Young and Restless Recaps: The week of July 17, 2006 on Y&R

Comprehensive daily recaps for The Young and the Restless, dating back to 1996.

Monday, July 17, 2006

by Isaac

At Newman Enterprises, Phyllis told Jack that the results of the paternity test arrived but that Nick didn't tell anyone before he left town for a few days. Phyllis told him that Nick was returning in a few days, and that Sharon had received the same message from him. Jack found it interesting that Phyllis was turning to him again now that Nick was out of town. Phyllis asked if Jack would take a paternity test, and with some prodding, Jack agreed -- he said he wouldn't leave them all in limbo while "Mr. Wonderful" took a break. Phyllis told him she was afraid that Jack would try to take the child away from her, but he reassured her that he would never take an infant away from it's mother -- Jack was surprised that Phyllis had a low enough opinion of him to think that he would do such a thing.

Carmen and Neil spoke on the phone -- Nick reminded her about the jazz concert. She asked Neil to meet her at Newman. While talking to Neil, Carmen reminisced about having sex with Jack. Phyllis came into the break room and Carmen asked her wardrobe advice. When Phyllis mentioned that she saw Carmen going to lunch with Jack, Carmen assured Phyllis they were just friends.

At the lab, Phyllis and Jack waited for Jack to take the paternity test. He reminisced about Phyllis' ectopic pregnancy, Dr. Walker telling them they couldn't have a baby, and Jack telling Phyllis that her health was more important than her having a child -- that he had almost lost her. Jack took Phyllis' hand and she thanked him for being there. Jack said that Nick had put her in a tough situation by leaving without telling her the test results. She is adamant about not talking about Nick -- Jack then remembers the night that he and Phyllis made love -- how she was comforting him and they ended up having sex -- and the next morning Phyllis telling him she didn't want to mislead him -- then Jack finding out the truth about Nick and Phyllis. He pulled his hand away from Phyllis' and asked her if the baby turned out to be Nick's if she thought Nick would leave Sharon. Phyllis said she doesn't know what he'll do -- Jack believes that Phyllis is hoping that Nick would leave Sharon. Jack came to the conclusion that Phyllis would take Nick if Nick decided to leave Sharon. Jack grew more upset, and as the nurse told him the doctor was ready. Jack said he had wasted enough time waiting and went to take the test, leaving an upset Phyllis.

At the Newman ranch, Victor was talking to the "Hope" hallucination when Victoria and Abby came in and wondered who he was talking to. He said that he was talking to Zapato, and sent Abby outside to play with Zapato. With Victor alone again, the "Hope" hallucination appeared and Victor asked 'her' if there was something wrong with him -- since he apparently was the only one who could see her. Abby returned and was going to roast marshmallows in the fireplace, but Abby urged him to be careful. Victor's hand got very close to the fire and Abby began screaming. Victor and Victoria tried to reassure Abby that Victor is okay, but an adamant Abby insisted that Victor stuck his hand in the fire.

Victoria insisted that Victor go see his doctor, and although initially reluctant, he finally agreed. While he was hooked up to all the equipment, he began to have another "Hope" hallucination. The doctor told Victoria that this was good -- since they were running the test it would help diagnose Victor. Later, the doctor told Victor and Victoria that Victor was suffering from temporal lobe epilepsy, and wanted to prescribe more medication. Victor was initially reluctant, but Victoria insisted. The doctor tried to get to the bottom of when these changes in Victor's personality began -- he said his attitude toward life changed after Nikki's carjacking -- previous to that he had been a driven businessman. The doctor told them that Victor's condition could be caused by scarring, inflammation, or trauma, among other things. The doctor insisted on writing a new prescription and asked to speak with Victoria alone. Victoria thought the fact that they had a diagnosis was good news. The doctor told her it was important to know what to do if Victor had another seizure -- he gave her a bunch of tips on how to protect him. Victoria thanked the doctor and told him she would pass the information on to Nikki. Victor came out of the office and hugged Victoria. Later, back at the ranch, Victoria thanked him for taking his medication -- he said he was doing it for her.

At Crimson Lights, Jana introduced Kevin to a tarot card reader who did a reading on Kevin -- she said his past showed obsession and a lack of control -- that his present showed a hard-won victory -- and that his future showed that big changes were coming -- that things could unravel and he needed to be cautious. Kevin was upset by this and walked away.

