Ethan wants his dad to come home for Christmas; he writes a letter to Santa asking for such (even saying that he didn't want a bicycle, a baseball glove, or an Xbox).
One day, Gretchen is approached by a local landlord with a message for Melissa: her mother (Ramona) has passed away and the apartment needs to be cleared out by the weekend.
Melissa tells Gretchen that Ramona left and she moved back to Wilsonville (the only place she ever stayed long enough to feel at home).
Initially believing that her sibling is male, Melissa asks Bruce (a volunteer at a local food pantry, featured in one of her mother's photos) if he is her brother.
It turns out he is not, but convinces one of the pantry's main supporters, a local attorney (for whom Gretchen works part time) to assist in the search.