A Mary Little Christmas (2024) Movie Script
1
Good morning. Welcome to A
Little Something Special
Just take your time.
If there's anything I can help
you find, just let me know.
Did you find everything you
were looking for?
Oh, yes.
This and much more.
I just love your store.
I'm definitely coming back.
Oh, thank you.
I love hearing that.
Oh, wow.
Those are beautiful.
My aunt collects nutcrackers,
and she'd love to have
something like that.
Those have been in my
family for a long time.
I'm only missing that one piece.
I have been on the hunt
for that
for years.
That will be $43.25.
Well, I hope you find it.
The hunt is always the most fun.
It's like going on an
adventure and finding treasure.
That is exactly it.
There you are.
Well, I hope you have a great
rest of your day
and a Merry Christmas.
Thank you. Merry Christmas.
Hey. It looks like you found a
little something
extra today, Paul.
Oh, I always do.
Eric showed me where
to find the good stuff.
How's Daniel.
Will he be home for break?
I hope so, but he sometimes
forgets to keep me in the loop.
But I just chalk that up to
him trying to be an adult.
Nah. That's all kids.
They expect you to
read their minds.
Mhmm. You would think as much
as he's on his phone though, he
would find a minute to
drop his mom a line.
Neither of my kids have figured
that out yet and they're older
than Daniel.
Unless they want
something.
Well, I want you to
have a Merry Christmas, Paul.
Thank you, Mary.
You have a Merry Christmas too.
I know I'll be back before
Christmas
because you're always finding
stuff my wife will love.
Aw. Thank you.
Today is a good day.
Yes. It is.
Thank you so much for
working some extra hours.
Are you kidding me?
I love this place.
If I wasn't here, my wife would
be finding something
for me to fix.
They're looking at
the Bayner sculpture.
I've got them right
where I want them.
Go get 'em.
Good night, Eric.
See you tomorrow.
Good night, Mary.
I miss you, Sherita.
You always knew how to
focus on the good things.
Hey, girl. Wait up.
Hey, Gwyn.
Did you bring me some leftovers?
With the day I've had,
you're lucky I love you
and I didn't eat them all.
They smell heavenly.
Mmm.
Chocolate crisps
with peppermint chips
and silver sprinkles.
They've been selling like mad.
I knew you wanted some,
so I saved you a couple.
You're the best.
-Uh-huh.
So the bakery was busy?
Yes. And I needed it too.
How about you?
Yeah. I was busier than normal,
but still not enough to get me
where I need to be by
the end of the year.
So have you heard anything
about who might
buy the building?
No. But I'm really hoping they
don't raise the rent like the
letter said.
I don't know how many more
rent raises I can take.
Yeah. Me neither.
So are we still on for our
planning sesh
at my house tomorrow
night?
Will there be wine?
After this week?
Definitely.
Well then, yes.
We're still on.
But...
I'm wearing my comfy pants.
Oh, I would have
it no other way.
And neither would Sherita.
I finally heard
from the caterer.
The one who does the
fancy mac and cheese?
Yes. That's the one.
She said that she's free that
night and she's actually going
to give us a discount because
sadly her mom was diagnosed
with breast cancer
two years ago.
Oh, wow.
-Yeah.
She was so thankful that
we asked her to
cater the benefit.
Bless her heart.
She started to
cry on the phone.
So I told her to just
bring her mom
and she broke down again.
She is now, and I
quote, "A fan for life."
Aww.
bless her heart.
I'll add them both
to the guest list.
Thank you.
-Mm-hm.
Have you talked to Elena?
Yep.
And I just sent you over a
sample of the work
she's going to hang up
at the gallery.
Oh, wow.
These are amazing.
There will be a whole section
lit up with a black light
because of the paint
she uses.
That is so cool.
We are going to
raise so much money.
Yeah. Sherita would be proud.
You know what she'd
say about all this.
Yep.
She'd pick up a glass of wine,
put her hand on her hip, and
say, "Now why are you doing
all this for little old me?"
"Can't you find anything
better to do with your time?"
And then she would take another
sip and she'd say, "Well, as
long as you're at it, go ahead
and make it bigger and better."
I hope that she'll
be proud of us.
She will be.
I mean, I wouldn't even be
surprised if she found a way to
let us know, like, I don't
know, make it snow or something.
You hush your mouth.
You know good and well that
snow in Memphis is
always a disaster.
Never wish for snow.
The last time we got snow
around Christmas, we lost power
and the roads were covered in
snow and ice for three days.
Just don't do it.
Okay. Okay.
You're right.
Why'd you throw it at me?
You said I was right.
Because the pillow
belongs over there.
Okay.
Alright. Let's take a
look at valet parking.
Oh, Wyatt. Hey.
How are you today?
Hey, Mary. I'm good.
How are things?
Ah. Can't complain.
That's good to hear.
So what have you
brought me today?
Well, it's almost Christmas.
So when I found these, I knew
it was the perfect time
to sell them in the store.
Yeah. Come on.
Wyatt, these are beautiful.
Where did you find them?
At an estate sale.
You got a place for them?
Oh, Honey,
I'll find a place.
Are you still good with me
keeping the twenty percent?
Of course.
I wish you'd take more.
Oh, gosh.
Never in a million years.
That twenty percent is plenty.
Thank you.
You, didn't happen to find
any nutcrackers
while you were
there, did you?
No. Not there.
But I did bring the paper,
and there are
some promising sales in there.
Oh.
I know you're still looking
for the missing piece.
Oh. Look, you already put
some stars on some of them.
I know how important
it is to you.
So is, is Daniel coming home
for the break
or is he on some
big new adventure?
Oh, as far as I know, but he
hasn't confirmed with me yet.
Still figuring out who
and where he wants to be.
Yeah. I know.
I just wish he would tell
me his plans a little sooner
rather than springing them
on me at the last minute.
Just a worried mama, I guess.
Well, you're a good mama.
And you give him
the space he needs.
He realizes that.
I think that's why he's not so
concerned about
telling you his every move.
Well, thank you.
That really helped my heart.
You're so sweet, Wyatt.
Thanks.
Oh, welcome in.
Let me know if I
can help you find anything.
So Mary,
Oh my goodness.
What is it?
Look.
Do you know her?
No. Behind her.
It's the Nutcracker.
No way.
That's it.
I found it.
What'd you find?
Oh, I didn't hear you come in.
Obviously.
Look, it's my grandmother's
Nutcracker,
the one I've been
looking for.
No way.
That's what I said.
It, it says that they're having
a sale early Saturday morning.
Well, you have to go.
I know.
I'll get Eric to open the store.
Why don't you go
with her, Wyatt?
Oh, yes.
I mean, you brought
me the paper.
It's only fitting
that you come with me.
Oh, okay.
I do love seeing an antique
find its forever home.
Sounds like you two have a date.
Mary, I'll, I'll be back and
we can work out the details.
Why do you insist on
embarrassing him like that?
Like what?
He's got a crush on you.
Gwyn.
I know. I know.
You're not interested in dating.
Yet.
There is no yet.
An antique finding
its forever home.
Yeah.
I'm so close, Gwyn.
So close.
This salad is delicious
and savory, but it
can really
use a side of bread.
Coming from someone who owns
a bakery,
aren't you sick of
eating bread?
Why do you think I became
a baker in the first place?
Plus,
I'm always checking
out the competition.
Gwyn, you're the most
talented baker in the county.
There is no competition.
And that's because I'm always
checking out the competition.
Speaking of checking people out,
have you spoken to Wyatt
about your date this Saturday?
It's not a date.
I don't know why you
keep calling it that.
Because I know you, and I know
the thought
would never cross your mind.
Well, stop it.
I'm not ready.
You know that.
Okay. Okay.
Fine. But
when you are ready,
he might not be available
anymore.
Really?
What have you heard?
Nothing.
Just wanted to make you
aware of the possibility.
Well, I am aware.
Thank you.
And I do need to call him to
set up a time and
a place to meet.
You know, I still can't
believe I found it.
Do you think the woman's
had it in her collection
this whole entire time?
I don't know. It
literally blows my mind
that my missing piece
has been in
Memphis this whole time.
How much do you think
she's gonna sell it for?
I don't know.
I'm struggling, but I am
going to find a way
to buy it no matter what.
I just really need to have it.
If the sale of the mall goes
through before Christmas, they
might raise the rent.
Yeah.
Just doesn't seem fair.
I've been looking for that
missing piece
for all these years.
Now when I finally find it, I
might not be able to afford it
or even keep my store
open for that matter.
I hope it doesn't get that bad.
Me too.
Good afternoon, Mary,
Gwyn.
What, Gwyn?
No hello?
Hello, Richard.
That's more like it.
Now I couldn't help but
overhear your conversation.
You mean you were eavesdropping?
No. Just hearing
bits and pieces.
Hmm. Sure.
Did you mention you found
your missing nutcracker?
Yes.
That's great.
Where'd you find it?
I, saw it in a picture
for an estate sale.
That's nice.
What do you want, Richard?
Well, I happen to be the agent
in charge of selling the mall.
Are you serious?
Yes, Lamb.
I'm quite serious.
Don't call me that.
I never liked it, and
we're not dating anymore.
Oh, but it suits
you, Mary Little.
She's not a nursery rhyme.
Now, Mary, if you want,
I can give you some insider
information on the sale.
What do you want for the
information, Richard?
Not a thing.
I already have a buyer lined up.
We're talking big numbers.
For the price that it's going
for, the rent might be going up.
Antiquing is an old and
tired business, Mary.
Antique is, by definition, old.
There's not enough money to be
made off those things that'll
let you live comfortably,
and you deserve
to live a comfortable life.
You know, for what I'm gonna
get off the mall, I'm gonna be
comfortable for
a very long time.
Why don't you sell that
atrocious, dirty store and let
me take care of you and Daniel
for the rest of your life?
That atrocious
dirty store is a part of me.
It's a part of my history.
It brings me more joy
than dating you ever did.
Oh, now be reasonable, Mary.
Reasonable?
You never respected me,
my choices, my store.
Daniel and I will be just
fine without your help.
And now,
I think you should be
reasonable and leave
before Gwyn commits
whatever
crime is boiling
behind her eyes.
I believe I'll dine elsewhere.
Mary,
good luck buying
that Nutcracker.
Did you see his face?
Crime boiling behind my eyes.
I had to say something.
I do not know what
I ever saw in him.
I don't either.
He's a shifter.
He's constantly changing
if it suits his end goal.
Yeah.
Gosh, I hope the new owner
doesn't raise the rent.
If they do, we'll find a
way to make money together.
Doing what?
I don't know.
Scaring away ex boyfriends?
I like it.
Kathy. Hey.
How are you?
Great. Thanks.
Listen. I've got
a project for you.
There was a picture in the
paper either yesterday
or the day before,
in the estate sale section.
Maybe the day before that.
Anyway, I need you to find a
picture with a nutcracker in it.
Yes. A nutcracker.
Find out who's
hosting that sale.
I need to get my hands on that
Nutcracker before the public
sale on Saturday.
Great. Thanks.
Text me the information
when you get it.
You know, I really didn't like
Richard's comment
about the Nutcracker.
Me neither.
It sounded pretty ominous.
You don't think that he's going
to go to the sale, do you?
Didn't he hate going
when you two were dating?
Yes.
He complained all the time.
It's too bad you can't just buy
the Nutcracker before the sale,
you know, just in case.
Gwyn.
You're brilliant.
I know.
But what did I say?
You gave me an idea.
I think I'll just call the
company who's handling the
sale, and I'll ask them if I
can buy the Nutcracker early.
