Due to coverage of the Olympics, The Young and the Restless was not shown.
Nikki opened her door and was surprised to see Victor there. He told her that sometimes he got so busy with work that he forgot what was really important in life. However, he had made a really important decision, and he wanted to share it with his family. Nikki asked if he had finally realized his marriage to Diane was a mistake. Victor told Nikki he wasn't sure why he bothered with her and headed for the door. He also told Nikki that one day she was going to push too far and that she should get used to the idea that Diane was his wife and that his love for her was real.
Nikki stopped Victor from leaving. He then told her about the man who had visited Jill. The man would have spent the past twenty years blind if it hadn't been for Jill's father giving him his corneas. Nikki said that she felt strongly about organ donation herself. Victor told her about his plans for an awareness campaign.
After telling Nikki about the awareness campaign, Victor asked what was going on in her life. She told him about the budding romance between Miguel and Sara. "Are you talking about that weird-looking maid?" Victor asked unbelievingly, adding, "Well, don't push it. What will be, will be." Listening in, Sara suddenly crushed the flowers she was holding. "Yes, Nikki," she whispered, "remember, what will be, will be!"
Lily was painting a welcome home picture for her daddy. She was glad he was returning home that day. Dru told her not to worry; she was going to do all she could to keep him from leaving ever again. "None of this was your fault," she told her daughter.
Olivia and Malcolm arrived with some finger foods and some Champagne, along with some sparkling grape juice for Lily as a welcome home for Neil. They didn't want to be there when Neil got home, so they left after Dru admitted that she was nervous about being with Neil for the first time.
When the doorbell rang again, Lily grabbed Dru's hand and pulled her to the door to welcome home her father. She jumped into his arms. It was a quieter greeting between Dru and Neil. Lily told her daddy about the Champagne. They drank a toast then Lily went to play with her new dollhouse -- "I can take a hint," she told them.
"It means so much to me that you are willing to give our marriage another chance," Dru told Neil. The phone interrupted them. It was Malcolm offering to have Lily for the night so Neil and Dru could "give each other some sugar, you dig?"
Cole walked into the boardroom, looking for Ashley, but found only Jack. Jack said that his sister didn't want to see Cole, but Cole wouldn't listen. Just as Jack told him to beat it, Ashley entered the room. She told Jack that she could handle Cole. "Call me if you need me," Jack said as he left.
"She won't," Cole told Jack, seemingly loaded with self-confidence. "Ashley, there is a lot I want to say," Cole continued when they were alone. Ashley asked for the abbreviated version. He told her that he'd made a mistake, but he was ready to commit to her. "Now I know how much you mean to me," he told her, "I want a future with you. I am ending my marriage."
Ashley told Cole. "I don't believe you are over Victoria. Don't involve me anymore in your marriage." Cole agreed, "You have every right to be upset, but, don't turn your back on us. Give me another chance."
"Another chance?" asked Ashley. "To humiliate me? To string me along some more? You go for months, trying to decide about your marriage. Then one night you get carried away and make love to your wife. Then, the next day, you suddenly 'know what you want.' There is something wrong with this picture, Cole. Well, I am not willing to get hurt again, so please go." After Cole had left the room, Ashley said, "Goodbye, Cole Howard."
Megan was looking at the new season's summer fashions and thought they were too racy. Tricia told her that was how to catch a man, but Megan wanted a man to love her for her mind, not her body. Tricia thought it was possible to have a man love a woman for both. Megan hoped Tricia wouldn't rush into living with Ryan, but Tricia didn't see the problem. Jill was on her way out the door when she overheard the girls talking.
Ryan arrived home just in time to say goodbye to Neil. After Neil had left, Tricia called and wanted to go over. Ryan told her he had a surprise when she got there.
A little later, Ryan answered the door and was disappointed to find Jill there. She needed to talk to him before Tricia got there. It wasn't about him and Tricia directly, she told him. It was about Philip. She wanted him to think about Philip when he was deciding whether Tricia would move in with him. If he had a chance of getting back with Philip, he couldn't have Tricia -- the woman Philip blamed for losing his family -- around. Ryan told her he wasn't about to change his life for his son. Philip would just have to adjust with the changes in his life. He told Jill to back off.
As Jill was leaving, she bumped into Tricia. She asked Tricia not to be impulsive about moving in with Ryan; it could be a mistake. Tricia said she had heard a lot of stories about when Jill had been her age, and Jill could not begin to make a comparison between them. Once inside, she wondered what her surprise could be. "I don't have a roommate any longer," Ryan told her. "You do now," Tricia answered.
