At the Abbott house, Jack admires the Christmas tree and looks pensive. Kyle comes down the stairs and pauses before wishing his dad a Merry Christmas Eve. They agree there’s nothing like the tree in all it’s glory. Kyle notes they didn’t get to finish their conversation before because Harrison came down. Jack tells him how much he loves having the boy there. Kyle says he’s asleep now. He suggests they finish their chat. Jack would love nothing more. They sit and talk about Jack’s Christmas memories. “When I was Harrison’s age, my mother was still in this house.” It was a pretty magical time. He hated the memories after she left because it felt like a lie, but now he believes those were happy times. Kyle asks about his regrets. Jack regrets not making the most of what time his mother had left. His father left too soon and he learned that the time to say what’s in your heart is now, in the moment.
In Society, Traci and Ashley laugh about all the people leaving shopping to the last minute. Ashley’s happy Traci has someone special to shop for this year. Diane appears and Traci warns Ashley to try and stay on the nice list. They make polite conversation. Diane knows they’re probably still angry with her, but she’d like to move past it and start fresh. Diane apologizes for what they saw and heard during the ruse. Traci notes she and Jack were both very convincing. Diane’s sorry for what they put them through. “Can we have a fresh start?” Traci thinks fresh is asking a lot. Moving past it might be possible. Diane asks if Ashley will follow her sister’s lead. Ashley tells Diane she’s hurt Kyle and Jack so many times she can’t even count. She’ll keep things civil over the holidays. Diane says that’s enough for now. Talk turns to her hurting Kyle. She won’t give up with him. She offers to buy the sisters a holiday drink. Ashley shrugs, “Why not?”
At Sharon’s place, Phyllis tells her that she’s absolutely shameless. Sharon says she didn’t kill Heather. If she can’t handle that than so be it. Phyllis reminds her she confessed. “What you put my family through… what the hell is wrong with you?!” Phyllis declares this is an insult to Heather’s memory that, once again, she’s trying to avoid justice. Nick says it’s Christmas Eve, no one wants to spend it arguing. Phyllis says her son doesn’t. He’d rather spend it with the woman he loves, but she’s dead. Sharon hollers, “That is enough!” She tells her she barged into her home and upset her family. Getting in her face won’t change the truth, which is going to come out. Everyone will accept it, but not Phyllis, because she likes this. She’ll admit she gave her ammo, but is telling her right now, “It wasn’t me. Go home, Phyllis. I’ve had enough of you.”
In the Abbott living room, Jack tells Kyle this is the season of hope. Kyle thinks hope comes from knowing how good things can be; knowing that things come in cycles. Jack’s thrilled he’s sharing his “deep moments” with him. It’s the best gift. If Kyle had known that, he wouldn’t have bothered shopping for him. They chuckle. They remark on how fast time goes by. That’s why Jack loves Christmas. Everything slows down. “Kyle it’s not accident that your grandmother and I were closest at Christmas time. Miracles do happen.” Kyle can see the parallels between him and Dina and he and his mom. Jack’s sorry about that. He’s made mistakes too but always seems to get a pass. It took him much to long to realize his mother was human. “Don’t lose this time with your mother. Don’t make the same mistake I made.”
At Society, Diane asks Traci if they’ll be seeing Alan for Christmas. Traci says he’s snowed in at a speaking engagement but is trying his best to get back. Diane remarks on Traci ending up with Ashley’s good friend. Ashley couldn’t be happier. Diane inadvertently mentions Ashley’s time in the facility, but Ashley isn’t embarrassed by it. They toast to overcoming challenges.
At Sharon’s place, Phyllis tells her she’ll never fall for this made-up defense. She knew it was her and she was right. She’ll let everyone in town know that she’s a vicious psycho. Faith hollers that it wasn’t her mother. There was someone else in that apartment! Phyllis scoffs at Sharon, “That’s your new line, that it was someone else? Really? Did you see their face? Did you get their name? Of course, you didn’t because they don’t exist.” She cries, “My son has suffered, my granddaughter is devastated. A beautiful woman was thrown away like a piece of garbage. You did that.” She wishes her luck manipulating the justice system and walks out.
Faith laments that Phyllis just won’t let it go. “I shouldn’t have said so much.” Sharon engaged first. Nick says Lucy and Daniel are grieving. Phyllis can’t take away their pain so she just wants to pass it on. Sharon tells her girls how much she loves them. If they can manage some Christmas smiles it will lift her spirits. They all give a hearty, “Ho, ho, ho!”