Hey. I guess I am brilliant.
I'll call them first
thing in the morning.
Hey, Sweetheart.
Hey, mom.
How are you?
Is everything okay?
Yes. Everything is okay.
Why do you ask me that
every time I call?
Well, you don't call very
often, so when you do, I worry
that something might be
wrong.
Alright. Whatever.
But I am, I'm happy
to hear from you.
So what's up?
Oh, just winter break starts
in a week, and I'm just making
sure you haven't turned
my room into a sewing room
or something.
A sewing room?
When have I ever sewn
enough to need a room?
I don't know. Maybe you've
started sewing more.
With what time?
I am at the store all the time.
That's true.
You love that store
more than you love me.
Oh, stop it.
Oh, guess what?
Uh, Chicken butt.
Daniel.
What? It's funny.
You're not five.
But you're laughing.
Anyway,
I...
found the missing nutcracker.
What?
No way. Oh, mom. That's awesome.
I know.
I can't believe it.
Wait. Is it, is it at the
house or is it at the shop?
Well, neither.
It is at an estate sale, but
I'm going to call a company
tomorrow and see if
I can get it early.
Oh, I I can't wait.
Hey. Maybe they
can hold it for you.
Yeah, we'll see.
I, I hope so too.
After all this time. Wow.
Yeah. It's been a
long time coming.
Hey, mom. I gotta go.
Okay, sweetie.
Thanks for calling.
I love you.
And I'll talk to you soon.
Alright. Love you too, mom.
Bye.
Bye.
Thank you for calling County
Estate and Jewelry Sales.
How may I help you?
Hi. Yes.
I'm calling about the Sutton
Estate sale that was
scheduled for this Saturday.
Yes, ma'am.
We are handling that sale.
Oh, good.
I'm calling about the
Nutcracker that I saw in the
picture with Ms. Sutton.
I was wondering if I could
purchase it before Saturday
or put a hold on it.
We've had a lot of
interest in that item, but
unfortunately, it's
already been sold.
Oh.
Oh, no.
I'm sorry.
There are a lot of similar
Christmas items also for
sale if you want
me to email you those pictures.
No. Thank you.
Can you tell me who bought it?
No, ma'am. That information
is confidential.
But the gentleman who bought
it said this was going to make
some woman very happy.
Okay.
Thank you for your time.
Have a good day.
You too.
Mary, you okay?
I lost it again.
The Nutcracker?
Oh, Mary.
Mary, what's going on?
What did you do?
I didn't do anything.
I missed it.
It's gone again.
I wasn't fast enough.
Oh, no.
I called the company that was
handling the estate, and they
said that a man
bought it for a woman.
Oh, well, at least that's noble.
Right?
No.
I mean, yes.
But I really wanted that to
complete my grandmother's set.
Oh, no.
What?
You don't think Richard
bought it, do you?
That would be just
like that slimy worm.
His last comment
sounded like a threat.
Think he bought
it to get you back?
I don't know.
I am so mad right now.
Yeah. Me too.
Well, you don't
know it was Richard.
It could have actually been a
man who was genuinely trying to
make a woman happy.
What are the odds though?
It's just not fair.
I was so close.
We need a distraction.
We have under two weeks
until the art benefit.
We still have a lot to do.
Yeah. I know.
Decorations arrive next week.
Do you wanna hire someone
or use volunteers?
Volunteers. The less money we
have to spend, the more we can
give to cancer research.
Good idea.
Wyatt?
Yeah.
Thank you.
For what?
For volunteering.
Oh.
Don't worry, Wyatt.
That's how she ropes me
into volunteering too.
That's okay.
Just tell me
when and where you
want me
Oh, I will, Wyatt.
But I think I'll let
Mary handle that.
She is the one
in charge.
Well, I'm, I'm ready to start
whenever you are, Mary.
All right. I'll go get
some paper.
We can plan out where
we're going to set up.
You're good at distracting her.
Yeah. It's what I do.
And you're a really good friend.
I know.
And I'm really protective too.
And I don't want
her to get hurt.
You get me?
Yeah. I, I get you.
I don't want her
to get hurt either.
Good.
All right. I, found some
paper and some markers.
I thought we could draw out
the venue and kinda plan where
we're going to
set everything up.
Sounds good.
-All right. There you go.
I think the door would be
over here.
Welcome to A Little
Something Special.
Oh, hey, Cliff.
How are you?
Doing good, Mary.
No complaints.
How's business?
Well, I'm hoping for some good
old Christmas spirit to get me
through to the end of the year.
Yeah. Aren't we all?
I haven't seen you
and Ellie
Mae in quite some time.
How's she doing?
Oh, okay.
Oh.
-You know?
Well, tell her that I
hope to see her soon.
I will. I will.
Actually, Mary.
Yes, Cliff?
Ellie Mae passed away.
What? Oh, Cliff, I am so sorry.
I had no idea.
Yeah, it's just easier to say
she's okay when people ask.
It keeps me from having
to talk about it.
You know?
Yeah. I...
Is there anything I can do?
No. No.
Eric was telling me you're
putting on a art
gala or something?
Oh, yeah.
Ellie Mae used to drag me
all over town looking at art,
trying to make me
understand it, but
I never did.
I just went because I loved her.
You know what?
Would you like to
come to the benefit?
The benefit?
What's it benefiting?
We're going to donate the money
to the Memphis Cancer
Research Foundation.
Oh, well, that's
very nice of you.
You know, when Ellie Mae first
got sick, we signed up for
every trial there was.
She, she pushed
hard till the end.
All one hundred and
ten pounds of her.
Actually, you know what?
I think I will go, Mary.
Thank you for the invite.
Really? Oh, it's my pleasure.
All right. Come on over here and
I'll get you the information.
That'd be great. Thanks.
I was so close.
I love this piece.
I'm sure your
daughter will love it.
Excellent.
Have a great day.
-Thank you so much.
Yeah. Thank you.
Hello, Mary.
Richard, what are you
doing in my store?
I'm just coming to
check on a friend.
You know?
See how you're doing
about the sale
of the store.
The store isn't for sale.
The building is.
Technically the same.
No. It's not.
Yeah. But it should be.
Listen, Mary, you gotta
think about your future.
You're stuck in the past,
the dust in this store
is holding you back.
You know, I can get you a lot
of money on the sale of this.
Ever since I became the agent
for the mall, I've been having
so many inquiries with
people wanting to move in.
That's great for
you, Richard,
but I'm not selling
my store.
Think about it, Mary.
You could have so much free
time and money to spend on
traveling, shopping, doing
your nails, things like that.
I am doing just fine.
I can still afford
to get my nails done.
Well, if you'd sold
the store earlier,
maybe you'd
have the Nutcracker.
I knew I should have never
told you that I found it.
But you did.
-You bought it before I could.
How could you do that?
If you had listened to me,
you would have had the time
and the money to
buy it yourself.
So you came to gloat?
No. Lamb, I came to
invite you to dinner.
Dinner?
Yes. Dinner.
You know, two friends
talking about the future.
I have what you want.
You know, I can give you
exactly what you're looking for.
You're blackmailing me into
having dinner with you?
No.
Just two friends
discussing the future
and talk about what we can
mutually provide for each other.
Fine.
I'll go.
Great.
I'll text you the details.
I blocked your number.
Then maybe you
should unblock it.
Hm? Christmas is a
time for forgiveness, Mary.
I'll chat with you soon.
He's not worth the
prison time, Mary.
Not worth the prison time.
Hey.
Hey, Mary.
Are you okay?
Not really.
I just had a really
unpleasant run-in with my ex.
Oh.
Some people are so terrible.
I can't even bring myself
to bless his heart.
That's that's a
really great insult.
Must must be a pretty bad guy.
Not bad. Just
impossible.
So what brings you in today?
Well, I, I knew you
were upset, and I
I wanted to try to come
cheer you up.
That's sweet, Wyatt.
I don't think you can.
I don't know. You haven't heard
what I have to say yet.
Okay.
What do you have in mind?
Well, the Sutton sale
was a bust, obviously.
So I have the inside scoop on
a private, unlisted, invitation
only estate sale.
Private, unlisted,
and invitation only?
Mm-hmm.
Sounds intriguing.
You don't know the half of it.
I can make us an appointment
for Saturday to go
view the collection.
I know Eric's here
watching the store, so
I thought we could go
do that instead.
Yeah.
Yeah. That's fantastic.
I'd, I'd love to.
Thank you.
All right. All right. Great.
I'll pick you up
on Saturday.
Okay.
And maybe I can finally gain
some insight into how you find
all these beautiful pieces
that you bring me to sell.
Oh.
Hmm. Maybe.
Alright. Well.
Bye.
Hi, Mr. Porter.
-Ms. Potts.
Hi. Yes. Welcome.
So nice to meet you.
You too. Thank you.
-Come on inside.
We can hang your coats
here in the closet.
Thank you.
Oh, I'm Jordan Potts.
I'm the sales agent
for this estate.
Hi. I'm Mary Little.
Oh, the owner of A
Little Something Special.
I've heard so many wonderful
things about your store.
So pleased to meet you.
Oh, well, thank you.
It's a pleasure to meet you too.
Well,
I'll tell you what.
Here's our programs,
Mr. Porter and
Ms. Little. The
prices and lot numbers.
And, you can start at any room
in the house that you like, but
most people find it helpful to
start in the upper rooms and
work their way down.
Great.
Gosh, there's some
really nice items here.
Well, that's why
it's invitation only.
I'll be in the kitchen if you
have any questions
about a specific item.
Thank you, Ms. Potts.
Very welcome, Mr. Porter.
This place is gorgeous.
How did you find out about it?
One of my cousins mentioned it.
Well, if he mentions another
sale like this, let me know.
I'll come with you anytime.
Left or right?
Left. Looks more interesting.
Left it is, then.
Oh, yikes.
A little spendy.
I don't know.
It's probably right.
It's an original, one
owner, pristine condition.
Yeah.
Yeah. It's so beautiful and
still out of my price range.
But, gosh, I'd love to have
something like this in my house.
Yeah.
If I could just get some more
traffic in the store,
I'd be way better off.
What do you mean?
It seems like the
store's doing great.
There's always people in there.
Yeah. I mean, people come
in and look all the time.
It's just getting them to
buy what they're looking at.
Mhmm.
-That's the hard part.
Yeah. People can be very picky.
Yeah. Gosh.
I look at all these beautiful
pieces and I think about all
the history that they have.
Like, what have they seen?
Whose hands have touched them?
I mean, how do you
put a price on that?
Sentiment has so much more
value than any first edition
or mint condition collection.
That's very true.
Mary, is there anything I can
do to help with the store?
You're sweet, but no thank you.
I actually may have
to sell the store.
What? Why?
They're going to
sell the building.
The selling agent said that the
new owner is going
to raise the rent.
That's not right.
I know.
We've had rent increases
every six months.
I can't afford another bump
unless something drastic
happens like a
Christmas miracle
or something.
I can help.
I already said no.
I don't need someone to come
sweeping in and save me.
I, I'm figuring it out.
I don't need your money
or your pity.
Mary, I'm sorry if it sounded
like I was trying to take over.
I'm not.
But it does sound like maybe
you're comparing
me to someone else.
Shoot. I'm sorry, Wyatt.
You're right.
I shouldn't have said that.
My experiences with men
trying to help me
just haven't ended very well.
I, I do wanna help.
But what I meant was I could
take a look at your books.
I'm a whiz with finances.
We could sit down, look at the
numbers, see where you could
cut costs. Hopefully
keep the store open.
