The Christmas Ornament 2013

A young widow, Kathy Kellie Martin, skips the Christmas tree this year. In happier days, she and her late husband exchanged ornaments that symbolized their deep love. Now she keeps those memories tucked away to spare herself the sting of loss. The one holiday ritual she still observes is baking Christmas cookies for her friends—a comforting habit she has carried since childhood, a small ritual that helps her feel connected to happier seasons.

Shortly before Christmas, Kathy meets Tim Cameron Mathison, a charismatic Christmas tree shop owner who tries to sell her a tree but is initially unsuccessful. The moment they cross paths, there’s a quiet pull between them, unusual for her guarded heart. She ends up accepting a tree from him as a gift, along with an ornament that symbolizes hope for a fresher start. As they begin to spend time together, she helps him deliver trees, and in return he assists her in launching a new cookie business—something she has always dreamed of, and something that brings a bright pulse of life back into her home and her holidays.

Supported by her best friend, Jenna Jewel Staite, and buoyed by the budding feelings she has for Tim, Kathy starts to embrace the hopeful message embodied by Tim’s ornament. The idea of a renewed future grows clearer, even as memories of her husband linger in the background. Their growing romance is tested by those memories and by Tim’s ex-girlfriend, Rebecca Laura Mennell, who returns to complicate the situation in unexpected ways. The tension adds depth to the season’s emotional arc, reminding them of what they stand to lose and what they could gain.

As Christmas approaches, the pair comes to understand how much their love could mean for their future together. They confront the balance between cherishing the past and stepping forward into a shared, hopeful tomorrow, and in doing so they discover that the season’s true gift might be a second chance at happiness.