Carmen and Neil were on the coffeehouse patio and got their tarot cards read -- the card reader told Carmen that her past showed a craving for material goods (Carmen then told her they were poor when she was a child), that her present showed prosperity, and that her future indicated she would find a soul mate. Neil had his cards read too: his past showed stability, his present showed painful truths now in the open, and the future was the same as Carmen's! When Neil asked what that meant, the card reader said it was obvious to her and she left. Neil told Carmen that he didn't want to lead her on because he was committed to his marriage with Drucilla -- Carmen hoped they could continue being friends without it jeopardizing his marriage, as she enjoyed his company. Neil told her his philosophy about marriage: that people, these days, just backed away too easily, and he didn't want to do that with Drucilla.

At the loft apartment, Daniel said something needed to be done about the crank phone calls. When Colleen said that J.T. would handle it, Daniel called the phone company to report the crank calls. Lily and Colleen went through the mail and found a note that read, "He lied to you and he's still lying."

Later, Colleen spoke to J.T. on the phone and asked what she should do. Daniel and Lily suspected that the person writing the notes was the same person making the prank phone calls. Colleen got off the phone and told Lily and Daniel that he had told her to tell them everything. Colleen told Daniel the story about how the man they knew as her father -- "Brad Carlton" -- was not really Brad Carlton. Daniel was really scared that the person harassing her needed to be taken seriously -- and that none of them were safe!

Later, while paying for a pizza delivery outside the loft door, Daniel noticed a note on the ground that read, "Meet Me at the Coffeehouse or Lily Learns How You Tried to Make Kevin a Hero." A visibly upset Daniel dropped the pizza off and told the girls he had to run an errand -- and quickly left. After he was gone, Colleen and Lily continued to talk about how careful they needed to be -- and how they would escort each other to work, which they were both about to leave for.

Daniel went to the coffeehouse and told Kevin they had a problem -- he showed Kevin the note and Kevin realized it was from Alex. They were scared that Lily is in danger, and that they're in danger of serving prison time! When Kevin reminded Daniel that Lily almost died because of Alex, Daniel said he wished he knew what Alex was up to -- that everyone thought these notes were for Colleen, but in reality they were for his wife, Lily! Neil came over for a refill and pulled Daniel aside -- he didn't realize Daniel and Kevin were such good friends. Daniel covered by saying they were just catching up, but Neil could tell that something was bothering Daniel. Daniel and Kevin started talking about what they could lose: Daniel would lose his marriage while Kevin could lose his business, respect, etc. Daniel couldn't believe he could do what he did to someone who he eventually would come to love.

Alex phoned Daniel on his cell and began making small talk -- he wondered how Daniel could pull off marrying someone like Lily. Alex then began describing exactly what Lily was wearing. When Daniel asked to speak with her, Alex said she was busy and hung up. Daniel realized that Lily was with Alex!

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

by Isaac

Carmen brought Neil up to the suite at the Genoa City Athletic Club where they talked about the tarot card reading they had earlier -- both of them picked the 2 of cups -- which stands for romance -- as their "future" card. Carmen tried to sell Neil on the veracity of the tarot cards, though Neil was skeptical. She showed him the new telescope she bought -- unassembled, still in the box. An excited Neil offered to set it up. After he was done, he explained things about the telescope to her, and she was impressed with his knowledge. He informed her that he got the astronomy bug after Dru bought a telescope for him as an anniversary gift. They looked at the planet Jupiter through it. They also stared into each other's eyes. Later, as Neil was leaving, he told her what a fantastic evening he had -- good music, good company, astronomy. He told her he would see her at work tomorrow and they hugged before he left. Inside her apartment, Carmen looked disappointed, while outside Neil looked pensive.

At the Newman ranch, Victor told Victoria she was worrying too much about him -- that he would be okay as he now had a proper prescription. He told her that he would tell Nikki that he had epilepsy. Victor started to walk out and Victoria followed him, telling him that they weren't finished. Later, she heard the sound of a car driving off, and, realizing it was Victor, she ran out to her car.

