Oh boy, there's a lot going on in this one. This definitely felt more like a Miracles of Christmas movie, it was very spiritual, very emotional, and kind of heavy, but it was also beautiful and charming.
We start with a flashback of Lauren and her dad when she was around 6. Dad gets dizzy while putting an angel up on top of the tree and you just know this is bad news. The angel breaks and loses a wing. We learn later that Lauren's dad passed away just after that Christmas but left her a bundle of letters for the birthdays and special events he'll end up missing and Lauren uses these as a guide for her life.
Present-day Lauren (Candace Cameron Bure) is leaving Boston for a teaching position in Springfield, but her train prematurely terminates and leaves her stranded in Grandon Falls. The first person she encounters when she gets off the train is Travis (Tim Rozon). We quickly learn that Travis is the foster-dad to a young man named Dylan. With the inn full, Lauren spends the night in the attic of this amazing antique store/flea market/general store. She plans to leave the next morning until she sees a photo of her dad, a former traveling salesman, with her angel in the local bakery, prompting Lauren to see this as a sign and stay around for a while. While in town, Lauren works parttime in the bakery, where she spends some time with Dylan. A product of the foster system herself after her dad passed away, Lauren and Dylan bond immediately.
Dylan's incredibly generous spirit inspires Lauren and Travis to begin a clothing and toy drive and fundraising for people in a neighboring town who were affected by a fire. They spend more and more time together and keep growing closer as Lauren internally reevaluates what she wants. And, what she wants is a home. Lauren decides to stay in Grandon Falls as a teacher and also decides that she wants to adopt Dylan.
Dylan is overjoyed when the adoption is approved, but he quickly asks what will happen to Travis. Travis says that he wants to be a part of this new family too.
Dylan then gifts Lauren with an old angel he and Travis had found, but it's missing a wing. Lauren quickly realizes it's her angel. The angel brought all 3 of them a forever family.
It's hard to convey how emotional this movie was and it was a great way to highlight the importance of fostering and adoption and just how amazing the people who agree to be foster-parents can be.
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The lighter bits of the movie are mostly provided by Betty (Beth Broderick), the owner of the most charming bakery you've ever seen, and her best friend, Gloria, an elementary school teacher who retires so that Lauren can take over her class.
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