Tuesday, August 13, 2024

by Spalding

At the hospital, Jack visited Kayla in her office, and he noted that it was a strange coincidence that they had found John in Poplar Bluff. "I think it had something to do with our search for Abigail. I just don't know how it fits yet," Jack said. "So, you and Chad came home empty-handed," Kayla said. Jack said no. Kayla gasped. "Did you find Abigail?" Kayla asked. Jack admitted that he and Chad had located a woman that might be Abigail.

Jack explained about the woman's bad accident around the time of Abigail's death and the reconstructive surgery after that. "But she'd know if she were Abigail, right?" Kayla asked. "[She said] the accident left her with no memory of her past," Jack said. Jack asked Kayla for a DNA test.

In the hospital waiting area, Chad thanked the woman for accompanying them to Salem to learn the truth about the woman's past. "Please don't thank me yet. I'm starting to think this is a huge mistake," the woman said. "Why?" Chad asked. The woman said she was worried that it was a waste of time.

"I'm just worried that you and your father-in-law are setting yourselves up for a terrible disappointment," the woman said. "It's pretty hard not to get your hopes up," Chad admitted. Chad argued that with a DNA test, they would have an answer. "Let's say I'm this Abigail person. Then what? It's not like we can just be together. I don't know you at all," the woman said. Jack returned, and he confirmed that Kayla had agreed to run the test.

"No sense in turning back now," the woman said. The group went into Kayla's office, and she took cheek swabs from Jack and the woman. Kayla confirmed that she would have the results in an hour. When the woman said she was hungry, Chad offered to take her to a restaurant nearby. Jack stayed behind.

When Kayla returned to her office, Jack was alone. Jack explained that Chad and the woman had gone out to eat. "Although I think maybe Chad had a hidden agenda," Jack added. Jack called Jennifer with an update. After Jack's call, Kayla asked about Jennifer. Jack admitted that Jennifer was staying neutral so that she did not get her hopes up.

"It's too late for me to do that, obviously," Jack said. With tears in his eyes, Jack noted that if the Abigail story turned out to be a hoax, he would be devastated. "It's like you have to grieve all over again. And I'm not sure that Jenifer and I can handle that heartbreak," Jack whispered. Kayla asked about J.J., and Jack admitted that J.J. believed that Clyde was lying.

At the DiMera mansion, Chad escorted the mystery woman into the living room. Chad explained that he had texted the chef to set up a meal. "This is my family's estate. I lived here with my wife and our two kids," Chad said. The woman asked Chad if he had taken her there to see if the setting would trigger her memories. Chad nodded yes.

"Does anything seem familiar?" Chad asked. The woman looked around the room, and she noticed Stefano's portrait. Chad explained that Stefano was his father but that he had passed away. "He's very intimidating," the woman said. "He was," Chad said with a grin. Chad noted that Abigail had stood up to Stefano. "Go, Abigail," the woman said. The woman admired a vase, and Chad explained that Abigail had bought the vase when they had lived in Paris. Chad caught himself staring at the woman, and he apologized.

"I don't mean to be pressuring you. It's just," Chad said with a shrug. "You just need me to be Abigail," the woman countered. When the food arrived, the woman eagerly dug into her banh mi sandwich. Chad explained that Abigail had gotten the recipe for the sandwich from their favorite Vietnamese restaurant. "You like it?" Chad asked. "I do," the woman said.

When the results were ready, Chad and the woman returned to Kayla's office. Chad explained that they had lunched at the DiMera mansion. "You recognize anything?" Jack asked. The woman said no. Kayla walked in with the test results, and she handed them to Chad. "What does it say?" Jack asked.

On Smith Island, Tate and Holly talked over dinner about Sophia's threats. "Do you honestly think that's she's going to keep quiet?" Tate asked. With a shrug, Holly noted that Sophia was happy to get money and not have to work, so she would likely not tell anyone. Tate's phone rang with a call from Brady.

"I hope you're right. Otherwise, I'm going to be in some serious trouble," Tate said. Tate answered the phone, and he was relieved that his father was still in the dark about Tate's location. When Brady noted that it was hard to hear Tate, Tate lied and said that he was in a car headed out to the camp out in the woods. "It's kind of hard to hear you, too. Where are you?" Tate asked.

Brady looked around Small Bar, and he lied and said he was at home. "Really? There's a lot of noise in the background," Tate said. Brady said the noise was the TV. Brady told Tate that he was glad that Tate was back at camp, and he was pleased that Tate had been able to say goodbye to his mother. "Me, too. I just wish you would have let me stay in Salem," Tate said. Brady reiterated that Tate's place was at camp. Tate asked if that was the only reason that Brady had sent him back.

"It kind of felt like you couldn't wait to get rid of me," Tate admitted. "That's so not true. It's just that you made a commitment to the camp, and I think you should, you know, honor the commitment. That's all. But I can't wait for you to come home, because I miss you already," Brady said. After Brady ended the call, he sipped his drink.

