Trading Christmas

Three years after her husband’s death, Emily focuses on keeping Christmas traditions alive in South Woodbourne. She balances grief with hopeful anticipation for Heather’s return. The preparations are a quiet testament to memory and resilience.

Seeking reassurance on how to navigate the holidays and Heather’s evolving plans, Emily calls her friend Faith Kerrigan, a divorced event planner in San Francisco. Faith offers practical advice and a gentle reminder to balance old traditions with new possibilities. Their conversation sets the tone for a season of support and reconnection.

In Boston, Charles wrestles with finishing his latest novel as deadlines loom. His brother Ray suggests a change of scenery to rekindle inspiration and focus. The idea of swapping places for a week begins to take shape as a potential Christmas distraction and muse.

Emily resolves to surprise Heather in Boston, but Heather has already mapped a trip with her boyfriend Jason to Phoenix to visit his grandparents. The plan complicates the surprise, yet foreshadows the possibility of new arrangements. The holiday entanglements begin to collide with family expectations.

Emily and Charles discover a house swapping website and propose trading homes for the week. The swap aims to bring fresh surroundings and new perspectives for all involved during the Christmas period. It creates a practical setup where different lives briefly intersect.

Emily travels to Boston and arrives at Charles’s house, greeted by a hint of nostalgia and Edwardian-style Christmas lights. The setting promises a week of unexpected closeness and shared moments. It also places her in the path of Faith’s planned surprise visit.

Faith travels by plane and bus to Boston to surprise Emily, and her arrival coincides with Charles’s presence at the house. The collision of two different worlds under one roof accelerates new connections. The week becomes a catalyst for emotional shifts all around.

During the week, Emily triggers the apartment alarm, drawing Ray and a police officer into the scene since Charles hadn’t warned him about the arrangement. The coincidence tests boundaries but also opens doors to unexpected collaboration. The moment becomes a turning point for what the week could mean for their futures.

The alarm incident leads to conversations where Emily and Ray trade stories about past Christmases, losses, and hopes for the future. The connection feels tender and unexpectedly hopeful, challenging their preconceived notions about family and happiness. Their bond acts as a quiet engine for the unfolding drama.

Meanwhile, Charles works at his desk while Faith offers thoughtful feedback on his draft. Her encouragement provides fresh momentum, helping him overcome writer’s block. The collaboration deepens mutual respect and sparks a possible future beyond the week.

Heather’s homesickness prompts Jason to buy plane tickets to Boston so she can spend Christmas with her mother. The plan aligns with the growing sense that home can be found in multiple forms. The family begins to align their plans for a shared holiday.

On Christmas Day, Charles drives Faith to the bus station to see her off, then halts the bus at the last moment, sparing her a lonely journey home. Faith’s kiss hints at a budding new chapter between them. Emily, Heather, and Jason arrive at Ray’s apartment with a Christmas tree, and the four share a warm, hopeful Christmas together.

The story leaps forward to a quiet, satisfying future: Ray has sold his company, signaling a new life chapter. Emily and Ray are married and living in Washington, while Faith and Charles are also married and expecting a child. They are visited at Christmas by loved ones, reaffirming that love and connection endure beyond loss.