Previously…
– After fainting, Tori was brought to the hospital, where the doctor informed her that she is pregnant. When her parents came in to see her, however, she lied that she was simply suffering from dehydration.
– Diane was thrilled when Samantha agreed to give her another chance at mending their relationship, but she was displeased to see Samantha and Tempest talking again, too.
– Jason and Natalie’s wedding ceremony was set to begin as guests headed to their seats.

Beneath the gleaming blue sky, wedding guests move from the back patio of Wandering Soul Winery out to the lawn, where rows of white Chiavari chairs await them.

“That’s so upsetting,” Helen Chase says as she steps carefully over the grass. “Victoria is so young and healthy!”

Paula Fisher, who walks beside Helen and Don, nods solemnly. “I know. We’re all hoping it’s nothing. It’s been so warm — maybe she was just dehydrated.”

“I bet that’s all it is,” Don comments. “It sounds like she’s been under a lot of stress.”

“I need to visit her soon,” Helen says. “She’s been through so much with that awful beau of hers, from the sounds of it.”

“Fingers crossed that he’s out of the picture for good,” Paula says. “It’s a shame that she, Sarah, and Matt won’t make the wedding, but what’s really important is that Tori gets well.”

“Amen,” Don adds as he steps aside to let Helen into the row of seats.

—–

Natalie Bishop stands in front of a full-length mirror in a private room inside the winery, smoothing out the skirt of her white dress. A steady buzz of energy courses through her veins, causing her to tremble slightly as she anticipates the wedding.

The door, which has been left slightly ajar, creaks open, and the wedding coordinator’s headful of frizzy brown hair peeks through.

“Did Mr. Bishop come in here?” her quiet voice asks.

“No,” Claudia Bishop answers from the corner of the room, where she has been checking her makeup in a wall mirror. “Weren’t you supposed to find him?”

“Maybe he got a work call,” Bree Halston offers.

Natalie lets out a huff. “Of course he’d take a work call five minutes before he’s supposed to walk me down the aisle.”

“I probably just missed him,” the coordinator says, leaning back out of the doorway. “I’ll do another lap.”

“Just get him in here ASAP,” Natalie says. “I don’t want to spend another minute not married to Jason.”

—–

Diane Bishop exits the restroom off the patio and sees the guests heading for their seats. She starts in that direction, seeing Spencer Ragan and Sonja Kahele several yards ahead of her. Though Spencer is walking on his own, his stride still has an unevenness to it that betrays the months of physical therapy he has recently undergone.

“Spencer,” Diane says, quickening her own steps to catch up. “Hi.”

He turns over his shoulder. “Hey.”

“Diane,” Sonja says, regarding Diane with a quick and possibly curt bob of her head.

“Hi, Sonja.” Diane falls into step beside the pair. “I’m glad I ran into you both.”

“Why’s that?” Sonja asks.

“I’m just wondering how Samantha has been,” she explains. “We talked a little earlier, but things are… you know, still not great. She says she’s doing well. Is that right?”

“She seems great,” Spencer says with a shrug. “She likes her job a lot.”

“Good!” Diane says, probably a little too enthusiastically, but she wants to come across as cheery and positive as possible. “Do you know if she’s dating again? I worry that she’ll shut herself away after everything with Tempest…”

“I don’t know about anyone new,” Spencer replies.

“That’s too bad.” Diane attempts to sound nonchalant and decides to steer the subject away, now that she’s gotten the intel she needed. “You’re walking well, Spencer. Feeling better?”

“Much better,” he says. “I still get tired, but I feel like my old self again.”

Diane lets out a wry chuckle. “How lucky that you didn’t get to miss this wedding, either.”

“What do you mean by that?” Sonja asks. “Aren’t you happy for your sister?”

“Natalie and I aren’t exactly close,” Diane says, “and I’ve known Jason since he was practically a baby. As long as she doesn’t hurt him…”

“They seem very happy,” Sonja says.

Diane has to restrain herself from rolling her eyes at Sonja’s tone. The nurse’s dislike of her is apparent — probably because she knows about Diane and Tim’s past — and while Diane can’t fault her for wanting to protect her boyfriend, Sonja comes across as a kitten trying to pose as a lion.

“Like I said, as long as Natalie doesn’t hurt Jason,” Diane says, “then all is well.”

Spencer stops suddenly.

“What’s wrong?” Sonja asks him.

He closes his eyes and squeezes them tight, as if fighting a headache.

Diane turns toward him, holding out a hand in case she needs to steady him. “Are you okay?”

“I think so,” he says uncertainly. “I just had a weird…”

“A weird what?” Sonja presses, her worry apparent. “Let’s get you to your seat.”

