Previously…
– Tim rejected Sonja’s efforts at reconciliation and then declared his feelings to Claire. The ex-spouses slept together and decided to give their relationship another shot.
– Feeling pressed by Loretta’s blackmail and Brent’s efforts to get her to testify, Natalie decided that Sonja might be the key to her freedom.
– Christian lost his virginity to Robbie.
– Brent and Molly officially reunited in secret, but he promised to propose marriage to her in a romantic way.

“Are you sure he’s coming?”

Caleb Taylor stands in the center of his mother’s living room, watching as Molly peers out the large picture window at the front of the house. Caleb’s twin sits on the sofa nearby, one leg tucked underneath himself as he studies something on his iPhone.

“Of course he’s coming,” Molly says as she turns back toward Caleb. “He must have gotten held up at work, that’s all.”

With narrowed eyes, Caleb looks Molly directly in the face. “What exactly is going on here? You sounded all cryptic when you asked us to come over.”

Christian glances up from his phone. “And we’re in the middle of finals week. Is it about Gabrielle? Did something happen in the custody case?”

“No,” Molly says. “At least not directly.”

The twins regard one another with confusion.

“So what is it?” Christian asks.

“Let’s wait for your dad so that we can tell you together,” Molly says.

Caleb lets out a loud huff. “This all sounds kinda ominous, Mom.”

“It isn’t. And I’m sorry if we made you nervous.” She forces a smile. “Anyone want something to drink? I’m going to get some iced tea.”

“Is a beer an option?” Caleb questions.

“Absolutely not,” Molly says, nevertheless grinning at the very welcome moment of levity. “Nice try, though.”

He shrugs. “I’m cool, then. Thanks.”

“Christian?” she asks.

It takes him another few seconds to look up from his phone and answer, “No, I’m okay. Thanks, Mom.”

Molly exits the room, passing through the dining room on her way to the kitchen.

“What the hell do you think is going on?” Caleb asks his brother. But the only response he receives is silence. Christian’s focus remains squarely on his phone.

“Yo!” Caleb says louder. This time, Christian’s head snaps up.

“What?”

“Did you not hear me? What are you even looking at?”

Instinctively, Christian sets down his phone. “What? Nothing.”

“You’ve been, like, zoned into that phone the whole ride over here and the whole time we’ve been here. What’s up?”

“It’s nothing,” Christian says, and before Caleb can grill him further, they hear the sound of a car pulling into the driveway. Checking out the front window, Caleb sees their father’s Subaru parking behind his own car. The sounds of his car door closing and the beep indicating that the car has been locked are followed soon afterward by the creaking of the front door as it is opened.

“Hey, guys,” Brent says as he enters the living room. “Where’s Mom?”

“I’m right here,” Molly says, swooping back in with a glass of iced tea, which she sets down on a credenza that also bears a slew of framed photographs of the family and their other loved ones from throughout the years.

“Okay, what’s up?” Caleb asks with a hint of annoyance. Christian folds his hands in his lap and stares at their parents.

Molly stands beside Brent and then places her hand on his right arm.

“Your dad and I have an announcement,” she begins.

—–

Tim Fisher waits in the living room of the plain apartment, with its unremarkable rental furniture. In the months that Sonja Kahele and TJ have been staying here, it has come to resemble a home a bit more — toys on the floor, Sonja’s purse on the small dining table, a pair of coats hung by the door. But there is still something sterile and anonymous about it; Tim knows that is the point, but he nevertheless hates the idea of his young son growing up in a place so devoid of personality and warmth.

“He’s out like a light,” Sonja says as she emerges from TJ’s bedroom, softly closing the door behind herself.

“He was overdue for that nap,” Tim comments.

Sonja widens her eyes. “You have no idea.”

“Well,” Tim says, “I’m glad we have a chance to talk now.”

Sonja pauses at the border of the living area and the short hallway that leads to both bedrooms. Folding her arms, she leans against the wall.

“I wanted to tell you this in person,” he says.

“You’re scaring me.”

“It’s nothing like that. It’s about me — or, I guess, Claire and me. We’re, um, we’re back together.”

“What?” Sonja exclaims. “How?”

“It’s been a long time coming. We’ve reconnected the past few years, and — well, we finally admitted to one another how we feel.”

“What about us? What about the family we could have? You, me, and TJ?”

“I told you when you kissed me, Sonja,” Tim says, “that whatever you and I had is in the past. I’ll of course put TJ’s needs first–“

“What TJ needs is a normal life!” She throws up her hands, gesturing at the apartment around them. “This is not a normal life!”

“I know. But it’s for both of your safety. And it’s temporary.”

“You keep saying that, Tim,” she snaps in a half-whisper, conscious of the fact that TJ is sleeping only a room away. “But I’m tired of it. If TJ and I can’t come live with you, how in the world are we ever going to get out of this place?”

—–

Molly’s hand drifts down Brent’s forearm until reaching his right hand, which she then clasps firmly.

“Your dad and I,” she tells Caleb and Christian, “are back together.”

Christian springs to his feet. “Whoa, seriously? Like back together-back together?”

Molly nods enthusiastically as Brent smiles.

“Like really back together,” Brent says.

“You weren’t already?!” Caleb asks.

“They live in separate houses,” Christian says.

Caleb turns to his brother and shrugs. “So? So do a lot of other couples. And they literally had a baby two years ago…”

“No, we weren’t back together until very recently,” Molly says. “Thinking that we’d lost Gabrielle — that took a major toll on both of us. It’s taken us a long time to come back to center and realize that we’ve both wanted to be together this entire time.”

