James slips away unnoticed: General Hospital recap for Wednesday, August 14, 2024

In Nina’s apartment, Drew woke up in Nina’s bed and asked what time it was. She told him it was too early to get out of bed, but he explained that he had to meet with Sasha and some caterers to plan a menu for a fundraiser. Nina assured Drew that Sasha could handle things, and Nina persuaded him to stay in bed with her.

After another round of lovemaking, Drew told Nina that they had set a record. “That was like ten hours, and neither of us said something nasty to each other,” he shared. “You want to try for another one?” Nina asked. Drew was tempted, but he couldn’t keep his would-be constituents waiting. “Another time,” Nina suggested. “Absolutely,” he said.

In the park, Mac and Spinelli tossed a Frisbee as Felicia and Maxie watched from a bench. James sat off to the side by himself. Spinelli tried to include James in the fun, but James wasn’t interested and walked away. Spinelli followed James to a nearby tree, while Felicia and Maxie glared accusingly at Mac. “What did I do?” Mac asked.

Under a tree, Spinelli asked if James wanted to toss the Frisbee, but James declined and admitted that he was bored. Spinelli asked what James wanted to do. “I want to ride horses with Cody, but Grandpa Mac says no,” James said. Spinelli acknowledged that it wasn’t fair to James that James couldn’t see Cody because Mac and Cody were having a disagreement. Spinelli reminded James that James occasionally argued with his friends, but James was quick to remind Spinelli that he and his friends always made up.

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Spinelli assured James that Mac and Cody would resolve their problems, but it would take some time. “Don’t worry. People are working on it,” Spinelli promised.

At the bench, Mac insisted that it wasn’t a big deal. “Two Trees is an amazing ranch with great horses,” Mac said. “But no Cody,” Maxie retorted. Maxie reminded her father that it hadn’t been Mac’s call to make when he forbade James from seeing Cody. Mac defended his stance by pointing out that James would soon be too busy with school and friends to care who gave James riding lessons. Mac was confident that James would forget all about Cody, but Maxie disagreed.

“Don’t you think Cody has been punished for long enough?” Maxie asked. After Maxie stormed away, Felicia warned Mac that he had messed up and needed to find a way to fix things. Mac was unapologetic because he believed Cody was a “liar and a sneak,” but Felicia argued that Mac shouldn’t have dragged their grandson into it. She advised Mac that the longer he kept James and Cody apart without explanation, the less that James would trust Mac. “Is that a price you’re willing to pay?” Felicia asked.

Nearby, Maxie ran into Nina. Maxie noticed that something seemed different with Nina. She quickly realized why. “Oh, Nina. Did you sleep with Drew again?” Maxie asked. Nina smiled sheepishly, prompting Maxie to remind Nina of their discussion the previous evening when Maxie had warned Nina that it was a bad idea.

Nina shared that Drew had spent the night with her. “After what we experienced last night, I am confident that Drew will see that this is far more enjoyable than him intruding on my daughter’s marriage.” Nina said. When Spinelli approached Maxie and Nina, James seized the opportunity to slip away unnoticed.

After Maxie, Spinelli, and Nina joined Mac and Felicia, Mac announced that he would be okay with James resuming riding lessons with Cody. Delighted, Maxie was eager to share the news with her son. She called out to him, but she was met with silence. Everyone began to look for James, but without success. Maxie realized where James might have gone, so she left to check.

At the same time, Nina answered a call from Michael. Felicia, Mac, and Spinelli resumed their search. A short time later, Felicia asked Spinelli about his conversation with James. Spinelli revealed that James had been bewildered and distressed about Mac’s antipathy toward Cody. Mac was horrified to realize that Felicia had been right.

At the Quartermaine boathouse, Lois, Brook Lynn, and Gio enjoyed an outdoor breakfast. Lois asked about Blaze, and Brook Lynn confirmed that Blaze had gotten on the plane. When Gio decided to head to work, both Brook Lynn and Lois insisted that he stay and finish breakfast. Lois knew Gio loved his job, but she reminded him that he would soon be able to give all of his attention to school and his music. Gio confessed that he might not have as many concerts as he had anticipated.

Gio explained that he had hoped working at the gallery would get him noticed by the right people. “Who’s going to go to a gallery owned by a murderer?” he asked. Brook Lynn assured him that people would show up at the gallery just out of curiosity, while Lois added that there were people who would want to attach themselves to Ava’s notoriety. Lois insisted that Gio was too good, and his future was too bright, to play background music for the snobbish elite.

