or Vernon as a random traveler (WHO'S ACTUALLY A SPIRIT SENT OUT TO HELP THOSE POOR UNFORTUNATE SOULS, BUT THE OC DOESN'T KNOW) so Vernon just sticks with her and he learns from her, Vernon happens to be a very weird person with a very weird way of thinking and seeing things which actually makes sense once u thought deep about it ...because he traveled apparently he knows a lot about the world and he shares stories with the OC (that he witnessed while travelling) that changes he negative perspective and gives her hope?Enough hope to make her positive! so in the process Vernon falls for her and she falls for him too SLOWLY but then when they both felt mutual Vernon disappears (HE CAN'T FALL FOR A MORTAL) so after a nice gap of (this depends on how old the oc is) 6-20 years, Vernon comes back to visit the Successful OC on CHRISTMAS (possibly married and with a cute kid) but the OC can't see him this time , because his job is done and he's a spirit....but what he doesn't know is the OC still remembers him and misses him (WHICH IS IMPOSSIBLE ACCORDING TO THE SPIRIT RULEOR IDK BUT SHE REMEMBERS) because they didn't really have a decent good bye or closure LIKE THE OC AND HER DAD, but then both Vernon and OC decides that if the other is happy,idk but there's this little prince quote "It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important" or some awesome otherlife lesson lol . IF SHE kept being sad and if she didn't acknowledge her dad or Vernon she won't be that successful,now would she?

idk I'm sitting here and thinking about bitter sweet endings OTL (I haven't read those in a while and I want to read one of them so bad lol sorry if that was too long but these came into my head and i guess i forgot about the whole focus on family haha *-* ) So THERE IT IS, ideas, plan well soldier! this is kind of angst(which I at) but I believe YOU CAN DO IT! good luck, fighting! :D

ahh (here comes ideas from the dumbest person on AFF lol so yea I'm not a pro OTL but I'll let you know what I think ^_^)
honest opinion...*clears throat*
so this plot is cliche...BUT THAT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A BAD THING.i think it makes it harder to write?There's like a million fanfics out there with similar story line and this one needs to stand out right?! So if you can pull of an emotional fic well, Go for it!
Considering her dad did die and that's no joke,that's like trauma and a lot of things...(<--i said it's hard to write bc feels and I at that lol) things like that takes time to heal and some random hot guy cannot make her forget about it in the next Christmas ..it needs to be convincing I guess, everyone likes a cute Christmas story that makes sense!
You don't just be sad over your dad's death and get over with it easily in the next Christmas just because love at first sight and his eyes took all my problems away and be like 'oh babay i lovee youu and I'm suddenly okay and nothing matters except youuu, love at first sight' NOW THAT'S HOW ANY STORY TURNS BAD, SO WHATEVER YOU DO DONUT make the OC stupid or her Trauma as a joke :o

tbh I would love to read if something like...let's say Vernon being in arrange marriage and the OC knows about even before she meets him, but they hangout and Vernon learns about her past and helps her and then she starts falling gradually ,in the end Vernon has to leave on Chirstmas for some reason and the OC, instead of mourning over the loss like she did with her dad she realizes that there's happiness in the world when the people you love are never forgotten and memories weren't mean to be haunted as they were meant to be cherished?
idk teach her a lesson at the end? :o