Post by STLUEE on Feb 28, 2014 20:54:49 GMT -5
From Soap Central.com
As Ciara was trying to convince Hope that it would be okay to keep all of the expensive pairs of earrings from the earlier shopping spree with Sami, Abe interrupted to give Hope an update on a case that they were working on. Meanwhile, Aiden shook his head as he watched Ciara admire each of the pairs of earrings.
Abe left the room after finishing his conversation with Hope, and Ciara agreed to go to the break room to get a drink from the refrigerator so that Hope could have a moment alone with Aiden. After Ciara left, Aiden approached Hope, who was working on closing each of the jewelry boxes, and explained that his earlier attempt to send her an email had failed because the email had bounced back to him. Aiden handed Hope his business card so that she could initiate their email correspondence herself, guessing that she was probably better at sending emails than he was. Hope promised to email Aiden as soon as she found a spare moment to do so.
Aiden started to leave, but he was unable to resist the urge to say something else to Hope before doing so. After acknowledging that the matter was none of his business, Aiden proceeded to state that he knew good jewelry when he saw it. Aiden reminded Hope that Ciara was just a little girl, and he suggested that Ciara and Chase might be having problems with each other because Aiden and Hope had different values.
When Hope asked Aiden to elaborate, he explained that, while he loved Chase, he wasn't willing to buy the boy a watch that was worth one thousand dollars just to express that love. Hope laughed and assured Aiden that he had completely misunderstood the situation. "I don't know what's to misunderstand. I mean, I just heard Ciara say that's all her stuff, so if that's how you're raising her, no wonder she's such a holy terror," Aiden replied.
Remaining calm, Hope wished Aiden a good day and reiterated that she would email him later. Aiden took the hint and exited the police station. After Aiden left, Hope tossed his business card aside and started to place the jewelry boxes back in the shopping bag. Meanwhile, Ciara returned and protectively placed her hands over a few of the boxes that were still on Hope's desk, protesting that they were her earrings.
Hope gently explained that, while it was true that Ciara deserved a reward for returning Sami's earring, it wasn't appropriate for a little girl like Ciara to have such expensive earrings, since she was too young to wear them or be held responsible for them. "So, what if I give [Sami] these earrings, and she gives me the one that Theo found?" Ciara suggested, but Hope shook her head and firmly stated that the matter wasn't negotiable. Hope said that she would donate the earrings to charity on Ciara's behalf if Ciara wasn't willing to do so herself.
Ciara complained that Hope sounded just like Bo. Hope calmly thanked Ciara for the compliment and asked her to take off the earrings that she was wearing so that Hope could save them for Ciara's sixteenth birthday. Ciara hesitated, muttering that the situation was dumb and that she didn't want to take the earrings off. Hope pointed out that she hadn't asked for Ciara's opinion on the matter, and she wondered what had prompted Ciara's behavior. "I don't get to keep anything! I can't have these earrings, and I don't even have a dad anymore," Ciara sadly replied.
Hope insisted that Ciara had a dad and a mom who each loved Ciara very much. Hope said that she understood that Bo's absence was hurting Ciara, and she added that his absence was hurting her, too. As Ciara reluctantly handed over the earrings that she had been wearing, Hope explained that it simply wasn't right for Ciara to keep every pair of earrings that Sami had purchased for Ciara. Hope hugged Ciara and confidently predicted that donating the earrings to charity was going to make Ciara feel really good inside, but Ciara morosely muttered that she didn't feel very good at that particular moment.
Meanwhile, Abe returned and wondered if Ciara was ready to leave so that they could pick up Theo. Ciara nodded and followed Abe out of the police station, leaving Hope staring at the pair of earrings that Ciara had been wearing. "You owe me big, Brady. And Samantha -- ooh, I have a few words for you," Hope muttered with a sigh before returning to her desk and placing the remaining jewelry boxes back in the shopping bag.
Ciara was still in a foul mood when she and Abe arrived at the town square, so she decided to wait near an empty table on one side of the town square while Abe went to meet Theo and the babysitter on the other side. Abe was okay with that arrangement, but he hoped that treating Ciara to some ice cream later that day would cheer her up. After Abe left, Ciara sadly reached a hand to one of her unadorned ears.
Meanwhile, Aiden spotted Ciara as he was ending a business call, so he greeted her and wondered how she was doing. Ignoring the question, Ciara accused Aiden of saying something to her mother earlier about the earrings that Ciara's cousin had purchased for Ciara. Ciara bitterly revealed that Hope was making her give the earrings away, and she walked away from Aiden before he could respond.
Later, Aiden returned to the police station and told Hope about his earlier encounter with Ciara. Aiden apologized for initially assuming that Hope was the person who had purchased the earrings for Ciara, and Hope suggested that he might also want to apologize for failing to give her a chance to explain the situation before rushing to judgment. Aiden admitted that he had been a "jackass," and he assured Hope that he understood how difficult it was to raise a child in an increasingly crazy world. Hope nodded and accepted Aiden's apology.
Aiden started to leave, but before doing so, he mused that his decision to shoot his mouth off earlier might have been a good thing, since it had convinced Hope to rethink her decision to let Ciara keep all of those extravagant pairs of earrings. Hope clarified that Aiden's interference hadn't had a single thing to do with her decision, but he was skeptical, reminding her that when he had entered the police station earlier that day, Ciara had been in the midst of telling Hope how great she was for letting Ciara keep the earrings. "Do you have any idea...how sick and tired I am of your smug, self-righteous judgments about my daughter and me? Because the only time you were right -- correct -- about anything today is when you said the situation was none of your business...because it damn well isn't," Hope irritably stated before walking away.