At Newman Enterprises, Victoria told Nikki that she was worried about Victor -- that he had left the house like that. Nikki became upset -- and grew even more upset when Victoria told her that Victor had a seizure at the doctor's office, and the doctor had diagnosed him with epilepsy. Victoria told her that the doctor had talked about abnormal electrical currents, but on the positive side, he said that now that he had a diagnosis he could prescribe something that would work. Victoria told her how strangely Victor was acting -- talking to someone who wasn't there, sticking his hand into the fire, etc. Nikki thought that Victor was pretending that everything was okay, because he couldn't stand the thought of showing any weakness. When Victoria told Nikki she didn't know where Victor was, Nikki freaked out and wondered why Victoria had left him alone. Later, Nikki called Miguel and told him to call her when Victor got home. Victoria had some information about TLE (temporal lobe epilepsy -- the kind Victor has) -- that it can cause an "aura" -- a sensation that comes on before a seizure. They scanned the information together and saw that the disease could cause sensations of flying, floating, leaving your body, mystical feelings, and feelings of well being. They discussed the fact that Victor had spoken of being on the verge of an "inner breakthrough" -- but realized that there was something wrong with Victor's brain, and that he wasn't dealing with it -- he thought the feelings were real. As Nikki handled the snowflakes that Victor made, Victoria told her that he seemed okay when he left -- that he took his medication and would probably be home soon. Nikki started crying and said she wanted her husband to be healthy again.

Victor arrived at the Athletic Club and ran into Jack. He asked Jack if he had heard anything about the paternity of Phyllis' baby -- Jack told him no and made it clear that that subject was off limits. Later, on the basketball court, Victor continued to talk to Jack and asked him how he felt. Jack got very angry and told Victor that he was angry as hell, and that he may, or may not, be the father of the baby of a woman who made a fool of him. Victor got a phone call on his cell and threw the cell in the garbage. When Jack asked him what he was doing, he said he didn't want their conversation interrupted. He told Jack that he was on edge and needed to change -- that he wanted Jack to arrive at the same vision he had. Initially Jack didn't trust him, but told Victor he needed to let the feelings of distrust go away, and when he wanted to talk about the situation with Phyllis that he would turn to Victor. When Jack asked Victor what was going on with him, he said that all his life he wanted to acquire things, but that now he was just having feelings of bliss. He said that the doctor felt he had an illness, but he didn't. He said he didn't like the side effects of the medication, and he didn't want to be like the old Victor -- that he had feelings of peace now. Victor told Jack about his "visions" and Jack realized that Victor didn't want the visions to stop. Jack tried to read the name of the medication off of Victor's prescription bottle, but didn't know what the medication was. Victor asked him if he thought he should take the pills. Jack said hasty decisions shouldn't be made, and asked if temporal lobe epilepsy was dangerous. Victor said he didn't think it was life-threatening and Jack said that perhaps they should have this conversation later. Victor told Jack that was his problem -- he always wanted to put things off until later -- like Phyllis. When Jack said especially Phyllis, Victor said that he had forgiven people -- he forgave Nick for what he did to Sharon, Noah, Nikki, and him -- and that he had also forgiven Phyllis. Jack said he would give what Victor said some thought -- and told him he didn't think he should give the visions up. Victor thanked Jack for listening to him, telling him it had helped him -- and that he wanted to know about the paternity of the baby as soon as possible. As Victor left, his cell phone rang in the trash can (it was Nikki trying to contact him.)

Later, in the CEO office, Victor substituted his medication with some over-the-counter pain reliever pills -- then threw his prescription pills away. Nikki came in and told him how worried she had been, and that Victoria had filled her in on his doctor visit, his diagnosis, etc. Nikki picked up the prescription bottle (containing the fake medication) and Victor faked that he was reluctant about taking another one, but Nikki insisted. Victor took the pill and showed Nikki his mouth was empty.

At Crimson Lights, Daniel was on the phone with Alex, who was telling him how sexy Lily looked. Alex hung up, leaving Daniel thinking that he was with Lily. He called Lily's cell phone, and she didn't answer. Daniel left quickly, telling Kevin to call him if he saw Lily.

At the loft apartment, a frantic Daniel looked for Lily. Kevin called and asked if he had called the boutique -- Daniel said he had and was told Lily left and didn't say where she was going. A few moments later, Lily came in, obviously unharmed. She told Daniel that she thought the loft was a sexy place to hang out, and that she had switched schedules with someone at work so they could be together tonight. She went grocery shopping so they wouldn't have to leave the loft. Daniel was relieved, but preoccupied, as Lily fed him gourmet treats she prepared.

