Previously…
– During a heated encounter with Gia, Molly realized that she needs to take action to regain control of Objection Designs before it’s too late.
– Trevor confronted Finn about Alex’s suspicions that Finn and Gia were trying to stage a coup at Objection. Finn kissed Trevor as a distraction technique, and a flustered Trevor decided to back down from the whole thing.
– A heartbroken Christian confided in Sophie about Robbie’s rejection and apparent involvement with Sabrina.
– Sophie tried to expose Sabrina’s relationship with Robbie to Jason, only to learn that Jason already knew about Robbie hitting on Sabrina.

The icy electronic pulsing of Kylie Minogue’s anthem “Padam Padam” plays from multiple speakers set up along Main Street in downtown King’s Bay. Rainbow flags and accessories festoon storefronts; food trucks and vendor stands line the street. A sense of celebration is palpable as Molly Taylor and her son navigate their way through the crowd toward the area designated as the starting line for the annual Pride parade.

“Thanks for coming with me,” Molly says to Christian. “I know you would prefer to do other things with your Saturday than accompany your mom to a Pride parade.”

He smiles while shaking his head. “No way. It’s a fun event. And Bree said she and Marcus would be around here somewhere.”

Molly watches the crowd swirling around them on the street. “It’s nice to see such a good turnout.”

“Yeah. It’s really cool.” Christian stops walking as something catches his eye. “You aren’t wearing your ring.”

“Your dad and I don’t think it’s the right time to tell everyone we’re engaged,” Molly says. “So if you could keep that to yourself today…”

“No problem, Mom.”

They continue walking and soon arrive at the staging area for the floats, where they quickly locate the one belonging to Objection Designs. The back of the flatbed truck is outfitted to look like a runway, sporting a white sheet lined with sparkling floor lights and several cameras on tripods. Objection’s logo, specially updated for the event with a glittering font, is printed on banners hanging from either side of the flatbed.

“This does look great,” Molly comments as she and Christian examine the float.

“Um… hi,” Finn Campbell says as he approaches the pair.

“Hi, Finn. Happy Pride,” Molly says. “I’m not sure if you remember my son–“

“Caleb?” Finn asks with a hint of uncertainty.

“Christian,” the teenager answers. “Caleb’s my twin. I don’t know if riding a float in the Pride parade is really his thing.”

Finn furrows his brow. “Riding a float?”

Molly plasters an overly friendly expression on her face. “Christian and I are going to join you all on the company float.”

“Oh. I don’t…” Finn glances around nervously. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“Why wouldn’t it be a good idea?” Molly says. “I’m the head of the company’s creative side. It’s only right that I show my support for a community that offers us so much support, don’t you think?”

Christian stands back, observing the conversation as though it were a tennis match.

“I just think… well, I think the optics of it might be a little messy,” Finn replies. “Gia might not–“

“Is Gia here? I’d be happy to talk with her,” Molly says.

“No, she isn’t. She kind of put me in charge today.”

“Great! Then I’m sure it won’t be a problem for Christian and me to join you all.”

“It’s just,” Finn stammers, “the thing is… you’re on leave…”

“I’m on personal leave. I wasn’t fired. Gia is keeping my seat warm for me while I’m out — and from the looks of things, considering the criminal charges were dropped and information has come to light proving that Brent and I were victims in this whole saga with Dr. Longo, it might not be long until I’m reinstated.”

Again Finn looks around uneasily. Molly folds her arms, refusing to budge or back down. After a few seconds of silence, she speaks up again:

“Finn, don’t tell me you’re going to turn us away on Gia’s account. In fact, I think it would look pretty bad for Objection to exclude anyone during an event that’s all about inclusivity.”

Finn swallows the lump that has formed in his throat.

“So what do you say?” Molly presses. “Can we ride on the float with the rest of the Objection team?”

—–

The air conditioner inside Jason Fisher‘s Audi is working hard to keep the inside of the vehicle at a comfortable temperature, even as the sun blazes outside. “Popular” by The Weeknd, Madonna, and Playboi Carti plays over satellite radio.

“Pretty nice day for a parade, huh?” Jason asks his teenage daughter, who rides in the passenger seat. “It finally feels like summer.”

After a long pause, Sophie answers with a simple, sullen, “Yeah.”

“Come on, Soph. It’s a day for celebration. Could you at least try to look excited?”

“I don’t have a lot to celebrate after you yelled at me yesterday when I was only trying to help!”

Jason sighs. “I know you were trying to help. And I appreciate it. But dragging me into Thaw to try and humiliate Sabrina — not just in front of me, but in front of her coworkers and customers — was not the way to do it. Especially when the information you had was totally wrong.”

“How was I supposed to know that?” Sophie grumbles.

