Young & The Restless Update
Recap written by Christine
Ashley and Traci met at Society. they were going to have a girls day with their grandniece. They hoped Allie would move to Genoa City for good. They talked about Allie’s circumstances – her father was dead, and she was estranged from her mother. Traci and Ashley both knew what it was like to be estranged from your mom at an early age. Ashley thought it was tragic that Keemo didn’t reconcile with Jack before he died. Traci said the situation wasn’t the same, but it made her remember what it was like when she was in boarding school after Dina abandoned them. Traci had been nervous but glad she had her dad’s support. There was a flashback to young Traci and John. She said she wasn’t the perfect little girl for the president of Jabot Cosmetics to want to show off. John was emphatic that Traci was special and lovely, and he’d be proud to show her off to anyone. She said she was proud to be his daughter, and they hugged. Ashley shared her own memory too. Ashley was graduating with honors, but she didn’t tell her father about her accomplishment. She said she wanted him to come to her graduation for her, not for her grades. John was very proud. He said she could do anything, and she didn’t have to prove a thing to him. On the contrary, she felt that she had a lot to prove.
Ashley had gotten past her concerns about Allie. She thought it was important that they honor Jack and John by making Allie feel like she’d been part of the family from the beginning. Abby walked up and said she had the chef make a special menu for today. Allie arrived and hugged Abby. Abby said to let her know if they needed anything. She departed. Allie talked to her aunts, who explained that they thought she might want to ask them some questions about their lives. As they chatted, Allie noticed that the sisters finished each other’s sentences, and she thought that was nice. She said it was obvious they were close. Traci and Ashley agreed that they’d had their moments, but they’d always be sisters and friends. Ashley assured Allie that she couldn’t overstep when it came to family, so she could ask anything.
Traci and Ashley shared that Traci wrote a book on the Abbotts. Traci was going to get Allie a copy, but she thought it best for Allie to hear some of the stories in person first because some of them were a lot to take in. allie wasn’t sure where to start. Ashley suggested they start with Jabot, since Allie enjoyed the lab. Allie marveled about being connected to Jabot, which she called a behemoth. She was fascinated by the lab. Traci said Ashley was always happy in the lab. Ashley said she’d known what she wanted to do since she was a little girl, and fortunately, her father supported her. Allie said her dad was like that too. Keemo always cheered Allie on, but he’d been especially excited when she decided to follow in his footsteps and go into chemical engineering.
Allie thought it was amazing that Traci ventured out beyond the family business. Allie asked if Traci always knew she wanted to be a writer. Traci said she had no idea what she wanted to do when she was young. Ashley said that was because Traci was born with so many gifts. Traci was modest, but Ashley said Traci could’ve been a successful singer. They began to tell Allie about Danny Romalotti, the famous singer who used to live in Genoa City. Traci said that Danny saved her in many ways. At first she was his fan club president, then he asked her to sign with him. There was a flashback to Traci and Danny. He felt lucky to meet her. In the present, Traci said she discovered her real passion was for writing. Traci flashed back to getting a copy of her first book from Tim.
Allie commented on how accomplished and confident her aunts were. She wondered if they were this confident at her age, and they both laughed and said no. traci said your young adult years were exhilarating, but they could also be the most challenging time of your life. Traci said she’d struggled with her weight and insecurities, and a diet pill addiction almost cost her her life. Traci said she had to learn to love herself. Ashley talked about how difficult it was to watch Traci suffer through that. The family all loved Traci so much that they couldn’t believe she didn’t love herself. Allie was sure Traci must have had a lot of support, since everyone who met her seemed to love her.
Traci said Lauren Fenmore didn’t like her. Allie had heard of the Fenmore’s department stores. Traci said that sometimes she found ways to fight back. There was a flashback to Lauren ordering Traci a banana split as a way to needle her over her weight struggles. Traci poured the ice cream over Lauren’s head. Traci told Allie that Lauren was a torn in her side for years, and decades later, they became friends. There was a flashback to older Lauren and Traci. Lauren had deeply apologized for bullying Traci, and they hugged.
Allie asked if Ashley had a nemesis. Ashley said she and Nikki were romantic rivals. Traci told Allie that Nikki was Noah’s grandmother. There was a flashback to Nikki saying she wouldn’t let Ashley take her husband. Ashley told Allie she didn’t set out to make an enemy of Nikki, but it was just that Ashley and Victor had a very strong connection from the moment they met. Ashley said her early relationship with Victor came at a painful cost. There was a flashback to Ashley and Victor having an argument in the rain over Ashley having an abortion. She accused him of living in a fantasy world where the two of them and their baby could’ve lived a perfect life, but she knew it wouldn’t work out. He yelled that he thought they loved each other. She said she loved him desperately, but things changed. Victor told Ashley that he would’ve helped her with their child. She said that would’ve required him to betray his commitment to Nikki. She’d agonized for days to find an alternative that would work for everyone, but there wasn’t one. She felt that her family and her career was all she had left now.
Ashley said she and Victor made it through the dark days and they got married. Laughing, Traci said they got married more than once. There was a flashback to Victor giving Ashley an elegant watch. She felt that it was too much, since he’d just given her a gorgeous diamond pendant. He said he wanted to give her so much more. He wanted to make her life a fantasy. She said he already had, and they kissed. Ashley told Allie that she and Victor still had a bond, albeit a very different one. Abby walked up and she was part of that bond – an Abbott, Newman and a Carlton, in her heart. Abby joined the table. Traci said Brad Carlton was a successful executive at Newman and Jabot, but he came from modest roots. He was originally hired as the Abbott groundskeeper and pool man, but Traci couldn’t keep her eyes off him, and he knew it. There was a flashback to an early Traci and Brad scene. He insisted on taking her to the movies, because she was miserable, and he thought she needed to get out of the house and stop brooding.