At Crimson Lights, Kevin was closing and Jana invited someone in from the patio -- Kevin was shocked to see it was Alex! Jana was surprised that they know each other, and Kevin and Alex acted like they're long lost friends. Jana told Alex that Kevin owned the coffeehouse. Alex asked what else Kevin had been up to besides making a lot of money? Kevin told Jana he would close alone so he could "catch up" with Alex. As she's leaving, Kevin told Jana that Alex was bad news, and she told him not to get into the habit of telling her who she could, and could not, speak to. She left, and Kevin told Alex he wanted him out of Genoa City. Alex said he might tell people about how Kevin was the impetus behind Lily's drugging. When Kevin told him that would land him in jail, Alex said maybe it would or maybe not -- but that Kevin would lose Crimson Lights. When Kevin told Alex he didn't frighten him, Alex told him he was on very thin ice -- and that it wouldn't take that much for all this (he indicated the coffeehouse) to be gone. Kevin told him to crawl back under his rock or he would call the cops. Alex told him they would see about that as he left.

Back at the loft, Alex called Daniel and told him to meet him at the Athletic Club Basketball Court. Quickly thinking of a cover story, Daniel phoned Kevin and told him he had left a CD there -- Kevin realized something was up and said he would be right over. Kevin showed up, and outside the apartment, Daniel told him that Alex called and wanted to meet him at the club. Kevin told him he would go and watch Daniel's back. They went into the apartment where Daniel told a confused and hurt Lily that they needed to run an errand.

Kevin and Daniel showed up at the basketball court, where Alex was waiting. Daniel told Alex that if he looked at his wife the wrong way, he would kill him. Kevin asked Alex what he wanted and he said money. When Daniel said he didn't have any, Alex said he was sure he could find it. Kevin asked what would happen if Daniel didn't, and Alex said he would tell Lily what Daniel did. When Kevin said that Alex actually drugged Lily's drink, Alex said that Daniel told him to put her in danger so that Kevin could rescue her -- and that he took Daniel at his word. When Daniel said that Alex took it too far, Alex said it made Kevin look good. Daniel repeated that he didn't have any money, but Alex asked for $10,000. Daniel told him he was dreaming, and that Alex had no proof -- it would be his word against theirs. Alex showed that he had proof -- he had been tape recording the entire meeting! When Daniel and Kevin tried to get the tape, Alex threatened them with a golf club, and told them not to get physical. Alex left, leaving a confused and frightened Daniel and Kevin there.

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

by Citrine

Daniel went to see Kevin and tell him that he had to get the money to pay off Alex. Kevin said he wasn't afraid of Alex, who could end up in jail himself for what he did to Lily and also for attempted extortion. Daniel said that if Lily found out the truth, he could lose her. So Kevin agreed to get the money.

Lily wasn't sure where Daniel was when she woke up to find him gone. She and Colleen talked about the importance of trust in a relationship. When Lily went to get ready for work, Brad arrived with a box of Colleen's things that Victoria had found in a closet. While Brad was there, J.T. called to check in, and Colleen let him know she couldn't talk because her father was there. After they hung up, Brad tried to get information about why J.T. was in Cleveland, but Colleen didn't tell him anything.

Later, Lily warned Colleen not to tell her father the truth. She'd promised J.T. not to, and he was doing the investigation in the first place to protect her. Colleen went through her box of mementos and remembered all the ways Brad had been there for her when she was growing up, even when they'd lived far apart.

Kevin met with Gloria and asked her for ten thousand dollars. Gloria didn't want to give it to him unless he told her the reason why, but Kevin just reminded her of all the things he'd done for her, some of which included lying for her and helping her cover up things she'd done. Later, Kevin made a call to Daniel.

When Daniel came home, Colleen was gone. He didn't tell Lily where he'd been, but Lily didn't suspect that he was hiding anything. She talked about what Colleen was going through and said it underscored why it was so important for two people not to lie to each other or hide things. Daniel was relieved when Kevin called and told him that he was at the bank and had the money. He told Daniel that he would meet Alex alone.

Kevin met with Alex and made him play the tape before he handed over the money. Once they made the exchange, Kevin began tearing up the tape, and was startled when Alex said ten thousand was a nice start. Kevin asked what he meant, and as Alex left, he told Kevin that he'd made a copy of the tape.

Jack and Sharon had a business meeting at the athletic club, but Sharon was distracted and upset. Jack told her how selfish he thought Nick was being by leaving town without telling them the results of the paternity test. Sharon said she felt like her life was out of her control, and Jack told her to take back the control. When Sharon excused herself for a minute, Jack called Phyllis and told her to reschedule his DNA test. He was determined to get the answer that Nick had prevented them from knowing.

