"♪" "Hello, ma'am, and happy holidays." "My name is Jack, and I have a cleaning product that will change your life." "I'm really just not interested." "Okay, well, let's take this stain here for example." "Please, stop, I'm not interested." "Okay, well, a quick spray, and an even quicker wipe... and voilà, it's gone." "Wow..." "I'm impressed." "As is..." "Oh, Bootsy." "As is Bootsy." "You really are something, young man." "Next thing you know, you're gonna tell me that I can use it to brush my teeth." "No, I wouldn't recommend that, but let's say little Bootsy here has a whoopsie on the carpet" "Kid, how many times have I told you not to hustle your stuff up here?" "Sir, can I just finish this transaction?" "This beautiful lady seems enthralled with my fine cleaning products." "You don't get it, do you?" "You're not welcome here." "Sir, I am trying to raise money for Christmas presents for orphans." "This is what happens when the parents aren't around to put a leash on their kids." "You always have a story, don't you?" "But this time, it's true!" "Ma'am, if we could just please go across the street to finish our transaction over there, then maybe" "Forget it, kid-- get outta here." "Don't make me call the cops." "Capisce?" "Yeah, I got it!" "(engine starts)" "(door closes)" "What do you think you're doing, kid?" "Giving you a reason to call the cops!" "Go on, dial 9-1-1." "Tell 'em old Jack is here waiting for 'em." "They knome quite well." "(knocks on door)" "Yes, Joanna?" "Hey, Art, Jack is back." "Should I show him in?" "Yes, show him in." "Jack is back." "Why am I not surprised?" "Hello, Jack." "Well, now, see, this is the part where you're supposed to say, "Hello, Officer Stephenson." "How are you?"" "Well, I'll tell you how I am, Jack." "I am very disappointed in you." "Why are you always so angry?" "Check your fact file there." "You'll find a full list of reasons." "We have been through this over the years, haven't we, son?" "I've been through it." "With you, it's just age." "What are you now, 75, 80?" "(chuckles)" "You know, I remember when we first met." "What was it, about five years ago?" "Back then, you at least tried to be nice to me." "And look how far that got me." "Do you know who you remind me of?" "Here we go again about my mother." "One of your first probationers." "So much potential." "I've heard it before." "And how is your mother?" "I don't know." "Still not keeping up with you, huh?" "Nope." "I must be a disappointment to her too." "Well, you don't have to be a disappointment to me, son." "Trespassing?" "Destruction of private property?" "Arson?" "Come on, what is that all about?" "It was barely a candle's flame, really." "I really thought that we were turning things around, Jack." "There is no "we", just you behind that desk and then me, out here in the real world." "Sit down, son." "It says here 1 year of intensive probation and 120 hours of community service." "Now, do you think you can do that?" "Afterschool, maybe on weekends?" "Whatever." "Well, since roadside clean-up hasn't done much to curb your delinquent behavior," "I got something else in mind." "You're gonna be helping people this Christmas." "How about that?" "♪" "So, Jackson, I'm Blair, and I'm in charge of this place." "Oh, it's Jack." "My name's Jack." "Jack." "But your probation placement report says your name is Jackson." "Oh, yeah, birth names can be outgrown, Blair." "Duly noted, Jack." "So follow me." "So... this is where the action happens." "(dogs barking)" "And this is Hillary." "Hi, I handle most of the paperwork here." "That's my sister Ryan." "She takes care of the pups." "And this is our adorable crew." "Well, it'll be wonderful working with such beautiful ladies." "Our big mission here is to clean up and close up before we all leave for the Christmas holidays, okay?" "Sounds like a plan." "Okay, so you're gonna be mostly cleaning up." "Is that okay with you?" "Oh, it's completely fine." "I have extensive experience in cleaning products." "Even started my own brand." "Okay, so we're gonna have you clean one of the empty enclosures." "Ryan, do you mind showing him how to do that?" "If I must." "Well, she seems busy with that rat creature-looking thing." "Maybe old Hillary could show me around." "Her name's Petunia, and she's a mixed breed, not a rat creature." "(Hillary) Okay, Jack, come with me." "See you around, "Cryan"." "(door closes)" "Jack, you know dinner's at 6:00." "Why are you always so late?" "I was working." "Working?" "Is that what you call it?" "Because I understood that it was community service for being in trouble again." "Thanks for informing the whole table about my life, just in case they didn't already know." "Come on, no need to get smart, son." "I'm not your son, Lou, and you're not my father." "Yeah, you've made that clear, Jack." "It's your choice being in and out of fosters all the time." "Thanks for reminding me of my sad life." "It really makes me feel all warm inside." "Anyone want to make Christmas cookies?" "Finish your food, boys." "(Trevor) We love you, Jack, don't we, Ton?" "Of course." "Thanks, guys." "Glad to know there's some love in this house." "Jack, as much as you disagree, we're trying to make your life better by what we provide." "I'm just a grocery bill to you guys." "Believe what you want, but we're trying to build a family here." "I can feel the overwhelming presence of love." "You know, you don't have to stay." "What does that mean?" "I'll be coming with you guys when you move in a few months?" "That's right, boys." "Old Lou and Josie are moving to Arizona, a more arid climate for Josie's asthma." "I overheard you talking out back the other night, so merry Christmas to all, and to all, a good night." "(door closes)" "♪" "Hey, going to a little holiday shindig near campus." "Lots of cute college boys, and from what I hear, mistletoe under every doorway." "You interested?" "No thanks." "You know, you can't sit in your room your entire life reading post-feminist chick lit." "I'm reading Stephen King." "Ugh, same thing." "Anyway, have a merry little yawner at home." "(dog barking)" "(Ryan) This is Titus." "Definitely no big barker." "No way." "What about Mimsy here?" "She's sweet, and good, and just dying for someone to love her." "See?" "I don't know." "She's a little bit bigger than what I pictured." "She's not that big." "Um, I don't think she's gonna get much bigger." "Just look at her feet." "I just don't think she's what I'm looking for." "I mean, I was really looking for a dog that I could fit in my purse, you know?" "Okay, well, sorry we couldn't find a good match for you today, Jen." "(...)" "Personally, I think this dog is perfect for you, Jennifer." "Or do you go by Jen?" "May I call you Jen?" "Well, see, she's quiet as a dormouse, and that is your main concern, yes?" "And you can't really hold it against her that she's not some yappy teacup dog." "She's still cute, and, uh, between you and I, all the dogs in here are cute." "But this dog has been looking at you since the minute you walked in." "Can't you see it in her eyes?" "I think you might