. Yeah, I gotta go, too.
I love you. Bye.
It's Naomi.
Ah.
So?
- You and Jack? - Mm-hmm.
It's a little bit surprising
being that he's Naomi's brother and all.
Yeah. I mean, I guess so.
And bringing Jack here
has nothing to do with Foster bringing his girlfriend home?
No, it doesn't.
I mean, Foster can bring anybody he likes.
I don't care.
Some people might think it's a little soon.
Right. But it doesn't bother you.
Mm-mmm. No, not a bit.
It's OK if you're still a little hurt.
That's not what this is about.
I brought Jack 'cause I like Jack.
- OK, I believe you. - OK. Good.
But just know I'm on your side.
There's no side!
Yeah, but I'm your sister. I'm always on your side.
Come on, Bri...
OK.
Well, I better get the kiddo and head home.
- I love you. - I love you, too.
I'm happy you're here. I miss you.
- Bye. - Good night!
Ugh, Breonna caught me talking to your sister
about our little arrangement.
Do you think she's on to us?
I don't know.
We can't afford anymore slip-ups though,
so, can we just get our stories straight?
If this thing goes south, do I still get my website?
Focus.
You got anymore allergies I need to know about?
None. You?
Nope, no allergies.
I should probably know what you do for a living.
Uh, something with websites.
I work for Bravoso Media.
I'm a UX designer.
So yes, websites.
Websites. Let's go with that.
What's your favorite thing you've ever written?
Probably the first essay I've had published.
It was just in a small literary magazine,
but I was really proud of it.
What's your favorite restaurant?
Girard's.
Girard's from the fake date?
Yes, Girard's from the fake date.
So, how did you know that Oolong tea was my favorite?
'Cause you said so at Naomi's rehearsal dinner.
It was after the meal, and everyone was getting coffee,
and you asked the waiter if they had tea,
and you got really excited
because they had your favorite, Oolong.
It's a little bit weird that you know that.
It's not weird.
Well, maybe we'll survive this Christmas after all.
Need any help?
Thanks.
I was downstairs talking to your boyfriend.!
My boyfriend?
- Jack. - Oh, right. Yeah.
Yeah.
Anyway, he seems like a really nice man.
Mm-hmm.
Handsome, too.
Yes.
Seems like you guys are pretty serious.
It does?
You brought him home for Christmas.
I mean, yes, of course.
I brought him home.
Oh, this is pretty.
OK, look, I can't believe that you didn't tell me
that you were seeing someone, and then you bring Jack home.
You guys are really good friends with Foster,
so I just... I don't know.
Well,honey, we just want you to be happy.
That's all.
I know.
And it seems like Jack makes you happy.
Deliriously.
All right, then.
- Good night. - Good night.
And don't stay up too late.
Finishing touches.
And Merry Christmas, Dad!
Morning, peanut.
Good morning!
Smells good, Daddy. Pancakes?
- You know it. - Coffee in the pot.
Thank you.
Are you gonna wake up Jack?
Aw, let him sleep in.
Well, he's not gonna want to miss breakfast.
- Ooh! - Hey!
- What? - Go wake him up!
Jack?
Hey.
Did you sleep like that all night?
Yeah. I guess I did.
Are you OK?
Hmm? Yeah.
Good morning, by the way. How are you?
I'm good, thank you.
We are all eating pancakes in the kitchen
if you're interested.
Unless, of course, you're allergic to those, too.
Are they gluten-free?
What?
No, they're normal pancakes.
Why didn't you say anything last night?
Are you seriously gluten-free?
Mm, no, I love pancakes.
You're kind of grouchy in the morning.
There you go, Jack.
Thank you.
Do you want some more, peanut?
- Do you even have to ask? - That's my girl.
What time do you want to go to the market, honey?
I'm figuring to leave in about 10 minutes or so.
All right.
Gonna meet Rocky and Foster there.
You two wanna tag along?
Tag along with Mr. Rocky and Foster?
No, thanks.
Actually, I need the kids to do me a favor.
- Can you? - Yeah, of course.
Thanks, Jo Bear.
I have a package at the post office I'm expecting.
- Can you pick it up for me? - Yeah, we can do that.
Yeah, then you could show Jack the town a little bit.
Give him a little tour.
I can't wait, Jo Bear.
Eat your pancakes.
Across the street is the best po' boy shop in the city.
- And over here is like the 15th antique store. - Ah.
And then right in here is my favorite coffee shop.
I don't know if you're into peppermint lattes,
but they are pretty good.
Um, I'm gonna need you
to put your arm around me, please.