Outside the Brady Pub, Ben moved over to a side window so that he could watch Jordan and Rafe interact with each other without risking the chance of being seen himself. After observing the couple for a few minutes, Ben briefly considered entering the pub before checking his watch and walking away instead. Meanwhile, inside the pub, Rafe received a text message from Abe, revealing that an arrest had just been made in a case that Rafe had been working on. Rafe was somewhat disappointed to learn that he would no longer be needed at the police station that day, and he was even more disappointed to learn that Jordan would not be able to skip work to spend the day with him because she had too many things to do.
Rafe decided that he would just spend some time with Gabi and Arianna instead. At Jordan's request, Rafe promised to forward her all of the pictures of Arianna that he took for his mother that day. Rafe somewhat sadly mused that it was hard to believe that Arianna was almost one year old and had not yet met his mother. Jordan thought it would be a good idea for Rafe and Gabi to take Arianna to see their mother at some point, since their mother didn't like to travel herself, and he suggested that Jordan could accompany them on the hypothetical trip. The invitation seemed to touch Jordan, who smiled as she grasped Rafe's hand.
At the Horton Town Square, Kate ran into Marlena, who wondered how anyone -- especially Kate -- could ever be crazy enough to hire Nick. Marlena reminded Kate that Nick was the man who had tried to keep their grandson and their grandson's daughter from ever seeing each other. Kate confirmed that she was aware of that fact, and she explained that, while she couldn't stand Nick as a human being, she was still willing to admit that he was a brilliant chemist. "You know I never let personal feelings get in the way of making money," Kate joked, adding that if she hadn't hired Nick, Sami and E.J. would have jumped at the opportunity to do so.
Marlena insisted that there was no way that Sami would ever agree to work with Nick, but Kate reasoned that self-preservation always trumped integrity and pride -- at least as far as business matters were concerned. "That is so sad," Marlena replied. Kate laughed and encouraged Marlena to ask Sami about the matter, predicting that Sami would agree -- at least grudgingly -- that hiring Nick had been a good move.
Later, Kate walked past the pub and paused when she caught a glimpse of Rafe and Jordan through the front window. Kate entered the pub as Rafe was telling Jordan that he was going to track Caroline down in the kitchen so that he could say hello to her before leaving, predicting that if Caroline learned that he had visited the pub and hadn't talked to her while there, she would never let him hear the end of it. As Rafe rose from his chair, Kate greeted him and happily observed that he was walking without the use of a cane. Rafe confirmed that he had ditched the cane for good.
After Rafe left, Kate observed that Jordan looked happy, and Jordan confirmed that she felt happy, too. Kate guessed that Jordan liked living in Salem, and as Jordan nodded, Kate added that Rafe was back to his usual self -- something that she owed Jordan for. Jordan insisted that Kate didn't owe her anything, but Kate disagreed. "And if there's one thing you should know about me, I always pay my debts," Kate revealed. Kate took a seat at Jordan's table and said that she hoped that Jordan could understand that Kate still felt protective of Rafe because of what he had been forced to endure due to his involvement with Kate.
Jordan nodded and confirmed that Kate's feelings of protectiveness were understandable. Satisfied, Kate changed the subject and said that there was one other thing that she wanted to ask Jordan to do for her -- promise to never, ever hurt Rafe. Jordan said that wouldn't be a problem at all, since she only wanted to make Rafe happy. "Good. Because if you don't, I'll --" Kate started to say, but Rafe returned before she could continue. Rafe encouraged Kate to finish her sentence, so she innocently clarified that she had been about to say that she would be very disappointed if he ended up unhappy, since he deserved the very best. Rafe returned the sentiment.
After Rafe reported that Caroline was doing well and that he envied her energy, Jordan excused herself so that she could get to work. Rafe claimed Jordan's vacant seat and observed that it had seemed like Kate and Jordan had been in the middle of a rather serious conversation when he had returned to the front section of the pub. Kate clarified that she had done all of the talking, and she reiterated that she had been telling Jordan that she hoped that Jordan would continue to make Rafe happy. Rafe said that Kate's words had sounded like a warning to him. "Because that's exactly what it was," Kate matter-of-factly replied.
Rafe assured Kate that he was a big boy and could take care of himself. Rafe added that he was also a really good judge of character, and he insisted that Jordan wasn't going to hurt him. Kate shrugged and claimed that she understood, explaining that she had simply been concerned because Jordan had always seemed really secretive. Kate conceded that Jordan was apparently not that way with Rafe. Kate excused herself and exited the pub. "You poor thing. Jordan hasn't told you anything," Kate muttered as she watched Rafe through the front window.
At Club TBD, Nick continued his fake phone conversation with Gabi while T listened from a few feet away. "No, you know what? I think it'll actually be a really nice boost for [T's] ego, you know, just to be seen at a -- at a concert with you. At the same time -- at the same time, Gabi, I -- I will say, it just seems like he kind of only dates, like, lame girls, you know what I mean? Like -- like bimbos, really. And it's just -- you're -- it's so far from who -- who you are, you know what I'm saying? Exactly. Exactly. So it just might be a matter of time before he realizes that -- you know, that you just want to be friends, and it just might be that -- that the kindest thing that you can do for the guy is to just -- you know, to -- to kind of...just not get his hopes up," Nick said before casually turning his head and feigning shock as his eyes fell on T.
After pretending to abruptly end the call, Nick approached T and feigned embarrassment as he apologized for the things that T had just overheard. Nick innocently claimed that he had assumed that T had been busy doing something in the back of the club. T was hurt to learn that Gabi had apparently been talking to Nick about T. Nick nodded and apologetically confirmed that he and Gabi had started bonding again.
