Thursday, December 14, 2006, Episode 4956

Ridge remembers an long-ago intimate moment with Brooke.

In Brooke's candlelit bedroom, Ridge is on the phone with Thorne. He asks Thorne to keep an eye out for Shane now that Thorne's living at Taylor's house. After ending the call, Ridge flashes back to a time when he came home to a lingerie-clad Brooke waiting for her man. "Here I am," he amorously told Brooke. "And here I am," Brooke replied affectionately. Ridge comes back to the present when Brooke enters, again wearing sexy lingerie and waiting for her man. Ridge again responds, "Here I am." "And here I am," Brooke answers, hoping Ridge knows how lucky he is. He replies that he's the luckiest guy on earth and kisses her.

Ridge and Brooke ask Taylor for advice.

After they make love, Brooke purrs, "You still make my toes curl." "I'll be your sex slave any time, Logan," Ridge lovingly responds. Brooke remarks how they have plenty of time for fun since they're not working. Ridge wishes his dad was having as much fun, since he feels like Eric has little enthusiasm for starting a new company. Brooke agrees that starting a company is a lot of work. But they may not have to start over, Ridge responds, telling Brooke about Taylor's plan to get Nick into therapy to get the company back. Brooke is surprised to think of Nick in therapy. Ridge admits it's a long shot, but Taylor thinks she can help Nick, just like she helped Stephanie. And speaking of which, Ridge tells Brooke that he's been worried about his mother, so he hopes she doesn't mind that he asked Taylor to come over. Of course not, Brooke states, since she knows Stephanie is important to him. She states that they'll deal with Stephanie's problems together. Soon after, they go downstairs to greet Taylor, who only has a little time before she goes to the office. To meet Nick? Brooke asks. Yes, Taylor answers. Brooke tells Taylor that she can't imagine Nick in therapy, let alone having an epiphany that leads him to return Forrester. Taylor admits that it might be a long and difficult process, but she hopes that Nick facing his issues will show him why he wanted Forrester so badly. If he can see that, he might realize he doesn't need the company and give it back.

Taylor gives Ridge some suggestions about his mother's plight.

Ridge turns the subject to his mother. He tells Taylor that Stephanie seems to be getting over her abuse too quickly, acting like it's all wrapped up. Taylor agrees that he has reason to be concerned, because Stephanie's lifetime of anger isn't going to just disappear overnight. Ridge asks how they can help Stephanie. All they can do is be supportive, Taylor explains, since Stephanie is the one who has to do all the work. She admits that Stephanie has taken an important first step by facing her mother, but she fears that that the healing will never complete unless Ann reaches out and acknowledges what happened. Brooke asks if Ann might come around. Ridge isn't sure, since he barely remembers his grandmother. Taylor doesn't think there's much chance given what Stephanie told her. Brooke thinks Ann must have been pretty cold-hearted to let her own child be abused. Taylor explains that it's hard to judge, since Ann might have been wrapped up in her own comfort, or she might have feared her husband. Or she might have feared what people would think, Brooke suggests. In any case, Taylor states, Ann is clearly in denial. Ridge asks if it would help if he and his siblings contacted their grandmother and told her how her neglect had impacted their lives. But Ann doesn't think she did anything wrong, Brooke states. Maybe deep down she does, Ridge supposes. Taylor tells Ridge to go in person if he intends to contact his grandmother. She wishes Stephanie had confronted her father before he died. Now Stephanie's only chance is to get her mother to admit what happened, but even then, she fears Stephanie might not forgive her mother after all this time.

Stephanie says that her mother is now out of her life for good.

Felicia drops by the Forrester mansion to chat with her mother. She tells Stephanie that she and Dominick both miss Dante, whose sculpting job in Italy is taking longer than expected. Stephanie offers to take care of the baby if Felicia wants to go be with Dante, but Felicia thinks Dominick needs one of his parents here. Besides, she didn't come over to talk about her problems. Stephanie thinks they've talked about hers ad nauseum, but Felicia thinks the way her mother confronted her abuse is big news that can't be swept under the rug. Now that she knows what her mother faced, she understands the way Stephanie smothered her and her siblings with affection and protected them like priceless China dolls. They all hated it when they were growing up, especially her. But now that she knows the truth, she wants to thank her mother. She just hopes she can be as good a parent to Dominick. Stephanie thanks Felicia for the compliment and they exchange "I love you's." Felicia thinks the ordeal made Stephanie a better mother, although she would never tell that to Grandma Ann. Stephanie tells her not to worry, since Ann is out of her life, and no one in the family will ever have to deal with her.

Felicia is appalled at what her grandmother did.

Felicia calls to check on Dominick. After Felicia hangs up, Stephanie comments that the baby has changed Felicia. Felicia admits that Dominick has changed the way she looks at the world. When she thinks about her love for her son, she sees why she's so appalled at what her grandmother did. Stephanie agrees that her mother's actions led to her need to control her family's lives, but she hopes to put an end to that and give her family space. Not too much space, Felicia hopes, since she wants a family Christmas like last year, minus the cancer. Stephanie promises that nothing will spoil the holidays, especially what her mother did. She hoped for 30 years for her mother to change, but she sees now that her mother will never change. Just them the doorbell rings; Stephanie answers and is stunned to see her mother and sister there! She asks Ann what she wants; Ann says she wants to talk but would rather not do it from the door. Pam sees the rage in her sister's eyes and tells Stephanie to wait, but Stephanie slams the door shut!

Pam asks Stephanie to hear their mother out.

Felicia asks Stephanie to Ann hear out, especially since she's sure Aunt Pam wouldn't bring Grandma there to berate Stephanie. Stephanie however refuses. When the doorbell rungs again, Stephanie tells Felicia not to answer it, but Felicia opens the door and lets her aunt and grandmother in. Pam greets her niece, who Ann recognizes from the Christmas cards Stephanie sent to Pam. Stephanie tells her mother to leave, but Pam asks Stephanie to hear their mother out. Stephanie asks Pam why she ambushed her this way; Pam apologizes, but she points out that this was their mother's ideas. She admits that Stephanie has every right to be angry at their mother, but she's seen a change in Ann since Stephanie's visit to Chicago. Stephanie tells Ann to say her piece and leave. Ann asks why Stephanie is being so hostile when she just came to see Stephanie's beautiful home and family. Stephanie thinks she has a right to be angry and doesn't want any part of this small talk. Ann would like to have a normal conversation, but Stephanie asks how they can do that when they never had a normal relationship.

Ann pleads for Stephanie to forgive her.

Ann admits that they had their problems. Stephanie hopes Ann is ready to deal with those problems, since her mother is wasting her time if she isn't. Ann tells Stephanie that she's been thinking since Stephanie's visit to Chicago. She's truly sorry, because the awful things Stephanie said really hurt and bothered her. She kept thinking about the accusations that Stephanie made about her own father, and... Stephanie tells Ann to stop right there, because she knows what happened and won't be denied. Ann admits that Stephanie's right. She's done pretending, because everything Stephanie said was true. She heard John hit Stephanie time and again, but she never did anything to stop it. Each time, she'd tell herself that it was the last time, but she could never find the strength to step in, so she hared herself. She recalls how she could never look at Stephanie's welts. She knew she should have done something, because she was Stephanie's mother, and she's so ashamed. Stephanie shakes her head in disbelief; Ann says it's not Stephanie she's ashamed of, but herself and her failure as a mother. She pleads, "I know I don't have the right to ask you this, but I'm begging. Please, can you find it in your heart to forgive me?"