Previously…
– Claire was heartbroken after learning that Brent still loves Molly, who’s pregnant with his child.
– Jake fell from the attic window during an argument with Matt.
– Loretta threatened to reveal that Natalie had hired Sonja Kahele to brainwash Spencer unless Natalie convinced Spencer to let Loretta stay in their home.

“Are you insane?!” Spencer Ragan asks his wife. His eyes bug out of his head at the proposition she has just made.

Natalie knots her fingers together nervously. “I think it might be the best idea. Strategically speaking.”

“I think getting Loretta out of our house as soon as possible would be the best idea,” he responds, keeping his voice to a hiss in spite of the closed door separating the kitchen from the dining room. “Having her stay here…”

“Means we can keep an eye on her,” Natalie says.

Her husband throws her a disbelieving look. “You don’t know what she’s capable of.”

Natalie bites her lower lip. She has all too good an idea what Loretta Ragan is capable of — which is exactly why she is following orders now.

“I think it’s the best way to keep from antagonizing her,” she manages to say. “If she has access to Peter, she’ll be content for the time being. If she doesn’t…”

“She might try to pull something.” He slowly nods. “Okay, you might have a point.”

“We can put up with this for a few weeks, or however long it takes her to get bored. A woman like that — the best way to wear her down is by giving her what she wants so she gets tired of it.”

“I hope you’re right,” Spencer says. “You must be the first woman in history campaigning to have her mother-in-law stay in her house.”

Natalie forces a confident grin across her face, even though she feels anything but confident right now.

“I’m trying to keep the drama to a minimum,” she says. “With any luck, this will do the trick.”

—–

The Fishers have gathered around Paula’s dining room table. Juicy pieces of prime rib cover the platter that is being passed around, but a black cloud hangs over the table as everyone forces themselves to try and enjoy the Christmas meal.

“I don’t know how something like this could have happened,” Paula says, looking around in despair.

“How did Uncle Matt’s brother fall out a window?” Travis asks as he passes the Brussels sprouts to Rosie Jimenez.

“Sarah didn’t get many details from Matt,” Tim says. “But it sounds like Jake was conscious.”

“That’s already big,” Rosie comments. “And they called 911 right away.”

“Give it back!” Billy Fisher shouts from the living room, where he and Sophie are eating off paper plates on the floor. Normally, they’d be sitting with the adults at the dining room table, but in light of the shocking news from Matt, Paula decided to allow them to have their own picnic.

“Sophie, give Billy his roll back,” Jason Fisher says as he rises from his seat. “You have one of your own.”

“Mine is sourdough,” Sophie says, sticking out her tongue. “It’s gross.” 

“Then come get a non-sourdough one,” Jason tells her; it is clear that his patience is thin today.

As Sophie crosses to the table to find a more acceptable roll, a sharp electronic ringing suddenly fills the air.

“I’m sorry,” Paula says as she scrambles for her phone. “I wanted to hear if Sarah called with updates…” When she looks at her phone, however, she sees that it is her granddaughter calling.

“It’s Samantha,” she explains before answering the call. “Hello, dear. Merry Christmas…”

The others listen when they see Paula’s expression fall even further.

“What do you mean, she’s in King’s Bay?” she asks in horror.

Sarah Fisher Gray is in motion even before the hospital’s elevator doors begin to open. As soon as they do, she is rushing out into the emergency room’s waiting area. She finds her husband pacing back and forth over a small area of worn gray carpet.

“Come here,” she says, throwing open her arms to him. Matt offers her a grateful look and then sinks into the embrace. “Is there any word yet?”

“No,” he answers, his chin resting on her shoulder. His strong arms encircle her. “Just waiting.”

“I don’t understand how this happened. How could he fall out a window?”

“We were in the attic, in that man-cave he has. I was trying to talk sense into him, and he kept leaning away from me, and then he lost his balance and–” Matt shudders hard at the memory of Jake’s fall.

Sarah is about to offer words of reassurance when she sees Mia Davich coming over from the nurses’ station. She slowly takes a step back from Matt, though her hand lingers on his back.

“How are you doing?” Sarah asks her sister-in-law, whose face is stained with tears.

“How do you think I’m doing?” Mia snaps.

“Mia, I know this is nerve-racking, to put it lightly,” Sarah says, “but we have to think good thoughts.”