Really?
Yeah.
Oh, my God, Wyatt.
That would be fantastic.
I am, I'm I'm sorry
that I snapped at you.
Oh, that's that's okay.
I, I knew you weren't
mad at me.
Oh, yeah? How's that?
I know better than to tell a
Southern woman what to do.
I've learned a lot of
lessons the hard way.
And one of them is that
people need the chance
to do things
for themselves.
And I know you can do it.
Well,
thank you.
I have done a lot on my own
and it makes me happy
that you can see that.
I can see it.
And I'm impressed by how hard
you work and how much you do.
You've got the brains
and will power to fix it.
I've I've just got the
knowledge to give you
a push in the
right direction.
And look, you can always choose
to not take my advice and if
you don't, I promise there
will be no hard feelings.
You are a treasure.
Can you give lessons?
That would take knowledge and
patience that I do not have.
You're patient with me.
You're different.
I, I think there's one
more room to look through.
I think so.
Thank you for bringing
me to this sale.
Oh, it was my pleasure.
And I love looking at
other people's stuff.
I'm really nosy.
Aren't we all?
Say, would you mind running
some of this stuff
by the store first?
It'll save me a trip
and I can check on Eric.
Of course.
I'm happy to.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
Right here.
I take it today was a good day.
It was a very good day.
All right. Just a few
more trips, and I
think we'll be all done.
Need any help?
No. This was the
only big piece. I got it.
So how was business today?
Actually, we had
a great morning.
Sold tons of stuff.
But it tapered off.
The big Christmas festival
opened this afternoon.
I expect a lot of
folks went there.
Yeah. I forgot about that.
You know what?
Let's close early.
Are you sure?
Well, yeah. We'll just
load this stuff into
the back and we can
go through it on Monday.
And you can go and have a
good Saturday with your wife.
Well, thanks, Mary.
Let me get the door for you.
Thank you, sir.
Okay.
What else needs to come in?
It was this and...?
Uh, the the lamp and that little
box of figurines, please.
And then the rest can go
to my personal collection.
Got it.
You know, Mary, since you're
closing the store, you've got
the evening off too.
Yeah.
Well, I'm thinking you could
probably have a
great Saturday too.
Not you too, Eric.
I haven't seen you smile
like that in forever.
Maybe it's time to see
where a smile can take you.
I don't know.
I'm not ready.
We never are.
Some things in this
store are priceless.
You especially.
Start treating yourself like it.
There you go.
Thanks again.
No problem.
Happy to help.
I'll start closing.
Closing?
Yeah. Business is slow, so I
told him to just
go ahead and go on home.
Well, does that mean
you're free this evening?
Yeah.
Well, would, would you like to
go maybe grab some dinner and
celebrate our antiquing
success?
Yes.
I'd like that.
Alright. Well, great.
Let's get this stuff to
the back and we can go.
Okay.
Thank you.
That was amazing.
I've been meaning to try it,
but I never had the time
or the right company.
Well, I'm happy to oblige.
Best hot chocolate, huh?
They all say that.
I don't know.
I think I have to try it.
It could be the best
hot chocolate ever.
Well, I guess we
better find out then.
Set them right here.
Thank you for coming
with me today, Mary.
You're welcome.
I had a really great time.
Dinner was amazing,
and that hot chocolate,
it really was some
of the best in Memphis.
I might have had better,
but if I have
I don't remember it.
So, I, uh,
should probably
get these inside.
Yeah. Do you want me to
No. No. No. I got it.
Thank you.
-Okay.
Thank you again.
Yeah.
Hey, mom.
What's, what's going on here?
Daniel, hey.
Sweetheart, I, I didn't know
you're coming home today.
Yeah. Yeah.
Came home early.
Well,
-Hey.
you should have told me.
I would have been here.
Well, it looks like
you've been busy.
Daniel.
-Buying things, Mom.
Are we gonna, we gonna have
room for whatever's
in those boxes?
Of course, we will.
Daniel, you, uh,
remember Wyatt?
Daniel?
-Hey.
Glad you made it home safe.
Yeah. It was fine.
You know, the flyover.
Yeah.
Yeah. Um.
I should probably go.
So, bye, Mary.
See you later. Bye.
Bye, Daniel.
See you.
-All right.
You know, I'm never gonna
let you live that down. Right?
Live in what down?
Just making out on
the front porch.
I, uh, I, I was not,
-Yup. Yup. Yeah.
I was not making out.
I simply gave
Yeah
-a friend a hug.
Oh, yeah. Hug. Sure.
Get in the house.
-Yeah. I, I'm sorry.
It's too cold for you
to be out here in shorts.
I mean,
Seemed pretty toasty to me.
Go. Go.
-I'm sorry. Sorry. Sorry.
Elena, hey.
You ready for me yet?
Oh, I'm so excited.
Yes, we are ready to
hang up your stuff.
Hey, lady.
Can I see?
Well, you will.
But let me finish unpacking.
I wouldn't wanna damage
anything before tomorrow.
Okay.
Here. I can help.
Where should I put them?
How about over there?
Yeah. I think we have some
space to separate them there.
Is that a black light?
It sure is.
Oh, this is gonna be cool.
It's almost time.
Sherita would love this.
It's beautiful.
Told you this was going to work.
Ugh. I gotta go.
Are you seriously gonna
have dinner with that ogre?
I, I have to.
He has the Nutcracker.
I gotta figure out
how to get it back.
Okay. Whatever.
But just
whatever you do, don't tell
him about the benefit tomorrow.
Oh, I haven't, and I won't.
Sherita would roll over in
her grave
if he showed up here.
Nuh-uh. Nah. Nah.
It, it would be a
full on haunting.
Like, the ghost of
Christmas past kinda thing.
chains and all.
True.
Does Wyatt know you're
having dinner with Richard?
No.
You think you should tell him?
No. I mean, we're not
dating or anything.
There's no reason to tell him.
Okay.
I just don't want him to get
his feelings hurt
if he finds out.
I had a phone conversation
with the buyer today.
Really?
Things are progressing
quite nicely.
He's really eager to
get that sale moving.
You know you should look
into selling that store?
You can get so
much money for it.
It's not about the
money, Richard.
Of course it is.
Everything is about the money.
You need money to buy food, a
house, or in your
case, the Nutcracker.
Why are you holding
that over my head?
Because it's the one thing
that you seem to care about.
I care about a lot of things.
And sure, you can use money
for certain things,
but it only causes problems.
You really think that?
Why didn't you get
the Nutcracker first?
What do you want, Richard?
I want you to sell the store.
No.
It's the only way you're
gonna get the Nutcracker.
What?
Look, Lamb.
We were together for years, and
that store always
got between us.
Every single disagreement was
about finding time away from
the store or you feeling bad
that you couldn't close the
store because you
were behind in sales.
You need to get rid of it.
I could take care of you.
I don't want to
be taken care of.
Yeah. You do. All women do.
All I want from you
is the Nutcracker.
Then you need to make a choice.
Do you want the Nutcracker?
Something you've been
looking for your whole life.
Or do you wanna hold on
to a failing store.
Because the impression I get
from the buyer is that he's
going to raise the rent.
If that doesn't satisfy him,
he's gonna modernize it.
Maybe even tear the
whole thing down.
You just need to get out while
you can make a tidy profit.
Thank you for dinner, Richard.
I'm suddenly not
feeling very well.
Poor lamb.
Dropped a lot of truth
on you this evening.
Let me know what you decide.
The store?
Or the nutcracker.
Mom.
What are you doing
up so late?
I have a lot on my mind.
Did I wake you?
No. I was I was live
streaming the game.
I was gonna get some
fuel to keep going.
I have no idea what that means.
I know.
Okay. Good talk.
What's wrong?
Nothing.
Everything's fine.
Okay. Well, I know
when something's wrong.
Is it because of the Nutcracker?
In a way, yes.
I know you were really, really
looking forward to finding
that, and, hey, I was too.
The legendary Nutcracker that
would complete
great grandma's set.
But as cool as it would have
been to find it, you know,
it's not the end of the world.
We have a lot of cool stuff
here and at the store that you
found while looking for it.
You've helped a lot of other
people find and
complete their own sets.
I know it's not the ending you
wanted, but, hey, you taught me
to find the sunshine
poking through every cloud.
You are a very
smart young man.
You must have been
raised by a smart mom.
No. Actually, I, I was
raised by you, so my,
my smarts must have
come from somewhere else.
I'm not sure, but I okay.
Very funny.
I'm hilarious
and a little chilly now.
You are. But thank you for the
pep talk. I needed it.
And it's not the
end of the world.
You're right.
So, um,
if you'll just do me
a favor and
say that into
the microphone.
"You're right."
"Smart." Okay. Yeah.
Shall we go get a snack?
Yes, please.
Let's go, goofball.
Now, I need you to initial the
bottom of every page and I need
you to sign here
where it's marked.
Once you do that, you will be
the new owner of the strip mall
and every shop in it.
I'm gonna get the notary
so we can get started.
I'm gonna leave this with you
so you can take a look at it
and make sure all the changes
are in the paperwork
that you requested.
Okay? Be right back.
Is everything in order?
Yeah. It looks good.
I'm ready to sign.
This looks delicious.
Wait till you try it. It tastes
even better than it looks.
Gwyn is going to be so jealous
that I got to see the fancy mac
and cheese before she did.
It really looks heavenly.
Thank you.
It's my mom's recipe.
Oh, my gosh.
I am so sorry.
I forgot to introduce myself.
I'm Mary.
We spoke on the phone.
I didn't see you come in.
It's okay. I'm Beth.
You were so busy getting those
trees ready while we were
setting up and bringing in
the food. It's okay.
Well, I could smell it.
Oh good. Well, I hope
everybody likes it.
Oh, I know they will.
Oh good. You know, I wanted to
thank you so much
for inviting my mom. She's like
beside herself with giddiness.
In fact, she's
still getting ready.
But this is her first party
since she's been diagnosed, so
it's really important to her.
Well, I can't wait to meet her.
Thank you.
Well, looks like
I'm being summoned.
Oh, you must go.
Thank you so much for
making this beautiful food.
Oh, you're so welcome.
I'm really so honored to be
able to help you raise money
for cancer research.
So thank you.
I'll see you later.
-Okay.
So we've nearly sold almost all
of the paintings, most of them
in the black light section.
That's fantastic.
-Right?
I think it's time for you
to go make an announcement.
Yeah.
You got this.
Yeah. I got this.
Yeah.
I got this.
Wow.
-Hey.
You look amazing.
Oh, thank you.
You clean up pretty
good yourself.
Oh, so how's it going?
Actually, really well.
Gwyn just told me that Elena's
already sold half
of her inventory.
So that means that we are going
to have a good amount to donate
to the Memphis Cancer
Research Foundation.
Oh, that is awesome.
Thank you.
-Congratulations.
And the night is
not over yet.
Well, I'm sorry I was
late getting here.
I had to stop and take care
of something on the way.
Oh, no worries.
I'm just glad you're here now.
Um. There's something I need
to talk to you about.
Could we go talk for
a second somewhere?
Oh, yeah. Sure.
But can it wait?
I have my speech to do.
Oh, yeah.
Yeah. Of course. Yeah.
Okay. Great.
Wish me luck.
No.
No?
No. You don't need luck.
You're a strong, confident
woman and you can
handle anything.
Just take a look around.
You and Gwen did all of this,
and you didn't need luck.
It was willpower, love,
sheer determination.
You just go out there, be
yourself, and everything will
turn out fine.
Okay?
