My Christmas Family Tree (2021) Movie Script
1
I'll get the papers
over to you right away.
Merry almost-Christmas, Shelby.
Same to you, Vanessa.
You're here early.
Yeah, you know, I just had a few
things I wanted to take care of.
I wonder who it's from?
But this little girl can't wait
till the first of the year.
I've seen you work your magic
around red tape before.
Come on, let's get her
this family by Christmas.
You're the best.
Thank you so much, Susan.
Yeah, have a great holiday.
Hi, Vanessa.
Hello!
And what do I owe the pleasure
of seeing you all this morning?
We do have a bit of a problem.
Oh, is... is everything okay?
Everything is beyond perfect.
The problem is you've done
so much for us and the kids
that we will never
be able to repay you.
Seeing your smiling faces is
the only payment that I need.
You went above and beyond
your job for us
and the kids wanted to share
how grateful we all are.
Is this for me?
Thank you!
There's more. Are you ready, kids?
We wish you a merry Christmas
And a happy New year
That was so wonderful
and the best Christmas present ever!
If you don't have any plans, we'd
love to have you over for Christmas.
That... that is so sweet,
thank you, but
you guys should celebrate Christmas
together as your new family.
One, two, three! Big smiles!
Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas.
Hey, buddy! How are you?
Did you miss me, huh?
Did you miss me?
Want to get some food?
Okay, you can have one present.
What about... Do you want this one?
Do you want this one? Yeah? Yeah.
Oh, what's that? What's that?
DeeDee!
- Thank you!
- Girl, it is 8.30pm
and I know you don't
have to work tomorrow.
Pajamas already?
Well, Dee, as you can clearly see
these are not PJs,
these are workout clothes.
Let me guess, you are about to binge
Christmas movies with Mickey?
- At's wrong with that?
- Nothing
if Mickey had opposable thumbs
and walked on two legs.
Oh, no offense, Mickey. Yeah.
You have to get back out there.
As in dating?
Who has time for that these days?
If you have time to binge
30 Christmas movies with Mickey
you have time for a boyfriend.
It'll happen when it's supposed to.
Wine?
So was there a reason
that you stopped by
or did you just want
to give me a hard time?
Because there is room on my couch
with your name on it.
Right! First
did you get your results back yet?
Results for...
From the Family Branch DNA tests
that we did.
Check your email. I got mine today.
Anything juicy?
It turns out that I'm a little
less South Asian than I thought
but I am 4% Brazilian.
I mean, that explains a lot.
So
Go get your computer!
Ancestry breakdown
British and Irish, 27%. Spanish, 16%.
5.5% French.
And 1.5% West African.
That's kinda cool.
That is very cool.
"View Family History."
It says I have a paternal match.
As in a biological father?
Oh, my word! Okay, well
Okay, well, this is
what you were hoping for, right?
Yeah, but...
Click on it!
I can't do it. I can't do it.
You do it.
- Yeah? Okay. Okay, okay. Okay.
- Yeah. Yeah.
Richard Hendricks. 54 years old.
Barrington, Connecticut, USA.
Barrington?
That's, like, an hour away.
But that's a good thing, right?
I didn't think I'd actually find him.
Okay, let's see.
Wait, what are you doing?
Checking to see
if he has social media.
Found him.
He has a family.
Which means you now have a family.
Hey, you okay?
30 seconds ago, I didn't have
a father or... or siblings.
You remember what you told me?
It's gonna happen
when it's supposed to happen.
I was talking about a boyfriend,
not a... not a family.
It still applies.
I think you should message him.
No way. I...
I'm sure
he did this DNA test thinking
he'd find, like, a third cousin
in Sweden, or something.
No, you don't know that.
What if he's looking for you, too?
I highly doubt that.
Okay, well, I think that
you should send him a message
before you have
a chance to overthink it.
Okay.
Okay. What do I say?
Okay... Well...
I don't think that
you should beat around the bush.
I think you should say,
"Hi, I'm your daughter."
What if he doesn't respond?
If he doesn't respond,
that's on him... not you.
- You're right. You're right.
- Yeah. Okay.
Dear Mr. Hendricks, Happy Holidays.
My name is Vanessa Hall.
And I live in New York City.
I recently took a DNA test
and discovered a paternal match.
I know this may come as a surprise,
but it looks like you are my father.
Did the kids take off
for school okay?
Yes.
So did you get
your Santa all fixed out there?
Yeah.
He's mostly duct tape now.
Maybe it's time
to retire him this year?
I can't do that.
He's practically part of the family.
Speaking of family
I actually don't know
how to say this.
I just know that I love you,
and that this...
this doesn't change
anything between us.
Okay, now you're scaring me.
Okay. Do you remember
that DNA test that we took last year?
Yeah.
Just...
Your daughter?
Wow.
Is this for real?
Yeah. Well, it must be.
It's on my account, too.
It says I'm a paternal match.
I mean, obviously,
this was, like, 31 years ago.
It was long before I met you.
Trust me, I've already
done that math.
Where were you 32 years ago?
It was before my second tour of duty.
So, I remember I was seeing
a woman named Trish.
And...
and then, after being over there
two years in the Middle East, I...
I couldn't find her when I got back.
So what are we gonna do?
We?
Yes, we.
Richard, this concerns all of us.
Yeah. Yeah, you're right.
I think you should call her.
Hello, this is Vanessa.
Hi, Vanessa.
This is Richard Hendricks. Well...
I guess I'm your father.
I mean, biological. I... I assume
you don't have someone else
that you call father.
Yes.
No, I... I don't have any
other fathers, as far as I know.
I mean, I... I definitely
don't have any other fathers.
Well, thank you for calling.
How are you?
I'm good. Great, yeah. How are you?
Yeah, great, thanks.
So, where have you been all my life?
That was a... that was a joke.
I make bad jokes
when I don't know what to say.
That's okay. Me too. I...
That's even more evidence
that I'm your father.
That sounds like
some solid evidence there.
Yep.
If you had to make a list
of the most awkward conversations
you could have in life
I... I think our situation
is right up there.
It's probably a conversation that
we shouldn't have over the phone.
I mean, if you're comfortable,
would you...
would you be open
to a meeting maybe in person?
I mean, I'm... I'm coming in
to the city on Thursday, I think.
I have to pick something up, and
if you're free afterwards,
maybe we could meet up?
Thursday? Yeah, that...
that sounds great.
I have a... a little park by my house
that's doing some holiday stuff.
If you want to meet there, we could
meet by the big Christmas tree?
Great. That sounds great.
Say 2.00pm?
Wonderful.
I can text you the address.
Okay, good. Vanessa,
looking forward to meeting you.
Okay. Thank you. Bye-bye.
Thank you. Bye.
Good King Wenceslas looked out
On the Feast of Stephen
When the snow lay round about
Deep and crisp and even
Brightly shone the moon that night
Though the frost was cruel
When a poor man came in sight
- Hi.
- Hi.
Hi. You must be...
- Vanessa.
- Yeah, I...
- Yeah. Oh yeah, nice to meet you.
- Richard, nice... nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you.
I've gotta... gotta say,
I'm... I'm impressed
that you know all the lyrics
to Good King Wenceslas.
My family are... they're big carolers
so it's engrained in the ole noggin.
Can I interest you in a hot cocoa?
Yeah. I... I would love that.
Does your mother know that you...
She actually... She...
she died a while ago.
I didn't realize that.
I remember Trish being
very sweet and funny.
Trish? Oh! You... you mean Patty.
Yeah, from what I can remember,
had a really good sense of humor.
She could make even
the Scroogiest Scrooge crack a smile.
How old were you when she passed?
I was nine when she died.
And the only other family I had
was my grandmother
but she was
in an assisted living facility
so this wonderful older couple
fostered me until I left for college.
Did your mother ever mention me?
From what I remember asking,
she always would say
"Your father was a really good man."
I'd like to think that...
she would have told me more about you
when I got a little bit older
but her death was pretty sudden.
I'm so sorry. I had no idea, so...
It's okay. There's no need
to apologize. It...
My past made me who I am today
and now I work at a non-profit
placing kids in foster families.
That sounds very rewarding.
So, do you have any plans
for Christmas?
Just a... a dinner with some friends,
but that's about it.
I was wondering, if you don't mind...
if I could ask you about what
happened between you and my mom.
Oh. Well...
I was in the Army then
and I met your mother shortly before
I shipped out to the Middle East.
It was a... bit of a whirlwind.
I mean, we really liked each other.
But then I shipped out...
and...
I was over there for a long time.
Did she ever write you to tell you
she was having a baby?
If she did, I never got it.
Did you try looking for her
when you got back?
I did, but it was two years later.
And that was before
cell phones and social media
so it was easier
to lose track of people.
But... I looked.
And then I ended up meeting Pauline
my current wife and here we are.
So... so you have a family.
What are... what are they like?
You know what?
Why don't you find out for yourself?
How about you come and spend
the Christmas holidays with us?
Oh! No, you don't...
you don't have to do that.
No, I... I think
it's the perfect time to meet up
when the whole extended family
is going to be there.
If you came up on the Saturday
you could spend a few days
getting to know the kids, and then...
the whole family will
arrive Christmas Eve.
I... I don't have a car
and I can't leave my dog alone.
That's okay. We have
a friend, Kristopher
a family friend, he's driving up.
You can catch a ride with him.
And just bring the dog.
Are you... are you really sure?
Yes, I'm sure.
I think I would like the opportunity
to get to know you more
when my toes aren't so numb.
Yeah. Yeah. Let's... let's do it.
Okay.
Okay. I'll contact Kristopher
and I'll get the details,
and I'll send them to you.
Great.
I will see you Saturday.
Saturday. Yes.
Bye.
I think I have committed
to spending too much time there.
Richard is nice, but what if the rest
of the family isn't as accepting?
You will be fine.
You just have
to get out of your own head
and be yourself.
That's him.
- Okay. Yeah.
- Okay? Don't worry.
Okay. Let's go.
Hi.
Do one of you ladies
happen to be Vanessa?
That's me.
Nice to meet you. I'm Kristopher.
- You can call me Kris.
- Hi.
This is my best friend, DeeDee.
Hey, DeeDee. Nice to meet you.
And this is Mickey.
Hey, Mickey.
I can grab that for you.
Oh, thank you!
Wow, what do you have in here, gold?
Yeah. Along with
some frankincense and myrrh.
Is he a relative of yours?
I don't think so.
Good! Because he is cute.
You know, I used to ask my mom
why the Wise Men used to bring
Frankenstein to the baby Jesus.
It just seemed like an odd gift.
Frankenstein would have made
the nativity a lot more interesting.
Right? Yeah.
DeeDee, are you coming with us?
No. I'm staying here.
My parents are visiting.
Okay, cool. Well, happy holidays
and I guess
we can... we can take off.
Call me later.
- Merry Christmas.
- Merry Christmas.
Okay, come on, Mickey.
Come on.
You know, I feel like I've met
all of Richard and Pauline's friends.
Why haven't I ever heard of you?
Richard didn't tell you?
No, no, he didn't. He just said
that we'd have something
to talk about on the car ride.
Oh, yeah. Yeah, we will.
Okay.
I can't believe it. So Richard's had
a daughter living in New York City
for 31 years he's never known about?
This is crazy.
Imagine how I feel.
- How do you feel?
- I don't even know.
I mean, the whole thing
is so surreal.
I literally just found out
that I have a father and...
and now, here I am.
I wonder what Pauline
and the kids think about this.
I have no idea. I mean,
I've never even met them.
It could make for
a very interesting Christmas.
Don't make me any more nervous
than I already am.
No. No, no. Look, they're good kids.
And they get a cool older sister
for Christmas.
I'm sure they're gonna be
just fine with it.
I hope so.
And this is why
I come here all the time.
- It's great, right?
- Really cute, yeah.
- Yeah.
- Good thing you found this spot.
All right,
two peppermint eggnogs. Enjoy.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Wow.
Wow.
It's like...
it's like Christmas in a cup.
That's exactly
what Richard would order.
I guess you really are his daughter.
So, how do you know Richard?
Richard and my dad, they were...
they were in the army together.
Basic training, two tours.
Richard says that
my dad saved his life, but I...
I don't think it was
in the literal sense.
Sounds like
they went through a lot together.
What are you doing?
I'm just trying to see if
there's a resemblance to Richard.
- Do you see one?
- Not really.
You're much prettier than him.
Don't tell him I said that, okay?
So, what do you do for work?
I'm a corporate attorney.
And do you enjoy what you do?
It pays the bills.
You know, we should
probably hit the road.
- Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah.
- Okay?
Wow, this is the house?
Yeah, we're here.
Hey, I don't know
if you need to hear this
but Richard is one of
the best people I know.
If he even knew for a second he had
a daughter out there somewhere
he would have done everything
in his power to find you.
Okay, this family...
your life is going to change
for the better knowing them.
Mine has.
Thank you.
That's actually really
comforting to hear.
Okay.