need Misty as much as Misty needs you." "Mimsy." "Okay." "She is really cute." "(chuckles)" "And calm." "(sighs) You're right." "I'll take r." "I assure you-- this will be the greatest Christmas present you have ever given yourself." "(Hillary) Okay, right this way, ma'am, so we can get your paperwork started." "I think we made a sale, "Cryan"." "(scoffs)" "Hey, Jack, you want a ride?" "So I assume you know what I wanted to talk to you about." "No, but I bet you're gonna tell me." "You gotta start getting along better with your foster parents." "I got a report that you've been arguing with them." "Good riddance to them both." "This is your ninth foster home, Jack." "We can't have you getting kicked out now when you're so close to being out of the system." "Fine..." "I'll shut my mouth." "You gotta get it together, son." "You'll be 18 soon and out on your own." "The day can't come soon enough." "Frankly, I'm not so sure you're ready for it." "I'll be fine." "Well, I'd like to see you prove that to me." "Better yet, I'd like to see you prove it to yourself." "You know, I've invested a lot of time and energy into you over the years, son," "And I don't want to see it go to waste." "♪" "I can't believe you don't already have a boyfriend." "I've had boyfriends." "Just don't have one right now." "So... you looking?" "Not really, I'm too busy applying to colleges." "Not to mention you're a bit young for her, don't you think?" "I think you could get more work done if you worried about yourself more and me less." "I'm on break, unlike you, who would get more work done if you actually did some work." "Enough, you two." "But she's right." "You've gotta get back to work, okay?" "We're running out of time to get this place closed for Christmas." "(dog whimpers)" "You know, you're like that girl they hook you up with." "Say she's got an outstanding personality, which really means..." "outstandingly difficult to look at." "No offense." "Most dogs are beautiful." "You, however, have an outstanding personality." "Hm." "What's up with "Cryan"?" "It's Mrs. Rose, the owner of the shelter." "We just got horrible news." "What happened to her?" "It's not her, it's the shelter." "We just found out we're not gonna be opening again after the holidays." "(laughs) What are you talking about?" "Exactly what she just said." "The shelter's closing permanently, and there's nothing we can do to stop it." "But what about the dogs that haven't been placed in homes yet?" "They'll go to the city shelter." "And those that have been here for over six months will likely be euthanized." "That's not right." "The whole thing's not right." "But Mrs. Rose, who built the shelter, can't afford to keep it up anymore." "She was forced to sell." "Why doesn't she take the dogs?" "She loves these dogs, but she can't really take 'em 'cause she's allergic." "Most dogs only last a few weeks at the city shelter." "Then, they'll just kill 'em after they arrive." "We don't do that here." "That's why I started working here in the first place." "Just the thought of it, I can't take it." "Here, they could have stayed forever." "Over there, they say they can't spend public money on lost causes." "How many lost causes are there?" "At last count, 11." "And most of them have some major issues, which is why they've been here so long." "Wait, the dogs still here are the ones they're just gonna... (Ryan) Don't say it." "Well, how much time do they have?" "Just under two weeks." "Until Christmas Eve." "Won't exactly make our Christmas all warm, and fuzzy, and merry this year, that's for sure." "Hey." "I'm sorry about the dogs." "Yeah, it's so terrible." "Poor Ryan." "We would take some of the dogs home with us if we could, but we can't 'cause our cat's terrified of them." "Have you ever had a dog before?" "I think Ryan used to have one when she was younger, before my mom married her dad." "It's sad she can't have one now since she's the real dog lover." "I like them too, but I'm just volunteering here for my resume." "Ooh, cute and smart." "Double threat." "(giggles)" "Glad I could at least use my winning personality to find old Mimsy a home." "Jack-- wait." "Yeah?" "You still have more than 60 hours left on your service." "You digging through my personal file, "Cryan"?" "Can you be serious for, like, one minute, please?" "Fine, what?" "What if you help me place all the unadoptable dogs before Christmas?" "Why would you want my help?" "Come on, Jack, we all know you're, like, the prince of persuasion." "Even I have to admit you have a certain" "Charm?" "Persuasiveness over people." "It's a terrible idea." "I know from experience." "You can't make people take things they don't want." "(dogs barking)" "Love would really have to be blind to find you." "(dog barks)" "(dogs barking)" "Fine, I'm in, okay?" "In what, Jack?" "Trouble again?" "No, I'm in to helping find the dogs homes before Christmas." "Under one condition, of course." "And that is..." "You help me land a date with your sister." "Fine." "Really?" "Hillary's totally into bad decisions when it comes to men." "I should have no problem getting her to fall for you whatsoever." "You know what?" "I'm gonna take that as a compliment." "But are you sure there aren't any other reasons that you might have changed your mind?" "Like..." "All those adorable pups?" "Maybe even Petunia?" "No, not at all." "The only other reason I could possibly think is knowing that it's gonna torture you just as much as it'll torture me having to spend the next two weeks together." "Fine, yay to getting tortured then." "So as Blair said, most of the dogs have issues that make them nearly impossible to place." "No need to be afraid of Titus." "He's all bark, no bite." "(barking)" "All sound and fury, signifying nothing." "Quoting Shakespeare." "I must say I'm actually impressed." "Indeed, smarter than I look." "Yeah, don't flatter yourself." "And this is Romeo, the complete opposite of Titus." "All he wants to do is hug and kiss." "Total planter." "And this is Clementine." "Need I say more?" "So what's up with these two pups?" "They seem fine." "Yeah, that does seem the case with Cassie, and Maggie, or the twins, as we call them." "But really, they're going 100 miles per hour." "Dogs with ADD." "Wait, is that so bad?" "They drive people crazy." "They never stop." "Plus, they go mental if they're separated." "They've been adopted out twice and brought back really fast." "And Skippy here obviously has cataracts and can't see much of anything." "Can't they be fixed or something?" "I don't know, can you afford the surgery?" "'Cause we sure can't." "Well, um, I'm all out of stains, sprayed, not a penny to my name." "You know, funny enough, though, Skippy can still fetch." "He wants to play ball 24/7." "This is Bruno." "He's super smart, but in dog years, he'd be our in-house senior citizen." "So no one wants to take him 'cause he's so old." "And this here is Boomer." "He really likes to roughhouse." "Probably belongs more in a frat house than around children." "And our little lady Sadie here has a ton of skin allergies, so whoever takes her