A Christmas Melody

SPARE SOME CHANGE, MISS?

UM, I'M SO SORRY. I DON'T HAVE ANY CASH ON ME.

YOU KNOW WHAT?

THIS $5 BILL WAS FROM MY VERY FIRST SALE.

IT WAS -- IT WAS MEANINGFUL TO ME ONCE.

MAYBE IT'LL BRING YOU MORE LUCK THAN IT BROUGHT ME.

BLESS YOU.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, SIR.

WHOA.

I LIKE WHAT YOU'VE DONE WITH THE PLACE.

HALEY, YOU ARE MY BEST FRIEND.

HOW COULD YOU NOT TELL ME I'VE BECOME A PACK RAT?

YOU ARE A DESIGNER,

WHICH MEANS YOU ARE DESIGNED TO SAVE THINGS,

LIKE THIS COUTURE DRESS THAT YOU DESIGNED

OUT OF THAT HIDEOUS BRIDESMAIDS GOWN.

OKAY, NO, NO, NO.

YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE HELPING ME PACK, NOT UNPACK.

FINE.

BUT I'M NOT GONNA ACT LIKE I'M HAPPY ABOUT THIS PLAN.

I DON'T WANT TO SEE YOU GO.

I DON'T WANT TO SEE ME GO EITHER,

BUT...WE DON'T HAVE A CHOICE.

THAT LITTLE, UH,

LITTLE START-UP WAS TURNING INTO A SHUT-DOWN

QUICKER THAN I KNEW IT.

MAN, I WAS JUST IN OVER MY HEAD.

WHEN MY AUNT SARAH SUGGESTED IT,

HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO SAY NO?

MY DAD'S HOUSE IS JUST SITTING THERE.

I MEAN, IT'S A FREE PLACE TO LIVE.

YEAH, IN OHIO,

WHICH IS, LIKE, A MILLION MILES AWAY.

I JUST WISH THAT WE COULD'VE MADE IT WORK.

WELL, THAT WOULD'VE MEANT NOT EATING OR SLEEPING

OR SEEING MY DAUGHTER FOR THE NEXT YEAR.

AND YOU KNOW WHAT?

I-I JUST -- I FEEL LIKE MAYBE THIS IS FOR THE BEST.

THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE SAY WHEN THEY'RE TRYING TO

CONVINCE THEMSELVES OF SOMETHING THAT THEY DON'T BELIEVE IN.

WELL, LOOK AT YOU. YOU LANDED ON YOUR FEET.

I MEAN, YOU'RE THIS AMAZING WEDDING DRESS DESIGNER

FOR BUTLER'S DEPARTMENT STORE.

YEAH, BECAUSE YOU TAUGHT ME EVERYTHING I KNOW.

I REALLY THINK THIS COULD BE FOR THE BEST.

YOU KNOW, THINGS HAVEN'T BEEN EASY

SINCE EMILY'S FATHER PASSED AWAY.

WELL, YEAH, BUT IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME.

YOU'RE ALL SHE'S REALLY KNOWN.

EXACTLY. SO MAYBE IT'LL BE GOOD FOR HER

TO BE AROUND SOME FAMILY.

YOU KNOW, SPENDING TIME IN MY OLD HOMETOWN

WHERE, I MEAN, THE PEOPLE REALLY ARE TIGHT-KNIT THERE.

YEAH? AND IF IT'S SO GREAT, THEN WHY DID YOU LEAVE?

TO FOLLOW MY DREAMS.

WHICH ARE...CURRENTLY UNDER A SLIGHT REVISION.

HMM.

HEY.

OH, HEY, PEANUT. WHAT YOU GOT THERE?

STUFF FOR THE RECYCLE BIN.

WHAT --

WHY ARE YOU THROWING AWAY YOUR SHEET MUSIC FROM CHOIR?

EVERYBODY AROUND HERE HAS GIVEN UP THEIR DREAMS ANYWAY.

NO, NO, NO. NO ONE IS GIVING UP THEIR DREAMS.

OKAY? AND PEOPLE -- PEOPLE SING IN SILVER FALLS, OHIO.

MAYBE EVEN MORE SO.

RIGHT, HALEY?

HALEY, RIGHT?

YOUR MOM'S RIGHT. JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE MOVING AWAY

DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU DON'T GET TO MAKE NEW FRIENDS

AND KEEP DOING THE THINGS THAT YOU LOVE.

REALLY?

I DON'T KNOW. I WAS ASKING.

I'M JUST KIDDING.

YOU'RE GONNA LOVE IT THERE BEFORE YOU KNOW IT.

SHE'S RIGHT.

GIVE ME THOSE.

OH, LOOK AT YOU.

YOU WERE JUST A LITTLE, TINY BABY. YOU REMEMBER THAT?

YEAH, YOU PROBABLY DON'T REMEMBER THAT.

- No. - AW.

OH, SO CUTE.

HEY, ANGEL. WHAT YOU DOING?