- Hey, welcome.
- Hello.
Hi.
I hope Kris here
didn't talk your ear off.
You know how those lawyers can be.
I had my headphones ready,
just in case.
Smart girl.
Well, everyone's ready to meet you.
Ready?
Come on.
Here, Emilia, put your coat on.
- Guys! Hey, guys!
- Kris!
Good to see you all. Hello.
- Hello, man.
- Hi.
Hey, everyone. Hi.
This is Vanessa,
my daughter, your sister.
Hi, everyone.
I'm... I'm Pauline.
- Oh.
- Hi.
You're so beautiful.
Thank you. You are, too.
I'm so excited to meet you.
That's my wife, and she's a hugger.
And then from oldest to youngest,
there's Caitlin.
And this is Aiden and Emilia.
Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you, too, Aiden.
And this would be Mickey,
who would be your nephew.
Hey. Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you, too.
I've always loved the name Caitlin.
Cool.
How can you be our sister?
You're a grown-up.
Before I met your mom,
I met Vanessa's mom
and then Vanessa was born.
Then why are we just meeting her now?
Well, we didn't know before...
until a few days ago...
because of a DNA test.
I don't get it.
- Me neither.
- Yeah. Great explanation, Dad.
Guys, I've been at depositions with
warmer receptions than this, okay?
Vanessa is amazing. She's awesome.
I've already vetted her.
She's super nice and very funny.
Just not as funny as me.
But, Dad, why did Kris
take her to the vet?
To the vet? No.
I'm sorry.
Let's get you settled.
And I hope you don't mind
sleeping on the couch
'cause this one's
getting the guest room.
Oh, man. I take back
everything nice I said about her.
Your home is beautiful!
Thank you.
It even smells
like Christmas in here.
I know the decorations are
a little much
but that's mostly Richard's doing.
This is absolutely gorgeous.
Thank you.
So that's where
the Christmas tree will go.
We'll be chopping that down tomorrow.
We usually wait for Kris to get here.
And maybe you can join us.
Yeah, I would love that.
Let me guess, she told you
that she had nothing to do
with the Christmas decorations?
Did you?
Don't believe this one.
You know, one year, we had
a lights contest in our neighborhood
and she went and she bought up
every Christmas light
in a 50-mile radius.
I'm a little competitive.
That's why I'm glad that
she's always on my side for life.
Hey, I'm sorry about Emilia.
She just takes a little while
to warm, but
once you've won her over,
she'll be your best friend.
Proof.
All right... all right, you guys are
gonna wear me out for Christmas.
Aiden, why don't you
show Mickey around the house?
Awesome. I love dogs.
Just be careful.
He can be a little tricky.
Okay, there you go.
Emilia, do you want
to go play with Mickey?
I have to go practice my song.
Yes, Emilia's singing a solo,
Away in a Manger
in the church's Christmas pageant.
A solo? Wow, that is very impressive.
It's no big deal.
Sorry. Normally, she's very sweet.
I get it. This is a lot for a kid.
What were you like as a kid?
I was pretty shy.
Definitely not the kid to take
a solo in a Christmas pageant.
What about you, Kris?
Oh, Kris was great, but he had
a lot of energy, he would never stop.
But he had a good heart.
And he was obsessed with baseball.
Still am.
Yeah, Richard took me to my first
Yankees game when I was six.
I'm a fan for life.
Except my dad didn't like it
very much. He was a Mets fan.
I think I've got to side
with your dad on this one.
- No.
- Mets and Jets all the way.
You've got to root for the underdog.
- Mets and Jets!
- I knew it.
I knew I liked this girl.
Why don't you help me in the kitchen?
Okay. Yeah, sure.
Hey, can I show you to your room?
That would be lovely.
You have a beautiful family.
Thank you.
Yeah, we do a big family photo
in front of the Christmas tree
every year.
Well, you'll be in it,
I mean, if you want to be.
- That would be nice.
- Okay.
I'm really happy that you're here.
I think the timing's no coincidence,
the holidays are all about family.
I think we have
a lot of catching up to do.
Yeah. Yeah, we do.
Okay, here's your room.
Oh, great.
Make yourself comfortable.
Okay, thanks.
Dee, you don't understand
how amazing everything is here.
Like, too good to be true.
Really? I mean, how so?
Richard and his wife Pauline
are so lovely.
And, well, the kids are
understandably shocked
but they seem really sweet.
What about that guy that drove
you there? I mean, what's his deal?
Kristopher?
Yeah, he seems nice.
And cute.
You sure he's not
your cousin, or anything?
Yeah. No, he's definitely
not... not in the family.
Look, I gotta go. I love you.
Come in.
- Hey, how are you?
- Yeah, good.
Good, good. I'm supposed
to tell you that dinner's ready.
Oh, okay. Thanks.
How are you feeling with everything?
You were right about the family.
They're wonderful.
And I really appreciate you helping
me break the ice with the kids.
Although, I'm not sure
it's fully broken yet.
You'll get there.
Hope so.
- Okay, see you soon.
- Okay.
"You'll get there." Okay.
Emilia, can I just tell you
how much I love your hair?
Oh, that's not her real hair,
didn't you know?
She's wearing a wig. See?
I am not!
Hey. Hey. Hey, you.
Here we go.
- Wow. That's interesting.
- Yeah.
This is... it's pinnekjott.
It's... it's basically
smoked lamb ribs.
Really popular Norwegian meal
during the holidays.
So, how often do you guys all
get together for dinner like this?
We try to as much as possible
with the kids' schedules.
You know, when I was a kid,
we would have dinner
for two hours every night
because my... my mother
was from Norway.
Would ask us
very detailed questions about our day
and we thought that
she was being strict
and then we realized she was
just trying to practice her English.
Caitlin, no phones at the table.
You know that.
Vanessa, who do you eat dinner with?
Sometimes friends,
but it's usually just me and Mickey.
So that's why this is such a treat.
Where do you eat dinner, Kris?
Where do I eat dinner?
At my desk, usually takeout.
Or I'll stop at Julia's
on the way home.
Is Julia your girlfriend?
No... no. It's Julia's Kitchen
in Chelsea. Do you know that spot?
Yeah. Yeah, I know the place.
It's one of my favorite places.
Well, aside from
Pauline's Kitchen, of course.
Oh, good save.
Yeah, that's a good one.
- Okay, let's... Can we say grace?
- Yeah.
We would like to thank you
for this beautiful meal
and for bringing us
a very special gift this year...
Vanessa.
And for bringing people into her life
that have taken such good care of her
and for guiding her to us this year
so that we can have
a very special Christmas.
So, in your name, Amen.
- Amen.
- Amen.
Five, four, three, two, one!
The lights look really nice.
- Oh, do you think so?
- Yeah.
I don't know. I think
we've got to turn up the wattage.
You know, dim the rest
of the neighborhood.
- Good idea.
- Yeah.
- Take out the competition.
- Yes.
- Is that...
- No.
- Oh, no.
- Oh, man.
- Emilia, duct... get the duct tape!
- Yeah. Duct tape!
Duct tape!
Hi. Looks like you and Mickey
are really bonded.
Yeah, we get along really good.
So, what grade are you in, Aiden?
Sixth grade. But I'm already
on the 8th grade hockey team.
Wow! You must be really good.
Yeah.
- Can I tell you a secret?
- Sure.
I've never actually been ice skating.
Really?
It's not that hard.
It requires some coordination,
which I don't have very much of.
Can I tell you another secret?
Okay.
I've always wanted a brother.
I've always wanted a brother, too
'cause I already have two sisters
and they can be annoying.
Right.
It's not too bad, right?
It's... it's pretty magical.
So, Dad, where did you meet
Vanessa's mom?
Providence.
I didn't know
she lived in Rhode Island?
- That's where you guys met?
- Yeah.
She had an apartment downtown,
by the old Majestic Theatre.
She must have moved back to New York
before you came home.
That's probably why
you couldn't find her.
Well, that's true.
I only looked in Providence.
Wait.
How can we be sisters
if we have different moms?
She's our half sister.
I actually don't like
the term half-sister.
I think family is family,
and you're sisters, and that's it.
Oh, man.
That was the perfect
but chilly ending
- to a beautiful night.
- Yeah, that was fun.
- Could you read me a story?
- Yes.
Everything okay?
Yeah, yeah.
I'm just... I'm a bit tired.
I think I'm going to turn in.
Okay.
Have a good sleep.
Yeah, you too. Good night.
Good night.
Our office is currently closed.
Please call us back
during regular business hours.
Happy Holidays!
Come in!
Hey! Morning.
- Good morning!
- Hi.
Pauline mentioned that you might want
to come get
our Christmas tree with us.
Oh, yeah! I... I would love to.
Yeah? Okay. Great.
Good.
Okay. Wear something warm.
- Warm? Got it.
- Yeah.
Okay.
I can't believe that
the girls are missing this.
Yeah. Pauline took
Emilia to rehearsal
and Caitlin's doing her own thing
but they'll join us to decorate.
Okay, so what kind of tree
are we looking for?
A Christmas tree.
I mean, like a tall one,
or a fuller one, or a skinny one?
I think we'll know it when we see it.
Okay, let's split up. Aiden and I
are gonna go off together.
- All right. Okay.
- Holler if you see something.
Whoa, Dad, can we get that tree?
So, I've gotta ask...
I know you're close to this family
but I'm sure there's a million other
things you could be doing right now.
Why do you choose
to spend your holiday break here?
Sometimes, it's just nice
to get out of the city, you know?
I'm sensing there is
more to it than that.
My...
My parents passed away.
It was a car accident.
They were traveling to Michigan
to come visit me at law school.
I was 22.
The next couple of years,
I just couldn't face the holidays.
Richard finally talked me into coming
to visit with the family, and...
I've been coming back
every year since.
Thank you for sharing that, Kris.
And I'm sorry to hear
about your parents.
Thank you.
I appreciate that.
What do you think?
I think it's perfect.
Hey!
- Make way.
- Here we go! Here we go, guys!
Oh, it smells so good.
- All right, yeah. 'Kay...
- Well
there's more decorations
in the garage
in case these aren't enough.
Where's Emilia?
Is she still at rehearsal?
She's in the dining room
stringing together a popcorn garland.
Something happened
at rehearsal today
but she doesn't want to tell me.
Do you mind if I go and talk to her?
Please. Be my guest.
Away in a manger
No crib for a bed
That sounds wonderful.
You know, I've never made
popcorn garland before.
Do you... Do you think
you could show me how you do it?
Is there... is there any string left?
It's easy. You just string it
through the center of the popcorn.
And if you want, you can add these.
Whoa, cranberries. That is...
that is taking it
to a whole new level.
So, how did rehearsal go today?
I don't wanna do this solo anymore.
Well, how come?
You have a beautiful voice.
I can sing at home just fine
but when I'm at rehearsal,
in front of people
my throat gets dry
and I sound horrible.
Well, you know
a lot of very famous singers
have stage fright.
Adele. Katy Perry. Rihanna.
They do?
Of course!
And I am no singer
but back in college,
when I had to give a presentation
I would get so nervous,
I could feel my voice shaking.
But then I learned
how to work through it.
- How?
- Well
I'd take some deep breaths...
and think about how nobody
in the class wanted me to fail.
We were all in the same boat.
Same goes for the audience
listening to you sing.
Just try and focus
on how singing makes you feel
then let it flow from your heart
the same way you do
when you sing at home.
And sometimes, being nervous,
it just means you really care.
That makes sense.
How about we go
decorate the tree now?
- Dad!
- Yeah?
Vanessa and I made this.
Can you hang it on the tree?
Of course!
Fantastic.
There you go.
Very nice.
Vanessa, how did you
and your mother celebrate Christmas?
Well, it was always
just the two of us
so she tried to make
Christmas extra special.
We would go into the city,
to Rockefeller Plaza
and see the big Christmas tree
and then we'd always
go for a nice dinner after.
That sounds really nice.
We found it!
- Yes.
- My favorite one.
You guys need another house to store
all your Christmas decorations.
No way.
- Remember that?
- Yeah, I remember when I made this.
- Yeah.
- It was forever ago.
Emilia's first Christmas.
Look at the cheeks!
- You were so cute!
- I still am.
Yes, you are.
What does this say?
That... This... I made this with
my grandfather when I was a boy.
That's Norwegian
for "Merry Christmas".
"Julekurvers"?
Julekurver. Yeah, that's right.
That's another Norwegian tradition.
You hang them on the tree
and then you add candy and nuts.
Yeah, all these years,
and I still don't have one myself.
Right, guys?
- Yes, sir.
- What happened there?
Maybe I'll just take yours this year.
Is that... Is that okay?
I'm taking away my elf?
Oh, the star!
- You want to put it on?
- Yes.
All right.
- Careful.
- There we go.
Perfect.
- Is it on?
- Yeah!
It's so good.
- Hey.
- Hey.
So what do you think?
I think I'm starting to understand
why you come back here every year.
It kind of feels like a gift.