At the Horton cabin, Tate confirmed to Holly that he was in the clear with his father. Tate added that he was expected home in a few weeks, so they did not have much longer together at the cabin. "Yeah, but hopefully we won't have to meet up in secret for much longer after that," Holly said. Tate agreed that the truth about their summer could destroy any chance they had at a real relationship.

Tate and Holly kissed, and he told her she was beautiful. When Tate kissed Holly again, she started to lift his shirt. "What are you doing?" Tate asked. "I think we should have sex," Holly stammered. With a nervous chuckle, Tate said he had not realized that Holly believed that they might be ready for that step in their relationship.

"Why wouldn't we be? Unless, do you not want to?" Holly asked. "Oh, my God, no, Holly. Of course I want to," Tate said. Holly kissed Tate, and this time, Tate pulled off his own shirt. Tate and Holly stumbled to the couch, and she started to untie her shirt. "Maybe we should talk about this for a minute," Tate suggested. Tate asked Holly if she had had sex before.

"No. Have you?" Holly asked. Tate said no. Holly sighed with relief. "We can be each other's firsts then," Holly said. As Holly leaned in to kiss Tate, he pulled away. "What about protection? I don't have any," Tate said. Holly reached for her purse, and she pulled out a box of condoms. Tate was surprised. "I didn't realize that you had this whole agenda," Tate teased. Holly blushed, and she said that Sophia had asked her about whether they had had sex.

"When I told her no, she gave me a hard time," Holly said. "Why would she do that? It's none of her business," Tate said. Holly agreed, and she said Sophia had reminded her that Tate had reserved a hotel room on prom night. "I rented the hotel room so that we could be alone together. I wasn't like, you know, trying to seduce you," Tate said. Worried, Holly asked Tate if he had changed his mind about her.

"No. You have no idea how badly I want to be with you," Tate countered. Holly kissed Tate, but he pulled away again. "This is a bad idea," Tate said. Holly asked why. Tate said that he did not like that Sophia had made Holly feel insecure. "I feel like if we do it, we'd be doing it to prove a point, and so in a way, it's like she's forcing us into it," Tate said. "Do you feel forced?" Holly countered. Tate said no.

"I don't like that Sophia made you feel like it was weird that we were waiting, and I don't want that to be the reason that we decide not to wait," Tate explained. "I get that. And Tate, I don't want that to be the reason, either. And when we actually do go through with it, I'd want to, like, you know, spend the whole night with you," Holly said. Tate and Holly kissed and then held one another.

In Xander and Sarah's apartment, they ate wedding cake with their moms. "So, how does it feel to be husband and wife again?" Maggie asked. "So far, for me, it's even better than the first time," Xander said. Sarah agreed, and she said that they were happy they could spend their wedding day with Maggie and Fiona.

"I wouldn't have missed it for the world. It was just lovely," Fiona said. Fiona complimented Maggie's officiating job. "It was a joy for me to marry my two favorite people on the planet," Maggie said. Xander frowned as he looked at his phone. When Sarah noticed, Xander apologized, and he explained that he was concerned that he had missed work. Maggie argued that no one would begrudge Xander for having taken a day off for his wedding.

"I know, Maggie. But I did have a rather important meeting that I had to miss, and I was hoping that Brady could close the deal for me, but I just got a text saying that he never even showed up. I wonder what happened," Xander said. Fiona asked about Brady, and Xander called Brady his "idiot nephew."

"Be nice. Brady's a good person," Sarah cautioned Xander. "He totally flaked on helping me out today. I knew I shouldn't have left him in charge," Xander muttered. Maggie noted that Brady was usually reliable and that he likely had a good excuse. Sarah explained to Fiona that Maggie knew Brady better than most people.

"We've become quite close since I became his sponsor," Maggie said. "His sponsor? So, I assume you are in A.A., too, Maggie? Oh, sorry! None of my business," Fiona said. Maggie assured Fiona that it was fine. "We're family now," Maggie said. Maggie offered to go with Fiona to a meeting while Fiona was in Salem. Fiona said she would let Maggie know if she planned to attend one.

"I just got an alert that Theresa was transferred to Statesville earlier today, so that's probably why Brady didn't show up," Sarah said as she looked at her phone. Xander grumbled that Brady should have let him know if he had been unable to attend the meeting. After Xander and Sarah poured Champagne and cider, they made toasts. Fiona gave an old Scottish wedding blessing, and then Xander toasted to Sarah as his better half.

"[Sarah always] pushes me to make better decisions, even when I'm stubborn and refuse. If it wasn't for her, me and my mum never would have reconnected. It's no secret that I had some reservations about inviting you to the wedding, Mum. But Sarah insisted that family's important and that you should be a part of our lives. And Victoria's. I know we still have our issues to work out, but now, thanks to Sarah, we have that chance, and I'm just so grateful. So, here's to Sarah!" Xander said.

