Living without you

As final farewells are are said for Lexie, Abe faces a life without his true love. Coincidentally, Kayla also faces a life without Steve, and Sonny states he'll live without Will's love if that's what's mean to be. Why is everyone in Salem prepared to live without? It's time to find out with us, in this week's Two Scoops.

If love makes the world go around, it screeched to a halt last week as true love seemed doomed for several Salemites. Abe is facing a life without Lexie. Kayla is facing a life without Steve. And Sonny has accepted a life without Will's love if that's what's best for Will. The only people who might be finding love are Dr. Dan and Nicole. Let's discuss!

ABE Perhaps I can stop crying now that Lexie's memorial is over. It was a great memorial, though. It had the perfect amount of sorrow and celebration. I agree with the assessment. I'm sure Lexie would have loved it (especially Abe's tie and the dancing)!

Nevertheless, I already miss Lexie. And everyone in Salem does, too. Abe pondered his life with and without Lexie, and finally realized he's going to have to go on without her. That was the perfect time for his friends and family to state they will be there for him and Theo. I've become a softy lately. Those scenes totally got to me. I wanted to give Abe a hug, too.

And now the journey really begins for Abe. Personally, I can't wait to see what James Reynolds does with the material. He's already been great throughout Lexie's illness. James has a subtly about his acting that tugs at my heartstrings. So, my bags are packed, I have travel-sizes tissues on hand, and I'm ready to join Abe as he picks up the pieces of his shattered life. Stay strong, Mr. Carver. We have your back!

KAYLA Her secret is out. Bo, Hope, Jack, Jennifer, and everyone in between know that she and Steve are filing for divorce. I appreciated Jack trying to lighten the mood. It needed lightening. But I feel bad for Kayla nonetheless.

Sweetness spent a lot of her life mourning Steve. When she finally got him back against all odds, it should have been a fairytale ending. But in a twist of fate, they didn't get "happily ever after." Instead they got "Steve got bored" and they've "become different people." As much as I liked Steve and Kayla, I appreciate the reality check.

In fact, I once tried to reconcile with an ex years after we dated. That's not typically my thing, but there were unresolved feelings, so, I thought, why not give it the old college try. Yeah, it didn't work. We'd grown into two very different people. We faced the bittersweetness of it all, and moved on as friends. So, maybe Kayla and Steve will become friends after the dust settles, too.

In the meantime, Kayla is mourning the loss of her marriage (as are Steve and Kayla fans). The good thing about that -- Mary Beth Evans gets more screen time! And like James will do with Abe, I'm interested in watching Mary Beth as she moves on as Kayla.

ABE and KAYLA Coincidentally, a lot of people are wondering if Abe and Kayla will move on together. This scenario reminds me of a little couple I like to call "Magic." Remember when Mickey died and Maggie eventually moved on with Victor? I do! And if the writers play their cards right, and don't rush things along, I would be totally open to see what develops between Abe and Kayla. Why not? I love both characters. And I've sat through Madison and Brady, so it couldn't be worse than that. Actually, Abe and Kayla could be an eventual win/win if done right and respectfully.

SONNY Look! Sonny's getting his very own section. Of course, Sonny's section is basically to talk about his feelings for Will. He has them. He totally has them. And he admitted as much to Lucas.

Those scenes were kind of awesomely awkward, and they did favors for both Lucas and Sonny's character development. I enjoyed that Lucas reached out to Sonny. It shows he's really trying to be there for Will. To understand his son. To protect him. And it was sweet that Lucas gave Sonny his blessing when he realizes how deep Sonny's feelings are. Hey, they both want what's best for Will, and that's something to bond over.

But let me break this down. I like Sonny a lot. I also like Will a lot. So, I like the idea of Sonny and Will. However, I'm a little worried about Sonny. Seeing him hurt would be like watching a soft, squeezable Care Bare get thrown into a blender.

Then again, I guess that's the deliciousness of soaps -- watching our beloved heroes and heroines suffer and overcome. Plus, during the entire illegal web gambling ring saga, Sonny did prove to be calm under pressure. Perhaps he'll be just fine.

