Previously…
– Zane was irate when Tori informed him that she’d taken a job at Objection Designs.
– Alex convinced Trevor to take a romantic weekend getaway.
– In Sun Valley, Samantha discovered a birth certificate bearing the name “Ann Marie DeLuca” in her late grandfather’s safe.

As Samantha Fisher pulls her car into the parking lot of her mother’s condominium complex, she feels a strange balance of exhaustion and exhilaration coursing through her body. She and Jaq Pearson woke up early to leave her grandmother’s house in Sun Valley; although they told Claudia they were going to drop their things at the nearby lodge and then do some sightseeing before Samantha had to report for work, they actually drove straight back to King’s Bay, stopping only twice to use the restroom and get coffee and snacks. Now it is late afternoon, and she is back home after dropping off Jaq. The last 36 hours almost seem like a dream, the way they were so frenzied and yet so focused.

After taking a lengthy moment to gather herself, she turns off the car and steps out. She goes to the trunk and unzips the front pocket of her suitcase, inside which she finds the folded, aged piece of paper that has been the target of her and Diane’s attention since before they even knew that was what they were looking for. She unfolds it once more, scanning its contents as if fearful that she might have dreamed them. But the words are right there, printed and scrawled in faded ink. She draws a deep breath, closes the trunk, and starts up the stairs to her mother’s condo.

She inserts her key into the lock, but before she can even turn it, the door is yanked open. Diane Bishop stands there in a cheetah print blouse tucked into skinny black pants, with a wide black belt and its sparkling buckle at her waist.

“Great timing,” Diane says, waving her into the condo. “I only got home from work a few minutes ago. The drive was okay?”

“It was fine,” Samantha says with an overly reassuring nod. “Really easy. I’m tired, but…”

“I bet. Do you want anything? Coffee?”

“Just some water.”

Diane moves to the galley kitchen, where she pours a glass of water from the Brita pitcher in her refrigerator. 

“So what was in there?” Diane asks. “Your texts were so vague.”

“It was too much to explain without just showing you.”

“Showing me what?” Diane’s eyes, rimmed with black eyeliner, flare wider. “What did you find in that safe?”

Samantha’s hands tremble as she holds out the paper. 

Diane regards the document like it might be an explosive for a moment, then reaches out and snatches it from her daughter’s hand.

“Mom,” Samantha says, though she has no idea what further warnings she can issue, and besides, Diane is already unfolding it.

“What is this?” Diane asks, scanning the paper. “Who is Ann Marie DeLuca?”

Samantha moves to Diane’s side and uses her index finger to point. “Look.”

But before Diane can speak again, there is a loud pounding on the door.

“Not now,” Diane says through gritted teeth. 

But from the other side of the door, they hear an all-too-familiar voice:

“Open this door! I know you’re both in there!”

Diane and Samantha lock eyes, both recognizing Claudia Bishop’s voice.

“What the hell is she doing here?” Diane wonders, as Samantha feels her heart rate spike and her head spin. 

Little bells jingle as Tori Gray pushes open the door to Cassie’s Coffee House. She takes in the space, noticing the short line at the counter but mostly looking for the person who is supposed to be meeting her. She sees him at a small table by the window, holding up a to-go coffee cup with one hand and waving with the other.

“Thanks for coming,” Tori says as she beelines for the table.

“Yeah, of course.” Landon Esco smiles as he stands up to greet her. “I got you this. Almond milk latté.”

“You’re amazing.” Without thinking, Tori throws her arms around him with gratitude.

“Nah. Just figured you could use some java. You know, if you were…”

Tori rubs her eyes. “Up all night? Is it that obvious?”

“Just sounded from your texts like you hadn’t slept much,” he says.

“Barely at all.” 

She sinks into one of the wooden chairs, and Landon takes a seat across from her.

“So what happened?” he asks. “I mean, I always like hearing from you, but…”

Tori leans forward, her elbows on the table. “Can you promise you won’t tell anyone about this? Even Travis. I don’t want my family finding out, but I didn’t know who else to talk to…”

“You can talk to me whenever, okay?” Landon offers a reassuring smile.

“Thanks, Landon.” She sighs loudly, as if attempting to expel all the stress that has been dominating her body. “He never came home last night.”

“At all?” Landon watches as she shakes her head in despair and then asks, “All because you got a job?”

“Not because of a job. Because of this job. He doesn’t trust my family. I don’t think he ever will.” 

“That’s kinda rich, considering that he’s the one who started all of this by blackmailing them. Don’t you think?”

Tori cups both her hands around her latté. Her mouth sits in a tense, straight line.

“Zane should be proud of you for scoring that job,” Landon says. “Maybe he did you a favor walking out like that.”

“What do you mean?”

“Honestly… at this point, are you sure you even want to be with him?”

—–

Sitting in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains, the resort in Sunriver, Oregon, boasts lush expanses of lawns and trees. Several crystal-blue swimming pools are integrated into the landscape, and the modern but rustic construction of the buildings gives the place a distinctly Pacific Northwest feel. The bright sun shines overhead, with only the faintest wisps of gossamer clouds threaded through the clear sky.