Sara was looking at Josh's picture when Miguel entered the room. He told her that he had made reservations at a new Italian restaurant for the following night and wondered if she would go with him. She hemmed and hawed and tried to stall but finally agreed to go with him if Nikki didn't need her. Miguel said they could even dance, but Molly said it had been so long that she wouldn't remember how. "It will come back to you," Miguel assured her. "I'll put one hand here," he said as he placed his right hand on her waist, "and another hand here," as he took her hand in his left hand.
"What are you doing?" Sara asked as she gasped. Miguel asked if she was afraid of him. "I thought things were moving along with us," he said as he bent over and kissed her on the lips. Sara jerked away and slapped him. Miguel was startled. Josh walked up and wondered what was going on. Miguel apologized and left. Sara said that nothing was going on; it had just been a misunderstanding. Josh told her that she could tell him anything at any time.
Sara offered to make Josh a martini, but he thought he would wait for Nikki. She told him that he should have one. He always had one before dinner. "How do you know that?" Josh demanded.
"You told me," Sara said. Josh didn't remember ever telling her that, but supposed he had to have done so, since she wouldn't know otherwise. Anyway, he decided he would wait for his wife.
Dru and Neil had an overnight bag packed for Lily. Olivia went to the apartment and took Lily away to her apartment. Left alone, Neil and Dru were hesitant to say anything.
"Thank you for making the first move and giving our marriage another try," Dru told her husband. "Now it is all up to us to make it succeed."
"No," Neil told her. "It is up to you. You are the one who has to make me trust you again." Dru responded, "And I intend to earn your trust back again." Neil said, "Without trust, we are just building sandcastles. One big wave, and they will come tumbling down and wash away."
"I am going to be different," promised Dru."Come here," Neil invited. Dru went over to Neil and sat on his lap. "You are trembling," Neil said. "I am scared," she told him, "it has been a long time." They kissed.
Ashley was showing off a new perfume, but Victor was more interested in what was bothering her. After protesting that she didn't want to get into anything with him, Ashley finally told him that it was about Cole. Victor guessed that Ashley's involvement with Cole wasn't going well, and Ashley told him that there was no involvement. She had lost all patience with Cole; he kept her on an emotional roller-coaster all the time, so she'd told him that she didn't want to see him anymore. She thought he was still in love with Victoria, and that was why he couldn't choose between the two of them. Of course, Victor was hoping that his daughter's marriage would survive, but he was sorry Ashley was hurting.
Tricia was so happy at hearing that Neil had moved out that she was ready to hurry home and pack her bags. However, Ryan wasn't as eager to make the move. He told her that for her father's sake, they should take it slowly. She assured Ryan that her father knew they had a serious, committed relationship and would eventually grow to accept their living together. She was ready and questioned if he was also. Ryan also worried about complicating the divorce. He didn't know what Nina would do if they were living together. Tricia went along with Ryan -- for the time being.
Cassie wanted to read Tony's letter. She needed to know why he'd left. Grace didn't want to share the letter with her but assured the little girl that it was a grown-up thing and wasn't her fault. Cassie missed Tony and hoped he returned. "Do you know why?" Cassie asked, answering, "Because I think you love him. You don't always act like it, but I think that you do."
With a hug, Grace told Cassie that she loved her and would never leave her. "I love you too, Mommy," Cassie said, "I never knew what it was like to have a real mother, but now I do. You will always be my mother."
Tony visited Sharon at the ranch and told her that he was leaving Grace. All they did anymore was argue. He loved Grace, but there was no getting through to her anymore. Grace was going to do what Grace was going to do.
Sharon convinced Tony not to leave Grace. "I need you to help me get through to Grace," she told him. "You are the only person who can convince Grace that it is best for Cassie to come with me. I am scared. Grace is doing everything she can to keep Cassie and me apart. You are the one person that can get through to her."
Diane visited Jack's office to run something by him. She was preparing an incredible surprise for her husband and wanted his unbiased opinion. Jack hoped the surprise was that she was leaving the Mustache. Diane went on to say that she was inviting a lot of important people, including Nicholas and Victoria -- and Jack, of course. It would be a moment none of them would forget for a long time.
Jack thought Diane was forgetting someone -- Nikki. Victor might not like it if she snubbed his former wife like that. Diane regretfully agreed then she brightened. She called it a brilliant suggestion. She was going to upstage Nikki like she had never been upstaged before. Diane thought it was going to be fun.
