Christmas at the Catnip Cafe (2025) Movie Script

You better watch out
You better not cry
You better not pout
I'm tellin' you why
Santa Claus is coming to town
He's makin' a list
checkin' it twice
Gonna find out who's naughty or nice
Santa Claus is coming to town
He sees you when you're sleepin'
He knows when you're awake
He knows if you've been bad or good
So be good, for goodness sake
Oh, you better watch out
You better not cry
Better not pout
I'm tellin' you why
Santa Claus is coming to town
[cats meowing]
[car engine starts]
[car honks]
Okay, well, your parents are gonna call
once they land in London, but until then,
are you ready for our next
holiday adventure?
First up on the list is...
[both] Christmas cookies.
[kitten meows]
Hey, what was that?
What? I-I don't see anything.
Oh.
It was probably nothing.
[Esther] Wait till you see the
Christmas cookie cutters I got.
[kitten meows]

[Victoria] So, what do you think?
It's pretty amazing, right?
It's perfect.
[Victoria] Isn't it?
It is from my vision boards
everything I have ever wanted.
- Perfect.
- Mm-hmm.
And it is move-in ready.
Wha...
What's the catch?
Catch?
We've been looking for three years
and you have never shown me
a place this nice.
[Victoria] Okay, there may be
a teeny-tiny catch.
Oh, there it is.
Look, I am aware of your price range.
Which is realtor speak
for out of my budget.
Not necessarily.
The mortgage payments
could be in your budget.
If...
If you have a bigger down payment.
How much bigger?
Twenty-five percent.
Twen...
- Victoria!
- Olivia.
You run your own
marketing company, okay?
You make good money.
There's normal people good money,
and then there's,
"I wanna buy in
Rock Ridge" good money.
They are not the same thing.
That is more reason to jump on this unit
while you still can, okay?
Opportunities like this one,
they move fast.
An extra five percent?
That's not an insignificant amount.
I feel like I've been saving forever.
It is a great place.
It could be a great home.
It's what you've always wanted.
I know.
Hmm.

[Olivia] That's a great point.
And I agree.
But if we move the promotion
up by two days,
we can catch people
before they leave town.
[Claire] That's a key demographic.
Mmhmm. Yes, exactly.
We can reframe it as a holiday send-off.
- [Claire] Oh, I'd like that.
- Ah, great!
Okay, well, I will email you
the updated roll out timeline
for the pop-up gifting suites
by end of day.
- That timing works well.
- Ah, wonderful.
Thank you, Claire.
[phone pings]
Huh? A meeting about my aunt's estate.
What's that about?
A cat caf.
- [Olivia] Did you just...
- Yes.
- Say...
- Yes.
- A cat...
- Caf.
- Is in a caf...
- With cats.
In Felicity, New York,
which your great Aunt Esther
left you half-owner of in her will.
Wow.
Her only listed assets were the house,
which still has a significant mortgage
that the bank is looking to recover,
and the caf.
So, you are the sole benefactor.
Wait, I'm sorry.
Did you say I'm half-owner?
Correct. Yourself and Ben Kane,
who owned it with Esther.
You each have an equal share.
Do you happen to know if this
Ben Kane person wants to sell?
If he's just an investor?
I haven't asked.
If he does, and if the sale
goes fast enough,
I can have enough for
a down payment for this
dream condo.
It-it would be the Christmas
miracle I'm looking for.
Oh, well, actually,
I've been contacted by Walter Morley.
He buys and sells property in
that area of upstate New York.
He's interested in buying the caf.
Would you like his number?
I would love his number.
Do you have any way
to contact this Ben person?
I can arrange a meeting if you'd like.
I would love.

[Ben] Boomer is doing great.
But I would like to see him back here
again next week, though.
- So soon?
- Yeah.
Ah, Christmas is just,
so busy this time of year.
Ah... yes.
Uh... free of charge.
We wanna make sure Boomer
is 100 percent.
I can't tell you how much
I appreciate that.
I'll make sure to bring you
some of my famous
snickerdoodle cookies.
I can't wait, they're my favorite.
Hey.
Tell you what.
You stay safe out there, okay?
You take care of yourself.
[Woman laughs]
Merry Christmas.
Okay.
We are gonna see Boomer next week.
Margaret is going to give us
a batch of her snickerdoodles.
Mm-hmm.
[exhales] Is that it for today?
There was only supposed to be
one appointment after 4:00.
I know, but then Gladys
cornered me in the supermarket
because Sadie was lethargic.
And Mr. Lane was worried because
Odin had eaten too much cheese.
You know, now might be
a good time to remind you
that while treats are lovely,
it's hard to keep the lights on
with gingerbread and sugar cookies.
You know, now is not
a great time to remind me.
Also, I do say no. Okay?
- Mm-hmm.
- Occasionally, so...
You know what else would really help
- right about now?
- Nope, don't even say it.
- Don't even...
- Another vet.
I said don't even say it.
Not saying something never
made anything not be true.
There's too many negatives
in that sentence.
- Ben!
- Oh... yes.
Hello, Mrs. Lombardo.
Now, don't forget to stop
by the house tonight
about that squeaky door.
I haven't forgotten. You tell Mr. Lombardo
that I will be there tonight
with mince pies
from The Hash House and
treats for Fluffle-stiltskin.
Oh, you spoil us.
The least I could do.
It's you who spoils me.
- Oh, thank you.
- I'll see you tonight.
You bet. Okay.
Uh...
What?
Mr. Lombardo's hips are not so great.
You are such a softy.
You say that like it's a bad thing.
I am.
Millie. You're up.

