A Mary Little Christmas (2024)

[bunniefuu]

Good morning. Welcome to A

Little Something Special

Just take your time.

If there's anything I can help

you find, just let me know.

Did you find everything you

were looking for?

Oh, yes.

This and much more.

I just love your store.

I'm definitely coming back.

Oh, thank you.

I love hearing that.

Oh, wow.

Those are beautiful.

My aunt collects nutcrackers,

and she'd love to have

something like that.

Those have been in my

family for a long time.

I'm only missing that one piece.

I have been on the hunt

for that

for years.

That will be $43.25.

Well, I hope you find it.

The hunt is always the most fun.

It's like going on an

adventure and finding treasure.

That is exactly it.

There you are.

Well, I hope you have a great

rest of your day

and a Merry Christmas.

Thank you. Merry Christmas.

Hey. It looks like you found a

little something

extra today, Paul.

Oh, I always do.

Eric showed me where

to find the good stuff.

How's Daniel.

Will he be home for break?

I hope so, but he sometimes

forgets to keep me in the loop.

But I just chalk that up to

him trying to be an adult.

Nah. That's all kids.

They expect you to

read their minds.

Mhmm. You would think as much

as he's on his phone though, he

would find a minute to

drop his mom a line.

Neither of my kids have figured

that out yet and they're older

than Daniel.

Unless they want

something.

Well, I want you to

have a Merry Christmas, Paul.

Thank you, Mary.

You have a Merry Christmas too.

I know I'll be back before

Christmas

because you're always finding

stuff my wife will love.

Aw. Thank you.

Today is a good day.

Yes. It is.

Thank you so much for

working some extra hours.

Are you kidding me?

I love this place.

If I wasn't here, my wife would

be finding something

for me to fix.

They're looking at

the Bayner sculpture.

I've got them right

where I want them.

Go get 'em.

Good night, Eric.

See you tomorrow.

Good night, Mary.

I miss you, Sherita.

You always knew how to

focus on the good things.

Hey, girl. Wait up.

Hey, Gwyn.

Did you bring me some leftovers?

With the day I've had,

you're lucky I love you

and I didn't eat them all.

They smell heavenly.

Mmm.

Chocolate crisps

with peppermint chips

and silver sprinkles.

They've been selling like mad.

I knew you wanted some,

so I saved you a couple.

You're the best.

-Uh-huh.

So the bakery was busy?

Yes. And I needed it too.

How about you?

Yeah. I was busier than normal,

but still not enough to get me

where I need to be by

the end of the year.

So have you heard anything

about who might

buy the building?

No. But I'm really hoping they

don't raise the rent like the

letter said.

I don't know how many more

rent raises I can take.

Yeah. Me neither.

So are we still on for our

planning sesh

at my house tomorrow

night?

Will there be wine?

After this week?

Definitely.

Well then, yes.

We're still on.

But...

I'm wearing my comfy pants.

Oh, I would have

it no other way.

And neither would Sherita.

I finally heard

from the caterer.

The one who does the

fancy mac and cheese?

Yes. That's the one.

She said that she's free that

night and she's actually going

to give us a discount because

sadly her mom was diagnosed

with breast cancer

two years ago.

Oh, wow.

-Yeah.

She was so thankful that

we asked her to

cater the benefit.

Bless her heart.

She started to

cry on the phone.

So I told her to just

bring her mom

and she broke down again.

She is now, and I

quote, "A fan for life."

Aww.

bless her heart.

I'll add them both

to the guest list.

Thank you.

-Mm-hm.

Have you talked to Elena?

Yep.

And I just sent you over a

sample of the work

she's going to hang up

at the gallery.

Oh, wow.

These are amazing.

There will be a whole section

lit up with a black light

because of the paint

she uses.

That is so cool.

We are going to

raise so much money.

Yeah. Sherita would be proud.

You know what she'd

say about all this.

Yep.

She'd pick up a glass of wine,

put her hand on her hip, and

say, "Now why are you doing

all this for little old me?"

"Can't you find anything

better to do with your time?"

And then she would take another

sip and she'd say, "Well, as

long as you're at it, go ahead

and make it bigger and better."

I hope that she'll

be proud of us.

She will be.

I mean, I wouldn't even be

surprised if she found a way to

let us know, like, I don't

know, make it snow or something.

You hush your mouth.

You know good and well that

snow in Memphis is

always a disaster.

Never wish for snow.

The last time we got snow

around Christmas, we lost power

and the roads were covered in

snow and ice for three days.

Just don't do it.

Okay. Okay.

You're right.

Why'd you throw it at me?

You said I was right.

Because the pillow

belongs over there.

Okay.

Alright. Let's take a

look at valet parking.

Oh, Wyatt. Hey.

How are you today?

Hey, Mary. I'm good.

How are things?

Ah. Can't complain.

That's good to hear.

So what have you

brought me today?

Well, it's almost Christmas.

So when I found these, I knew

it was the perfect time

to sell them in the store.

Yeah. Come on.

Wyatt, these are beautiful.

Where did you find them?

At an estate sale.

You got a place for them?

Oh, Honey,

I'll find a place.

Are you still good with me

keeping the twenty percent?

Of course.

I wish you'd take more.

Oh, gosh.

Never in a million years.

That twenty percent is plenty.

Thank you.

You, didn't happen to find

any nutcrackers

while you were

there, did you?

No. Not there.

But I did bring the paper,

and there are

some promising sales in there.

Oh.

I know you're still looking

for the missing piece.

Oh. Look, you already put

some stars on some of them.

I know how important

it is to you.

So is, is Daniel coming home

for the break

or is he on some

big new adventure?

Oh, as far as I know, but he

hasn't confirmed with me yet.

Still figuring out who

and where he wants to be.

Yeah. I know.

I just wish he would tell

me his plans a little sooner

rather than springing them

on me at the last minute.

Just a worried mama, I guess.