However, it dawned on me during Sonny's talk with Lucas that they have a lot in common. Among other things, they're both in love with emotionally driven hotheads whom they want the best for, but will have to put up with a lot to have. Lucas knows what he's getting into with Sami. I'm not sure Sonny knows what he's potentially signing up for with Will.

Heck, I don't even think Will knows what Will wants. That aspect has me worried about Sonny who's worried about Will. Wow, so much stress. I need to stop at E.J.'s for some brandy to steady my nerves.

WILL and COMPANY Will is a punk sometimes, isn't he? Yet he assures everyone he has things under control. This should be interesting. It reminds me of when a certain other blonde schemer assures everyone she's on top of things. Oh, wait! That would be Sami. Yep, if Lucas and Sonny parallel each other, Sami and Will certainly do, too.

That fact gives even deeper legitimacy to Sami's concerns for Will. She knows firsthand how quickly a scheme can blow up, especially when going after E.J. I could only imagine what would happen if Will turned down the 'tude and let Sami help him. I have a feeling the two of them would be unstoppable. Ultimately, it's interesting that Sami and Will are both so deeply engrossed in E.J.'s life, and he in theirs. More, please!

I also hope we get more Will and Sonny time. Specifically, their movie date. Was Will asking him out-out or just to hang out? Gosh, dating or non-dating can be so confusing. Just ask Dr. Dan and Nicole.

STEFANO'S MURDER INVESTIGATION Even with Agent Spencer on the case, these guys can't seem to get it together. I'm glad he's there, though. At least he's trying to come up with fresh ideas instead of simply blaming E.J.

It was especially interesting that Spencer brought up Marlena's past with Stefano. She did drug and shot him. But then again Mar told John and Will she didn't kill Stefano. Do I believe her? Reluctantly, I do. I doubt she would jeopardize sucking face with John for jail time. That leaves the door open for other culprits.

I'm still a little stumped as to who shot Stefano, but I do have some hunches. Aside from Celeste, I have a fear that Bo might be the shooter. That has more to do with the recent casting news about Peter Reckell than anything. I just don't think Bo would go there. I hope the writers are smart enough to know that. And I hope I'm completely wrong because there wouldn't be enough Scooping space to cover that reveal if it should happen.

RAFE and CARRIE It's nice to know that in the middle of a murder investigation, Rafe and Carrie can find time to flirt. Actually, I don't mind them together as much as I mind their lame reason for not being together. It's just painful at this point.

I don't see why Carrie can't just come clean with Austin. It's not going to do him or her any good. And once the baby comes, it won't do him or her any good, either, when mommy is miserable and constantly leaves baby dimwit to spend time at the police station. Carrie should talk to Nicole about being knocked up and mingling with guys who aren't your husband. Just saying.

NICOLE and DR. DAN Speaking of Nicole, she had a busy week. She got busy with Dr. Dan on his desk and then foraged through E.J.'s belongings. What she found was the bullets. And one of those bullets killed Stefano. That's great and all, but even the police admitted they can't even use that evidence. So I'm not sure what the purpose of those scenes was other than to make me crave carrot cake.

On the topic of cravings, Nicole and Dr. Dan acted upon theirs for each other. They did the deed and then went on a date. Yes, in that order. Hmm, I'm not sure how I feel about this.

Shawn Christian and Ari Zucker are bringing their all to the scenes. I'm intrigued by their chemistry, but I'm not sold that Dr. Dan and Nicole are a good fit. I like their open and honest approach, but lately Nicole is not the force of nature she normally is. She's been downgraded from a category five to a tropical depression. If she picks up speed, I'm not convinced Dr. Dan won't be blown away.

BRADY The only person I feel worse for than Brady is me for having to sit through this storyline. Eric Martsolf is doing a bang-up job with the material. There's that. But other than that, I'm ready to stage an intervention with the writers. Here's why.

Madison sucks on a good day. The fact that she's not supporting Brady only makes her worse. She's pretty much scolding him for falling off the wagon. Sure, she doesn't know he was pushed off by Ian, but she doesn't seem to care. At all. She just seems annoyed by his condition. To clarify, she seems annoyed more than concerned. Ugh. Simply ugh.

Thankfully, Brady seems to have Kate on his side. I'm not exactly sure why, but she seems invested in getting to the bottom of Ian's plans. I'd dig Kate riding to Brady's rescue. Really, anything to make Madison feel worse and to cause Ian to go away would be fine with me.

