The Perfect Christmas Present Page #4

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- Through and through.

Yeah, you know, being back here

just feels right, you know?

Like, I'm finally home.

Well, for what it's worth,

I'm glad you're here.

Maybe you'll find

some reason to stay.

Yeah, you never know.

Maybe I will.

So you have helped

all of these people?

Yup, we've helped them, uh,

pay off homes,

get jobs, buy groceries.

I mean, really anything

we can do to help.

Yeah. We've been lucky.

Hm.

What?

Nothing, it's just that...

you're doing

very important work.

Thank you.

You know what,

I should get out of your hair.

You have put up with me

enough today.

No. It's, it's been a great day.

Hey, you wanna come upstairs

and have some hot chocolate?

My way of saying thank you

for everything that you've done.

- Sure. Why not? Yeah.

- Okay.

Mm. You know,

I just love Christmas.

Families coming together,

hot cocoa.

- The snow.

- Crackling fires.

No other holiday

even compares in my book.

I am with you there.

It's just something

so magical about it.

Oh, and the music.

I just love Christmas music.

Okay. All-time favorite

Christmas song. Go.

Oh, that's easy. "Baby Won't You

Please Come Home?"

Not really a Christmas song.

Go again.

Oh, it was when my dad sang it,

but he added "For Christmas"

to the end of it.

Well, was your dad a musician?

- Yeah, he was a blues musician.

- Really?

Yeah, he wasn't famous,

but you know,

he would play around here

in the Chicago blues clubs.

I guess I'll always have

a soft spot for sad songs.

Me, too. I grew up

on the Chicago blues.

That's so cool that your dad

is a blues musician.

Mm-hmm. Yeah, look.

I have a picture right here.

Sorry.

Here's him and his band.

Robert Stone

And The Chicago Fire.

That's my dad in the middle.

And that is Sam Baker.

He was, like, my uncle,

growing up.

Okay, hold on.

Who's that?

- Is that you?

- Yes.

Adorable.

I'd love to listen to them.

Oh, so would I.

You have no idea.

Yeah, this was

pre-Internet days,

so they only had

a few songs recorded.

And I didn't buy their album

because I obviously didn't think

I needed to.

I haven't heard

my daddy's voice in...

almost 20 years.

Yeah, I was, I was eight

when I started going

to the Chicago blues clubs

and watching him play.

And my mom hated it.

My dad and my mom,

they loved each other,

but they fought

like cats and dogs.

One day, my mom just

couldn't take it anymore,

so she packed up her stuff

and on December 1st,

we moved to LA.

Started a new life.

I get it now. "Baby Won't You

Please Come Home For Christmas?"

It's about the love of his life

leaving him.

You know,

he called her every day

and sung that song to her.

Drove my mom nuts, but I thought

it was the most romantic thing.

You know, we never came back

to Chicago,

but a couple of years later,

my dad came and visited me

on my birthday.

And a week later,

he was killed in a car accident.

I never got to say goodbye.

I'm so sorry. That's horrible.

I have no idea

of why I just told you that.

I'm glad you did.

You know what,

I should get going.

Yeah, of course.

Uh, I guess...

if you wanna meet up again,

just give me a call.

Definitely.

- Okay.

- We'll, we'll be in touch.

Uh, uh, goodnight. Thank you.

Goodnight.

Of course. My pleasure.

- Have a nice night.

- You, too.

- Thank you.

- Mm-hmm.

Oh, what are you doing?

Uh, coming!

Coming!

Coming!

- What?

- Hi!

I'm sorry. Is this a bad time?

- Hi. Hi.

- Hi.

I'm sorry.

Paul gave me your address.

- I tried calling you a bunch...

- No, no, no, it's okay.

Just, just give me a second

to put a shirt on.

Maybe some pants.

Sorry about this.

Almost ready. Hold on.

It's okay.

All right.

- Delivery!

- Hey.

- Straight from Caf Libertad.

- Thank you.

- Mm-hmm.

- Mmm.

You're awful chipper

this morning.

- What time is it?

- 6:
30.

- In the morning?

- Ah.

Are you a functioning adult?

So I had a flurry of inspiration

last night

and I couldn't wait

to share it with you.

I came up with a theme.

Christmas.

It's all about giving

and family and warmth.

So why complicate things?

Yeah, all the food

could be homemade favorites.

Sugar cookies, toffee and fudge.

We can make gingerbread houses.

- I think it's great.

- Right!

So now that

we have a day and a theme,

I'm gonna send out the invites

to the network.

Now, we have less than a week

to make this happen,

so we can't waste any time.

- Do you have a pen?

- Hey!

Uh...

Have I told you about the view?

Tops in the city.

The view from the back porch,

it is really spectacular.

Go ahead right up there,

over there on the porch.

This time of morning

with the sun coming up...

- Okay.

- You're really gonna love it.

- Yeah.

- All right, there you go.

Oh, wow!

- You weren't kidding.

- Right?

It's amazing out here.

Oh, my gosh!

- Is that the Lincoln Park Zoo?

- Sure is.

I used to go there

all the time when I was little.

I wonder if it's changed much

in the last 20 years.

- Tom?

- Hey-hey!

What a zoo, right?

You know, if you're into animals

and such.

- Are you okay?

- Yeah.

Yeah, I'm awesome. Why?

I, I don't know,

you're just acting kinda...

- Aloof? Cool?

- Like a freak.

- Let's look at the plans, huh?

- Okay.

Now, you did

this whole thing last night?

Mm-hmm. And this morning.

We have decoration ideas,

some gift suggestions,

sample recipes,

gingerbread construction.

Well, hold-hold on,

this is an article

from Architectural Digest.

Oh, yeah. I'm very thorough

with my research.

I think

we both can agree on that.

Well, this is gonna be

a whole lot of work

and we don't have

a whole lot of time.

Yep.

I hope Victoria doesn't mind

some free Christmas decorations.

Um, all right, give me a ribbon.

Hit it.

- All right.

- Hit it.

Yeah!

I'm lucky.

Okay, let's do red.

Or...

Yeah.

- Yeah.

- Yeah. Ah.

- Hey!

- Paul?

Hey!

- Who is this?

- The boyfriend.

- Wonderful.

- Hm.

- The place looks great!

- Mm-hmm.

What are you doing here?

I thought

you were to work late...

Yeah, I got out

earlier than expected.

Figured I'd stop by, see how

things were coming along.

- Well...

- Perfect timing. We're done.

Yeah, well, you know me.

Swoop in last minute,

take all the glory.

Hi, I'm Paul.

I don't think we've met before.

Victoria Stolle. Delighted.

We were just about

to sit down to dinner.

Won't you join us?

- Ah, I don't want to intrude.

- Oh, I insist.

It'll be nice to have

another man around the house.

I've been feeling

like a third wheel all day.

Thanks.

Wow, the food

is delicious. Mm...

Remarkable.

Only a year and you're moving

across the country

to be together.

Actually,

I'm not quite sure yet about...

You must be very serious.

Don't you think so, Tom?

Hm?

Don't you think they make

a lovely couple?

Oh, yeah, yeah, she's great.

Uh, they're great.

You guys are great.

It's a shame you don't have

political aspirations.

What a power couple.

This is nice. Isn't this nice?

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