During dinner at Katie's house, Bill learned that Will had volunteered his father to speak on career day. Bill thought Katie's job would be much cooler to learn about, but Katie concluded that their son had volunteered Bill, not her. Thorne quipped that Bill loved to hear himself talk, and Bill said he couldn't even argue with that.

Bill agreed to speak at the event if Will ate his vegetables. As Bill and Katie joked with Will about the vegetables, Donna gazed at Thorne, who was putting on a gleeful facade.

As the dinner progressed, Will asked when he could have his own office at Spencer. Will also wanted his own assistant -- Justin. Upset, Bill asserted that Justin was his man. Will giggled, and Bill figured out that his son was joking. Bill decided that when the wise guy Will did finally get his office, it would be by the bathrooms.

Gesturing to Thorne, Katie said the fashion business was exciting, too, especially if one was a big-time designer like Thorne. Donna added that Thorne got to work with gorgeous models, too. Thorne stated that none were as gorgeous as Katie. Katie asked if everyone saw why she loved that guy. "You love Dad, too, though. Right, mom?" Will asked.

Later, Katie served Will's favorite ice cream for dessert, and he announced that he'd open ice cream stores and make a lot of money. Bill replied that it was great to watch one's empire grow, but there were more important things in life. Will assumed that his father meant things like family, and Bill guessed that Will had been listening earlier.

Will asserted that he listened to everything his father said. Donna cut her eyes to Thorne to gauge his reaction. Katie wished Will listened to everything she said, like about cleaning his room. "She gets after Thorne, too. It's pretty funny," Will told his father. Bill asked if Thorne left his toys lying around the house.

Donna relayed that she was impressed by all the things Thorne did around the house, and she hoped to be lucky enough to have a helpful husband like Thorne. Katie replied that she and Will were lucky. Will felt lucky that his parents were getting along again, and they were like the family they'd once been. Katie and Bill glanced at each other and then patted Will.

Once dessert was over, Bill told Will that they should help clean up. Katie replied that everyone took turns, but it was nice of Bill to offer. Bill asked Will if he wanted to do a sleepover at his dad's house. "Can I, Mom? Please!" Will asked Katie.

Thorne reminded Will that they were going to the new skate park in the morning. "Right," Will said in a small voice. After a moment, Will asked if they could do it another time. Thorne readily agreed. Donna gazed at Thorne as he got up and strode into the kitchen.

Later, Bill, Will, and Katie were still sitting on the floor at the coffee table. Will said he knew his parents were divorced, but he wondered if his father loved his mother. Bill replied that he did, and Katie was a wonderful mother. Will asked his mother the same question about Bill. Katie affirmed it. She said Bill worked hard, he was smart, and he was a good father.

Will was happy that he and Bill were spending so much time together. Bill started to say, "If you ever get sick of me -- " Will exclaimed that there was no way. He liked hanging out with Bill. He liked hanging out with his mother, too. To him, she was the greatest mother there was.

Katie was happy to hear it. Will said Bill had told him to say it. He turned to Bill and demanded his hundred-dollar payout. Bill didn't know what Will was talking about. Katie asked if Bill was bribing the child to be nice. "Kidding!" Will stated.

Saying that Will was making her crazy, Katie hugged Will. "Dad, too?" Will asked. She agreed to include Bill, and the three hugged. Thorne leaned on the wall behind them and watched.

In the bedroom at the cabin, Hope held the crumpled sonogram photo and sobbed and yelled at Sally for daring to think a puppy could replace Hope's daughter. Sally tried to apologize, but Hope cried that Sally thought holding the puppy would make Hope forget that she'd never hold her little girl. Sally tried to say that she'd never meant that. Hope didn't care what Sally meant. "My baby is gone, and you're trying to give me a dog!" Hope wailed.

Sally asked Hope to listen for just a moment. Sally said people always talked about the healing powers of animals. She had experienced it when her parents had dropped her and Coco off to live with their Grams. It had hurt, and they had kept to themselves in their room until Grams had taken in a new puppy. Sally and Coco had instantly fallen in love with him.

