Previously…
– Tim asked Claire to move in with him, and she said yes.
– Tori returned to work at Objection Designs but experienced a panic attack but memories of Zane flooded back to her. Sarah picked her up, and when they stopped for lunch at Bill’s on the Pier, Tori noticed a bruise on her former coworker, Lucy.
– After a vengeful Finn told Alex that he and Trevor had kissed, Alex lashed out at Trevor. Believing their marriage might be over, a despondent Trevor slept with Finn. Later, Alex (unaware that his husband and Finn had had sex) told Trevor they could move past the kiss.

In the compact kitchen of her apartment, Claire Fisher stands at the counter, using wooden tongs to toss a colorful salad inside a large bowl that matches the tongs. Nearby, a ceramic serving rests, covered with aluminum foil. When she hears the key unlocking the front door of the apartment — the very sound for which she has been waiting the entire time that she spent preparing this meal, and truthfully, even longer — her heartbeat quickens.

Here goes nothing, she thinks as she plasters a cheerful expression on her face.

Tempest Banks enters the apartment a moment later. “Ooh, it smells good in here!”

“I made some of your favorites for dinner,” Claire announces as she rounds the granite-topped peninsula to emerge from the kitchen. “How was work?”

“Lemme just say, I’m happy Jason‘s back in the office. You have no idea how many fires I had to put out while he was in Iowa.”

“Well, I’m sure he’s grateful to have you holding down the fort.”

“He better be.” Tempest slips off her Nike high-tops and moves toward the kitchen. “So what do we have for dinner?”

“I made spaghetti with turkey meatballs, a big salad, and garlic bread,” Claire says.

Tempest rubs her hands together. “Those are some of my favorites.” She reaches over the counter and pulls the foil off the dish containing the piping-hot spaghetti and meatballs. “Thank god you knew how to season food before I met you. ‘Cause if I had moved in with some white lady who thought salt was too spicy…”

Claire laughs. “I can’t say I was always the best cook, but spending so many years around Bill Fisher, I learned some things.”

Pressing her palms together, Tempest says, “Like I said, thank god.”

As she moves back to the kitchen to retrieve plates and cutlery, Claire comments, “This meal always makes me think of when you first moved in. Do you remember the night I made dinner for you and Travis…?”

“And we didn’t get along ’til you thought Photoshop was called Photocrop and we started laughing at you? Yeah.” Tempest chuckles to herself as Claire hands her a plate. “How’d you remember what you cooked that night?”

“It happens to your brain when you’re a parent,” Claire says. “I know I’m not your mother, but–“

“You’re the closest thing I’ve ever had to a real mom,” Tempest replies, her tone suddenly grave.

Her pulse still beating rapidly, Claire begins to serve Tempest some of the salad.

“I couldn’t have predicted what this relationship would become when you showed up in King’s Bay,” Claire says, “but I hope you know how special it’s been and how much meaning you’ve brought to my life. Watching you become a woman who’s so sure of herself and so determined — it’s been incredible, Tempest.”

Just as Claire deposits the serving of salad on her plate, Tempest lowers the plate to the countertop. The shift in her energy is visible.

“What’s the bad news?” she asks.

Claire’s breath catches for a moment. “What bad news?”

“You made this nice dinner you knew I’d like, you’re getting all sentimental… what’s up? Are you sick or something? Are you dying?”

“No. I’m not. I’m fine.”

Nerves rattled, Claire scoops a healthy portion of spaghetti and meatballs onto Tempest’s plate.

“But there is something I need to talk to you about,” she then says.

Tempest’s arms drop to her sides. “I knew it.”

Feeling a little shaky, Claire sets down the serving spoon. She presses her hands down on the countertop as she gathers her thoughts.

“What is it? What’s up?” Tempest asks.

“I might as well just come out with it,” Claire says. “I… Tim asked me to move in with him. And I… I said yes. I’m going to be moving out soon.”

Tempest’s eyes widen as she takes in this information, shocked.

——

“Hey, Dad,” Tori Gray says as she walks into the kitchen of her family home, where Matt Gray sits at the wooden table in the breakfast nook, with his laptop open as he pays bills.

“Hey!” Matt says with enthusiasm, turning away from his screen. He regards his grown daughter with a careful look. “How’s work been today?”

Tori, dressed in a lightweight cashmere sweater and yoga pants, shrugs. “I’ve been doing all those onboarding videos all day. Sexual harassment, safety measures… they’re the same ones I did when I started at Objection but I guess I was away so long that I have to do them again.”

“Look at it this way: you get to be in your bedroom in comfortable clothes while you do ’em,” Matt tells her.

“I guess, yeah. At least I don’t feel like I’m missing too much at the office. I just wonder if Aunt Molly is avoiding sending stuff to me because of what happened.”

Tori’s expression turns solemn at the reference to the panic attack she suffered on her first day back in the office.

“Your aunt wants you there,” Matt insists as he rotates in the chair to face her fully. “She knew it’d be cool for you to work from home for a little bit. Don’t doubt yourself.”

As she lets out a sigh, Tori moves to the refrigerator. “I hope you’re right.”