- What? - Just do it. Be casual.
What are you doing? Stop!
What was that? That was casual?
I'm sorry. I improvised.
Well, warn a girl next time.
- No, it's fine. - Hey, yeah.
I guess that's what you were trying to avoid.
Uh-huh, yeah.
She's pretty, right?
Yeah, but has she ever built a computer from scratch
out of only recycled materials?
- Oh, hold on.
Oh, no! Oh, the driver's gonna be late.
The package isn't gonna get here for like another hour.
I guess we can go to the market and we come back.
Yeah.
You know what, come with me.
I can't believe you grew up with this in your backyard.
Oh, yeah. It's magical, right?
I used to go running on this trail.
Yeah, it's nice, but I gotta admit
I miss the snow back home in Oregon.
Yeah, but does Oregon have a Christmas smell?
Hmm?
Yeah, every year in December, the farmers, uh,
they burn the sugar cane after the harvest.
So these little flecks of ash fall down from the sky
and it smells like a really sweet campfire.
So you smell it,
and you know that Christmas is right around the corner.
And ash literally falls from the sky?
Yeah, it's like Pompeii.
- Oh! - What?
Would that be a crocodile?
Um, we're not in Florida, so no.
There are no crocodiles.
Oh, OK.
- Yeah. - Let's have a look.
I mean, it could be an alligator.
Are you serious?
Pretty serious.
You're hilarious.
Would you look at him? He's terrifying!
You gonna be OK?
You know, when I tell people this story,
I'm going to say I bravely rescued you
from a crocodile, right?
It's an alligator.
OK. Two seconds, and then we can leave.
OK.
Hello.
Jack, my romantic man, how's it going?
Good, good.
Wonderful! How far along are you?
Ah, well, technically, I haven't started writing yet.
What have you been doing?
I finished reading Romance in the Valley.
That was awful.
Hello.
Hey, lady. Just called to check in.
How's everything going? Getting any better?
Yeah, so far so good.
How's my big flaky brother?
He's actually not bad.
It turns out the buffer is working, so.
He's a pretty good distraction.
Nice distraction, huh?
Look, Devon, I'm sorry.
I've just been a little distracted,
and to be honest, that outline isn't helping any.
I'm just... I'm not inspired.
Why don't you just do some of the things
in the outline?
Like what?
Give me something from the paper.
Uh... flee from danger.
Dance under the stars.
Perfect! Find a date,
take her dancing under the stars.
Yeah, I can't just find a date.
I'm in Louisiana with my sister's best friend.
You're in Louisiana?
Yeah.
With a girl.
Uh-huh.
You can literally live out the plot of this book.
Write what you know. Isn't that what they always say?
Ah, you creative types make my life so hard.
I really need to see some pages soon.
Yep. All good. I'm on it.
- You ready? - Yeah, you betcha.
Dust off Old St. Nick, there.
This is my favorite part. A lollipop there,
and a lollipop there.
Aw man, it's just warms the heart, don't it?
Ho-ho-ho!
Little bit more.
- Hey! - That's good.
Hey!
Hey.
Oh, Jolie!
Oh, Miss Meredith! Hi, how are you?
I'm good.
Thank you, Jack.
- Good to see you. - It's so good to see you!
And is this the handsome writer
that we've been gossiping about all morning?
Um, this is Jack, my boyfriend.
My boyfriend Jack.
Oh, around these parts we hug.
Boyfriend Jack.
Yeah.
Nice to meet you, too.
Will you all come see what we've done?
Yeah, it looks pretty.
Wait, so this is it? Just this?
Yeah! It's really nice, isn't it?
Yeah, yeah. For sure.
I mean, it kinda looks like Christmas
just threw up all over this quaint little market,
but it's, you know...
You know, I know it's a lot,
but this is the fun part, you know.
And this isn't even the point. This is just...
Definitely. I mean, subtlety is overrated,
and, um, taste is really subjective.
Yeah. Yeah, yeah, I guess.
Hey, let me show you these ducks I saw earlier.
Don't listen to her.
The place looks incredible.
Your family's done an awesome job.
Thank you.
Hey, Jolie?
Yes, Sir.
You ready?
Uh-huh.
Luc, Breonna, it's time.
Daddy, I know it is not Christmas yet,
but I have a surprise for you.
So, I have to give you your Christmas present early, OK?
What?
This year, for your Christmas present,
I worked with Mr. Rocky and the city council
to create for you, not only a brand-new
state-of-the-art website for the Christmas Market
but an interactive app for all the locals and tourists alike.
Man, check this out, Mr. Tim.
- Oh! - Sweetheart!