These decorations are looking perfect.
No, it looks great.
So, did you know she owned one?
Your aunt, I mean, with the cat caf.
Not a clue.
I want a cat.
Oh...
- You do?
- Cat?
Well, I guess we'll
have to go visit the caf then.
After I moved out west
life just got so busy.
I'd get updates from my mom
about her, but...
I just really wish I'd worked
harder to keep in touch.
Yeah, I mean, but... it's life.
It's full of distractions.
And the saddest part is
I missed her funeral.
Hmm. How'd that happen?
I was working, I was at
a conference in Fiji, and
it all happened so fast,
and there were these
limited flights, and I just...
I couldn't make it home.
She clearly felt close enough
to you to leave you
half of a caf.
- [sighs]
- Okay.
Hey, when do you go there, by the way?
Um, I fly to Buffalo day after tomorrow,
and then I'm driving up
to Felicity, where the caf is.
Thank goodness it is the holidays
so work is slow and I can work remotely.
Mmhmm.
I'm gonna stay there until
I make sure that caf is sold.
Yes.
Well, we are going to miss you.
I'll miss you too.
I'm all done!
[both women] Oh!
Well, look at this artist.
What is that you're making?
A turtle.
[both women laugh]
Snow is fallin'
Lightly on the ground
People smilin'
Love is all around
- There's a feelin'...
- Oh! Hi, puppy.
In the air tonight
You are here beside me
And the stars are shinin' bright
Oh, oh!
- Sorry!
- Careful!
- Ah!
- Are you okay?
Naughty or nice
It's a wonderful life
It's my favorite time of year
I can hear the sleigh bells
through my window
I can feel the love up in the air
All the city streets
lookin' like a snow globe
Feelin' like magic everywhere
Holiday lights and ugly sweaters
Well, hello there, cutie.
[cat growls]
I bet you're not as grumpy as you look.
[cat growls]
[cat grumbles]
[Man] Hi, there.
Hi.
Don't mind him,
he's just naturally grumpy.
[cat grumbles]
Welcome. Can I get you
started with anything?
Coffee. Black.
- Sure.
- Thank you.
Actually, what kind of beans do you use?
Beans.
- Um...
- Never mind.
Earl gray tea.
- Coming right up.
- Thank you.
Saw you with the cat there.
Just so you know, uh, all the cats are
available for adoption,
if you're interested.
Oh, I'm not here for the cats.
I'm here to meet somebody.
I think that might be me.
Oh.
- Hi.
- Hi.
No, I mean, I'm actually here
to meet somebody,
as in, it was planned.
Oh, I see.
Still, I think that might be m.
If you're Olivia Pierce.
- So, you're...
- Not a creeper, no.
I'm the guy you planned to meet.
- Ben Kane.
- Ben Kane.
Thrilled to finally meet you, hi.
- Oh! [Gasps]
- Aww. Here.
Nice to finally meet you both.
This is Holly.
When I was contacted by Mr. Henry,
I was curious to know
who the other owner was.
I was happy it was Esther's niece.
We all were.
[Olivia chuckles nervously]
- My aunt never told me.
- Seriously?
Wow. Then this must...
This must be quite the surprise.
Uh, welcome to the Catnip Caf.
[cats meowing]
Thank you. And it is a surprise.
For so many reasons.
Yeah, uh, good ones, I hope.
Uh, do you wanna sit?
Frank, would you mind?
Coming right up.
Thank you.
[Olivia] Hmm.
Um, well, uh...
There-there is one good reason.
I found the perfect condo for me.
- I love it.
- Great. Okay.
Yeah, but I don't have enough
money for the down payment.
So that's why all of this
is incredible timing.
[cat yowls]
Aww.
[Ben] Got a little friend there. Uh, well
the caf is beloved, but unfortunately,
it's anything but a lucrative venture.
Well, I never assumed that
the caf was actually profitable.
Oh.
It's a cat caf in a small town.
It's not exactly a resort in Vegas.
Um, excuse me, ma'am, would you
good girl.
Uh... yeah.
You know, most resorts in Vegas
would actually be so lucky
to have the impact
on a community that
the Catnip has on Felicity.
You seem a little annoyed.
- I'm not annoyed.
- You sure?
- 'Cause...
- Yeah. Nope.
Uh, the estate lawyer, Mr. Henry,
said that you wanted to talk
to me about something, so.
I wanted to make sure
we're on the same page.
What page is that, that you're on?
I- I'm so touched that my aunt
thought to give me this gift,
but I don't have any space
in my life for a caf,
let alone one that's
centered around animals.
- [cat growls]
- [Ben] Um...
Please tell me
that what you're about to say
is that you are planning
to be an owner in absentia.
I wanna sell. ASAP.
Mr. Henry told me that there's
a developer that's interested,
so it'll go quickly.
Ben.
[Ben] Ms. Pierce, it seems that
we are not on the same page,
because I absolutely do not want to sell.
I'm not just an investor.
This caf means the world to m.
I can understand that.
Then buy me out.
I wish that I could.
My money is tied up in my clinic.
Then I guess we're at an impasse.
Guess we are.
Hm.
[sentimental music]
Okay, pass me the plug.
Okay. There we go.
[gasps] Oh.
The lights don't work.
That's because one of them is out
and it's up to us to find it, fix it,
so that this string
of lights can shine again.
- I got it!
- [Esther gasps]
[Esther gasps]
Perfect. [Laughs]
[phone ringing]
Oh. Mr. Henry, hi.
Hi.
[Olivia] Thank you for
getting back to me so quickly.
- Of course.
- Uh...
What I was wondering is
if he doesn't wanna sell
his half, what are my options?
You could file a partition
action with the courts,
legally forcing the sale of the caf
and dividing the proceeds.
Well, how long does that take?
Year. Year and a half, maybe.
Depending on if Dr. Kane wants
to delay things.
Which he will.
And by that time, the condo will be sold.
Bye-bye Christmas miracle.
Thank you very much.
- [Mr. Henry] Bye-bye.
- Okay. Take care. Bye.
I just don't understand why
Esther would leave the caf
to someone who wouldn't appreciate it.
Olivia Pierce can't appreciate
what she doesn't know,
which takes time.
Yeah, well, I don't have time.
Okay, well, speaking of time,
I need to get back to Dan and the kids.
Yes. Go.
- Also...
- Yeah.
- Mom called.
- Mm-hmm.
She wants to know if you're
bringing someone to Christmas.
Oh, does she? What'd you tell her?
I said we all wanna know
if you're bringing
someone to Christmas.
Yeah, well, you know what?
Next time you can just say... someday.
You and Abby ended seven years ago,
so you're kind of heading in
the wrong direction of someday.
Yeah, well, you know,
with running the clinic
and, uh, the caf,
and being the town's de facto handyman,
I haven't had a lot of time
to find the perfect person to, you know,
spend the rest of my life with.
But, um, I'll put it on
the list for tomorrow.
By the way, I cannot for the life of me
find Esther's Christmas binder
and I'm kinda freaking out.
Yeah, sorry, I haven't seen it, but...
I'll keep an eye out for it.
Great.
Great, great, great, great, great, great.
Great.
[car alarm chirps]
[quirky music]
[doorbell rings]
- You.
- Me.
What are you doing here?
Oh, you know, just, uh,
returning home from a long day
of caring for animals
and meeting my new co-owner
of a caf who wants to sell,
regardless of the impact to
the townsfolk and felines alike.
You said returning home?
Yeah.
I live, uh, just down the block.
What are you doing here?
I told Mr. Henry I'd help
pack up my aunt's things
to prepare for the bank sale.
So, I'm staying here while I'm in town.
Well, I just stopped by to find something
that I'm hoping is inside the house, and
noticed the lights were on.
- You have a key?
- Yeah.
Esther and I were really close.
I used to look after
the place occasionally.
Um, I don't suppose you've seen a...
Christmas binder for the caf
lying around anywhere by chance?
Actually, I think I know
what you're talking about.
Hang on one sec.
A-ha!
- This is it?
- Yeah.
- Yeah, it was in a box.
- Great.
That is a road map for
all things Catnip Christmas.
We've been doing it
for the last five years.
It looks like quite the production.
It was Esther's pride and joy.
My aunt did all this by herself?
Essentially.
Although she wasn't trying
to run a vet clinic
at the same time.
I'm not quite sure how
I'm going to do it on my own.
Should be interesting.
I will take that.
You don't need that. Thank you.
But you do need these.
Night.
Wait.
I can help you.
With that.
Why would you do that?
In exchange...
There it is.
You don't delay the sale of the caf.
Ha!
I think I was pretty clear.
I don't wanna sell.
I know you don't wanna sell,
but I think you also know
that you can't stop the sale.
You can only slow it down.
And I need this to go quickly.
You know, that would mean
three whole weeks
working very closely
in and around that caf.
As long as it results
in you agreeing to sell
your half of the caf...
I'm good.
Yeah, or you realizing
how important the caf is
to the community
and deciding not to sell.
Won't happen.
Tell you what.
Uh...
You study that tonight.
And tomorrow we will
go over the whole thing.
- Does this mean...
- Oh, yes.
We have a deal.
I still think it's gonna happen.
I still think you're wrong.
We'll see.
Yeah, we will.
[kitten purrs]
What possessed you to make
such an all-or-nothing deal?
Well, I didn't really have a choice, did I?
Besides, you said it yourself.
Olivia Pierce doesn't know the Catnip,
or Felicity, for that matter,
and it takes time.
Well, now we have time.
Heart sounds great. There's no murmur.
And you think three weeks
is enough time
for her to change her mind?
Better be, 'cause it's all we got.
That and cute cats to disarm her.
[imitates punch] You want a piece of me?
[imitates punches]
Does she know everything
that's involved?
Well, I gave her the binder.
Esther handled it, and she was 80.
Yeah, but Esther...
She was a special person.
Yeah.
She sure was.
I hope she knew what she was doing
when she put Olivia in her will like this.
You and me both.
All right.
Let's get you outta here,
you're healthy as a horse.
[Ben] A very little horse.
[phone rings]
- Hello?
- [Walter] Olivia Pierce.
That's me.
I'm Walter Morley.
I got your number from
your aunt's lawyer.
[Olivia] Yes. Hi.
You're the developer he mentioned.
[Walter] That's right.
I heard you were interested
in selling the cat caf.
I am, and quickly.
Well, I don't know about quickly.
I've already spoken to your co-owner.
He's a firm "no" on selling.
I know.
But I am working on that.
[Walter] Glad to hear it.
[Olivia] Thank you for calling.
I'll talk to you soon.
[exhales]