Well, you're a good mama.

And you give him

the space he needs.

He realizes that.

I think that's why he's not so

concerned about

telling you his every move.

Well, thank you.

That really helped my heart.

You're so sweet, Wyatt.

Thanks.

Oh, welcome in.

Let me know if I

can help you find anything.

So Mary,

Oh my goodness.

What is it?

Look.

Do you know her?

No. Behind her.

It's the Nutcracker.

No way.

That's it.

I found it.

What'd you find?

Oh, I didn't hear you come in.

Obviously.

Look, it's my grandmother's

Nutcracker,

the one I've been

looking for.

No way.

That's what I said.

It, it says that they're having

a sale early Saturday morning.

Well, you have to go.

I know.

I'll get Eric to open the store.

Why don't you go

with her, Wyatt?

Oh, yes.

I mean, you brought

me the paper.

It's only fitting

that you come with me.

Oh, okay.

I do love seeing an antique

find its forever home.

Sounds like you two have a date.

Mary, I'll, I'll be back and

we can work out the details.

Why do you insist on

embarrassing him like that?

Like what?

He's got a crush on you.

Gwyn.

I know. I know.

You're not interested in dating.

Yet.

There is no yet.

An antique finding

its forever home.

Yeah.

I'm so close, Gwyn.

So close.

This salad is delicious

and savory, but it

can really

use a side of bread.

Coming from someone who owns

a bakery,

aren't you sick of

eating bread?

Why do you think I became

a baker in the first place?

Plus,

I'm always checking

out the competition.

Gwyn, you're the most

talented baker in the county.

There is no competition.

And that's because I'm always

checking out the competition.

Speaking of checking people out,

have you spoken to Wyatt

about your date this Saturday?

It's not a date.

I don't know why you

keep calling it that.

Because I know you, and I know

the thought

would never cross your mind.

Well, stop it.

I'm not ready.

You know that.

Okay. Okay.

Fine. But

when you are ready,

he might not be available

anymore.

Really?

What have you heard?

Nothing.

Just wanted to make you

aware of the possibility.

Well, I am aware.

Thank you.

And I do need to call him to

set up a time and

a place to meet.

You know, I still can't

believe I found it.

Do you think the woman's

had it in her collection

this whole entire time?

I don't know. It

literally blows my mind

that my missing piece

has been in

Memphis this whole time.

How much do you think

she's gonna sell it for?

I don't know.

I'm struggling, but I am

going to find a way

to buy it no matter what.

I just really need to have it.

If the sale of the mall goes

through before Christmas, they

might raise the rent.

Yeah.

Just doesn't seem fair.

I've been looking for that

missing piece

for all these years.

Now when I finally find it, I

might not be able to afford it

or even keep my store

open for that matter.

I hope it doesn't get that bad.

Me too.

Good afternoon, Mary,

Gwyn.

What, Gwyn?

No hello?

Hello, Richard.

That's more like it.

Now I couldn't help but

overhear your conversation.

You mean you were eavesdropping?

No. Just hearing

bits and pieces.

Hmm. Sure.

Did you mention you found

your missing nutcracker?

Yes.

That's great.

Where'd you find it?

I, saw it in a picture

for an estate sale.

That's nice.

What do you want, Richard?

Well, I happen to be the agent

in charge of selling the mall.

Are you serious?

Yes, Lamb.

I'm quite serious.

Don't call me that.

I never liked it, and

we're not dating anymore.

Oh, but it suits

you, Mary Little.

She's not a nursery rhyme.

Now, Mary, if you want,

I can give you some insider

information on the sale.

What do you want for the

information, Richard?

Not a thing.

I already have a buyer lined up.

We're talking big numbers.

For the price that it's going

for, the rent might be going up.

Antiquing is an old and

tired business, Mary.

Antique is, by definition, old.

There's not enough money to be

made off those things that'll

let you live comfortably,

and you deserve

to live a comfortable life.

You know, for what I'm gonna

get off the mall, I'm gonna be

comfortable for

a very long time.

Why don't you sell that

atrocious, dirty store and let

me take care of you and Daniel

for the rest of your life?

That atrocious

dirty store is a part of me.

It's a part of my history.

It brings me more joy

than dating you ever did.

Oh, now be reasonable, Mary.

Reasonable?

You never respected me,

my choices, my store.

Daniel and I will be just

fine without your help.

And now,

I think you should be

reasonable and leave

before Gwyn commits

whatever

crime is boiling

behind her eyes.

I believe I'll dine elsewhere.

Mary,

good luck buying

that Nutcracker.

Did you see his face?

Crime boiling behind my eyes.

I had to say something.

I do not know what

I ever saw in him.

I don't either.

He's a shifter.

He's constantly changing

if it suits his end goal.

Yeah.

Gosh, I hope the new owner

doesn't raise the rent.

If they do, we'll find a

way to make money together.

Doing what?

I don't know.

Scaring away ex boyfriends?

I like it.

Kathy. Hey.

How are you?

Great. Thanks.

Listen. I've got

a project for you.

There was a picture in the

paper either yesterday

or the day before,

in the estate sale section.

Maybe the day before that.

Anyway, I need you to find a

picture with a nutcracker in it.

Yes. A nutcracker.

Find out who's

hosting that sale.

I need to get my hands on that

Nutcracker before the public

sale on Saturday.

Great. Thanks.

Text me the information

when you get it.

You know, I really didn't like

Richard's comment

about the Nutcracker.

Me neither.

It sounded pretty ominous.

You don't think that he's going

to go to the sale, do you?

Didn't he hate going

when you two were dating?

Yes.

He complained all the time.

It's too bad you can't just buy

the Nutcracker before the sale,

you know, just in case.

Gwyn.

You're brilliant.

I know.

But what did I say?

You gave me an idea.

I think I'll just call the

company who's handling the

sale, and I'll ask them if I

can buy the Nutcracker early.