“This is one time I feel pretty good about being right.” Matt turns his attention back to the spreadsheet on his laptop. Meanwhile, Tori opens the fridge and removes a can of sparkling water.

“Dad,” she says before popping the tab on the can.

Matt swivels around again. “Yeah?”

“There’s something else I wanted to ask you.”

“Something wrong?”

“I don’t know.” Tori gazes down into the open can for several seconds. “You know Lucy? Who works in the kitchen?”

“At the restaurant? Yeah. What about her?”

“Have you ever noticed… anything weird about her?”

“Weird how? Did she do something out-of-line when you were working there?”

“No. Not like that.” Tori exhales wearily. “Mom and I stopped in to pick up food yesterday, and I noticed a bruise on her wrist. And I’d seen one on her arm before, and one time, I ran into her in the parking lot and her boyfriend pulled up to get her and she got all nervous the second he showed up. Like she turned into a different person.”

Matt thinks about this quietly, bobbing his head as he does so, and then asks in an even tone of voice, “You’re worried about Lucy, then?”

“Yeah. So have you noticed anything?”

“Can’t say I have.” Matt pauses, clearly burdened by this information. “But I can keep an eye out.”

“You have to. I just have a bad feeling, and — she’s a really nice person. I can’t shake the sense that there’s something she won’t — or can’t — say.”

He hesitates, then says, “Thanks for letting me know. I’ll pay closer attention.”

“Thanks, Dad,” Tori says. “I got a vibe, and… if I can stop Lucy from going through what I went through with Zane, I have to help her.”

—–

Alex Marshall sits on the edge of one of the sofas in the living room of the yellow bungalow. He has his MacBook open on his lap, but he is only halfheartedly paying attention to the New York Times article that has been in front of him for at least 20 minutes. When he finally hears the front door being opened, he sets the laptop on the coffee table and stands, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

“Hey,” Trevor Brooks says as he enters the house, noticing his husband waiting just past the threshold of the living room.

“Hey.” Alex moves forward, a little tentatively. “Good news. Brody’s mom is going to drive Chase home from practice later.”

“Oh, that’s great. Nice we don’t have to go back out.”

“Yeah. And I thought it would give us some time to talk.”

Trevor stiffens visibly.

“I meant what I said,” Alex tells him. “We can work through this.”

“I’m…” Trevor takes a deep breath. “I feel so lucky you’re even willing to do that. Some guys would be filing for divorce already.”

“I’m not giving up on our marriage because you made a mistake. I’m sorry if my reaction gave you the impression that I would.”

“I got scared. I thought…” Trevor’s lip begins to quiver. “I thought you were done with me and I had ruined everything and…”

“Come here.” Alex pulls him into a tight embrace. “It’s okay. It’s okay, I swear.” They stand there for several seconds, Alex reassuring his husband with his touch. Trevor rests his head against Alex’s as he savors the contact.

When they finally part, Alex says gently, “But I do think we should talk about why you and Finn made out.”

“I don’t know…” Bowing his head in shame, Trevor hesitates before adding, “I got caught up in the moment. He kissed me. I’m not denying that I participated, but it wasn’t… it wasn’t premeditated.”

Alex pulls his lips together in a tight line. “But you had been attracted to him for a long time.” Off Trevor’s silence, Alex continues: “You brought up the idea of us hooking up with Finn together.”

“I know I did. And I’m sorry. It felt exciting, and… Alex, I’m so sorry. For all of it.”

“I can tell you are.”

“I am. For everything. All I want to do is– is put this behind us. Move on.”

“We can,” Alex assures him. “We can.” To emphasize his point, he takes Trevor’s face between his hands and pulls him in for a kiss. “But no more impulsive makeouts, and no more secrets. Okay?”

Trevor sucks in a sharp breath. “Okay. Of course. Okay. Let’s just– let’s move on. I promise that it’s you I want, Alex.”

“I know. I know.” Alex kisses him again. “We’re going to be okay.”

“I hope so. I really hope so,” Trevor says as he wraps his arms around Alex.

—–

Claire waits for Tempest’s response. And waits some more. But Tempest simply stands across the counter from her, slack-jawed.

“How does that make you feel?” Claire finally asks, in a soft voice.

“It’s fine. It’s whatever.”

“You don’t have to say it’s fine just to appease me.”

“It is fine.” Tempest gives her a moment of an intense, dead-eyed stare, then quickly scrambles. “I actually forgot…”

“Forgot what?”

Tempest hurriedly grabs her shoes and pulls them back on. “That I– um, I have plans with Sam. Totally forgot.”

“Tempest–“

“Thanks for making dinner. But I’ve gotta go.”

In a frantic rush, Tempest ties the laces on her Nikes and grabs her keys from the table by the door.

“You can stay and eat dinner,” Claire pleads.

“I have plans. I’ll see you later.”

Before Claire can respond, Tempest dashes out of the apartment. The sound of the door closing echoes through the air, rattling Claire. She knew this might turn out to be a tough conversation, but she had no idea that it would elicit this kind of reaction from Tempest.

END OF EPISODE 1224

Will Tempest be able to accept Claire’s news?
Should Trevor come fully clean with Alex?
Can Tori and Matt really help Lucy?
Discuss it all in the comments below!

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