is gonna have to pay for her shots." "Poor Poppy." "We think that she was abused and abandoned by her prior owner." "And we're pretty sure it was a man because she's terrified of them." "So she's afraid of all men?" "Yeah." "That's so sad." "And finally, there's Petunia, our longest-running resident." "She's been here for over two years now." "How did she get here anyway?" "It was before I started working here, but Blair told me that the woman who brought her in said she saw her and her mom in a ditch filled with water the day before." "She's pretty sure Petunia's mom abandoned her because she was too weak to climb out of the ditch." "She nearly drowned in there." "Well, she's not weak anymore." "And besides, how was she not already adopted?" "She's easily the sweetest dog in here." "Only..." "She's not pretty or perfect?" "Not all of us can be like Hillary, huh, Petunia?" "I was actually gonna say that she is kind of perfect." "Maybe people are just too blind to see it." "Okay, so I have the perfect idea for where we can start trying to find homes for these dogs first thing tomorrow." "You want to come?" "We could really use your persuasive skills." "Huh, Petunia?" "Yeah, sure." "in need of a home for the holidays, and we thought if you would be so kind as to let us, maybe we could try and find homes for them by doing some sort of doggie adoption day here." "We?" "Who's we?" "Me and J" " Jack!" "Oh, no, not you again!" "No way, miss." "Forget it." "♪" "Any luck?" "Nope, we went 0 for 11." "Not even a nibble." "Well, don't let one bad day get you down." "You know, it's Christmastime." "It's the season of miracles and hope." "You are frighteningly optimistic, Blair." "Well, maybe if we all get in the Christmas spirit, it might help our chances, you know?" "Yeah, just gonna be a lot more work than I originally thought." "I guess we'll pick a new neighborhood tomorrow and see if we can place any of the dogs there." "Jack, you hear anything I just said?" "Sure, sure, new location." "What are you studying?" "It's for my AP business course." "We're learning target marketing." "Target marketing." "Yeah, you know, where you target your product to a particular market that's perfect for it." "Oh, kinda like what I do with my stain spray." "Yeah, I guess so." "It's too bad we can't target-market" "Petunia into a good home too." "Jack, you're a genius." "Huh?" "No, we target market the unadoptable dogs into new homes." "It's perfect." "So you're saying we use what's keeping them from being adopted to our advantage." "Exactly, we turn their negatives into positives." "Guys, these are dogs we're talking about." "I don't think it works like that." "No, no." "Wait, Hill, they-- they have a good point." "Take the twins for example." "They're super-hyper, so maybe we need to find a family with super-hyper kids to keep up with them, right?" "Exactly." "(Jack) Target marketing, I love it." "Thank you for helping me spawn this amazing idea with that book of yours, Hillary." "I can feel your intellect rubbing off on me as we speak." "Here, let me help you there." "Wouldn't want you to fall." "(scoffs)" "What?" "Nothing." "No, not nothing." "You did that "pfft" thing like you always do." "Me?" "No, I didn't say anything." "Why are you such a wet spot?" "Why are you such a dirty floor?" "You know, you really do have a way with people, Jack." "While some might call it charm," "I'd call it selfish, self-absorbed egotism." "Well, considering my parents left me when I was a kid," "I have no real family, no place to call home-- unless you're considering the nine different foster homes" "I've been in over the last seven years-- yeah, I guess I am selfish." "Hard not to be focused on yourself when all you have is yourself." "I'm sorry, I didn't know how rough you had it." "No, I don't want your pity party." "Just do what you promised, and fix me up with your sister." "Fine, you help us target-market the rest of these dogs into the right homes, and I'll get you your date." "Good." "♪" "♪ Ooh, ooh, yeah ♪" "♪ I get caught up in all the hustle and bustle ♪" "♪ Of holiday glee ♪" "♪ Won't be long till we're opening presents ♪" "♪ Under the tree ♪" "(dog snarls)" "♪ I love this time of year ♪" "♪ And I know why ♪" "♪ Christmas is better with two ♪" "♪ I just want to share this moment with you ♪" "♪ Christmas is better with two ♪" "♪ I just want to share this moment ♪" "♪ Ooh, ooh ♪" "♪ Ooh, wah, ah, ah, ah ♪" "♪ You came along ♪" "♪ Like a winter song ♪" "♪ Now, I sing as the Christmas lights spin ♪" "♪ Around, and around, and around ♪" "♪ Oh ♪" "♪" "(Blair) So you have about 10 more days till Christmas Eve, and only about seven dogs left to find homes for?" "That's not bad, guys." "I still think the odds are against us, though." "We've got dogs with much bigger problems than the ones we placed today." "It's gonna take a Christmas miracle to find homes for the rest of these pups." "Well, good thing one of us believes in Christmas miracles." "Hey, guys, just bringing Boomer back." "I can't stay, though, I gotta run to rehearsal." "Uh, Jack, would you mind taking a picture of me?" "We need a good one for the Christmas pageant flyer." "Boomer, get your big, hairy butt out of my picture." "Guys, I just got a great idea of how we can get these dogs adopted." "How?" "We host our very own doggie adoption day, like, a few days before Christmas, hire a photographer to take pictures of kids with some dogs, Santa, maybe even a pretty Christmas elf." "That sounds like a great idea." "That sounds expensive." "No, wait." "What if we got it at the community center?" "I used to volunteer there, so I'm sure they'd let us borrow the space for an adoption day." "And maybe some of the other pageant elves can come too." "What a great idea, Jack." "Hillary, how do you always get people to do things for you for free?" "I don't know, I guess I'm just" "Hillary." "And hooray for Hillary!" "(dog barking)" "(door closes)" "Sorry, Jack, dinner's already been served." "Are there any leftovers?" "We were gonna tell you about the move." "We were just trying to figure out how." "Moving's my middle name, Josie." "Should have been really easy for you and old Lou." "It's Trevor and Tony that I'm worried about." "So we found a family who's interested in taking Trevor and Tony." "Really sweet couple." "They live in that fancy gated community, Honey Brook?" "Even have a cute little pug to play with." "So they might be interested in taking the boys before Christmas." "Wow." "So I won't see the boys for Christmas." "Jack, we'd like you to think about coming with us if you want." "(door closes)" "♪" "(bully) What up, Frankie?" "What you got in the bag?" "(laughs)" "Give him back the bag." "This don't concern you, Jack." "Hand over the bag now!" "Look, I don't wanna fight you, Jack." "Come on, Terry, make my Christmas." "Come on." "Hey, thanks a lot, man." "Yeah, don't mention it." "'Tis the season for giving and all that mushy stuff." "Yeah, right." "So what's your name, kid?" "Frankie." "Hi, Frankie, I'm Jack, nice to meet you." "Yeah, I know." "I was always afraid to talk