"What?" questioned a clueless Jack. "I have just concocted the perfect way to watch Nikki fume," she explained, "she will be beside herself."
After promising not to say a word to anyone, Diane told Jack her plan. She had just learned that it was the anniversary of the founding of Newman Enterprises. Looking around, she found that the only thing missing was a portrait of the man who had founded the company. That was what she was giving her husband.
"Wait a minute," Jack cried, alarmed. There was a reason for that. Victor had never liked any picture ever taken of him. The graveyard was littered with artists who had tried painting the perfect picture of the "Great One." Jack said, "Unless you are absolutely confident in this artist, save yourself some grief and use the portrait for firewood instead."
"Oh, he will like this one," declared Diane. She was certain Victor would be pleased with the portrait.
Ashley was busy in the lab when Cole slipped inside. He had to talk to her. "I have to get through to you. I love you," he said. "What about my feelings and my wants?" asked Ashley.
"I love you," Cole said. "I am going to keep on saying it until you believe me. I think about you day and night. You are the only woman I want to be with. I have to convince you before it is too late. I promise I will be there for you completely. I'll never hurt you like that again." Ashley told Cole, "Nothing you say will change my mind. If you want to show me how much you love me, then leave and don't come back again."
Tony returned to Grace's apartment. Cassie ran to greet him, but Grace held back. When Tony sent Cassie away so he and Grace could talk, Grace rushed into his arms and kissed him. She was sorry for all she'd said to him, and she was glad he was back. Tony told her that he'd had a talk with Nick and had been reminded that a person didn't run out on someone they loved.
Tony told Grace that he was worried about her, but Grace said Cassie wasn't going to the ranch anymore. It was her idea, Grace told him. Also, Victor had told her not to let Cassie go to the ranch any longer. She didn't care what Sharon thought about it; it was Cassie that she had to be concerned about. Tony said that Sharon was going to hit the roof.
The phone rang, and it was Sharon. She wanted to know when she could have Cassie again. Grace told her that Cassie didn't want to go to the ranch anymore. Sharon didn't believe her. Sharon said the ranch was where Cassie belonged. "Cassie thinks of me as her mother," Grace bragged. Sharon said that was the reason she needed to spend more time with Cassie.
"People are talking," Grace told Sharon. "Everyone is wondering why you are obsessing over my little girl. Even your father-in-law and your husband wonder why you are always pushing yourself on Cassie. They don't want me to let Cassie come to the ranch anymore. The next time you will see her is when she wants to go visit you." Grace hung up the phone.
Ryan interrupted Nina's writing. He wondered when they would be going to court for the divorce. She told him to ask his lawyer, but he said his lawyer was out of town. Philip ran into the apartment, telling Nina that her check had arrived in the mail. They were very excited about it. Nina had never thought she would be paid for something she'd written. Ryan spoke to Philip, but Philip ignored his dad. After he went to his room, Nina promised to do all she could to change Philip's attitude.
Cole wandered into the park. He sat on a bench and pulled out his cell phone. He called Victoria. He wanted to see her. She told him that she had a meeting right then, but he could stop by after the meeting. As she was hanging up the phone, he called her. "Yes?" she asked. "Thanks, Vicki," he told her.
Sharon put down the phone. "Damn you, Grace," she said, "you are not going to keep me from my daughter. I have got to do something." She picked up the phone and called Christine. "I need to see you," Sharon said, "it is terribly important."
Christine was busy and couldn't see Sharon until the next day, but Sharon was desperate. She had to see Christine right away. She had nowhere else to turn. She would head down and wait as long as it took. When she saw Christine, she would tell her everything.
Christine kept remembering the phone conversation with Sharon; she was bothered by it more than she could say. Paul stopped by to take her to dinner, but she couldn't concentrate -- something he found out when he jokingly told her that after dinner they would take in the bullfights. He asked if he could do anything to help her. She told him that she would let him know after talking to the client that was stopping by. Right then, she didn't know what the problem was.
Grace continued to tell Tony that she was Cassie's mother. "She may have once been my best friend," she ranted, "but now she is trying to take my daughter away from me." When Tony reminded her that Cassie was Sharon's daughter, she shouted at him that she was sick of him telling her that. "Sharon is only the biological mother," she went on.
"She gave her away!" Grace argued, "Now she is throwing her weight around, telling me she won't take this and she won't take that. She is my daughter. I found her. I saved her from a terrible life. I am the only mother she has ever known -- the only mother she wants. Sharon, with all her money, can't give Cassie what I can. Now, how is that for facts?"