Wait... I didn't get
presents for anyone.
It's okay. Just get gift cards
like I usually do.
I can't get them gift cards.
I need to get them presents,
like proper presents.
Well, I'd be happy to take you out
tomorrow if you want?
Not, like, out on a date,
you know, just out, shopping.
- Shopping, yeah. Yeah, I got that.
- Yeah.
That would be great.
Shopping, pretty clear.
- I'm gonna go to bed.
- Yeah, let's go to bed.
This way. Good night!
Yeah, you... Good night.
So, you and Kris
are headed into town?
Yeah. He offered to take me shopping.
Kris hates shopping.
I told him I needed
to pick up a few gifts.
Speaking of which, what was
your favorite Christmas gift ever?
My snowboard, for sure.
And you, Miss Emilia?
Probably the karaoke machine.
What happened to that thing anyway?
- You wore it out.
- Emilia was on that thing 24/7.
And what about you, Caitlin?
My Polaroid camera. I still use it.
That's cool.
And I loved my Easy-Bake Oven.
That is such a mom answer.
What about you, Vanessa?
A red peacoat.
One day, my mom and I saw it
in a window of a department store.
And I kept begging her
to get it for me
and she kept playing it off like she
had no idea what I was talking about.
But then, that Christmas
I got the coat.
That also turned out to be
our last Christmas together.
So, I eventually grew out of it.
I was...
I was sad.
Well, you may have outgrown the coat,
but you have that memory forever.
You should be doing most of the work.
You didn't get
your workout in today, did you?
Man, you've been handling
this Vanessa situation really well.
She's making it easy.
But...
What?
Nothing.
What is it?
Don't... don't say that
I said this...
- to her. All right?
- All right.
But Vanessa didn't know that
her mother lived in Providence
and that's the only place I knew her.
The woman I knew,
everybody called her Trish
so why does her daughter
only know her as Patty?
People move, right?
People change nicknames.
She said she doesn't know her mom.
Her mom passed away
when she was young
so she might not have known her.
Yeah, you're right.
You're right.
Also, I've seen the DNA test
and we're definitely a match.
Come on.
Okay. All right, all right.
So, what? You don't think
I should get gift cards for everyone?
I don't have a problem
with gift cards.
They just should have
a personal touch.
Take Emilia, for instance,
what is she into?
Oh, she's into...
theater, music, acting.
There you go.
A gift card for a movie theater.
Or...
Wait, I have a better idea.
If you want to go in on it with me.
Yeah, sure.
- Okay. I'll take care of it.
- Okay.
What about Aiden?
Aiden, yeah, winter sports.
Winter sports.
Okay, what about a gift certificate
for some lift tickets?
And then, obviously,
Caitlin would be for a camera shop.
Wow, you're...
you're really good at this.
I've always wanted
to have a big family to shop for.
Well, now you do.
What are you gonna
get me for Christmas?
I'm really torn between a half a lump
and a full lump of coal.
Well, maybe you need a break.
You know, help you
make that decision.
Oh, I don't know.
So, how does a nice guy like you
end up in corporate law?
We're not all bad guys.
You hinted before that
you didn't really enjoy what you did.
I've always been someone
who's... pretty good at things.
I was a pretty good student
I'm a pretty good lawyer,
I was a pretty good athlete...
but there's only one thing
that I'm truly great at...
underwater basket weaving.
That's just the thing.
You know, I'm not great at anything.
You're pretty great with the kids.
To be honest, I've always had
trouble imagining myself with kids.
Why?
Well, my life kind of took a detour
after my parents' accident.
I've just been so committed to work.
So no luck in a relationship, then?
Not even close.
I guess dating's the one thing
I'm not good at.
Well, I hope you're good
at ice skating.
- Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- Okay, yeah, yeah.
- Step, step. Step!
- Okay. Step.
- Okay.
- Okay, here we go.
Step. Step.
Glide.
So I've got everyone done
except for Caitlin and Richard
but I found a place online
that has a gift for Richard
if you don't mind
making one last stop.
Yeah. Not at all.
Everything okay?
Yeah. Yeah.
I'll just deal with it later.
Okay.
What's going on, guys?
Hey.
Well, we have to say goodbye
to a local icon.
There's no amount of duct tape
can fix him.
- Yeah, yeah. Could you grab it?
- I'll grab it.
Richard, I wanted to wait
until Christmas to give you this
but it seems like the present is
the perfect time for your present!
Yeah!
- Come on!
- Look who saved the day.
It's gonna be big.
Yeah, I think it's a little smaller.
Yeah, yeah, definitely.
Time for gingerbread houses.
Who wants to join?
- Oh, you want to?
- Yeah, sure. You?
- Yeah. Girls ready?
- Yeah?
Come on.
Well, should I just
sprinkle some on top?
See? Ours is a major snowstorm.
Yeah, looks like Dada-inspired.
You're using way too much icing?
What?
I figured if icing holds it together
then a lot of icing would
really hold it together, right?
Did you do this type of stuff
with your mom?
We would make... gingerbread houses
out of graham crackers.
What about you?
No, no, no.
No gingerbread houses for us.
My dad was a musician.
He played guitar.
The holidays were
sort of his bread and butter.
That's when he played
all of his gigs.
My mom and I would go watch him.
We even went to
the fancy private Christmas parties.
Was your mom also a musician?
No, no. She...
she was a teacher.
Taught third grade.
She was always
the smartest person in the room
but she never acted like it.
Well, remind me to never hire
you guys to do any construction.
Look at that.
That's fundamentally flawed.
It's... it's not. No...
It is actually very strong.
Until a puff of wind comes along.
I love all of
these fun Christmas activities.
Okay, good,
because there's a lot more.
We've got
a Christmas pageant tomorrow night.
And on Christmas Eve,
you're gonna meet all the relatives.
We're gonna do snowmen,
make cookies, go caroling.
It's really a blast.
I just can't wait for you
to meet the whole family, though.
Me too.
From all the stories I've heard
and all the fun family photos
I've seen
they seem like a good bunch.
Hey, do you have
any old photos of your mom?
I have one photo of her holding me
when I was a baby
that's framed in my apartment
but my foster parents had
a flood in their basement
so all of my other photos
and everything that my mom left me
got ruined.
Oh, wow, that's a shame.
Yeah.
Did you guys drop yours,
or is it meant to be like that?
Yeah, we took creative liberty
and we feel like
it's probably the most edible.
- Yeah. Yeah, definitely.
- Okay. Cool.
You are painters with candy.
You have one new message.
Hi, Vanessa. This is Diana calling
from Family Branch DNA.com.
We've tried to reach you
a couple of times.
It seems there's been
a mix-up with your results.
There were two Vanessa Halls
in our system.
It was a rare glitch
and your test was switched with hers.
We're so sorry for the inconvenience.
Please give us a call
so we can sort this out.
We are currently assisting
other clients.
Please leave a message
and we will get back to you shortly.
Hey, girl, what's up?
I don't know what to do.
I'm kind of freaking out.
What happened?
Well, the Family Branch DNA company
left a voicemail
saying that they made a mistake
and they mixed my results up with
another Vanessa Hall.
Are you serious?
Yes. So, Richard isn't
my actual father.
This isn't my actual family.
I don't know how to tell them.
Okay, well, I would wait
until after Christmas.
I can't do that.
Somewhere out there, Richard has an
actual daughter named Vanessa Hall.
And you've tried to call them back?
I can't get through.
It makes sense. Richard mentioned
that he met my mother in Providence.
I don't ever remember her saying
she lived in Rhode Island.
Until you know for sure, there's
no point of you spoiling Christmas.
Look, I gotta go.
I'll talk to you later.
Good morning! I brought you coffee.
Oh, that is so sweet. Thank you!
Breakfast is ready.
I'll be down in two seconds.
Okay.
You really pulled this off.
Hey. Pauline got called in
to cover a shift at the hospital
and Aiden has decided to take over.
Here you go.
- Looks delicious.
- Thank you.
You good?
Yeah. I just didn't
sleep really well.
Yeah? Pillow issues?
Hey, Dad
there's this winter dance
at school tonight
and all my friends are gonna be there
and I was wondering if I could go.
But the pageant is tonight!
I could come and watch you sing
and then go to the dance afterwards.
I wouldn't miss your solo.
But this is Vanessa's first year.
Forget it, I won't go.
No. You should go to the dance.
It sounds like a lot of fun.
You're gonna be here
all of Christmas Eve
and spend all Christmas Day
with the family, right?
That's a very good point.
If there are no other objections,
then it's fine with me.
No objections.
Okay, I have to leave.
You'll be able to help
with my costume, right?
Yes, of course.
Don't stress. You're gonna be great.
- Okay, I'll see you all later.
- All right. Have a great day.
- Thank you! Bye.
- Good luck.
Thank you for that.
I didn't think he'd ever say yes.
Although now I have no idea
what I'm gonna wear for the dance.
Well, I haven't picked up
your Christmas gift yet.
Do you want to go shopping?
Yeah!
Cool.
This store has
some really cute stuff.
Totally.
So, do you have a boyfriend?
No. Do you?
No.
But you like someone?
Maybe.
His name's Eli,
but we're totally in the friend zone.
We've been best friends
since we were kids and, well
he'll be there tonight.
Starting as friends
is a good foundation.
It's kind of confusing.
How do I know if he likes me?
Well
tonight, when a slow song comes on,
you could ask him to dance
and while the music's playing
and you two lock eyes
see if you feel a spark.
You'll know.
You mean like how Kris looks at you?
I have no idea
what you're talking about.
It's pretty obvious.
I've known Kris my whole life,
and he likes you.
And I think you like him, too.
And I think that it is time
for you to try on this dress!
I like having a big sister.
Merry Christmas.
- Hi.
- Hi.
Can you believe these lights?
Every other one of them is burnt out.
I know your family is
coming here tomorrow
but I was hoping that we could talk.
Oh, yeah, yeah.
I wanted to chat with you, too.
Even though I am a grown man
I was very nervous
about telling my mother about you.
- What did she say?
- Well
she was understandably
surprised at first
but then I thought she was
more open-minded than I expected.
I mean, you kind of remind me of her.
You're both
very strong, resilient women.
I think you're gonna get along great.
Thank you. And I'm looking forward
- to meeting her, but there's...
- Hey, are these the lights
- you're looking for?
- Oh, yeah, yeah.
Yeah. That should work great.
Did you find something
for Caitlin to wear?
Yes. She has a great eye,
and the dress she chose is beautiful.
Hopefully not too beautiful.
I am not prepared
for young suitors to come knocking.
The fact that you still
call them young suitors
definitely says you're not ready.
Well, I'm gonna head inside.
Let me know if you need a hand.
- Done.
- Good?
- I love it. I love it.
- I love it, too.
Oh, wait, you've got
a little something.
Hey.
You mind if I get a little help?
Emilia's having a bit of a meltdown.
What's wrong?
Pauline said she was going
to help her get ready after work
and she's still not back yet.
Yeah, I'll be right down.
Okay, thank you. You look great.
Hey, thank you again for everything.
Of course. Just remember to have fun.
- Dad! I don't think
- Honey.
That's how you do it!
- Hey. Hi.
- Hi.
- I hear it's got some wings.
- Yeah.
I think they might just be...
going on like a backpack
One arm through there.
One arm through there
- Boom.
- Okay, good.
- Okay.
- Good, let's go.
Come on, we're gonna
meet your mother there.
One final little touch. And this one.
Okay, let's tie this around here.
You are gonna be great.
Just remember, try to take
some deep breaths
and know that everybody
in the audience, especially me
is cheering you on.
Voila!
Wow. That was fast!
- Okay.
- Come on.
- Let's go!
- One angel ready to go.
I'll see you there!
- Did Emilia sing yet?
- No... no. She's ready. It's okay.
Just in time.
Do not be afraid.
I bring you good news that will
cause great joy for all the people.
Today in the town of David,
a Savior has been born.
You will find a baby
wrapped in cloths lying in a manger.
Away in a manger
No crib for a bed
The little Lord Jesus
Lay down His sweet head
The stars in the bright sky
Looked down where He lay
The little Lord Jesus
Asleep on the hay
I mean, I think for me, she got her
comfort on stage, don't you think?
I helped her put her wings on.
You were seriously amazing today!
I mean, you're going to open
on Broadway one day, I know it.
Well, I thought about what you said,
and I wasn't as nervous.
Thank you!
You're welcome.
I'm going to the dance now.
Oh, yes! Okay. Have fun!
Have an amazing time.
- Let me know how it goes.
- Thank you.
Nice job.
Big sister coming through.
Thanks.
Are you free later?
- Did you want the green or...
- No, no.
I am literally the worst at this.
That's why I get gift cards.
I don't know, I think
there's something kind of endearing
about interestingly wrapped presents.
Do you?
Well, luckily,
this one's going to you.
Oh, these are for Aiden.
Oh, man, snowboard gear.
He needs this.
What, you got an air fryer?
