'Tis the Season for Love Page #8

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in a minute.

Good! Good.

Just wanted to make sure

you weren't

spending Christmas alone.

I love you.

I love you too, sweetheart.

I got your beautiful pendant.

Thank you.

Sorry I couldn't come home.

I know how hard things are

for you right now, Bethy.

I meant every word

on that pendant.

Home is a feeling,

not a place.

No matter where you are,

I am always with you.

[]

[]

[]

[]

Okay, elves

and Santa's helpers,

we are about to begin one of

our last dress rehearsals.

Are you guys ready

to knock 'em dead?

Where's Beth?

Beth had a-- a thing

in New York.

She had a really important

work thing in New York,

that she had to fly back for

last night.

Lucky for you, you have me!

You know? So...

Hooray!

[Begins playing "jingle bells"]

[Off-key]

Well, they don't call me

"Beethoven" for nothing.

[]

[Quietly]

You want to step in here?

Dean, I'm worse than you...

And you are awful.

This is not going to

work without Beth.

Of course it will!

You guys are the talent,

and you're all so good.

We... we want Beth.

Yeah!

I'm sorry,

but Beth's not coming.

But you guys

are going to be great,

because it's Christmas,

and that's what

it's all about.

So everyone,

just grab your places onstage.

We only have a couple of days,

and we've a lot of work to do.

[]

You okay?

Yeah, I'm fine.

I'm sorry, man.

I really didn't want

to be right.

I know you didn't.

Hey, uh, Eileen's

mom plays piano.

I'll give her a call.

Maybe she'll help out.

[]

So he says,

"it's completely safe!

It just depends

on your sense of danger."

[Men laughing]

Oh! Oh... Beth.

Thank you for cutting

your trip short

and coming to join us here.

Mm. You know, when Jane

broke her arm-- or her leg...

What did Jane break?

Ah, what

does it matter?

Anyway, we knew that

we had to get you here

A.S.A.P.

Now, you were

my first choice,

but the producer

writes the checks,

and he fought me

for Jane.

But you're here now

and we're thrilled.

Thank you.

I am very excited

to be here.

It is an honor

to be understudying

Alexis Avery.

You won't be saying that

in a few months,

I can assure you.

Nine Broadway shows,

and I've never missed

one performance.

Not once.

Sorry, doll, but at least

you're getting paid.

And it's a Broadway credit,

right? Yeah.

So should I just

stand over here, then--

oh, no. No, no,

no, no, no.

No. You will sit

right here,

in this chair,

and you will watch

and you will study

every move

that Alexis makes

in the event

that you ever go on for her.

That's your job.

Easy-peasy, right?

[]

All right, my lovelies.

Let's begin with act three.

All right, Jerome,

can you come in

from upstage left,

make your way down

to Alexis,

David will find you

on the couch...

[Continues indistinctly]

[]

[Beth]:
It was like

I was invisible.

I mean, there's no guarantee

that I'll ever perform.

It felt like...

A stepping stone?

A waste of time.

How can you say that, Beth?

This is what

you've always wanted.

It's a great

opportunity.

Maybe it's not anymore.

What?

I feel like I'm having

an out-of-body experience.

What did that town

do to you?

It felt like...

I was a part of something

that mattered...

Like I belong there.

I belong there.

So you're just going

to give up?

You're committing

career suicide.

I think I wanted my career

to define me

so I could feel

worthy of this praise

that I've been given

my whole life.

But it doesn't define me.

You know, what I did

with those kids,

that defines me.

My family does.

Community does.

I don't feel

like I'm giving anything up.

I feel like

I'm moving toward something.

I need to go home

for Christmas Eve.

Well, let's get you

a flight home, then.

[]

Beth! You're back.

I'm back.

It's a long story,

but I am here,

and I am available,

and I want to help

with the festival,

or however you need me.

You haven't heard?

Heard what?

Come in.

I've been on

a lot of planes

in the last 24 hours--

the festival

is canceled.

Wait. What?

I haven't been

gone that long.

What happened?

Someone set off the sprinklers

in the town hall.

Everything was ruined.

Everything,

and we can't even

use the hall

because we have to wait for it

to dry out,

which could take a week,

more?

I don't know.

It was a nightmare.

Just be glad that

you were not here for it.

[Sighing] Those poor kids.

Yeah, they were

pretty devastated.

Dean took them

to the Rinkorama today, though,

to cheer them up.

Of course he did.

Everyone must be so upset.

This is the biggest event

of the year in Kern.

No decorations,

no budget, no location--

no festival tomorrow.

Oh. There has to be

something that we can do.

Wait a minute.

It's the inside of the hall

that's ruined?

Not the outside?

The outside is fine,

but it's supposed

to snow,

and we don't have

any decorations,

not to mention time.

It's Christmas Eve

tomorrow, Beth.

I have an idea.

[]

[Hum of chatter]

[Beth]:

I'm going to ask the Rowells

if we can borrow

their decorations as well.

There we go.

Careful.

["Deck the halls" playing,

instrumental]

Careful.

[Eileen]:
How you got them

to deliver this tent

60 miles away

the day before Christmas Eve,

I don't know.

[Beth]:
Well, I just

told them our story

and about the people of Kern,

and then I begged,

and that seemed

to do the trick.

And you got everyone,

at least on my street

and your mom's,

to donate their decorations.

We owe a lot

to you, Beth.

Well, it's Christmas,

and in Kern,

we always have a festival.

Which we may just

have ready in time

for Christmas Eve tomorrow.

I hope everyone got

their Christmas shopping done,

'cause we're pulling

an all-nighter.

Not a problem.

I do have one more favor

to ask of you, though.

What's that?

[]

[]

Beth?

Hi. Dean.

Uh... wh--

[Confused chuckle]

What are you doing here?

Listen, um, I'm going to

tell you everything

tomorrow,

at the festival.

You haven't heard.

There's not going to be

a festival this year.

No, there will be.

You'll see.

It's going to

be different.

Better, but different.

What are you

talking about?

Look, can you

do me a favor?

Read the paper tomorrow?

Special Christmas Eve

edition.

Can you

promise me that?

Sure.

Okay. All right.

We'll talk

tomorrow night.

[]

Bethy! Bethy!

Wake up! Wake up!

It's here! The paper!

I waited for the paperboy

to get here.

Scared the heck out of him!

It's here!

Okay,

I guess I'm up.

All righty!

"Kern is where the heart is,"

by Beth Baker.

My daughter.

"Home is where the heart is.

"I didn't realize that,

"as I turned my back

"on the place that valued

and validated me

"throughout my childhood.

I would leave Kern..."

[Overlapping with Beth]

"...And set the world on fire."

[Beth]:
"But Christmas

is a time of renewal...

of rebirth, so to speak."

"and that's exactly

what the people of Kern,

"and the spirit

of this season,

"have given me--

my rebirth."

[Dean]:

"A brilliant mind once told me

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