Sally started to say that it wasn't that a puppy had made everything okay. Cutting Sally off, Hope decided that Sally still didn't get it. Sally persisted in trying to explain, but Hope interrupted. Hope was sorry that Sally's parents had abandoned her, and she was glad a puppy had helped Sally through a tough time. "But our situations are nothing alike!" Hope bellowed.

Hope yelled that she and Liam had created a life, and she'd felt that life inside her every day. Before Hope had gotten to meet Beth, Beth had been gone. Hope cried that her baby was gone forever, and no puppy would change it. Hope implored Sally to take the puppy and go because Hope couldn't look at it anymore.

In the living room, Wyatt watched Liam arrive with two foil-covered plates. Liam said Brooke was thankful that Wyatt and Sally were there because it helped prevent Hope from walling herself off from everyone. Wyatt asked if he thought Hope would do that.

Liam believed that Hope was in the greatest pain of her life. He felt that, until she reached a point of healing, everyone should just take their cues from her. Wyatt assumed that meant not to push, as he and Sally had done. Liam didn't know what Wyatt meant.

Wyatt revealed that Sally had thought a puppy might help. "A puppy?" Liam exclaimed. Wyatt replied that he thought it had been presumptuous, and he'd told Sally that Hope might be too raw for it. Wyatt said he could be wrong, and an adorable puppy might be what Hope needed.

The bedroom door opened, and Sally walked out into the living room. Wyatt said he and Liam had been about to go in and check on things. Liam saw Sally's tears and asked what had happened. Sally cried, saying Wyatt had been right, and it had been a stupid idea. Wyatt replied that he hadn't said the idea had been stupid. As Wyatt tried to comfort her, Liam looked around with a defeated expression.

Sally was angry with herself for upsetting Hope and thought that it was no wonder Hope had gone off on her. Liam asked if Hope had gone off on Sally. Sally said it was because Hope thought Sally believed that the puppy could replace the baby. Sally insisted that she'd never thought that. Knowing that Hope was an animal lover, Sally had just hoped that it might help ease some of Hope's pain.

Wyatt said that Hope wasn't herself. Liam thought it wasn't Hope lashing out. Instead, it was the pain. Wyatt explained that Hope had an emptiness. "Like a puppy was going to magically heal it," Sally sarcastically said. Liam affirmed that Sally had had good intentions, and he believed that Hope knew it, too.

Liam went into the bedroom to talk to Hope. He found her lying on the bed. He lay with her and hugged her from behind. "A dog. She thought a dog could take Beth's place," Hope uttered.

Liam acknowledged Hope's pain and said he was hurting, too. Hope asked what was wrong with Sally and how anyone could be so insensitive. Liam asked Hope to listen. "No. No, not if you're going to defend her," Hope replied. Hope began to say more, but she stopped and sobbed that she missed "her." Hope cried, saying "she" was gone. Liam held her as she continued to sob.

Back in the living room, Sally continued to berate herself. She hoped Hope could forgive her. Wyatt thought that there was nothing to forgive, and Hope would realize it in time. Sally was sad because she'd wanted to help Hope lift some of her pain. Wyatt hugged Sally.

Liam emerged from the bedroom. He was glad that Sally and Wyatt were still there because Hope wanted to talk to Sally again. Wyatt stood up, saying, "Okay, Bro, look. Everybody's been feeling a lot of things tonight. I think it's better if we just go and take the puppy with us."

Hope entered, asking Wyatt and Sally not to. No longer holding the sonogram photo, Hope stated that she felt terrible about what she'd said to Sally and didn't know why she'd reacted that way. Hope understood that Sally had been trying to be kind, and Hope didn't know why she'd gone off on Sally. Hope apologized and said she needed all the support she could get. She asked Sally to forgive her.

Sally didn't think Hope should have to apologize for anything. Sally felt that she should apologize for her own impulsiveness. She figured that she should have talked to Liam before waltzing into the bedroom with a puppy and making things worse. Sally asked if Hope could forgive her. Sally conveyed that Hope had no idea how much she wished she could take away Hope's pain. Hope hugged Sally and sobbed.

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