Yep. Well, Pauline said
she loved her Easy Bake oven as a kid
so I figured an air fryer is
sort of a grown-up version of that.
That's really thoughtful.
You know, I can tell
how much this family means to you.
Yeah, they...
they really mean a lot.
They just...
so openly embraced me, and...
it's almost overwhelming.
Hey, trust me. They...
they're so glad you're here...
and if I'm being
really honest about it
I'm glad you're here, too.
I... I can't believe
it's almost Christmas Eve.
You're gonna meet
the whole family tomorrow.
Right... well...
I'd better... better
tuck these away and get some sleep.
Okay.
- Have a good night.
- Yeah, you too.
- Hey.
- Hey, what's up?
Whatcha doing?
I thought that I had
an old photo of Vanessa's mom.
I thought I'd surprise her
with it, but I can't find it.
Do you think it's weird if...
if I like Vanessa?
You are asking me to be
a young suitor to my daughter?
Yeah. I think I am.
Well, nothing would make me
happier than that. That's good!
- All right.
- How does she feel?
Oh, Mickey
what am I gonna do?
Excuse me. Pardon me.
Oh! Oh! She's awake!
Hey, everyone! Excuse me. Everyone!
This is my daughter, Vanessa.
This is my family... our family.
Let's do this properly.
This is your Uncle Dave.
- Hello.
- Hi.
This is my sister, your Aunt Sandra.
- It's nice to meet you.
- It's nice to meet you.
They have two kids,
Sherry and Mike, over there.
- Say hi, Sherry.
- Hi!
This is Sharon and Peggy,
they're my cousins
- your second cousins.
- Hi. Nice to meet you.
Oh, and this is your Uncle Terry.
- So great to meet you.
- And...
- Oh, nice to meet you.
- And this is your Aunt Judy.
- Welcome to the family.
- They have two kids
Alisha and Adam,
but they're not here today.
And then this is your Aunt Candy.
- Hi.
- Your Aunt Carol.
- Hello.
- And this is Judy Number Two
- and Uncle Ron.
- Judy. Ron.
- Nice to meet you.
- And then that's Paul and Kimmy
- my cousins.
- Hi.
And...
last but not least
this is my mother, Helene.
Let me see you, darling.
Aren't you just
the most beautiful young woman!
Oh, thank you.
Let's get you some breakfast, dear.
- Oh, look at that.
- Thank you.
Hot food is served in the kitchen
whenever you're ready.
Oh, thank you.
Oh, sweetheart, thanks.
That's so lovely.
Have you ever had lefse before?
No, I've never even heard of it.
Lefse is Norwegian bread
made from potatoes.
My lefse isn't as good as
my mother's was, but it's not bad.
It's really good.
Have you ever been to Norway, dear?
No, I haven't.
It's beautiful. Unique food, too.
If I had my way, I would serve us
ludafisk for Christmas dinner.
But Richie won't let me.
Why won't he let you serve it?
'Cause it makes the whole house
smell like a fish market.
You come to my house one day
and I will make you ludafisk.
God Jul, Helene. Hello!
Your Norwegian accent
is getting better.
God Jul, handsome.
God Jul. I've been practicing
just for you.
I thought so.
So nice to see you.
Hey, how was the dance?
So good!
I danced with Eli three times!
Wow. Nice!
Okay, guys. Time to make snowmen!
Dad, they're called snow-people now.
Called "snow-people".
All right, time to make
snow-persons! Let's go.
Everyone, it will just take
five minutes, don't worry.
What do you think?
Looks just like Richard, huh?
I would say there is no denying it.
You've got better dad jokes
than your own dad.
Snowball fight!
You get back here!
Oh, no.
You know you can have some fun, huh?
It's A Wonderful Life is my favorite.
It's my favorite, too.
This has been the best Christmas,
and I love your family.
Well, everybody loves you.
So, how did the two of you meet?
I was his nurse.
She had me in stitches
the first time I met her
literally, I had a gash
above my eye from a hockey game
and she stitched me up.
I thought he played hockey
and got hit with a puck.
Turns out that Kris's dad
accidentally elbowed him
while they were watching
a hockey game.
Well, do Kris's dad is the reason
that the two of you met?
- Yeah.
- That's so sweet.
Well, every good romance
has a good story.
Oh, yes. So true.
I just wanted to say thank you
for being so gracious
and open to having me here.
When you have
what Richard and I have, it's easy.
Besides, what's his is mine,
and that includes you.
I am going to take these cookies in.
Here.
- Thank you.
- Still warm.
Richard, I wanted to talk
to you about something.
How did you meet my mom?
I know you said
you were in Providence?
Yeah.
I remember it was a windy day, and
my hat blew off and she picked it up.
And then she made fun
of my army buzz cut.
And thanks to that gust of wind,
you're here today.
And because we both did
those DNA tests by chance.
No, nothing's by chance.
You're meant to be here.
Actually...
Emilia spilled her hot chocolate.
Okay, who needs one?
Oh, you need one right here? Okay.
Remember, you're the best singer.
Very impressive.
- Kris.
- I know all the lyrics.
You know them all!
Okay, come on, here we go. Oh, hey!
You been caroling before?
Not in a really long time.
Are you an alto or a soprano?
What's the really high one?
Soprano.
Then I am definitely an alto.
Listen, there's something
I need to tell you.
Yeah? What is it
that you need to tell me?
That...
I'm a really bad singer.
You're a...
You know what,
there are no bad singers
there's only bad voices,
and you know what, it doesn't matter
because we're just here to have fun.
Great.
Angels we have heard on high
Sweetly singing through the night
And the mountains in reply
- Echoing their brave delight
- Lucky we have these cheat sheets.
I sing these lyrics every single year
and I always forget them.
Gloria
In excelsis Deo
Do you think that it's better
not to have a good thing if...
you're gonna lose the good thing,
because once you have the good thing
you realize how good
the thing actually is?
Whoa. I think
I actually followed you there.
I think what you're saying is
you're worried that you'll never
have a Christmas this good again?
I mean, how can it be?
You know, I felt the same way
but this family has made me realize
that there's other ways of
celebrating, of finding happiness.
You know, I know
it's just been a few days, but
you being here has just given me
a whole new perspective on
what it means to be a family.
I know how you feel.
Do you... do you want to go
on a real date after Christmas?
I don't know, maybe even
spend New Year's together?
- I mean, I want to say, but...
- Say yes. Say yes. Say yes.
Okay? Just don't even think about it.
Yes.
Yes, I... I would love that.
Okay.
I'm sorry, that was
very lawyer of me.
Just before we sing this next one
I just want to say...
my family
was blessed with a very special gift
this year. I found my daughter
after so many years
and just to have her be such a...
such a wonderful person.
She's the missing part of our family
that we didn't even
realize was missing
and as I stand in front
of this beautiful Christmas tree
I can't help but think
that the most important tree in
all of our lives is our family tree.
So thank you, Vanessa.
And everyone else, Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas!
O Christmas Tree
O Christmas Tree
How lovely are thy branches
O Christmas Tree
How lovely are thy branches
Your boughs so green in summertime
Stay bravely green in wintertime
Angels we have heard on high
Okay, okay, guys.
Don't get too comfortable!
We have to take our family photo.
- All right.
- It's our first year with Vanessa!
It's cold.
Hey.
Could you touch up my hair
for the picture?
Of course, Emilia.
I'm sorry for being rude to you
when you first got here.
I think I was jealous of you.
It's okay.
I think, in a lot of ways,
I'm actually jealous of you.
You have a lot
to be grateful for here.
What do you think?
I love it.
I think it's super-cute.
Come on, you two. Everybody's ready,
even Mickey is ready.
No, I don't think
I can do this, Pauline.
Don't be silly. You look gorgeous.
Oh, here we go. Here we go.
Okay, everyone's here.
Vanessa, there beside Mom.
Beside Grandma.
Don't be shy, darling.
Okay, good. Okay, it's on
a ten-second timer. Everyone ready?
And go!
And Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas!
Okay, hold on. Hold on.
Don't move, don't move.
We're gonna do one...
Do... everybody do silly faces
except Kris, obviously.
Pretend to be yourself.
Really good. That's really good.
I can see that.
Now we're going to do
silly faces, all right? Silly.
Wait, wait. I... I can't be
in this photo. I'm...
I'm sorry, I need
to tell you all something.
I'm not Richard's daughter.
What are you talking about?
Of course you are.
No, actually, I'm... I'm not.
Maybe this is a great time
for some hot cocoa.
Anyone care to join me? Okay.
Look
the DNA testing company called
and they said
they mixed up my test results.
Richard, you do have
a daughter named Vanessa Hall
but she's not me.
Wait, this...
this doesn't sound right.
It's true.
Are you sure about this?
Yes. I mean
that explains why I didn't know
about my mom living in Providence
because the woman that you knew
she wasn't my mom.
You have an amazing family
and whoever
the other Vanessa is, she's...
the luckiest girl in the world.
I'm... I'm really sorry.
Vanessa, wait.
Vanessa, wait.
Why didn't you say something?
I wanted to say something to them...
to you. I just...
I couldn't get the words out.
I was...
I was so happy here.
I didn't want it to believe it.
You don't have to go.
They've accepted you in their family.
No. They've accepted you
as their family.
I don't belong here.
Let me guess,
you're the real daughter?
No. I'm...
I'm the not-real daughter's friend.
I'm gonna miss you guys.
Thank you all so much
for your hospitality.
Vanessa, wait
No, I... I should go.
But I... I hope you have
a merry Christmas.
So she's not my sister now?
Hey, I know it's been
a really strange day
but the fact of the matter is that
I do have a daughter
named Vanessa out there.
It's just not the one
that we thought it was.
So, if you could all keep
an open mind, that'd be great.
But, Dad, I don't want
a different Vanessa.
I don't even care that
she's not my sister.
Can't we still hang out with her?
It's Christmas and she has no family.
She's welcome here,
but that would be for her to decide.
You know what
I think it's time for dinner.
A little food always
makes us feel better.
Come help me.
I can't believe this.
You know it's not her fault.
She wanted us to be
a part of her family
as much as we wanted her
to be a part of our family.
What should I do, Richard?
This doesn't change
anything between you.
I mean, we all saw
the connection you guys had.
She had a connection with everybody.
She bought the whole family gifts.
She bought me a gift.
Open it.
Open it.
What? What is it? What?
Frankenstein and myrrh.
See that? She's making you laugh
and she's not even here.
That's saying something.
I think it's saying that
I... I care about her.
Well, what are you doing here?
Go tell her.
I don't think she feels
the same way about me.
What are you talking about?
Of course, she does.
I mean, she was put
in an awkward situation here.
That's not the real her.
Go!
And tell her that even though
she's not related to us
she's always welcome here.
Thanks, Richard.
Okay, there you go.
What are you gonna do now?
I guess I'm... back to
binge-watching Christmas films.
You sure you don't want to come over?
My parents are here
and they would love to see you.
Thank you, but I think
I'm just going to decompress.
That's understandable.
The funny thing is,
you know, I actually...
I started seeing parts of myself
in Richard and the kids.
Goes to show you see
what you want to see, right?
What about Kristopher?
Maybe he's the silver lining
in all of this.
I think that that ship has sailed.
- I love you.
- I love you.
Okay.
Hey, hey, hey, everyone.
Come here. Come here. Come here!
Vanessa said that
her mother's name was Patty
but her real name was Patricia.
Patricia Hall.
And... and look...
She looks just like Vanessa.
Our Vanessa.
She is my daughter.
I knew it!
What are we gonna do?
Well, who wants to go
to the Big Apple?
- Yes.
- I do.
Silent night, holy night
All is calm
All is bright
Round yon virgin mother and child
Holy infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace
What are you guys doing here?
Excuse me.
I think...
that she has your eyes.
That's my mom.
Merry Christmas.
Oh, yes!
Get in here!
Come in, come in, come in!
Laughing all the way
Come in. Welcome.
Thank you.
Where's Kris?
I thought he might
have been here already.
Do you think he's okay?
Yeah. I'm sure he's fine.
Hey.
I got you a little something.
Come in, come in! Here... yeah.
Here. Let's put it by the fireplace.
- Okay.
- You got it?
Hey, guys. You beat me here.
Merry Christmas.
Okay.
Kris, I know I should have
said something sooner.
No, no. I understand why
you didn't say anything right away.
It's just...
I was falling in love
with the family.
You're not the only one
that was falling in love.
You know you can't
get rid of me that easily.
We've tried for years. It's true.
Wait. When you said that
I wasn't the only one falling in love
you didn't happen to be referring
to yourself, were you?
Oh, no. No, I was...
I was referring to
another Vanessa Hall.
That's...
that's too bad.
- Oh, my gosh.
- What's this now?
A coupon for a special day in
New York City with Kris and Vanessa
that includes a trip to the salon
tickets to a Broadway show
and a sleepover!
Yes. I can't wait.
Me either!
- Oh, for me?