to you before." "But what you did was really nice." "Well, you know, next time, I might not be here to help you." "What you need, my friend, is some real protection 'cause those bullies are gonna be back." "What do you suggest?" "Well, my friend, Frankie, that is a fantastic question." "Frankie, meet Titus." "(dog barking)" "Aw... buddy." "I'll take him." "(dog barking)" "Good boy, good boy." "Very good, very good." "Well, have a Merry Christmas to you too." "Hey, Blair." "Hey!" "How are you?" "I'm good, how about you?" "It's good to see you." "Listen, I just came by to check on Jack." "He's been great, he's been helping us clean up this place and helping the last dogs get adopted." "Really?" "And actually," "He came up with an idea for a doggie adoption day at the community center." "Well, what do you know?" "I actually have a juvenile probationer who's doing exactly what he was asked to do." "Will wonders never cease?" "Honestly, I think the dogs are finally getting to him." "Well, that's fantastic." "Well, I guess I didn't have any cause to worry about anything." "I'll see you soon, huh?" "Yeah, I'll see you at Christmas." "You better-- all right, honey." "Bye." "Bye." "♪ before your parents split up." "Yeah, I did." "Her name was Jessie." "She was a big, beautiful collie just like Lassie." "What happened?" "My dad moved into an apartment that didn't allow dogs, so I had to keep Jessie at my mom's new boyfriend's house." "One morning, he was late for work." "He didn't know I let Jessie out." "He hit her from behind with his car." "Mom came in, took his side, saying he didn't mean to do it and it was probably my fault." "I still can't talk to her." "Why are you so much into dogs?" "What's not to like about a dog?" "They're endlessly loyal, always in a great mood." "Huh, Petunia?" "They never, ever leave you." "Hey, look, I got an idea." "♪" "Almost." "I heard that you're helping to find homes for animals down at the shelter." "It's better than roadside cleanup." "So you are using your unique powers of persuasion for good this time." "Does it really matter?" "Well, if you're getting something from it," "I guess not, but are you getting something from it?" "I don't really think about it." "Well, you know, Jack, you're almost an adult now." "Maybe you should start thinking about it." "Sounds like you need to retire, Art, because you've obviously gone off your rocker." "Well, you know, Jack, maybe I'll just do that." "Um, do you think you could give me some Christmas cash?" "Christmas cash?" "What do you need cash for?" "You've got a roof over your head." "You've got clothes on your back." "You've got food to eat." "Oh, wait a minute, wait a minute." "Is this about that girl?" "(laughs)" "No, it's... personal." "Really?" "Okay, then, Jack, let's get personal." "Okay." "I was going to get some Christmas presents for the little guys... probably going-away presents." "All right, Jack." "I'll see what I can do." "♪" "How's the writing going?" "You never told me what you write about." "They're just kinda short stories, you know?" "All fiction?" "Yeah, mostly." "Any good?" "I don't know." "Uh, I guess not." "You're pretty smart, they can't be that bad." "(sighs)" "Maybe you should treat your stories like you treat the dogs" "With a little bit of positive thinking, you could write something really great." "You think?" "Yeah." "Isn't that right, Petunia?" "So, you know, I talked with Jack yesterday." "Yeah?" "How is he?" "Well, you know, I think the community service is really making him think about things from a different perspective." "I think that he's really trying this time." "Finally." "Well, I'll be." "You know, maybe all your meetings with him over the years are finally starting to stick." "Mm, I can't tell." "But you know, that kid sure does remind me of why I got into this business in the first place." "Did you tell him about your retirement plans after the holidays yet?" "No." "I've been trying to figure out a way to tell him." "Hasn't come to me yet, though." "Well, honey..." "there's no easy way, just the right way and the right time." "And that time is now." "What would I do without you?" "(both laugh)" "Whoo!" "Oh, yeah!" "All right, guys, let's get out of here." "♪ And when your jaw drops to the floor ♪" "(sighs)" "So I heard you guys were having some people over to see if they might want to adopt you this week?" "Sounds like you might have a new mommy and daddy before Christmas." "If they adopt us, does that mean we won't ever see our real mom ever again?" "Well, maybe, but these new parents will be your new mommy and daddy." "But I still love my mommy." "I know, I love my mom too." "Our moms are nice, but they're just not good at being moms full-time." "Like Trevor's not good at his math?" "(both laugh)" "Hey, I'm getting better, right, Jack?" "Yep, you are, and we're gonna work at it until you get great." "Will the new parents be nice to me and Tony?" "I'm sure they will." "Cool." "I also heard that they're looking for good, little boys, so you just have to show them how good you are." "Like with Santa?" "Yes, exactly." "Now, do you guys remember what I told you to say to parents that might adopt you?" "Yes." "My name is Trevor, and I am a very good boy." "And this is Tony." "I won't say cute, but he's smart." "(laughs)" "Brilliant-- okay, your turn, Tony." "I'm Tony, and it's a pleasure to meet me." "Even better than I taught you, but you might want to say "you" next time, okay?" "You guys might just have parents before Christmas." "♪" "(dog barks)" "Jack Whitley." "Long time, no see, young man." "This is sure unexpected, but merry Christmas to you." "Who's your little friend there?" "Oh, this is Clementine." "She yours?" "For the time being at least." "So, um, what's up?" "How is everything?" "Good-- not too bad, I guess." "You staying out of trouble these days?" "At least trying to." "How's your new foster family?" "Eh, not too bad." "How's Molly?" "Molly?" "Oh, she's great." "Enjoying junior high." "That's actually why I'm here today, to be honest." "Why's that?" "Well, uh, I was just remembering back to when you were fostering me and how you'd always get on my case, but you were really forgiving... you and Molly both." "And I was just thinking I treated you guys really bad, and I really just feel awful about it." "I thought maybe I'd give you a thank-you gift for being a positive influence on my life." "Okay." "Molly was always so inspiring to me, and Clementine needs some inspiration, e specially right now in her life." "You brought us a three-legged dog?" "Oh, yeah, I guess." "Kinda" " I mean, no offense." "I just thought-- Jack, look." "I'm sure Molly would love to have a dog, but it's a huge commitment." "I don't know if we can with her being in a wheelchair." "Come on, Mr. Banks." "You and I both know that Molly is one of the most capable people that there is." "And honestly, I don't want to beg you or anything, but Clementine needs a home right now." "Otherwise, she'll be euthanized before Christmas." "Well." "Truth is I haven't had time to find Molly a proper present