Young & The Restless Update
Recap written by Christine
Photos by Dora
Ashland was at the Abbott house. He explained to Jack that he and Kyle had been unable to connect by phone. Jack blamed the seven hour time difference. Ashland asked Jack to call Kyle so that Ashland could announce the decision heād made for Harrison. Jack texted Kyle to video call. Ashland said Taraās arrest and Kyle leaving the country threw everything into chaos. There was no easy answer, no one way to satisfy everyone. He said they couldnāt look at it as a business deal. It wouldnāt be fair, and neither was life, for that matter. He said this wasnāt about him ā a boyās future and well being were at stake. Kyle called and asked what Ashland decided about Harrison.
Ashland said that when Tara admitted to the affair, he was furious with her and Kyle. But the result was that he learned what kind of woman Tara really was, threatening to take Harrison from Kyle, unless Summer broke up with him. According to Ashland, that was business as usual for Tara. He noted that Summer got her dream job, though. Kyle brought up all Tara and Sally put them through. Jack hoped Ashland didnāt plan to punish Kyle for supporting the woman he loved as she remained at the job that Ashland helped line up for her. Kyle said it didnāt mean he loved Harrison any less. Ashland said he started treatments today, and it could extend his life, or he could be dead in a matter of months. He was more determined to spend the time he had left with Harrison, since, once Ashland was gone, Kyle would have all the time in the world with the boy. Kyle thought he knew where this was going, but Ashland said not to be so sure.
Ashlandās first treatment went well, but the side effects made him feel like crap. He was told it could get much worse. He kept thinking about that day in the park, and the terrified look in Harrisonās eyes when Ashland was short of breath. He couldnāt stand the thought of putting Harrison through that again. Jack said that Harrison could remain at the Abbott house. Kyle nodded along with Jackās statement. Ashland had considered and rejected that option already. Ashland said that, with Tara gone, Harrison needed a full time parent, and Ashland wasnāt able to fulfill that role at this point, so he felt that Harrison should go live in Milan. Ashland would visit Milan, in between treatments, when he was strong enough, and perhaps Kyle, Ashland and Harrison could meet up in NY, too. Smiling, Kyle said that was an excellent plan. Jack appreciated Ashland for this. Ashland had two stipulations. He wanted Kyle to keep him alive in Harrisonās mind. Ashland planned to video chat and send gifts, but he wanted the freedom to visit anytime his health allowed. Kyle promised heād do everything he could to keep Ashland a strong presence in Harrisonās life. Secondly, Ashland wanted Tara to be allowed to see Harrison, with strict protocols in place. Kyle asked like what. Ashland said Tara was out on bail, but it could be months before her trial, and she wasnāt allowed to leave NY. When Kyle brought Harrison to NY to see Ashland, Ashland wanted Tara to be able to see her son, strictly supervised. Kyle said he could put his anger aside to do what Harrison asked.
Kyle asked how they were going to handle telling Harrison that Tara had been arrested. Ashland thought they could say Tara was on a long time out because she broke the law and needed to pay for her actions. Jack suggested saying something less harsh. Ashland thought lying now could cause mistrust in the future when Harrison found out the truth. He said Harrison was smart, and when he visited Tara in the future, heād notice restrictions were being placed on her. Kyle agreed, and Jack said he saw the point now. Kyle promised to be the best father he could to Harrison.
Ashland wanted to be the one to explain the move to Harrison. He didnāt want his son to think Ashland was abandoning him. Kyle was fine with that. Ashland went upstairs to see Harrison. Jack knew that wasnāt easy for Ashland. Kyle was blown away. Heād refused to let himself hope that Ashland could put everything aside and let Harrison go to Milan. Kyle couldnāt wait to see his son. Jack asked how Kyle was feeling about moving to Italy, getting back with Summer and being a full time father. Kyle said it was difficult being away from everyone in Genoa City, plus, as much as Summer enjoyed Harrison, itād be an adjustment for her. Kyle asked how Jack was feeling. Jack said it was bittersweet. He missed Kyle like crazy. Kyle knew Jack would miss Harrison like crazy too. Jack said heād cope. He knew this was best for Harrison. Kyle said he and Summer needed a fresh start. He asked Jack to be the one to bring Harrison to Milan. There was nothing Jack would like better.