LOOSE ENDS Here's the thing, I like Sami and I like Lucas. I totally get them as best buds and parents, but I'm still trying to find that same chemistry between them in the lovers department, and I don't know if I ever will. Perhaps when Agent Spencer cracks the case of Stefano's murder, we can work very closely together to find out what "Lumi" fans get so excited about. Deal, Spence?

Oh, E.J. and Sami! One minute they're fighting, and the next they're simply fighting their feelings for one another. I like Lexie's train of thought. That is, if they stop trying to destroy each other, they could make each other happy. I know I'd be happy if that finally -- and I do mean finally -- happened. So, go, Johnny! Keep pushing for it, kiddo. Ha! I guess Quinn's kickboxing lessons paid off for Melanie. She Karate Kidded Andrew in the face and tried to escape. I should be happier for Mel, but I'm a little worried about Andrew van Hottie's face. The only thing I'm hopeful about is that Mel will kick Gabi the same way. In fact, I'm surprised Abigail hasn't already.

Speaking of Gabi, she needs a clue. When a guy's constantly in his basement, he might be a little shady. Still, I'll give Andrew five dollars if he puts Gabi in that room and frees Melanie.

HOT: Lexie's memorial was the best! I was glad that the writers took pause from storylines to dedicate an entire show to Lexie (and Rene). Everyone in the cast looked their best, and it was touching to hear the characters speak of Lexie -- the good times and the bad. The trip down memory lane actually wowed me. I knew, but maybe didn't realize, how much time we've spent with Lexie. She truly will be missed by all. But like Hope toasted, she may be gone, but never forgotten. Cheers to that!

NOT: It dawned on me last week that Nicole is all over the place. I'm not sure the writers know what to do with her at this point. She's orbiting E.J., Rafe, and now Dr. Dan. She's pregnant. She's trying to solve crimes. She's horny, and she wants cake. She's sort of in the spot where Jennifer was last year -- all over the place with nowhere in particular to go. I'm all for a character being integrated with several storylines at once, but Nicole just doesn't feel like Nicole anymore, and that has me worried about my favorite schemer.

LINE OF THE WEEK: Lucas (to Sami): "I feel bad for any homophobe who has to deal with you or my mom."

RANDOM THOUGHTS: Totally OMG! John Aprea guest starred as Stefano's lawyer Arthur! If you watched Another World, you know why I'm OMG-ing. It was great to see him again! Hmm, I wonder how Felicia's doing!?

I dig Bo's reading glasses. He looks very scholarly.

I also dug Sami's yellow "Salem University" t-shirt!

After watching those flashbacks, I can't believe how much Terrell Ransom has grown! I feel old now.

Poor Ciara is a mess over the thought of losing Hope when she should be more worried about losing Bo. Sad face.

Whatever happened to the super special police task force Bo and Hope were supposed to head up?

Also, whatever happened to T/Tad? He sort of skulked over Sonny being gay and was never heard from again. I bet he's totally not hanging out at the Spot under the drag name Tad-itha Lennox.

In case you didn't know, E.J. is the mayor and runs DiMera Enterprises. Jot that down and don't forget it because it probably won't be mentioned again.

I really liked the backsplash in E.J.'s apartment. And, no, E.J.'s apartment looks nothing like Stephanie's old place. Nothing, I tell you.

Oh, oh! Another one! Whatever happened to Ian's Phoenix walking stick?

If certain casting rumors are true, I'm going to be one very, very happy Scooper soon. Stay tuned!

PARTING THOUGHTS: So, friends and fellow DAYS fans, that's Two Scoops for the week of July 2! I hope everyone has a great holiday and gets to celebrate with good company, good food, and cooler temperatures. I also hope we get to celebrate with a Brady-Horton July Fourth picnic. Remember those?

In the meantime, I'm off to watch fireworks in Manhattan and then heading home to my watch the other fireworks on my new Wednesday night retro-obsession, Dallas. Have you been watching the reboot? It's amazing! Also, amazing -- Laurisa will be back next week, and, "That's a fact!"

What are your thoughts on ? What did you think of this week's Two Scoops? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.