Hey. I guess I am brilliant.

I'll call them first

thing in the morning.

Hey, Sweetheart.

Hey, mom.

How are you?

Is everything okay?

Yes. Everything is okay.

Why do you ask me that

every time I call?

Well, you don't call very

often, so when you do, I worry

that something might be

wrong.

Alright. Whatever.

But I am, I'm happy

to hear from you.

So what's up?

Oh, just winter break starts

in a week, and I'm just making

sure you haven't turned

my room into a sewing room

or something.

A sewing room?

When have I ever sewn

enough to need a room?

I don't know. Maybe you've

started sewing more.

With what time?

I am at the store all the time.

That's true.

You love that store

more than you love me.

Oh, stop it.

Oh, guess what?

Uh, Chicken butt.

Daniel.

What? It's funny.

You're not five.

But you're laughing.

Anyway,

I...

found the missing nutcracker.

What?

No way. Oh, mom. That's awesome.

I know.

I can't believe it.

Wait. Is it, is it at the

house or is it at the shop?

Well, neither.

It is at an estate sale, but

I'm going to call a company

tomorrow and see if

I can get it early.

Oh, I I can't wait.

Hey. Maybe they

can hold it for you.

Yeah, we'll see.

I, I hope so too.

After all this time. Wow.

Yeah. It's been a

long time coming.

Hey, mom. I gotta go.

Okay, sweetie.

Thanks for calling.

I love you.

And I'll talk to you soon.

Alright. Love you too, mom.

Bye.

Bye.

Thank you for calling County

Estate and Jewelry Sales.

How may I help you?

Hi. Yes.

I'm calling about the Sutton

Estate sale that was

scheduled for this Saturday.

Yes, ma'am.

We are handling that sale.

Oh, good.

I'm calling about the

Nutcracker that I saw in the

picture with Ms. Sutton.

I was wondering if I could

purchase it before Saturday

or put a hold on it.

We've had a lot of

interest in that item, but

unfortunately, it's

already been sold.

Oh.

Oh, no.

I'm sorry.

There are a lot of similar

Christmas items also for

sale if you want

me to email you those pictures.

No. Thank you.

Can you tell me who bought it?

No, ma'am. That information

is confidential.

But the gentleman who bought

it said this was going to make

some woman very happy.

Okay.

Thank you for your time.

Have a good day.

You too.

Mary, you okay?

I lost it again.

The Nutcracker?

Oh, Mary.

Mary, what's going on?

What did you do?

I didn't do anything.

I missed it.

It's gone again.

I wasn't fast enough.

Oh, no.

I called the company that was

handling the estate, and they

said that a man

bought it for a woman.

Oh, well, at least that's noble.

Right?

No.

I mean, yes.

But I really wanted that to

complete my grandmother's set.

Oh, no.

What?

You don't think Richard

bought it, do you?

That would be just

like that slimy worm.

His last comment

sounded like a threat.

Think he bought

it to get you back?

I don't know.

I am so mad right now.

Yeah. Me too.

Well, you don't

know it was Richard.

It could have actually been a

man who was genuinely trying to

make a woman happy.

What are the odds though?

It's just not fair.

I was so close.

We need a distraction.

We have under two weeks

until the art benefit.

We still have a lot to do.

Yeah. I know.

Decorations arrive next week.

Do you wanna hire someone

or use volunteers?

Volunteers. The less money we

have to spend, the more we can

give to cancer research.

Good idea.

Wyatt?

Yeah.

Thank you.

For what?

For volunteering.

Oh.

Don't worry, Wyatt.

That's how she ropes me

into volunteering too.

That's okay.

Just tell me

when and where you

want me

Oh, I will, Wyatt.

But I think I'll let

Mary handle that.

She is the one

in charge.

Well, I'm, I'm ready to start

whenever you are, Mary.

All right. I'll go get

some paper.

We can plan out where

we're going to set up.

You're good at distracting her.

Yeah. It's what I do.

And you're a really good friend.

I know.

And I'm really protective too.

And I don't want

her to get hurt.

You get me?

Yeah. I, I get you.

I don't want her

to get hurt either.

Good.

All right. I, found some

paper and some markers.

I thought we could draw out

the venue and kinda plan where

we're going to

set everything up.

Sounds good.

-All right. There you go.

I think the door would be

over here.

Welcome to A Little

Something Special.

Oh, hey, Cliff.

How are you?

Doing good, Mary.

No complaints.

How's business?

Well, I'm hoping for some good

old Christmas spirit to get me

through to the end of the year.

Yeah. Aren't we all?

I haven't seen you

and Ellie

Mae in quite some time.

How's she doing?

Oh, okay.

Oh.

-You know?

Well, tell her that I

hope to see her soon.

I will. I will.

Actually, Mary.

Yes, Cliff?

Ellie Mae passed away.

What? Oh, Cliff, I am so sorry.

I had no idea.

Yeah, it's just easier to say

she's okay when people ask.

It keeps me from having

to talk about it.

You know?

Yeah. I...

Is there anything I can do?

No. No.

Eric was telling me you're

putting on a art

gala or something?

Oh, yeah.

Ellie Mae used to drag me

all over town looking at art,

trying to make me

understand it, but

I never did.

I just went because I loved her.

You know what?

Would you like to

come to the benefit?

The benefit?

What's it benefiting?

We're going to donate the money

to the Memphis Cancer

Research Foundation.

Oh, well, that's

very nice of you.

You know, when Ellie Mae first

got sick, we signed up for

every trial there was.

She, she pushed

hard till the end.

All one hundred and

ten pounds of her.

Actually, you know what?

I think I will go, Mary.

Thank you for the invite.

Really? Oh, it's my pleasure.

All right. Come on over here and

I'll get you the information.

That'd be great. Thanks.

I was so close.

I love this piece.

I'm sure your

daughter will love it.

