"Okay." "See these three guys?" "They're the wise men." "They were kings who came and brought presents." "Well, only not like GoBots." "They brought gold and frankincense and myrrh." "What's myrrh?" "It's like, um... wine or something." "It's a spice." "What's Baby Jesus gonna do with wine?" "Oh, yeah, but he's got lots of uses for a spice." "I think I like the other crèche better." "You know, the one where Joseph looks like Elvis?" "Hey, what's this doing in with the Christmas stuff?" "Isn't that Kirsten's?" "Yeah." "And these are her books and her Harry Belafonte CDs." "All this stuff is Kirsten's." "Hey, put that away." "The UPS guy's gonna be here in, like, seven seconds." "Why are you sending her stuff away?" "'Cause it's hers, and it should be in Chicago where she is and not here where she's not." "[TAPE TEARS]" "Don't you think maybe you should take your time with this, Charlie?" "I mean, what's the rush?" "The rush is the UPS guy's gonna be pissed off if he has to wait." "Or even worse, he'll just leave without getting all this." "JULIA:" "You know, maybe what you should do instead of shoving her stuff out the door is let yourself," "I don't know, feel this." "I mean, this is" "This is" "Sad." "Yes, it is sad." "But you know what?" "It's also smart, 'cause I'm never gonna start over if I start every day taking my toothbrush from her toothbrush holder and end every night setting her alarm clock." "[DOORBELL RINGS]" "Tell him to wait two minutes." "I really think that maybe you're doing this too fast." "CHARLIE:" "I'll tell you what." "Throw away the most important thing you've ever had, then we'll talk." "You'll have to wait two minutes." "Grandpa?" "JAKE:" "How's my little girl?" "CLAUDIA:" "Great." "Oh." "Merry Christmas, kids." "I-I got a lot of stuff here." "So, uh, show me the way to the tree." "[GIGGLES]" "[THE BODEANS' "CLOSER TO FIVE" PLAYING]" "* Everybody wants to live *" "* Like they wanna live *" "* And everybody wants to love *" "* Like they wanna love *" "* Everybody wants to be *" "* Closer to free-ee-ee-ee *" "* Closer to free *" "JAKE:" "What do you mean, no tree?" "JULIA:" "We wanted to go get one in Charlie's truck, but that would necessitate Charlie actually being there." "As you saw, he's pretty much Mr. Disappearing Act these days." "Where did that guy run off to so fast anyway?" "CLAUDIA:" "The restaurant." "He pretty much spends all of his time there now." "Why?" "He's not having business problems, is he?" "More like personal ones." "He had a pretty rough fall." "Kind of took the holiday spirit out of him." "Oh." "Well, what about Bailey?" "Ha." "I can't even remember the last time I saw Bailey." "JULIA:" "He's got his own place now." "You know, college and all." "And, frankly, he's kind of in a bad way too, so..." "So the guys are in a funk, and you two are just gonna give up on Christmas." "That's it, huh?" "Well, I mean, it's not like we have much of a choice." "Even with the few decorations up, the house is still really depressing with everyone gone." "Maybe we should just bag the whole thing." "Let the rest of the world celebrate Christmas, and we'll just have Wednesday." "JAKE:" "Oh, no, nothing doing." "I brought a lot of darn nice Christmas gifts here." "But first, they've gotta sit under a Christmas tree." "So come on, let's get our coats and get going." "You too, kiddo." "Where are we going?" "We're gonna march down to that lot" "I saw at the base of the hill." "We're gonna pick out the finest-looking Christmas tree we can find, and then we're gonna drag it back up the hill to the house." "Callie?" "You still here?" "[MACHINE BEEPS]" "CALLIE [OVER MACHINE]:" "Okay." "I'm gone." "My checks for rent and phone are on the mantel." "Send them." "Bye." "Yeah, lot of warmth there." "SARAH:" "Bailey, are you there?" "I'm leaving for the airport, and I just thought..." "I don't know that we should talk before I go." "Okay, maybe I'll try back." "Bye." "[MACHINE BEEPS]" "CLAUDIA:" "It's me." "When are you coming home?" "Call." "Bye." "[MACHINE BEEPS]" "SARAH:" "Okay." "Now we're really leaving," "I just thought I should wish you a Merry Christmas and vice versa, but" "Okay." "I'm" " I'm coming." "Okay." "I gotta go." "Bye." "[MACHINE BEEPS]" "JULIA:" "Bailey, there's