Excuse me. Everyone?
May I have your
attention, please?
Thank you all for coming out
tonight to this benefit in
honor of Sherita Getwell.
And thank you to Elena
for providing all
of these beautiful
paintings.
I see many familiar faces.
Faces that Sherita loved.
Whew.
This might be a little
harder than I anticipated.
Sherita was the kindest
soul that I ever met.
She never once hesitated
to help someone in need.
She would cry with you,
and then in the very
next breath,
she would have you laughing.
Her hugs were some of
the best I've ever gotten.
When she was diagnosed,
she didn't let it stop her.
She continued to help others
and to care for those
who were hurting.
She never gave her own
pain a second thought.
She trusted in God, and
even when she was bedridden,
she continued to give
that love to others.
We really lost someone
very, very special.
We did.
So that's why we decided to
hold this art sale tonight
to benefit the Memphis
Cancer Research Foundation.
All of the proceeds tonight
will go to helping find a cure.
And I know that money can be
tight around Christmas time,
but I know that Sherita would
be so thankful if you could
find it in your heart
to buy a painting.
Or there is a box in the back
that you may place a check if
you so please, or there is a QR
code that you may scan and that
will bring you directly to the
foundation's website where you
can place a donation
in Sherita's name.
Thank you all for coming out
tonight and Merry Christmas.
That was really nice, mom.
Thanks, honey.
You okay?
Yeah. I will be.
Is, is this right?
No. Really?
That's what it looks like.
But that's with the
checks. Right?
No. I haven't even
opened the box yet.
We did it.
We did.
I know Sherita would
be very proud of us.
What does he want?
Who?
Richard.
Nothing good.
Don't look at it.
Oh, no.
What?
He said the building sold.
He said the new owner takes
ownership right after Christmas.
Woah.
Yeah.
You know what?
I am not going to let
him ruin the mood.
Sherita would want
us to still be happy.
We can deal with that on Monday.
If you say so.
I mean, I guess I wouldn't want
the mood ruined if I had been
kissed by a handsome
man in a suit.
It was on the cheek.
On the cheek.
Mhmm.
I know. I saw.
And you're smiling again.
I know.
He asked if I would talk to him
in private tonight, and I said
I would, but I was so
busy I didn't have time.
I bet he's going to profess his
love and whisk you away on a
Christmas adventure.
Mmm.
Stop. Stop.
But I wouldn't say no.
I know.
Mahh. Last night was amazing.
Yup.
I just wish we had
the energy to be happier.
Oh, I'm happy.
I just, can't show
it on the outside.
They should have all
the checks tallied
up by this evening.
Great. And have you heard from
the foundation to see how much
money was raised in
Sherita's name on their site?
Not yet.
But I did get an email from one
of the board members who said
that donation notifications
were going off well into the
night, including one ten
thousand dollar
anonymous donation.
Oh my gosh.
That is amazing.
You know, Elena told me that
she only went home with a
handful of unsold paintings.
She said that she got a
bunch of commissions
from patrons at the benefit.
That's great for her.
She's an amazing artist and
deserves every bit of that.
Agreed.
I really think that Sherita
pushed this over the top to
just make it a huge success.
I do too.
Now, I just gotta figure
out what I'm going to do.
Yup. Me too.
Do you think the new owner is
really gonna tear
the building down?
I'm not sure.
You know more than I do.
Oh, I don't know if I should
trust the information
coming from my source.
I definitely wouldn't trust him.
I can't believe he's
blackmailing you to sell the
store so he'll give
you the Nutcracker.
I know.
He's a bit of a snake.
A bit?
Okay. The whole thing.
Are you going to sell?
At this point, I may have to.
I wish that we could go
into business together.
Why can't we?
And do what?
Open an antique store
with a bakery inside?
Think about it.
The sense of smell is one
of the biggest anchors to
memory we have.
Say I'm baking chocolate
muffins, and it reminds a
customer of something
from when he was a kid.
He sees an old lamp
or something else old you have
in the store, and
boom, he wants to buy it.
I don't know.
We can combine our stores
once we find the right location.
then we'll only have to
worry about one rent payment.
Gwyn.
I think you just solved
both our problems.
Welcome to A Little Something...
Ew.
Richard,
what are you doing here?
I told the new owner to meet
me here in a few minutes.
Here?
-Yeah.
I want him to see what
he's getting himself into.
You know, he might take one
look at this place and start
raising the rent next month.
You'd like that, wouldn't you?
Don't you have
a doughnut shop to run?
I'm closed on Sundays.
Mr. Porter, so glad
you could meet me here.
Mary Little, this is Wyatt
Porter, the new owner
of the building.
Mary.
You bought the building?
Yes. He did.
You're the new owner?
I just said he bought
the building.
What?
Do you know each other?
Mary, I've been trying to find
the time to tell you.
But I just never found
the right time.
I confided in you.
I trusted you.
You still can.
-No.
You knew that I was worried
about the new owner and the
possible increase in rent.
You said that you would help
me with my books when all along
you were the one who was
going to raise the rent, this
mysterious buyer who's going to
tear down the whole building?
No, Mary, that's, that's not,
that's not what...
I can't handle this.
So you do know each other.
Great.
Let me take you next door,
introduce you to those tenants.
No. I, I think there's something
I need to clear up here first.
I don't think you do.
Please, leave.
Mary, it's not how it looks.
It's pretty clear from
where I'm standing.
Um.
Okay. I, I'll leave.
Great.
So, this next store is a
clothing store for kids.
But, lots of traffic.
Mary, I am so sorry.
What a day.
You can say that again.
My dogs are barking.
I can't wait to get
home and put my feet up.
Oh, I hear ya.
These last minute Christmas
shoppers get worse every year.
Yeah.
But I sure do love them.
Yeah.
I noticed one of the
big items sold today.
Didn't Wyatt bring that in?
He did.
He's a great guy.
I haven't seen him
around in a few days.
Yeah. He's, uh,
been busy.
He does a lot of charity
work around the city.
I've seen him in the background
of a number of pictures in the
Memphis Extra.
The Extra?
Yeah. Me and my wife
love to flip through it.
We always say, we are going to
get our picture
in there one day.
But you saw Wyatt?
Yeah. He's on the board of
the children's hospital.
His family's always had a chair.
You didn't know?
No. I,
I, I didn't.
Eh. It doesn't surprise me.
He is about the most humble
person I have ever met.
He never talks about himself.
I gotta head home.
We get the grand kids coming
over tomorrow to open presents.
We always allow them to open
presents on Christmas Eve.
That way, they can be
disappointed in what their
parents got them
on Christmas day.
Oh, thank you for
all your help, Eric.
Today and this whole
holiday season.
I don't know what I would
have done without you.
Hmm. Me neither.
You sure are lucky.
Oh, Merry Christmas, Eric.
Merry Christmas, Mary.
What do you think, Sherita?
I mean, I have to see him to
give him the proceeds
from the sale.
Should I give him a
chance to explain?
Did I overreact?
Gosh. I wish you were here.
Fine.
I'll go see him tomorrow
and give him the proceeds.
Stop looking at me like that.
I'll be right back.
What? No breakfast?
I made monkey bread.
It's on the counter.
Nice.
Wait. It's Christmas Eve.
No one's open.
I have some business
to take care of with Wyatt.
Oh.
What?
Okay. I get it.
Wyatt's the bad guy right now.
But I haven't seen you smile
like that at someone in a while.
I know.
Just give him a chance.
He's definitely not the
prince in the Nutcracker set.
Right? But he still seems like
he's pretty important to you.
What do you mean?
Every time he gives you
something to sell at the store
and it sells, we get to keep
the store for a
couple more months.
Yeah.
He really does seem to come to
my aid at just the right time.
He's a decent guy.
Just, don't just
give him the check.
Right? Talk to him.
Are you giving me dating advice?
Alright. Go.
Get out of here.
Bye, Sweetheart.
Bye.
Oh, monkey bread.
Mary, what are you doing here?
Here. The big item that you
brought sold in, and that's
your part of the sale.
Oh,
thank you.
Welcome.
Do you wanna come in?
Yeah. Please.
There's some things
I'd like to ask you.
I, I thought there might be.
Please.
So.
So.
I, uh,
I'm, I'm just gonna
come out and say it.
Why didn't you tell me that
you were buying the building?
I should have told you.
And I tried a lot.
Every time something would
come up or get in the way, and,
plus I, I just really
didn't know how.
You didn't know how.
You just tell me.
Yeah. So, um,
I, I come from a pretty
prominent Memphis family,
and I don't like to
flaunt what I have.
So I donate to charities
and I try to help people
anonymously.
So you're rich.
What does that have to
do with my building?
Well, I saw the way the
landlord treated you.
I mean, he almost put you out
of business a couple of times
by raising the rent.
If he was doing it to you, he
was certainly doing it
to the other tenants.
So I approached him through
an agent and made an offer.
And after he got all the money
he could out of me,
I was able
to buy the building.
So you bought it to
save the tenants?
Yeah.
But what about, well, Richard
said that the new owner was
going to raise the
rent or tear it down.
Richard just assumed I was
gonna raise the rent because he
knew how much I paid
for the building.
And as far as tearing it down
goes, I, I told him I wanted to
make some improvements, like
bring it up to code, but he's
the one who suggested
tearing it down.
But you were there when Gwyn
and I were talking
about the rent.
Yeah. And I, I told you
that that's not right.
And I assumed that
you meant principal.
I had no idea that you were
talking about
Richard being wrong.
He is such a jerk.
Yeah. I got that.
So
why would you bring me
things to sell then
if you didn't need the money?
Well, that is purely
me being selfish.
I know how much you love the
store, what it means to you,
and I didn't wanna see it close.
And, um,
I like making you happy.
So I would bring you something
from the barn to sell whenever
I could tell you were
having a difficult time.
Wow.
Wyatt, that is so sweet.
I'm sorry.
I thought that you were
using me to buy the building.
I had no idea about
all that other stuff.
I guess there's a lot of
things I don't know about you.
Wait.
There's a barn?
Yeah. There's a barn.
Come on.
You have been holding
out on me, mister.
I could spend
hours in this barn.
I know.
Another part of my life
I didn't know
how to tell you about.
Well, you are never
getting rid of me now.
Is that a promise?
Do you want it to be?
There's one more antique in
the house I wanna show you.
I think you're gonna like it.
Another one?
What could possibly top this?
So I've had this
for a while now.
What is it?
You have to open it and see.
Wyatt.
Are you serious?
You were the one who
bought the Nutcracker.
Yeah.
How?
Well,
antiquing's a pretty
cutthroat business.
So when you saw the Nutcracker
in the paper, I got worried
someone else is gonna
try to buy it first.
I called the owner of the
company handling the sale.
We go way back, and I asked her
if I could come in
and buy it early.
If I'd have known you're gonna
try to buy it, I would have
just told her to
hold it for you, but...
Why didn't you give
it to me earlier?
I tried.
I wanted to take you to dinner
and give it to you personally.
I had it all planned out.
I wanted it to be perfect,
but I lost my nerve and
I just chickened out.
I can't believe it.
Why did you buy it?
Well, to make you happy
and to see you smile.
The first time I ever saw you
was the first time
I came in your store.
And you were standing there
talking to a customer,
laughing, smiling.
You just had this
magic about you.
And, um,
I'm pretty sure it's what
they call love at first sight.
And I still see that magic and
feel that way about you every
time I see you,
especially around Christmas.
Magic, huh?
Yup.
And love?
Definitely.
Well, I suggest we capture some
of that Christmas
magic right now.
My thoughts exactly.