anyway," "So... perhaps you might have just saved my behind as well." "Now, why don't you come inside for some hot cocoa, help me put up this tree, and tell me what kind of forms we need to fill out for your friend here before Molly gets back home?" "Thanks, I really appreciate it." "Don't mention it." "It's just great to see the kind of man you turned out to be, Jack." "I'm sure Molly'd be thrilled to hear it too." "♪" "(phone rings)" "Rose's Animal Shelter, happy holidays." "How can I help you?" "Yeah, we got a few grade-A adoptees left, but technically, we're closed." "Yeah, we could drive over there tonight." "Yeah, it would be a special holiday delivery." "She's smart, wonderful with kids, and super nice." "Yeah, I think she'd be a great addition to your family." "1450 Fairview." "Be there in, like, 15 minutes sharp." "So spill, which dog do they want?" "I think we found Petunia a home." "Hello." "Hello." "My name's Jack, and this is my kennel comrade Ryan, and this right here is beautiful, old Petunia." "She's here to spread Christmas joy to your family." "Well, uh..." "She's the sweetest dog ever." "She's housebroken, smart, and great with kids." "Plus, she does tricks." "Petunia, sit." "Petunia, shake hands." "Petunia, dance?" "I'm sorry, I think we're gonna have to pass." "It's just not the kind of dog we're looking to surprise our children with, okay?" "She's not an it, she's a she." "And what kind of dog are you looking to get?" "I don't know, maybe a puppy perhaps, something fluffy, something that won't scare them half to death every time it looks back at them, you know?" "At least let me pay you for your time." "Take your money and shove it" "Jack!" "Don't." "Right back into your pocket, sir." "Come on, Petunia, we're leaving." "(Petunia squeals) Hey, what's the point of that?" "I'm angry, okay?" "Well, look, you scared Petunia." "She's shaking, she loves you." "You shouldn't do that to her." "Okay, I'm sorry, Tunie." "I didn't mean to scare you." "You forgive me?" "I'm sure she already has." "Not like you even tried apologizing to me." "So, um, what about my date with Hillary?" "Still working on that, or-- Sorry." "She's been super swamped with that big Christmas play, and I've been a little preoccupied trying to find homes for all these dogs, remember?" "Can't it wait till after Christmas, Mr. Impatient?" "As long as I get to kiss her on New Year's Eve night..." "I suppose." "Spare me the details." "The thought of kissing you makes me wanna ralph." "Why are you such a hater, anyways?" "Don't you date boys?" "I'll date a boy when I find a decent boy to date." "I bet you're into those hipster types, aren't you?" "No, just preferably someone real who's into the same things as me." "What?" "Like, Shakespeare?" "I don't just like Shakespeare." "I'm into other stuff too" "J.K. Rowling, Sedaris, Sybil, Stephen King." "I have all kinds of tastes in books." "Wait, I like Stephen King too." "Yeah?" "Better not tell Hillary that." "She thinks anyone who reads his stuff is prone to violence." "(scoffs) That's kinda silly." "On the other hand, you did see what I did to that trash can earlier, right?" "Yeah." "(sneezes)" "Thank you so much for everything, Blair." "I" " I couldn't have kept this place alive as long as I have without your help." "Of course, Miss Rose, we-- we did our best." "We sure tried, didn't we?" "Yeah." "Oh." "(sneezes)" "Thank you, Blair." "(door opens)" "(door closes)" "So that's the lady that owns the place, the one you told me was allergic to dogs?" "Yeah, that was Miss Rose." "Poor lady, she's a mess." "Oh, even with all the dogs almost gone," "I can still barely breathe in here." "Maybe this was a bad idea." "Just one more breed." "See?" "No allergens with this breed." "Totally hypoallergenic." "I didn't even know we had a hairless here." "How precious is she?" "The only thing is, Miss Rose, she's got just about as many allergies as you do." "Do you think you're gonna be able to keep up her allergy shots regularly?" "Oh, I've got a deal over with Dr. George, the local vet?" "As much business as we've brought him through the years, it shouldn't be a problem at all." "Little miss." "Sadie... her name is Sadie." "Sadie..." "I love it, and her." "Thanks so much, guys." "You've done so much for these poor pups, and I'm just never gonna be able to thank you enough." "And I know you're gonna find homes for all the rest of them tomorrow night." "(sneezes)" "(chuckles)" "Night, Jack." "Night, Blair-- night, "Cryan."" "Night, Jackson." "Jackson." "Merry Christmas, son." "Oh, it's good to see you." "Look how big you've gotten, you're a man now." "Hi, Mom." "So what are you doing in this neighborhood?" "Are they fostering you around here now?" "No, just grabbing some last-minute supplies for this dog shelter event I'm helping out with over at the community center." "Oh, look at you, Mr. Do-Gooder." "Working for an animal shelter?" "You're working on some silly merit badge or something?" "Real funny, Mom, mock my progress." "Great parenting." "I'm just kidding." "Lighten up, goodness." "Hey, I saw your dad a couple of months ago." "Where, jail?" "How'd you know?" "He's still a mess, but I'm doing better." "I've been sober for three whole days now." "What are you going to do with the malt liquor in your bag then?" "I am celebrating." "Who are you, my AA rep?" "Goodness." "(chuckles)" "So how's your foster family treating you?" "I don't know." "They want me to move with them to Arizona." "You're thinking about it." "But you know, you could always move in with me." "Yeah, right." "No, no, I'm serious." "Really?" "For sure." "Do you have any plans for Christmas?" "Well, you know, I don't know." "I've got this party thing," "So the day before Christmas Eve." "I can do that." "So, um, where do you want to meet?" "Goodness, I don't know." "Maybe we could meet at that old diner on Seventh?" "3:00 p.m.?" "That sounds great." "Merry Christmas, son." "♪" "(laughs)" "So you guys think we'll find homes for our last three friends tonight at our big event?" "I sure hope so since we haven't had much luck with these three, even with all the marketing." "I'm fairly sure with Hillary at the helm, with her elf girl costume, some friends, we'll have no problem finding homes for those pups." "Hey, I placed a few dogs myself in recent days too." "Ryan, dear, two is not a few." "Look up the definition." "Anyways, I guess you did all right." "Whoa, you called her Ryan instead of "Cryan."" "Like a whole new side of Jack we've never seen before." "I suppose I'm trying to backpedal a bit, maybe get off the naughty list before Christmas Eve." "Fat chance, you can't backpedal that fast, buddy." "And anyway, I'll place a few tonight." "Yeah?" "So why don't we have a little bit of an unfriendly wager over who can place the most dogs?" "Fine, an unfriendly wager it is." "♪" "Hey, can you zip me up?" "Ooh, someone sure is trying to look pretty tonight." "Whatever for?" "I just want to look presentable trying to find homes for all the dogs tonight, you know?" "Mm-hmm, and will Jack be there?" "Yeah, but what does that have