The Christmas Blessing Page #4

Do you date at all, Jack?

No.

Well, I mean, I have off

and on over the years,

But I haven't given it

much thought lately.

I have.

Well, just a little.

Hey, what are you doing?

Toss those bags in the truck.

Hey dad, how long have

you had the dancing shoes?

I don't know, a long time.

How come you've never

shown them to me before?

Well, maybe I lost them,

or maybe I couldn't find them.

Could have told me about them.

Tucker:

What would you have done?

You'd drive me

nuts, that's what.

Hey, if you don't want

them, I'll get rid of them.

No, no, I want them.

Did mom take dancing

lessons when she was little?

How'd she get so good?

You know what kind

of dancing she does?

Charlie, what do you think

I am, a damn encyclopedia?

Dad?

What?

You have any idea how

good she was at dancing?

Charlie, why don't you

just maybe sit down

And do some homework

or something, okay?

All right, let's beat

these bums, come on.

Nice, nice.

Charlie?

Charlie?

Charlie!

Charlie, talk to me!

Nathan, what is it?

What's wrong with him?

Oh, my God.

What happened?

Go get help, hurry.

Call 911.

We've got to get him

to new England general.

Guys, give him some room.

Back up, please?

Hang in there, buddy.

Stay with me.

Meghan:
Why did we have to bring

him all the way to Burlington?

What's happened to him, Nathan?

What's going on?

Good to see you again.

His father's on his way.

His 02 levels are up.

Right, right.

His aorta's enlarged,

Marfan syndrome.

This boy had his chest

opened when he was three.

They sewed in a graft but

the repair was never perfect.

It's gotten considerably worse.

Excuse me, but, what's

wrong with Charlie?

How does a healthy

ten-year-old boy

Go from playing

basketball to the ICU?

Charlie's not healthy.

He's got a cardio condition that

could have major consequences.

Yeah, his heart, Meghan,

it's -- it's failing.

Well, can you fix it?

I mean, can you do something?

We've put him on some new

medication that may sustain him.

It's our only hope, he's

not a transplant candidate.

I hope this means

you're back, doctor.

Hey.

How's Charlie?

I just got back

from the hospital.

His medication is working, he

should be home in a few days.

Good.

How are you?

I must be coming

down with something.

Maybe disappointment.

Look, Meghan, I didn't

mean to deceive you.

Then what were you doing?

Because you sure

could have fooled me.

I just didn't want

everyone in town

Knowing that I'd

left the hospital.

What do you think

everyone's thinking

When they see you working

at the garage, Nathan?

Hello?

I don't know --

Don't be dishonest with me.

Look --

I had my fill of that in

Texas, I don't want it again.

I am not being

dishonest with you.

I'm not.

No, you just didn't tell

me what you've spent

The last 12 years

of your life doing.

Nathan, figure out what's

holding you back in life,

Let it go, and move on.

And don't lie to me!

Woman's voice:

"dear Nathan,

How excited you must be on

your high school graduation.

I wish I could have been there.

I bet you looked so handsome

in your cap and gown.

Right now, you're probably

trying to figure out

What to do in life.

I did, too.

I loved music.

I was so grateful when I was

chosen to lead the youth choir

In the annual Christmas show.

What a surprise!

What fun!

If I could say anything to you,

I would say to do

what you love to do.

To be happy in your

work is a blessing.

All my love, mom."

Hey dad, remember those letters

mom wrote to me before she died?

I forgot that she

was thinking about

Being a music major in college.

Man, she could do anything.

Hey, some of that new

equipment is coming in, huh?

Oh hey, and here she talks about

the first time she met you.

I don't want to talk about it.

Nathan:
You guys had

your picture taken together

At some county fair?

Are you listening to me?

Am I getting through?

Dad --

Look, every damn holiday,

every damn vacation

You come home from school

And we drag out the pictures,

drag out the letters,

Talk about mom, cry about mom.

It makes me feel

good to talk about her.

Well maybe it makes you feel

good, but then you'd leave.

For the next month I'm walking

around with my guts hanging out.

I can't live like that

year after year, I can't.

So, what are we supposed to do,

pretend mom never existed?

Is that what you want?

No, I need to live

like she's gone.

Well, I don't.

(sighs)

Why are you really here?

What do you mean, why?

I told you, I don't want

to be a doctor anymore.

Baloney.

You ate, drank,

and slept that stuff

And now suddenly you

change your mind?

I just wanted to

come home for a bit.

Your senior year of high school,

You said you couldn't wait

to get out of this house,

This dumpy little town.

Yeah, well, maybe I've grown up.

Or maybe you haven't,

maybe that's your problem.

Hey, dad, are we going to have

Christmas lights at our place?

Probably not.

Why not?

I already told you,

I get a bad taste in my mouth

when it comes to Christmas.

Hey, dad --

Charlie, look.

In case you haven't noticed,

we're trying to work here.

Hey, dad, how tall was mom?

Don't you have some

homework to do?

How many school

days did you miss?

This is my homework.

I have to write

a report about mom.

Now, how tall is she exactly?

Five foot five.

Brown eyes, right?

When I first met your mom,

She was a waitress at

a truck stop outside Cincinnati.

Yeah, she had the most beautiful

brown eyes I'd ever seen.

She could make me laugh,

like nobody I'd ever met.

She had big dreams,

way bigger than mine.

I figured out pretty quick that

I couldn't live without her,

So we took off,

just the two of us, got married.

Well, what kind

of dancer is she?

I don't remember.

You don't remember?

Didn't you ever watch her?

I mean, what did it look

like when she danced?

Did she have a costume,

or did she dance alone,

Or with a bunch

of other dancers?

Do you know the name of

the kind of dancing she did?

Fred something or other,

I think.

That's all I remember.

Fred?

Who's Fred?

The dancer guy!

Why don't you ask your teachers?

Why I pay all

the damn taxes I do.

Fred...Something.

%% was to certain poor shepherds

in fields as they lay %%

%% in fields where they lay

keeping their sheep... %%

(doorbell rings)

Charlie, what are you

doing out so late?

My dad said it was okay.

All right, come in.

Megan:
It sure is good to

see you up and about,

Looking so good.

Miss Sullivan,

I kinda had a question.

Okay, let me just turn this off.

Running is hard.

To do anything well is hard.

Come on, let's sit.

So, did you come here

for some math help?

Um, I was working on

the report about my mom,

And she's a dancer.

Ooh, a dancer.

What kind of dancer?

That's what I came

here to ask you.

All my dad said

was Fred something.

Fred Astaire?

You know him, this Fred guy?

Well, I don't know him,

But I know the kind of dancing

that your mom does.

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