For Tarsha
Good morning. Welcome to A
Little Something Special
Just take your time.
If there's anything I can help
you find, just let me know.
Did you find everything you
were looking for?
Oh, yes.
This and much more.
I just love your store.
I'm definitely coming back.
Oh, thank you.
I love hearing that.
Oh, wow.
Those are beautiful.
My aunt collects nutcrackers,
and she'd love to have
something like that.
Those have been in my
family for a long time.
I'm only missing that one piece.
I have been on the hunt
for that
for years.
That will be $43.25.
Well, I hope you find it.
The hunt is always the most fun.
It's like going on an
adventure and finding treasure.
That is exactly it.
There you are.
Well, I hope you have a great
rest of your day
and a Merry Christmas.
Thank you. Merry Christmas.
Hey. It looks like you found a
little something
extra today, Paul.
Oh, I always do.
Eric showed me where
to find the good stuff.
How's Daniel.
Will he be home for break?
I hope so, but he sometimes
forgets to keep me in the loop.
But I just chalk that up to
him trying to be an adult.
Nah. That's all kids.
They expect you to
read their minds.
Mhmm. You would think as much
as he's on his phone though, he
would find a minute to
drop his mom a line.
Neither of my kids have figured
that out yet and they're older
than Daniel.
Unless they want
something.
Well, I want you to
have a Merry Christmas, Paul.
Thank you, Mary.
You have a Merry Christmas too.
I know I'll be back before
Christmas
because you're always finding
stuff my wife will love.
Aw. Thank you.
Today is a good day.
Yes. It is.
Thank you so much for
working some extra hours.
Are you kidding me?
I love this place.
If I wasn't here, my wife would
be finding something
for me to fix.
They're looking at
the Bayner sculpture.
I've got them right
where I want them.
Go get 'em.
Good night, Eric.
See you tomorrow.
Good night, Mary.
I miss you, Sherita.
You always knew how to
focus on the good things.
Hey, girl. Wait up.
Hey, Gwyn.
Did you bring me some leftovers?
With the day I've had,
you're lucky I love you
and I didn't eat them all.
They smell heavenly.
Mmm.
Chocolate crisps
with peppermint chips
and silver sprinkles.
They've been selling like mad.
I knew you wanted some,
so I saved you a couple.
You're the best.
-Uh-huh.
So the bakery was busy?
Yes. And I needed it too.
How about you?
Yeah. I was busier than normal,
but still not enough to get me
where I need to be by
the end of the year.
So have you heard anything
about who might
buy the building?
No. But I'm really hoping they
don't raise the rent like the
letter said.
I don't know how many more
rent raises I can take.
Yeah. Me neither.
So are we still on for our
planning sesh
at my house tomorrow
night?
Will there be wine?
After this week?
Definitely.
Well then, yes.
We're still on.
But...
I'm wearing my comfy pants.
Oh, I would have
it no other way.
And neither would Sherita.
I finally heard
from the caterer.
The one who does the
fancy mac and cheese?
Yes. That's the one.
She said that she's free that
night and she's actually going
to give us a discount because
sadly her mom was diagnosed
with breast cancer
two years ago.
Oh, wow.
-Yeah.
She was so thankful that
we asked her to
cater the benefit.
Bless her heart.
She started to
cry on the phone.
So I told her to just
bring her mom
and she broke down again.
She is now, and I
quote, "A fan for life."
Aww.
bless her heart.
I'll add them both
to the guest list.
Thank you.
-Mm-hm.
Have you talked to Elena?
Yep.
And I just sent you over a
sample of the work
she's going to hang up
at the gallery.
Oh, wow.
These are amazing.
There will be a whole section
lit up with a black light
because of the paint
she uses.
That is so cool.
We are going to
raise so much money.
Yeah. Sherita would be proud.
You know what she'd
say about all this.
Yep.
She'd pick up a glass of wine,
put her hand on her hip, and
say, "Now why are you doing
all this for little old me?"
"Can't you find anything
better to do with your time?"
And then she would take another
sip and she'd say, "Well, as
long as you're at it, go ahead
and make it bigger and better."
I hope that she'll
be proud of us.
She will be.
I mean, I wouldn't even be
surprised if she found a way to
let us know, like, I don't
know, make it snow or something.
You hush your mouth.
You know good and well that
snow in Memphis is
always a disaster.
Never wish for snow.
The last time we got snow
around Christmas, we lost power
and the roads were covered in
snow and ice for three days.
Just don't do it.
Okay. Okay.
You're right.
Why'd you throw it at me?
You said I was right.
Because the pillow
belongs over there.
Okay.
Alright. Let's take a
look at valet parking.
Oh, Wyatt. Hey.
How are you today?
Hey, Mary. I'm good.
How are things?
Ah. Can't complain.
That's good to hear.
So what have you
brought me today?
Well, it's almost Christmas.
So when I found these, I knew
it was the perfect time
to sell them in the store.
Yeah. Come on.
Wyatt, these are beautiful.
Where did you find them?
At an estate sale.
You got a place for them?
Oh, Honey,
I'll find a place.
Are you still good with me
keeping the twenty percent?
Of course.
I wish you'd take more.
Oh, gosh.
Never in a million years.
That twenty percent is plenty.
Thank you.
You, didn't happen to find
any nutcrackers
while you were
there, did you?
No. Not there.
But I did bring the paper,
and there are
some promising sales in there.
Oh.
I know you're still looking
for the missing piece.
Oh. Look, you already put
some stars on some of them.
I know how important
it is to you.
So is, is Daniel coming home
for the break
or is he on some
big new adventure?
Oh, as far as I know, but he
hasn't confirmed with me yet.
Still figuring out who
and where he wants to be.
Yeah. I know.
I just wish he would tell
me his plans a little sooner
rather than springing them
on me at the last minute.
Just a worried mama, I guess.
Well, you're a good mama.
And you give him
the space he needs.
He realizes that.
I think that's why he's not so
concerned about
telling you his every move.
Well, thank you.
That really helped my heart.
You're so sweet, Wyatt.
Thanks.
Oh, welcome in.
Let me know if I
can help you find anything.
So Mary,
Oh my goodness.
What is it?
Look.
Do you know her?
No. Behind her.
It's the Nutcracker.
No way.
That's it.
I found it.
What'd you find?
Oh, I didn't hear you come in.
Obviously.
Look, it's my grandmother's
Nutcracker,
the one I've been
looking for.
No way.
That's what I said.
It, it says that they're having
a sale early Saturday morning.
Well, you have to go.
I know.
I'll get Eric to open the store.
Why don't you go
with her, Wyatt?
Oh, yes.
I mean, you brought
me the paper.
It's only fitting
that you come with me.
Oh, okay.
I do love seeing an antique
find its forever home.
Sounds like you two have a date.
Mary, I'll, I'll be back and
we can work out the details.
Why do you insist on
embarrassing him like that?
Like what?
He's got a crush on you.
Gwyn.
I know. I know.
You're not interested in dating.
Yet.
There is no yet.
An antique finding
its forever home.
Yeah.
I'm so close, Gwyn.
So close.
This salad is delicious
and savory, but it
can really
use a side of bread.
Coming from someone who owns
a bakery,
aren't you sick of
eating bread?
Why do you think I became
a baker in the first place?
Plus,
I'm always checking
out the competition.
Gwyn, you're the most
talented baker in the county.
There is no competition.
And that's because I'm always
checking out the competition.
Speaking of checking people out,
have you spoken to Wyatt
about your date this Saturday?
It's not a date.
I don't know why you
keep calling it that.
Because I know you, and I know
the thought
would never cross your mind.
Well, stop it.
I'm not ready.
You know that.
Okay. Okay.
Fine. But
when you are ready,
he might not be available
anymore.
Really?
What have you heard?
Nothing.
Just wanted to make you
aware of the possibility.
Well, I am aware.
Thank you.
And I do need to call him to
set up a time and
a place to meet.
You know, I still can't
believe I found it.
Do you think the woman's
had it in her collection
this whole entire time?
I don't know. It
literally blows my mind
that my missing piece
has been in
Memphis this whole time.
How much do you think
she's gonna sell it for?
I don't know.
I'm struggling, but I am
going to find a way
to buy it no matter what.
I just really need to have it.
If the sale of the mall goes
through before Christmas, they
might raise the rent.
Yeah.
Just doesn't seem fair.
I've been looking for that
missing piece
for all these years.
Now when I finally find it, I
might not be able to afford it
or even keep my store
open for that matter.
I hope it doesn't get that bad.
Me too.
Good afternoon, Mary,
Gwyn.
What, Gwyn?
No hello?
Hello, Richard.
That's more like it.
Now I couldn't help but
overhear your conversation.
You mean you were eavesdropping?
No. Just hearing
bits and pieces.
Hmm. Sure.
Did you mention you found
your missing nutcracker?
Yes.
That's great.
Where'd you find it?
I, saw it in a picture
for an estate sale.
That's nice.
What do you want, Richard?
Well, I happen to be the agent
in charge of selling the mall.
Are you serious?
Yes, Lamb.
I'm quite serious.
Don't call me that.
I never liked it, and
we're not dating anymore.
Oh, but it suits
you, Mary Little.
She's not a nursery rhyme.
Now, Mary, if you want,
I can give you some insider
information on the sale.
What do you want for the
information, Richard?
Not a thing.
I already have a buyer lined up.
We're talking big numbers.
For the price that it's going
for, the rent might be going up.
Antiquing is an old and
tired business, Mary.
Antique is, by definition, old.
There's not enough money to be
made off those things that'll
let you live comfortably,
and you deserve
to live a comfortable life.
You know, for what I'm gonna
get off the mall, I'm gonna be
comfortable for
a very long time.
Why don't you sell that
atrocious, dirty store and let
me take care of you and Daniel
for the rest of your life?
That atrocious
dirty store is a part of me.
It's a part of my history.
It brings me more joy
than dating you ever did.
Oh, now be reasonable, Mary.
Reasonable?
You never respected me,
my choices, my store.
Daniel and I will be just
fine without your help.
And now,
I think you should be
reasonable and leave
before Gwyn commits
whatever
crime is boiling
behind her eyes.
I believe I'll dine elsewhere.
Mary,
good luck buying
that Nutcracker.
Did you see his face?
Crime boiling behind my eyes.
I had to say something.
I do not know what
I ever saw in him.
I don't either.
He's a shifter.
He's constantly changing
if it suits his end goal.
Yeah.
Gosh, I hope the new owner
doesn't raise the rent.
If they do, we'll find a
way to make money together.
Doing what?
I don't know.
Scaring away ex boyfriends?
I like it.
Kathy. Hey.
How are you?
Great. Thanks.
Listen. I've got
a project for you.
There was a picture in the
paper either yesterday
or the day before,
in the estate sale section.
Maybe the day before that.
Anyway, I need you to find a
picture with a nutcracker in it.
Yes. A nutcracker.
Find out who's
hosting that sale.
I need to get my hands on that
Nutcracker before the public
sale on Saturday.
Great. Thanks.
Text me the information
when you get it.
You know, I really didn't like
Richard's comment
about the Nutcracker.
Me neither.
It sounded pretty ominous.
You don't think that he's going
to go to the sale, do you?
Didn't he hate going
when you two were dating?
Yes.
He complained all the time.
It's too bad you can't just buy
the Nutcracker before the sale,
you know, just in case.
Gwyn.
You're brilliant.
I know.
But what did I say?
You gave me an idea.
I think I'll just call the
company who's handling the
sale, and I'll ask them if I
can buy the Nutcracker early.
