Friday, December 15, 2006, Episode 4957

In the Forrester CEO's office, Nick flashes back to his last therapy session with Taylor. He recalls how she deduced from his comments that he had something to hide.

Jackie comments on Taylor's "master plan,"

Taylor arrives at Forrester for her therapy session with Nick. As she comes off the elevator, she runs into a seamstress named Rita who tells her how much everyone there misses the Forresters. She's just sorry they won't get to work on Taylor's wedding dress. Jackie approaches and tries to listen in on the warm reunion, just as Taylor whispers to Rita that the Forresters might be back in charge by the time she gets married. Jackie snootily interrupts and asks Rita to look at some of Nick's suggestions for a design. Rita bids Taylor goodbye and gets back to work. Jackie then greets Taylor, who asks Jackie how she is. Jackie replies that today is one of her better days with her headaches, that come and go. She then informs Taylor that Nick told her about their therapy sessions; she guesses that Taylor must enjoy a challenge to try and analyze Nick. Taylor explains that Nick seems unhappy, so she thought he could use a new strategy. Like Taylor's new strategy to get Nick to see the light so he gives back Forrester? Jackie asks. Taylor says she's just trying to help, although she admits that Nick confronting issues from his past could change how he views life.

Taylor asks Nick to tell her about his love of the sea.

Taylor then goes to see Nick, who suggests they forget about having their session here and instead head first to Chuck's to pick up some beer and wings and then to his boat for lunch. Taylor suggests that he's trying to avoid her, but Nick quips, "I love therapy." Taylor doesn't think Chuck's is the kind of place to be having deep discussions about his past, so she prefers to stay here. She recalls how he cut their last session short. That was because she wanted to talk about his childhood, Nick responds. He suggests that she ask him about his love of the sea instead. Taylor tells him to go ahead and tell her why he loves the sea so much. Nick tells her that this could take a while and sits down. He tells her how as a boy in Seattle, he always hung out at the docks and talked to the sailors, who showed him how things worked on a boat and taught him how to drink beer. He recalls how he looked up to those men as heroes, because they looked after him. He wonders if Taylor would consider those men good role models. Taylor tells Nick that it makes sense that he saw the sailors as his role models, since he needed a father figure after the man he thought was his father died. Nick tells her that even on their worst day, those men were better than his father would ever be.

Nick recalls a gift he once got for his mother.

Outside the office, Jackie tries to eavesdrop on the therapy session. Inside, Nick tells Taylor that Frank Payne was a drunk loser who couldn't hold down a job. He explains that never thought of Payne like a father, even though he didn't know until a few years ago that he was Massimo's son. Taylor asks Nick if Frank abused him or Jackie. Nick replies that it was like Frank tried to destroy himself, which is why he thought they were better off after Frank died. Even though he and Jackie were poor, it made the little things they did for each other mean more. He recalls one Christmas when he surprised his mother. A Captain he knew named Jerry told him that pearls could be bought cheaply in Australia. The next time Jerry docked in Seattle, he gave Nick a set of pearl earrings that Nick gave to Jackie. Jackie was reduced to tears and said she couldn't accept the gift, but Jerry convinced her to take them. After that, Jerry often came to dinner, and Jackie would always wear those earrings. Nick suddenly goes silent; Taylor asks what's wrong. Nick tells her that he just remembered an appointment with one of the designers. Taylor offers to wait, but Nick tells her that it might take a while, so he asks her to make an appointment with his assistant for another session.

Ann pleads with Stephanie.

At the Forrester mansion, Stephanie is stunned that Ann could just waltz in here, say she's sorry and ask for forgiveness. Ann tells Stephanie that she wishes she could turn back time and take back all the excuses she made since Stephanie was a little girl. She knows she tried to justify what happened during Stephanie's recent visit to Chicago, but she sees now that there were no justifications, and that's why she's come here. "Why?" Stephanie angrily asks. Felicia tells Stephanie that Ann is just trying to apologize, but Stephanie doesn't care. Ann explains that she was shocked to see her daughter in Chicago for the first time in 30 years. She's also on old woman who will die soon enough, so she wants to make amends to her daughter now, while she has the chance. She's just praying that Stephanie can forgive her. Stephanie asks Pam and Felicia to give her some time alone with her mother.

Pam discusses her mother and sister with Felicia.

Felicia takes her Aunt Pam to the library, where Pam thanks Felicia for letting her and her mother in. She knows that her mother made a huge mistake, but she thinks Ann's request for forgiveness is genuine. Felicia thinks her grandmother can do more than just ask for forgiveness. Pam admits that her sister could have thrown their mother out. She asks Felicia why she let them in the house. Felicia explains that she was curious. She points out that she knows little about Pam and even less about her grandmother, and she finds that odd given the importance of family to her mother. So when she found her grandmother and aunt on her mother's doorstep, she wanted to know what kind of people they were for her mother to slam the door in their faces.

Felicia tells her Aunt Pam how she feels.

Pam asks Felicia if Stephanie ever talked about her or their mother. Felicia explains that her mother only talked about her idyllic life in Lake Forrest. Pam replies that she always thought of Stephanie's life in L.A. as idyllic, since her sister always seemed so happy living there. Felicia quips that life in L.A. was an improvement, since her mother wasn't getting beat up. Pam wonders if Felicia blames her, since she blames herself. Felicia asks if that's why Pam has stayed in Chicago with Ann all these years, as penance. Pam explains that after her father died, her mother only had her, since Stephanie had moved to L.A. She had to help her mother, since families take care of one another. "I guess your mother didn't get the memo," Felicia quips. Pam thinks Stephanie is lucky to have such a loving family, but Felicia thinks the members of the family are the ones who are lucky to have such a strong and incredible woman in their lives. She thinks it's a shame that Ann wasn't more like her older daughter, since their lives would have been very different had Ann been like Stephanie.

In the living room, Stephanie recalls the void left in her heart when she cut her mother out of her life. She didn't want to do it, but she had no choice. Ann says that she's sorry about that, which is why she wants to spend time with her family while she can. But that can only happen if Stephanie forgives her. Stephanie points out that too much damage has been done by 30 years of estrangement from her mother, not just to her, but to her husband and children. She doesn't think Ann deserves to be in her family's lives, and even though Ann is admitting now what happened, she doesn't know if she can forgive her mother. Ann says she accepted responsibility now, so it's not about fault anymore. It was never about fault, Stephanie replies. It was about truth, as in the truth that her mother refused to see. Ann asks Stephanie why she's punishing her when she finally wants to admit her mistakes. Stephanie says that she accepts her mother's apology, but she just can't forgive her. She tells Ann to go back to Chicago. Ann is confused, as she wants to apologize not only to her daughter, but to her grandchildren. Stephanie says that they're finished. She doesn't want Ann anywhere near her children. Ann argues that Stephanie's children are her family, too. Stephanie replies that her children are Forresters, while Ann is a Douglas. Ann argues that Stephanie is a Douglas, too. Stephanie says that the little girl that Ann ignored was a Douglas, but she's not that little girl anymore. She's a Forrester now.