some stuff going on over here, and we could really use you around." "So call." "[MACHINE BEEPS]" "CLAUDIA:" "Bailey, it's Claudia-- JULIA:" "I just called him." "CLAUDIA:" "Oh." "Well, call already." "Bye." "[RINGS]" "[GRUNTING]" "Now, how's that?" "Mm." "A little bit this way." "[DOORBELL RINGS]" "I'll get it." "STUART:" "Merry Christmas." "Stuart, what is this?" "I can't say." "You gotta open it." "Carefully." "It's fragile." "You got this for me?" "Yeah." "I thought real hard about what you'd like, and, well, let's just say I think I did pretty well." "[CAR HONKING]" "Oh, I" " I gotta go." "I'm helping my mom deliver latkes to our friends." "Man, I wish I could stay to see your expression when you open it." "Wow." "Someone's trying to impress you." "Impress me?" "Why?" "You--?" "You think he bought me this because...?" "[LAUGHS]" "Because...?" "Stuart has got a crush." "No." "Yeah." "No, no, no, no, no." "He can't." "No." "I-I don't want him to." "I-I don't like him like that." "I barely like him not like that." "I mean, what am I gonna do?" "Easy." "Just make sure the gift you give him tells him how you feel." "I'm not gonna buy him a present." "He'll think I like him back." "Not if it's a totally impersonal, completely pro forma gift that doesn't mean anything." "Where do you learn this stuff?" "["DECK THE HALLS" PLAYING OVER STEREO]" "Who do you have to know to get a drink around here?" "Hey, Jake, what can I get for you?" "Oh, I'll have a beer." "I figured this might be my last chance to talk to you." "You ran out of the house so fast this morning." "Yeah." "It's, uh..." "It's crazy around here." "Heh." "We're all involved in this homeless shelter, and I just decided to do a New Year's party for the first time ever." "Well, it's nice to stay busy when you got the blues." "Claudia told me about what happened with your girlfriend." "I-I'm sorry about that." "Your sisters miss having you around the house, Charlie." "They can handle it." "Don't you think you oughta head back there just for a while?" "Look, I-I know you're probably trying to help here, but doing this whole Christmas thing" "It's just making me feel kind of... stuck right now." "So I oughta butt out, huh?" "Yes, please." "I gotta" " I just" " I gotta focus on new stuff now, get new interests, find new places to put my energy." "'Cause if I do that, then I'll be able to start over, you know, and I won't spend the rest of my life paying for one mistake." "I mean, you know how this is, right?" "You made a big mistake and got past it." "Oh, did I get past it?" "Yeah, in some ways, maybe I did." "Yeah." "But in other ways, no." "Well, I'm sorry about that." "That's not gonna happen to me." "[PANTING, GRUNTING]" "RUSS:" "Bailey." "Oh, man." "What are you doing?" "What does it look like?" "Like you're working out at 7:00 at night in the middle of vacation." "It's 7?" "No way." "Yeah." "Why?" "How long you been here?" "I don't know." "Since 4." "You know, most freshmen are home right now, eating decent meals, getting a good night's sleep for a change." "Yeah?" "More power to 'em." "You do have a place to go, right?" "Like your family's?" "Yeah." "I do." "I'm just not going." "So, what are you gonna do for vacation?" "You're looking at it." "At least it's good for me, right?" "Actually, it's not." "Students who don't step away from this place now and then end up climbing clock towers with high-powered rifles." "Come on, get out of there." "Why don't you come to my place tomorrow?" "I'm gonna watch the game." "I don't think so." "Oh, that wasn't a request." "Kickoff is at 2:00." "I'll see you then, huh?" "What about this one, O?" "The Night Before Christmas." "Ah." "You want Grandpa to read it to you, huh?" "Oh, is that what he wants?" "[CHUCKLES]" "Are you gonna read it?" "Well, I-I'll tell you what." "I" " I gotta be heading out." "But, wait." "Wh-where you going?" "I'm going back to L.A." "Ugh." "Come on, I mean, just don't leave." "Yeah, you should stay." "It's just starting to feel like Christmas." "Oh, it is, huh?" "Well, I guess I could stay a little." "JULIA:" "Of course you can." "So take the book and read it to Owen like he asked." "Oh, now, wait a minute." "I don't know about that." "No, no, see, you can't say no." "House