Hey. I guess I am brilliant.
I'll call them first
thing in the morning.
Hey, Sweetheart.
Hey, mom.
How are you?
Is everything okay?
Yes. Everything is okay.
Why do you ask me that
every time I call?
Well, you don't call very
often, so when you do, I worry
that something might be
wrong.
Alright. Whatever.
But I am, I'm happy
to hear from you.
So what's up?
Oh, just winter break starts
in a week, and I'm just making
sure you haven't turned
my room into a sewing room
or something.
A sewing room?
When have I ever sewn
enough to need a room?
I don't know. Maybe you've
started sewing more.
With what time?
I am at the store all the time.
That's true.
You love that store
more than you love me.
Oh, stop it.
Oh, guess what?
Uh, Chicken butt.
Daniel.
What? It's funny.
You're not five.
But you're laughing.
Anyway,
I...
found the missing nutcracker.
What?
No way. Oh, mom. That's awesome.
I know.
I can't believe it.
Wait. Is it, is it at the
house or is it at the shop?
Well, neither.
It is at an estate sale, but
I'm going to call a company
tomorrow and see if
I can get it early.
Oh, I I can't wait.
Hey. Maybe they
can hold it for you.
Yeah, we'll see.
I, I hope so too.
After all this time. Wow.
Yeah. It's been a
long time coming.
Hey, mom. I gotta go.
Okay, sweetie.
Thanks for calling.
I love you.
And I'll talk to you soon.
Alright. Love you too, mom.
Bye.
Bye.
Thank you for calling County
Estate and Jewelry Sales.
How may I help you?
Hi. Yes.
I'm calling about the Sutton
Estate sale that was
scheduled for this Saturday.
Yes, ma'am.
We are handling that sale.
Oh, good.
I'm calling about the
Nutcracker that I saw in the
picture with Ms. Sutton.
I was wondering if I could
purchase it before Saturday
or put a hold on it.
We've had a lot of
interest in that item, but
unfortunately, it's
already been sold.
Oh.
Oh, no.
I'm sorry.
There are a lot of similar
Christmas items also for
sale if you want
me to email you those pictures.
No. Thank you.
Can you tell me who bought it?
No, ma'am. That information
is confidential.
But the gentleman who bought
it said this was going to make
some woman very happy.
Okay.
Thank you for your time.
Have a good day.
You too.
Mary, you okay?
I lost it again.
The Nutcracker?
Oh, Mary.
Mary, what's going on?
What did you do?
I didn't do anything.
I missed it.
It's gone again.
I wasn't fast enough.
Oh, no.
I called the company that was
handling the estate, and they
said that a man
bought it for a woman.
Oh, well, at least that's noble.
Right?
No.
I mean, yes.
But I really wanted that to
complete my grandmother's set.
Oh, no.
What?
You don't think Richard
bought it, do you?
That would be just
like that slimy worm.
His last comment
sounded like a threat.
Think he bought
it to get you back?
I don't know.
I am so mad right now.
Yeah. Me too.
Well, you don't
know it was Richard.
It could have actually been a
man who was genuinely trying to
make a woman happy.
What are the odds though?
It's just not fair.
I was so close.
We need a distraction.
We have under two weeks
until the art benefit.
We still have a lot to do.
Yeah. I know.
Decorations arrive next week.
Do you wanna hire someone
or use volunteers?
Volunteers. The less money we
have to spend, the more we can
give to cancer research.
Good idea.
Wyatt?
Yeah.
Thank you.
For what?
For volunteering.
Oh.
Don't worry, Wyatt.
That's how she ropes me
into volunteering too.
That's okay.
Just tell me
when and where you
want me
Oh, I will, Wyatt.
But I think I'll let
Mary handle that.
She is the one
in charge.
Well, I'm, I'm ready to start
whenever you are, Mary.
All right. I'll go get
some paper.
We can plan out where
we're going to set up.
You're good at distracting her.
Yeah. It's what I do.
And you're a really good friend.
I know.
And I'm really protective too.
And I don't want
her to get hurt.
You get me?
Yeah. I, I get you.
I don't want her
to get hurt either.
Good.
All right. I, found some
paper and some markers.
I thought we could draw out
the venue and kinda plan where
we're going to
set everything up.
Sounds good.
-All right. There you go.
I think the door would be
over here.
Welcome to A Little
Something Special.
Oh, hey, Cliff.
How are you?
Doing good, Mary.
No complaints.
How's business?
Well, I'm hoping for some good
old Christmas spirit to get me
through to the end of the year.
Yeah. Aren't we all?
I haven't seen you
and Ellie
Mae in quite some time.
How's she doing?
Oh, okay.
Oh.
-You know?
Well, tell her that I
hope to see her soon.
I will. I will.
Actually, Mary.
Yes, Cliff?
Ellie Mae passed away.
What? Oh, Cliff, I am so sorry.
I had no idea.
Yeah, it's just easier to say
she's okay when people ask.
It keeps me from having
to talk about it.
You know?
Yeah. I...
Is there anything I can do?
No. No.
Eric was telling me you're
putting on a art
gala or something?
Oh, yeah.
Ellie Mae used to drag me
all over town looking at art,
trying to make me
understand it, but
I never did.
I just went because I loved her.
You know what?
Would you like to
come to the benefit?
The benefit?
What's it benefiting?
We're going to donate the money
to the Memphis Cancer
Research Foundation.
Oh, well, that's
very nice of you.
You know, when Ellie Mae first
got sick, we signed up for
every trial there was.
She, she pushed
hard till the end.
All one hundred and
ten pounds of her.
Actually, you know what?
I think I will go, Mary.
Thank you for the invite.
Really? Oh, it's my pleasure.
All right. Come on over here and
I'll get you the information.
That'd be great. Thanks.
I was so close.
I love this piece.
I'm sure your
daughter will love it.
Excellent.
Have a great day.
-Thank you so much.
Yeah. Thank you.
Hello, Mary.
Richard, what are you
doing in my store?
I'm just coming to
check on a friend.
You know?
See how you're doing
about the sale
of the store.
The store isn't for sale.
The building is.
Technically the same.
No. It's not.
Yeah. But it should be.
Listen, Mary, you gotta
think about your future.
You're stuck in the past,
the dust in this store
is holding you back.
You know, I can get you a lot
of money on the sale of this.
Ever since I became the agent
for the mall, I've been having
so many inquiries with
people wanting to move in.
That's great for
you, Richard,
but I'm not selling
my store.
Think about it, Mary.
You could have so much free
time and money to spend on
traveling, shopping, doing
your nails, things like that.
I am doing just fine.
I can still afford
to get my nails done.
Well, if you'd sold
the store earlier,
maybe you'd
have the Nutcracker.
I knew I should have never
told you that I found it.
But you did.
-You bought it before I could.
How could you do that?
If you had listened to me,
you would have had the time
and the money to
buy it yourself.
So you came to gloat?
No. Lamb, I came to
invite you to dinner.
Dinner?
Yes. Dinner.
You know, two friends
talking about the future.
I have what you want.
You know, I can give you
exactly what you're looking for.
You're blackmailing me into
having dinner with you?
No.
Just two friends
discussing the future
and talk about what we can
mutually provide for each other.
Fine.
I'll go.
Great.
I'll text you the details.
I blocked your number.
Then maybe you
should unblock it.
Hm? Christmas is a
time for forgiveness, Mary.
I'll chat with you soon.
He's not worth the
prison time, Mary.
Not worth the prison time.
Hey.
Hey, Mary.
Are you okay?
Not really.
I just had a really
unpleasant run-in with my ex.
Oh.
Some people are so terrible.
I can't even bring myself
to bless his heart.
That's that's a
really great insult.
Must must be a pretty bad guy.
Not bad. Just
impossible.
So what brings you in today?
Well, I, I knew you
were upset, and I
I wanted to try to come
cheer you up.
That's sweet, Wyatt.
I don't think you can.
I don't know. You haven't heard
what I have to say yet.
Okay.
What do you have in mind?
Well, the Sutton sale
was a bust, obviously.
So I have the inside scoop on
a private, unlisted, invitation
only estate sale.
Private, unlisted,
and invitation only?
Mm-hmm.
Sounds intriguing.
You don't know the half of it.
I can make us an appointment
for Saturday to go
view the collection.
I know Eric's here
watching the store, so
I thought we could go
do that instead.
Yeah.
Yeah. That's fantastic.
I'd, I'd love to.
Thank you.
All right. All right. Great.
I'll pick you up
on Saturday.
Okay.
And maybe I can finally gain
some insight into how you find
all these beautiful pieces
that you bring me to sell.
Oh.
Hmm. Maybe.
Alright. Well.
Bye.
Hi, Mr. Porter.
-Ms. Potts.
Hi. Yes. Welcome.
So nice to meet you.
You too. Thank you.
-Come on inside.
We can hang your coats
here in the closet.
Thank you.
Oh, I'm Jordan Potts.
I'm the sales agent
for this estate.
Hi. I'm Mary Little.
Oh, the owner of A
Little Something Special.
I've heard so many wonderful
things about your store.
So pleased to meet you.
Oh, well, thank you.
It's a pleasure to meet you too.
Well,
I'll tell you what.
Here's our programs,
Mr. Porter and
Ms. Little. The
prices and lot numbers.
And, you can start at any room
in the house that you like, but
most people find it helpful to
start in the upper rooms and
work their way down.
Great.
Gosh, there's some
really nice items here.
Well, that's why
it's invitation only.
I'll be in the kitchen if you
have any questions
about a specific item.
Thank you, Ms. Potts.
Very welcome, Mr. Porter.
This place is gorgeous.
How did you find out about it?
One of my cousins mentioned it.
Well, if he mentions another
sale like this, let me know.
I'll come with you anytime.
Left or right?
Left. Looks more interesting.
Left it is, then.
Oh, yikes.
A little spendy.
I don't know.
It's probably right.
It's an original, one
owner, pristine condition.
Yeah.
Yeah. It's so beautiful and
still out of my price range.
But, gosh, I'd love to have
something like this in my house.
Yeah.
If I could just get some more
traffic in the store,
I'd be way better off.
What do you mean?
It seems like the
store's doing great.
There's always people in there.
Yeah. I mean, people come
in and look all the time.
It's just getting them to
buy what they're looking at.
Mhmm.
-That's the hard part.
Yeah. People can be very picky.
Yeah. Gosh.
I look at all these beautiful
pieces and I think about all
the history that they have.
Like, what have they seen?
Whose hands have touched them?
I mean, how do you
put a price on that?
Sentiment has so much more
value than any first edition
or mint condition collection.
That's very true.
Mary, is there anything I can
do to help with the store?
You're sweet, but no thank you.
I actually may have
to sell the store.
What? Why?
They're going to
sell the building.
The selling agent said that the
new owner is going
to raise the rent.
That's not right.
I know.
We've had rent increases
every six months.
I can't afford another bump
unless something drastic
happens like a
Christmas miracle
or something.
I can help.
I already said no.
I don't need someone to come
sweeping in and save me.
I, I'm figuring it out.
I don't need your money
or your pity.
Mary, I'm sorry if it sounded
like I was trying to take over.
I'm not.
But it does sound like maybe
you're comparing
me to someone else.
Shoot. I'm sorry, Wyatt.
You're right.
I shouldn't have said that.
My experiences with men
trying to help me
just haven't ended very well.
I, I do wanna help.
But what I meant was I could
take a look at your books.
I'm a whiz with finances.
We could sit down, look at the
numbers, see where you could
cut costs. Hopefully
keep the store open.