When Phyllis hung up the phone, she turned around to see Nick standing there. Nick said it wasn't necessary for Jack to have the test. The baby was Nick's. He suggested that the two of them go somewhere that they could talk, and as they got on the elevator, Brad saw them leave, then saw Jack get off the other elevator. Brad called Sharon at the athletic club and told her to stay put; he wanted to talk to her.

When Brad told Sharon that Nick was back, Sharon deduced that since he'd gone to Phyllis first, it meant the baby was his. She also thought that Nick probably intended to leave her and Noah to be with Phyllis and the baby. In the meantime, Nick stopped the elevator between floors so he and Phyllis could be assured of privacy. He admitted that he loved her, and he already loved their baby. But he had an obligation to his wife and to Noah and didn't intend to leave them. Phyllis was resolved to that conclusion and told Nick she'd also made a decision. She didn't need his involvement with their baby. She intended to raise the child on her own. Nick accepted her decision.

Sharon was standing outside the elevator when the doors opened. She and Phyllis stared at each other, then Nick told Sharon they needed to go to his office to talk. Phyllis watched them walk away, then she went into her own office. Jack came in and said he'd been looking for her. Since he hadn't heard back from her, he'd scheduled his own test. Phyllis told him it wouldn't be necessary. The baby was Nick's. Jack told Phyllis he wouldn't want to be in her shoes and walked out. In the meantime, Nick told Sharon the truth. The baby was his, but he wanted to stay home with her and Noah.

In Cleveland, J.T. was getting frustrated with the way the investigation was going nowhere. Paul reminded him that patience was everything. Often an investigator had to go over and over a case before the evidence presented itself. Paul got a call about a case that required him to leave Cleveland, and J.T. said he'd continue the investigation on his own. After Paul was gone, J.T. looked again at the report of the old murder in Parma. When he examined newspaper photos from the crime scene, he could see a photo in the background. After examining it with a magnifying glass, J.T. could see that it was the same photo he had of the church baseball team.

Colleen went to her father's office and told Brad the truth about the threatening phone calls and notes she'd been getting. Brad was upset and worried that she had a stalker. Colleen told him that it might have something to do with him. Brad wasn't surprised when Colleen confessed that Paul and J.T. were investigating him. He knew Victor had instigated the investigation, but he assured Colleen that there was nothing for them to find. His mother had died when he was young. His father had drunk himself to death, and Brad had moved on without ever looking back. Colleen wanted to believe her father when he told her that was the whole story.

J.T. interviewed a witness from the old Kaplan murders: the neighbor who'd found their bodies. She said they were really nice people and the murder scene had been shocking and disturbing, especially since their young daughter had been killed. But it hadn't surprised her to hear that their son was responsible. He'd been a troubled child and a problem as a teenager. But he was dead, too, the victim of a hit and run. J.T. asked her to look at a photo and see if she recognized the Kaplans' son. She pointed out the boy that Paul and J.T. were sure was the young "Brad Carlton" and said that was him: George Kaplan.

Thursday, July 20, 2006

by Soap Central

Nick tells Sharon that he wants to be with her and Noah, and asks her if she wants to do the same. Sharon says that she'll stand by him and will welcome the child into their home. Nick says that Phyllis wants to raise the baby on her own. Sharon suspects Phyllis is using the baby to trap Nick into feeling guilty enough to leave Sharon and be with her. Nick reiterates that he wants to be with her and Noah, and Sharon really loses it. She angrily argues that he only wants to be in the relationship because he feels obligated because of their son, and that she won't stand for a charity case marriage. Brad follows Sharon to her car, where Sharon screams that she hates what her life has turned into, and hates Nick for doing this to their family. Brad lets her cry it all out, and then she thanks Brad for loving her and being there for her. They kiss. Passion heats up as they start ripping off each other's clothes, only to realize that Nick has come out to the parking lot and is watching them. Phyllis tells Jack that she wants to raise her baby on her own. Jack admits that he always wanted to have a child with Phyllis, and really hoped that this child was his. Phyllis tells Daniel the news that Nick is the father of her baby, and that she's going to raise it on her own. In the Newman conference room, Brad calls a couple of Cleveland hotels until he finds the one that Paul and J.T. are staying in. Brad's banker presents him with a briefcase full of money. He signs for it and Kim leaves. Victoria enters and Brad tells her that he may need to go out of town for a few days. Kevin goes to the loft and tells Daniel what happened with Alex. Alex calls Daniel, saying that in 2 days he wants twenty-five thousand dollars. Kevin asks Gloria for money, and she refuses to give him anything else until she knows what is going on. Kevin reluctantly tells her the story of what happened between him, Daniel, Alex, and Lily a while ago. Gloria is horrified, and refuses to give him the money. Jack tells Daniel that nothing about their relationship will change because of what happened between him and Phyllis. Daniel is relieved and admits that he's in trouble, then tells Jack what happened with Alex and Kevin. Neil playfully teaches Carmen how to shoot hoops. She's so excited that she kisses Neil, and it quickly heats up. She invites him to come back to her place, and he accepts. Neil goes home to change, and just as he is about to head for Carmen's apartment, Dru arrives home early from Europe.