“This place is amazing,” Trevor Brooks declares as he holds open the door to the hotel room where he and his husband are staying. “Really good call — especially for a last-minute getaway.”

“I think we both needed it,” Alex Marshall says as he wipes his sweaty forehead with his arm. “Although I can’t believe I let you talk me into a hike as the first act of our vacation.”

“It’s too beautiful out not to enjoy the scenery.”

“We can also enjoy it from loungers by the pool. Looks like there are some incredible mountain views right there.” Alex points out the large window of their hotel room to underscore his point.

“Pool time sounds just as good to me.” Trevor strips off his t-shirt, revealing his athletic torso; though he is not as lean and defined as he was in his modeling days, he is still in excellent shape, and Alex inhales sharply at the sight.

“Good.” Alex rests his arms on Trevor’s bare shoulders, their faces mere inches apart. “Aren’t you glad we’re doing this?”

Trevor nods. “I am. I still feel a little bad about leaving Chase…”

“We have to leave him at some point. It’s good for all three of us.”

“I know.”

“Besides, I bet your dad is going to be sending us pictures and video every hour on the hour,” Alex says with a chuckle.

“I’m sure he will. I hope a toddler isn’t too much for him.”

“It was really nice of him to take Chase. And if he gets overwhelmed, he can always call Don and Helen, or Tempest. And it’s only two nights!”

“I know. I know.”

Alex kisses his husband. “What do you say we make good use of that shower? I saw two shower heads in there…”

Trevor grins. “I don’t know if we’re gonna need that much space.”

“Oh, really?”

“Really,” Trevor says as they stumble toward the bathrooms one awkward unit, kissing and stripping off articles of clothing as they go.

—–

Her teeth gritted and her body pulsing with an electric current so strong that she doesn’t feel fully in control, Diane whips open the condo’s front door. Her mother stands there, glowering with fury.

“You put her up to this, didn’t you?” Claudia says. She doesn’t wait for an invitation before she barges inside.

Her gaze lands on Samantha. “I expected this of your mother, but not you. You should be ashamed of yourself.” 

Samantha’s breaths come quick and shallow. “Grandma, I’m sorry– I had to.”

“Had to? Had to violate my privacy — and that of your poor grandfather?” Claudia shrieks.

“What are you even doing here?” Diane asks as she stands at the open door.

“I went into my garage after Samantha and Jaq left this morning, and I found Henry’s safe the slightest bit ajar,” Claudia says. “That’s when I called you, and you told me — you lied to me! — that you were dropping your things at the lodge.”

Samantha’s cheeks burn with shame at having been caught in her lies.

“So you bought a plane ticket and immediately flew here? That’s sane,” Diane says.

“No, I called the lodge and confirmed that Samantha wasn’t a guest, nor was there any kind of shoot taking place for Objection Designs,” Claudia explains. “And then I bought a plane ticket and immediately flew here.” 

The three women stare one another down, eyes flickering all over the living area.

“Where is it?” Claudia asks Samantha. 

But Diane is the one to answer, as she holds up the piece of paper she has had clutched in her hand.

“Give it up,” she says. “You’re too late.”

Claudia swivels toward her. “What do you mean?”

“I’ve seen it,” Diane says. “Samantha and I both have.”

“Give that to me!” Claudia says.

“Not until you explain what’s going on,” Diane tells her, again unfolding the paper. “Why did my father have a birth certificate for someone named Ann Marie DeLuca… with my exact date of birth?”

—–

Landon’s question hangs heavy over his and Tori’s table. A song by Bon Iver floats through the air from the coffee house’s speakers.

“Why would you ask something like that?” Tori finally says.

“Because,” Landon replies, his lips suddenly weak, his words loose. “I… Tori, he’s trying to cut you off from your family.”

“No, he isn’t.”

“You were nervous to tell him you were taking the job, weren’t you?”

“Yeah, but…”

“And you didn’t even tell him about the interview,” he continues. “When I picked you up that day, you hadn’t told him where you were going.”

He can see a desperation in her eyes as she nervously sips her latté.

“I worry that he’s trying to, like, control you,” Landon says.

“No, he’s not!” she fires back, slamming down her cup. “He’s worried that me getting close to my family again is going to, I don’t know, open the door for them to try and split us up again.”

“And you’re okay with that?”

“I understand it. Zane and I, we went through something hugely traumatic together, losing a child–”

“I’m not saying you didn’t,” Landon cuts in, “but that kinda makes my point for me, don’t you think? You guys are bonded because of what you went through, and maybe you’re not seeing straight–”

“Oh, come on,” she says, rising from her chair. “I thought I could talk to you, Landon.”

“You can!”

“Not if you’re gonna lecture me and make judgments about my relationship. This was a mistake.” She shakes her head as she grabs her purse. 

Landon stands up. “Tori. Wait.”

“No. I’m sorry I said anything. I’m sorry I asked you to meet up.”

“Just sit down and let’s talk calmly,” he pleads.

“Forget it. Thanks for the latté.”