Really?
Yeah.
Oh, my God, Wyatt.
That would be fantastic.
I am, I'm I'm sorry
that I snapped at you.
Oh, that's that's okay.
I, I knew you weren't
mad at me.
Oh, yeah? How's that?
I know better than to tell a
Southern woman what to do.
I've learned a lot of
lessons the hard way.
And one of them is that
people need the chance
to do things
for themselves.
And I know you can do it.
Well,
thank you.
I have done a lot on my own
and it makes me happy
that you can see that.
I can see it.
And I'm impressed by how hard
you work and how much you do.
You've got the brains
and will power to fix it.
I've I've just got the
knowledge to give you
a push in the
right direction.
And look, you can always choose
to not take my advice and if
you don't, I promise there
will be no hard feelings.
You are a treasure.
Can you give lessons?
That would take knowledge and
patience that I do not have.
You're patient with me.
You're different.
I, I think there's one
more room to look through.
I think so.
Thank you for bringing
me to this sale.
Oh, it was my pleasure.
And I love looking at
other people's stuff.
I'm really nosy.
Aren't we all?
Say, would you mind running
some of this stuff
by the store first?
It'll save me a trip
and I can check on Eric.
Of course.
I'm happy to.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
Right here.
I take it today was a good day.
It was a very good day.
All right. Just a few
more trips, and I
think we'll be all done.
Need any help?
No. This was the
only big piece. I got it.
So how was business today?
Actually, we had
a great morning.
Sold tons of stuff.
But it tapered off.
The big Christmas festival
opened this afternoon.
I expect a lot of
folks went there.
Yeah. I forgot about that.
You know what?
Let's close early.
Are you sure?
Well, yeah. We'll just
load this stuff into
the back and we can
go through it on Monday.
And you can go and have a
good Saturday with your wife.
Well, thanks, Mary.
Let me get the door for you.
Thank you, sir.
Okay.
What else needs to come in?
It was this and...?
Uh, the the lamp and that little
box of figurines, please.
And then the rest can go
to my personal collection.
Got it.
You know, Mary, since you're
closing the store, you've got
the evening off too.
Yeah.
Well, I'm thinking you could
probably have a
great Saturday too.
Not you too, Eric.
I haven't seen you smile
like that in forever.
Maybe it's time to see
where a smile can take you.
I don't know.
I'm not ready.
We never are.
Some things in this
store are priceless.
You especially.
Start treating yourself like it.
There you go.
Thanks again.
No problem.
Happy to help.
I'll start closing.
Closing?
Yeah. Business is slow, so I
told him to just
go ahead and go on home.
Well, does that mean
you're free this evening?
Yeah.
Well, would, would you like to
go maybe grab some dinner and
celebrate our antiquing
success?
Yes.
I'd like that.
Alright. Well, great.
Let's get this stuff to
the back and we can go.
Okay.
Thank you.
That was amazing.
I've been meaning to try it,
but I never had the time
or the right company.
Well, I'm happy to oblige.
Best hot chocolate, huh?
They all say that.
I don't know.
I think I have to try it.
It could be the best
hot chocolate ever.
Well, I guess we
better find out then.
Set them right here.
Thank you for coming
with me today, Mary.
You're welcome.
I had a really great time.
Dinner was amazing,
and that hot chocolate,
it really was some
of the best in Memphis.
I might have had better,
but if I have
I don't remember it.
So, I, uh,
should probably
get these inside.
Yeah. Do you want me to
No. No. No. I got it.
Thank you.
-Okay.
Thank you again.
Yeah.
Hey, mom.
What's, what's going on here?
Daniel, hey.
Sweetheart, I, I didn't know
you're coming home today.
Yeah. Yeah.
Came home early.
Well,
-Hey.
you should have told me.
I would have been here.
Well, it looks like
you've been busy.
Daniel.
-Buying things, Mom.
Are we gonna, we gonna have
room for whatever's
in those boxes?
Of course, we will.
Daniel, you, uh,
remember Wyatt?
Daniel?
-Hey.
Glad you made it home safe.
Yeah. It was fine.
You know, the flyover.
Yeah.
Yeah. Um.
I should probably go.
So, bye, Mary.
See you later. Bye.
Bye, Daniel.
See you.
-All right.
You know, I'm never gonna
let you live that down. Right?
Live in what down?
Just making out on
the front porch.
I, uh, I, I was not,
-Yup. Yup. Yeah.
I was not making out.
I simply gave
Yeah
-a friend a hug.
Oh, yeah. Hug. Sure.
Get in the house.
-Yeah. I, I'm sorry.
It's too cold for you
to be out here in shorts.
I mean,
Seemed pretty toasty to me.
Go. Go.
-I'm sorry. Sorry. Sorry.
Elena, hey.
You ready for me yet?
Oh, I'm so excited.
Yes, we are ready to
hang up your stuff.
Hey, lady.
Can I see?
Well, you will.
But let me finish unpacking.
I wouldn't wanna damage
anything before tomorrow.
Okay.
Here. I can help.
Where should I put them?
How about over there?
Yeah. I think we have some
space to separate them there.
Is that a black light?
It sure is.
Oh, this is gonna be cool.
It's almost time.
Sherita would love this.
It's beautiful.
Told you this was going to work.
Ugh. I gotta go.
Are you seriously gonna
have dinner with that ogre?
I, I have to.
He has the Nutcracker.
I gotta figure out
how to get it back.
Okay. Whatever.
But just
whatever you do, don't tell
him about the benefit tomorrow.
Oh, I haven't, and I won't.
Sherita would roll over in
her grave
if he showed up here.
Nuh-uh. Nah. Nah.
It, it would be a
full on haunting.
Like, the ghost of
Christmas past kinda thing.
chains and all.
True.
Does Wyatt know you're
having dinner with Richard?
No.
You think you should tell him?
No. I mean, we're not
dating or anything.
There's no reason to tell him.
Okay.
I just don't want him to get
his feelings hurt
if he finds out.
I had a phone conversation
with the buyer today.
Really?
Things are progressing
quite nicely.
He's really eager to
get that sale moving.
You know you should look
into selling that store?
You can get so
much money for it.
It's not about the
money, Richard.
Of course it is.
Everything is about the money.
You need money to buy food, a
house, or in your
case, the Nutcracker.
Why are you holding
that over my head?
Because it's the one thing
that you seem to care about.
I care about a lot of things.
And sure, you can use money
for certain things,
but it only causes problems.
You really think that?
Why didn't you get
the Nutcracker first?
What do you want, Richard?
I want you to sell the store.
No.
It's the only way you're
gonna get the Nutcracker.
What?
Look, Lamb.
We were together for years, and
that store always
got between us.
Every single disagreement was
about finding time away from
the store or you feeling bad
that you couldn't close the
store because you
were behind in sales.
You need to get rid of it.
I could take care of you.
I don't want to
be taken care of.
Yeah. You do. All women do.
All I want from you
is the Nutcracker.
Then you need to make a choice.
Do you want the Nutcracker?
Something you've been
looking for your whole life.
Or do you wanna hold on
to a failing store.
Because the impression I get
from the buyer is that he's
going to raise the rent.
If that doesn't satisfy him,
he's gonna modernize it.
Maybe even tear the
whole thing down.
You just need to get out while
you can make a tidy profit.
Thank you for dinner, Richard.
I'm suddenly not
feeling very well.
Poor lamb.
Dropped a lot of truth
on you this evening.
Let me know what you decide.
The store?
Or the nutcracker.
Mom.
What are you doing
up so late?
I have a lot on my mind.
Did I wake you?
No. I was I was live
streaming the game.
I was gonna get some
fuel to keep going.
I have no idea what that means.
I know.
Okay. Good talk.
What's wrong?
Nothing.
Everything's fine.
Okay. Well, I know
when something's wrong.
Is it because of the Nutcracker?
In a way, yes.
I know you were really, really
looking forward to finding
that, and, hey, I was too.
The legendary Nutcracker that
would complete
great grandma's set.
But as cool as it would have
been to find it, you know,
it's not the end of the world.
We have a lot of cool stuff
here and at the store that you
found while looking for it.
You've helped a lot of other
people find and
complete their own sets.
I know it's not the ending you
wanted, but, hey, you taught me
to find the sunshine
poking through every cloud.
You are a very
smart young man.
You must have been
raised by a smart mom.
No. Actually, I, I was
raised by you, so my,
my smarts must have
come from somewhere else.
I'm not sure, but I okay.
Very funny.
I'm hilarious
and a little chilly now.
You are. But thank you for the
pep talk. I needed it.
And it's not the
end of the world.
You're right.
So, um,
if you'll just do me
a favor and
say that into
the microphone.
"You're right."
"Smart." Okay. Yeah.
Shall we go get a snack?
Yes, please.
Let's go, goofball.
Now, I need you to initial the
bottom of every page and I need
you to sign here
where it's marked.
Once you do that, you will be
the new owner of the strip mall
and every shop in it.
I'm gonna get the notary
so we can get started.
I'm gonna leave this with you
so you can take a look at it
and make sure all the changes
are in the paperwork
that you requested.
Okay? Be right back.
Is everything in order?
Yeah. It looks good.
I'm ready to sign.
This looks delicious.
Wait till you try it. It tastes
even better than it looks.
Gwyn is going to be so jealous
that I got to see the fancy mac
and cheese before she did.
It really looks heavenly.
Thank you.
It's my mom's recipe.
Oh, my gosh.
I am so sorry.
I forgot to introduce myself.
I'm Mary.
We spoke on the phone.
I didn't see you come in.
It's okay. I'm Beth.
You were so busy getting those
trees ready while we were
setting up and bringing in
the food. It's okay.
Well, I could smell it.
Oh good. Well, I hope
everybody likes it.
Oh, I know they will.
Oh good. You know, I wanted to
thank you so much
for inviting my mom. She's like
beside herself with giddiness.
In fact, she's
still getting ready.
But this is her first party
since she's been diagnosed, so
it's really important to her.
Well, I can't wait to meet her.
Thank you.
Well, looks like
I'm being summoned.
Oh, you must go.
Thank you so much for
making this beautiful food.
Oh, you're so welcome.
I'm really so honored to be
able to help you raise money
for cancer research.
So thank you.
I'll see you later.
-Okay.
So we've nearly sold almost all
of the paintings, most of them
in the black light section.
That's fantastic.
-Right?
I think it's time for you
to go make an announcement.
Yeah.
You got this.
Yeah. I got this.
Yeah.
I got this.
Wow.
-Hey.
You look amazing.
Oh, thank you.
You clean up pretty
good yourself.
Oh, so how's it going?
Actually, really well.
Gwyn just told me that Elena's
already sold half
of her inventory.
So that means that we are going
to have a good amount to donate
to the Memphis Cancer
Research Foundation.
Oh, that is awesome.
Thank you.
-Congratulations.
And the night is
not over yet.
Well, I'm sorry I was
late getting here.
I had to stop and take care
of something on the way.
Oh, no worries.
I'm just glad you're here now.
Um. There's something I need
to talk to you about.
Could we go talk for
a second somewhere?
Oh, yeah. Sure.
But can it wait?
I have my speech to do.
Oh, yeah.
Yeah. Of course. Yeah.
Okay. Great.
Wish me luck.
No.
No?
No. You don't need luck.
You're a strong, confident
woman and you can
handle anything.
Just take a look around.
You and Gwen did all of this,
and you didn't need luck.
It was willpower, love,
sheer determination.
You just go out there, be
yourself, and everything will
turn out fine.
Okay?
Excuse me. Everyone?