Victor stood at the door, listening to Victoria tell Cole that after her meeting, she would see him. She told Victor that she had a feeling it was going to be good news. She hated to let her hopes run away with her, but since he wanted to talk to her, she thought he had done some rethinking about their marriage. She admitted that she'd stayed away too long, but she hadn't realized the harm it could have done. Victor suggested that she put off her business meeting and see Cole right away. Victoria answered that she could put her marriage on hold for a half hour while she took care of business. "Spoken like a true Newman!" said Victor, and he smiled as he left.
Going to the phone, Victoria called the lab. When Ashley answered, she asked if her husband was there. "No? Then where can I find him?" Ashley said Victoria was asking the wrong person. She had no plans to ever see him again. "He dumped her!" Victoria said, smiling as she hung up the phone. "Yes!"
Sharon arrived at Legal Aid, upset and troubled. She began to tell Christine why she was worried, but she was stumbling along without saying anything that was understandable. Grace felt cornered, Sharon said, explaining, "She doesn't want to acknowledge the truth." Christine said she could not help Sharon at all unless she had some facts. Without knowing some of the facts, she was working at a huge disadvantage.
"What I am talking about is closest to kidnapping," Sharon told Christine, declaring, "She has my baby." Christine was dumbstruck and asked if Grace had Noah. No, Sharon said and began to tell Christine the story of her first pregnancy. She then told how Grace, for all the right reasons, had gone searching for Sharon's first child -- Cassie.
Nikki was the first to walk into the boardroom, followed by Nick, who was saying he didn't have much time. Jack sauntered in, and immediately, Nikki and Nick asked him what was going on. "I was just told to be here," he told them. Victoria entered saying she had the same instructions, except she had been told not to mention it to Victor.
"You don't think Diane has anything to do with this, do you?" Nikki asked, looking like the mere mention of the name put a bad taste in her mouth. As Nick turned to leave, Jack told him to wait a little longer. Once again, he was besieged with questions and accusations that he knew what the meeting was all about.
Victor entered and wondered what was going on. The entire family was there, he said, but Jack corrected him. "Well," Victor said, "if Diane is responsible for this, she will be here, so just be patient." When Diane arrived, she was told that they were just about to leave. She told them she was waiting for the "pièce de résistance." She called to a couple of men, and they carried in a stand and a covered article. "Tell us what this is all about," said an intrigued Victor.
"This is a gift to my husband," Diane began. "I have found out that today is the anniversary of Newman Enterprises, and I wanted a special way to commemorate the occasion. It is something that cannot be found anywhere in this building." As Diane continued to make her speech, Nikki became overjoyed. She had figured out what the gift was. "It is a portrait, isn't it?" she whispered to Jack. She was glad she would get to see Victor put his wife in her place.
"So, to the man who has given so much and made Newman Enterprises what it is today, I give you Victor Newman!" Diane said as she went to the portrait and uncovered it. Nikki looked on with a smug smile. "Awesome!" exclaimed Nick. "It is you!" Victoria joined in.
"Good work, Diane," Victor said, "not bad!" The look on Nikki's face was full of disappointment. When a thoroughly happy Victor asked if the whole family had been in on it, Nikki assured him that it was all Diane's doing. "You are quite something, Mrs. Newman," Victor said as he kissed his wife.
Victoria returned to her office just in time to greet Cole. "We have been through a hell of a lot together," Cole told her. He said he was sorry for everything that had gone on between them. He knew that he had a crazy request to ask of her, but he wanted to know if she would do something for him.
"Will you talk to Ashley for me? Tell her everything that I said to her is true. She doesn't believe me when I tell her that it is over between you and I, but you could convince her that it is the truth," Cole asked Victoria.
"Well, now I have heard it all!" Victoria told him. "Do you know how demeaning this request is? You are a thoughtless, insensitive jerk -- so crude and unfeeling, and I am being nice here. Do you know how it is for me when you are in the middle of a novel? You are married to that computer. And while you are making love to the computer instead of me, I hang in there and wait. But let me go on a business trip for a few months -- well, okay, more than a few months -- and you throw yourself at the first bimbo that comes along. You cannot begin to understand why I take offense at this. Now, I want you to leave. Move, before I call security and have you thrown out. I don't know who you are anymore. Now, get out of my sight!"