rules." "JAKE:" "House rules?" "Then, uh, I guess I better." "Yes, ahem, here we are." "'Twas the night before Christmas" "And all through the house" "Not a creature was stirring" "Not even a mouse." "The, uh, children" "Were tucked" "In their" "Nestled." "What?" "Beds?" "Nestled." "Nestled all tight In their beds," "While visions of sugarplums" "Danced in their heads." "Uh, Mama in her kerchief," "And I in my cap..." "Mama in her kerchief... and I in my cap..." "[MOUTHED SPEECH]" "Oh, no." "I rose from my bed" "To see what was the matter." "You're on the wrong page." "[***]" "Oh, oh." "So I am." "Yeah." "So I am." "Yeah." "BAILEY:" "See, these guys know how to spend Christmas." "Play a little ball, toss back a few beers, call it a day." "No caroling, no yule log." "I'm impressed, Bailey." "It usually takes people 35 years to work up a good holiday malaise." "I've always been very precocious." "That's how I ended up at State." "Uh-huh." "Hey, that's coming along." "Yeah." "Mandy has one at her mom's in Connecticut we made before the divorce." "I figured if she had one here, it would feel more like home, you know?" "Hold that, will you?" "Yeah." "I just hope she hasn't outgrown it." "It's hard to know when you only see her a few times a year." "How old is she?" "Eleven." "Yeah?" "I have a sister who's 13." "Claudia." "Does she still like dollhouses?" "Nah, no way." "Oh, but she only just outgrew 'em." "Really recently." "Hm." "It's crazy, you know." "You feel like there's so much riding on a stupid present." "Th-that should be dry." "What do you mean?" "Well, you know, what if she hates it?" "What if she looks at it and thinks I don't know her at all?" "What if she's right?" "CLAUDIA:" "He wasn't even on the right page." "He probably just figured he knew the poem by heart, and then he forgot." "Uh-uh." "I mean, did you see his face?" "He looked-- He looked scared." "Maybe he was just confused." "You know, that happens to old people sometimes, but it's totally normal." "So you really--?" "You really don't think we should worry about it?" "No." "No, not at all." "But Stuart's gift on the other hand..." "Hey." "Perfect." "Impersonal, yet fun, distant, yet good-humored." "Cheap, yet cheap." "Hey, do you wanna send a message or don't you?" "I'm gonna have it gift-wrapped." "Paper and no bow." "Hee-hee!" "[SOFT JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING OVER STEREO]" "Sorry about the overflow." "Things get kind of crazy around Christmas." "It's okay, I just wish somebody from the office told me." "I would've made sure there was enough." "There is no one at the office." "They cut our funding for a secretary." "Welcome to non-profit." "Ho-ho." "[SCOFFS]" "What a world, huh?" "Yeah." "You try and do a good thing, you try and be a decent citizen." "Hi." "I'm, uh, Charlie." "Only businessman in town that treats me like a respectable man." "You bet I'll shake your hand." "So, uh..." "I take it you're having a rough time." "[CHUCKLES LIGHTLY]" "Yeah." "So are the Bosnians." "So are the Kurds." "Everybody's got it rough." "Who's Pete Terry to complain?" "What right does Pete Terry have to a better life?" "Hey, you know what?" "Every right." "You don't know that." "For all you know, I could be a felon." "For all you know, I coulda sold drugs to make cash after I got laid off." "Is that true?" "Did you do that?" "Ten years with a pharmaceutical concern." "You think you're secure." "Then bam, "See you."" "Four months severance." "Four months later, the dealer's the only one hiring." "Bam, arrested." "Bam, convicted." "Two and a half years." "Well, now I'm out, but who's gonna hire me?" "I bet lots of people would." "I mean, you did your time." "It doesn't matter." "It's a one-strike game we're playing here, Charlie." "I swung, I missed." "[SIGHS]" "CLAUDIA:" "You sure do take your time unwrapping things." "No, it's-- It's done so beautifully." "I don't wanna ruin your work." "Oh, no, no, no." "I didn't do it." "The" " The guy at the store did." "Are you kidding?" "That costs a fortune." "No." "No, no, no." "See, it was, uh" "It was free." "You got me this." "Um, y-y-y-yeah." "But" "How did you know I collect these?" "I got the epoxy for you." "They had two." "I tried calling, but your phone