Nick stressed that Gabi had mentioned that she really cared about T, but that failed to make T feel better about the fact that Gabi had supposedly only agreed to attend a concert with him because she felt sorry for him. Explaining that he didn't want Gabi to get upset, Nick begged T not to say anything to her about what had just happened. "You think she's gonna hear that garbage from my mouth?" T asked incredulously.
T started to walk away, but Nick followed him to the bar. Nick reported that it seemed like Gabi was going to give him another chance, even though he didn't deserve one. T guessed that Nick was dreaming, but Nick insisted that he was being "dead serious." Nick pointedly added that he and Gabi were going to be sharing everything with each other in the future. "You know, maybe I'm not deserving of a girl like her, but if she goes back with a creep like you, that's her loss, not mine," T reasoned before turning his attention back to his job.
In Will and Sonny's apartment, Gabi hugged Sonny and Will and happily congratulated them on their engagement. "Oh, my gosh. You guys are gonna be newlyweds! That's awesome. Um, okay -- uh...well, when do you want me to start looking for a place for me and Arianna?" Gabi wondered. Will and Sonny stressed that they didn't want Gabi and Arianna to move out of the apartment, but Gabi was certain that Sonny and Will were going to want their privacy once they got married. Will assured Gabi that the group would find a way to work that out together. "Will, there's no way Arianna and I are staying here now," Gabi insisted.
Will and Sonny maintained that there was no reason for anything to change after they got married. Meanwhile, Will received a text message from Marlena, which reminded him that he was running late for a visit with her. Will didn't want to leave in the middle of a conversation about Gabi and Arianna potentially moving out of the apartment, but Gabi claimed that there was nothing to worry about and that she had simply misunderstood the situation. Gabi reiterated that she was extremely happy for Sonny and Will.
Sonny, who had been unaware of Will's plan to spend some time with Marlena that day, was needed at the club, so Gabi assured them that she wouldn't mind watching Arianna for a while. Will stressed that the group would continue their earlier conversation later, and Gabi nodded in agreement. Gabi went to her bedroom, and Will and Sonny exchanged looks of concern before exiting the apartment.
After Will and Sonny left, Gabi received a text message from Nick, who wanted to know if it would be okay for him to head over to the apartment to drop off the notebook that he claimed she had left at the club earlier. After responding to the text message, Gabi turned her attention to Arianna. "Okay, so, Nick is coming over. No big deal -- he's just gonna, you know, drop off my notebook. Your daddy's still not gonna like it, though. But you know what? Your daddy does things -- he -- he changes his life without asking me permission -- and I don't really like that, right? Besides, they're not even here, so whatever they don't know won't hurt them. Isn't that what they say? Yeah, that's what they say," Gabi reasoned.
When Nick arrived a short time later, he handed Gabi her notebook and abruptly started to excuse himself, but she stopped him and invited him to stick around for a while. Nick happily accepted the offer, and as he entered the apartment, removed his coat, and headed straight toward Arianna, Gabi nervously glanced around the outside hallway to make sure that no one had witnessed what she had just done.
As Nick watched Gabi play with Arianna, he observed that it seemed like something was wrong. Gabi claimed that she was fine, but Nick wasn't convinced, so she decided to tell him that Will and Sonny were engaged, reasoning that Nick was going to find out eventually, anyway. "Wow. Wow. That's, um -- that's great. I'm -- I'm really happy for them," Nick claimed. Nick's reaction surprised Gabi, since he had previously felt quite different about the subject, but he assured her that he had gotten past his prejudices toward gay people, which he said had stemmed solely from being messed up because of what had happened to him in prison.
Nick claimed that he was glad that Will and Sonny were allowed to get married if they wished to do so, and Gabi agreed, but Nick observed that she still didn't look particularly happy for some reason. Gabi explained that Sonny and Will seemed to be under the impression that things were going to stay the same at the apartment after they got married, while she doubted that would be possible. Gabi argued that people usually got married so that they could live alone together. Gabi said that was certainly what she had wanted when she had gotten married, and Nick assured her that he remembered.
Later, while Nick was holding Arianna, Gabi received a phone call from T, who informed her that he wouldn't be able to take her to the concert after all. T claimed that his attempt to secure some tickets to the concert hadn't worked out the way that he had been assured that it would, and Gabi said that she understood, reasoning that there was nothing that he could do about that. Gabi suggested that she and T might be able to get together some other time instead, but he abruptly ended the call instead of responding to her suggestion, claiming that things were getting busy at the club.
When Gabi told Nick about the turn of events, he feigned shock and disappointment, reminding her that she was going to miss her opportunity to see Florence Welch, whom she loved, perform. Gabi shrugged and reasoned that there was nothing that she could do about the matter, but Nick casually suggested that Kate might be able to obtain a pair of tickets so that he and Gabi could go to the concert together. Gabi seemed hopeful, and she wondered if Nick really believed that he could make that happen. Nick assumed that Gabi's response meant that she was interested in attending the concert with him if he could secure some tickets.
Gabi hesitated, realizing that it might not be a good idea for her to go to the concert with Nick because Will and Sonny still had not been able to recognize how understanding and forgiving Nick had been toward her. Nick reminded Gabi that he was the person who needed to be forgiven, not her, and he assured her that he understood Sonny and Will's point of view on the matter. Nick reasoned that Sonny, in particular, was probably feeling more protective of Arianna because he would soon be her stepfather.