[cat meows]
Hello.
Hi.
Three weeks.
Olivia, three weeks.
You can do this.
Hm.
[Molly] Joshy, we have to get going now.
Time to say goodbye to Snowball, okay?
Okay, Molly.
Goodbye, little buddy.
See you next time.


Look, look how sweet they are
at four weeks.
[chuckles] Oh, come on.
Look, this one reminds me of Bailey.
Same eyes.
[Abby] He was such a good boy.
[Ben] Oh, he was such a good boy.
Grant's cousin said they'll be
old enough in a few weeks
if you're ready to adopt one.
You know I would consider
another puppy, but
life's a little complicated right now.
Speaking of.
Hi. Sorry I'm late.
I went by the caf
to get the lay of the land.
Uh, Abby, this is Olivia Pierce.
- Olivia, this is Abby Carter.
- Hey.
Uh, Abby and her husband Grant
own the Juniper and Pine.
Oh, nice to meet you.
Your place is beautiful.
Nice to meet you too, and thank you.
Christmas makes everything look better.
- True.
- Oh, Ben, uh, one more thing.
Grant wanted me to ask you,
can he borrow your...
- Gutter... scoop.
- Gutter scoop. Yes!
- Yeah.
- Yes, it's a disaster.
And apparently, this thing's a wonder.
[Ben] I will bring it by the house.
Thank you.
If you need anything, just let me know.
[Olivia] Thank you.
She seems lovely.
She is very nice.
I'm assuming you've had
a chance to go over the binder?
Yes, and there are so many
great options for events.
Options?
But the trick is which event to pick.
The sock puppet idea, that is a no go.
That is a little odd.
The big Christmas party.
We are too close to the date
to pull that off.
I don't know what
a Merry Mistletoe Market is,
so maybe you could
explain that to me sometime.
Oh, absolutely.
That leaves us with
the Merry Catmas Story-time,
or the Catnip Christmas
pajama party movie night,
both of which I think sound good.
So, I thought we could do pros and cons
for both and then pick one.
Okay, uh, we're not gonna pick one.
We're not gonna pick one?
No, we're gonna do all of them.
- What?
- Yeah, all of 'em.
As in... in totality.
As in each and every.
As in the whole kitten caboodle.
Pun intended.
That's impossible.
Now, you can understand
why I'm so grateful
for your incredibly generous offer to help.
Sorry, you do every one
of these events every year?
Esther did, yeah.
Oh, FYI, that, uh,
odd little puppet show?
That's tonight.
Tonight? [Phone pings]
Yeah. Oh, sorry. One sec.
You're kidding me.
Well, it looks like
my almost 22-minute lunch
has come to an abrupt end.
- You're leaving?
- [Ben] Yes. Duty calls.
I will spare you the details,
but it involves a Chihuahua
and a missing wedding ring.
I will see you at
the caf tonight and we will
go over all of the events.
Uh, oh, and I ordered
a vegetarian beef stew if you're hungry.
That's all yours. It's delicious.
Thank you... what...
O Christmas tree
O Christmas tree
Your leaves are so unchanging
O Christmas tree
O Christmas tree
Your leaves are so...
[Esther] You see?
See how none of the needles
come off easily?
That means it's a fresh tree.
It's not gonna make a mess later.
Oh. It smells so good.
Excuse me.
Do you deliver?
Perfect. I'd... [phone pings]
The script?