was busy for, like, forever, so I just took a guess." "She's not coming." "What?" "She's not coming." "A big snowstorm on the east coast shut down the airports." "That's why I was on the phone." "Well, it has to be better by tomorrow or the next day, right?" "Oh, she was only gonna be here for three days." "Her mom's taking her to the Caribbean right after Christmas." "Oh." "Eh, so I'll see her in the spring." "It's only a few months." "You know what?" "I'm still not doing anything." "Why don't--?" "Why don't we do something... tomorrow?" "Like, I don't know, go see a hockey game or something?" "Ah, it's okay, Bailey." "I know you got stuff you wanna do." "Yeah." "I wanna go to a game." "I think the Sharks are playing." "There's probably some seats left." "What do you say?" "What time is face-off?" "CHARLIE:" "You like 'em?" "Sure." "Whoo." "They're thick." "Figured you were, uh, a 34, is that about right?" "Well, it depends on how they fit, waist or hips." "I have wider hips 'cause I took female hormones when I was a kid as an experiment, a medical experiment." "It's a study in hormonal inversion." "I also grabbed you a couple shirts so that when you go on an interview, you'll look like somebody who has his act together." "I don't have any interview." "Aha." "Yet." "Classifieds." "We're gonna sit here, figure out which ones you should go up for." "Nobody's gonna give me a job." "Hey, listen, you walk in there dressed right with a positive attitude and they're gonna see someone who wants to make a new start." "And they're gonna wanna help you." "People do get second chances." "So..." "Hey, Jake." "Oh, hi." "I, uh, got you a present." "Oh, no." "No present before the big day." "No." "I-it's not a Christmas present." "Oh." "It's not a Christmas present, huh?" "Here, just press the top." "RECORDED VOICE:" "Twelve a.m." "I saw you having trouble finding your watch this morning." "I wasn't having trouble." "That and the book." "You're having trouble seeing, huh?" "No." "I'm okay." "Well, I'm an old man." "I've got old eyes." "I'm gonna take you to a doctor." "I have a doctor." "He's a very good doctor." "I'm okay." "This is... what they call a degenerative thing." "That's the term." "De...generative?" "Y-you mean, you're going blind?" "Yes, I will be going blind." "Oh." "God, I'm, uh..." "I'm sorry." "I'm okay now." "Hey, I can manage the stairs." "I travel, planes, buses." "There's no problem at all." "Now, listen." "I don't want you to tell the other kids about this thing." "I don't want them treating me like an invalid." "Okay." "And don't you be sad." "I've lived a long time." "And I've seen, uh, so many beautiful things in this life." "And I have them all filed away, alphabetically." "And now I have a new one u-under C." "Christmas with my grandchildren." "[***]" "Wait a minute." "Wait a minute." "He's going blind?" "Yes." "How do you even know this?" "Have you seen him?" "God, Bailey, have you even listened to your messages lately?" "He's here." "He's staying with us." "[SIGHS]" "I'm sorry." "I just" "I've had some other stuff going on." "But, okay." "Okay, I'll stop by, and I'll say hi." "Oh, great." "Another one of your drive-bys." "Well, what do you want from me?" "I want..." "Look, I'm all alone in this, okay?" "I can't talk to Claudia." "And Charlie is at work all the time, so" "So I want you to come home for Christmas." "I'm not doing Christmas this year." "Get over yourself, Bailey." "Our grandfather is going blind." "How hard can it be to spend a little time with him?" "I'm not saying it's hard." "I'm just" "I'm busy, actually." "I happen to have someplace else I have to be." "Okay, Bailey, look," "I know you really wanna check out right now." "But Jake is family." "So whatever else you have to do," "I think you should cancel it because this is more important." "[DOOR OPENS]" "You're late." "Late for what?" "I'm just dropping by to see, uh, if you have any food you want me to take back to the shelter." "Heh." "Yeah." "Sure." "I'm sorry, Xander, I-- I thought you were Pete." "Pete Terry?" "Yeah." "I'm, uh, helping him get a job." "Some people already called to set up interviews." "Are you sure that's such a good idea?" "I mean, considering his history." "Hey, the guy only made one