Nick handed Arianna to Gabi and excused himself, promising to talk to Gabi soon. After exiting the apartment, Nick stood in the hallway for a moment, grinning triumphantly. Meanwhile, back inside, Gabi told Arianna that she didn't care what Will and Sonny wanted, and she vowed that she was never going to lose Arianna.
At Club TBD, Sonny happily shared his engagement news with T, who had a more subdued reaction than Sonny had expected. Sonny wondered if something was wrong with T. "No, no. Everything -- everything's great. My two best friends are getting engaged. What could be better than that?" T evasively replied as he gave Sonny a congratulatory hug. Meanwhile, Ben returned to the club, and T introduced him to Sonny, explaining that Ben was interested in applying for the available bartending job.
Ben revealed that he had just heard T mention that Sonny was engaged. Ben wondered if Sonny was hiring an extra person because Sonny and "the lady" were planning to go on an extended honeymoon after the wedding. T stifled his laughter and shot Sonny a knowing look before walking away. "Uh, we haven't even thought of a honeymoon yet, but, uh, there's no lady. I'm marrying a guy," Sonny clarified.
Ben seemed a bit surprised, and he repeated what he had just heard to make sure that he hadn't misunderstood. "Cool. Yeah, I just -- I didn't know you could do that here," Ben explained after Sonny confirmed that Ben had heard correctly. Sonny assumed that meant that Ben was new to Salem, and Ben confirmed the suspicion, elaborating that he had just arrived in Salem a few days earlier. Sonny wondered what had prompted Ben to pick Salem as his new home, and Ben vaguely replied that he'd had a couple different reasons.
After interviewing Ben, Sonny excused himself so that Ben could have some privacy to fill out the club's job application. Sonny promised to give Ben a call later to let him know if he had received the job or not. Ben thanked Sonny and congratulated him again on the engagement. After Sonny left, Ben started to fill out the application, listing his surname as Rogers.
In Marlena's office at the hospital, Will informed Marlena that he had finally accepted Sonny's marriage proposal. Marlena was happy for Will, but she observed that he didn't seem as excited as he had seemed during their earlier phone conversation. Will told Marlena about Gabi's reaction to the news about the engagement. Will stressed that he and Sonny didn't want their marriage to change things between them and Gabi and Arianna at all. Will said that he and Sonny had told Gabi as much, but Marlena could tell that Will wasn't completely sure that Gabi had gotten the message.
Will sighed, and Marlena observed that it was obvious that the matter was very important to him. "I want to live under the same roof as my little girl. If marrying Sonny means that I can't do that --" Will started to say, but Marlena interrupted and assured him that she didn't think that he would ever have to make that choice. Marlena added that Will would always have his daughter in his life. Will reminded Marlena that he had grown up in a house with parents who hadn't lived together with him, and he stressed that he never wanted his daughter to have that kind of life.
"I understand. [But] sweetie, you're getting married. And Gabi will [eventually] find somebody. And you will always share parenting, but you and Gabi and Arianna will not always live together," Marlena gently pointed out. Will assured Marlena that he realized that he, Sonny, Gabi, and Arianna couldn't live together forever, but he added that he didn't want to miss out on a moment of Arianna's early years, since that was such an important time in a child's life. Marlena knowingly advised Will that there was never an unimportant time in a child's life.
"Yeah. I'm beginning to see that. You know, I look at my life -- I mean, maybe Mom and Dad weren't together, but...I always knew how much they cared about me, every minute of every day. I want Arianna to feel that way for me. I will never let anyone or anything come between me and my little girl," Will vowed. Changing the subject to a lighter topic, Will told Marlena that Arianna had started refusing to let him hold her sthingy for her when he was feeding her, instead insisting on holding it herself. Will admitted that Arianna "sucked" at the task but didn't seem to care about that fact at all.
Will mused that Arianna's early exhibits of stubbornness probably meant that her teenage years were going to be particularly interesting. Marlena advised that the only way for Will to ensure that Arianna would make good decisions and live her best life would be to set a perfect example for her in his own life. Marlena said that she was very pleased about Will and Sonny's engagement, and she confidently assured Will that he and Gabi would find a way to work everything out together.
Will thanked Marlena for the advice and stood to give her a hug before leaving. "I know that I have to live my own life...but knowing and doing are two very different things. I still want to do everything for Arianna," Will explained, his voice wavering slightly as he spoke. Marlena nodded and summarized that, while it was perfectly fine for Will to maintain that desire to do everything for Arianna, his daughter was already starting to tell him, in her own way, that she wouldn't always let him do everything for her.
Later, Will went to Club TBD and told Sonny about the earlier visit with Marlena. Will said that he was glad that he had confided in Marlena about Sonny's proposal, since she was the person who had convinced Will that he wanted to go ahead and accept the proposal. Sonny joked that he had always liked Marlena. Will wished that Adrienne could be just as enthusiastic about the impending wedding, and Sonny agreed, although he also acknowledged that she was entitled to her opinion.
Will wondered if Sonny was having second thoughts about getting married. "Do I look like I'm having second thoughts? I feel like the luckiest man in the world," Sonny declared, and he hugged Will tightly as T watched nearby. Will excused himself, explaining that he had promised to take Caroline to a quilting class, and on his way out of the club, T approached him and congratulated him on the engagement. After Will left, T wondered if Sonny was aware that T was really psyched about Sonny and Will's engagement, and Sonny confirmed that he was indeed aware of that fact. "So I have something to say -- don't let Nick Fallon screw everything up for you," T advised Sonny before walking away.
As Jordan was passing through a secluded section of Horton Town Square, Ben stopped her, and she gasped when she saw his face.