“Save some caviar for the rest of us, Ma,” Brook Lynn pointedly said as Lois slathered the expensive delicacy on a bagel. Lois’ expression filled with embarrassment. Gio confessed that he only cared what a few people thought. “Like Sonny,” he said. Both Brook Lynn and Lois assured Gio that Sonny would be supportive. Lois reminded Gio that it shouldn’t matter because Gio was his own man and should do what was best for him, but Gio didn’t want to let Sonny down.

After Gio left, Brook Lynn admitted that Lois’ advice to Gio had been interesting because Lois was usually Sonny’s biggest defender. “What’s going on?” Brook Lynn asked. Lois was spared from having to answer because Sonny called to ask Brook Lynn to meet him.

Outside the Quartermaine kitchen, Sasha found Cody’s cowboy hat on a chair. She picked it up and smiled as she remembered Cody sharing a story about James wearing the hat and how much he loved his young nephew. The memory faded when Willow walked out. Willow noticed the hat and suggested that Sasha take it to Cody, but Sasha explained that she had a meeting with some caterers. Willow followed Sasha into the kitchen as Sasha revealed that she’d been waiting for “the boss.”

Willow warned Sasha that Olivia might have forgotten about the appointment because Willow had seen Olivia and Ned leaving with all the kids in tow. Sasha clarified that she’d been waiting for Drew. Rattled at the thought of running into Drew, Willow remembered her encounter with him in the elevator. When Sasha asked Willow to call Drew, Willow refused because she claimed that she didn’t want to interrupt him.

Willow revealed that she’d seen little of Drew in recent weeks and that she would no longer be working with him. Michael overheard what Willow had said as he walked in. “What does that mean?” he asked. Before Willow could reply, Drew arrived and quickly apologized to Sasha for running late. Drew explained that he’d been busy working on his campaign until late into the night, so he’d spent the night where he’d been working. Sasha assured Drew that it was fine and that they could reschedule.

When Drew apologized to Michael and Willow for interrupting their conversation, Michael revealed that Willow had some news to share. “I’ve decided to go back to nursing. I’m resigning,” Willow told Drew. Michael was confused because Willow hadn’t mentioned anything to him about the decision. Willow claimed that she’d been agonizing over it for weeks, but she hadn’t said anything because she had wanted to be certain. Willow shared that she had missed nursing because it had fulfilled her.

“Much more so than being on camera and doing PSAs,” Willow added. Willow acknowledged that it hadn’t been an easy decision because she hadn’t wanted to disappoint the people at New Tomorrow Institute, and she acknowledged that both Drew and Nina had helped her tremendously. Drew assured Willow that everyone wanted Willow to do what made her happy. Willow turned to Michael and told him that she would grab the beach stuff and meet him back in the kitchen.

After Willow left, Drew decided to shower and change. Sasha praised Michael for being a good husband because he’d been accepting of Willow’s decision. “What choice do I have?” Michael asked. Michael explained that he wanted Willow to be happy. He was certain Sasha understood just how precious time with the person they loved was. He immediately regretted reminding her of her loss, but she admitted that she’d made as much peace as she could with Brando’s death.

Sasha shared that most of the time, she smiled when she thought of Brando. Michael reminded Sasha that there were no guarantees in life, so she could hold herself back and stay safe and alone, or she could risk being hurt for another chance at love.

After Sasha left, Michael called Nina and shared the news that Willow had decided to step down from the institute to return to nursing.

Meanwhile, Drew found Willow in the boathouse and asked if she needed help. Willow tensed, but she assured him that she had things handled. She grabbed some folding chairs and started to leave, but Drew asked her to wait. “I just don’t want you to make a big mistake,” he told her. Willow claimed that working with the institute had not been what she had expected, so Drew offered to change things. She explained that a visit with Kristina had reminded her of why she had fallen in love with nursing and how much she had missed it.

Drew reminded Willow that she’d been doing a fantastic job with the institute, so she assured him that she would not leave everyone in the lurch. She explained that she would continue to do PSAs until a replacement was found or other arrangements were made, but she intended to return to General Hospital. Drew assured Willow that he was happy for her, but he wanted to make certain that she was honest about her motivation. “Does your resignation have anything to do with me?” Drew asked. He implored her not to give up the institute because he had made things complicated. “It is the only way to make things better,” Willow explained.

Willow insisted that she loved Michael, and she was committed to her husband and their family. Her voice filled with emotion. “But I can’t stop thinking about you,” she confessed. She admitted it was wrong, so she was determined to put as much distance as possible between her and Drew. “Before I do anything I’ll regret,” she said. Drew watched as Willow walked out.

In the stables, Cody paused hauling bales of hay as his thoughts drifted to the kiss he had shared with Sasha at the boathouse. He shook the memory away when Tracy walked up and asked if he’d been taking a break. Cody evaded the question and offered to saddle up Hades, but Tracy announced that she intended to take Cody for a ride. “So, buckle up,” she advised him. Cody followed her into the stable. Tracy set a backgammon board on the table and revealed that she intended to test his mind.