“There’s a little something I learned in the one college journalism class I took,” he says. “It’s called verifying your sources.”

“I did!”

“Did you? Because you came in there spewing all kinds of accusations about Sabrina that were completely unfounded. That guy hit on her in a way that made her very uncomfortable. It sounded predatory.”

“I get it, okay? I was trying to help!”

Jason takes a deep breath as he puts on his blinker and eases the car through a righthand turn.

“I still want to know where you got your information,” he says. “We were making all this progress in therapy–“

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Yes, it does. Did you go through Sabrina’s phone or something? That doesn’t even make sense–“

“I didn’t!”

“I’m trying to connect these dots, Soph, and they’re not connecting,” he says. “Help me out.”

“I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because I can’t!”

“Sophie…”

She scratches her index finger along the leather seat.

“There’s something you aren’t telling me,” Jason says. “The fact that you have information about a grown man — a creepy grown man — and Sabrina is not sitting well with me.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Sophie says, her chin tucked down to her chest.

“It matters because I’m your father.”

“And I’m not telling you!”

“Then you’re going to spend your entire summer grounded.”

Her head snaps toward him. “What? No! You can’t do that.”

“I literally can do that,” Jason says firmly as he brakes in anticipation of a yellow light turning red.

“Dad! Why are you being so mean to me?”

“I’m not being mean. I’m trying to figure out what is going on with me.” He lapses into silence as they sit, waiting for the light ahead to turn green. Finally he declares, “Okay. Grounded for the summer it is–“

“No!” Sophie shouts. “It was Christian, okay? Christian’s the one who told me!”

—–

With a plastic grocery bag hanging from her wrist and a cardboard box in her hands, Tempest Banks weaves through the crowd on the Main Street sidewalk. She peers over the box’s towering contents, doing her best not to smash into anyone or anything. Suddenly, though, she feels the toe of her Nike sneaker strike something, and her entire body lurches forward. Grunting, she barely manages to keep the box — and herself — from toppling here.

“Whoa. Let me help you with that!” Samantha Fisher exclaims.

Tempest lowers the box to see her ex-girlfriend coming toward her.

“I’ve got it. I’m good,” Tempest says.

“What is all this stuff?” Samantha asks.

Tempest sets down the box and wipes her sweaty brow. “It’s for the Edge of Winter float. I had it all in my car.”

“Well, let me carry some of it. It looks heavy.”

“You don’t need to do that.”

“What if I want to?”

Tempest grins, then stoops down to pick a few items out of the box to hand to Samantha.

“At least you’ll be able to see now,” Samantha says as she holds out her arms and lets Tempest stack the items on them.

“You riding the Objection float?” Tempest asks as she picks up the box again. The two fall into step beside one another as they head for the staging area.

As they walk, Tempest keeps looking over at Samantha.

“You sure you’re good?” she asks.

“I’m fine! This stuff isn’t even heavy.”

“Okay.”

Samantha narrows her eyes. “What is it?”

“What’s what?”

“What aren’t you saying?”

“It’s nothing,” Tempest tells her. “Just… it’s hot, and that’s a lot of stuff to carry, and…”

“Oh my god. Tempest. I’ve been out of the hospital for months. My physical therapist swears I’m doing well.”

“Long as you’re sure.”

“I’m sure.” Samantha grins. “It’s sweet of you to worry about me.”

“Who says I was worrying about you?”

“You were actually just worrying about me.”

“Okay. You caught me.” Tempest shakes her head. They reach the edge of the staging area, and Tempest stops and sets down the box again.

“Why are you stopping? Where’s the float?”

“It’s in there somewhere.” Tempest squares her body toward Samantha’s. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure…?”

“What are you doing after the parade?”

“I don’t know. Nothing, I guess?”

“What do you think about us going to get drinks? I know the bars are all gonna be wild, but it’s Pride, and–“

“Yes.”

“Really?”

“Yes! Tempest, we’ve been hanging out and talking, and we got sushi not that long ago, and… why wouldn’t I say yes?”

“Because…” Tempest exhales. “I meant drinks like a… a date.”

Samantha’s head jerks back with surprise, but then she says, “Then double yes.”

“You serious?”

“Of course I’m serious. I’ve been thinking… I mean, I keep wanting to ask you… but I thought you might not want to…”

“I want to. Okay?” Impulsively, Tempest leans forward and, stretching over the items that Samantha is still holding, plants a kiss on her lips. She feels Samantha stiffen at first, but soon she is kissing her back, and for seconds that feel like minutes, the two stand there in the middle of Pride, lost in one another.

When they finally part, both have disbelieving smirks on their faces.

“If we don’t get this stuff to the float, it’s never gonna get there,” Tempest says. “But later, we’re doing drinks and…”

“And that. Again,” Samantha finishes for her.