You seem nervous.
No, not nervous.
I was just
hoping for a little better turnout.
Okay, so I can't do this,
so I'm just gonna...
Oh, no.
No, no, no.
I sent you the script.
A half-hour ago. I didn't read it.
Why would I read it?
I didn't think I was in it!
Because you signed up
for Catnip Christmas
and it's meow time.
I don't ad-lib.
[Olivia] I really don't think
this is a good idea.
Ready?
- No.
- Too bad.
[clears throat]
Good evening.
I am your host, Richard Cattenborough.
[whispering] What's up with the accent?
I watch a lot of BBC documentaries.
Am I supposed to do an accent?
No, Coco doesn't have an accent.
A cat who was searching,
for a home.
[Olivia] Is that me?
[Ben] Coco, the brave
stray kitty followed
the twinkle of the magic
Christmas collar
all the way to the North Pole,
only to find... Santa Paws.
Ha!
Ho-ho-ho!
[Olivia] Hi.
Suddenly, a snowflake landed
on Coco's nose.
[exaggerated sneeze]
Why would you sneeze?
I... a snowflake fell on her nose.
A cat's not gonna sneeze if
a snowflake falls on its nose.
[Olivia] What? Is this really
the time to debate this?
'Cause I don't think we
should talk about this right now.
Good point.
Coco.
- [Olivia] Yeah.
- [Ben] What is your wish?
To not be here.
That's too meta.
To be somewhere else.
Come on, we're losing 'em out there.
To have a warm home
with a new family
where I can watch the snow.
[crowd awws]
[Ben] Granted.
Brief intermission.
Say something about granting your wish.
Oh, I'm so happy Santa Paws
is granting my wish.
Yes.
Coco.
Would you like to join
our family and have a cozy home
where you could watch the snow?
Sure! Sounds great.
Seriously?
Wha... more than anything!
There we go.
And that, folks,
is the true magic of Christmas.
As long as you listen to your heart,
you will always find your home.
The end.
Meow!
[sparse applause]
Should've practiced the accent.
Esther was so much better at this.
So, you do this every year?
Yeah. Last year it was
Claw-La Land the Meow-sical.
It was a huge hit.
Hmm, okay, well, we need
to bump up the attendance
on these events,
so I am going to take over.
Merry Catmas story-time.
Which is a sentence
I have never before said.
As in on your own.
You think you can do a better job?
Yes.
'Cause if there's one thing
I do not need a script for,
it is how to market events.
I got this.
Perfect.
- That was really cute.
- Oh.
- That whole plan. Yeah.
- The... oh, yeah.
- Thank you.
- [laughs]
Thanks.
Ah, cats make everything
better, am I right?
- I like cats.
- Me too.
- A lot.
- Yeah.
- I love them.
- Okay.
Yeah.
I'm getting that. Yeah. I don't think...
You should really think about
adding a fireman to the whole..
To the whole thing.
- Fireman? In the...
- Yeah, cats...
Cats love a man in a uniform.
Isn't that right? Yeah.
I have one at home.
- A cat.
- Fireman.
- And a cat.
- Oh.
Two.
Maybe three. [Chuckles]
- I'm gonna...
- Okay.
[cat meows]
Hello, do I know you?
It feels like we've met before
Perhaps in the town square
Or was it the general store?
I know
You are someone
that I do not want to forget
So, may I be so bold?
To compound with a cold
And give this love a chance
In our timeless Christmas
I know this love
we found will transcend
When everything falls into place
When inhibitions are erased
When time stands still
And love begins
It's a timeless Christmas
[dogs barking in the distance]
[kitten meows]
Hey. [Kitten meows]
It's okay. Hi.
Did you fall? Come here.
[kitten meows]
Oh my goodness.
Aunt Esther?
What's the matter, honey?
[gasps] Oh...
Will you look at that.
Oh. Poor thing.
We gotta get her inside
and keep her warm.
Come on.
[Olivia] Will she be okay?
[Esther] Oh, I think
you found her just in time.
- She's purring.
- Yeah!
That's because she knows
she's safe now.
[kitten meows]
[purring]
It's time for dinner.
You don't want to go to sleep.
[knocking]
Oh.
- Hello.
- Hello.
One woman caroling troop? Or...
Um, I have a situation.
- Oh.
- Hmm.
Tree-related.
Oh, no.
My tree is currently
au naturel.
Oh, the old birthday suit.
[Olivia laughs]
Most people normally
decorate their trees.
I was considering going for
kind of a woodland minimalist theme.
Landed on "gave up before I started"?
Hey now, I have been extremely busy.
Oh, I've seen, yeah, I've seen
your posters everywhere.
Even Frank's impressed.
He is.
He doesn't like me, does he?
I don't think he loves
the idea of losing his job.
Well, maybe
maybe the developer I've been
talking to will keep it a caf.
Walter Morley?
No, he won't. It'll be storage.
But back to the issue of
what to do with your tree.
Yes.
So I was wondering
this is a favor...
Do you have any extra
Christmas decorations
I could borrow while I'm here?
I might have one or two.
- Come on in.
- Oh.
- [Ben] Do not judge.
- [Olivia] Oh...
Are you running some sort of
holiday decoration side hustle?
You know, that sounded
a lot like judging.
It's a lot.
Yeah, I know. You know what,
my mom and sister got me
just a ton of stuff
the first year in the house
to make it feel more like
home after, um...
After what?
Uh, after I, uh... uh, moved in.
Oh.
Well, on top of being some
sort of secret decor dealer,
you have a serious
vinyl situation happening.
Oh, yeah. I mean, it's just a showcase.
The milk crates, but...
- Oh, it's working.
- Uh...
No, my uncle Teddy was a trombonist
in the US Army band, and, uh, -Oh.
He got me hooked on jazz
when I was a kid, and...
I don't know, I guess
I just kinda ran with it.
Hmm.
Uh, these,
believe it or not, one day,
uh, were originally
supposed to be shelves.
I was gonna turn this into a
kinda like a listening
music studio for myself.
Oh, it'd be perfect for that.
Yeah.
So, what's stopping you?
[exhales]
Yeah, uh, life?
I know exactly what you mean.
Um...
Tell you what, you start with these.
- Oh.
- And then, uh,
I'll give you these and these.
- And we can just get, let's...
- Oh, these are...
[both laugh]
Okay.
Now, this... is a Christmas tree.
This is a tree.
It's beautiful.
Uh, what would your tree
be like at home?
Oh.
- Petite.
- Oh.
Um...
Themed by soft pink twinkle lights.
Glass ornaments.
Glass? Oh, you're brave.
You definitely don't have pets.
Neither do you, by the way.
Which I think is
honestly, a little odd for a veterinarian.
Uh, I did.
I had a dog.
George Bailey, uh, but he, uh,
crossed the Rainbow Bridge
a couple of years ago.
I don't know, I guess I thought
about getting another one.
I just, I don't have the capacity.
The capacity?
I don't know, I'm... I'm busy.
I'm a busy guy. I'm busy with stuff.
- Got it.
- And...
I'm a very important man.
Oh, I see. Very important.
Well...
You know, it is okay to take
some time for yourself.
Noted.
I'm gonna...
Yeah. [Clears throat]
Well, thank you for all of this.
Oh, yeah.
You really did have a lot of extra.
Listen, make no mistake,
this is very calculated.
This is part of my charm offensive.
So you will see the error of your ways
in selling the caf.
Not gonna happen, Busy Ben.
Not with that attitude.
Bye.
Hmm.