to do with anything?" "You're the one Jack has a big fat crush on." "Yeah, but I haven't been around much lately, and I guess I just thought maybe he'd wise up to what a cool chick my little sister is." "Whatever." "t?" "ack's a brat." "But he sure is a cute brat whenever he's putting on the charm to place the pups into homes, huh?" "Now, how about you let me do your hair, hmm?" "Fine." "♪" "♪ I don't want nothing melancholy ♪" "♪ Just a little eggnog and holly ♪" "♪ On this holiday with you ♪" "♪ So hurry up, don't keep me waiting ♪" "♪ I'm in the mood for celebrating ♪" "♪ Just want a holiday for two ♪" "Okay, that's great, who's next?" "♪ As long as I'm with you ♪" "♪ I don't care what we do ♪" "♪ A cozy fire or snowflakes under the moon ♪" "♪ Grab some candy canes, we'll go ice fishing ♪" "♪ As long as we're together, we can only win ♪" "♪ When you're around it's Christmas ♪" "♪ The whole year through ♪" "♪ Oh, I don't want nothing ♪" "(Jack) Oh, Boomer loves to play fetch and Frisbee as well." "Frisbee is kinda like his game." "This dog's really the dog for you because honestly, like, it can do anything you want it to do." "(Ryan) This is Bruno, and he's the greatest dog in the whole world and would be a great addition to your family." "How old is he?" "Hey, well, this is the right place." "He's great with kids, and he loves all people, and he's super cuddly." "I love the coloring." "He's just the cutest thing, isn't he?" "(Ryan) This is Petunia, the absolute coolest dog in the entire world, so you have to have her in your home." "She's amazing-- she's a little bit scraggly, but hey, we all get a little scraggly sometimes." "It's just bedhead." "She loves cuddling, and so she'll just snuggle all the time." "She's really good at some things, and other things, she's all right at." "But you know what?" "If you just have, like, some calm, and willpower, and some determination... ♪ I'm in the mood for celebrating ♪" "♪ Just want a holiday ♪" "So, guess you guys will have to call it a draw." "You each placed pups, and now Boomer and Bruno have homes." "Yeah, but I still think we both lost, and here's why." "Why is it that we're the only ones who see the beauty in this wonderful dog?" "I think we're blinded by love." "It happens." "Like your parents, for example, still love Ryan over there, and we all know how hard it is to love her." "You know what?" "Every time I think you're starting to be a decent guy, you prove me wrong." "Okay, it was a joke." "Don't go crying about it." "No, it was mean." "You were mean, and I'm over it." "Okay, I was kidding." "You shouldn't be 2so tough on her, Jack." "I di't think she'd take it so personally." "(Blair) Jack, she's a teenager." "She takes everything personally." "Let's get Petunia back, come on." "♪" "(Ryan) Hey, did you guys see my notebook?" "I can't find it anywhere." "No, sorry, I haven't seen it." "Is Jack not coming in today?" "No, he's working really hard to find Petunia a home." "You know, he can be really sweet sometimes." "I bet you he didn't mean what he said last night, Ryan." "Well, then, he shouldn't have said it." "Yeah, he can be a pain, but, I mean, he's gotten a lot better since he's been here, even with you." "I don't know." "I guess, but it still doesn't excuse him for what a jerk he was last night." "You know, I bet he lashed out at you because he saw how cute you were looking." "I mean, I bet it made him all nervous to see how pretty you are." "Yeah, guys totally lash out on girls they like." "Men are so predictable." "Guys, there is no way that Jack is into me, okay?" "He made it very clear." "Mm-hmm, just like you've made it very clear that you're not into him, right?" "Exactly." "So you're sure you're not into him?" "I'm sure." "Fine-- well, then you won't mind if I go out with him tonight." "Seriously?" "Well, yeah, I mean, if you're not into him." "No-- uh, I mean, that's perfect because I told him that I would get him a date with you, so yeah." "This is a really, really good thing, and I'll let him know." "Hillary told me you were cleaning up all afternoon." "This was supposed to be my area." "Somebody had to do it since you weren't here." "I guess you're still angry about last night?" "I'm sorry." "What else do you want me to say?" "Look, your date with Hillary is set for tonight." "8:30 at Magnolia's." "Really?" "Yes, really." "There, are you happy now?" "So now, we're even and can just leave each other alone." "Cool?" "Fine." "Whatever you want." "Oh, and by the way, you left this at the community center last night." "♪" "Two eggnog shakes, please." "Oh, no thanks, not for me." "Just a water spritzer, please." "Thanks." "You don't like eggnog shakes?" "Your sister loves them." "Oh, no, yuck, far too fatty." "So this is nice." "It is." "And you look beautiful as always." "Well, thank you kindly, Jack." "So very charming as usual." "I guess it's nice we're not old enough to drink since I can't really afford any alcohol anyways." "It's all good, Jack." "I'm good to pay for tonight if that's okay for you, my treat for all the help you've been at the shelter." "But I don't want you to." "I suggested this place, so I insist." "Thanks, Hillary." "That's really nice." "So have you read any good books lately?" "Ugh, only these awful, never-ending text books I'm grossly tired of." "That's too bad." "So what do you think about this older girl/ younger guy thing?" "Personally, I don't usually go for younger guys." "I tend to think relationships are much stronger when both people are about the same age, you know?" "Huh, guess I never really thought of it that way." "Do you even know any girls your own age, Jack?" "What about Ryan?" "You guys are about the same age, right?" "Yeah, but she doesn't count." "Why not?" "Because she's just not the kind of girl I would date." "Besides, she's annoying, and she hates me." "Jack, when I can't stand a guy, it's usually 'cause I like him." "Wow, women really are confusing." "And that's why men love us." "Cheers, Jack-- to a happy holiday." "Now, you two are ready for the big visit from your potential parents, who should be here any time now." "What does "potential" mean, Jack?" "It means maybe." "So maybe, you'll have a nice new mommy and daddy by Christmas." "Aren't you excited?" "Jack, how come you never got adopted?" "Well, I guess I was never as smart, nice, or as sweet as you guys." "But you're nice and smart now, so maybe you'll still get adopted." "Maybe." "I don't know, I'm a little old." "No one really wants a kid my age." "We do, Jack!" "I know you boys do." "But we'll feel bad if we leave you though, Jack." "We don't want you to be alone." "But you don't have to worry about me because you know what?" "I'm actually going to eat with my mom today." "Really?" "So maybe she'll adopt you again." "I don't know, I've seen a lot of miracles happen this Christmas, so we'll see." "Ready, guys?" "Hello, I'm Tony, and it's a pleasure to meet you." "And I'm Trevor, and I'm a very good boy." "This is Tony" " I wouldn't say cute, but he's smart." "♪" "(Jack) So where do you want to meet?" "(Martha) Maybe