Fiona gulped down most of her cider, then she announced that she would get a refill. Xander offered to fill Fiona's glass, but she insisted that she would handle it. Once in the kitchen, Fiona poured Champagne into her glass. On the couch, Maggie offered to babysit Victoria if Xander and Sarah wanted to go on a honeymoon. Xander and Sarah eagerly accepted Maggie's offer, and they noted that they did not plan to stay away for more than a day or two.

"I can pitch in, too, if you'd like. I'd love to spend more time with my granddaughter," Fiona said. "Does that mean you'll be sticking around Salem for a while?" Xander asked. Fiona said yes, if Xander was okay with the idea. "Of course!" Xander said. Fiona's phone beeped, and she saw a text message from Brady that invited her to meet him at Small Bar for drinks. Xander asked Fiona if her text was from her secret beau. Fiona smiled coyly. Xander noted that the party was over, and he encouraged Fiona to meet up with her man.

At Small Bar, Brady smiled when he read a text from Fiona that she was on her way. "I guess this must be your home away from home," a waiter said as he cleared empty glasses from Brady's table. "I beg your pardon?" Brady said. The waiter said he had overheard Brady say on the phone that he was "at home." Brady asked the waiter if he made a habit of eavesdropping on private calls. The waiter pointed out that Brady was in a bar.

"I don't care if I'm in Grand Central Station. What I say on this phone is none of your freakin' business, is it?" Brady said. The waiter apologized and scurried away. "Jackass," the waiter muttered under his breath. Brady slammed his glass on the table, and he shouted, "What did you say?"

As the waiter told Brady to calm down, Fiona arrived. "What's going on?" Fiona asked. As Brady started to ramble about the waiter, Fiona shushed Brady. "I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding. Let's not spoil a good time before it even starts," Fiona said. With a nod, Brady returned to his table. Fiona apologized to the waiter, and she promised him a large tip.

Fiona rejoined Brady, and he asked about the wedding. "Lovely, except I was white knuckling it the whole day," Fiona confessed. Brady chuckled. "I would, too, if I had to spend that much time with your son. No offense," Brady said. Fiona noted that Xander was not fond of Brady, either. "[Xander] was quite angry that you blew off that business meeting," Fiona said. Brady furrowed his brow in thought, and then he laughed.

"The meeting! I ran into my kid," Brady said. Confused, Fiona asked if Brady's son was no longer at camp. Brady explained that Tate had returned home and that Brady had sent Tate back to camp. Brady added that he had also needed to visit his father in the hospital. "Is he all right?" Fiona asked. Brady said yes, but that was why he had missed the meeting. "But what I really needed was [a drink]," Brady said. Fiona ordered another round.

After a couple drinks, Brady told Fiona the history of Tate's birth. "So, Tate is your son by one of your exes. But the other one gave birth to him?" Fiona said. Brady chuckled and nodded yes. Fiona shook her head, and she wondered aloud why Kristen had not stolen the baby after birth instead. "Maybe she shouldn't have stolen the baby at all," Brady muttered. With a grin, Fiona suggested they go to her hotel room. Brady declined because of his family, and he kissed Fiona.

At Xander and Sarah's apartment, Maggie noted that Fiona had been delightful company. "You wouldn't say that if you met her back when we lost my father. I mean, my dad, Titus," Xander said. With a shake of his head, Xander noted that he had not seen that side of his mother since his childhood. "It's like I got my real mother back," Xander said. "Well, I'm glad she's got herself together now. And you did it all, Sarah," Maggie said. With a grin, Sarah noted that she was pleased with herself. Maggie suggested that Xander and Sarah go to the Horton cabin for their honeymoon.

"Johnny and Chanel, they spent their honeymoon earlier this year there," Maggie noted. "Yeah, but didn't Julie show up and kind of ruin the romance," Sarah said. Maggie laughed, and she promised that Sarah and Xander would have the cabin to themselves. With a grin, Sarah suggested that they catch the next ferry and start their honeymoon.

After hurriedly packing a suitcase, Xander and Sarah walked through the square on their way to catch the last ferry of the day to Smith Island. "I don't know why you packed all these clothes. Because you're definitely not gonna need them," Xander said. Sarah grinned. Maggie called Sarah's phone to tell her that the key to the cabin was missing. Sarah noted that she had returned the key to the desk drawer after Johnny had returned it. "It's not there," Maggie noted. Sarah told Xander to buy tickets to the ferry while she ran home to look for the key.

A drunken Fiona drove home from the bar with a passed-out Brady in the passenger seat. "Sorry, darling. There was no way I was going to let you drive home. I mean, dear God. Look at the state of you," Fiona said. As Fiona stared over at Brady, Sarah exited the square. Sarah screamed as Fiona's car headed straight for her.