Phyllis arrives at Daniel’s place, and asks where Summer and Lucy have gone. Daniel says Summer bailed as she’s Santa back-up for Harrison and Lucy crashed. He notes she’s a little late. Phyllis laments missing the family Christmas Eve because she was at Sharon’s. Daniel calls her out for making the Christmas tree moment earlier “dark”. Emotional, she says that’s what she does. She gets her hands dirty so he can keep his clean. “I’m a mom, that’s what we do.” She tells him that Sharon has recanted her story. She’s claiming she was unconscious and there was a third person here who killed Heather. “Good God, can you believe this? You still want me to let it slide?”
Daniel is stunned. Sharon confessed, she framed him, she took Heather’s phone, and framed him with the bloody rags. She broke in twice and dumped Heather’s body. She confessed to all that, but now she didn’t kill her?! “Can she even do this?” Phyllis says of course. She’s Sharon. She cries and makes a scene and people feel sorry for her. “She’ll probably say it was me and I did it to get back at her.” Daniel tells his mother that isn’t helping. Phyllis says it’s a smokescreen and a tactic by Michael to by some time.
Diane joins Jack and Kyle at the Abbott mansion. Kyle tells her Summer put Harrison to bed. She shocks Jack by saying she had drinks with his sisters. Seeing Harrison’s face in the morning will be the icing on the cake. She tells Kyle her office is cleaned out and ready for his touches. He thanks her. Diane hands him a gift bag. She would really like him to open the gifts tonight.
At Sharon’s place, they all listen to Tessa sing Silent Night.
At the Abbott mansion, Kyle opens Diane’s first gift. It’s a nameplate for his office. Kyle thanks her. She says he’s back where he belongs… beside his father running John Abbott’s company. Jack mutters, “As if I wasn’t emotional enough tonight.” The second gift is letters in Diane’s handwriting. “Are these from your journal?” Diane cries, “Yes.” They’re from her time in Los Angeles. It’s the Christmas entries from all the years they were apart. She wipes tears as he reads bits aloud. Diane says there was so much she wanted to tell him when they were apart. So many apologies she wanted to make. She thought staying away and leaving him in peace was the right thing to do. She was too broken. Maybe when Kyle reads the letters, he’ll see that she desperately wanted to be someone who deserved him. Her heart ached for him every day. Kyle will read them, but not right now. He tells Diane he didn’t get her anything meaningful. Diane reminds him she always told him, “All I want for Christmas is a hug.” They embrace.
Kyle announces he has plans with Claire and they tell him not to keep her waiting. Kyle hugs Diane again and then leaves. Jack assures Diane she was perfect. She was kind, gentle and understanding, “And that nameplate was perfect.” The pages from her journal… he didn’t even know about those. Diane wasn’t sure she should share them. Jack says it was generous and loving. He loves her for it. Diane has something for him too. “Do you want it now or tomorrow morning?” Jack wants it now. He can’t wait until sunrise for her to open hers. They kiss.
At Daniel’s place, he and Phyllis go over Sharon’s claims. Phyllis says she doesn’t want to take responsibility. He laments that they thought this was almost over. Phyllis worries she’ll never be able to forgive Michael or Nick. Daniel figures they couldn’t have told her everything. “There has to be something else.” Phyllis warns him, “Don’t you do that.” Phyllis exclaims. If he starts buying this other manufactured story. Sharon’s a murderer. What else could there be? “One way or another, Sharon will pay.”
At Sharon’s place, they all sing Deck the Halls. She thanks her loved ones for the magic time. Nick assures them there will be a lot more moments. Every day will get easier and better. They to toast to that. Faith notices it’s snowing and the girls rush outside. Sharon tells Nick, “Merry Christmas, Nicholas.” He says, “Merry Christmas, Sharon.” They embrace.
At the Abbott mansion, Jack opens his gift from Diane. It’s a watch with an inscription, “My every heartbeat is yours.” He thanks her with a kiss and she puts it on his wrist. He loves it. Handing Diane her gift, Jack wishes her a Merry Christmas. She opens a stunning diamond and emerald necklace. “Is this?” Jack says the stones are from the Teardrop of Love, which his father gave his mother years ago. She recalls that he tracked it down. Jack puts it on Diane and says when his mother died, he thought the love it would bring him would be from and for his family. He had no idea if would be romantic love. Diane says he was supposed to share the stones with his family. Jack tells her she is his family and his love. They wish each other a Merry Christmas and kiss.
