During a separation from his wife Macy, a drunken Thorne slept with Darla Einstein, without realizing it was her until the following day. When Darla learned she was pregnant, she initially planned to have an abortion, but Thorne convinced her to let him and Macy raise the child. When Macy turned away from Thorne and married Deacon Sharpe, Thorne began spending more and more time with Darla preparing for the arrival of their child. The baby was born not long after Macy's death and named Alexandria, in honor of Macy Alexander, Darla's friend, and Thorne's frequent love.

Aly was devastated when her mother, Darla, was killed in an accident, and only Taylor Hayes was able to reach her. Aly became quite close to Taylor, and was thrilled when Taylor and Thorne began moving closer together. The two decided to wed, but when Hope Logan told Aly that Taylor was the driver who killed Darla, Aly couldn't accept it and Taylor and Thorne agreed to end their relationship. When Stephanie's estranged mother, Ann, showed up on Christmas, Stephanie had no idea how to move on with her. When Aly grabbed Ann's hand to join in the traditional family singing, Stephanie finally found the strength to forgive her mother.