mistake." "People can change." "They can realize where they went wrong and turn their lives around." "Yeah." "Sure, Charlie." "No argument." "It's just that, uh, it's different when you're talking about a schizophrenic." "A what?" "Pete's a schizophrenic." "The state gives him medication, which he usually sells." "But when he's off it, reality's kinda nebulous." "Pete." "Um, where--?" "Where are the clothes we got?" "I can't wear 'em now." "They make me too conspicuous." "They're in a safe place." "In a little while, I'll get 'em." "I'll come to work." "But not now." "They make me too conspicuous." "Stuart." "It's a thank-you note." "You couldn't mail it?" "What?" "This time of year?" "We'd be lucky if you got it by New Year's." "Wanna know what it says?" "I" ""Dear Claudia, thank you for the thoughtful gift." ""I am moved by the care you took in selecting it." ""Looking forward to our future" ""with anticipation." ""I remain yours truly," "Stuart."" "Look, Stuart, you're a nice guy, but there isn't going to be any future for us." "I mean, I-I don't like you like that." "But that gift..." "Was supposed to be impersonal." "I mean, how was I supposed to know that that would mean something?" "I mean, what kind of a person collects those things?" "My kind." "Oh, I-I'm" " I'm sorry." "Th-that came out wrong." "I didn't mean" "And here I thought you were this nice person." "I am nice." "No, you're not." "A nice person doesn't lead people on and then squash their hearts like a bug." "I never led you on." "Oh, right." "Like I just imagined the whole thing." "[SCOFFS]" "[DOOR SLAMS]" "RUSS:" "Hey, come on in." "I'm just nuking up a Hungry-Man dinner here." "Thanks." "I-I got another one I could heat up for you." "It only takes seven minutes." "We'll still have plenty of time to make it to the stadium." "Yeah, um, about that." "I can't go." "I'm actually heading home." "Home?" "You mean, family home?" "Yeah." "It turns out there's some stuff going on there that I should..." "Anyway." "I said I'd go." "Oh, sure." "I understand." "That's" "But I feel really bad about this." "You know, I mean, we said we were gonna do this." "Oh, no, no." "No sweat." "It's Christmas Eve." "You should be with your family." "[MICROWAVE BEEPING]" "Um, that's my dinner." "I gotta..." "[CHUCKLES]" "[MICROWAVE DOOR OPENS]" "Listen, you tell your family I wish them a very Merry Christmas, huh?" "JAKE:" "He's gonna come sliding right down there with a big bag of presents to leave in the house." "No." "What do you mean, "no"?" "O-oh, yes, he will." "You wait and see and tomorrow, all these stockings will be full of presents left by him." "BAILEY:" "Okay." "We got moo shu." "We got kung pao." "We got potstickers." "Traditional Christmas Eve dinner." "[LAUGHTER] Around here it is." "Uh, Julia, you didn't need to do that." "Yes, I did." "'Cause a stocking's what you hang at Christmas to say, "This is where I belong."" "And you belong here." "Oh, no, kids." "I don't belong here." "I just came by to leave a few presents and spend a little time with you, but, um..." "But, uh, this is, uh" "This is" " This is your home, not mine." "Well, I-I guess what we're saying is we like having you around this time of year." "And that it would be nice if you were here next Christmas too." "Right, Bay?" "BAILEY:" "Yeah." "That would be..." "That would be good." "CLAUDIA:" "And the one after that." "We'll do it just like this, every single year." "No matter what." "Charlie?" "When did you get back from the restaurant?" "Um... half an hour ago, maybe." "So, um, what was going on down there?" "Lots of busy holiday stuff?" "I don't know." "What do you mean?" "You were" " You were there." "Yeah." "I just don't know what's going on." "We're doing the tree downstairs." "Bay was gonna do the lights, but I told him not to 'cause I know you love to do them." "It's okay." "He can." "No." "It's your job." "And if someone else does it, it'd be like saying that you're not here." "And you are." "Right?" "Yeah, Claud," "I'm here." "So come downstairs." "Come downstairs and do the lights." "[***]" "JAKE:" "The address is 33-24 Broadway." "Listen, t-tell your driver not to honk, please." "I-I'll be waiting for him." "Thanks." "Man." "[CHUCKLES]" "Thought I had bad staying