[cat grumbles]
- [Meredith] There you go.
- [Olivia] Thank you for coming.
Hello.
[Ben] Oh, hello, ladies.
Oh, and they're gone.
- Okay. [Chuckles]
- Hi.
Hey, Mere.
- Sorry I'm late.
- Yeah, no problem.
- Dan had a work also.
- Of course.
Hey, uh, Olivia,
this is Meredith, my sister.
Mere, this is, uh, Olivia Pierce.
Oh, nice to meet you.
I have heard so much about you.
Good things... mostly.
Sorry, I need to go chase the kids.
Thank you.
Decent turnout.
Yeah.
Well, it's no puppet show.
- Ouch.
- Mmm.
Uh, we're ready.
Why don't you, uh...
- What?
- Go up, say some words.
Introduce it.
We didn't say anything
before the puppet show.
Well, this is no puppet show.
- Oh...
- Well, we got more people here.
You're a victim of
your moderate success.
- Get up there.
- I don't know what to say.
Just say whatever comes to min.
Nothing comes to mind.
You saw me at the puppet show.
I don't ad-lib.
Yeah. Good point.
All right.
Gather ye round, everyone.
Gather ye round.
We shall begineth
Merry Catmas story-time.
Friends, find your felines. Take a seat.
First of all, I would just like
to thank everyone
so much for being here.
It's so incredibly important
that we spend this time
with these little guys,
because it builds social skills
that are so important when
they're looking at adoption.
So, thank you.
Uh, full credit
to Ms. Olivia Pierce,
who organized the big event.
In fact, she just informed me
she has prepared a speech
that she would like to deliver
so let's get her up here.
How about a big round
of applause for Olivia Pierce.
[applause]
- Thank you... for that, Ben.
- Yeah. You bet.
Um, thank you for the warm welcome.
Hi, everybody.
Merry Catmas!
[crowd] Merry Catmas!
Uh, well, the idea is simple.
You've already picked your kitties,
and now you're gonna pick a book
and you're gonna read to them.
Although I have to admit,
I've never done this before.
Super easy to read them.
Cats are very good listeners.
Thank you for telling me.
I'm excited to find out.
And it's true.
Stories are very important
for people and pets...
Wa... I have an idea.
How about after we read them
their Christmas stories,
we tell their stories.
Oh, maybe we could even draw
their picture.
And then we can use them
for potential adopters to get
to know their cats better.
How does that sound?
[crowd] Yeah! Yeah!
Great.
Uh, wonderful.
Well, uh, grab your books
and let's get reading.
[Olivia] Enjoy, everyone.
[Ben] You know, if I didn't
know any better, I'd say you were
getting a little soft for these cats.
Oh, don't read into that.
I'm just doing what I do.
Yeah. Marketing. Yeah, I know.
Cold. Calculated.
Oh, no one's reading to that cat?
Oh, that's, uh, Gingerbread.
He's actually been here the longest.
Really? How long?
Three years, give or take.
Why so long?
He is a cat of particular taste.
Hasn't found his person yet.
What's that?
Story-time. Oh, yes. Of course, sorry.
I gotta go.
[cat grumbles]
[cat grumbles]
[clears throat]
[cat grumbles]
T'was the night before Christmas
[young Olivia] when all
through the house.
Not a creature was stirring,
not even a mouse.
That's good, 'cause you'd
probably chase it.
The stockings were hung
by the chimney with care.
Think Mom and Dad
will let me keep her?
We'll see.
She needs a name.
Noelle. Because it's Christmas.
Oh...
Noelle.
You're so sweet.
Look at you.
[Gingerbread grumbles]
[emotional music]
[camera clicks]
Okay.
[message sends] And there it is.
Oh.
Okay. I think it looks
like you're settling in.
Only until Christmas.
Then the sale is fast-tracked
and I am on a plane back
to buy my dream condo.
And you don't think that
this veterinarian's gonna try
to slow things down?
He gave me his word.
And he is practically a boy
scout he's so considerate.
Okay.
Are my ears deceiving me,
or did you just get
a little, uh,
dreamy when you talk
about the good doctor?
[scoffs] No.
I'm just telling you why,
when he gives his word,
I know he means it.
Okay.
[keyboard clicks]
What are you doing over there?
I am looking at Ben Kane,
doctor of veterinary medici...
Yep. Okay.
Yeah, there it is. Just as I suspected.
He is cute.
Vic, there is nothing
going on between me and
the admittedly cute vet.
Other than planning a bunch of
cat-themed holiday events.
[Victoria] Okay, if you say so.
So, what is next on your list
of Christmas Catnip things?
Mistletoe.
Mistletoe.
I like mistletoe.
[chuckles]
[cheerful music]
[Ben] Feel free to come by any time.
Thank you, guys. Enjoy your evening.
Whoa, hey!
Are you trying to get Snowball adopted
by someone other than Joshy?
I would never.
No, Snowball is
the ambassador for the event
because he's so mellow.
Smart.
[crowd yelling] Mistletoe!
Uh-oh.
[singing] Deck the halls
with boughs of holly
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la.
'Tis the season to be jolly.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la.
Don we now our gay apparel.
Fa-la-la, la-la-la...
Very good. Very, very good.
[Ben] Bravo!
Oh, that is a Merry Mistletoe
Market tradition.
You might notice that there's
bundles of mistletoe
hanging all over the market.
And if you get caught standing
underneath one by somebody else,
then you have two choices.
You can kiss, or...
You can sing a Christmas
song loudly in public.
[chuckles]
Oh, I already checked.
I looked. We're safe.
But step lightly.
It's dangerous out there.
Hi, Snowball.
Joshy, sweetie.
[Molly] We'll be at the booth
next to you, okay?
Okay, Molly.
Oh, Joshy loves that cat.
- [Ben] Yeah.
- He's such a sweetheart.
Actually, I don't know
if you know his story, but...
Joshy is in foster care,
and Molly and Luke
are looking after him.
They bring him by the caf
a couple times a week
to play with Snowball.
It's kind of his safe space.
Oh.
Well why don't they adopt Snowball?
They're waiting for Joshy's adoption
to go through first.
It just hasn't happened yet.
Oh. Why?
I guess adoption is rarely linear.
They have no idea
how long it could take.
It could take months.
And the caf could be sold by then.
[crowd] Mistletoe!
Yeah.
[singing] Joy to the world.
The Lord has come.
Let Earth...
Receive...
Her King...
[Ben] Thank you.
[Walter] A lovely rendition.
Olivia Pierce.
Walter Morley.
Nice to finally meet you in person.
Walter Morley, it's very nice to meet you.
It's great that you came.
Walter.
Surprised to see you out shopping local.
I make an exception for the holidays.
It's hard to resist
the Merry Mistletoe Market.
Made a lot of changes
to the booth this year.
It's been a lot of unexpected fun.
Good. Listen, I'll have
the paperwork ready
in time for the Christmas
party, like we discussed.
Christmas party?
It's the last of the events I committed to,
so everything should be
wrapped up by then.
Perfect! Once you're done
with your Catnip Christmas obligations,
we can all sign
and make the sale official.
I'll see you both then.
Okay, great. Good night, Walter.
So, he's gonna bring the paperwork
to the Christmas party.
Yeah, there's no reason
to drag things out.
Yeah. No, no.
Ben... you said
you wouldn't drag this out.
I'm not gonna drag things out.
Gimme that cheer,
gimme all that cheer
See the snow it's gently falling
children playing...
[Meredith] Do you wanna race?
Race to the kitties!
What's the password?
[Meredith] Oh, there you are.
The twins insisted on seeing
Uncle Ben before we left.
Okay, I gotta get this.
Hold on. Oh... [Ben and girls laugh]
Very nice. Okay, okay.
Okay, I'm sending these
to Mom and Dad right now
because they have been
begging me for updates.
Hi, I'm Dan, Meredith's husband.
Hi. It's nice to meet you.
Mere told me you knocked it
outta the park
with the Catmas story-time.
She did an incredible job.
- Truly.
- [Mere] Oh.
Speaking of fun things,
Olivia, do you have plans
for dinner tomorrow night?
I don't have any plans.
Just coming up with ideas
for the Christmas party.
[Meredith] Perfect!
We can discuss ideas
over dinner at our place.
Dan makes the most amazing lasagne.
Not gonna lie, it's pretty good.
And, Ben.
You're on dessert duty. Again.
Like, every Sunday.
Well, that's a great way
to find out. Thank you.
[laughing]
I'd love to, but I insist
on bringing something.
Oh, no, that's not necessary.
I will not say no.
Bring whatever you like.
[group laughs]
That's wonderful, thank you.
I'll be in touch.
Thank you so much.
Have a good night.
So.
What should I bring
to Meredith tomorrow night?
- Oh.
- Food wise.
Yeah. Good question.
Uh, whatever you like.
Ooh.
I don't know if I have any cookware.
Might all be in boxes.
Well, you could always
come to my place and
cook there, and then, you know
we'll head over together.
Are you sure?
Yeah.
Tomorrow night.
[Ben] Okay.
- Should we pack up?
- Yes.
Wonderful.