- Yeah.
My family.
I'll get the papers
over to you right away.
Merry almost-Christmas, Shelby.
Same to you, Vanessa.
You're here early.
Yeah, you know, I just had a few
things I wanted to take care of.
I wonder who it's from?
But this little girl can't wait
till the first of the year.
I've seen you work your magic
around red tape before.
Come on, let's get her
this family by Christmas.
You're the best.
Thank you so much, Susan.
Yeah, have a great holiday.
Hi, Vanessa.
Hello!
And what do I owe the pleasure
of seeing you all this morning?
We do have a bit of a problem.
Oh, is... is everything okay?
Everything is beyond perfect.
The problem is you've done
so much for us and the kids
that we will never
be able to repay you.
Seeing your smiling faces is
the only payment that I need.
You went above and beyond
your job for us
and the kids wanted to share
how grateful we all are.
Is this for me?
Thank you!
There's more. Are you ready, kids?
We wish you a merry Christmas
And a happy New year
That was so wonderful
and the best Christmas present ever!
If you don't have any plans, we'd
love to have you over for Christmas.
That... that is so sweet,
thank you, but
you guys should celebrate Christmas
together as your new family.
One, two, three! Big smiles!
Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas.
Hey, buddy! How are you?
Did you miss me, huh?
Did you miss me?
Want to get some food?
Okay, you can have one present.
What about... Do you want this one?
Do you want this one? Yeah? Yeah.
Oh, what's that? What's that?
DeeDee!
- Thank you!
- Girl, it is 8.30pm
and I know you don't
have to work tomorrow.
Pajamas already?
Well, Dee, as you can clearly see
these are not PJs,
these are workout clothes.
Let me guess, you are about to binge
Christmas movies with Mickey?
- At's wrong with that?
- Nothing
if Mickey had opposable thumbs
and walked on two legs.
Oh, no offense, Mickey. Yeah.
You have to get back out there.
As in dating?
Who has time for that these days?
If you have time to binge
30 Christmas movies with Mickey
you have time for a boyfriend.
It'll happen when it's supposed to.
Wine?
So was there a reason
that you stopped by
or did you just want
to give me a hard time?
Because there is room on my couch
with your name on it.
Right! First
did you get your results back yet?
Results for...
From the Family Branch DNA tests
that we did.
Check your email. I got mine today.
Anything juicy?
It turns out that I'm a little
less South Asian than I thought
but I am 4% Brazilian.
I mean, that explains a lot.
So
Go get your computer!
Ancestry breakdown
British and Irish, 27%. Spanish, 16%.
5.5% French.
And 1.5% West African.
That's kinda cool.
That is very cool.
"View Family History."
It says I have a paternal match.
As in a biological father?
Oh, my word! Okay, well
Okay, well, this is
what you were hoping for, right?
Yeah, but...
Click on it!
I can't do it. I can't do it.
You do it.
- Yeah? Okay. Okay, okay. Okay.
- Yeah. Yeah.
Richard Hendricks. 54 years old.
Barrington, Connecticut, USA.
Barrington?
That's, like, an hour away.
But that's a good thing, right?
I didn't think I'd actually find him.
Okay, let's see.
Wait, what are you doing?
Checking to see
if he has social media.
Found him.
He has a family.
Which means you now have a family.
Hey, you okay?
30 seconds ago, I didn't have
a father or... or siblings.
You remember what you told me?
It's gonna happen
when it's supposed to happen.
I was talking about a boyfriend,
not a... not a family.
It still applies.
I think you should message him.
No way. I...
I'm sure
he did this DNA test thinking
he'd find, like, a third cousin
in Sweden, or something.
No, you don't know that.
What if he's looking for you, too?
I highly doubt that.
Okay, well, I think that
you should send him a message
before you have
a chance to overthink it.
Okay.
Okay. What do I say?
Okay... Well...
I don't think that
you should beat around the bush.
I think you should say,
"Hi, I'm your daughter."
What if he doesn't respond?
If he doesn't respond,
that's on him... not you.
- You're right. You're right.
- Yeah. Okay.
Dear Mr. Hendricks, Happy Holidays.
My name is Vanessa Hall.
And I live in New York City.
I recently took a DNA test
and discovered a paternal match.
I know this may come as a surprise,
but it looks like you are my father.
Did the kids take off
for school okay?
Yes.
So did you get
your Santa all fixed out there?
Yeah.
He's mostly duct tape now.
Maybe it's time
to retire him this year?
I can't do that.
He's practically part of the family.
Speaking of family
I actually don't know
how to say this.
I just know that I love you,
and that this...
this doesn't change
anything between us.
Okay, now you're scaring me.
Okay. Do you remember
that DNA test that we took last year?
Yeah.
Just...
Your daughter?
Wow.
Is this for real?
Yeah. Well, it must be.
It's on my account, too.
It says I'm a paternal match.
I mean, obviously,
this was, like, 31 years ago.
It was long before I met you.
Trust me, I've already
done that math.
Where were you 32 years ago?
It was before my second tour of duty.
So, I remember I was seeing
a woman named Trish.
And...
and then, after being over there
two years in the Middle East, I...
I couldn't find her when I got back.
So what are we gonna do?
We?
Yes, we.
Richard, this concerns all of us.
Yeah. Yeah, you're right.
I think you should call her.
Hello, this is Vanessa.
Hi, Vanessa.
This is Richard Hendricks. Well...
I guess I'm your father.
I mean, biological. I... I assume
you don't have someone else
that you call father.
Yes.
No, I... I don't have any
other fathers, as far as I know.
I mean, I... I definitely
don't have any other fathers.
Well, thank you for calling.
How are you?
I'm good. Great, yeah. How are you?
Yeah, great, thanks.
So, where have you been all my life?
That was a... that was a joke.
I make bad jokes
when I don't know what to say.
That's okay. Me too. I...
That's even more evidence
that I'm your father.
That sounds like
some solid evidence there.
Yep.
If you had to make a list
of the most awkward conversations
you could have in life
I... I think our situation
is right up there.
It's probably a conversation that
we shouldn't have over the phone.
I mean, if you're comfortable,
would you...
would you be open
to a meeting maybe in person?
I mean, I'm... I'm coming in
to the city on Thursday, I think.
I have to pick something up, and
if you're free afterwards,
maybe we could meet up?
Thursday? Yeah, that...
that sounds great.
I have a... a little park by my house
that's doing some holiday stuff.
If you want to meet there, we could
meet by the big Christmas tree?
Great. That sounds great.
Say 2.00pm?
Wonderful.
I can text you the address.
Okay, good. Vanessa,
looking forward to meeting you.
Okay. Thank you. Bye-bye.
Thank you. Bye.
Good King Wenceslas looked out
On the Feast of Stephen
When the snow lay round about
Deep and crisp and even
Brightly shone the moon that night
Though the frost was cruel
When a poor man came in sight
- Hi.
- Hi.
Hi. You must be...
- Vanessa.
- Yeah, I...
- Yeah. Oh yeah, nice to meet you.
- Richard, nice... nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you.
I've gotta... gotta say,
I'm... I'm impressed
that you know all the lyrics
to Good King Wenceslas.
My family are... they're big carolers
so it's engrained in the ole noggin.
Can I interest you in a hot cocoa?
Yeah. I... I would love that.
Does your mother know that you...
She actually... She...
she died a while ago.
I didn't realize that.
I remember Trish being
very sweet and funny.
Trish? Oh! You... you mean Patty.
Yeah, from what I can remember,
had a really good sense of humor.
She could make even
the Scroogiest Scrooge crack a smile.
How old were you when she passed?
I was nine when she died.
And the only other family I had
was my grandmother
but she was
in an assisted living facility
so this wonderful older couple
fostered me until I left for college.
Did your mother ever mention me?
From what I remember asking,
she always would say
"Your father was a really good man."
I'd like to think that...
she would have told me more about you
when I got a little bit older
but her death was pretty sudden.
I'm so sorry. I had no idea, so...
It's okay. There's no need
to apologize. It...
My past made me who I am today
and now I work at a non-profit
placing kids in foster families.
That sounds very rewarding.
So, do you have any plans
for Christmas?
Just a... a dinner with some friends,
but that's about it.
I was wondering, if you don't mind...
if I could ask you about what
happened between you and my mom.
Oh. Well...
I was in the Army then
and I met your mother shortly before
I shipped out to the Middle East.
It was a... bit of a whirlwind.
I mean, we really liked each other.
But then I shipped out...
and...
I was over there for a long time.
Did she ever write you to tell you
she was having a baby?
If she did, I never got it.
Did you try looking for her
when you got back?
I did, but it was two years later.
And that was before
cell phones and social media
so it was easier
to lose track of people.
But... I looked.
And then I ended up meeting Pauline
my current wife and here we are.
So... so you have a family.
What are... what are they like?
You know what?
Why don't you find out for yourself?
How about you come and spend
the Christmas holidays with us?
Oh! No, you don't...
you don't have to do that.
No, I... I think
it's the perfect time to meet up
when the whole extended family
is going to be there.
If you came up on the Saturday
you could spend a few days
getting to know the kids, and then...
the whole family will
arrive Christmas Eve.
I... I don't have a car
and I can't leave my dog alone.
That's okay. We have
a friend, Kristopher
a family friend, he's driving up.
You can catch a ride with him.
And just bring the dog.
Are you... are you really sure?
Yes, I'm sure.
I think I would like the opportunity
to get to know you more
when my toes aren't so numb.
Yeah. Yeah. Let's... let's do it.
Okay.
Okay. I'll contact Kristopher
and I'll get the details,
and I'll send them to you.
Great.
I will see you Saturday.
Saturday. Yes.
Bye.
I think I have committed
to spending too much time there.
Richard is nice, but what if the rest
of the family isn't as accepting?
You will be fine.
You just have
to get out of your own head
and be yourself.
That's him.
- Okay. Yeah.
- Okay? Don't worry.
Okay. Let's go.
Hi.
Do one of you ladies
happen to be Vanessa?
That's me.
Nice to meet you. I'm Kristopher.
- You can call me Kris.
- Hi.
This is my best friend, DeeDee.
Hey, DeeDee. Nice to meet you.
And this is Mickey.
Hey, Mickey.
I can grab that for you.
Oh, thank you!
Wow, what do you have in here, gold?
Yeah. Along with
some frankincense and myrrh.
Is he a relative of yours?
I don't think so.
Good! Because he is cute.
You know, I used to ask my mom
why the Wise Men used to bring
Frankenstein to the baby Jesus.
It just seemed like an odd gift.
Frankenstein would have made
the nativity a lot more interesting.
Right? Yeah.
DeeDee, are you coming with us?
No. I'm staying here.
My parents are visiting.
Okay, cool. Well, happy holidays
and I guess
we can... we can take off.
Call me later.
- Merry Christmas.
- Merry Christmas.
Okay, come on, Mickey.
Come on.
You know, I feel like I've met
all of Richard and Pauline's friends.
Why haven't I ever heard of you?
Richard didn't tell you?
No, no, he didn't. He just said
that we'd have something
to talk about on the car ride.
Oh, yeah. Yeah, we will.
Okay.
I can't believe it. So Richard's had
a daughter living in New York City
for 31 years he's never known about?
This is crazy.
Imagine how I feel.
- How do you feel?
- I don't even know.
I mean, the whole thing
is so surreal.
I literally just found out
that I have a father and...
and now, here I am.
I wonder what Pauline
and the kids think about this.
I have no idea. I mean,
I've never even met them.
It could make for
a very interesting Christmas.
Don't make me any more nervous
than I already am.
No. No, no. Look, they're good kids.
And they get a cool older sister
for Christmas.
I'm sure they're gonna be
just fine with it.
I hope so.
And this is why
I come here all the time.
- It's great, right?
- Really cute, yeah.
- Yeah.
- Good thing you found this spot.
All right,
two peppermint eggnogs. Enjoy.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Wow.
Wow.
It's like...
it's like Christmas in a cup.
That's exactly
what Richard would order.
I guess you really are his daughter.
So, how do you know Richard?
Richard and my dad, they were...
they were in the army together.
Basic training, two tours.
Richard says that
my dad saved his life, but I...
I don't think it was
in the literal sense.
Sounds like
they went through a lot together.
What are you doing?
I'm just trying to see if
there's a resemblance to Richard.
- Do you see one?
- Not really.
You're much prettier than him.
Don't tell him I said that, okay?
So, what do you do for work?
I'm a corporate attorney.
And do you enjoy what you do?
It pays the bills.
You know, we should
probably hit the road.
- Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah.
- Okay?
Wow, this is the house?
Yeah, we're here.
Hey, I don't know
if you need to hear this
but Richard is one of
the best people I know.
If he even knew for a second he had
a daughter out there somewhere
he would have done everything
in his power to find you.
Okay, this family...
your life is going to change
for the better knowing them.
Mine has.
Thank you.
That's actually really
comforting to hear.
Okay.
- Hey, welcome.