As Ciara was trying to convince Hope that it would be okay to keep all of the expensive pairs of earrings from the earlier shopping spree with Sami, Abe interrupted to give Hope an update on a case that they were working on. Meanwhile, Aiden shook his head as he watched Ciara admire each of the pairs of earrings.
Abe left the room after finishing his conversation with Hope, and Ciara agreed to go to the break room to get a drink from the refrigerator so that Hope could have a moment alone with Aiden. After Ciara left, Aiden approached Hope, who was working on closing each of the jewelry boxes, and explained that his earlier attempt to send her an email had failed because the email had bounced back to him. Aiden handed Hope his business card so that she could initiate their email correspondence herself, guessing that she was probably better at sending emails than he was. Hope promised to email Aiden as soon as she found a spare moment to do so.
Aiden started to leave, but he was unable to resist the urge to say something else to Hope before doing so. After acknowledging that the matter was none of his business, Aiden proceeded to state that he knew good jewelry when he saw it. Aiden reminded Hope that Ciara was just a little girl, and he suggested that Ciara and Chase might be having problems with each other because Aiden and Hope had different values.
When Hope asked Aiden to elaborate, he explained that, while he loved Chase, he wasn't willing to buy the boy a watch that was worth one thousand dollars just to express that love. Hope laughed and assured Aiden that he had completely misunderstood the situation. "I don't know what's to misunderstand. I mean, I just heard Ciara say that's all her stuff, so if that's how you're raising her, no wonder she's such a holy terror," Aiden replied.
Remaining calm, Hope wished Aiden a good day and reiterated that she would email him later. Aiden took the hint and exited the police station. After Aiden left, Hope tossed his business card aside and started to place the jewelry boxes back in the shopping bag. Meanwhile, Ciara returned and protectively placed her hands over a few of the boxes that were still on Hope's desk, protesting that they were her earrings.
Hope gently explained that, while it was true that Ciara deserved a reward for returning Sami's earring, it wasn't appropriate for a little girl like Ciara to have such expensive earrings, since she was too young to wear them or be held responsible for them. "So, what if I give [Sami] these earrings, and she gives me the one that Theo found?" Ciara suggested, but Hope shook her head and firmly stated that the matter wasn't negotiable. Hope said that she would donate the earrings to charity on Ciara's behalf if Ciara wasn't willing to do so herself.
Ciara complained that Hope sounded just like Bo. Hope calmly thanked Ciara for the compliment and asked her to take off the earrings that she was wearing so that Hope could save them for Ciara's sixteenth birthday. Ciara hesitated, muttering that the situation was dumb and that she didn't want to take the earrings off. Hope pointed out that she hadn't asked for Ciara's opinion on the matter, and she wondered what had prompted Ciara's behavior. "I don't get to keep anything! I can't have these earrings, and I don't even have a dad anymore," Ciara sadly replied.
Hope insisted that Ciara had a dad and a mom who each loved Ciara very much. Hope said that she understood that Bo's absence was hurting Ciara, and she added that his absence was hurting her, too. As Ciara reluctantly handed over the earrings that she had been wearing, Hope explained that it simply wasn't right for Ciara to keep every pair of earrings that Sami had purchased for Ciara. Hope hugged Ciara and confidently predicted that donating the earrings to charity was going to make Ciara feel really good inside, but Ciara morosely muttered that she didn't feel very good at that particular moment.
Meanwhile, Abe returned and wondered if Ciara was ready to leave so that they could pick up Theo. Ciara nodded and followed Abe out of the police station, leaving Hope staring at the pair of earrings that Ciara had been wearing. "You owe me big, Brady. And Samantha -- ooh, I have a few words for you," Hope muttered with a sigh before returning to her desk and placing the remaining jewelry boxes back in the shopping bag.
Ciara was still in a foul mood when she and Abe arrived at the town square, so she decided to wait near an empty table on one side of the town square while Abe went to meet Theo and the babysitter on the other side. Abe was okay with that arrangement, but he hoped that treating Ciara to some ice cream later that day would cheer her up. After Abe left, Ciara sadly reached a hand to one of her unadorned ears.
Meanwhile, Aiden spotted Ciara as he was ending a business call, so he greeted her and wondered how she was doing. Ignoring the question, Ciara accused Aiden of saying something to her mother earlier about the earrings that Ciara's cousin had purchased for Ciara. Ciara bitterly revealed that Hope was making her give the earrings away, and she walked away from Aiden before he could respond.
Later, Aiden returned to the police station and told Hope about his earlier encounter with Ciara. Aiden apologized for initially assuming that Hope was the person who had purchased the earrings for Ciara, and Hope suggested that he might also want to apologize for failing to give her a chance to explain the situation before rushing to judgment. Aiden admitted that he had been a "jackass," and he assured Hope that he understood how difficult it was to raise a child in an increasingly crazy world. Hope nodded and accepted Aiden's apology.
Aiden started to leave, but before doing so, he mused that his decision to shoot his mouth off earlier might have been a good thing, since it had convinced Hope to rethink her decision to let Ciara keep all of those extravagant pairs of earrings. Hope clarified that Aiden's interference hadn't had a single thing to do with her decision, but he was skeptical, reminding her that when he had entered the police station earlier that day, Ciara had been in the midst of telling Hope how great she was for letting Ciara keep the earrings. "Do you have any idea...how sick and tired I am of your smug, self-righteous judgments about my daughter and me? Because the only time you were right -- correct -- about anything today is when you said the situation was none of your business...because it damn well isn't," Hope irritably stated before walking away.