Ashland came downstairs clutching his chest. Jack walked back into the living room and asked how things went. Ashland said it was harder for him than for Harrison, who took it all in stride. He said some kids viewed change as an adventure ā Ashland was like that as a kid, too. It put his mind at ease that Harrison was in the Abbottās capable hands. Jack recognized what a difficult year Ashland had. He said anything that brought Ashland happiness was a good thing. Ashland said Victoria pulled him out of the gloom and darkness and brought him more joy than he ever thought possible. Jack said heād known Victoria all her life, and she was a keeper, so Ashland should hold on tight. Ashland intended to.
Billy ran into Victoria at Crimson Lights. He mentioned that heād just picked the kids up at camp and dropped them off at home. She asked if the kids mentioned anything about her engagement. According to Billy, Katie wanted to be a flower girl, and Johnny wanted the wedding cake to be chocolate. Victoria laughed ā sheād been worried about how the kids would take this, and all they cared about was the ceremony. Billy said kids were in their own world. He was sure theyād have more questions, and he and Victoria would handle it together, like they always did. She thanked him. He asked about Ashlandās first treatment. She said it went as expected. She was hopeful that it would give them more time together. He noted that she was going through a lot of changes ā a merger, falling in love and planning a wedding all in a short amount of time. She asked if he disapproved of her marrying Ashland. He said heād already voiced his concerns, and now he was trying his best to be supportive. She said she knew him, so she wanted him to say what was on his mind. He thought, maybe, deep down, she was worried she was making a mistake, and she was using him to voice her fears. She told him not to be absurd ā she didnāt have the worries and doubts heād cooked up in his frenzied imagination. He said he guessed they were both wrong about each other.
Victoria chuckled at her and Billy trying to psychoanalyze each other. He thought they may have found the sweet spot as exes, meaning they had a lot of history, and theyād both moved on, and they were both happy. So maybe, they were able to challenge each other in a way that was healthy. āNobody knows each other like we do. And Iām hoping that we can keep it real. Say it like it is. Be honest with each other and still be aware that whatever we say to each other is taken in the spirit in which it was meant,ā he said. She thought the technical term for that was called being friends. She hoped he was right and that theyād gotten to that place.
Devon visited Lily at her office. She noticed he seemed upset. He said heād been on his way to Abbyās, but the closer he got, the more frustrated he felt, and he realized he wasnāt in a good head space to visit anyone. So he came here. Devon said Mariah was completely off the radar, and Jack said if she didnāt come back soon, heād have to find another director of marketing. Lily wondered if Mariah was having second thoughts about becoming a surrogate. Devon thought that could be inferred from her texts. He didnāt think the texts sounded like her though. He felt it was out of character for Mariah to shirk her responsibility like this. Even Rey was involved now. Something didnāt feel right to him. He said Tessa agreed, and she knew Mariah better than anyone. Devon spoke with Sharon before he came, and she told him that someone was scrambling Mariahās phone signal, and she hadnāt used any of her credit cards or made any phone calls. Lily asked about Abby. Devon said she was doing amazing, given that her husband wasnāt there. He said Abby was doing her best to say positive and understanding about Chanceās job. He said it was clear that this was killing Abby, though. She had to deal with this completely alone. Lily said that Abby had friends and family around, including Devon. She asked if he was having second thoughts.
Devon didnāt regret stepping up for Abby and Chance. He was upset though, because he knew Chance was a good guy, but heād made a commitment to start a family with Devonās best friend. Devon felt like Chance was putting his work over his responsibility to his family. Lily hoped Devon hadnāt said a word of this to Abby. He said he didnāt and wouldnāt. He told Lily how Abby had stopped making the videos because she didnāt want Chance to see how upset she was. He thought it was sad that Abby felt like she had to hide part of herself from her husband. Lily said Abby knew what she was getting into when she married him. Devon agreed. He said he was more upset at the situation than he was with Chance, who didnāt even know what was going on with Mariah. Lily decided to be optimistic that Mariah would come home when she was ready. She told Devon to keep being a good friend because the baby would need him. He wished there was more he could do.