Excellent.

Have a great day.

-Thank you so much.

Yeah. Thank you.

Hello, Mary.

Richard, what are you

doing in my store?

I'm just coming to

check on a friend.

You know?

See how you're doing

about the sale

of the store.

The store isn't for sale.

The building is.

Technically the same.

No. It's not.

Yeah. But it should be.

Listen, Mary, you gotta

think about your future.

You're stuck in the past,

the dust in this store

is holding you back.

You know, I can get you a lot

of money on the sale of this.

Ever since I became the agent

for the mall, I've been having

so many inquiries with

people wanting to move in.

That's great for

you, Richard,

but I'm not selling

my store.

Think about it, Mary.

You could have so much free

time and money to spend on

traveling, shopping, doing

your nails, things like that.

I am doing just fine.

I can still afford

to get my nails done.

Well, if you'd sold

the store earlier,

maybe you'd

have the Nutcracker.

I knew I should have never

told you that I found it.

But you did.

-You bought it before I could.

How could you do that?

If you had listened to me,

you would have had the time

and the money to

buy it yourself.

So you came to gloat?

No. Lamb, I came to

invite you to dinner.

Dinner?

Yes. Dinner.

You know, two friends

talking about the future.

I have what you want.

You know, I can give you

exactly what you're looking for.

You're blackmailing me into

having dinner with you?

No.

Just two friends

discussing the future

and talk about what we can

mutually provide for each other.

Fine.

I'll go.

Great.

I'll text you the details.

I blocked your number.

Then maybe you

should unblock it.

Hm? Christmas is a

time for forgiveness, Mary.

I'll chat with you soon.

He's not worth the

prison time, Mary.

Not worth the prison time.

Hey.

Hey, Mary.

Are you okay?

Not really.

I just had a really

unpleasant run-in with my ex.

Oh.

Some people are so terrible.

I can't even bring myself

to bless his heart.

That's that's a

really great insult.

Must must be a pretty bad guy.

Not bad. Just

impossible.

So what brings you in today?

Well, I, I knew you

were upset, and I

I wanted to try to come

cheer you up.

That's sweet, Wyatt.

I don't think you can.

I don't know. You haven't heard

what I have to say yet.

Okay.

What do you have in mind?

Well, the Sutton sale

was a bust, obviously.

So I have the inside scoop on

a private, unlisted, invitation

only estate sale.

Private, unlisted,

and invitation only?

Mm-hmm.

Sounds intriguing.

You don't know the half of it.

I can make us an appointment

for Saturday to go

view the collection.

I know Eric's here

watching the store, so

I thought we could go

do that instead.

Yeah.

Yeah. That's fantastic.

I'd, I'd love to.

Thank you.

All right. All right. Great.

I'll pick you up

on Saturday.

Okay.

And maybe I can finally gain

some insight into how you find

all these beautiful pieces

that you bring me to sell.

Oh.

Hmm. Maybe.

Alright. Well.

Bye.

Hi, Mr. Porter.

-Ms. Potts.

Hi. Yes. Welcome.

So nice to meet you.

You too. Thank you.

-Come on inside.

We can hang your coats

here in the closet.

Thank you.

Oh, I'm Jordan Potts.

I'm the sales agent

for this estate.

Hi. I'm Mary Little.

Oh, the owner of A

Little Something Special.

I've heard so many wonderful

things about your store.

So pleased to meet you.

Oh, well, thank you.

It's a pleasure to meet you too.

Well,

I'll tell you what.

Here's our programs,

Mr. Porter and

Ms. Little. The

prices and lot numbers.

And, you can start at any room

in the house that you like, but

most people find it helpful to

start in the upper rooms and

work their way down.

Great.

Gosh, there's some

really nice items here.

Well, that's why

it's invitation only.

I'll be in the kitchen if you

have any questions

about a specific item.

Thank you, Ms. Potts.

Very welcome, Mr. Porter.

This place is gorgeous.

How did you find out about it?

One of my cousins mentioned it.

Well, if he mentions another

sale like this, let me know.

I'll come with you anytime.

Left or right?

Left. Looks more interesting.

Left it is, then.

Oh, yikes.

A little spendy.

I don't know.

It's probably right.

It's an original, one

owner, pristine condition.

Yeah.

Yeah. It's so beautiful and

still out of my price range.

But, gosh, I'd love to have

something like this in my house.

Yeah.

If I could just get some more

traffic in the store,

I'd be way better off.

What do you mean?

It seems like the

store's doing great.

There's always people in there.

Yeah. I mean, people come

in and look all the time.

It's just getting them to

buy what they're looking at.

Mhmm.

-That's the hard part.

Yeah. People can be very picky.

Yeah. Gosh.

I look at all these beautiful

pieces and I think about all

the history that they have.

Like, what have they seen?

Whose hands have touched them?

I mean, how do you

put a price on that?

Sentiment has so much more

value than any first edition

or mint condition collection.

That's very true.

Mary, is there anything I can

do to help with the store?

You're sweet, but no thank you.

I actually may have

to sell the store.

What? Why?

They're going to

sell the building.

The selling agent said that the

new owner is going

to raise the rent.

That's not right.

I know.

We've had rent increases

every six months.

I can't afford another bump

unless something drastic

happens like a

Christmas miracle

or something.

I can help.

I already said no.

I don't need someone to come

sweeping in and save me.

I, I'm figuring it out.

I don't need your money

or your pity.

Mary, I'm sorry if it sounded

like I was trying to take over.

I'm not.

But it does sound like maybe

you're comparing

me to someone else.

sh**t. I'm sorry, Wyatt.

You're right.

I shouldn't have said that.

My experiences with men

trying to help me

just haven't ended very well.

I, I do wanna help.

But what I meant was I could

take a look at your books.

I'm a whiz with finances.

We could sit down, look at the

numbers, see where you could

cut costs. Hopefully

keep the store open.

