Time for Us to Come Home for Christmas

Sarah Thomas is a high-powered lawyer in Seattle who returns to her childhood home in Brooklyn to wrap up the final legal cases of her recently deceased mother. While there, she receives a mysterious Christmas card with a reservation for the Snowfall Inn. Assuming it is a gift from her boss, Walter, she travels to the inn and meets Ben, a former Wall Street financier who recently purchased the property to find more meaning in his life. Sarah soon realizes that her boss did not send the gift. She meets other guests—Karen, a recently divorced teacher; Jasper, a widower and former musician; and Owen, a father trying to connect with his teenage daughter, Cassidy—who all seem to have arrived under similarly vague or 'won' circumstances. As the guests participate in traditional holiday activities like ornament painting and tree trimming, Sarah and Ben begin to investigate the common thread between the guests. Sarah discovers an old photograph from 1984 in the inn's archives that features her parents, a young Karen and Ted (another guest), Jasper's late wife, and a mysterious man named Peter. Through conversations, they realize that a massive snowstorm in 1984 forced this group to spend an unforgettable Christmas Eve together at the inn, where Sarah's parents even helped Jasper's pregnant wife reach him for a concert. While the mystery unfolds, subplots flourish: Karen and Ted, who were college sweethearts separated by time, rekindle their romance; Jasper helps Owen connect with Cassidy by teaching them to play music together. Sarah finds herself torn between her 'partner track' job in Seattle and the fulfillment she feels helping local citizens with her mother's old cases. The group eventually tracks down Peter Sanderson, believing him to be the benefactor, but he reveals he was also an invited guest. The true 'Secret Santa' is revealed to be Frenchie, the inn's former owner. She sent the invitations to recreate the 'magic' of that 1984 night, hoping to help the guests find what they were missing in their lives. In the climax, Sarah realizes that her mother's legacy of helping the underdog is her true calling. She decides to leave her Seattle firm and stay at the inn with Ben, concluding that 'home' is defined by the people you love rather than a geographic location.