OK, so if you look at this on here,
you can find your favorite vendors
and then you can pay for merchandise and products,
and you can also find out what time all your favorite bands are playing.
Oh, and you were in on this?
I never ruin a Christmas secret there, T-Tim.
You know that, huh?
Here, here, show him the brochure.
OK, so Mr. Rocky and I have been publicizing
the website and the app, and we already have doubled
the estimated number of downloads.
So it looks like it's gonna be the biggest year yet.
Jo-Jo, this is just... I don't believe it.
It's amazing. I really don't.
Oh, Merry Christmas, Daddy.
And congrats on 30 years of the market!
Yeah.
- Thank you, buddy. - Yeah.
Hey.
I'm just getting a jump on stuff.
Nice, right?
It's beautiful.
It's all Mom.
This one you?
Yeah.
Yeah, that's me, and then here's Breonna.
Hey, what's the story with this one?
Um, my mom had breast cancer a few years ago.
Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know.
It's OK. It's fine.
She's a strong lady.
Is she OK now?
She's in remission, um,
but she's supposed to get check-ups
which can be stressful.
Yeah. Sounds like a lot.
It is.
Anyway, I moved back home when she got sick
and I don't know if you remember,
but that's back when I was living with Naomi,
and I just left and I came here
because I felt like it's where I needed to be.
And then Foster was actually my high school boyfriend,
and he was really wonderful with my family
during the whole situation, and so we got back together.
There's a lot of history there.
Yes. You could say that.
Yes. That's the past.
Hey, you don't want any hot chocolate, do you?
Yeah, sounds nice.
Do you mind if I ask why you two broke up?
Wow!
Uh, well, Foster thought we wanted different things.
And I thought he was wrong.
You know, I thought it was one of those things
that you say when you break up,
"Oh no, it's not you, it's me."
But now that a little bit of time has passed,
I think he was probably right.
You know, it's possible to really care about somebody
and not be compatible.
You still love him?
I don't know.
I hope not.
That's an honest answer.
Yeah. Pretty invasive question.
It's not lost on me that you are a really good listener.
Oh, thanks.
It turns out that, um, you are pretty interesting to listen to.
What's your story?
How much hot chocolate you got?
Tons!
Really, what's your deal, Mr. Romance?
You have like lots of damsels in distress that you've saved?
Uh, no.
Actually there's not a whole lot to write home about.
I'm not buying it.
- No? - Mm-mmm.
Wanna play some cards?
- Nice segue. - Mm-hmm.
Yeah, I'll play you in cards.
Rummy.
When I win, you'll tell me stories.
OK. And when I win...
You won't.
Where's your mom at?
Speaking of moms, what's your mom's story?
She seems... she seems...
You're gonna need some help.
Merry Christmas, everybody.
Thank you.
Hey, guys!
Santa!
Next.
Come on up. Merry Christmas.
Ho-ho-ho. Merry Christmas!
So, what can I bring you for Christmas this year?
Uh, a doll.
A doll. Okey-dokey.
We have plenty of them
up at the North Pole, don't you know.
Merry Christmas!
- OK. - Next.
The shack up here with all of the animals
is where we have the gumbo cookoff.
Naturally.
And back there, the pavilion is where
Tyler Hilton is playing tomorrow.
What's that?
That's the jam booth.
The jam booth?
- Jolie! - How you doin', Bud?
Why don't you play somethin'?
No, no, no.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Jolie, play something for us.
Yeah. All right. I'll give you one.
- Can I borrow this? - Yeah.
Thank you, Sir. OK.
Count me in.
All right.
Get it, Jolie!
Ah...
Hey, thanks!
Wow!
That's fun!
I'll see you guys around.
Have fun.
What was that?
That was nothing.
Well, I had zero idea that you played the fiddle.
I don't play the fiddle,
but I did learn a thing or two from my father as a child.
Well, that's just impressive.
Thank you, very much.
Speaking of impressive, over there is the very famous
Christmas tree maze invented by yours truly.
- Really? - Mm-hmm.
The Christmas Market used to just be shops
and arts and crafts over there,
but over the years, we added fun stuff like this.
And it was your brainchild?
Sure was. You feelin' adventurous?
Yeah.
Race ya!
This way. Hold on.
Ooh, left or right?
- I'm thinking right. - Probably left.
Friendly wager? Whoever gets out first wins?
You're on.
Hey, Jo.
Hi. Hey.
Hey.
Uh, um, I've just been meaning to talk to you.
I, uh...
I miss you.
Foster, you have a girlfriend.
Yeah, I, I know, I know.