May I have your
attention, please?
Thank you all for coming out
tonight to this benefit in
honor of Sherita Getwell.
And thank you to Elena
for providing all
of these beautiful
paintings.
I see many familiar faces.
Faces that Sherita loved.
Whew.
This might be a little
harder than I anticipated.
Sherita was the kindest
soul that I ever met.
She never once hesitated
to help someone in need.
She would cry with you,
and then in the very
next breath,
she would have you laughing.
Her hugs were some of
the best I've ever gotten.
When she was diagnosed,
she didn't let it stop her.
She continued to help others
and to care for those
who were hurting.
She never gave her own
pain a second thought.
She trusted in God, and
even when she was bedridden,
she continued to give
that love to others.
We really lost someone
very, very special.
We did.
So that's why we decided to
hold this art sale tonight
to benefit the Memphis
Cancer Research Foundation.
All of the proceeds tonight
will go to helping find a cure.
And I know that money can be
tight around Christmas time,
but I know that Sherita would
be so thankful if you could
find it in your heart
to buy a painting.
Or there is a box in the back
that you may place a check if
you so please, or there is a QR
code that you may scan and that
will bring you directly to the
foundation's website where you
can place a donation
in Sherita's name.
Thank you all for coming out
tonight and Merry Christmas.
That was really nice, mom.
Thanks, honey.
You okay?
Yeah. I will be.
Is, is this right?
No. Really?
That's what it looks like.
But that's with the
checks. Right?
No. I haven't even
opened the box yet.
We did it.
We did.
I know Sherita would
be very proud of us.
What does he want?
Who?
Richard.
Nothing good.
Don't look at it.
Oh, no.
What?
He said the building sold.
He said the new owner takes
ownership right after Christmas.
Woah.
Yeah.
You know what?
I am not going to let
him ruin the mood.
Sherita would want
us to still be happy.
We can deal with that on Monday.
If you say so.
I mean, I guess I wouldn't want
the mood ruined if I had been
kissed by a handsome
man in a suit.
It was on the cheek.
On the cheek.
Mhmm.
I know. I saw.
And you're smiling again.
I know.
He asked if I would talk to him
in private tonight, and I said
I would, but I was so
busy I didn't have time.
I bet he's going to profess his
love and whisk you away on a
Christmas adventure.
Mmm.
Stop. Stop.
But I wouldn't say no.
I know.
Mahh. Last night was amazing.
Yup.
I just wish we had
the energy to be happier.
Oh, I'm happy.
I just, can't show
it on the outside.
They should have all
the checks tallied
up by this evening.
Great. And have you heard from
the foundation to see how much
money was raised in
Sherita's name on their site?
Not yet.
But I did get an email from one
of the board members who said
that donation notifications
were going off well into the
night, including one ten
thousand dollar
anonymous donation.
Oh my gosh.
That is amazing.
You know, Elena told me that
she only went home with a
handful of unsold paintings.
She said that she got a
bunch of commissions
from patrons at the benefit.
That's great for her.
She's an amazing artist and
deserves every bit of that.
Agreed.
I really think that Sherita
pushed this over the top to
just make it a huge success.
I do too.
Now, I just gotta figure
out what I'm going to do.
Yup. Me too.
Do you think the new owner is
really gonna tear
the building down?
I'm not sure.
You know more than I do.
Oh, I don't know if I should
trust the information
coming from my source.
I definitely wouldn't trust him.
I can't believe he's
blackmailing you to sell the
store so he'll give
you the Nutcracker.
I know.
He's a bit of a snake.
A bit?
Okay. The whole thing.
Are you going to sell?
At this point, I may have to.
I wish that we could go
into business together.
Why can't we?
And do what?
Open an antique store
with a bakery inside?
Think about it.
The sense of smell is one
of the biggest anchors to
memory we have.
Say I'm baking chocolate
muffins, and it reminds a
customer of something
from when he was a kid.
He sees an old lamp
or something else old you have
in the store, and
boom, he wants to buy it.
I don't know.
We can combine our stores
once we find the right location.
then we'll only have to
worry about one rent payment.
Gwyn.
I think you just solved
both our problems.
Welcome to A Little Something...
Ew.
Richard,
what are you doing here?
I told the new owner to meet
me here in a few minutes.
Here?
-Yeah.
I want him to see what
he's getting himself into.
You know, he might take one
look at this place and start
raising the rent next month.
You'd like that, wouldn't you?
Don't you have
a doughnut shop to run?
I'm closed on Sundays.
Mr. Porter, so glad
you could meet me here.
Mary Little, this is Wyatt
Porter, the new owner
of the building.
Mary.
You bought the building?
Yes. He did.
You're the new owner?
I just said he bought
the building.
What?
Do you know each other?
Mary, I've been trying to find
the time to tell you.
But I just never found
the right time.
I confided in you.
I trusted you.
You still can.
-No.
You knew that I was worried
about the new owner and the
possible increase in rent.
You said that you would help
me with my books when all along
you were the one who was
going to raise the rent, this
mysterious buyer who's going to
tear down the whole building?
No, Mary, that's, that's not,
that's not what...
I can't handle this.
So you do know each other.
Great.
Let me take you next door,
introduce you to those tenants.
No. I, I think there's something
I need to clear up here first.
I don't think you do.
Please, leave.
Mary, it's not how it looks.
It's pretty clear from
where I'm standing.
Um.
Okay. I, I'll leave.
Great.
So, this next store is a
clothing store for kids.
But, lots of traffic.
Mary, I am so sorry.
What a day.
You can say that again.
My dogs are barking.
I can't wait to get
home and put my feet up.
Oh, I hear ya.
These last minute Christmas
shoppers get worse every year.
Yeah.
But I sure do love them.
Yeah.
I noticed one of the
big items sold today.
Didn't Wyatt bring that in?
He did.
He's a great guy.
I haven't seen him
around in a few days.
Yeah. He's, uh,
been busy.
He does a lot of charity
work around the city.
I've seen him in the background
of a number of pictures in the
Memphis Extra.
The Extra?
Yeah. Me and my wife
love to flip through it.
We always say, we are going to
get our picture
in there one day.
But you saw Wyatt?
Yeah. He's on the board of
the children's hospital.
His family's always had a chair.
You didn't know?
No. I,
I, I didn't.
Eh. It doesn't surprise me.
He is about the most humble
person I have ever met.
He never talks about himself.
I gotta head home.
We get the grand kids coming
over tomorrow to open presents.
We always allow them to open
presents on Christmas Eve.
That way, they can be
disappointed in what their
parents got them
on Christmas day.
Oh, thank you for
all your help, Eric.
Today and this whole
holiday season.
I don't know what I would
have done without you.
Hmm. Me neither.
You sure are lucky.
Oh, Merry Christmas, Eric.
Merry Christmas, Mary.
What do you think, Sherita?
I mean, I have to see him to
give him the proceeds
from the sale.
Should I give him a
chance to explain?
Did I overreact?
Gosh. I wish you were here.
Fine.
I'll go see him tomorrow
and give him the proceeds.
Stop looking at me like that.
I'll be right back.
What? No breakfast?
I made monkey bread.
It's on the counter.
Nice.
Wait. It's Christmas Eve.
No one's open.
I have some business
to take care of with Wyatt.
Oh.
What?
Okay. I get it.
Wyatt's the bad guy right now.
But I haven't seen you smile
like that at someone in a while.
I know.
Just give him a chance.
He's definitely not the
prince in the Nutcracker set.
Right? But he still seems like
he's pretty important to you.
What do you mean?
Every time he gives you
something to sell at the store
and it sells, we get to keep
the store for a
couple more months.
Yeah.
He really does seem to come to
my aid at just the right time.
He's a decent guy.
Just, don't just
give him the check.
Right? Talk to him.
Are you giving me dating advice?
Alright. Go.
Get out of here.
Bye, Sweetheart.
Bye.
Oh, monkey bread.
Mary, what are you doing here?
Here. The big item that you
brought sold in, and that's
your part of the sale.
Oh,
thank you.
Welcome.
Do you wanna come in?
Yeah. Please.
There's some things
I'd like to ask you.
I, I thought there might be.
Please.
So.
So.
I, uh,
I'm, I'm just gonna
come out and say it.
Why didn't you tell me that
you were buying the building?
I should have told you.
And I tried a lot.
Every time something would
come up or get in the way, and,
plus I, I just really
didn't know how.
You didn't know how.
You just tell me.
Yeah. So, um,
I, I come from a pretty
prominent Memphis family,
and I don't like to
flaunt what I have.
So I donate to charities
and I try to help people
anonymously.
So you're rich.
What does that have to
do with my building?
Well, I saw the way the
landlord treated you.
I mean, he almost put you out
of business a couple of times
by raising the rent.
If he was doing it to you, he
was certainly doing it
to the other tenants.
So I approached him through
an agent and made an offer.
And after he got all the money
he could out of me,
I was able
to buy the building.
So you bought it to
save the tenants?
Yeah.
But what about, well, Richard
said that the new owner was
going to raise the
rent or tear it down.
Richard just assumed I was
gonna raise the rent because he
knew how much I paid
for the building.
And as far as tearing it down
goes, I, I told him I wanted to
make some improvements, like
bring it up to code, but he's
the one who suggested
tearing it down.
But you were there when Gwyn
and I were talking
about the rent.
Yeah. And I, I told you
that that's not right.
And I assumed that
you meant principal.
I had no idea that you were
talking about
Richard being wrong.
He is such a jerk.
Yeah. I got that.
So
why would you bring me
things to sell then
if you didn't need the money?
Well, that is purely
me being selfish.
I know how much you love the
store, what it means to you,
and I didn't wanna see it close.
And, um,
I like making you happy.
So I would bring you something
from the barn to sell whenever
I could tell you were
having a difficult time.
Wow.
Wyatt, that is so sweet.
I'm sorry.
I thought that you were
using me to buy the building.
I had no idea about
all that other stuff.
I guess there's a lot of
things I don't know about you.
Wait.
There's a barn?
Yeah. There's a barn.
Come on.
You have been holding
out on me, mister.
I could spend
hours in this barn.
I know.
Another part of my life
I didn't know
how to tell you about.
Well, you are never
getting rid of me now.
Is that a promise?
Do you want it to be?
There's one more antique in
the house I wanna show you.
I think you're gonna like it.
Another one?
What could possibly top this?
So I've had this
for a while now.
What is it?
You have to open it and see.
Wyatt.
Are you serious?
You were the one who
bought the Nutcracker.
Yeah.
How?
Well,
antiquing's a pretty
cutthroat business.
So when you saw the Nutcracker
in the paper, I got worried
someone else is gonna
try to buy it first.
I called the owner of the
company handling the sale.
We go way back, and I asked her
if I could come in
and buy it early.
If I'd have known you're gonna
try to buy it, I would have
just told her to
hold it for you, but...
Why didn't you give
it to me earlier?
I tried.
I wanted to take you to dinner
and give it to you personally.
I had it all planned out.
I wanted it to be perfect,
but I lost my nerve and
I just chickened out.
I can't believe it.
Why did you buy it?
Well, to make you happy
and to see you smile.
The first time I ever saw you
was the first time
I came in your store.
And you were standing there
talking to a customer,
laughing, smiling.
You just had this
magic about you.
And, um,
I'm pretty sure it's what
they call love at first sight.
And I still see that magic and
feel that way about you every
time I see you,
especially around Christmas.
Magic, huh?
Yup.
And love?
Definitely.
Well, I suggest we capture some
of that Christmas
magic right now.
My thoughts exactly.
For Tarsha