Outside the Brady Pub, Ben moved over to a side window so that he could watch Jordan and Rafe interact with each other without risking the chance of being seen himself. After observing the couple for a few minutes, Ben briefly considered entering the pub before checking his watch and walking away instead. Meanwhile, inside the pub, Rafe received a text message from Abe, revealing that an arrest had just been made in a case that Rafe had been working on. Rafe was somewhat disappointed to learn that he would no longer be needed at the police station that day, and he was even more disappointed to learn that Jordan would not be able to skip work to spend the day with him because she had too many things to do.
Rafe decided that he would just spend some time with Gabi and Arianna instead. At Jordan's request, Rafe promised to forward her all of the pictures of Arianna that he took for his mother that day. Rafe somewhat sadly mused that it was hard to believe that Arianna was almost one year old and had not yet met his mother. Jordan thought it would be a good idea for Rafe and Gabi to take Arianna to see their mother at some point, since their mother didn't like to travel herself, and he suggested that Jordan could accompany them on the hypothetical trip. The invitation seemed to touch Jordan, who smiled as she grasped Rafe's hand.
At the Horton Town Square, Kate ran into Marlena, who wondered how anyone -- especially Kate -- could ever be crazy enough to hire Nick. Marlena reminded Kate that Nick was the man who had tried to keep their grandson and their grandson's daughter from ever seeing each other. Kate confirmed that she was aware of that fact, and she explained that, while she couldn't stand Nick as a human being, she was still willing to admit that he was a brilliant chemist. "You know I never let personal feelings get in the way of making money," Kate joked, adding that if she hadn't hired Nick, Sami and E.J. would have jumped at the opportunity to do so.
Marlena insisted that there was no way that Sami would ever agree to work with Nick, but Kate reasoned that self-preservation always trumped integrity and pride -- at least as far as business matters were concerned. "That is so sad," Marlena replied. Kate laughed and encouraged Marlena to ask Sami about the matter, predicting that Sami would agree -- at least grudgingly -- that hiring Nick had been a good move.
Later, Kate walked past the pub and paused when she caught a glimpse of Rafe and Jordan through the front window. Kate entered the pub as Rafe was telling Jordan that he was going to track Caroline down in the kitchen so that he could say hello to her before leaving, predicting that if Caroline learned that he had visited the pub and hadn't talked to her while there, she would never let him hear the end of it. As Rafe rose from his chair, Kate greeted him and happily observed that he was walking without the use of a cane. Rafe confirmed that he had ditched the cane for good.
After Rafe left, Kate observed that Jordan looked happy, and Jordan confirmed that she felt happy, too. Kate guessed that Jordan liked living in Salem, and as Jordan nodded, Kate added that Rafe was back to his usual self -- something that she owed Jordan for. Jordan insisted that Kate didn't owe her anything, but Kate disagreed. "And if there's one thing you should know about me, I always pay my debts," Kate revealed. Kate took a seat at Jordan's table and said that she hoped that Jordan could understand that Kate still felt protective of Rafe because of what he had been forced to endure due to his involvement with Kate.
Jordan nodded and confirmed that Kate's feelings of protectiveness were understandable. Satisfied, Kate changed the subject and said that there was one other thing that she wanted to ask Jordan to do for her -- promise to never, ever hurt Rafe. Jordan said that wouldn't be a problem at all, since she only wanted to make Rafe happy. "Good. Because if you don't, I'll --" Kate started to say, but Rafe returned before she could continue. Rafe encouraged Kate to finish her sentence, so she innocently clarified that she had been about to say that she would be very disappointed if he ended up unhappy, since he deserved the very best. Rafe returned the sentiment.
After Rafe reported that Caroline was doing well and that he envied her energy, Jordan excused herself so that she could get to work. Rafe claimed Jordan's vacant seat and observed that it had seemed like Kate and Jordan had been in the middle of a rather serious conversation when he had returned to the front section of the pub. Kate clarified that she had done all of the talking, and she reiterated that she had been telling Jordan that she hoped that Jordan would continue to make Rafe happy. Rafe said that Kate's words had sounded like a warning to him. "Because that's exactly what it was," Kate matter-of-factly replied.
Rafe assured Kate that he was a big boy and could take care of himself. Rafe added that he was also a really good judge of character, and he insisted that Jordan wasn't going to hurt him. Kate shrugged and claimed that she understood, explaining that she had simply been concerned because Jordan had always seemed really secretive. Kate conceded that Jordan was apparently not that way with Rafe. Kate excused herself and exited the pub. "You poor thing. Jordan hasn't told you anything," Kate muttered as she watched Rafe through the front window.
At Club TBD, Nick continued his fake phone conversation with Gabi while T listened from a few feet away. "No, you know what? I think it'll actually be a really nice boost for [T's] ego, you know, just to be seen at a -- at a concert with you. At the same time -- at the same time, Gabi, I -- I will say, it just seems like he kind of only dates, like, lame girls, you know what I mean? Like -- like bimbos, really. And it's just -- you're -- it's so far from who -- who you are, you know what I'm saying? Exactly. Exactly. So it just might be a matter of time before he realizes that -- you know, that you just want to be friends, and it just might be that -- that the kindest thing that you can do for the guy is to just -- you know, to -- to kind of...just not get his hopes up," Nick said before casually turning his head and feigning shock as his eyes fell on T.
After pretending to abruptly end the call, Nick approached T and feigned embarrassment as he apologized for the things that T had just overheard. Nick innocently claimed that he had assumed that T had been busy doing something in the back of the club. T was hurt to learn that Gabi had apparently been talking to Nick about T. Nick nodded and apologetically confirmed that he and Gabi had started bonding again.