- Hello.
Hi.
I hope Kris here
didn't talk your ear off.
You know how those lawyers can be.
I had my headphones ready,
just in case.
Smart girl.
Well, everyone's ready to meet you.
Ready?
Come on.
Here, Emilia, put your coat on.
- Guys! Hey, guys!
- Kris!
Good to see you all. Hello.
- Hello, man.
- Hi.
Hey, everyone. Hi.
This is Vanessa,
my daughter, your sister.
Hi, everyone.
I'm... I'm Pauline.
- Oh.
- Hi.
You're so beautiful.
Thank you. You are, too.
I'm so excited to meet you.
That's my wife, and she's a hugger.
And then from oldest to youngest,
there's Caitlin.
And this is Aiden and Emilia.
Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you, too, Aiden.
And this would be Mickey,
who would be your nephew.
Hey. Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you, too.
I've always loved the name Caitlin.
Cool.
How can you be our sister?
You're a grown-up.
Before I met your mom,
I met Vanessa's mom
and then Vanessa was born.
Then why are we just meeting her now?
Well, we didn't know before...
until a few days ago...
because of a DNA test.
I don't get it.
- Me neither.
- Yeah. Great explanation, Dad.
Guys, I've been at depositions with
warmer receptions than this, okay?
Vanessa is amazing. She's awesome.
I've already vetted her.
She's super nice and very funny.
Just not as funny as me.
But, Dad, why did Kris
take her to the vet?
To the vet? No.
I'm sorry.
Let's get you settled.
And I hope you don't mind
sleeping on the couch
'cause this one's
getting the guest room.
Oh, man. I take back
everything nice I said about her.
Your home is beautiful!
Thank you.
It even smells
like Christmas in here.
I know the decorations are
a little much
but that's mostly Richard's doing.
This is absolutely gorgeous.
Thank you.
So that's where
the Christmas tree will go.
We'll be chopping that down tomorrow.
We usually wait for Kris to get here.
And maybe you can join us.
Yeah, I would love that.
Let me guess, she told you
that she had nothing to do
with the Christmas decorations?
Did you?
Don't believe this one.
You know, one year, we had
a lights contest in our neighborhood
and she went and she bought up
every Christmas light
in a 50-mile radius.
I'm a little competitive.
That's why I'm glad that
she's always on my side for life.
Hey, I'm sorry about Emilia.
She just takes a little while
to warm, but
once you've won her over,
she'll be your best friend.
Proof.
All right... all right, you guys are
gonna wear me out for Christmas.
Aiden, why don't you
show Mickey around the house?
Awesome. I love dogs.
Just be careful.
He can be a little tricky.
Okay, there you go.
Emilia, do you want
to go play with Mickey?
I have to go practice my song.
Yes, Emilia's singing a solo,
Away in a Manger
in the church's Christmas pageant.
A solo? Wow, that is very impressive.
It's no big deal.
Sorry. Normally, she's very sweet.
I get it. This is a lot for a kid.
What were you like as a kid?
I was pretty shy.
Definitely not the kid to take
a solo in a Christmas pageant.
What about you, Kris?
Oh, Kris was great, but he had
a lot of energy, he would never stop.
But he had a good heart.
And he was obsessed with baseball.
Still am.
Yeah, Richard took me to my first
Yankees game when I was six.
I'm a fan for life.
Except my dad didn't like it
very much. He was a Mets fan.
I think I've got to side
with your dad on this one.
- No.
- Mets and Jets all the way.
You've got to root for the underdog.
- Mets and Jets!
- I knew it.
I knew I liked this girl.
Why don't you help me in the kitchen?
Okay. Yeah, sure.
Hey, can I show you to your room?
That would be lovely.
You have a beautiful family.
Thank you.
Yeah, we do a big family photo
in front of the Christmas tree
every year.
Well, you'll be in it,
I mean, if you want to be.
- That would be nice.
- Okay.
I'm really happy that you're here.
I think the timing's no coincidence,
the holidays are all about family.
I think we have
a lot of catching up to do.
Yeah. Yeah, we do.
Okay, here's your room.
Oh, great.
Make yourself comfortable.
Okay, thanks.
Dee, you don't understand
how amazing everything is here.
Like, too good to be true.
Really? I mean, how so?
Richard and his wife Pauline
are so lovely.
And, well, the kids are
understandably shocked
but they seem really sweet.
What about that guy that drove
you there? I mean, what's his deal?
Kristopher?
Yeah, he seems nice.
And cute.
You sure he's not
your cousin, or anything?
Yeah. No, he's definitely
not... not in the family.
Look, I gotta go. I love you.
Come in.
- Hey, how are you?
- Yeah, good.
Good, good. I'm supposed
to tell you that dinner's ready.
Oh, okay. Thanks.
How are you feeling with everything?
You were right about the family.
They're wonderful.
And I really appreciate you helping
me break the ice with the kids.
Although, I'm not sure
it's fully broken yet.
You'll get there.
Hope so.
- Okay, see you soon.
- Okay.
"You'll get there." Okay.
Emilia, can I just tell you
how much I love your hair?
Oh, that's not her real hair,
didn't you know?
She's wearing a wig. See?
I am not!
Hey. Hey. Hey, you.
Here we go.
- Wow. That's interesting.
- Yeah.
This is... it's pinnekjott.
It's... it's basically
smoked lamb ribs.
Really popular Norwegian meal
during the holidays.
So, how often do you guys all
get together for dinner like this?
We try to as much as possible
with the kids' schedules.
You know, when I was a kid,
we would have dinner
for two hours every night
because my... my mother
was from Norway.
Would ask us
very detailed questions about our day
and we thought that
she was being strict
and then we realized she was
just trying to practice her English.
Caitlin, no phones at the table.
You know that.
Vanessa, who do you eat dinner with?
Sometimes friends,
but it's usually just me and Mickey.
So that's why this is such a treat.
Where do you eat dinner, Kris?
Where do I eat dinner?
At my desk, usually takeout.
Or I'll stop at Julia's
on the way home.
Is Julia your girlfriend?
No... no. It's Julia's Kitchen
in Chelsea. Do you know that spot?
Yeah. Yeah, I know the place.
It's one of my favorite places.
Well, aside from
Pauline's Kitchen, of course.
Oh, good save.
Yeah, that's a good one.
- Okay, let's... Can we say grace?
- Yeah.
We would like to thank you
for this beautiful meal
and for bringing us
a very special gift this year...
Vanessa.
And for bringing people into her life
that have taken such good care of her
and for guiding her to us this year
so that we can have
a very special Christmas.
So, in your name, Amen.
- Amen.
- Amen.
Five, four, three, two, one!
The lights look really nice.
- Oh, do you think so?
- Yeah.
I don't know. I think
we've got to turn up the wattage.
You know, dim the rest
of the neighborhood.
- Good idea.
- Yeah.
- Take out the competition.
- Yes.
- Is that...
- No.
- Oh, no.
- Oh, man.
- Emilia, duct... get the duct tape!
- Yeah. Duct tape!
Duct tape!
Hi. Looks like you and Mickey
are really bonded.
Yeah, we get along really good.
So, what grade are you in, Aiden?
Sixth grade. But I'm already
on the 8th grade hockey team.
Wow! You must be really good.
Yeah.
- Can I tell you a secret?
- Sure.
I've never actually been ice skating.
Really?
It's not that hard.
It requires some coordination,
which I don't have very much of.
Can I tell you another secret?
Okay.
I've always wanted a brother.
I've always wanted a brother, too
'cause I already have two sisters
and they can be annoying.
Right.
It's not too bad, right?
It's... it's pretty magical.
So, Dad, where did you meet
Vanessa's mom?
Providence.
I didn't know
she lived in Rhode Island?
- That's where you guys met?
- Yeah.
She had an apartment downtown,
by the old Majestic Theatre.
She must have moved back to New York
before you came home.
That's probably why
you couldn't find her.
Well, that's true.
I only looked in Providence.
Wait.
How can we be sisters
if we have different moms?
She's our half sister.
I actually don't like
the term half-sister.
I think family is family,
and you're sisters, and that's it.
Oh, man.
That was the perfect
but chilly ending
- to a beautiful night.
- Yeah, that was fun.
- Could you read me a story?
- Yes.
Everything okay?
Yeah, yeah.
I'm just... I'm a bit tired.
I think I'm going to turn in.
Okay.
Have a good sleep.
Yeah, you too. Good night.
Good night.
Our office is currently closed.
Please call us back
during regular business hours.
Happy Holidays!
Come in!
Hey! Morning.
- Good morning!
- Hi.
Pauline mentioned that you might want
to come get
our Christmas tree with us.
Oh, yeah! I... I would love to.
Yeah? Okay. Great.
Good.
Okay. Wear something warm.
- Warm? Got it.
- Yeah.
Okay.
I can't believe that
the girls are missing this.
Yeah. Pauline took
Emilia to rehearsal
and Caitlin's doing her own thing
but they'll join us to decorate.
Okay, so what kind of tree
are we looking for?
A Christmas tree.
I mean, like a tall one,
or a fuller one, or a skinny one?
I think we'll know it when we see it.
Okay, let's split up. Aiden and I
are gonna go off together.
- All right. Okay.
- Holler if you see something.
Whoa, Dad, can we get that tree?
So, I've gotta ask...
I know you're close to this family
but I'm sure there's a million other
things you could be doing right now.
Why do you choose
to spend your holiday break here?
Sometimes, it's just nice
to get out of the city, you know?
I'm sensing there is
more to it than that.
My...
My parents passed away.
It was a car accident.
They were traveling to Michigan
to come visit me at law school.
I was 22.
The next couple of years,
I just couldn't face the holidays.
Richard finally talked me into coming
to visit with the family, and...
I've been coming back
every year since.
Thank you for sharing that, Kris.
And I'm sorry to hear
about your parents.
Thank you.
I appreciate that.
What do you think?
I think it's perfect.
Hey!
- Make way.
- Here we go! Here we go, guys!
Oh, it smells so good.
- All right, yeah. 'Kay...
- Well
there's more decorations
in the garage
in case these aren't enough.
Where's Emilia?
Is she still at rehearsal?
She's in the dining room
stringing together a popcorn garland.
Something happened
at rehearsal today
but she doesn't want to tell me.
Do you mind if I go and talk to her?
Please. Be my guest.
Away in a manger
No crib for a bed
That sounds wonderful.
You know, I've never made
popcorn garland before.
Do you... Do you think
you could show me how you do it?
Is there... is there any string left?
It's easy. You just string it
through the center of the popcorn.
And if you want, you can add these.
Whoa, cranberries. That is...
that is taking it
to a whole new level.
So, how did rehearsal go today?
I don't wanna do this solo anymore.
Well, how come?
You have a beautiful voice.
I can sing at home just fine
but when I'm at rehearsal,
in front of people
my throat gets dry
and I sound horrible.
Well, you know
a lot of very famous singers
have stage fright.
Adele. Katy Perry. Rihanna.
They do?
Of course!
And I am no singer
but back in college,
when I had to give a presentation
I would get so nervous,
I could feel my voice shaking.
But then I learned
how to work through it.
- How?
- Well
I'd take some deep breaths...
and think about how nobody
in the class wanted me to fail.
We were all in the same boat.
Same goes for the audience
listening to you sing.
Just try and focus
on how singing makes you feel
then let it flow from your heart
the same way you do
when you sing at home.
And sometimes, being nervous,
it just means you really care.
That makes sense.
How about we go
decorate the tree now?
- Dad!
- Yeah?
Vanessa and I made this.
Can you hang it on the tree?
Of course!
Fantastic.
There you go.
Very nice.
Vanessa, how did you
and your mother celebrate Christmas?
Well, it was always
just the two of us
so she tried to make
Christmas extra special.
We would go into the city,
to Rockefeller Plaza
and see the big Christmas tree
and then we'd always
go for a nice dinner after.
That sounds really nice.
We found it!
- Yes.
- My favorite one.
You guys need another house to store
all your Christmas decorations.
No way.
- Remember that?
- Yeah, I remember when I made this.
- Yeah.
- It was forever ago.
Emilia's first Christmas.
Look at the cheeks!
- You were so cute!
- I still am.
Yes, you are.
What does this say?
That... This... I made this with
my grandfather when I was a boy.
That's Norwegian
for "Merry Christmas".
"Julekurvers"?
Julekurver. Yeah, that's right.
That's another Norwegian tradition.
You hang them on the tree
and then you add candy and nuts.
Yeah, all these years,
and I still don't have one myself.
Right, guys?
- Yes, sir.
- What happened there?
Maybe I'll just take yours this year.
Is that... Is that okay?
I'm taking away my elf?
Oh, the star!
- You want to put it on?
- Yes.
All right.
- Careful.
- There we go.
Perfect.
- Is it on?
- Yeah!
It's so good.
- Hey.
- Hey.
So what do you think?
I think I'm starting to understand
why you come back here every year.
It kind of feels like a gift.