MAKING SURE I HAVE ALL MY FRIENDS' E-MAIL ADDRESSES

SO WE CAN STAY IN TOUCH WHEN I GET TO OHIO.

THIS WAY, IT'LL ALMOST BE LIKE I'M NOT EVEN GONE, RIGHT?

YOU REMEMBER THAT IT'S ALMOST CHRISTMAS?

HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT

WHAT YOU WANT SANTA TO BRING YOU THIS YEAR?

WHAT?

WELL, YOU STILL BELIEVE THAT

SANTA GRANTS CHRISTMAS WISHES, DON'T YOU?

BUT NOT THIS WISH.

LISTEN, I KNOW YOU DON'T WANT TO LEAVE L.A.

I DON'T EITHER.

BUT WE STILL HAVE EACH OTHER.

AND WE'RE GONNA BE LIVING AROUND THE CORNER

FROM MY AUNT SARAH, WHO YOU'RE GONNA LOVE,

BECAUSE SHE'S HILARIOUS.

AND FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER,

YOU'RE GONNA GET TO EXPERIENCE A REAL WHITE CHRISTMAS.

YEAH?

I'M TRYING TOO HARD, AREN'T I?

LITTLE BIT.

REALLY? JUST A LITTLE?

- AND A LITTLE BIT OF THIS. -

AND A LITTLE BIT OF THIS. A LITTLE BIT OF THIS.

WHAT ABOUT YOU, MOM? DO YOU STILL BELIEVE?

I THINK SO.

I WANT TO.

I MEAN, I THINK YOU'RE NEVER TOO OLD

TO BELIEVE IN CHRISTMAS WISHES.

REALLY? EVEN AT YOUR AGE?

HEY.

THANKS A LOT.

I THINK I NEED TO BELIEVE NOW MORE THAN EVER.

LOVE YOU, MOM.

I LOVE YOU MORE.

SO MUCH MORE.

ALL RIGHT.

NOW GO NIGHT-NIGHT.

Emily: DEAR SANTA,

I KNOW THIS LETTER'S LATE WITH CHRISTMAS SO NEAR,

BUT I WASN'T SURE EVEN YOU

COULD MAKE MY WISH COME TRUE THIS YEAR...

BECAUSE IT ISN'T A PRESENT YOU CAN WRAP UP WITH A BOW.

IT'S SOMETHING MORE MEANINGFUL THAN YOU'LL EVER KNOW.

THIS YEAR, SANTA, I JUST WANT A WAY

FOR YOU TO FIND MOM A WAY TO GET US BACK TO L.A.

YOU'RE NEVER TOO OLD TO BELIEVE IN CHRISTMAS WISHES, HUH?

IN THAT CASE...

PLEASE GIVE EMILY

THE BEST, MOST WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS EVER.

Emily: I DON'T WANT ANY GIFTS. I JUST WANT TO GO HOME.

MOM SAYS I'LL BE REAL HAPPY THERE, BUT I FEEL SO ALONE.

LOVE, EMILY.

HOW ARE YOU DOING, EM?

ARE WE THERE YET?

UH... YEAH, IN ABOUT TWO DAYS.

OH, COME ON, YOU KNOW WHAT? LET'S SING A CHRISTMAS CAROL.

READY? LEAD THE WAY.

"THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS," TAKE IT AWAY.

WHOO!

[ INSTRUMENTAL "JINGLE BELLS" PLAYING ]

SILVER FALLS DINER. THIS IS SARAH.

- CAN YOU PLEASE HOLD? - No.

No?

HEY, HOW MUCH FOR, UH, TWO TURKEY PLATE SPECIALS

WITH AN EXTRA SIDE OF STUFFING?

BABY NIECE, I BELIEVED YOU.

JUST HOLD ON, I'M GONNA GET RID OF THIS JOKER, ALL RIGHT?

YES, SIR, A COCONUT CREAM, LEMON MERINGUE,

AND APPLE BROWN BETTY. YEAH? BETTY.

NO, IT'S SARAH. NOT BETTY. HAPPY HOLIDAYS.

ARE YOU CLOSE? WHERE ARE YOU?

YEAH, WE HAVE ABOUT AN HOUR TO GO.

OH, REALLY? OKAY. WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT? I'M GONNA CLOSE EARLY.

I'M GONNA COME MEET YOU. NO, IT'S FINE.

I'M -- I'M EXHAUSTED, AND EMILY'S ALREADY ASLEEP.

SO WE'LL JUST -- WE'LL GO TO THE HOUSE AND GET SETTLED.

ALL RIGHT, NO, THAT'S OKAY. THAT'S A PLAN.

I'LL SEE YOU TOMORROW. LOVE YOU.

YOU, TOO.

SO IS YOUR, UH, NIECE PLANNING ON MAKING A VISIT

FOR HER CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY? MM-HMM.

BETTER THAN THAT, SHE'S MOVING INTO THE OLD HOUSE.

REALLY?

KRISTIN IS, UH,

SHE'S MOVING INTO THE OLD HOUSE.

- MM-HMM. - SHE'S MOVING BACK TO OUR TOWN.