Leaving the cup on the table, she storms away from the table. Landon’s instinct is to run after her, but something about her exit is so cold, so harsh, that he already knows there is nothing he can do to thaw her out right now.

Defeated, he sinks back into his seat, replaying the disastrous conversation over and over in his mind.

—–

“We might have to redo our shower at home,” Trevor says as he emerges from the bathroom, a plush white towel tied at his waist. Curls of steam trail him.

“I don’t know if we can turn our tiny bathroom into that,” Alex responds as he follows Trevor out. He, too, wears only a white towel; his skin is still damp and warm from the soothing shower — and the activities they got up to in the shower. 

“A shower like that?” Trevor asks. “It’s worth trying.”

Alex walks over and gives his husband a kiss on the lips.

“I’m pretty sure you and I could have fun in any old shower if we tried hard enough,” he says.

Trevor gets a dreamy look in his eyes as Alex’s hand drops to the front of his towel.

“What was that about hard enough?” Alex asks, biting his lower lip. 

“We need to take more vacations,” Trevor says. “It turns you into an animal.”

“Are you complaining?”

“Not at all. But I am starving.” 

Alex runs a finger up and down Trevor’s bare chest. “Want to get room service tonight?”

“That does sound good,” Trevor says, “but maybe we should get out and see this place a little? There are supposed to be some amazing restaurants.”

“You might have a point,” Alex admits. He grabs his phone from the nightstand. “Let me find some options.”

But as soon as he looks at his phone, all thoughts of dinner fall away completely.

“Oh my god,” he says, panic in his voice.

“What?” Trevor asks as he moves to Alex’s side.

Alex is already dialing in to his voicemail. 

“I don’t know,” he says as he holds the phone to his ear. “I have a million missed calls.”

Trevor scrambles for his own phone and finds the screen full of notifications, as well. A sinking feeling overtakes him before he even opens the first one.

—–

Claudia’s hand reaches out, but Diane snatches the paper away.

“That’s none of your business,” Claudia says sharply.

“None of my business?!” A sarcastic laugh rumbles out of Diane. “Are you kidding? This is my birth certificate, isn’t it?” 

Claudia remains stony-faced and silent. Samantha shifts her weight from one foot to the other and back again, unable to handle the painful tension.

“Isn’t it?” Diane barks, a new rage coming through.

“You were never supposed to find out!” Claudia finally says. “That woman — she nearly made a fool of me. I was engaged to your father. I was supposed to be his wife. And she came along, and…” 

“He was in love with her, wasn’t he?” Diane asks. “Dad was in love with Thesese DeLuca, and he got her pregnant, and his father paid her off to go away.”

Claudia presses her eyelids tightly together, as if reviewing footage on the backs of them.

“She wasn’t fit to raise a child alone,” she says. “She had nothing. Your father and I gave you a much better life than you ever would’ve had with that woman!”

“That woman was my mother!” Diane shouts. “You resented her so much that you couldn’t even let me know she existed. You couldn’t even let me keep the name she gave me!”

“Because we were your parents. Therese took your grandfather’s money and disappeared. She was willing to sell you off.”

Diane bitterly shakes her head. “If I know anything about this family, she was bullied into it. And still — still! — you could never accept me. Not really.”

“I raised you,” Claudia snarls.

“And you never let me forget that I wasn’t good enough. I thought it was because you just liked Natalie more — and I guess that’s true, because she’s yours, and I’m just a reminder that you weren’t Dad’s first choice. Isn’t that right?”

Claudia draws in a furious breath through her nostrils.

“Isn’t it?” Diane yells.

“Mom, try and calm down,” Samantha says, moving to Diane’s side. “This is huge shock. It’s a lot to process–”

“Yeah, finding out that I’ve been lied to for my entire life is a huge shock,” Diane says. She crosses back toward the door and pulls it open.  

“You should get out of my home,” she tells Claudia.

“I am your mother,” Claudia says.

“No, you’re not. And right now, I can’t even look at you.”

Claudia glances toward Samantha for assistance, but all Samantha can manage is a shrug.

“Maybe it’s better for everyone to take some time and cool down,” Sam says.

“I know this is surprising,” Claudia says to Diane, “but we did what was best for you. You’ll understand that eventually.”

“I don’t want to hear it,” Diane says, and finally her intense stare is enough to move Claudia toward the door. The older woman glares back at Diane in disbelief.

Finally she addresses Samantha: “I really expected better of you.”

She steps outside, and not a split-second later, Diane slams the door behind her. The silence in the condo is overpowering. Samantha waits, fearful of what a single movement or sound might do.

“Thank you,” Diane finally says.

“What?”

“Thank you for finding this. For helping me learn the truth.”

“Mom,” Samantha says, “I’m so sorry you had to find this out–”

“No, it’s better that I know.” Diane studies the birth certificate again, as if a thorough enough examination might help this all make sense. But the words — her original name, the name of her birth mother, spelled out so plainly — still don’t quite seem real.

END OF EPISODE 1030

What do you think of Diane’s revelation?
Can Landon be the one to get through to Tori?
What shocking news did Alex and Trevor receive?
Discuss it all in the comments below!

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