we could meet at that old diner on Seventh." "3:00 p.m.?" "That sounds great." "(objects crashing)" "Jack, what are you doing?" "Jack, please stop!" "Whatever's upsetting you, this isn't gonna help." "Okay, I'm gonna call Art, he'll know what to do." "What is it?" "Jack, what's wrong?" "You're scaring me again." "You don't know what it's like!" "What what's like?" "My family, my life, my non-family, everything!" "Go away, you stupid, ugly dog!" "No one even likes you!" "Petunia!" "Blair, grab her, she's running out the door." "(horn honks, tires screech)" "What did you do?" "I didn't see her." "I'm so sorry." "(Blair) Jack, calm down." "Ryan, call the emergency vet." "I can't believe I did this, is she" "Jack, her heart is beating, and she's not bleeding, but she was unconscious for a bit, and that's not good." "Jack, maybe we shouldn't move her." "She could have spinal injuries." "Well, we gotta get to the vet now." "I can't lose her." "Well, I don't see any broken bones." "My guess is she has a concussion." "How long was she knocked out?" "A few seconds, maybe a bit more." "No, it was-- it was more than that." "Probably 20 seconds." "Did she cry in pain when she came to?" "Not that we heard." "No, she did, just a little bit, though." "But she's still tough." "Well, that's obvious." "I'd like to keep her overnight just for observations, just in case there's some internal bleeding I didn't detect." "That's a good girl." "Just lay down." "You're gonna have to stay here tonight, but we'll be back first thing in the morning to get you." "And I'm so, so sorry." "You're not ugly." "I was the one being ugly." "You're perfect." "Guys, look, I'm so-- Save it, Jack, okay?" "I didn't want to stress out Petunia back there, but I have nothing to say to you." "That kind of behavior back at the shelter," "I" " I can't believe you would do that." "That's unacceptable." "Ryan worked really hard to clean up that back room, and you ruined it with your stupid temper." "Blair, I didn't mean-- No." "We don't have time for this." "We have to go back and clean up all over again." "Come on, Ryan, let's go." "(door opens)" "(door closes)" "Hey, want me to give you a ride home?" "Come on." "Jack, you've done enough work today, and it's getting late anyway." "Come on in here and get something to eat, okay?" "Okay, I'm paying you for today-- oh, 'cause if Art paid you, it would be a violation of professional protocol." "So you can thank me, okay?" "I heard about what happened with your mother today." "You okay?" "Yeah." "Yeah, I'm fine." "Should have known she'd bail on me." "It's what she's always done." "Well, she's missing out on the wonderful man that I've watched you become over these years, and that's a shame." "Thanks for that." "But I worry I'm becoming just like her." "Mm." "I know you won't be like that, son." "So just take the good memories that you have of her 'cause someone has greater plans for you." "I can feel it." "♪" "Jack, what is going on?" "I thought all the acting up and all the destruction was all over with." "I guess not." "I'm sure I can't go back there now." "Well, who says the shelter won't take you back?" "They worked so hard to clean up that place... and I just ruined it." "Look, Jack, just go over there and apologize to them." "No way." "You heard Blair." "It's over." "It's done." "Jack, it's not for you to decide." "Go over there and apologize to her." "That's an official order." "Do you get it?" "Blair..." "I'm so sorry." "From the very beginning, I've just been a pain to you guys, and you've always been so good to me." "You really scared us tonight." "Promise me no more outbursts." "If you need help, we talk." "We don't demolish things, got it?" "Yeah." "You're not a pain, Jack, at least not most of the time." "It's been really great having you here... when you're not, you know, destroying things." "And about your birth parents-- you're not the one who has the problem." "They do." "I didn't grow up in the most stable home either." "You know, I" " I wasn't a foster kid, but I probably should have been." "My mom passed away when I was a kid, and that's how I met Art." "Art was your probation officer too?" "Yeah, you got it." "He, uh, helped me get a job here, and eventually, I started running the place." "I was able to channel all of that bad energy into helping all the sweet animals here." "So, um, now that the shelter's closing, what are you gonna do?" "Well, I mean, we had a good run." "We helped a lot of dogs." "You know, doing good is a great thing, Jack." "It's good for you." "Remember that." "Yeah, I'm trying to." "Well, I mean, keep-- keep trying." "I mean, I keep trying." "You know, for someone that had it really bad, you turned out pretty good." "Maybe there's hope for me yet." "Mm-hmm, that's the spirit." "Now, grab a box and help me clean up the mess you made." "So, um..." "where is Ryan anyways?" "Oh, I sent her home to spend some time with her family." "So, uh, she's still mad at me, I guess?" "Nah, I mean, if anything," "I think she's really worried about you." "She really cares about you, Jack... which is why it hurts her when you say mean things." "All right, come on, help me clean up." "Who are you?" "I'm Ryan." "I work at the animal shelter with Jack." "Is he here?" "Are you the hot sister?" "No." "I'm the not-hot sister." "The one who gets on Jack's nerves." "Don't feel bad." "I get on Jack's nerves sometimes too." "Uh, Jack, a girl's here for you." "And she sure is pretty." "Cute kids." "Good kids too." "So why are you here?" "I was going to stop by your place earlier." "I just wanted to see if you wanted to come with me to pick Petunia up." "And why would you do that?" "I mean, I totally demolished the back of the shelter you worked so hard to clean." "Yeah, well, I got a text from Blair this morning saying that you came back in last night to help clean it all up." "And with how angry I've been at my mom in the past," "I can't even imagine the emotions you go through with yours, Jack." "Yeah, but that still doesn't excuse the things I did." "I'm so sorry, Ryan." "So, why were you going to stop by my place then?" "I mean, Hillary went to see her dad, so she's gone." "I wasn't coming to see Hillary." "No?" "No." "I was going to go over to give you this." "Merry Christmas." "It's nothing much." "Christmas was a little tight this year." "No, Jack, this is really sweet." "Thank you." "Don't mention it." "But why did you get me a gift?" "I mean..." "Okay, it's just a silly used book, Ryan.." "No need to make a big deal about it." "All right, fine." "Should we go get Petunia then?" "You know, you don't give yourself enough credit as a writer." "Your stuff is actually pretty good." "You went through my notebook when you found it, didn't you?" "Well, it fell open with my hand" "What else was I supposed to do?" "Jack, I write those stories for me." "Not for anyone else to see." "You love other people's writing, don't you?" "Maybe you shouldn't be so selfish with your own." "You want to talk to me about being selfish?" "Okay." "I'm working on it." "Yeah." "I know." "Well, this place