“And we wanted to tell you both before we tell anyone else,” Brent adds. “You’re both okay with this, right? Do you have any questions or anything?”

Christian shakes his head. “No, but this is really good news.”

“I have a question,” Caleb says, half-raising his left hand.

His three family members turn their focus toward him.

“This whole sudden reunion thing,” he says. “Is this really just so the judge looks at us like we’re some kind of normal family and decides to give Gabrielle back to you guys?”

—–

“Sonja,” Tim says. “I have a lead on taking down Loretta. For real.”

Worked up, Sonja shakes her head, causing her long, black hair to wave around her face. “I’ve heard you say that before, Tim. Yet TJ and I are still being held hostage here–“

“It’s for your protection.”

“I don’t care!” she blurts out, before bringing a hand to cover her mouth. Then, in a quieter voice, she says, “You’re promised me this before, Tim. And now you come over here to tell me that you and Claire are a couple again? Where do TJ and I even fit into your life?”

“TJ is my son,” Tim says. “And I would have been there from the very beginning if you hadn’t skipped town without telling me you were pregnant.”

Sonja steps away from the wall, closing the gap between them.

“I didn’t have a choice,” she tells him. “That monster Loretta threatened my mother, may she rest. I left King’s Bay to protect her.”

“You could have come to me. You could have told me what was going on. Or that you were pregnant.”

“I panicked. I’m sorry.” She sighs with exhaustion. “Do you really have a way to get Loretta out of the picture?”

Slowly, Tim nods.

“What is it?” Sonja asks.

“I don’t think I should say.”

“I’m at the end of my rope, Tim,” she presses. “TJ needs to meet other kids. He’s going to need to go to kindergarten soon. He can’t spend his entire childhood in this… this cell.”

“I’m sorry this has taken so long,” he responds. “But I really am working on it.”

“I’ll believe it when I see it.” She folds her arms. “I’m not staying here forever.”

“I know. And I don’t expect you to.” Tim touches one curled fist to his chin. “What I can tell you is that it involves Spencer.”

Sonja looks up at him sharply. “Spencer? How?”

“He thinks his wife — Natalie — might know something about Loretta. Something we can use to put her behind bars.”

“Wh– what kind of something? Does he know?” she asks, nervousness creeping into her words.

“We don’t know,” Tim tells her. “But we’re working on it. Spencer is sure that Natalie is covering something up for Loretta because Loretta is holding something over her. So if we can put those pieces together…”

“Then you can take down Loretta.”

“Right.”

“Well, let’s see what happens,” Sonja says. “But TJ and I can’t do this much longer.”

“I know. And I’m sorry it’s had to be this way.”

“It’s okay.” She exhales again. “I need to use the restroom.”

“I should get going,” Tim says. “Tell TJ when he wakes up that I’ll come by tomorrow to see him.”

“He’ll enjoy that,” Sonja says. “And, um, congrats to you and Claire.”

“Thank you.” Tim goes to the front door and pulls it open. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Sonja.”

With a nod, she watches him exit. Only once the door is closed and Tim is gone does she allow an expression of dread to creep over her face.

“Natalie can’t know that Loretta hired me to keep Spencer from remembering his fall… could she?” Sonja whispers to herself, folding her arms across her chest as if for protection. “She couldn’t. No. But if she does… I can’t let that come out.”

She goes to the door, flips the lock, and fastens the deadbolt.

“No,” she says, leaning her back against the door. “I have to do something. Soon.”

—–

Molly gasps at Caleb’s question.

“Absolutely not!” she says. “You don’t really think we would fake something like this, do you?”

Caleb simply shrugs his shoulders.

“This is very genuine,” Brent says as he squeezes Molly’s hand. “Very real. Your mom and I have wanted to be together for some time. We just… let life get in the way.”

“The five of us are going to be a family again,” Molly declares. “Dad and I, the two of you, and Gabrielle. I just know it.”

“I hope so,” Christian says.

“What does everyone say about ordering some takeout for dinner?” Brent asks. “Or do you two have to get back to campus to study for finals?”

“I could eat,” Caleb says.

“Uh, yeah, that’s fine,” Christian adds. “Food sounds great.”

Brent plants a quick kiss on Molly’s cheek and then says, “Let’s go find some menus.”

“Oh my god, use the internet,” Caleb says with a groan before their parents head to the kitchen. Christian immediately returns to the sofa and picks up his phone. Caleb watches as his twin checks something, then puts down his phone in frustration.

“Okay, what is up with you?” Caleb asks.

Christian startles. “What do you mean?”

“It’s too soon to be checking for finals grades. But you’ve been checking that phone nonstop.”

“So?”

“So, you would usually be clapping and screaming and shit about Mom and Dad being back together. What gives?”

“Nothing gives!”

“Dude, I’m just asking,” Caleb says. “Did you…” He lowers his voice with a cautious glance toward the kitchen. “…meet somebody or something?”

“No! What?”

“I’m trying to be supportive and whatever.”

“You don’t have to worry about me,” Christian says, grabbing his phone off the sofa. “I’m fine.”

“Jesus. Okay.”

Without another word, Christian stomps out of the living room and up the stairs. Perplexed, Caleb watches as he leaves, then shakes his head.

In the upstairs hallway, Christian stops and glances down at his phone, but his last message to Robbie is still sitting there, unanswered and unacknowledged.

“Are you seriously ghosting me?” he mutters, as a tight, hot ball of embarrassment burns inside his chest.

END OF EPISODE 1183

Should Christian tell his family about Robbie?
Will Sonja remain in the safehouse for long?
Did Tim just ruin whatever Natalie has planned?
Talk about it all in the comments below!

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