Really?

Yeah.

Oh, my God, Wyatt.

That would be fantastic.

I am, I'm I'm sorry

that I snapped at you.

Oh, that's that's okay.

I, I knew you weren't

mad at me.

Oh, yeah? How's that?

I know better than to tell a

Southern woman what to do.

I've learned a lot of

lessons the hard way.

And one of them is that

people need the chance

to do things

for themselves.

And I know you can do it.

Well,

thank you.

I have done a lot on my own

and it makes me happy

that you can see that.

I can see it.

And I'm impressed by how hard

you work and how much you do.

You've got the brains

and will power to fix it.

I've I've just got the

knowledge to give you

a push in the

right direction.

And look, you can always choose

to not take my advice and if

you don't, I promise there

will be no hard feelings.

You are a treasure.

Can you give lessons?

That would take knowledge and

patience that I do not have.

You're patient with me.

You're different.

I, I think there's one

more room to look through.

I think so.

Thank you for bringing

me to this sale.

Oh, it was my pleasure.

And I love looking at

other people's stuff.

I'm really nosy.

Aren't we all?

Say, would you mind running

some of this stuff

by the store first?

It'll save me a trip

and I can check on Eric.

Of course.

I'm happy to.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Right here.

I take it today was a good day.

It was a very good day.

All right. Just a few

more trips, and I

think we'll be all done.

Need any help?

No. This was the

only big piece. I got it.

So how was business today?

Actually, we had

a great morning.

Sold tons of stuff.

But it tapered off.

The big Christmas festival

opened this afternoon.

I expect a lot of

folks went there.

Yeah. I forgot about that.

You know what?

Let's close early.

Are you sure?

Well, yeah. We'll just

load this stuff into

the back and we can

go through it on Monday.

And you can go and have a

good Saturday with your wife.

Well, thanks, Mary.

Let me get the door for you.

Thank you, sir.

Okay.

What else needs to come in?

It was this and...?

Uh, the the lamp and that little

box of figurines, please.

And then the rest can go

to my personal collection.

Got it.

You know, Mary, since you're

closing the store, you've got

the evening off too.

Yeah.

Well, I'm thinking you could

probably have a

great Saturday too.

Not you too, Eric.

I haven't seen you smile

like that in forever.

Maybe it's time to see

where a smile can take you.

I don't know.

I'm not ready.

We never are.

Some things in this

store are priceless.

You especially.

Start treating yourself like it.

There you go.

Thanks again.

No problem.

Happy to help.

I'll start closing.

Closing?

Yeah. Business is slow, so I

told him to just

go ahead and go on home.

Well, does that mean

you're free this evening?

Yeah.

Well, would, would you like to

go maybe grab some dinner and

celebrate our antiquing

success?

Yes.

I'd like that.

Alright. Well, great.

Let's get this stuff to

the back and we can go.

Okay.

Thank you.

That was amazing.

I've been meaning to try it,

but I never had the time

or the right company.

Well, I'm happy to oblige.

Best hot chocolate, huh?

They all say that.

I don't know.

I think I have to try it.

It could be the best

hot chocolate ever.

Well, I guess we

better find out then.

Set them right here.

Thank you for coming

with me today, Mary.

You're welcome.

I had a really great time.

Dinner was amazing,

and that hot chocolate,

it really was some

of the best in Memphis.

I might have had better,

but if I have

I don't remember it.

So, I, uh,

should probably

get these inside.

Yeah. Do you want me to

No. No. No. I got it.

Thank you.

-Okay.

Thank you again.

Yeah.

Hey, mom.

What's, what's going on here?

Daniel, hey.

Sweetheart, I, I didn't know

you're coming home today.

Yeah. Yeah.

Came home early.

Well,

-Hey.

you should have told me.

I would have been here.

Well, it looks like

you've been busy.

Daniel.

-Buying things, Mom.

Are we gonna, we gonna have

room for whatever's

in those boxes?

Of course, we will.

Daniel, you, uh,

remember Wyatt?

Daniel?

-Hey.

Glad you made it home safe.

Yeah. It was fine.

You know, the flyover.

Yeah.

Yeah. Um.

I should probably go.

So, bye, Mary.

See you later. Bye.

Bye, Daniel.

See you.

-All right.

You know, I'm never gonna

let you live that down. Right?

Live in what down?

Just making out on

the front porch.

I, uh, I, I was not,

-Yup. Yup. Yeah.

I was not making out.

I simply gave

Yeah

-a friend a hug.

Oh, yeah. Hug. Sure.

Get in the house.

-Yeah. I, I'm sorry.

It's too cold for you

to be out here in shorts.

I mean,

Seemed pretty toasty to me.

Go. Go.

-I'm sorry. Sorry. Sorry.

Elena, hey.

You ready for me yet?

Oh, I'm so excited.

Yes, we are ready to

hang up your stuff.

Hey, lady.

Can I see?

Well, you will.

But let me finish unpacking.

I wouldn't wanna damage

anything before tomorrow.

Okay.

Here. I can help.

Where should I put them?

How about over there?

Yeah. I think we have some

space to separate them there.

Is that a black light?

It sure is.

Oh, this is gonna be cool.

It's almost time.

Sherita would love this.

It's beautiful.

Told you this was going to work.

Ugh. I gotta go.

Are you seriously gonna

have dinner with that ogre?

I, I have to.

He has the Nutcracker.

I gotta figure out

how to get it back.

Okay. Whatever.

But just

whatever you do, don't tell

him about the benefit tomorrow.

Oh, I haven't, and I won't.

Sherita would roll over in

her grave

if he showed up here.

Nuh-uh. Nah. Nah.

It, it would be a

full on haunting.

Like, the ghost of

Christmas past kinda thing.

chains and all.

True.

Does Wyatt know you're

having dinner with Richard?

No.

You think you should tell him?

No. I mean, we're not

dating or anything.