I was just hoping we can get some coffee if you're free.
Just, just coffee.
I just miss talkin' to you every day, that's all.
All right, but that's what happens when you break up.
You don't get to talk to the person every day anymore.
Yeah, I know.
I was just hopin', I guess, that there's a part of you
that just missed me, just a little bit.
Come on. It's my treat.
Peppermint lattes. Like old times.
But you have an Amy and I have a Jack.
Come on, Jo-Jo.
Don't call me that. OK?
Wha...
It took you long enough.
Huh, sorry. I got distracted.
That's all good. I got you cider.
Mmm, that's hot. What?
I'm happy you're here.
Come on.
Well, Maxie's out like a light.
Really? It's early.
Maybe it's because of all the cookies
that somebody was sneaking to her earlier.
Ha ha.
Don't think we didn't notice.
It's Christmas! Let her have the cookies.
Uh, it's tradition.
Can't mess with tradition.
OK. Well, she's crashed now from all that sugar,
but when she wakes up at 4:00 a.m.,
I am callin' her Memaw to come hang out with her.
All right, all right!
Let the punishment fit the crime.
So, what did you think of the market today?
I thought it was great.
Yeah, the town has a lot of cool history to it.
And you guys have a lot of interesting traditions.
Yeah, the first Christmas I spent with these guys,
I couldn't believe how many traditions they have here.
Well, you brought some of your own.
That's right.
We bake gingerbread houses now, just like when he was a kid.
Every year.
And it was a great addition.
So, Jack,
does your family have any Christmas traditions?
None quite as extensive,
uh, but we do play this fun game every year, Christmas Fishbowl.
- Fishbowl? - It's basically like charades
but with a few added challenges.
Oh, you wanna teach us?
Yeah, let's play!
Let's play it!
Yeah, we like games.
OK. Sure.
Great!
All right. Fishbowl. We have three rounds.
First round is like catchphrase.
Second round is like charades,
and the third round, you can only use one word
to describe what's on the piece of paper.
And we'll reuse all the same pieces of paper
for all three rounds.
Uh, we'll figure it out as we play.
I'll go first, OK? Got the timer?
Ready and... go!
OK.
Um, all right. I'm mean and green.
Grinch!
Yes, and now this happened to a specific part of my body.
Well, uh, heart, heart!
The Grinch's small heart grew three sizes that day.
Yes, yeah!
I already got one!
Good one!
- Uhh. - Impressive.
All right. I'm uh, Santa's helper.
- An elf. - Yes, but I'm a recent thing
that families have in their home.
- Uh, Elf on a Shelf. - Yes!
- Time. - Good work, Dad.
Nice!
Time, time, time.
Well. All right.
Luc's up.
OK. Kermit.
Oh, oh.
The Muppets, A Christmas Carol.
Yes! OK. All right.
Nice, nice!
Ohh.
Hey, he's cheating. How did he get that? Huh?
OK, OK. Um...
Uh, aortic?
What? Aortic?
Yeah.
Aortic?
15 seconds.
Aortic. Which ones we have left?
10 seconds.
Come on, come on.
Oh! And the Grinch's small heart grew two sizes that day!
Oh, yes, yes!
I was gonna say Whoville, but I thought you would think
it was the Cindy Lulu thing from earlier.
No, that was a really good clue.
- It was? - Yes!
OK. OK.
Ah, good one, good one. Thank you for teaching us.
A great game, Jack. Great game.
- That was real fun. - It was fun.
Come in.
Hi.
Hey.
I just wanna say good night.
Good night.
Thanks for doing this.
I really do appreciate it.
Of course. A deal's a deal.
OK. Good night.
I'm about to tell ya
the Cajun Night Before Christmas.
"Twas the night before Christmas
and all through the house, they don't let things pass
not even the mouse.
The children be nestled good snug on the floor
and Momma passed a paper through a crack in the door
their momma in the fireplace there roasted up the ham
stirred up the gumbo and made baked the yams..."
Well, Jolie Bear, I believe we've got everything covered.
Yeah.
Why don't you go get yourself some fun, too, huh?
Where's Jack?
- He's with Momma. - Mm-hmm.
You sure you don't need anything else?
Oh, I'm sure.
You're, uh, officially relieved of your volunteer duties.
It looks really pretty, Daddy.
Yeah.
Another year, another success.
Yeah.
So you grew up in Oregon.
Yep. Born and raised in Eugene.
Well, we know Naomi, of course,
but do you have other siblings?
No, just the two of us.
- So, you're the oldest. - I am.
How long have your folks been married?
Pardon me, ladies.
