Christmas Love Letter

Amalie!

Amalie, I still don't have your column

and our Christmas edition is only one week away!

Uh, you're gonna have it tomorrow.

Why not now?

Because it hasn't happened yet.

Here, I'll show you what I've started.

Bruce asked you to marry him.

No, not yet.

But I know it's gonna happen tonight.

I've been hinting for weeks

that Christmas is the most romantic time to propose.

And he's cooking something special tonight,

and he said there's something he wants to talk to me about.

‐And this picture? ‐Oh, that's my "engaged" face.

‐Hmm. ‐I've been practicing

and trying different looks.

I started with "Very Excited!"

That's a bit much.

So then, I tried "Swooning with Passion."

That's...frightening.

Which led me to...

"Just Glow."

Much better.

Do you have a back up column? Just...in case?

Oh, I don't need a back up column.

I've never been more sure of anything in my life.

Okay.

Okay...

All right, here I come!

No peeking.

‐Can I open them yet? ‐No, no. Not yet.

‐How about now? ‐No, no. Not ready, not yet.

Just about there.

Okay.

Now.

Oh, it's...beautiful.

It's...

‐It's eggplant. ‐Mm‐hm.

With extra garlic.

Just the way we both like it.

Right.

Umm...

Is there anything else?

Yes, yes, of course.

Of course, yeah.

You know me all too well.

Fresh out of the oven.

Please, please, don't wait for me to get started.

How was your day?

It was good.

I thought I knew what I was going to write about

for my Christmas column, but...

I guess not.

I'm sure you'll figure something out.

Seems I'm gonna have to.

How was your day?

Oh, my day was great.

Had an allergy shot, uh,

and, uh, got the car washed.

‐Mmm... ‐And, uh...

I think we should get married.

‐Huh? ‐Pardon.

I said, I think we should get married.

‐Did you just propose to me? ‐Sure.

Just...like that?

Oh, my gosh. No, uh...

Here.

Now, I have us confirmed

for the Weisman lecture tomorrow night.

It should be fascinating.

We're talking population pyramids

into population columns.

What do you think?

7:30, pick you up?

‐No. ‐7:45.

No, I‐‐I mean I don't think we should get married.

I know I said that's what I wanted,

I do want that.

I just thought‐‐

This is just...wrong.

‐It's all wrong and I'm‐‐ ‐Amalie?

I gotta go.

Woah, woah, Amalie, what's going on here?

You're being irrational.

I'm sorry.

So sorry, Bruce.

I just can't do this.

Goodbye.

Amalie...you came back.

How'd it go?

You're not wearing a ring.

He didn't propose?

Well, technically, he did, yes.

What happened?

‐Nothing! ‐Nothing?

No flowers, no candles.

No getting down on one knee,

no "I love you."

Just‐‐ "I think we should get married."

‐And eggplant. ‐What's wrong with eggplant?

‐I hate eggplant! ‐Well, then why did you have it?

‐Because Bruce loves eggplant. ‐Well, that's not a reason‐‐

Karen, you're missing the point.

I was the perfect girlfriend.

I'm always the perfect girlfriend.

I laughed at all his jokes.

I went to all his boring conferences.

I did whatever he wanted to do!

And I get, "I think we should get married."

Eggplant.

Nobody deserves a proposal like that!

Absolutely!

So, how did you two leave things?

‐We broke up. ‐I'm so sorry.

Thank you.

I hate to bring this up now, but, you know,

‐editor and your column. ‐Oh, my column! Right.

I think we should run something else in your space.

I have a whole pile of submissions‐‐

Oh, no, no, my readers expect a Love Notes column

and I'm going to give it to them.

I've never missed a publication and I don't intend to.

But you just broke up with your boyfriend at Christmas.

And, well, it's you.

You must be devastated.

I am devastated,

but I'm also a professional.

‐There's only three days. ‐No, I still have three days.

I'm going to write the most romantic Love Notes column

you've ever seen.

I've got a whole file of ideas right here.

‐What is it? ‐It's weird...

It's a letter from my hometown,

but my friends usually send my Christmas cards

‐to my apartment. ‐Oh, let me see that.

"Dear Amalie,

I always think of you this time of year.

But this year I can't stop wishing you were here,

wishing I could hold your hand again,

wishing I could see your beautiful face.

You'd light up my world every time I saw you,

just by being you.

You made me realize I wanted to be a better man

in the hopes that maybe someday, some way,

I could be worthy of you.

Your inspiration has made me the person I am today.

I know things never worked out between us,

but this year I realized I had to let you know,

that Christmas we spent together,

that was the best Christmas of my life."

Wow!

That is some letter!

You okay?

Yes.

Of course.

So, who's it from?

It's unsigned.

And there's no return address.

That's strange and annoying.

No, that's romantic!

An unsigned Christmas love letter.

A mystery ex‐boyfriend.

This is what I've been waiting for.

‐For your column! ‐For my life!

This is why things never seemed quite right

with any of my other boyfriends.

It's because my true love, my real true love,

was out there waiting for me!

Hey, I‐‐I still need a column.