is officially closed." "So what do we do with Petunia now?" "I guess I'll take her to the city shelter before they close and hope for the best." "How long do you think she'll last?" "Can we not talk about that, please?" "I hope at least through Christmas." "It's not really our decision to decide anymore, is it?" "All right." "I'm gonna go." "Do you guys want to hug her before we leave?" "I just" " I can't do it." "(yipping) Hello." "You know, you're the first real family I've ever had." "When we get in there, we gotta be real quiet, okay?" "Jack, is that you?" "It's Christmas Eve." "You missed dinner with the boys." "Jack, you're in big trouble now." "You know you can't have a dog here, right?" "That's why we gotta be super quiet about it." "Is he our Christmas present from you, Jack?" "No-- she has to spend the night here tonight, but then tomorrow, she's gonna stay somewhere else." "But I already love her." "She's pretty." "In an ugly kind of way." "What's her name?" "Petunia." "But I also like to call her Tunie." "Hello, Tunie." "I'm Tony." "Be careful, because she just got hit by a car yesterday." "She's a little fragile." "She isn't gonna die, is she?" "Of course not, Tony." "She's fine now." "Right, Jack?" "Yep." "But she needs some rest." "And so do you guys." "You've got a big day tomorrow." "Christmas and new parents?" "Get to bed, okay?" "Merry Christmas, you guys." "Merry Christmas, Jack." "Merry Christmas, Miss Petunia." "Merry Christmas, Jack." "Merry Christmas, Miss Tunie." "And who is Petunia?" "Uh-oh." "It's the boys' last day here, and you just bring a stray dog into our house without our rmission?" "She didn't have anywhere else to go." "And it's Christmas." "Jack, you know the rules." "No pets." "Where else was I supposed to take her?" "To the pound perhaps?" "That's where stray dogs should go." "And then they'd kill her within a day or two, if not sooner." "That dog is not our problem." "But she is my problem." "The dog can't stay here, okay, Jack?" "Absolutely not." "It has to go today." "She's not an it, Lou." "She's a she." "And if she goes, then so do I." "Don't be ridiculous, Jack." "It's Christmas." "Just find a place for the dog and then come on back home, okay?" "I can't." "I won't." "If this can't be her home, it can't be mine either." "I have to provide for her now." "And when the boys are gone, she'll be the only family I have left." "I know how stubborn you are, Jack, but this is absurd." "You don't have to worry about it, Lou." "You don't have to worry about me anymore." "I'm gonna go, you guys." "And you're not in trouble." "I just came by to give you these presents I want you to have." "Go on." "Open them." "Wow!" "Talkies!" "Yep" " Now that you guys are each going to have your own room, you're gonna need a way to talk back and forth, you know, when it's past your bedtime, just so your new folks don't catch you sneaking around." "Thanks, Jack." "Yeah, thanks, Jack." "And I want you to know that I'm going to visit as much as possible." "We love you, Jack." "Yeah, we love you, Jack." "I love you guys too." "Brothers forever?" "It's a salad tongy thing." "I saw you broke the last one you had." "It's a sporty magazine." "I know you're into that kind of stuff." "Jack." "Please don't go." "It doesn't have to be like this, Jack." "You guys are moving in a couple weeks, right?" "So I think it kind of does." "Anyways, I'll be back to get my stuff later." "And Merry Christmas." "Take care." "I know I'm going to juvie." "And I'm okay with that." "I've been there." "I can survive." "Well, you would." "But there's something I need to tell you" "Wait, Art, please." "Just let me finish." "Anyway, I'll survive there." "Look, I need you to take Tunie." "At least until I get a place of my own." "Then I'll take her back." "If she goes to the city shelter, she won't survive." "I don't think I can do that, Jack." "What I'm trying to say is, I don't think" "I can split you and that ugly little dog apart." "You belong together." "So I'm asking you to come home with me for Christmas." "Wait." "But as my probation officer, can you do that?" "Isn't that a violation of protocol?" "Well, as of yesterday, I am officially retired." "So I'm just a friend now." "You retired?" "Mm-hmm." "I am a free man." "Just like you." "If I go home with you, what's in it for me?" "Tina's pumpkin pie." "You drive a hard bargain, Art." "But, uh, I think I can suffer through it." "(Art) Sweetheart, are you sure you're okay with all this?" "Well, he does eat a lot." "(laughing)" "Oh, honey, I'm okay with it." "You know I like Jack." "And the dog is very well-behaved." "But it'll only be for just a little while." "He can stay as long as he needs to." "They both can." "Look, we've taken in nieces, nephews, and friends of all sorts over the years now." "I think I can handle it." "Besides, with the kids gone, we have all this space." "And I like it better when it's not so quiet around the house anyway." "Well, with Jack around, I don't think quiet will be an issue." "(laughter)" "Don't I know it." "So, what's her name again?" "Petunia." "Oh." "Her name is Petunia." "Well, Miss Petunia, welcome to the family." "So do you always come here for Christmas?" "Yep, been coming here for years now." "Couldn't imagine being anywhere else really." "And we couldn't think of having Christmas without her." "Blair's like family to us now." "Our kids think of her as their little sister." "Where are your kids anyway?" "Oh, they're having Christmas lunch with their own families." "Pretty soon they'll come running in." "Like an army of hungry hooligans." "(doorbell ringing)" "Ooh, Jack, would you get that, please?" "It could be them." "Surprise!" "Merry Christmas!" "Merry Christmas, Ryan." "Right back atcha, Jack." "And what's this?" "Just a few of my short stories." "All edited and cleaned up for public viewing." "You have no idea how happy I am to see you, girl!" "You look so good." "Thank you, Jack." "For her." "♪ Children outside making angels in the snow ♪" "♪ Smiling happy faces although it's four below ♪" "♪ Soon they will be fireside warming up their toes ♪" "♪ Sipping on hot chocolate and toasting marshmallows ♪" "♪ There's love in the air all the family is near ♪" "♪ Christmas is my favorite time of year ♪" "♪ It's Christmas Christmas ♪" "♪ Christmastime is here ♪" "♪ It's Christmas Christmas ♪" "♪ My favorite time of year ♪" "♪ With joy to the world ♪" "♪ With gifts for all the boys and girls ♪" "♪ It's Christmas Christmas Christmas ♪" "Hey, Mom, so what's up with the white boy and that ugly dog?" "Dad says they're staying for a while?" "Well, you know how your dad is." "♪ Wrapping up the presents we put under the tree ♪" "♪ Hiding all the others you want no one to see ♪" "♪ Counting down the hours till Santa and his sleigh ♪" "♪ Anxiously awaiting a joyous Christmas day ♪" "♪ There's love in the air ♪" "♪ All the family is near ♪" "♪ Christmas is my favorite time of year ♪" "♪ It's Christmas Christmas ♪" "♪ Christmastime is here ♪" "♪ It's Christmas Christmas ♪" "♪ My favorite time of year ♪" "♪ With joy to the world ♪"