May I borrow the very handsome writer for a moment?
You know, that nickname's really starting to grow on me.
Now don't forget to give us your parents' address.
Oh, right. We want to personalize
some of our nicest ornaments for them.
Oh, yes, ma'am.
Bye.
- Bye. - Bye.
- See ya. - How was that?
It was good. They just asked all sorts of questions
about my job and family.
Yeah, they were grilling you.
Yeah, but with gifts.
The Southern way.
Hey, Merry Christmas.
Oh, Merry Christmas.
It's gonna be fun! You're gonna love it.
I'm hungry.
Oh, why don't you take a break
and go get some gumbo?
Did you say it was vegan?
Oh, no, no.
I thought you were kidding.
No, it's... it's definitely, definitely not vegan.
I can't wait to get back home.
Joyeux Noel.
This year's Golden Gumbo Pot goes to...
Luc Doucette for the second time in a row, don't ya know.
- Wow, Luc won! - Yeah, he did.
Daddy taught him the Guidry family recipe,
which is clearly a fan favorite.
You want some?
Yeah.
Thank you.
Can you handle spicy?
Ha! Can I handle spicy!
This doesn't look like much.
Oh! Oh, my God, that's like lava.
You'll be OK.
Oh!
- Good job, Luc. - Thank you very much.
You're not allowed to drink milk with that.
You gotta keep the hot.
Hey, let me ask you something.
Shoot.
- When we get back to New York. - Mm-hmm.
You know, after the holidays,
once everything's settled down.
Um...
will you...
will you, uh...
will you teach me how to make this gumbo?
Yeah, of course I will.
How's everybody doing?
This is the 30th year that we've had this Christmas Market.
I'd like to bring out
the two people responsible for this,
Tim Guidry, Rocky Broussard.
For your hard work and dedication to our city,
I'd like for each of you to receive a key to the city.
Thank you, Mayor Robideaux.
And we just wanna thank our amazing volunteers, yeah,
and let's give them a round of applause.
What you say?
Merci beaucoup!
All right, Dad!
I just want to take a moment
to thank my beautiful wife and daughters
for all their hard work on this market.
I love you.
So now, ladies and gentlemen,
I want to introduce our special guest,
Tyler Hilton.
How you guys doin'?
You wanna do some dancin'?
Yeah!
One, two, three, four.
♪ Well there's one true nature ♪
♪ Then the fever gets ya ♪
♪ Don't ya eat that apple ♪
♪ 'Cause ain't no pill gonna save ya ♪
♪ Got my own deSires ♪
♪ Got my demon way, now ♪
♪ I feel that tension fallin' ♪
♪ Somethin' goin' be breakin' ♪
♪ Get down ♪
♪ Yeah get down ♪
♪ Get down ♪
Jolie?
Hey, Lilly!
So good to see you.
I know! I'm happy to be home.
Um, Jack, this is my cousin Lilly.
Hey, Jack. Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you.
Have you seen Foster's new girlfriend?
I have.
Oh! Is this your new boyfriend?
Well, uh...
He should be.
- Oh, my God... - Stop it.
All right, how you guys doin'?
Man, thank you guys so much
for comin' out and hangin' out with us.
I love Lafayette.
I wanna let you guys know
I've got a new record called City on Fire out,
so go ahead and check it out.
We're gonna slow it down for you guys
and do a little slow dancin'.
Grab a partner. Here we go.
One, two, three.
♪ Blow out the candles ♪
♪ Throw out the wine ♪
♪ Callin' off Christmas baby ♪
♪ Until you're mine ♪
♪ I don't feel the spirit ♪
♪ I don't feel no cheer... ♪
Do you wanna go get a drink or something?
No, come on. Dance with me.
Are you serious?
Yeah, I got a reputation to uphold.
I'm Mr. Romance now.
Oh, OK.
♪ Some days I wonder ♪
♪ Wonder why I'm blind ♪
I'm really glad I'm here.
Me too.
And your family's been great to me.
Well, they like you all right.
Even Breonna's come around.
♪ Oh I don't feel no cheer... ♪
It's weird.
I feel like I've known about you for a real long time,
but then I get here, and I realize,
I didn't know the first thing about you.
Same.
I'm sorry, by the way.
Why are you sorry?
I bailed on our date.
Oh, stop, Jack!
No, look...
Jolie, I remember you and Foster at the wedding.
You know, I'm not some super successful guy.
I live in a five-story walk-up with three roommates.
That's cool.
No, it's, it's not what I'm getting at, it's like...
I bailed, because I felt like, you know,
maybe I wasn't good enough for you.