Wait... I didn't get
presents for anyone.
It's okay. Just get gift cards
like I usually do.
I can't get them gift cards.
I need to get them presents,
like proper presents.
Well, I'd be happy to take you out
tomorrow if you want?
Not, like, out on a date,
you know, just out, shopping.
- Shopping, yeah. Yeah, I got that.
- Yeah.
That would be great.
Shopping, pretty clear.
- I'm gonna go to bed.
- Yeah, let's go to bed.
This way. Good night!
Yeah, you... Good night.
So, you and Kris
are headed into town?
Yeah. He offered to take me shopping.
Kris hates shopping.
I told him I needed
to pick up a few gifts.
Speaking of which, what was
your favorite Christmas gift ever?
My snowboard, for sure.
And you, Miss Emilia?
Probably the karaoke machine.
What happened to that thing anyway?
- You wore it out.
- Emilia was on that thing 24/7.
And what about you, Caitlin?
My Polaroid camera. I still use it.
That's cool.
And I loved my Easy-Bake Oven.
That is such a mom answer.
What about you, Vanessa?
A red peacoat.
One day, my mom and I saw it
in a window of a department store.
And I kept begging her
to get it for me
and she kept playing it off like she
had no idea what I was talking about.
But then, that Christmas
I got the coat.
That also turned out to be
our last Christmas together.
So, I eventually grew out of it.
I was...
I was sad.
Well, you may have outgrown the coat,
but you have that memory forever.
You should be doing most of the work.
You didn't get
your workout in today, did you?
Man, you've been handling
this Vanessa situation really well.
She's making it easy.
But...
What?
Nothing.
What is it?
Don't... don't say that
I said this...
- to her. All right?
- All right.
But Vanessa didn't know that
her mother lived in Providence
and that's the only place I knew her.
The woman I knew,
everybody called her Trish
so why does her daughter
only know her as Patty?
People move, right?
People change nicknames.
She said she doesn't know her mom.
Her mom passed away
when she was young
so she might not have known her.
Yeah, you're right.
You're right.
Also, I've seen the DNA test
and we're definitely a match.
Come on.
Okay. All right, all right.
So, what? You don't think
I should get gift cards for everyone?
I don't have a problem
with gift cards.
They just should have
a personal touch.
Take Emilia, for instance,
what is she into?
Oh, she's into...
theater, music, acting.
There you go.
A gift card for a movie theater.
Or...
Wait, I have a better idea.
If you want to go in on it with me.
Yeah, sure.
- Okay. I'll take care of it.
- Okay.
What about Aiden?
Aiden, yeah, winter sports.
Winter sports.
Okay, what about a gift certificate
for some lift tickets?
And then, obviously,
Caitlin would be for a camera shop.
Wow, you're...
you're really good at this.
I've always wanted
to have a big family to shop for.
Well, now you do.
What are you gonna
get me for Christmas?
I'm really torn between a half a lump
and a full lump of coal.
Well, maybe you need a break.
You know, help you
make that decision.
Oh, I don't know.
So, how does a nice guy like you
end up in corporate law?
We're not all bad guys.
You hinted before that
you didn't really enjoy what you did.
I've always been someone
who's... pretty good at things.
I was a pretty good student
I'm a pretty good lawyer,
I was a pretty good athlete...
but there's only one thing
that I'm truly great at...
underwater basket weaving.
That's just the thing.
You know, I'm not great at anything.
You're pretty great with the kids.
To be honest, I've always had
trouble imagining myself with kids.
Why?
Well, my life kind of took a detour
after my parents' accident.
I've just been so committed to work.
So no luck in a relationship, then?
Not even close.
I guess dating's the one thing
I'm not good at.
Well, I hope you're good
at ice skating.
- Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- Okay, yeah, yeah.
- Step, step. Step!
- Okay. Step.
- Okay.
- Okay, here we go.
Step. Step.
Glide.
So I've got everyone done
except for Caitlin and Richard
but I found a place online
that has a gift for Richard
if you don't mind
making one last stop.
Yeah. Not at all.
Everything okay?
Yeah. Yeah.
I'll just deal with it later.
Okay.
What's going on, guys?
Hey.
Well, we have to say goodbye
to a local icon.
There's no amount of duct tape
can fix him.
- Yeah, yeah. Could you grab it?
- I'll grab it.
Richard, I wanted to wait
until Christmas to give you this
but it seems like the present is
the perfect time for your present!
Yeah!
- Come on!
- Look who saved the day.
It's gonna be big.
Yeah, I think it's a little smaller.
Yeah, yeah, definitely.
Time for gingerbread houses.
Who wants to join?
- Oh, you want to?
- Yeah, sure. You?
- Yeah. Girls ready?
- Yeah?
Come on.
Well, should I just
sprinkle some on top?
See? Ours is a major snowstorm.
Yeah, looks like Dada-inspired.
You're using way too much icing?
What?
I figured if icing holds it together
then a lot of icing would
really hold it together, right?
Did you do this type of stuff
with your mom?
We would make... gingerbread houses
out of graham crackers.
What about you?
No, no, no.
No gingerbread houses for us.
My dad was a musician.
He played guitar.
The holidays were
sort of his bread and butter.
That's when he played
all of his gigs.
My mom and I would go watch him.
We even went to
the fancy private Christmas parties.
Was your mom also a musician?
No, no. She...
she was a teacher.
Taught third grade.
She was always
the smartest person in the room
but she never acted like it.
Well, remind me to never hire
you guys to do any construction.
Look at that.
That's fundamentally flawed.
It's... it's not. No...
It is actually very strong.
Until a puff of wind comes along.
I love all of
these fun Christmas activities.
Okay, good,
because there's a lot more.
We've got
a Christmas pageant tomorrow night.
And on Christmas Eve,
you're gonna meet all the relatives.
We're gonna do snowmen,
make cookies, go caroling.
It's really a blast.
I just can't wait for you
to meet the whole family, though.
Me too.
From all the stories I've heard
and all the fun family photos
I've seen
they seem like a good bunch.
Hey, do you have
any old photos of your mom?
I have one photo of her holding me
when I was a baby
that's framed in my apartment
but my foster parents had
a flood in their basement
so all of my other photos
and everything that my mom left me
got ruined.
Oh, wow, that's a shame.
Yeah.
Did you guys drop yours,
or is it meant to be like that?
Yeah, we took creative liberty
and we feel like
it's probably the most edible.
- Yeah. Yeah, definitely.
- Okay. Cool.
You are painters with candy.
You have one new message.
Hi, Vanessa. This is Diana calling
from Family Branch DNA.com.
We've tried to reach you
a couple of times.
It seems there's been
a mix-up with your results.
There were two Vanessa Halls
in our system.
It was a rare glitch
and your test was switched with hers.
We're so sorry for the inconvenience.
Please give us a call
so we can sort this out.
We are currently assisting
other clients.
Please leave a message
and we will get back to you shortly.
Hey, girl, what's up?
I don't know what to do.
I'm kind of freaking out.
What happened?
Well, the Family Branch DNA company
left a voicemail
saying that they made a mistake
and they mixed my results up with
another Vanessa Hall.
Are you serious?
Yes. So, Richard isn't
my actual father.
This isn't my actual family.
I don't know how to tell them.
Okay, well, I would wait
until after Christmas.
I can't do that.
Somewhere out there, Richard has an
actual daughter named Vanessa Hall.
And you've tried to call them back?
I can't get through.
It makes sense. Richard mentioned
that he met my mother in Providence.
I don't ever remember her saying
she lived in Rhode Island.
Until you know for sure, there's
no point of you spoiling Christmas.
Look, I gotta go.
I'll talk to you later.
Good morning! I brought you coffee.
Oh, that is so sweet. Thank you!
Breakfast is ready.
I'll be down in two seconds.
Okay.
You really pulled this off.
Hey. Pauline got called in
to cover a shift at the hospital
and Aiden has decided to take over.
Here you go.
- Looks delicious.
- Thank you.
You good?
Yeah. I just didn't
sleep really well.
Yeah? Pillow issues?
Hey, Dad
there's this winter dance
at school tonight
and all my friends are gonna be there
and I was wondering if I could go.
But the pageant is tonight!
I could come and watch you sing
and then go to the dance afterwards.
I wouldn't miss your solo.
But this is Vanessa's first year.
Forget it, I won't go.
No. You should go to the dance.
It sounds like a lot of fun.
You're gonna be here
all of Christmas Eve
and spend all Christmas Day
with the family, right?
That's a very good point.
If there are no other objections,
then it's fine with me.
No objections.
Okay, I have to leave.
You'll be able to help
with my costume, right?
Yes, of course.
Don't stress. You're gonna be great.
- Okay, I'll see you all later.
- All right. Have a great day.
- Thank you! Bye.
- Good luck.
Thank you for that.
I didn't think he'd ever say yes.
Although now I have no idea
what I'm gonna wear for the dance.
Well, I haven't picked up
your Christmas gift yet.
Do you want to go shopping?
Yeah!
Cool.
This store has
some really cute stuff.
Totally.
So, do you have a boyfriend?
No. Do you?
No.
But you like someone?
Maybe.
His name's Eli,
but we're totally in the friend zone.
We've been best friends
since we were kids and, well
he'll be there tonight.
Starting as friends
is a good foundation.
It's kind of confusing.
How do I know if he likes me?
Well
tonight, when a slow song comes on,
you could ask him to dance
and while the music's playing
and you two lock eyes
see if you feel a spark.
You'll know.
You mean like how Kris looks at you?
I have no idea
what you're talking about.
It's pretty obvious.
I've known Kris my whole life,
and he likes you.
And I think you like him, too.
And I think that it is time
for you to try on this dress!
I like having a big sister.
Merry Christmas.
- Hi.
- Hi.
Can you believe these lights?
Every other one of them is burnt out.
I know your family is
coming here tomorrow
but I was hoping that we could talk.
Oh, yeah, yeah.
I wanted to chat with you, too.
Even though I am a grown man
I was very nervous
about telling my mother about you.
- What did she say?
- Well
she was understandably
surprised at first
but then I thought she was
more open-minded than I expected.
I mean, you kind of remind me of her.
You're both
very strong, resilient women.
I think you're gonna get along great.
Thank you. And I'm looking forward
- to meeting her, but there's...
- Hey, are these the lights
- you're looking for?
- Oh, yeah, yeah.
Yeah. That should work great.
Did you find something
for Caitlin to wear?
Yes. She has a great eye,
and the dress she chose is beautiful.
Hopefully not too beautiful.
I am not prepared
for young suitors to come knocking.
The fact that you still
call them young suitors
definitely says you're not ready.
Well, I'm gonna head inside.
Let me know if you need a hand.
- Done.
- Good?
- I love it. I love it.
- I love it, too.
Oh, wait, you've got
a little something.
Hey.
You mind if I get a little help?
Emilia's having a bit of a meltdown.
What's wrong?
Pauline said she was going
to help her get ready after work
and she's still not back yet.
Yeah, I'll be right down.
Okay, thank you. You look great.
Hey, thank you again for everything.
Of course. Just remember to have fun.
- Dad! I don't think
- Honey.
That's how you do it!
- Hey. Hi.
- Hi.
- I hear it's got some wings.
- Yeah.
I think they might just be...
going on like a backpack
One arm through there.
One arm through there
- Boom.
- Okay, good.
- Okay.
- Good, let's go.
Come on, we're gonna
meet your mother there.
One final little touch. And this one.
Okay, let's tie this around here.
You are gonna be great.
Just remember, try to take
some deep breaths
and know that everybody
in the audience, especially me
is cheering you on.
Voila!
Wow. That was fast!
- Okay.
- Come on.
- Let's go!
- One angel ready to go.
I'll see you there!
- Did Emilia sing yet?
- No... no. She's ready. It's okay.
Just in time.
Do not be afraid.
I bring you good news that will
cause great joy for all the people.
Today in the town of David,
a Savior has been born.
You will find a baby
wrapped in cloths lying in a manger.
Away in a manger
No crib for a bed
The little Lord Jesus
Lay down His sweet head
The stars in the bright sky
Looked down where He lay
The little Lord Jesus
Asleep on the hay
I mean, I think for me, she got her
comfort on stage, don't you think?
I helped her put her wings on.
You were seriously amazing today!
I mean, you're going to open
on Broadway one day, I know it.
Well, I thought about what you said,
and I wasn't as nervous.
Thank you!
You're welcome.
I'm going to the dance now.
Oh, yes! Okay. Have fun!
Have an amazing time.
- Let me know how it goes.
- Thank you.
Nice job.
Big sister coming through.
Thanks.
Are you free later?
- Did you want the green or...
- No, no.
I am literally the worst at this.
That's why I get gift cards.
I don't know, I think
there's something kind of endearing
about interestingly wrapped presents.
Do you?
Well, luckily,
this one's going to you.
Oh, these are for Aiden.
Oh, man, snowboard gear.
He needs this.
What, you got an air fryer?