Traci fell for Brad hard. In a flashback, he carried her over the threshold as newlyweds. Traci said that as much as she and Brad loved each other, they weren’t able to keep it together, but one beautiful thing came out of their love – their daughter, Colleen. Traci flashed to her and Brad with their newborn. Allie said she didn’t know Traci had a daughter. Traci explained that Colleen died when she was about Allie’s age. Allie was sorry. Traci reminisced about her smart, spirited artistic and determined daughter. Allie was curious how Traci got through it. Traci said for awhile she wasn’t sure she would, but her amazing family helped her got back on her feet.
Traci was sure Allie wondered how Ashley and Abby factored into Brad’s story. She said both Abbott sisters had a soft spot for him. Ashley clarified that Brad and Traci were over long before he started something with Ashley. Traci had no resentment for that anymore. Ashley said she’d been married several times – more than you could count on one hand, and there wasn’t enough time to talk about all her exes, so they’d just talk about Brad. Ashley wanted a child, and she was going to raise it on her own, but Brad had different ideas, and he courted her. Ashley gave birth to Abby on her wedding day to Brad. Things didn’t go as planned.
There was a flashback. Ashley was in a hospital bed. Victor was at the foot of the bed holding the newborn Abby, and Ashley became increasingly agitated when Victor wouldn’t give her the baby. Brad walked in. Ashley told Allie that Brad adopted Abby, and they had a sweet and wonderful family for awhile. Abby said no one knew Victor was her father for years. The way she saw it, she had two incredible dads growing up. Abby said Traci and Ashley were amazing role models. Traci and Ashley clasped hands.
Traci, Allie and Ashley went to the Abbott house, and Billy and Jack were there. Allie loved hearing about Ashley and Traci. Billy said his sisters were very different women, but they had things in common – bright minds, big hearts and phenomenal resilience. He said his sisters always wanted what was best for him, and they wanted the best for Allie too. Billy offered to give Allie another version of the Abbott story sometime. She was interested, so they agreed to meet up at some point. Ashley was concerned about what Billy was going to say. Billy gave a preview. He said everyone in the room had been through hell and back, but they’d always had each others’ backs, and he wasn’t sure where he’d be without his brother and sisters. Traci said she’d already told Allie about her darkest hours, and how grateful she was to have had her family to help her find her way.
Ashley said the most frightening time she’d experienced was when she was fighting for her life. She began to cry about the time she had breast cancer. There was a flashback to her talking to Jack about her stress. She said Brad was doing a great job taking care of her. Jack wanted Ashley to lean on her family. She thought he was saying to lean on them instead of Victor. He clarified that he never said that. He wanted her to be easy on herself. He was sure she’d get through this. Allie said these stories touched her heart. She felt that her family was special. Jack was glad Allie was talking about herself as one of them, because she was. He said the family’s strength started at the top, with her great grandfather, John Abbott. Jack said John could still be felt at the breakfast table. There was a flashback to Jack at the head of the table toasting to John and expressing thanks that his sisters were back in town and at the table with him again.
Traci said the family breakfasts were the most important tradition they had, and they were happy to have a seat at the table for Allie. Allie was enjoying herself, but Noah texted asking to hang out. She didn’t want to be rude and just leave, but her family encouraged her to go. Billy walked Allie out, since he was leaving too. Jack was grateful Ashley and Traci included Allie today. He thought she could benefit from having them in her life, especially since her mother cut ties. Ashley said they knew how that felt. Jack asked if Dina came up today. Traci said they didn’t go down that path because they didn’t want Allie to feel like they were pressuring her to talk about her own mother. Jack thought that was the right call. Allie’s last encounter with her mother was especially painful, and he wasn’t sure when they would see each other again.
Traci flashed back to the first time she saw Dina again, after Dina abandoned them. Traci said that when she was growing up, even before Dina left, she always felt like Dina didn’t want her around. Traci asked if Dina ever really wanted her. Dina admitted that she didn’t plan the pregnancy, but she was very happy to have another little girl. Traci asked why Dina never showed her that. Dina said she thought Traci was very beautiful.
Ashley remembered that when Dina came back, she revealed that Brent Davis was Ashley’s biological father. It shocked and hurt Ashley so badly that she developed amnesia. She thought it was so difficult for her to accept that she wasn’t John’s daughter. There was a flashback to John and Ashley. Sobbing, he told her that she brought him more joy than any father could ever ask. He implored her to remember him. She cried that she didn’t remember. He tried to touch her, but she pulled back.
Traci was relieved Ashley found her way back. Ashley was relieved John never learned the truth. Traci said the truth was that Ashley was John’s daughter and she always would be. Ashley never thought she’d be able to forgive Dina, but in last few months of Dina’s life, Ashley saw that Dina tried so hard to make up for those transgressions. There was a flashback to Ashley learning that Dina convinced John to put the patents for the cosmetics Ashley created into her name. Ashley cried happy tears because she finally knew Dina loved her. Ashley told Jack and Traci that she was grateful they were able to reconcile with Dina before her death. Traci was glad she found the things Dina wrote about her family before she was too far into her illness.
Jack said he was proud to call Traci and Ashley his sisters and to be part of the family. Traci marveled at how quickly time passed. It seemed like just yesterday that they were kids, and now there were children and grandchildren and nieces and nephews coming to them for advice. Ashley hoped the new generation would learn from the mistakes of the past, and Traci said they’d understand how lucky they were to be an Abbott. There were a variety of flashbacks focused on Ashley and Traci that were shown to conclude the commemoration of Beth Maitland (Traci) and Eileen Davidson’s (Ashley) 40 year anniversary on Young and the Restless.
Back to the Main Days of Our Lives Page
Back to the Main Daytime Updates Page