Cody sat down as Tracy told him the basic rules of the game. Once the game began, Tracy shared that she’d played the game with her sons when Ned and Dillon had been young and that she’d picked it up again years later during a hospital stay for parasitic brain worms. “That sounds scary,” Cody admitted. Tracy assured him that she had fond memories of being in the hospital because the doctor who had treated her had become a dear friend.

Tracy described Finn as generous and kind, as well as prickly and tough. Tracy shared that she had clicked with very few people in her life, but she had clicked with Finn. Cody realized that Tracy missed Finn. “Very much,” Tracy said. When Cody asked if Tracy had heard from Finn, Tracy admitted that she might have been too hard on Finn because she hadn’t heard from her friend since Finn had left.

Cody was certain that Finn would see things more clearly once Finn had completed rehab. Tracy assured him that her only goal had been to help Finn. Cody believed her. He realized that she had a tough shell, but she was warm and fuzzy underneath. “Compassionate, too,” Cody said. Tracy smiled. “Did I just win?” Cody suddenly asked.

Shocked, Tracy realized that it hadn’t been Cody’s first time playing the game. Cody reminded her that she’d been the one to assume that he didn’t know how to play. Tracy vowed not to be as benevolent the next time they played. Moments later, Sasha entered. After Tracy picked up her backgammon case, she answered a call from Brook Lynn and walked out. “Apparently, backgammon is a blood sport around here,” Cody said with a smile.

Sasha returned Cody’s hat. She explained that she’d also found her senses because she was tired of being scared and playing it safe. “I think we should do this,” she said. Confused, Cody asked, “Do what?” Sasha kissed Cody. Things quickly heated up as they gave in to their passions. However, Maxie’s arrival brought things to a halt. Maxie worriedly asked if Cody or Sasha had seen James.

At Sonny’s penthouse, Sonny was on the phone as he gave instructions to find Clements, the pharmacist who had filled his prescriptions. When Sonny opened the door to leave, he saw Natalia in the hallway, about to knock. After he ended the call, he invited Natalia inside. Natalia explained that she had stopped by to say goodbye because she was returning to Puerto Rico.

Natalia filled Sonny in about Blaze’s decision to leave town and tour with Miguel Morez and about the breakup. Sonny was surprised because Kristina hadn’t mentioned anything to him. Natalia confessed that she hadn’t parted on good terms with her daughter, but Sonny assured Natalia that it wouldn’t last because Natalia and Blaze loved each other. Natalia hoped so, but she explained that it wouldn’t happen in Port Charles. Sonny was curious why she was leaving, so she pointed out that she didn’t have a reason to stick around. “What if I gave you one?” Sonny asked.

A short time later, Brook Lynn and Lois arrived. Lois explained that she’d tagged along when she’d heard that Sonny had a business proposition for Brook Lynn. After the ladies greeted Natalia, Sonny admitted that he’d been looking forward to investing in the record label with Brook Lynn. Brook Lynn was disappointed that the idea had been shelved because Blaze had gone on tour, but Sonny suggested that he invest the money into Deception instead. Lois frowned, but Brook Lynn admitted that it might be a “game changer.” Sonny explained that he had one condition; he wanted Natalia in place to look after his investment. Sonny assured Brook Lynn that Natalia was great with finances and negotiations.

Brook Lynn conceded that Natalia had negotiated well on Blaze’s behalf. Lois asked what would happen if Sonny’s interests didn’t align with Deception’s. Natalia suggested that they could put everything in writing to make certain that Natalia—as a fiduciary—would be required to act in Deception’s best interests. Brook Lynn explained that she would have to talk to her partners, starting with Tracy. She invited Natalia to join her, since Natalia would be her own best advocate.

Lois started to follow Brook Lynn and Natalia out, but Sonny asked Lois to stay because he wanted to apologize. Lois was shocked when he told her that his bipolar medication had been tampered with. Lois assured Sonny that they would always be friends, but she had concerns about the money he planned to invest. Sonny promised that it was legitimate, but she warned him that she didn’t want her daughter’s business under federal scrutiny because Sonny had tried to impress the latest woman in his life.

At the Quartermaine mansion, Brook Lynn told Tracy about the investment opportunity, so Tracy asked what Natalia’s title would be. Natalia suggested that Chief Financial Officer would be appropriate. Tracy smiled, but she wanted to know which bank would be investing the money. “The bank of Sonny,” Brook Lynn reluctantly said. “Over my dead body!” Tracy replied.