I never thought I'd meet
someone who shared
my appreciation for espresso.
Well, you play your cards right,
maybe I'll bring one
to your house one morning.
Oh.
What kinda beans you use?
St. Helena's.
Mere says that I'm a coffee snob,
but I prefer just a general snob.
So, that's why you partnered on the caf.
You have surprising layers, Ben.
Much like this dish that we're making.
What is this?
Oh, this is a Christmas tian.
What makes it Christmas?
- Mostly the colors I'm using.
- Oh.
Red tomatoes, white onions,
green zucchinis.
My mom learned to make it
one December in Provence.
And then after that, she would
make it most holidays.
Well, whenever we were somewhere
that would allow for cooking.
Allow for cooking?
My parents were nomads.
Mom was a photographer,
Dad's in finance.
So, we traveled so much
when I was growing up,
you would think we were
running from the authorities.
- We weren't.
- Okay, good, 'cause...
- That you know of.
- I'm not a big fan of criminal.
Where are they now? Your folks.
Oh, they are currently in Mallorca,
till the end of the year,
and then they go to Cape Town,
I believe.
- Wow.
- What about yours?
Uh, Arizona.
They retired there.
They move around quite a bit too.
You know, golf course
to the pool, pool to the patio.
Maybe back in the pool,
depending on the day.
Well, that doesn't sound so bad.
Doesn't sound so bad.
So, do you have a place
that you would consider home?
No, we were never
in any place long enough.
I mean, not anything like you have here.
Hmm.
Although I guess the closest thing I have
is my Aunt Esther's.
My parents would occasionally
leave me with her
if they were going out of town for work.
She talked about you.
She did?
Every time you would send
a postcard from one of your
far-flung destinations,
she'd put it up in the caf.
She'd brag about you
to anybody who would listen.
It was really sweet.
I didn't even make it home
for her memorial.
It happened really fast.
Yeah, I still feel really badly about it.
And that I didn't spend
enough time with her.
And then she gave me
half the cat caf, which...
I still don't know why.
Maybe it was as simple
as she loved you.

[Dan] Oh, I can't eat
another bite, I'm sorry.
Oh, come on, it's pecan pie.
It's your favorite.
- Maybe one more bite.
- Yeah.
That's what I thought.
The monsters are officially asleep.
Uncle Ben's powers
of bedtime story reading
are officially undefeated.
They adore you.
Oh, they adore stalling bedtime.
- Yeah.
- They do.
Olivia, the vegetable tian was amazing.
Thank you. Well, I can't
take all the credit.
Ben helped.
Yes, I, uh, watched.
- [Olivia] Moral support.
- [Ben] Yes.
- Which you need when cooking.
- That's big.
That's a big piece.
You two should team up more often.
So, what's the next
big event at the Catnip Caf?
Uh, Catnip pajama party
and movie night.
And we've got a special screening of.
The "Sassy Cat Saves Christmas".
Oh.
- Ben asked for that.
- [Meredith] What?
- Mm-hmm.
- It's a classic.
It's... it's great.
And what about the Christmas party?
Where is that gonna be?
Oh, I have been talking
to Abby and her husband
at Juniper and Pine.
[quirky music]
What?
No, don't. Don't do that.
There's no what. There's... no.
- [Olivia] Did I... I...
- [Ben] No.
I thought you guys were friends, 'cause.
- [Ben] Yes, we are friends.
- You had the gutter scoop thin.
- Yes. They're lovely people.
- [Olivia] Okay.
Tell me I didn't put my foot in it.
You did not.
Abby's Ben's ex-fiance.
There it is. Okay.
Oh.
They were high school sweethearts,
and then Abby went away to college.
They found each other again years later,
and then they got engaged.
Yes, and then we decided
that we were better off
as friends, which we are.
Thank you for that, uh,
incredibly detailed re-telling
of my failed love life.
Oh, I'm sure the right person
will come along someday.
Um... wine?
Olivia?
I would love some, thank you.
- Dan? Mere?
- Please, yeah.
Uh, no thank you.
Well, I guess the secret's out.
What?
What? What se... what?
You're gonna be an uncle again.
- For real?
- [Meredith] Yes!
[Olivia] Aww, congratulations!
[Meredith] Thank you, thank you.
- Thanks, man.
- Oh my gosh!
[Ben] Wow, that's a pretty good secret.
- [Meredith] Yeah.
- Are you nuts?
- I don't know. Maybe.
- What are you thinking?
She is. She is. And so am I!
[Ben] It takes two to tango, pal.
[Ben] I'm so happy.
So.
When Meredith mentioned
having another baby,
did I misread or
did you have a reaction?
- Caught that, did ya?
- Hmm.
Uh, no, y-you didn't misread.
It kinda of just slipped out.
Uh, I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm...
I'm a thousand percent happy
for those guys.
But...
Sometimes I feel like
everyone around me
has all these amazing things going on,
and I'm kinda just
standing still.
Like Mere having baby three on the way
really drove that home for me
in a pretty big way.
Do you want kids?
I do. I mean, I did, yeah.
You're still young,
you have plenty of time.
I don't feel young.
What about you? You want kids?
Um...
I do want kids.
But I am
so busy I can't take care of an animal,
let alone a human being.
Well, you know,
I mean, historically,
people have found a partner
to do the whole kid thing with.
Helps with, uh,
bringing groceries in from the car.
I don't know.
Maybe someone to have a glass
of wine with
after a long day of
scraping crayons out of the carpet.
That would be nice, too.
- [Ben] Yeah.
- Yeah.
Well, um...
Good night.
Good night.

Mom is in the kitchen
Bakin' all of her desserts
Susie's on her way
Yeah, she's always runnin' late
And in case she brings a new friend
Well, we saved an extra plate
Everybody's welcome
There's always room for more
So take off your jackets
leave your worries at the door
And gather round the fire
It's what this moment is for
Okay.
I understand.
Love you too.
They say no?
Mom said it wouldn't be fair
to take care of a kitten
when they're never home
and always busy.
What's gonna happen to her now?
Well
we can take her to
a shelter tomorrow and...
What if no one picks her?
What if she's all alone at Christmas?
Or...
I could keep her.
Really?
Suppose I could use
a little company around here.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Oh.
Oh, you're welcome.
Okay, kitty cat.
It's you and me now.
Oh, I'm so glad
you're here
I knew you had a crush on him.
Okay, maybe it's a small,
little crush. Tiny!
But there's no point because
I'm leaving in a few days.
Yeah, well, there's never a point
to a crush, it's just a crush.
Yeah, well,
I'm still leaving.
Yeah, but...
There are laptops
and phones with screens.
Vic, I don't have time
to date someone in my own city,
let alone someone across the country.
That is so not true.
I mean, how many weekend
nights have you spent
watching movies with me and Sarah?
Yeah, but I love spending
time with you and Sarah.
If you met a guy
who you liked enough
to spend time with,
then you would just find a way.
Probably.
Definitely. So, find a way.
You make it sound so easy.
Yeah, well, sometimes it just is, okay?
I have to get going. I am running late.
Go, go, go! I love you.
Bye.
[Olivia] Hello.
Oh.
Nice to see your face.
- Hi.
- Hi.
I brought you some excellent beans
for your excellent machine.
That was incredibly
thoughtful, thank you.
Lovely.
Shelves?
- Shelves.
- Oh.
Need any help?
Um...
Yeah, I would love that.
Can you operate a sander?
No.
But I can stain.
All right.
Well...
Throw those guys on.
All right.
[upbeat music plays]