You know, and now, we're here,
and I feel like I missed a really amazing opportunity.
Maybe this is how it was always supposed to go.
I hope so.
♪ Oh it finally feel like Christmas darling ♪
♪ Girl when you're here ♪
♪ Oh 'cause it don't feel like Christmas ♪
♪ 'Cause you're not here ♪
All right.
Would you rather have Santa's magical time abilities...
Magical time abilities?
Yeah, how he can go around the whole world in one night?
Oh, sure.
Or get to keep a reindeer?
I mean, it depends on the reindeer.
- Really? - No!
Magical time abilities.
I'm not going to take some poor little reindeer
away from his family.
Yeah, it's a good answer.
Give me a tougher one.
OK.
Would you rather spend Christmas
with your best friend's brother
or with one of Santa's elves, but not just any old elf?
The most handsome elf in the entire workshop?
That guy?
Him!
Ooh.
Handsome's overrated.
My family is spying on us.
I think they're ready to go.
What?
Nothing.
We should, uh, we should go catch up with them.
Oh, honey, are you coming to bed?
I'll be in a minute, darlin'.
Let me get a couple of boxes outta here.
Jack, give me a hand, will you?
Yes, Sir.
Sweetheart, come sit down for a second.
What is it?
There's something I want to tell you. I wanna...
So, you know that I've been in remission for five years.
Yeah.
Dr. Lewis called and he said
that I am technically and officially...
cancer-free.
Really?
Like really?
- Really! - Momma! Oh, my God!
This is like the best present ever.
Merry Christmas, Momma.
Merry Christmas, sweet girl.
I can see that, uh, you make Jolie very happy.
Thank you.
And I, I think you're pretty brave comin' here.
See, um...
Foster and Jolie have a long history.
I like him very much.
But he's never looked at her quite like you do.
She's special.
I have a feelin' that...
well, you'll let her shine.
Thanks.
Hm.
Dance under the stars.
Hey.
You got my text.
I did.
What you got there?
A little something for you.
Did you make me a present?
I did.
What, are these pages from your journal?
They are.
Good eye.
When you're rich and famous,
this will be worth so much money.
Oh, yeah.
You're going to be able to retire on that flower.
What did you want to talk about?
Just wanted to see how you're doing.
How you thought all of this was going.
Just checkin' in.
Just checkin' in, huh?
Yeah. I don't know.
How am I doin'?
Are you happy?
Yes. I'm really happy.
Good.
Yeah, me too.
Good.
When we get back home...
How would you feel about us trying this for real?
I would like to take you out on a real date.
No contract.
Oh, yeah. I mean, I could be into that.
- Yeah? - Mm-hmm.
You're not gonna flake out on me again, OK?
Mm-mmm.
'Mornin' sleepy head.
'Mornin'.
Well, you and Jolie are two peas in a pod.
She's our night owl.
Yeah, that's me, too.
Did I hear my name?
Yes. Hi, Jo Bear.
Oh, looks good.
- It's almost 11. - Yeah, I know.
Hi, Maxie.
Gingerbread house time now.
I know. I could smell it from all the way upstairs.
- Hi. - Hey.
Moment of truth.
Are you ready for this?
Yeah.
Ta-da!
Oh, you put the review of my essay up.
Yeah, and I built it with Wix
so if you ever want to change anything
or add more glowing reviews, it's really simple.
I'll show you how.
Jolie, this is incredible.
Well, now...
It's live.
- Really? - Mm-hmm!
Hey, I'm going to go for a run. You wanna go?
No. No, I don't wanna go for a run.
I've actually got some writing to do.
OK. Have fun.
All right.
I just feel like you were lying to me the whole time.
No, I wasn't lying. It's not true at all.
I think your parents hate me.
- They don't. - They hate me!
No! Just look, you don't have to leave, Amy.
You can stay. OK?
Where you gonna go?
You gonna go home? Don't.
Look, Amy... Amy... I'm sorry.
Look, just, listen to me.
Hey.
Hey. You OK?
What happened?
We uh...
We broke up, and she didn't wanna stay.
Oh, Foster, I'm really sorry. That's...
No, no. It's OK. I mean...
I don't know what I was thinkin' bringin' her here.
I... we'd only been dating for a little while,
and I just...
I didn't wanna be alone on Christmas.
I've really missed you, Jo-Jo,
and I brought Amy here as a distraction, and...
And now you're with, with Jack.
Well, I'm... full disclosure,
I brought Jack here for the same reason.
What?
Yeah, I mean, I wasn't gonna bring anybody
until I found out that you were.
