Austin, if you can tell me a way I can get full custody of Will and not have to share him with Lucas, I would be in your debt forever. Austin didn’t want my debt. He wanted me to be happy. He laid out his plan: if the custody hearing happened after I was released from death row, I’d have my son.
But I reminded him that Lucas was rich, and I had no job. Austin insisted no judge on this planet would deny me my son after I was wrongfully accused of murder and nearly put to death. So what did we do? He said we had to play the cards we were dealt.
The goal was mother and son together for life. That’s why I had no choice but to take Lucas’s deal and share custody between him and Nicole. Nicole was relieved when Henderson came back to watch Will. She admitted she liked the kid but wasn’t comfortable being a mommy.
Brandon warned her not to be too vocal about that, especially since she’d already blown it with me, and Lucas had other ideas. Nicole knew Lucas wanted more kids, and she wasn’t ready. She missed Eric and the fun they used to have. Brandon told her to move on, that Eric was gone for good.
Eric, meanwhile, was buying two tickets to Paris. Greta asked how he could afford it. He said he’d been saving for a down payment on a house, but he didn’t need that anymore. He wanted to start a life after Nicole, help Greta find out what happened to her mother.
Greta thanked him, calling him an amazing guy. Kate was having a drink with Nicholas, who claimed it was his idea to take her out after a rough meeting with bankers. She suspected Vivian put him up to it, but he said no. He was interested in how she ran Titan.
Kate saw through him, accusing him of trying to help Vivian take over Titan using Stefano’s stock. Nicholas said he wanted to see her and Vivian work together. Kate refused, calling Vivian her enemy. Nicholas revealed Vivian was dying, so how could she steal Victor?
Kate admitted Victor wasn’t her husband, thanks to Vivian. Victor confronted Vivian, who had come to his room despite being told not to visit. He accused her of taking sadistic pleasure in announcing Stefano gave her 49% of Titan. Vivian claimed she wanted to help, that Kate needed help with Titan, and Victor could lose the company.
Victor didn’t trust her, told her to stay away from Titan and from him, and never wanted to see her again. Mike was dealing with the fallout of his one-night stand with Ali. Craig advised him to resign, but Mike refused, saying that would be admitting guilt. He insisted the sex was consensual, and he hadn’t known Ali was a candidate for head nurse.
Craig warned that Ali thought one night meant a lifetime commitment. Ali confronted Carrie, gloating that she’d proven Mike lied. She accused Carrie of being crazy for believing Mike’s lies. Nicholas continued to charm Kate, offering financial help.
Kate remained suspicious, but Nicholas insisted he wanted to end the feud between her and Vivian. He hinted that Kate could afford to be magnanimous, having full control of Titan and Victor. Kate realized the truth: Vivian wasn’t dying, was she? Brandon was entertaining Amber, a woman he’d met at the Cheatin’ Heart.
He showed off his wealth, and they flirted. Nicole went shopping, using her platinum card to try to forget Eric. Eric and Greta talked about her past in the bayou, where she’d hidden after her face was scarred. She’d learned how people who say they love each other can hurt each other deeply, like Bo and Hope, and like Eric and Nicole.
Eric admitted Nicole hurt him badly. Greta said she’d never been in love, but when she said “I love you,” she’d mean it. Craig agreed to testify for Mike, confirming Ali’s unprofessional behavior in the O. R.
Mike thanked him, but Ali showed up, telling Mike she’d had a long talk with Carrie, and Carrie finally knew the truth. There was no way she’d defend him now. Carrie faced the hospital board, who demanded to know her personal feelings about Ali’s accusations. Ali had left, but the damage was done.
Carrie was torn, her marriage already broken because of her relationship with Mike, and now she couldn’t trust him. I was thrilled with Austin’s plan to move into the Kiriakis guesthouse to be close to Will and keep an eye on Lucas. Austin and Carrie were separated, so she’d move into his apartment. I knew Kate would hate it, but Austin said his mom wanted to be close to him again.
Lucas wouldn’t like it, but tough. Kate, still reeling from Nicholas’s revelation, wondered if Victor’s feelings for Vivian could re-emerge. Nicholas suggested she was neglecting herself, that Victor was in a nursing home, and when was the last time she felt alive as a woman? Kate admitted it had been a long time.
Nicholas offered to help change that. Vivian, alone with Victor, confessed her marriage to Stefano was a mistake. She didn’t love him. There was only one man she’d ever really loved in her life.
Victor remained unmoved, but Vivian left a proposal for him to consider. As the day wore on, the tensions simmered. I was determined to fight for my son, even if it meant sharing custody for now. Austin was my ally, moving in to watch over Will and Lucas.
Nicole was torn between her new life and her old love. Eric was starting over with Greta. Kate was facing the truth about Vivian’s schemes. And Mike was fighting to clear his name, with Carrie’s support hanging by a thread.
The story of Salem was far from over, and everyone was holding their breath for what would happen next.