Nikki returned to the boardroom and told Diane that she was looking for her. "You look upset, Nikki," Diane said. "How could you do something like this without involving the family?" Nikki asked, declaring, "You treated us like outsiders!"
Diane told Nikki that Victor was her husband, and if she wanted to prepare a surprise, she would. After all, she'd invited Nikki to the party. As for Nick and Victoria, they had both thanked her for inviting them. They had seemed to enjoy themselves. She wanted to know why Nikki was upset. If she didn't want to be invited, then she could be left out the next time. Anyway, the children seemed to like her.
"They merely tolerate you," Nikki told Diane, "and if you leave me out of things, Victor will not like that very much. If you don't believe me, just try it." Diane smiled and said, "You really have a way of spoiling a party." Nikki stormed out the door.
Victoria went to the lab and called out for Ashley. As she was leaving the lab, Ashley walked in and was not too pleased to see Victoria. "Please leave. I am not interested in anything you have to say," Ashley said "You had better listen to me now," Victoria told Ashley coldly, "or I promise I will never tell you what I came here to say to you."
"Are you saying that Grace had this child of yours for almost a year, and you are just now finding out?" Christine asked. "Grace doesn't want to let go of my daughter," Sharon said, adding, "She has grown to love her. Now she thinks of her as her own child. She is undermining me with Cassie. I need you, Christine. I need you to get my daughter for me."
"It is more complicated than that," Christine told Sharon. "I have to do some research. I have to make certain of every move we make. We have to be extra cautious." Sharon was panicked. She cried, "Chris, are you saying I can't get my little girl? You are not saying that, are you?"
Victor went to the ranch to talk to Nikki about their daughter. He told her of his conversation with Ashley. "She has told Cole that she wants nothing more to do with him. I believe our daughter's marriage will be back on solid ground after tonight," Victor said.
"If we can believe Ashley," Nikki responded, adding, "Oh, well, Ashley's loss is Victoria's gain. By the way, what do you think of that epic your wife staged in your office today?" Victor said, "I was very moved. It was a wonderful way to commemorate the founding of my company."
"With a portrait?" Nikki purred, declaring, "It didn't do you justice. It could have been better." Victor countered, "But I liked it. Everyone that has seen it has complimented me on the likeness." Nikki challenged, "You know no one will tell you the truth but me. How long before it ends up in a closet with all the others?" Victor laughed and said, "I may end up liking it. I may just get used to having myself look down on everything I do. Anyway, you aren't upset about the portrait. You are just miffed that you didn't think of it yourself."
"Nothing could be further from the truth," Nikki insisted, "I am not the least bit jealous of Diane. She has her way of doing things, and I have mine, and besides, she isn't my style." Victor said, "Anyway, I just came to tell you about Victoria," as he got up. "I see her car at the tack house. I guess she is getting ready for the big reunion. I will just go down and speak to her."
Victoria told Ashley that if Ashley wouldn't listen to what she had to say, she would just leave.
"I just had a long talk with Cole," Victoria said. "I love my husband, but I realize that it is too late. I wish we could start over, but he has made it clear to me that there is only one woman he loves and wants, and that woman is not me -- it is you. A part of me is dying. I cannot stand to lose my husband, but it is worse seeing you be so stupid. He is definitely over me. You will never know how much this hurts, especially when seeing what an idiot your are being. I love him enough to let him go. I thought if I came here, you might listen to me. So, I am telling the woman who broke up my marriage that he is all yours -- you have won. But let me tell you this, we will never be friends again."
Nick was telling Jack that Grace was back on track. She had gotten her act together. Jack said he was worried about Nick and asked, "Are you having trouble on the home front?"
Nick began to recite all his worries about Sharon. They had no communication at all. He had once thought they could talk about anything, but he had begun to wonder. She was perfect with the baby, but as a wife, she left a lot to be desired. "I never know what I will find when I walk through the door at home," he said as he sighed.
Jack suggested that maybe Nick had done or said something and that it was never only one person's fault. However, Nick couldn't think of anything he had done, "unless..." He then told Jack that Sharon wanted another baby, but they had talked, and she seemed to understand why he wasn't ready for another child. Then there was a seven-year-old who kept going to the ranch -- the little girl that Grace was raising. For some reason, Sharon was wild about the girl. He had told Grace to stop taking Cassie to the ranch. He had tried to get Sharon to go on a vacation, but she refused.
"Be patient," Jack advised. "Keep reaching out, and she will return."