“I’m trying. I’m really trying.”

“Where’s Marcus?” Sarah asks. “Does he need anything?”

“He’s at home,” Mia responds. “I was cooking dinner and didn’t want everything to go to waste and — I didn’t want him to see any of this.”

“It’s gonna be okay,” Matt says, though he doesn’t entirely sound like he believes that.

“You’ve better hope so,” Mia says, with anger glinting in her eyes. “Because if it isn’t, you’re going to have some serious explaining to do.”

“I told you, it was an accident,” Matt responds.

Mia glares at him.

“Matt wouldn’t push Jake out a window,” Sarah says.

She and Matt watch as Mia twists her lips together.

“I don’t know what to think right now,” she finally says. “All I can think about is whether my husband is okay.”

Sarah grasps her hand. “He will be. And we’re here for you.”

Instead of making eye contact, Mia looks to the carpet.

—–

Tempest Banks watches the traffic light turn green and moves her foot back to the gas pedal.

“I had half a mind to knock that man-stealing heffa flat on her ass,” she says.

In the passenger seat, Claire Fisher continues to stare straight ahead through the windshield. “Getting physical with a pregnant woman isn’t going to fix anything.”

“I know. I’m just…” Tempest lets out a grunt as she shakes one fist in the air.

Claire sniffles and wipes her eyes. “I can’t believe I was so blind. If Brent wanted to be with me, he would’ve proposed weeks ago.”

“Don’t you beat yourself up over this. This is on the two of them.”

Several seconds pass as Claire watches the headlights from the opposite direction approach and then pass them.

“I really thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with Brent,” she says sadly. “And now…”

“Now you’re gonna find someone better,” Tempest insists. “But first, we go home, we order some damn Chinese food, and we stay mad ’til we get tired of it. You hear me?”

Claire looks over at her and manages a brave smile. “I hear you.”

—–

Danielle Taylor closes the bedroom door behind herself.

“Dad’s keeping Caleb and Christian busy,” she tells her brother. “So we have a few minutes to chat.”

“I don’t even know what to say,” Brent admits.

Danielle sits down on the edge of the bed and smoothes out her paisley dress. “You just found out that your ex-wife is having your baby, and your girlfriend found out and took off. You must be feeling something.”

“I’m feeling a lot of somethings. I don’t even know where to begin.” He cracks his knuckles methodically. “I keep thinking I should’ve gone after one of them.”

“I don’t think there would’ve been any reasoning with Claire.”

“Maybe not. But I hate her thinking that our whole relationship was a fraud.”

“Was it?”

He looks at her sharply. “No.”

“But you still have feelings for Molly,” Danielle says softly. “You always have.”

“I never denied that. I mean — I wasn’t the one who ended our marriage. If it were up to me, it never would’ve ended.”

She nods encouragingly. “Are you still in love with her?”

He takes a deep breath and then lets it all out in a loud, exhausted rush. “Yeah.”

“Then you owed it to Claire to make that clear. You owe it to her.” 

“I love Claire,” he hurries to add. “I haven’t been faking that.”

“But you love her in a different way.”

Brent hesitates before answering, “Maybe. Yeah.”

“You really screwed up,” Danielle says. “But I think you already know that.”

“No kidding. I can’t get over how badly.”

She pats the spot beside her on the bed. “Come here. I can’t even begin to fix any of this for you — but I can be here for you the way you’ve been here for me so many times.”

Sighing in defeat, Brent sits down next to her.

—–

Paula gestures at the still-bountiful dining room table, even though many dishes have already been cleared.

“Please, go ahead and have something to eat,” she says to her granddaughter and Diane Bishop. “We have more than enough food.”

“Thanks, Grandma,” Samantha Fisher says as she picks up an empty plate. “I’m sorry if I ruined Christmas dinner with that call about Loretta Ragan, but I thought you’d want to know.”

“You have nothing to apologize for,” Paula replies. “The courts, on the other hand…” She shudders.

“It’s absolutely insane that that woman is roaming around free,” Diane says.

Tim Fisher enters from the kitchen. “I thought I heard you two.”

Diane throws him an exasperated look. “We managed to escape from that nuthouse intact.”

He laughs as Samantha puts down her plate and comes over to give him a hug.

“Didn’t think I’d get to see you twice today,” he says.