There's no reason to tell him.

Okay.

I just don't want him to get

his feelings hurt

if he finds out.

I had a phone conversation

with the buyer today.

Really?

Things are progressing

quite nicely.

He's really eager to

get that sale moving.

You know you should look

into selling that store?

You can get so

much money for it.

It's not about the

money, Richard.

Of course it is.

Everything is about the money.

You need money to buy food, a

house, or in your

case, the Nutcracker.

Why are you holding

that over my head?

Because it's the one thing

that you seem to care about.

I care about a lot of things.

And sure, you can use money

for certain things,

but it only causes problems.

You really think that?

Why didn't you get

the Nutcracker first?

What do you want, Richard?

I want you to sell the store.

No.

It's the only way you're

gonna get the Nutcracker.

What?

Look, Lamb.

We were together for years, and

that store always

got between us.

Every single disagreement was

about finding time away from

the store or you feeling bad

that you couldn't close the

store because you

were behind in sales.

You need to get rid of it.

I could take care of you.

I don't want to

be taken care of.

Yeah. You do. All women do.

All I want from you

is the Nutcracker.

Then you need to make a choice.

Do you want the Nutcracker?

Something you've been

looking for your whole life.

Or do you wanna hold on

to a failing store.

Because the impression I get

from the buyer is that he's

going to raise the rent.

If that doesn't satisfy him,

he's gonna modernize it.

Maybe even tear the

whole thing down.

You just need to get out while

you can make a tidy profit.

Thank you for dinner, Richard.

I'm suddenly not

feeling very well.

Poor lamb.

Dropped a lot of truth

on you this evening.

Let me know what you decide.

The store?

Or the nutcracker.

Mom.

What are you doing

up so late?

I have a lot on my mind.

Did I wake you?

No. I was I was live

streaming the game.

I was gonna get some

fuel to keep going.

I have no idea what that means.

I know.

Okay. Good talk.

What's wrong?

Nothing.

Everything's fine.

Okay. Well, I know

when something's wrong.

Is it because of the Nutcracker?

In a way, yes.

I know you were really, really

looking forward to finding

that, and, hey, I was too.

The legendary Nutcracker that

would complete

great grandma's set.

But as cool as it would have

been to find it, you know,

it's not the end of the world.

We have a lot of cool stuff

here and at the store that you

found while looking for it.

You've helped a lot of other

people find and

complete their own sets.

I know it's not the ending you

wanted, but, hey, you taught me

to find the sunshine

poking through every cloud.

You are a very

smart young man.

You must have been

raised by a smart mom.

No. Actually, I, I was

raised by you, so my,

my smarts must have

come from somewhere else.

I'm not sure, but I okay.

Very funny.

I'm hilarious

and a little chilly now.

You are. But thank you for the

pep talk. I needed it.

And it's not the

end of the world.

You're right.

So, um,

if you'll just do me

a favor and

say that into

the microphone.

"You're right."

"Smart." Okay. Yeah.

Shall we go get a snack?

Yes, please.

Let's go, goofball.

Now, I need you to initial the

bottom of every page and I need

you to sign here

where it's marked.

Once you do that, you will be

the new owner of the strip mall

and every shop in it.

I'm gonna get the notary

so we can get started.

I'm gonna leave this with you

so you can take a look at it

and make sure all the changes

are in the paperwork

that you requested.

Okay? Be right back.

Is everything in order?

Yeah. It looks good.

I'm ready to sign.

This looks delicious.

Wait till you try it. It tastes

even better than it looks.

Gwyn is going to be so jealous

that I got to see the fancy mac

and cheese before she did.

It really looks heavenly.

Thank you.

It's my mom's recipe.

Oh, my gosh.

I am so sorry.

I forgot to introduce myself.

I'm Mary.

We spoke on the phone.

I didn't see you come in.

It's okay. I'm Beth.

You were so busy getting those

trees ready while we were

setting up and bringing in

the food. It's okay.

Well, I could smell it.

Oh good. Well, I hope

everybody likes it.

Oh, I know they will.

Oh good. You know, I wanted to

thank you so much

for inviting my mom. She's like

beside herself with giddiness.

In fact, she's

still getting ready.

But this is her first party

since she's been diagnosed, so

it's really important to her.

Well, I can't wait to meet her.

Thank you.

Well, looks like

I'm being summoned.

Oh, you must go.

Thank you so much for

making this beautiful food.

Oh, you're so welcome.

I'm really so honored to be

able to help you raise money

for cancer research.

So thank you.

I'll see you later.

-Okay.

So we've nearly sold almost all

of the paintings, most of them

in the black light section.

That's fantastic.

-Right?

I think it's time for you

to go make an announcement.

Yeah.

You got this.

Yeah. I got this.

Yeah.

I got this.

Wow.

-Hey.

You look amazing.

Oh, thank you.

You clean up pretty

good yourself.

Oh, so how's it going?

Actually, really well.

Gwyn just told me that Elena's

already sold half

of her inventory.

So that means that we are going

to have a good amount to donate

to the Memphis Cancer

Research Foundation.

Oh, that is awesome.

Thank you.

-Congratulations.

And the night is

not over yet.

Well, I'm sorry I was

late getting here.

I had to stop and take care

of something on the way.

Oh, no worries.

I'm just glad you're here now.

Um. There's something I need

to talk to you about.

Could we go talk for

a second somewhere?

Oh, yeah. Sure.

But can it wait?

I have my speech to do.

Oh, yeah.

Yeah. Of course. Yeah.

Okay. Great.

Wish me luck.

No.

No?

No. You don't need luck.

You're a strong, confident

woman and you can

handle anything.

Just take a look around.

You and Gwen did all of this,

and you didn't need luck.

It was willpower, love,

sheer determination.

You just go out there, be

yourself, and everything will

turn out fine.

Okay?

Excuse me. Everyone?