power, but you..." "I'm not running away from anything, Charlie." "Right." "Okay." "That's what I'll tell Claudia in the morning." "See you, Jake." "It's been real." "Charlie, wait a minute." "I've got an appointment that I must keep." "I never intended staying." "I've stayed two days too long already, and" " And now I've simply gotta leave." "What kind of appointment could you possibly have on Christmas morning?" "It's an appointment for chemotherapy." "What?" "Treatment for cancer." "Jake, God, um..." "I'm sorry." "God, what I just said" "Don't let it worry you." "You were only trying to stick up for the kids." "You were doing just fine." "Let us help." "We're" " We're family." "I don't wanna play that card." "If I'd been around all the time and had really been a member of the family, it'd be a different story but" "That's not the way it works, Jake." "Claudia was just... so excited to have you here." "Oh, I think she can handle it." "I know she can handle it... better than losing me little by little." "Don't you think so?" "Well, that's the answer." "Now, don't feel bad about this." "But listen, maybe you think that I don't love those kids." "I'm gonna tell you, I do." "I love them." "And I love you." "I love you all." "[***]" "Julia, is this from you?" "JULIA:" "Hm?" "What?" "Santa Claus?" "Oh." ""This belonged to my mother," ""your great-grandmother." ""She was a great music lover and would be happy to know" ""it was being worn by her great-granddaughter," ""the violinist." ""Merry Christmas." "Love, Grandpa."" "Ungh." "Why is there no coffee in the machine?" "We ran out." "Bailey went to get some, like, six hours ago." "Where's he buying it, Columbia?" "What'd you get?" "Another candy cane." "Another candy cane?" "[LAUGHS]" "I'm gonna go wake him up." "Wait." "I just said he went to get coffee." "Not Bailey." "Grandpa." "I mean, I'm sure he doesn't wanna sleep throughout the whole day." "No, Claud, wait." "Hang on." "Um, he's not there." "What?" "Well, where is he?" "He's, uh..." "He had to go, early this morning." "Wait, he left?" "Candy cane." "Yeah." "He didn't want to, though." "Um, he" "Last night he" "I guess he started thinking about his daughter." "And he thought that maybe since he was here on Christmas Eve, he should be there on Christmas Day." "But... why didn't he say anything?" "Like I said, it" "It didn't occur to him until late last night." "So..." "So he just... walked away?" "After everything we did for him." "I'm sure he didn't want to, Claud." "Uh" "[DOOR OPENS]" "See, my sisters always bitch about me watching the game on Christmas." "But with you here, that's like part of your job, right?" "I mean, you have to watch." "Leave me out of it, huh?" "Charlie, Julia, Owen, this is Russ Petrocelli, my coach." "RUSS:" "Hi." "BAILEY:" "He's gonna be hanging out with us today." "Hey." "If it's all right with you." "Well, can you cook?" "I can peel and chop things." "Good enough." "Follow me." "Only until kickoff." "What do you want now, Stuart?" "Um, well, I'm here to apologize." "Look, y-y-y-you didn't lead me on." "And you're not a mean person." "I only said those things because I was ashamed." "And now even more ashamed because I said those things, and I'm" " I'm really sorry, and I feel really stupid, and I just think that we-- Enough, Stuart." "Apology accepted." "Really?" "Phew." "Well, okay." "So we can be friends again?" "Yeah." "Why not?" "Great." "[EXHALES]" "You know, I-- I couldn't help noticing all the cooking going on in the kitchen." "Yeah, you know." "Christmas dinner is kind of a big thing." "Turkey, hot cross buns." "Stuff like that." "Really?" "How interesting, uh, y-you know, culturally." "Hey, Stuart." "I have an idea." "Why don't you stay?" "[CHUCKLES LIGHTLY]" "[FRIDGE DOOR OPENS, BOTTLES CLINKING]" "Is it halftime?" "No." "Called time out to cart some guy with a concussion off the field." "I like your coach." "Even if he lied about being able to chop." "That was a nice thing you did asking him here." "I only did it 'cause I had to." "That's not true." "You did it 'cause you're a good guy." "Okay." "Look, let's be honest here, Jule, okay?" "'Cause that's true, and you know it's not true." "And in case you forgot why it's not true, why don't you give