Grace put Cassie to bed then talked with Tony. Tony told her that he hated to see her in such pain, but kids were able to adapt. It was inevitable that she would end up with Sharon, but it didn't have to be the end of the world. "Look at this as something positive, and we can help her adjust," he told her. "I love you and want to make your world perfect," Tony said, asking, "Don't you know that after all this time? I want to build a life with you."
Paul returned to Christine's office, but she told him that her client was still in the area. While they were talking, Sharon returned, and Paul was surprised that she was the client. Before Christine could give an explanation, one of the judges on a case called. Christine went into another office to talk with him. "It is obvious you have told Christine a great deal more than I know," Paul said.
"Everything is out of control," Sharon whispered, "I thought everything was so simple, but now I don't know if even Christine can help me. But she just has to help me. I've got to get my daughter back."
"You have a daughter!" exclaimed Paul. Sharon told him that when she had been sixteen, she'd gotten pregnant. Her mother had been newly paralyzed, and they'd had no jobs or money. They hadn't been able to take care of the baby.
Sharon told Paul about Grace going in search of Sharon's daughter, and miraculously, she'd found her. But instead of giving her daughter to her, Grace had kept her and had only recently revealed that Cassie was Sharon's daughter. Sharon had only been aware of Cassie's real identity for a month. "So, this child is the precious possession you were worried about?" Paul rightly concluded. "If Grace has her way, we will never tell Cassie," admitted Sharon.
Christine reentered the room to hear the last of Sharon and Paul's conversation. She questioned Sharon about whether Grace had anything that would legally give her custody. Sharon assured Christine that if Grace had anything legal, she would have thrown it in Sharon's face already, so she clearly didn't have anything.
"Then the adoptive mother still retains legal custody," Christine said. "We need all the information we can get about the adoption and the adoptive mother. You have to get it, but you have to be very discreet. If Grace learns you have contacted a lawyer, she may run. Do you think you can handle this?" Sharon declared, "Yes! I am determined that I will have my daughter back!"
Ashley was working in the lab and smiling a little smile to herself. Cole entered. "Let me prove that I love you," he begged. "I want you like I have wanted no other woman. I am not leaving until I make you believe me. I have been an idiot. I know that. You are the only woman I want!"
Ashley told Cole that Victoria had been by, and Ashley did believe him. She knew he was ready to make a wholehearted commitment to their future. "It took a lot of class for Victoria to do what she did. She put her own feelings aside and came to tell me that her marriage is over. What an incredible gesture, especially when it is obvious that she still cares for you. She loved you enough to let you go," Ashley said. "Yes, regardless of all the games she has played, in the end, the lady was all class," Cole agreed.
Sharon was home when Nick entered with a large bouquet of tulips. Sharon thanked him a little half-heartedly, but it was obvious that she had something on her mind. Nick began to question her about what she had done all day. He asked if she was tired or if she'd had any visitors. He asked if Cassie had stopped over.
"Did Cassie come over?" Sharon repeated. "How could she when you have told Grace not to let me have her? You think she is a problem for me. Let me tell you something. My problem has nothing to do with Cassie coming here. Because of you, I haven't seen her in days, and it hurts so badly. I miss her more than you can know. Then there is how you went behind my back and told Grace not to bring her, especially when I told you she was the brightest spot in my life!"
Nick began to tell Sharon that she was in such bad shape, he didn't know what else he could do. "How could you talk to Grace about the most intimate parts of our life?" Sharon asked incredulously. Nick denied doing that, but Sharon told him that Grace had told her everything they'd talked about. "Because you are a wreck!" Nick shouted.
"That's not the problem," Sharon insisted, "I have told you and told you how much I care about that little girl, but you obviously don't give a damn about what I want! ... She brings joy to my life," continued Sharon, "and you conspire behind my back to cut her out of my life. Why? Have I neglected you or our son?"
"To be honest -- " Nick began. "Oh, don't you dare accuse me of that!" Sharon told him, demanding, "Don't you dare go there!"
Victoria wandered around the tack room, tears in her eyes. Victor entered and began rambling on about the reunion she was about to have. He had talked to her mother, and they were both very pleased. On and on he talked, not noticing that Victoria was constantly wiping at her eyes and wouldn't turn to face him. Finally, Victoria couldn't take it any longer.
"There is not going to be a homecoming!" Victoria cried out as she turned to her father. She was openly weeping. "My marriage is over. He doesn't love me anymore. He loves Ashley. My marriage is all over. He doesn't want me!" Her father gathered her up in his arms while she cried.