Nick stressed that Gabi had mentioned that she really cared about T, but that failed to make T feel better about the fact that Gabi had supposedly only agreed to attend a concert with him because she felt sorry for him. Explaining that he didn't want Gabi to get upset, Nick begged T not to say anything to her about what had just happened. "You think she's gonna hear that garbage from my mouth?" T asked incredulously.
T started to walk away, but Nick followed him to the bar. Nick reported that it seemed like Gabi was going to give him another chance, even though he didn't deserve one. T guessed that Nick was dreaming, but Nick insisted that he was being "dead serious." Nick pointedly added that he and Gabi were going to be sharing everything with each other in the future. "You know, maybe I'm not deserving of a girl like her, but if she goes back with a creep like you, that's her loss, not mine," T reasoned before turning his attention back to his job.
In Will and Sonny's apartment, Gabi hugged Sonny and Will and happily congratulated them on their engagement. "Oh, my gosh. You guys are gonna be newlyweds! That's awesome. Um, okay -- uh...well, when do you want me to start looking for a place for me and Arianna?" Gabi wondered. Will and Sonny stressed that they didn't want Gabi and Arianna to move out of the apartment, but Gabi was certain that Sonny and Will were going to want their privacy once they got married. Will assured Gabi that the group would find a way to work that out together. "Will, there's no way Arianna and I are staying here now," Gabi insisted.
Will and Sonny maintained that there was no reason for anything to change after they got married. Meanwhile, Will received a text message from Marlena, which reminded him that he was running late for a visit with her. Will didn't want to leave in the middle of a conversation about Gabi and Arianna potentially moving out of the apartment, but Gabi claimed that there was nothing to worry about and that she had simply misunderstood the situation. Gabi reiterated that she was extremely happy for Sonny and Will.
Sonny, who had been unaware of Will's plan to spend some time with Marlena that day, was needed at the club, so Gabi assured them that she wouldn't mind watching Arianna for a while. Will stressed that the group would continue their earlier conversation later, and Gabi nodded in agreement. Gabi went to her bedroom, and Will and Sonny exchanged looks of concern before exiting the apartment.
After Will and Sonny left, Gabi received a text message from Nick, who wanted to know if it would be okay for him to head over to the apartment to drop off the notebook that he claimed she had left at the club earlier. After responding to the text message, Gabi turned her attention to Arianna. "Okay, so, Nick is coming over. No big deal -- he's just gonna, you know, drop off my notebook. Your daddy's still not gonna like it, though. But you know what? Your daddy does things -- he -- he changes his life without asking me permission -- and I don't really like that, right? Besides, they're not even here, so whatever they don't know won't hurt them. Isn't that what they say? Yeah, that's what they say," Gabi reasoned.
When Nick arrived a short time later, he handed Gabi her notebook and abruptly started to excuse himself, but she stopped him and invited him to stick around for a while. Nick happily accepted the offer, and as he entered the apartment, removed his coat, and headed straight toward Arianna, Gabi nervously glanced around the outside hallway to make sure that no one had witnessed what she had just done.
As Nick watched Gabi play with Arianna, he observed that it seemed like something was wrong. Gabi claimed that she was fine, but Nick wasn't convinced, so she decided to tell him that Will and Sonny were engaged, reasoning that Nick was going to find out eventually, anyway. "Wow. Wow. That's, um -- that's great. I'm -- I'm really happy for them," Nick claimed. Nick's reaction surprised Gabi, since he had previously felt quite different about the subject, but he assured her that he had gotten past his prejudices toward gay people, which he said had stemmed solely from being messed up because of what had happened to him in prison.
Nick claimed that he was glad that Will and Sonny were allowed to get married if they wished to do so, and Gabi agreed, but Nick observed that she still didn't look particularly happy for some reason. Gabi explained that Sonny and Will seemed to be under the impression that things were going to stay the same at the apartment after they got married, while she doubted that would be possible. Gabi argued that people usually got married so that they could live alone together. Gabi said that was certainly what she had wanted when she had gotten married, and Nick assured her that he remembered.
Later, while Nick was holding Arianna, Gabi received a phone call from T, who informed her that he wouldn't be able to take her to the concert after all. T claimed that his attempt to secure some tickets to the concert hadn't worked out the way that he had been assured that it would, and Gabi said that she understood, reasoning that there was nothing that he could do about that. Gabi suggested that she and T might be able to get together some other time instead, but he abruptly ended the call instead of responding to her suggestion, claiming that things were getting busy at the club.
When Gabi told Nick about the turn of events, he feigned shock and disappointment, reminding her that she was going to miss her opportunity to see Florence Welch, whom she loved, perform. Gabi shrugged and reasoned that there was nothing that she could do about the matter, but Nick casually suggested that Kate might be able to obtain a pair of tickets so that he and Gabi could go to the concert together. Gabi seemed hopeful, and she wondered if Nick really believed that he could make that happen. Nick assumed that Gabi's response meant that she was interested in attending the concert with him if he could secure some tickets.
Gabi hesitated, realizing that it might not be a good idea for her to go to the concert with Nick because Will and Sonny still had not been able to recognize how understanding and forgiving Nick had been toward her. Nick reminded Gabi that he was the person who needed to be forgiven, not her, and he assured her that he understood Sonny and Will's point of view on the matter. Nick reasoned that Sonny, in particular, was probably feeling more protective of Arianna because he would soon be her stepfather.
