Maggie (Hallmark Queen Ashley Williams) asks, “Isn’t there an old saying, ‘one should never kiss a man in a Christmas sweater’?” To which her BFF Alyssa (Lisa MacFadden) replies, “No, that’s not a thing.”

Is it though? Is it a thing? Have you heard that before? I kinda need to know because it’s going to come up within the first four minutes of this movie. Maggie is a teacher who has just dismissed her students for winter break when she comes across a freshly injured child and the man who was meant to be supervising him. The kid is fine, thankfully, or else the man, Lucas (Niall Matter), would be in serious trouble. Karma is a bitch though, and about one and a half scenes later we “bump” into him again as Maggie is struggling to load a Christmas tree in her car. The bump is severe enough that Lucas needs surgery, which derails his holiday plans to ski in Aspen, and leaves Maggie feeling guilty enough to extend an invitation to convalesce in her home. Maggie’s daughter is spending the holidays with her dad this year and Maggie would otherwise have been alone – now she has a partner in crime who should be resting but instead she puts to work – volunteering at an army base with kids whose parents are deployed this Christmas season. It’s a good cause. He can hardly complain.

Like in almost all Hallmark movies, the two are shy to share their feelings with each other. I mean, not their feelings about the world, and dreams, values, goals, and ambitions, but two grownups confessing they’d like to be more than just friends? Gross. Cue obligatory misunderstanding: they each think the other isn’t interested! Which is exactly what happens when you keep those feelings to yourself. But don’t worry, it’ll all get worked out with thoughtful Christmas gifts, an ugly Christmas sweater, and a turkey dinner, so Maggie and her daughter open their hearts and home to Lucas who has just quit his big city job to be with them forever, and they can enjoy a meal as a family – though, let’s be real: they did just meet last week.