Spencer hesitates as he brings two fingers to his temple.

“I’m fine,” he finally says, lowering his hand. “It was just a– I don’t even know. Like this quick flash of images and sounds. Almost like a montage in a movie.”

“Was it a memory?” Diane asks.

“I’m not sure. It was fast. And loud. I don’t know where it came from.”

“You should sit down,” Sonja tells him as she takes him by the arm.

“I’m going to go get you some water,” Diane says. He tries to protest, but she waves it away. “Just in case.”

Sonja looks back at her. “Thank you.”

Diane simply nods, pleased to have made even the slightest headway with Tim’s new girlfriend. She hurries back over the lawn to the main building of the winery and, not finding any waiters out on the porch, goes around the side of the structure in search of a service entrance or anyone who can quickly get a cup of water for Spencer.

Instead, she finds something that she never expected to see: her own father, hunched over and heaving. At his feet is a pile of vomit.

“Dad? What’s wrong?” she asks, frozen in place.

Still bent over, Henry turns his neck, a weak sort of alarm registering in his glassy eyes.

In the waiting area of the hospital’s emergency room, Travis Fisher and Landon Esco have been waiting impatiently. Finally Tori Gray, flanked by her parents and dressed in the leggings and t-shirt she had on at the apartment this morning, emerges through the swinging doors.

“There she is,” Travis says. “How’re you feeling?”

Tori lifts one shoulder toward her ear. “Okay. Ready to get out of here.”

“She wants to try and make the wedding reception,” Sarah tells the young men.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Landon asks.

“No point sitting around when the doctor says I’m okay,” Tori says.

“Why don’t I go get the car and bring it around?” Matt suggests. “You guys can meet me outside.”

“That’s a good idea,” Sarah says.

Matt peels off toward the elevator bay.

“Do you have a dress picked out for the wedding?” Sarah asks.

“Yeah, I went through my closet last night,” Tori says. “No way was I leaving that for last-minute. People are going to take so many photos.”

“You’d look great in anything,” Landon says. “Don’t worry about it.”

Over the top of Tori’s head, Sarah and Travis trade a quick look.

“That’s sweet,” Tori replies, “especially since I probably look like a mess right now. But thank you for being so quick and calling 911. I’m lucky I wasn’t alone.”

“It was no big deal,” he says.

“It was to me.” She steps forward and flings her arms around his neck, pulling him into a sudden hug. Landon flinches awkwardly before pressing into her.

“I owe you,” she says.

“Nah.”

Tori releases her arms, but Landon’s hands linger near her sides awkwardly.

“Oh, uh…” He quickly drops his hands. “I know you were stressed about going to the wedding alone. If you still need a plus-one…”

She scrunches up her face. “I didn’t RSVP for one, so I probably can’t bring anyone. Right, Mom?”

“Probably not,” Sarah answers. “Though I’m sure your uncle wouldn’t mind.”

“No, it’s okay,” Tori says. “We’re already missing the ceremony. But thanks, Landon. For everything and for waiting. I’ll see you back at the apartment.”

“Your dad and I came in the same car,” Sarah says, a bit hesitantly. “Is that okay?”

Tori looks to her mother. “It’s fine, yeah.”

Sarah tries not to smile too broadly at this seeming bit of progress. “Let’s get downstairs. We have a wedding to get to.”

—–

Henry slowly forces himself to stand upright, unfolding his body like a creaky old chair. His face looks white, his skin paper-thin.

“It’s nothing,” he tells Diane, his voice raspy.

“The wedding is starting soon,” she says. “They’re looking for you.”

“Of course. Yes.” He straightens his spine as best he can and takes in a loud breath, but there is still an unsteadiness about him.

“What’s going on?” Diane asks. It feels strange to press her father about, well, anything, but she is so unaccustomed to seeing him in a state like this, especially at a time like this.

“I must’ve eaten something at the hotel that disagreed with me.”

“You have food poisoning?”

“Possibly. Yes. I’m sure that’s it.” He swipes a hand over his sweaty brow.

“The wedding’s about to start,” Diane manages to say, genuinely at a loss.

“Then let’s go.”

“You look… not so hot. Are you sure you’re up for this?”

“It’s my daughter’s wedding,” Henry says, with his normal composure struggling to overpower whatever is ailing him physically.

“And she doesn’t need you collapsing.” Diane steps in front of him. “You’re practically green. What’s going on?”

Henry’s gaze drops to the ground, but he quickly looks up at her again, his face hard and determined.

“We shouldn’t keep everyone waiting,” he says. He takes a few steps and then swings back toward her. “And Diane.”

“What?”

“Not a word of this to anyone. Not your mother, not your sister. No one.”