[Olivia chuckles]
Well done.
Um, thank you, by the way.
You're welcome, by the way.
No, I mean, you know,
the other night, you, uh,
you said something pretty
profound about, you know,
taking time for myself, and, uh,
this is me taking time for myself.
Yeah.
[phone pings]
- Uh-oh.
- Oh...
Did someone's dog eat
a Christmas ribbon?
Much, much worse.
Max, the pug, it seems,
has had a run-in with a skunk
- on his walk.
- Oh, no, no.
So, that's my day.
I- I have
really enjoyed your company
doing these Christmassy events.
This has been a nightmare for me.
I've enjoyed it too.
Um...
I'm excited to see what you come up with
for the pajama party.
Well... picture this.
- Close your eyes.
- Okay.
Imagine it, see it in your mind's eye.
Oh, my. There it is.
A winter wonderland.
[Ben] Okay. [Phone pings]
Oh, oh.
[Olivia] Oh, no. What now?
Uh, that's my sister threatening to quit
if I don't deal with
the skunk situation, so.
That is okay, gotta do
what you gotta do, so...
Hey, remember the... the cats can't eat
- the fake snow. You got it.
- The fake snow!
I know, I read it in the binder.
You read the binder, okay.
[Olivia] Good luck.
[upbeat Christmas music]
Hi, buddy.
Are you excited for this movie, buddy?
He always checks to make sure
no one's claimed him.
Oh, well, it looks like
Snowball's claimed him.
[Abby] Hey, you going inside?
Or you gonna watch
the movie from out here?
Oh, I was, uh
yeah, going in.
- Are you, you going in?
- Yeah.
I wanna talk to Olivia
about the Christmas party.
Plus... cats, movies.
Pretty hard to resist.
It's really good of you
and Grant to let her
use the restaurant.
Oh, yeah. We're happy to help.
Maybe we can make it even,
like, a... annual thing.
- What?
- Yeah. No.
Uh, I would love nothing more.
We should get in there.
I think they wanna start the movie.
Oh, you like her.
- What?
- I know that look.
- Oh, do you?
- Yes.
- Yeah?
- I do.
Okay.
Ben, no one deserves to find
the right person more than you.
Thanks.
You could probably use a few
more inches on those pant legs.
All right.
[Olivia whispers] She's coming.
You guys, I just gotta get right by you.
Oh my goodness, hello.
Hi.
Oh, thank you for coming.
Wow.
Are you wearing a onesie?
You better believe it. It's a real fleece.
- Feel it.
- Wow.
- Yeah.
- Oh, that is.
That's right.
Got this baby the first year we did this.
Saw no reason to change.
- Very on brand.
- Yeah.
Place looks incredible. What a turnout.
Thank you.
I'm glad it meets your approval.
Yes. And then some.
Shall we, uh, introduce the-the movie?
I actually invited Frank to do the honors.
'Cause if you think about it,
this place is partially his to.
Yeah.
Okay! Welcome, everyone.
How are we doing today?
[crowd cheers] [Frank] Yeah?
Welcome to the Catnip
Christmas pajama movie night.
[crowd cheers]
[Frank] Yeah!
Everyone, grab a blanket and a buddy.
It can be a cat
or a human.
Tinsel's gonna be my buddy tonight.
Get comfy and we will start
the Christmas show soon.
[crowd cheers]
[crowd laughing]
Thank you for staying after
to help me clean up.
It's the least I could do.
Although,
if it's all the same to you,
maybe we can hold off
on planning the Christmas party
until tomorrow.
Max's great de-skunking kinda
took it outta me.
Poor Max.
Poor Max?
- Poor Ben.
- Yeah, thank you.
Thank you.
I was thinking, we don't have
to have the party
at Juniper and Pine if you don't want to.
When I suggested it, I-I didn't know.
- I didn't...
- No.
Of course we have
to have it there, it's perfect.
Why? Because of Abby?
No.
It's fine.
It was seven years ago.
There's
there's been no one for you since then?
You know, it's a pretty small town.
It's not every day
a beautiful, eligible woman
just waltzes in off the street.
It does happen, though.
Occasionally.
How about you? Have you ever, uh
you know... been in love?
That whole thing.
I was married once.
Right after college.
- Wow.
- Mm-hmm.
His name was Oliver.
You're kidding me.
Oliver and Olivia.
- Yes.
- Good.
It seemed fated.
It was not.
When did you realize it wasn't?
Well, I figured it out when
I realized he thought love was
all pursuit and passion.
Constant pursuit is exhausting.
And passion fades.
Real love takes work.
A little passion is nice though.
[Ben] In my humble experience.
That's true.
You know, my parents, they
they didn't necessarily provide
the most stable home life
for their only child, moi.
But they did
provide a perfect example
of a healthy relationship.
Do you speak French?
Un pet it peu. Et toi?
Un peu, un peu, a little...
a little peu, yeah.
I always wanted to go to Brussels.
Still haven't gotten there yet.
Seems to be kind of a theme for me.
You know, you can tell people "no".
Yeah.
Who am I if I'm not the guy
that people rely on?
Who takes care of you?
No one.
[Frank] Gingerbread.
No, wait! Come back!
[grumbles]
Oh, oh, here. Oh, wait.
Oh.
He's letting you hold him.
[Gingerbread purrs]
See, isn't this nice?
He seems pretty comfortable.
I'll bring him to the catio.
[doorbell rings]
Good morning.
Morning. I come bearing gifts
as promised.
Thank you.
Um, I'd love to know what
you think of the coffee.
Oh, yes.
Perfect.
I was right.
Lucky me.
Maybe lucky both of us.
- Do you wanna come in?
- Oh, um.
No, I would love to.
I, um...
I have to go to work.
Yes.
Uh, um, I'll see you later.
Definitely.
You will definitely see me later.
Uh, by the way,
I'm taking point on getting
the restaurant ready tonight
for the Christmas party.
- No, no, that's...
- I'm not
- too much for one person.
- No, I insist.
I gotta pull my weight.
You did the story-time.
You did the pajama party.
I got the... I'm doing it.
- Are you sure?
- I got it.
Okay.
Have a good...
[Ben] Day... I will now.
[cat purrs]
Those RSVPs keep coming in.
We've never had this many
for the Christmas party.
I bet we get several adoptions outta this.
Aww. Good.
I know Ben was concerned about it.
Me too.
- Yeah?
- Yeah.
I didn't anticipate
getting so attached, but
it is hard not to.
[Frank] It shows.
You know, you've really made
these Christmas events feel
different this year.
In a good way.
[entrance bell rings]
Well, don't you two look nice?
We wanna put Snowball on hold.
I'm getting adopted.
Oh... congratulations!
Oh.
Thanks, uh, it's been quite the journey.
Understatement, but
we got our own Christmas miracle.
You know, Snowball has been
looking for the perfect person.
He was looking for me, right?
Mom?
That's right, honey.
Now, let's go see Snowball.
Let's go see Snowball.
[emotional music]
Hello?
What are you doing?
I said I got it.
Yeah, yeah.
You know what?
I'm so glad you're here.
There's no way I can do this on my own.
Well, I come bearing helping
hands and good news.
I will take both.
Joshy got adopted.
- [Ben] Oh...
- Mmm.
That means Snowball found
his forever home too.
What is thi...
Are you kidding? What are you do...
What is this?
I hope you don't mind,
we brought reinforcements.
- Are you kidding me?
- The more the merrier.
No.
Hey, you've always been there for us.
[Meredith] Olivia called.
And since you never ask for help.
She did the asking for you.
I don't, I...
This is... look at, look at all of you.
Thank you for this.
Truly, I don't even know what to say.
Aside from
get to work.
[Olivia] Yes!
We should split up into teams.
I'm gonna set up the tree,
if you guys wanna take...
...the holidays till I am with you
I'm in a Christmas mood
Tinsel all over the house
Snowfall that don't make a sound
Can't wait to be with you
I'm in a Christmas
Christmas mood