“And thank you again for warning us about Loretta,” Paula says. “I don’t understand how this is possible. I tried to call Brent, but it went to his voicemail.”

“She claims she was paroled and wanted to keep it quiet until it was official,” Diane explains. “Which sounds to me like she wanted to show up and scare the crap out of everyone without warning.”

Paula grasps the back of one of the dining chairs. “Yes, and we have no idea what she has up her sleeve now.”

“We’ll keep you safe,” Tim says, moving toward his mother.

“I’m sure she has it out for me because I shot Philip,” Paula says, growing increasingly upset. “It doesn’t sound like this is a woman who will listen to reason.”

Tim wraps his arm around her shoulders. “We’re going to make sure she doesn’t try and do anything to you. Or to any of us.”

Diane crosses to the sideboard and quickly pours herself a glass of red wine.

“While we’re sharing intel,” she says before taking a sip of the wine, “my idiot sister invited Loretta to stay in their guest room for the time being.”

Paula lets out an anguished groan. “What is wrong with Natalie? That woman has never met a terrible decision she didn’t embrace with open arms.”

“Maybe she’s just trying not to set Loretta off,” Samantha says, using her index finger to push up her glasses on her nose.

“Maybe,” Tim says. “But as long as that woman is in King’s Bay, we all need to be smart and watch our backs.”

—–

“Here you go,” Bree Halston says as she hands her mother a folded plush white towel and matching washcloth from the linen closet down the hall.

“Thanks,” Natalie says, taking the items from Bree and setting them on the freshly made queen-sized bed in the guest bedroom. Natalie begins fluffing the pillows.

“Mom,” Bree ventures timidly, “why are you letting that lady stay here?”

As off-handedly as she can manage, Natalie answers, “Because she doesn’t have anywhere to go.”

“I thought she was rich. And Spencer could get her a hotel room for a few days.”

Natalie purses her lips as she busies herself with straightening pillows that don’t even need straightening.

“Jason came by earlier,” she finally says. “He wanted to tell us that he isn’t going to pursue custody of Peter at all anymore.”

Bree furrows her brow. “I thought the judge threw out his case.”

“Yeah. But he was still hoping to find a way to appeal, or — I don’t know. The point is, I could tell how hard it was for him to do that. And it hit me all over again how many people I hurt by lying the way I did. So when Loretta showed up here, wanting to meet her grandson, I thought… why stand in the way of that? I’ve caused enough damage.”

“Mom, she just got out of prison for, like, kidnapping and all kinds of crazy stuff. You don’t really think it’s safe for her to be here, do you?”

Natalie sighs. “What would be worse would be her angry at us for not letting her stay here. If she’s under this roof, she’ll be able to spend time with Peter, which is all she wants. If not — then we’d have to worry.” 

It pains Natalie to see the concern in Bree’s face.

“If you want, you can go stay with your dad for a little while,” she says. “I know we’ve just gotten everything back on track the past few months, but if that would make you feel better, I won’t stand in your way.”

As much as it hurts to suggest that her daughter leave the house, Natalie finds herself hoping that Bree will agree so that she’s away from Loretta entirely.

“Maybe,” Bree says, as Loretta appears in the doorway.

“I hope I’m not interrupting,” she says.

Bree regards the older woman with a wide-eyed look.

“I’m going to go brush my teeth,” the teenager says before making a hasty exit.

“She seems like a lovely young lady,” Loretta says once Bree is gone. “I presume she gets that from her father.”

Natalie grits her teeth, knowing that she can’t fight back, at least not yet.

“The room should be all ready for you,” Natalie says as she moves toward the door.

“Thank you. Oh, and Natalie?”

Gripping the doorframe with one hand, Natalie turns back. “What?”

“You don’t happen to have a forwarding address for that desperate nurse, Sonja Kahele, do you?” Loretta asks. “I thought it might be nice to send her a note thanking her for visiting me in prison and alerting me to what you did. That information has certainly come in handy.”

“No,” Natalie says flatly, and she can feel Loretta’s nasty smirk burning into her as she leaves the room.

END OF EPISODE 1003

Will Natalie continue to do Loretta’s bidding?
What should the Fishers do now that Loretta is in town?
How should Brent handle his personal life now?
Talk about all of it in the comments section below!

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