Nick handed Arianna to Gabi and excused himself, promising to talk to Gabi soon. After exiting the apartment, Nick stood in the hallway for a moment, grinning triumphantly. Meanwhile, back inside, Gabi told Arianna that she didn't care what Will and Sonny wanted, and she vowed that she was never going to lose Arianna.
At Club TBD, Sonny happily shared his engagement news with T, who had a more subdued reaction than Sonny had expected. Sonny wondered if something was wrong with T. "No, no. Everything -- everything's great. My two best friends are getting engaged. What could be better than that?" T evasively replied as he gave Sonny a congratulatory hug. Meanwhile, Ben returned to the club, and T introduced him to Sonny, explaining that Ben was interested in applying for the available bartending job.
Ben revealed that he had just heard T mention that Sonny was engaged. Ben wondered if Sonny was hiring an extra person because Sonny and "the lady" were planning to go on an extended honeymoon after the wedding. T stifled his laughter and shot Sonny a knowing look before walking away. "Uh, we haven't even thought of a honeymoon yet, but, uh, there's no lady. I'm marrying a guy," Sonny clarified.
Ben seemed a bit surprised, and he repeated what he had just heard to make sure that he hadn't misunderstood. "Cool. Yeah, I just -- I didn't know you could do that here," Ben explained after Sonny confirmed that Ben had heard correctly. Sonny assumed that meant that Ben was new to Salem, and Ben confirmed the suspicion, elaborating that he had just arrived in Salem a few days earlier. Sonny wondered what had prompted Ben to pick Salem as his new home, and Ben vaguely replied that he'd had a couple different reasons.
After interviewing Ben, Sonny excused himself so that Ben could have some privacy to fill out the club's job application. Sonny promised to give Ben a call later to let him know if he had received the job or not. Ben thanked Sonny and congratulated him again on the engagement. After Sonny left, Ben started to fill out the application, listing his surname as Rogers.
In Marlena's office at the hospital, Will informed Marlena that he had finally accepted Sonny's marriage proposal. Marlena was happy for Will, but she observed that he didn't seem as excited as he had seemed during their earlier phone conversation. Will told Marlena about Gabi's reaction to the news about the engagement. Will stressed that he and Sonny didn't want their marriage to change things between them and Gabi and Arianna at all. Will said that he and Sonny had told Gabi as much, but Marlena could tell that Will wasn't completely sure that Gabi had gotten the message.
Will sighed, and Marlena observed that it was obvious that the matter was very important to him. "I want to live under the same roof as my little girl. If marrying Sonny means that I can't do that --" Will started to say, but Marlena interrupted and assured him that she didn't think that he would ever have to make that choice. Marlena added that Will would always have his daughter in his life. Will reminded Marlena that he had grown up in a house with parents who hadn't lived together with him, and he stressed that he never wanted his daughter to have that kind of life.
"I understand. [But] sweetie, you're getting married. And Gabi will [eventually] find somebody. And you will always share parenting, but you and Gabi and Arianna will not always live together," Marlena gently pointed out. Will assured Marlena that he realized that he, Sonny, Gabi, and Arianna couldn't live together forever, but he added that he didn't want to miss out on a moment of Arianna's early years, since that was such an important time in a child's life. Marlena knowingly advised Will that there was never an unimportant time in a child's life.
"Yeah. I'm beginning to see that. You know, I look at my life -- I mean, maybe Mom and Dad weren't together, but...I always knew how much they cared about me, every minute of every day. I want Arianna to feel that way for me. I will never let anyone or anything come between me and my little girl," Will vowed. Changing the subject to a lighter topic, Will told Marlena that Arianna had started refusing to let him hold her sthingy for her when he was feeding her, instead insisting on holding it herself. Will admitted that Arianna "sucked" at the task but didn't seem to care about that fact at all.
Will mused that Arianna's early exhibits of stubbornness probably meant that her teenage years were going to be particularly interesting. Marlena advised that the only way for Will to ensure that Arianna would make good decisions and live her best life would be to set a perfect example for her in his own life. Marlena said that she was very pleased about Will and Sonny's engagement, and she confidently assured Will that he and Gabi would find a way to work everything out together.
Will thanked Marlena for the advice and stood to give her a hug before leaving. "I know that I have to live my own life...but knowing and doing are two very different things. I still want to do everything for Arianna," Will explained, his voice wavering slightly as he spoke. Marlena nodded and summarized that, while it was perfectly fine for Will to maintain that desire to do everything for Arianna, his daughter was already starting to tell him, in her own way, that she wouldn't always let him do everything for her.
Later, Will went to Club TBD and told Sonny about the earlier visit with Marlena. Will said that he was glad that he had confided in Marlena about Sonny's proposal, since she was the person who had convinced Will that he wanted to go ahead and accept the proposal. Sonny joked that he had always liked Marlena. Will wished that Adrienne could be just as enthusiastic about the impending wedding, and Sonny agreed, although he also acknowledged that she was entitled to her opinion.
Will wondered if Sonny was having second thoughts about getting married. "Do I look like I'm having second thoughts? I feel like the luckiest man in the world," Sonny declared, and he hugged Will tightly as T watched nearby. Will excused himself, explaining that he had promised to take Caroline to a quilting class, and on his way out of the club, T approached him and congratulated him on the engagement. After Will left, T wondered if Sonny was aware that T was really psyched about Sonny and Will's engagement, and Sonny confirmed that he was indeed aware of that fact. "So I have something to say -- don't let Nick Fallon screw everything up for you," T advised Sonny before walking away.
As Jordan was passing through a secluded section of Horton Town Square, Ben stopped her, and she gasped when she saw his face.