Sarah a call?" "I'm sure she'll remind you." "[CLANGING]" "Where the hell is the bottle opener?" "You know what, Bay?" "I really think that if you're gonna punish yourself this hard for the bad stuff you do, you should at least give yourself some credit for the good things." "I mean, yeah, you messed up with Sarah, but like it or not, you're still the kind of guy who's not gonna let someone spend Christmas alone, and that's..." "That's what?" "I don't know." "But it's gotta be something." "Oh, I didn't know you were out here." "I just-- It's okay." "Hey." "What are you doing?" "Just looking for someplace where no one else is, I guess." "How come?" "I don't know." "It doesn't really feel like Christmas in there." "No one wants to be here, except Stuart." "It's not that I don't wanna be here, Claud." "Right." "You're probably just sitting there thinking what your life would be like if you didn't have to take care of me and Owen." "[MOUTHED SPEECH]" "You don't really think that, do you?" "I don't know." "Maybe." "[SIGHS]" "I like taking care of you, Claudia." "I like dropping you off at school." "I like hearing about what guy you have a crush on." "I like taking you to the dentist." "I like it all." "I wouldn't trade that for anything in the world." "Yeah." "But it doesn't make you happy." "It's just... not quite enough." "You know?" "I mean, I love you." "But I guess I want a little more out of life too." "And that's hard because I was so close to having that." "Marrying Kirsten would have been much more." "Much more." "And it's not like I wanna replace her, 'cause I know that I'm never gonna have her or anything like her again." "I just... wouldn't mind something." "It doesn't even have to be a big thing, you know?" "Just something small." "Heh." "For me." "[***]" "Looks nice, Julia." "Yeah, it does, doesn't it?" "Dinner's ready!" "[SIGHS]" "Oh, um, we're short a chair, so someone has to take the piano stool." "Oh, I will." "CLAUDIA:" "This looks great, Jule." "Yeah, if we can sidestep last year's salmonella incident." "Salmonella?" "You had the flu." "It was the flu." "Right." "Well, should we," "I don't know, say a blessing or something?" "We could." "[CLEARS THROAT]" "[HUMS "THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY"]" "Amen." "Amen." "Amen." "Amen." "[LAUGHS]" "RUSS:" "That was very good." "[CHATTERING, DOORBELL RINGS]" "Want some of this, O?" "[CHATTERING CONTINUES]" "Grace." "Charlie," "I-I thought you were in Chicago." "I was." "But, uh, now I'm home." "Alone?" "Yeah." "Well, no." "I mean, my family's here, but, um-- But I'm alone, yeah." "Oh." "Well, I'm sorry." "Well, I don't, uh" "I don't wanna keep you." "I just wanted to bring this by." "[LAUGHS] It's cranberry bread." "Merry Christmas." "Oh, wow." "Grace, thanks." "Oh, it's nothing." "It's just something small." "Listen, um, can you come in?" "We're just sitting down to dinner." "Oh, that's nice." "But I've-- I've already eaten." "That's okay." "I won't tell anybody." "[CHUCKLES]" "[PLAYING "SILENT NIGHT"]" "What do you say we give it a spin, huh?" "Here you go." "[DINGS]" "Woo, you wouldn't know where those wrenches are, would you?" "Mrs. Reeves, hi." "It's Bailey." "Thanks." "You too." "Is Sarah there?" "Hi." "I just wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas." "Thanks." "I'm sorry I didn't call sooner." "Um, things have been kinda hectic around here." "Yeah." "Yeah." "Not bad." "How about you?" "How's everything in Florida?" "You look so cute." "Uh, actually, that's my dad when he was little." "Wow, you really take after him, don't you?" "Maybe." "I don't know." "[OWEN IMITATING MOTOR]" "Who's that playing?" "Stuart." "Really?" "For a first-timer, he's really embracing the holiday." "Hey, as long as he's not embracing me," "I'm not complaining." "["HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS" PLAYING]" "[HUMMING]" "* Once again *" "* As in olden days *" "* Happy golden days of yore *" "BOTH:" "* Faithful friends *" "* Who were dear to us *" "* Will be near to us *" "* Once more *" "* Through the years *" "* We all will be together *" "* If the fates allow *" "* Until then *" "* We'll have to Muddle through somehow *" "* And have yourself *" "* A merry little Christmas *" "* Now *" "[***]"