Looks beautiful.
[Ben] Thanks to you.
Well, thanks to both of us.
And all the people who showed up
and wanted to help you in return.
I still can't believe it.
Oh. I almost forgot.
This came in the mail today.
Said it was, uh, overnighted.
I gotta head back to the caf,
finish up some paperwork.
- Night, Frank.
- Thank you.
Seriously.
It's from Mr. Henry.
He said he found something
when he was going through.
Esther's paperwork.
For the girl who believed
saving even one cat
can make a difference.
Oh...
Oh.
Wow.
Is that you?
Yep. That's me.
And the cat I found when I was nine.
My parents said I couldn't keep it,
so Aunt Esther did.
The cat that you found was Noelle?
- Yeah.
- Your aunt used to
talk about that cat all the time.
She said that after Noelle,
she wanted to help every
single cat that needed a home.
Thus the...
Catnip was born.
So, that's why she gave me half the caf.
You're the reason it exists.
Hey.
I am so grateful
that Snowball found a home.
I hope this last event helps
all the cats get adopted.
That had a bit of a heavy ring to it.
Do you mean
last event this Christmas or do you mean
last event... last event?
Oh.
Wow.
Uh, okay.
I'm just gonna...
I'm gonna put this out there.
Olivia, I think that
you should, uh... stay.
And keep the caf for so many reasons.
Ben...
I was clear from the beginning.
I was always intending to sell.
You-you knew that.
I have a whole life in California that I...
I- I worked really hard to build, and...
I- I need stability.
I need to settle down,
I need a home, you know, and that's
that's within reach.
Yeah.
I just
thought maybe the place
was winning you over.
Maybe I was
winning you over.
You have.
I- I didn't anticipate feeling this way.
I...
I really like you.
Uh, well, I've made a deal,
and I'm a man of my word,
and I will agree to sell.
I wish it was different.
Walking away from my life,
that's not a small thing to ask.
I know.
I just...
That kiss seemed really real.
Anyway, um.
Uh... Yeah. Everything is good.
This is good here.
And you have more than fulfilled
your half of the deal.
Um, I see no reason to stay
for the Christmas party.
I will finalize things with Walter,
and you're free to go.
Right.
Um...
Maybe that's for the best.
[dramatic music plays]
Packin' up my bags
And puttin' on my coat
I'm gonna jump the last train
that'll take me home
Do my eyes deceive me
or are we getting out on time
on Christmas Eve?
Gotta get ready for the Christmas party.
Uh, thank you again, by the way,
for helping last night.
- That was...
- Of course.
When Olivia called
to say you needed help,
everyone jumped in.
Yeah.
Uh, well, I might
need help around here, too.
- Oh?
- Yeah.
I think it's time to look for another vet.
- Are you serious?
- Yeah.
Oh, I already have job postings ready...
- After Christmas.
- Okay.
I'm gonna get ready for the party.
Okay.
Hey.
Are you good?
Yeah.
Christmas time in the city
The streets are paved with gold
[Olivia] The snow is really coming down.
[Victoria] Where are you?
I'm a couple hours out of Buffalo.
My flight is in eight hours.
[Victoria] Eight hours?
It's Christmas Eve.
It's the only flight I could find.
Well, you still could've gone to the party
and made your flight.
There's Santa Claus!
[Olivia] Ben doesn't want me there.
Okay.
Yes, he does. He...
He was just upset.
[Victoria] Do you honestly believe that?
He was so hurt.
I didn't know what to say, I just froze.
[Olivia] I am not a good ad-libber.
What would you have said if you were?
Maybe...
I know this is complicated.
[Olivia groans] I don't know.
Let's go to Brussels for an espresso.
What?
It's a long story.
[Victoria] So what about the condo?
Are we making an offer?
I'm at a gas station, I gotta go.
I'll call you back, okay? I love you.
You got this. Love you.
[Instrumental Christmas music
playing on radio]
Hi. Uh, cashier's inside.
Oh.
Uh, no. [Cat meows]
I just heard the music.
Hi, kitty.
This is Guy.
He's my buddy.
Likes to watch me work.
I rescued him.
Did you say he was a rescue?
There's this cat caf
over there in Felicity,
and, um...
I got him from this really
nice lady about, um
about six years ago.
Thank you.
Do you have a cat?
Not yet.
Thank you.
- Merry Christmas.
- Merry Christmas.

[holiday music playing]
[Abby] So, you're really gonna sell?
I'm so sorry.
I- I know how much
the caf means to you.
How much Olivia...
Yeah.
Thank you.
She made her choice, though,
and I have to respect that.
Hey, maybe after New Year's,
you could show me those puppies again.
Really?
I think it's time.
Okay.
Will you, uh, excuse me?
Walter.
Olivia will not be joining us.
I got your message.
But you're here and...
Do you wanna sign now, or...?
No need to wait.
[cat grumbles]
[cat meows]
Is he about to attack?
Probably, yeah. He's pretty dangerous.
I think that's it.
[exhales]
He likes it when
you scratch behind his ears.
[cat meows]
Excuse me, thank you.
- Ben.
- Liv?
I thought you were halfway
to Buffalo, what are you...
I had to come back. I just, I fe...
I felt like my Aunt Esther
was reaching down from heaven,
telling me I was making a mistake.
A mistake? Uh...
Wait, is that the contract?
Yeah, I-I signed.
[Olivia] No!
No, no. Hey, listen. Uh, we made a deal.
I- I made you a promise,
and you fulfilled your end of that.
And I made some bad assumptions,
but I signed it.
I just want you to be happy.
No.
No, the caf is not for sale.
Mr. Morley.
Olivia.
I think he likes me.
Here's the deal.
I thought I always knew what I wanted,
but my aunt,
she-she gave me a chance
at something better.
To continue what she started.
A place where
people and animals, they find
connection.
Belonging.
The Catnip Caf is my aunt's legacy,
and I intend to keep that going.
For her. For me.
I'm not selling.
Okay.
[both] Okay?
Yeah.
I didn't come for a fight.
I came for signatures.
But then this guy jumped into my lap.
I didn't have the heart to move him.
He's too cute.
Well
the kids have been asking
for a while, so.
[cat meows]
Thank you.
Merry Christmas.
Aww.
And I'm happy for you.
Hi.
Are you sure?
Absolutely.
I realized
all I've ever wanted is home.
I found that.
Here.
With the caf.
With the town.
With...
With me.
Unless I read that wrong.
No.
You didn't read that wrong.
Let's go tell everybody the news.

[Ben] Eventful evening.
[Olivia] It was.
[Olivia chuckles]
So, we have
three applications to foster.
- Wow.
- Four holds to adopt.
Okay.
And one adoption.
Who's the one?
Me.
For Gingerbread.
[laughing] Okay.
You know, he's a cat of particular taste.
Oh. Well...
I am a woman of particular taste.
Clearly.
I was also thinking.
Hmm.
How
would you feel
about being neighbors?
Ooh.
'Cause there is this charming
older house
that I have my eyes on.
- Yeah?
- Yeah.
Heard there's a grumpy guy
down the block.
[Olivia laughs]
I think I can win him over.
Then I think it's perfect.
[Gingerbread grumbles]
My man, we've got to work
on your timing.
I'm just gonna steal her for a second.
[romantic music heightens]