May I have your

attention, please?

Thank you all for coming out

tonight to this benefit in

honor of Sherita Getwell.

And thank you to Elena

for providing all

of these beautiful

paintings.

I see many familiar faces.

Faces that Sherita loved.

Whew.

This might be a little

harder than I anticipated.

Sherita was the kindest

soul that I ever met.

She never once hesitated

to help someone in need.

She would cry with you,

and then in the very

next breath,

she would have you laughing.

Her hugs were some of

the best I've ever gotten.

When she was diagnosed,

she didn't let it stop her.

She continued to help others

and to care for those

who were hurting.

She never gave her own

pain a second thought.

She trusted in God, and

even when she was bedridden,

she continued to give

that love to others.

We really lost someone

very, very special.

We did.

So that's why we decided to

hold this art sale tonight

to benefit the Memphis

Cancer Research Foundation.

All of the proceeds tonight

will go to helping find a cure.

And I know that money can be

tight around Christmas time,

but I know that Sherita would

be so thankful if you could

find it in your heart

to buy a painting.

Or there is a box in the back

that you may place a check if

you so please, or there is a QR

code that you may scan and that

will bring you directly to the

foundation's website where you

can place a donation

in Sherita's name.

Thank you all for coming out

tonight and Merry Christmas.

That was really nice, mom.

Thanks, honey.

You okay?

Yeah. I will be.

Is, is this right?

No. Really?

That's what it looks like.

But that's with the

checks. Right?

No. I haven't even

opened the box yet.

We did it.

We did.

I know Sherita would

be very proud of us.

What does he want?

Who?

Richard.

Nothing good.

Don't look at it.

Oh, no.

What?

He said the building sold.

He said the new owner takes

ownership right after Christmas.

Woah.

Yeah.

You know what?

I am not going to let

him ruin the mood.

Sherita would want

us to still be happy.

We can deal with that on Monday.

If you say so.

I mean, I guess I wouldn't want

the mood ruined if I had been

kissed by a handsome

man in a suit.

It was on the cheek.

On the cheek.

Mhmm.

I know. I saw.

And you're smiling again.

I know.

He asked if I would talk to him

in private tonight, and I said

I would, but I was so

busy I didn't have time.

I bet he's going to profess his

love and whisk you away on a

Christmas adventure.

Mmm.

Stop. Stop.

But I wouldn't say no.

I know.

Mahh. Last night was amazing.

Yup.

I just wish we had

the energy to be happier.

Oh, I'm happy.

I just, can't show

it on the outside.

They should have all

the checks tallied

up by this evening.

Great. And have you heard from

the foundation to see how much

money was raised in

Sherita's name on their site?

Not yet.

But I did get an email from one

of the board members who said

that donation notifications

were going off well into the

night, including one ten

thousand dollar

anonymous donation.

Oh my gosh.

That is amazing.

You know, Elena told me that

she only went home with a

handful of unsold paintings.

She said that she got a

bunch of commissions

from patrons at the benefit.

That's great for her.

She's an amazing artist and

deserves every bit of that.

Agreed.

I really think that Sherita

pushed this over the top to

just make it a huge success.

I do too.

Now, I just gotta figure

out what I'm going to do.

Yup. Me too.

Do you think the new owner is

really gonna tear

the building down?

I'm not sure.

You know more than I do.

Oh, I don't know if I should

trust the information

coming from my source.

I definitely wouldn't trust him.

I can't believe he's

blackmailing you to sell the

store so he'll give

you the Nutcracker.

I know.

He's a bit of a snake.

A bit?

Okay. The whole thing.

Are you going to sell?

At this point, I may have to.

I wish that we could go

into business together.

Why can't we?

And do what?

Open an antique store

with a bakery inside?

Think about it.

The sense of smell is one

of the biggest anchors to

memory we have.

Say I'm baking chocolate

muffins, and it reminds a

customer of something

from when he was a kid.

He sees an old lamp

or something else old you have

in the store, and

boom, he wants to buy it.

I don't know.

We can combine our stores

once we find the right location.

then we'll only have to

worry about one rent payment.

Gwyn.

I think you just solved

both our problems.

Welcome to A Little Something...

Ew.

Richard,

what are you doing here?

I told the new owner to meet

me here in a few minutes.

Here?

-Yeah.

I want him to see what

he's getting himself into.

You know, he might take one

look at this place and start

raising the rent next month.

You'd like that, wouldn't you?

Don't you have

a doughnut shop to run?

I'm closed on Sundays.

Mr. Porter, so glad

you could meet me here.

Mary Little, this is Wyatt

Porter, the new owner

of the building.

Mary.

You bought the building?

Yes. He did.

You're the new owner?

I just said he bought

the building.

What?

Do you know each other?

Mary, I've been trying to find

the time to tell you.

But I just never found

the right time.

I confided in you.

I trusted you.

You still can.

-No.

You knew that I was worried

about the new owner and the

possible increase in rent.

You said that you would help

me with my books when all along

you were the one who was

going to raise the rent, this

mysterious buyer who's going to

tear down the whole building?

No, Mary, that's, that's not,

that's not what...

I can't handle this.

So you do know each other.

Great.

Let me take you next door,

introduce you to those tenants.

No. I, I think there's something

I need to clear up here first.

I don't think you do.

Please, leave.

Mary, it's not how it looks.

It's pretty clear from

where I'm standing.

Um.

Okay. I, I'll leave.

Great.

So, this next store is a

clothing store for kids.

But, lots of traffic.

Mary, I am so sorry.

What a day.

You can say that again.

My dogs are barking.

I can't wait to get

home and put my feet up.

Oh, I hear ya.

These last minute Christmas

shoppers get worse every year.

Yeah.

But I sure do love them.

Yeah.

I noticed one of the

big items sold today.

Didn't Wyatt bring that in?

He did.

He's a great guy.

I haven't seen him

around in a few days.