Yep. Well, Pauline said
she loved her Easy Bake oven as a kid
so I figured an air fryer is
sort of a grown-up version of that.
That's really thoughtful.
You know, I can tell
how much this family means to you.
Yeah, they...
they really mean a lot.
They just...
so openly embraced me, and...
it's almost overwhelming.
Hey, trust me. They...
they're so glad you're here...
and if I'm being
really honest about it
I'm glad you're here, too.
I... I can't believe
it's almost Christmas Eve.
You're gonna meet
the whole family tomorrow.
Right... well...
I'd better... better
tuck these away and get some sleep.
Okay.
- Have a good night.
- Yeah, you too.
- Hey.
- Hey, what's up?
Whatcha doing?
I thought that I had
an old photo of Vanessa's mom.
I thought I'd surprise her
with it, but I can't find it.
Do you think it's weird if...
if I like Vanessa?
You are asking me to be
a young suitor to my daughter?
Yeah. I think I am.
Well, nothing would make me
happier than that. That's good!
- All right.
- How does she feel?
Oh, Mickey
what am I gonna do?
Excuse me. Pardon me.
Oh! Oh! She's awake!
Hey, everyone! Excuse me. Everyone!
This is my daughter, Vanessa.
This is my family... our family.
Let's do this properly.
This is your Uncle Dave.
- Hello.
- Hi.
This is my sister, your Aunt Sandra.
- It's nice to meet you.
- It's nice to meet you.
They have two kids,
Sherry and Mike, over there.
- Say hi, Sherry.
- Hi!
This is Sharon and Peggy,
they're my cousins
- your second cousins.
- Hi. Nice to meet you.
Oh, and this is your Uncle Terry.
- So great to meet you.
- And...
- Oh, nice to meet you.
- And this is your Aunt Judy.
- Welcome to the family.
- They have two kids
Alisha and Adam,
but they're not here today.
And then this is your Aunt Candy.
- Hi.
- Your Aunt Carol.
- Hello.
- And this is Judy Number Two
- and Uncle Ron.
- Judy. Ron.
- Nice to meet you.
- And then that's Paul and Kimmy
- my cousins.
- Hi.
And...
last but not least
this is my mother, Helene.
Let me see you, darling.
Aren't you just
the most beautiful young woman!
Oh, thank you.
Let's get you some breakfast, dear.
- Oh, look at that.
- Thank you.
Hot food is served in the kitchen
whenever you're ready.
Oh, thank you.
Oh, sweetheart, thanks.
That's so lovely.
Have you ever had lefse before?
No, I've never even heard of it.
Lefse is Norwegian bread
made from potatoes.
My lefse isn't as good as
my mother's was, but it's not bad.
It's really good.
Have you ever been to Norway, dear?
No, I haven't.
It's beautiful. Unique food, too.
If I had my way, I would serve us
ludafisk for Christmas dinner.
But Richie won't let me.
Why won't he let you serve it?
'Cause it makes the whole house
smell like a fish market.
You come to my house one day
and I will make you ludafisk.
God Jul, Helene. Hello!
Your Norwegian accent
is getting better.
God Jul, handsome.
God Jul. I've been practicing
just for you.
I thought so.
So nice to see you.
Hey, how was the dance?
So good!
I danced with Eli three times!
Wow. Nice!
Okay, guys. Time to make snowmen!
Dad, they're called snow-people now.
Called "snow-people".
All right, time to make
snow-persons! Let's go.
Everyone, it will just take
five minutes, don't worry.
What do you think?
Looks just like Richard, huh?
I would say there is no denying it.
You've got better dad jokes
than your own dad.
Snowball fight!
You get back here!
Oh, no.
You know you can have some fun, huh?
It's A Wonderful Life is my favorite.
It's my favorite, too.
This has been the best Christmas,
and I love your family.
Well, everybody loves you.
So, how did the two of you meet?
I was his nurse.
She had me in stitches
the first time I met her
literally, I had a gash
above my eye from a hockey game
and she stitched me up.
I thought he played hockey
and got hit with a puck.
Turns out that Kris's dad
accidentally elbowed him
while they were watching
a hockey game.
Well, do Kris's dad is the reason
that the two of you met?
- Yeah.
- That's so sweet.
Well, every good romance
has a good story.
Oh, yes. So true.
I just wanted to say thank you
for being so gracious
and open to having me here.
When you have
what Richard and I have, it's easy.
Besides, what's his is mine,
and that includes you.
I am going to take these cookies in.
Here.
- Thank you.
- Still warm.
Richard, I wanted to talk
to you about something.
How did you meet my mom?
I know you said
you were in Providence?
Yeah.
I remember it was a windy day, and
my hat blew off and she picked it up.
And then she made fun
of my army buzz cut.
And thanks to that gust of wind,
you're here today.
And because we both did
those DNA tests by chance.
No, nothing's by chance.
You're meant to be here.
Actually...
Emilia spilled her hot chocolate.
Okay, who needs one?
Oh, you need one right here? Okay.
Remember, you're the best singer.
Very impressive.
- Kris.
- I know all the lyrics.
You know them all!
Okay, come on, here we go. Oh, hey!
You been caroling before?
Not in a really long time.
Are you an alto or a soprano?
What's the really high one?
Soprano.
Then I am definitely an alto.
Listen, there's something
I need to tell you.
Yeah? What is it
that you need to tell me?
That...
I'm a really bad singer.
You're a...
You know what,
there are no bad singers
there's only bad voices,
and you know what, it doesn't matter
because we're just here to have fun.
Great.
Angels we have heard on high
Sweetly singing through the night
And the mountains in reply
- Echoing their brave delight
- Lucky we have these cheat sheets.
I sing these lyrics every single year
and I always forget them.
Gloria
In excelsis Deo
Do you think that it's better
not to have a good thing if...
you're gonna lose the good thing,
because once you have the good thing
you realize how good
the thing actually is?
Whoa. I think
I actually followed you there.
I think what you're saying is
you're worried that you'll never
have a Christmas this good again?
I mean, how can it be?
You know, I felt the same way
but this family has made me realize
that there's other ways of
celebrating, of finding happiness.
You know, I know
it's just been a few days, but
you being here has just given me
a whole new perspective on
what it means to be a family.
I know how you feel.
Do you... do you want to go
on a real date after Christmas?
I don't know, maybe even
spend New Year's together?
- I mean, I want to say, but...
- Say yes. Say yes. Say yes.
Okay? Just don't even think about it.
Yes.
Yes, I... I would love that.
Okay.
I'm sorry, that was
very lawyer of me.
Just before we sing this next one
I just want to say...
my family
was blessed with a very special gift
this year. I found my daughter
after so many years
and just to have her be such a...
such a wonderful person.
She's the missing part of our family
that we didn't even
realize was missing
and as I stand in front
of this beautiful Christmas tree
I can't help but think
that the most important tree in
all of our lives is our family tree.
So thank you, Vanessa.
And everyone else, Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas!
O Christmas Tree
O Christmas Tree
How lovely are thy branches
O Christmas Tree
How lovely are thy branches
Your boughs so green in summertime
Stay bravely green in wintertime
Angels we have heard on high
Okay, okay, guys.
Don't get too comfortable!
We have to take our family photo.
- All right.
- It's our first year with Vanessa!
It's cold.
Hey.
Could you touch up my hair
for the picture?
Of course, Emilia.
I'm sorry for being rude to you
when you first got here.
I think I was jealous of you.
It's okay.
I think, in a lot of ways,
I'm actually jealous of you.
You have a lot
to be grateful for here.
What do you think?
I love it.
I think it's super-cute.
Come on, you two. Everybody's ready,
even Mickey is ready.
No, I don't think
I can do this, Pauline.
Don't be silly. You look gorgeous.
Oh, here we go. Here we go.
Okay, everyone's here.
Vanessa, there beside Mom.
Beside Grandma.
Don't be shy, darling.
Okay, good. Okay, it's on
a ten-second timer. Everyone ready?
And go!
And Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas!
Okay, hold on. Hold on.
Don't move, don't move.
We're gonna do one...
Do... everybody do silly faces
except Kris, obviously.
Pretend to be yourself.
Really good. That's really good.
I can see that.
Now we're going to do
silly faces, all right? Silly.
Wait, wait. I... I can't be
in this photo. I'm...
I'm sorry, I need
to tell you all something.
I'm not Richard's daughter.
What are you talking about?
Of course you are.
No, actually, I'm... I'm not.
Maybe this is a great time
for some hot cocoa.
Anyone care to join me? Okay.
Look
the DNA testing company called
and they said
they mixed up my test results.
Richard, you do have
a daughter named Vanessa Hall
but she's not me.
Wait, this...
this doesn't sound right.
It's true.
Are you sure about this?
Yes. I mean
that explains why I didn't know
about my mom living in Providence
because the woman that you knew
she wasn't my mom.
You have an amazing family
and whoever
the other Vanessa is, she's...
the luckiest girl in the world.
I'm... I'm really sorry.
Vanessa, wait.
Vanessa, wait.
Why didn't you say something?
I wanted to say something to them...
to you. I just...
I couldn't get the words out.
I was...
I was so happy here.
I didn't want it to believe it.
You don't have to go.
They've accepted you in their family.
No. They've accepted you
as their family.
I don't belong here.
Let me guess,
you're the real daughter?
No. I'm...
I'm the not-real daughter's friend.
I'm gonna miss you guys.
Thank you all so much
for your hospitality.
Vanessa, wait
No, I... I should go.
But I... I hope you have
a merry Christmas.
So she's not my sister now?
Hey, I know it's been
a really strange day
but the fact of the matter is that
I do have a daughter
named Vanessa out there.
It's just not the one
that we thought it was.
So, if you could all keep
an open mind, that'd be great.
But, Dad, I don't want
a different Vanessa.
I don't even care that
she's not my sister.
Can't we still hang out with her?
It's Christmas and she has no family.
She's welcome here,
but that would be for her to decide.
You know what
I think it's time for dinner.
A little food always
makes us feel better.
Come help me.
I can't believe this.
You know it's not her fault.
She wanted us to be
a part of her family
as much as we wanted her
to be a part of our family.
What should I do, Richard?
This doesn't change
anything between you.
I mean, we all saw
the connection you guys had.
She had a connection with everybody.
She bought the whole family gifts.
She bought me a gift.
Open it.
Open it.
What? What is it? What?
Frankenstein and myrrh.
See that? She's making you laugh
and she's not even here.
That's saying something.
I think it's saying that
I... I care about her.
Well, what are you doing here?
Go tell her.
I don't think she feels
the same way about me.
What are you talking about?
Of course, she does.
I mean, she was put
in an awkward situation here.
That's not the real her.
Go!
And tell her that even though
she's not related to us
she's always welcome here.
Thanks, Richard.
Okay, there you go.
What are you gonna do now?
I guess I'm... back to
binge-watching Christmas films.
You sure you don't want to come over?
My parents are here
and they would love to see you.
Thank you, but I think
I'm just going to decompress.
That's understandable.
The funny thing is,
you know, I actually...
I started seeing parts of myself
in Richard and the kids.
Goes to show you see
what you want to see, right?
What about Kristopher?
Maybe he's the silver lining
in all of this.
I think that that ship has sailed.
- I love you.
- I love you.
Okay.
Hey, hey, hey, everyone.
Come here. Come here. Come here!
Vanessa said that
her mother's name was Patty
but her real name was Patricia.
Patricia Hall.
And... and look...
She looks just like Vanessa.
Our Vanessa.
She is my daughter.
I knew it!
What are we gonna do?
Well, who wants to go
to the Big Apple?
- Yes.
- I do.
Silent night, holy night
All is calm
All is bright
Round yon virgin mother and child
Holy infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace
What are you guys doing here?
Excuse me.
I think...
that she has your eyes.
That's my mom.
Merry Christmas.
Oh, yes!
Get in here!
Come in, come in, come in!
Laughing all the way
Come in. Welcome.
Thank you.
Where's Kris?
I thought he might
have been here already.
Do you think he's okay?
Yeah. I'm sure he's fine.
Hey.
I got you a little something.
Come in, come in! Here... yeah.
Here. Let's put it by the fireplace.
- Okay.
- You got it?
Hey, guys. You beat me here.
Merry Christmas.
Okay.
Kris, I know I should have
said something sooner.
No, no. I understand why
you didn't say anything right away.
It's just...
I was falling in love
with the family.
You're not the only one
that was falling in love.
You know you can't
get rid of me that easily.
We've tried for years. It's true.
Wait. When you said that
I wasn't the only one falling in love
you didn't happen to be referring
to yourself, were you?
Oh, no. No, I was...
I was referring to
another Vanessa Hall.
That's...
that's too bad.
- Oh, my gosh.
- What's this now?
A coupon for a special day in
New York City with Kris and Vanessa
that includes a trip to the salon
tickets to a Broadway show
and a sleepover!
Yes. I can't wait.
Me either!
- Oh, for me?
- Yeah.
My family.