Diane knows better than to argue with the man who raised her. Henry Bishop does not do anything that he does not want to do, and one thing he almost never wants to do is show weakness. Hearing the wedding music in the distance, Diane decides to let him go — but she has a feeling there is much more to this than her father is letting on.

—–

When Jason steps out the back door of the winery, he sees the vibrant green lawn before him. Rows and rows of loved ones are perched in their chairs with anticipation; a string quartet plays a lilting version of James Arthur’s “Say You Won’t Let Go.” The sight of the guests and the aisle and the judge waiting by the flower-covered archway moves him more than he expected it might. For so long, he has regarded this day as a necessary evil — something he has to do because it’s important to Natalie, and because it’s a symbol of his love for her, even though the idea of an actual wedding is shaded with such horrific associations. But now, his heart soars at the realization that he is about to marry Natalie and celebrate their love in front of family and friends — something he feared he would never have again after Courtney’s death.

“Ready to do this, brother?” Tim asks.

“I am. I definitely am,” Jason says.

Tim claps a hand on Jason’s shoulder and then starts over the grass and up the aisle. When he reaches the front, Jason draws a deep breath and follows, heartened by the supportive, loving smiles of all those who have gathered to witness today’s ceremony.

When he reaches the front, he finds Tim with his hand outstretched. The brothers shake, and Tim pulls Jason in for a hug. When Jason turns back, he sees Paula in the front row, beaming at them. With a heavy heart, he takes in the empty seat beside his mother — set aside for Bill, whose absence has been at the front of Jason’s mind all day.

As the song swells in intensity, the wedding coordinator leads Sophie and Peter to the back of the aisle. They walk side-by-side, Sophie dropping flower petals along the aisle and Peter carefully holding onto a pillow with two ring boxes on it — both of which are actually empty, since Tim has the rings safely held in his jacket pocket.

Next comes Bree. Jason is aware of the murmurs in the audience at how stunning she looks, so tall and grown-up in her long, flowing black dress. She carries a small, elegant bouquet of white and pink flowers, and her eyes dart around self-consciously as she walks up the aisle. When she reaches the front, Jason welcomes her with a kiss on the cheek.

“I’m so happy we’re officially going to be family,” he tells her.

She smiles back at him. “Me, too.”

She takes her place, and the string music fades off into the summer air. A quiet beat passes, the soft breeze moving through the trees all around the site, before the quarter launches into Snow Patrol’s “Chasing Cars.” As the music strikes, those assembled rise to their feet and turn, awaiting the appearance of the bride.

But as the song passes from the first verse into the chorus, the music tender and hopeful, nothing happens. Jason sees no sign of the wedding coordinator, let alone his wife-to-be.

He glances over at Tim, whose face is tense. But when Tim turns toward his brother, he does his best to maintain his calm.

“I bet she’s just doing last-minute makeup touch-ups,” Tim whispers.

“I hope,” Jason says, but the tightening in his chest suggests otherwise. With every second and every note that passes without Natalie appearing, his mind tumbles further into a pit of panic. This can’t be happening again. It can’t.

—–

Natalie waits just inside the winery, listening to the music outside.

“Why would you let them start if we weren’t ready?” she snaps at the frazzled coordinator.

“Jason and his brother went down the aisle before I got a chance to stop them,” the coordinator says. “I wanted to keep things on track. I thought your father–”

“–is right here,” Henry says as he comes up from behind them. “Sorry about that.”

“Where have you been?” Natalie asks with a mixture of rage and concern.

“I thought I had time to go to the restroom,” he explains. “Now come on. Aren’t you ready to walk down the aisle and marry Jason?”

Natalie softens. “Yeah. I am.”

Henry holds out his arm, and she hooks hers through it.

—–

The Snow Patrol song plays on. Jason sees the wedding coordinator emerge from the back of the winery, and he wants to rush to her and ask what in the world is going on — but then he sees Natalie and her father, arm in arm, following right behind.

“See?” Tim whispers, leaning in. “Everything’s fine.”

“Yeah.” Jason lets out a giant exhale. “Better than fine.”

A grin crosses his face as he watches Natalie coming down the aisle, glowing as she walks.

—–

On the other side of the building, a Mercedes coasts smoothly up the long, paved road that leads to the heart of the winery. It parks in front of the building’s stairs, not in a designated parking spot.

As soon as the car door opens, the final wedding guest hears the string quartet playing.

“Right on time,” the guest says before closing the door.

END OF EPISODE 933

Who has just arrived for the wedding ceremony?
What is really going on with Henry Bishop?
In whom should Tori confide about her pregnancy?
Discuss it all in the comments below!

Next Episode