Really?
Yeah.
I mean, I'm, I'm not with Amy
and you're not really with Jack. I mean, it should be...
No, no, no.
Oh, come on.
I mean, you know we're not good together, Foster.
You're right.
I'm really sorry about Amy.
Hey, I'm really sorry I made you bring Jack.
Don't be.
I mean, maybe things turned out this way for a reason, right?
Yeah.
I'll see you later.
- Yeah. - Behave yourself.
Oh, no promises.
Hey, Daddy.
Hey. Just come back from a run?
Yes, Sir. What you doin'? Stop it.
Don't bend over. Let me help you.
Well, sure, darlin'.
I do love havin' you home for Christmas, peanut.
Well, I love bein' home with you.
You know, uh, your mom and I are very proud of you.
Honey, you're in a good place.
I can see that,
and the shine on your face and contentment in your heart.
Every parent longs for that.
That brain of yours can bring you a lot of success
and impressive accomplishments,
but, it's that heart you got that's your greatest gift.
Well, thanks, Dad.
Ah, you get it from your momma.
Yeah, I get it from you, too.
Hello?
Hi.
Why are we whispering?
I'm hiding out.
If Martin's Aunt Barb finds me, she's gonna put me on the yams
then berate me for why we don't have children yet.
OK, but why am I whispering?
I didn't say you needed to whisper.
You just started whispering.
Oh, OK. Hey. Merry Christmas.
- Merry Christmas. - Naomi?
Listen, I can't talk long.
I'm just calling for some updates.
- Give me the full details. - Naomi?
Yeah, yeah. The Christmas Market was really good.
Uh, your brother is a pretty incredible dancer.
And Foster is Foster.
Did something happen?
Oh, he broke up with his girlfriend.
- Oh, no way! - Yes, way.
It has definitely been different than I expected.
How so?
Well, would you be, like, weirded-out at all
if your brother and I...
Yeah?
Were maybe more than friends?
Oh, my gosh!
Baby, there you go.
I've been lookin' for you everywhere.
Naomi?
Shoot! Martin just found me.
Listen, baby, I need backup.
My parents, they're harassing me about having babies again.
Listen, I gotta go.
Okay. Well, I love you two.
Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas, and I want full details.
Yeah, sure.
Not full details, because it's my brother.
- What? - My God!
You're with my brother!
OK. Bye, Naomi.
This is Devon. Leave a message.
Hey, Devon, it's Jack.
Uh, listen, I'm not going to be able to write this book for you.
Things have gotten kind of complicated,
and it um, just doesn't feel right anymore.
All right?
I will talk to you after the holidays.
Merry Christmas.
Wow!
You look beautiful.
Thanks, Jack.
Come on.
Foster?
Foster!
Yeah, oh. All right. Sorry.
I mean, do you think we have a chance
of maybe getting a bowl game this year or what?
Yeah. Yeah, I, I, I don't know.
Hey, what do you guys know about Jack?
He's Naomi's brother.
I don't know. He's a writer.
She said they hooked up in New York.
Oh, she said that?
Yeah.
- OK. Bye. - Bye.
Hi guys. How are you?
Excuse me.
- Hey, Jo-Jo. Jo-Jo. - What?
Uh, sorry, Dan.
Can I talk to you for a second?
- Yeah. - OK.
Hey, everybody.
You guys wanna play a little Christmas song?
- Yeah. - All right, all right.
♪ Deck the halls with boughs of holly ♪
What's up?
I've been thinking a lot about what you said earlier.
About us.
I think you're wrong.
And I want you to stay here with me.
Foster, come on.
It's always been you and me.
No, it hasn't.
♪ Troll the ancient Christmas carol ♪
I'll move to New York.
I think we owe it to ourselves to give this another shot.
I mean, we're good together.
♪ Fa-la-la-la-la la-la-la-la ♪
What do you think?
What's my favorite tea?
Is this a test?
No, just answer the question.
All right. It's, uh...
It's Chai. Right?
What?
♪ Fa-la-la-la-la la-la-la-la ♪
♪ See the flowing bowl before us ♪
It's not Chai.
What, it's...
I don't remember your favorite tea
and now you think we're not...
Foster, you don't listen to me.
You don't.
I'm with Jack now.
Yeah, but you only brought Jack here
- to make me jealous. - I did, at first.
But, it's different.
Look, I know you think we're not right for each other,
but I can't help but think that you're wrong about this.
I'm so sorry, but I really think
I have something very special with him.
Yeah, but you and Jack are in a fake relationship!
Come in.
Hi. Can I come in?