“Yeah.” Tempest picks up the box again. “That again. For sure.”

—–

“Daddy, when can I get a ice cream?” Chase Marshall-Brooks asks. The six-year-old holds Alex Marshall‘s hand as they move through the crowd assembled for Pride, with Trevor Brooks right behind them.

“Not at 10:37 a.m.,” Alex replies with a chuckle.

“You have to give the kid credit for his technique,” Trevor says. “He didn’t ask if — he jumped straight to when.”

“Quite the little negotiator we’re raising,” Alex says as he looks back at his husband.

Trevor shrugs. “Maybe he’ll turn out to be an amazing lawyer.”

“That sounds great, until you realize he’ll be a teenager utilizing those skills before he’s an actual working lawyer.”

“Who’s a lawyer?” Chase asks, too distracted by the sights and sounds all around them to follow much of his parents’ conversation. The two fathers laugh as they continue to walk down the busy street.

Trevor and Alex stop in their tracks when they spot Finn only a few yards away, with a plastic cup containing a frothy, icy pink beverage.

“Happy Pride, boys,” Finn says as he strides up to them. “Hi, Chase.”

“Hi!” Chase says, beaming. “Who are you?”

“This is our friend Finn, remember?” Trevor says. “He lives at Grandma and Grandpa’s house now.”

Chase touches his index finger to his lips as if trying to conjure the information. Finally he turns his focus to Finn’s cup. “Is that a Sno-Cone?”

“I’m afraid not,” Finn tells the boy. “This is something grown-ups call frosé.”

“Already kicking things off, hmm?” Trevor asks.

“It’s been a morning,” Finn says. “I’ve been rounding everyone up for the Objection float, and then…” He hesitates. “…Molly showed up and insisted on riding on the float, too.”

Alex plants his hands on his hips. “And what’s the problem there?”

Finn regards him with a dubious look before answering, “Nothing. It’s just… Gia is going to have my head once she sees that Molly was on the float.”

“Why would Gia have any problem with Molly participating in the company’s Pride events?” Alex asks.

A silent, tense standoff between Alex and Finn ensues.

“You know what?” Trevor says with exaggerated brightness. “I actually think we should get Chase that ice cream.”

“What?” Alex says, surprised.

“It’ll melt too fast once it gets hotter out,” Trevor explains. “And he’s been so good all morning.”

“I get ice cream?” Chase asks excitedly.

“Yep,” Trevor says, before Alex can rule otherwise. “C’mon. I think I see a stand over there. Finn, I’ll see you at the float a little later.”

“Okay.” Finn lifts a hand in a wave as the family shuffles away. “See you later.”

“Ice cream? Really?” Alex mutters to his husband as they move off.

“I said I’m not getting in the middle of whatever Gia is putting Finn up to,” Trevor says under his breath, “and I meant it.”

Meanwhile, Finn stands where they left him.

What the hell? he wonders. Trevor couldn’t get away from me fast enough. And I’m sure it was all because of Alex planting ideas in his head.

He takes a sip of his frosé and glowers after the family.

—–

In the staging area, bodies bustle around, making last-minute preparations for the parade. Molly and Christian stand by a rolling rack placed near the Objection float, trying on various glittery, rainbow-adorned items provided for the group.

“It feels good to be doing this,” Molly says as she slings a multicolored boa around her shoulders.

“Dressing up in tacky costumes?” Christian asks.

“That, too. But I meant being a part of Pride — and with Objection. I’ve felt so disconnected from the company lately.”

“It’s been a long time since you went on leave.”

“Too long.” Molly sighs as she considers the boa, then unfurls it and hangs it back over the rack. “But I’m not going to let Gia bully me out of being involved where I have a right to be involved. And maybe that’s the first step in getting my foot back in the door for real.”

“That’s great, Mom,” Christian tells her as he considers a sequined vest.

“There you are,” a loud voice announces, and both Molly and Christian — as well as several others nearby — turn to see Jason storming toward them.

“Jason,” Molly says, startled by her brother’s demeanor. “What’s going on?”

Wide-eyed, Christian slides behind his mother.

“I need to talk to both of you,” Jason says angrily.

Molly looks at him with confusion. “Christian and me? Why?”

Behind Jason, Sophie comes running up, waving her arms.

“I didn’t want to tell him!” she shouts.

“What’s going on?” Molly asks. “You’re making a scene, Jason.”

“I don’t care,” he says, placing his focus on Christian. “I want to know why your son is running around spreading rumors about my girlfriend.”

END OF EPISODE 1188

Will Christian tell everyone the truth about Robbie?
Did Trevor do the right thing by separating Alex and Finn?
Can Samantha and Tempest get it right this time?
Discuss all this and more in the comments below!

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