Devon bumped into Victoria at Crimson Lights. She mentioned that sheād been so busy with the merger that she hadnāt checked in with Abby in awhile. Devon was sure Abby understood. Victoria asked if there was word on Chance, and Devon said no. She made plans to call her sister. He said heād just visited Lily, and it reminded him how nice it was to have a sister to talk to. Victoria said Lily had been a lifesaver, taking on a larger role with the kids while Victoria focused on Ashland and his medical issues. He said Lily loved the kids. Victoria said any other woman wouldnāt be so accommodating ā it spoke to the kind of woman Lily was.
Billy went to work, and he told Lily heād talked with Victoria. He stopped himself and asked if she wanted these details. She said she loved hearing him ruminate about his ex. He decided to shut up, but she said she was just kidding. He said he and Victoria had been a bit brutally honest, but it didnāt spiral into something weird. Lily admitted it was asking a lot of her to expect her to always help figure out where things stood with Victoria. Billy understood that, but he thought it was good that he and Victoria were working toward something healthy. Lily thought Billy and Victoria liked having things unresolved between them, because it helped them feed off the competitive vibe. He conceded there might be something to that.
Lilyās statement sparked an idea in Billy. He proposed a series of online essays talking about the insanity or maturity of past relationships. One of their journalists could talk to a slew of celebrities about their current connections to their past lovers. She said itād been done. He said they could focus on Genoa City then. Ask how people constantly ran into people from their past and still found a way to communicate. He said it was a small town. He added that it could be called The Ghost of Love. He thought sheād be the fantastic person to interview people. She thought this was a decent idea, but this suggestion was one of the best dodges sheād ever seen him pull. She said she really thought that secretly, he and Victoria didnāt want to resolve their issues. He thought Lily might be looking for that conflict because she was afraid of a real commitment. She said she’d done nothing but show how committed she was, so if someone was in denial, it wasnāt her.
Billy said he loved Lily, and there was no one else. He wasnāt in denial about his relationship with Victoria ā she was the mother of his kids, and he got to have an opinion on her choices, especially how it effected his kids. Lily asked if Billy expected her to believe this was only about concern for his kids. āNot only, no,ā he replied. Heād tried to convince himself that Victoria was doing the right thing by marrying Ashland, but every instinct he had told him otherwise. āVictoria marrying Ashland – itās a mistake. Itās maybe the biggest mistake Victoria will ever make in her life,ā he stated.
Devon went to the park and overheard Jack make sure the jet was ready for a flight to Milan tonight. Jack brought Devon up to speed on Kyle, Summer and Harrison. Jack said that people could say what they would about Ashlandās business tactics, but he truly loved that little boy. Jack and Kyle had expected Ashland to take Harrison to live with him, but to their surprise and delight, he agreed with the Abbotts. Devon said that was a huge sacrifice. Jack stated that Ashland put his own desires aside to do what was best for the boy. Devon thought that this was what being a good parent was about. He wished someone he knew understood that. Jack asked who they were talking about. Devon was thinking about Chance and this never ending mission. Jack added that Mariah was gone too, and he asked if anyone heard from her. Devon said just vague texts. Jack felt bad for Abby. Devon said she was strong, and they were all there for her. They wrapped up the conversation, and Jack left. Devon called someone and requested a favor.
Victoria went home and asked Ashland how things went with the Abbotts. He said it was done. Heād told Harrison heād be moving to Milan. Harrison had asked if heād still get to see Ashland. Victoria assumed this was one of the hardest and most selfless things heād ever had to do. He said it was up there. Sheād never respected him more than she did now. He said he had to go with what he knew was best for Harrison and take his ego out of the equation. She thought it said a lot that he was able to do it and with such grace. He said he was looking at his life differently, thanks to her. She wouldnāt let him give her all the credit. She said he was the one doing all the work. He thought she should learn to take a compliment. She said heād been thrown so many curves that would make others angry and bitter, and he saw it as a learning experience. Sheād known a lot of people who thought they could change, but when the chips were down, they couldnāt or wouldnāt, but heād redefined his life. She loved him for that. Ashland said heād evolved in ways he didnāt think possible, and whether Victoria chose to acknowledge that or not, it was due to her influence. He looked at his life in such a different way now. He wanted to make the most of every day he had left. She said sheād cheer him on every day. He said that he needed her to do more than that ā firstly, help him pick a date for their wedding. He wanted to be past the first round of chemo when it happened, but not so far in case the treatments werenāt successful. She said they would be. He said that would give them one more thing to celebrate.
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