Yeah. Quite a car ride, huh?
You think?
I mean, I feel so stupid. I'm sorry.!
I shouldn't have said anything to Foster about you.
No, you don't have anything to be sorry for.
No, now, it's super uncomfortable.
Yeah, it is.
I don't wanna go back out there.
I mean, I don't know how to spin this with my family.
Well, maybe there's nothing to spin.
I like you, and you like me, so...
What is this?
Oh, just some work stuff.
"Dance under the stars.
Flee from danger together. Teach a game.
Give her a flower.
First kiss in a special place."
Yeah, it's for this book that I'm ghostwriting.
Just a lot of things the characters are supposed to do.
But we did all these things.
Yeah, I mean, but most of that is just a coincidence.
No.
No, you didn't stumble on a flower.
You... made that for me. You made this happen.
OK, I'm realizing that this sounds bad,
but I, it's not what it looks like.
Is this... "make her fall in love"?
Yeah, but that's not about you.
So what is it?
Is it just like a checklist that you're trying to get done
- while you're here? - No.
Is this why you came here?
I feel really stupid.
Why? No, why do you feel stupid?
Like last night, that was real to me.
Yeah, it was real to me, too.
No, just save it, all right?
Hey, Jolie, would you just slow down?
You should stay at my sister's house.
There's a flight out tomorrow.
Hey, Jolie...
Oh, Jack, I don't want to talk.
Jo Bear, it's me.
Hi, baby. Breonna told me what happened.
They're gonna take Jack up to their house to stay the night.
Momma, I'm really sorry.
Oh, don't be sorry.
No, I lied to you,
and I ruined Christmas, and I just...
I don't even know what I was thinking.
You didn't ruin anything,
and you were thinking that you wanted to get away
from all that drama.
That backfired a little bit.
Yeah, it kinda did, didn't it?
I want you to listen to your momma.
I know you. I know your heart, Jolie.
This was just somethin' you had to do.
And you don't have to be sorry about anything.
I thought I could trust him.
Like he seemed really different.
Let me ask you a question,
if this wasn't supposed to be anything serious,
why are you so upset?
I don't know.
Oh, sweetie.
- Hot chocolate? - Hm?
Oh, thanks, Daddy.
Careful. Careful.
Thank you, sweetheart.
Ah!
Thanks for comin' by, Jack.
Yeah, of course.
You didn't have to.
Well, sulkin' around your house
until my flight leaves
didn't sound especially productive.
Well, if it helps,
I've never seen Jolie so happy as she was with you.
True that.
Thanks.
I wish I could have explained myself better.
I, I quit this book that I'm working on.
I swear that it was just a coincidence some of these things happened.
I believe you.
And it's not so bad, you know,
if you have feelings for her.
Don't you?
I need her to know.
I might have a plan,
but I'm going to need you guys' help.
Anything.
Your parents, too.
Hey, Mom?
We're gonna need your help.
- Shh... - Hey!
Where is everybody?
Sweetheart, I want you to go right back upstairs,
get all cleaned up,
and put on that really pretty red dress.
Your dad's gonna bring you.
Yeah.
Bring me where?
Dad?
Go!
Daddy, what are we doing here?
Jo-Jo.
You deserve to be happy.
To be with someone who truly loves you
and cherishes you,
and... listens to you.
So, hear him out, OK?
Hear who out?
Come on.
"Flee from danger.
So, we didn't really have to flee from an alligator that day,
but listening to you speak
about your passion for where you came from,
this is when I fell in love with your home."
"Teach a skill or game.
Sharing my family's traditions with yours,
and seeing the love and support from the people who raised you
and made you the woman you are today,
I fell in love with your family."
"Dance under the stars.
When I held you in my arms that night,
I knew I never wanted to let you go."
"Give her a flower, first kiss in a special place.
Jolie, I meant everything I said to you.
And if getting romantic advice from a Parker Hollowell novel
led me to fall in love with you,
well, I'd do it over and over again."
"Profess love in a passionate speech.
The last thing on my list I have left to do,
if you'll let me.
I would have missed out on a lot
if my sister hadn't drafted that contract.
I never would have gotten to experience
a Guidry Christmas,
or hear you play the fiddle,
or try gumbo so hot
that I actually forgot who I was for 10 minutes.
But more than anything,
I wouldn't have gotten to know you.
You're all the good things, Jolie.
And, I love you, and I know that you asked me to leave,
- but I... - Jack.
I love you too.
Hey, listen, I called my agent yesterday,
and I'm not writing that book.
Oh, stop it. You have to.
What?
You can say it was based on a true story.
Come on.