Friday, July 21, 2006

by Citrine

Nick was leaving the office when he saw Sharon and Brad in each other's arms in Sharon's car. Sharon saw Nick and hesitated for a moment, then continued to kiss Brad. Nick went back inside the building, where he ran into Victoria. Still shocked by what he'd seen, Nick told his sister that he was the father of Phyllis's baby. When Victoria tried to talk to him, Nick walked out on her.

In the parking garage, Sharon finally broke free of Brad, gasping that she couldn't do this. Just because her life was in shambles didn't mean she had to ruin his. She wished their timing had been different, because sometimes she wanted to just get in the car and keep going with Brad. Instead, he was with Victoria and she knew she had to do what was best for Noah. Brad talked about how a person went along, trying to do the right thing, then everything went wrong. But he would go to extreme lengths to protect his family. Sharon seemed a little puzzled by Brad's tone.

Nick went to the basketball court to work out some of his frustration, where he ran into Michael. Michael could tell that Nick was about to explode, so he talked to him while they played ball. Nick told him the results of the paternity test, but also that Phyllis didn't want Nick to be a part of their child's life. Nick regretted all the things he'd messed up by his affair, but Michael noticed that Nick could never say that he didn't love Phyllis. While Michael admitted that Phyllis was more vulnerable than she appeared, he also understood the dilemma Nick was in. Both men knew what it was like to grow up with an absent father. Michael told Nick that many things could change before the baby was actually born.

Brad came back inside the building and pretended to be surprised when Victoria told him Nick's news. When Brad showed no sympathy toward Nick, Victoria reminded him that it took two people to damage a marriage. Since they were on the verge of quarreling, Brad insisted that they stop talking about Nick. They agreed to meet for dinner at the club. After Victoria left, Brad looked at the bundles of cash inside his briefcase.

When Victoria got to the club, she found her brother sitting at the bar. Nick apologized for his earlier abrupt treatment of her. Victoria understood Nick's mood. Nick told Victoria that he needed to talk to her about something. When she suggested that he have dinner with Brad and her, Nick said this wasn't something he could talk about in front of Brad. Victoria agreed to cancel her dinner, if necessary, but as she asked Nick what he had to tell her that Brad couldn't hear, Brad walked into the restaurant, and Nick saw him.

At home, Sharon was sitting on the floor helping Noah with a puzzle. She told Noah what a good kid he was. Later, when Noah was upstairs, Sharon began working on her laptop. She paused to look at a photo of Brad in a newspaper story.

Neil was surprised when Drucilla unexpectedly returned home from Europe. He tried to call Carmen to let her know about the change in plans, but she didn't answer her phone. Drucilla was trying to set up a romantic homecoming with him, but Neil was distracted, then Devon came home. Devon gave Dru the warm welcome she hadn't received from Neil. Neil said he needed to go out for a business meeting and left.

When Neil got to Carmen's, she understood that they couldn't spend the evening together because of Dru. Neil said things would change now, and Carmen said at least they could still be friends at the office. She told Neil that whatever marital problems he'd been having, he was a good man and deserved to be happy. After Neil left, Carmen sat in the dark, feeling lonely.

Devon told Dru that Neil had changed at work while she was gone. He worked as many hours, but he had a more relaxed attitude. There were times he wasn't even wearing a tie to work. Neil had also gotten into cooking again. Devon didn't tell her about all the dinners with Carmen, merely saying that he was sure Neil was happy that Dru was home. Later, after Devon left so that Neil and Dru could have some privacy, Neil came home to find Dru on the terrace looking through his telescope at the stars. Dru clearly wanted a romantic evening with her husband, but Neil's mind was obviously still on Carmen.