Yeah. He's, uh,

been busy.

He does a lot of charity

work around the city.

I've seen him in the background

of a number of pictures in the

Memphis Extra.

The Extra?

Yeah. Me and my wife

love to flip through it.

We always say, we are going to

get our picture

in there one day.

But you saw Wyatt?

Yeah. He's on the board of

the children's hospital.

His family's always had a chair.

You didn't know?

No. I,

I, I didn't.

Eh. It doesn't surprise me.

He is about the most humble

person I have ever met.

He never talks about himself.

I gotta head home.

We get the grand kids coming

over tomorrow to open presents.

We always allow them to open

presents on Christmas Eve.

That way, they can be

disappointed in what their

parents got them

on Christmas day.

Oh, thank you for

all your help, Eric.

Today and this whole

holiday season.

I don't know what I would

have done without you.

Hmm. Me neither.

You sure are lucky.

Oh, Merry Christmas, Eric.

Merry Christmas, Mary.

What do you think, Sherita?

I mean, I have to see him to

give him the proceeds

from the sale.

Should I give him a

chance to explain?

Did I overreact?

Gosh. I wish you were here.

Fine.

I'll go see him tomorrow

and give him the proceeds.

Stop looking at me like that.

I'll be right back.

What? No breakfast?

I made monkey bread.

It's on the counter.

Nice.

Wait. It's Christmas Eve.

No one's open.

I have some business

to take care of with Wyatt.

Oh.

What?

Okay. I get it.

Wyatt's the bad guy right now.

But I haven't seen you smile

like that at someone in a while.

I know.

Just give him a chance.

He's definitely not the

prince in the Nutcracker set.

Right? But he still seems like

he's pretty important to you.

What do you mean?

Every time he gives you

something to sell at the store

and it sells, we get to keep

the store for a

couple more months.

Yeah.

He really does seem to come to

my aid at just the right time.

He's a decent guy.

Just, don't just

give him the check.

Right? Talk to him.

Are you giving me dating advice?

Alright. Go.

Get out of here.

Bye, Sweetheart.

Bye.

Oh, monkey bread.

Mary, what are you doing here?

Here. The big item that you

brought sold in, and that's

your part of the sale.

Oh,

thank you.

Welcome.

Do you wanna come in?

Yeah. Please.

There's some things

I'd like to ask you.

I, I thought there might be.

Please.

So.

So.

I, uh,

I'm, I'm just gonna

come out and say it.

Why didn't you tell me that

you were buying the building?

I should have told you.

And I tried a lot.

Every time something would

come up or get in the way, and,

plus I, I just really

didn't know how.

You didn't know how.

You just tell me.

Yeah. So, um,

I, I come from a pretty

prominent Memphis family,

and I don't like to

flaunt what I have.

So I donate to charities

and I try to help people

anonymously.

So you're rich.

What does that have to

do with my building?

Well, I saw the way the

landlord treated you.

I mean, he almost put you out

of business a couple of times

by raising the rent.

If he was doing it to you, he

was certainly doing it

to the other tenants.

So I approached him through

an agent and made an offer.

And after he got all the money

he could out of me,

I was able

to buy the building.

So you bought it to

save the tenants?

Yeah.

But what about, well, Richard

said that the new owner was

going to raise the

rent or tear it down.

Richard just assumed I was

gonna raise the rent because he

knew how much I paid

for the building.

And as far as tearing it down

goes, I, I told him I wanted to

make some improvements, like

bring it up to code, but he's

the one who suggested

tearing it down.

But you were there when Gwyn

and I were talking

about the rent.

Yeah. And I, I told you

that that's not right.

And I assumed that

you meant principal.

I had no idea that you were

talking about

Richard being wrong.

He is such a jerk.

Yeah. I got that.

So

why would you bring me

things to sell then

if you didn't need the money?

Well, that is purely

me being selfish.

I know how much you love the

store, what it means to you,

and I didn't wanna see it close.

And, um,

I like making you happy.

So I would bring you something

from the barn to sell whenever

I could tell you were

having a difficult time.

Wow.

Wyatt, that is so sweet.

I'm sorry.

I thought that you were

using me to buy the building.

I had no idea about

all that other stuff.

I guess there's a lot of

things I don't know about you.

Wait.

There's a barn?

Yeah. There's a barn.

Come on.

You have been holding

out on me, mister.

I could spend

hours in this barn.

I know.

Another part of my life

I didn't know

how to tell you about.

Well, you are never

getting rid of me now.

Is that a promise?

Do you want it to be?

There's one more antique in

the house I wanna show you.

I think you're gonna like it.

Another one?

What could possibly top this?

So I've had this

for a while now.

What is it?

You have to open it and see.

Wyatt.

Are you serious?

You were the one who

bought the Nutcracker.

Yeah.

How?

Well,

antiquing's a pretty

cutthroat business.

So when you saw the Nutcracker

in the paper, I got worried

someone else is gonna

try to buy it first.

I called the owner of the

company handling the sale.

We go way back, and I asked her

if I could come in

and buy it early.

If I'd have known you're gonna

try to buy it, I would have

just told her to

hold it for you, but...

Why didn't you give

it to me earlier?

I tried.

I wanted to take you to dinner

and give it to you personally.

I had it all planned out.

I wanted it to be perfect,

but I lost my nerve and

I just chickened out.

I can't believe it.

Why did you buy it?

Well, to make you happy

and to see you smile.

The first time I ever saw you

was the first time

I came in your store.

And you were standing there

talking to a customer,

laughing, smiling.

You just had this

magic about you.

And, um,

I'm pretty sure it's what

they call love at first sight.

And I still see that magic and

feel that way about you every

time I see you,

especially around Christmas.

Magic, huh?

Yup.

And love?

Definitely.

Well, I suggest we capture some

of that Christmas

magic right now.

My thoughts exactly.

For Tarsha