At Il Giardino with Donna, Katie couldn't believe Eric had let Quinn bully Donna out of his life. Katie said Eric should have defended his longtime loved one. Donna believed Quinn had used Eric's loyalty to his wife against him, and Donna would miss being with her sisters and "Pammy."
Katie thought Quinn should thank Donna for discovering that Eric's condition wasn't permanent. Katie cringed at Quinn's audacity to cut Donna out of Eric's life after Quinn's affair with Carter.
Katie set down the payment for the bill as Donna talked about Carter, a man they'd known for years. Donna named some of his attributes, and Katie added that he was hot. Agreeing, Donna said she'd never put him with Quinn or thought he'd wanted a future with her. Katie called them an unlikely couple, kind of like Katie and Bill. Donna asked what the story was there.
Katie didn't know. She was still disillusioned by the terrible choices Bill tended to make, and she didn't know that she could trust his commitment. Bill had called Brooke the love of his life, and Katie felt that she'd always be wary. She was no longer stuck in the past. She looked forward to a brighter future with a man who loved her and only her.
In the design office, Carter met with James about a contract, and James remarked that they couldn't let it be the one that got away. After James left, Carter repeated the phrase and looked at Quinn's picture. Quinn arrived, and Carter said, "If you're looking for Eric..." Quinn replied that she'd found the person she was looking for. Carter asked what he could do for her.
Quinn asked Carter not to hate her. He replied that he didn't know how to. She said he'd brought her back to life. She was sorry she'd broken his heart. Quinn had never meant to hurt Carter, and her choice to stay with Eric didn't negate the love she and Carter had shared.
Quinn had never experienced anything like her connection with Carter. Though he agreed that it had been powerful, Carter felt that she'd made the right decision in choosing Eric. Carter added that he'd once again come in second. He wasn't looking for pity. He'd known the risks involved in the relationship, and he'd been foolish to think she'd give up the sense of self-worth Eric's love had given her. Quinn insisted that it had still been real, and they'd loved each other.
Outside the door, Katie listened in. Quinn told Carter that she'd had to stay with her husband. Carter claimed to know that. He asked how she was. He'd heard she and Eric were still facing challenges. Quinn guessed he'd heard that from one of the Logans and quipped that she and Eric would be a lot less challenged if the Logans would stay out of their lives.
Katie strode in, saying that she and her sisters had loved and cared for Eric long before Quinn, and they'd keep doing it, whether Quinn liked it or not. Katie said that if Quinn wanted the Logans to back off, Quinn should stop giving them reasons to be concerned about Eric.
Across the hall, Ridge's name appeared on a nameplate adorning the CEO's door. Inside the office, Ridge didn't believe Brooke would ever open the door to Deacon again. Liam said the thing about Deacon was that he was never gone for good. Ridge replied that Brooke knew who Deacon was and would do everything within her power to keep him away from Hope.
Liam had heard stories about Deacon and Brooke and asked if it had been as scandalous as everyone was making it out to be. In Ridge's view, it hadn't been Brooke's finest hour. Liam reasoned that without Brooke and Deacon, they wouldn't have Hope. That wasn't a world Liam wanted to live in. Ridge didn't think fathering Hope made Deacon worthy of being in her life.
Ridge recalled that he and Brooke had been there, raising Hope, but Deacon had been off drinking whatever was in front of him. Ridge wanted to ensure that Hope didn't get sucked in by Deacon's charm. Liam was on board with protecting Hope. Glad to hear it, Ridge said Liam was the last line of defense when Deacon played the father card. They agreed to work together to keep Deacon away from Brooke and Hope.
At Brooke's house, Brooke looked on as Deacon and Hope hugged. Hope had missed him while he'd been gone, and that was why she'd written him back. Deacon said her letters had saved him. Hope asked Brooke not to shut the door on him and to let Hope and him have a chance.
Hope suspected that Brooke had loved Deacon at some point to have created Hope. Brooke acknowledged that there had been feelings -- no matter how misguided. Brooke never would have been with him otherwise. Brooke had a lot of regrets, but none of them was Hope. Deacon stated that Hope was the best of them. He was sorry and ready to try to earn Hope's trust. He just needed Brooke to let him in a tiny bit, so that he could love their daughter.
Brooke claimed that Deacon had disappointed Hope over and over. Deacon was ashamed of it. Hope stated that his relationship with Sheila didn't help. Deacon announced that he and Sheila were over, and he didn't want to spend any time talking about Sheila. Instead, he wanted to talk about "this unit right here." He said they weren't traditional, but they were a family. Nothing could change that. He wasn't trying to con Brooke and asked her not to judge him for his past.
Deacon had spent a lot of time in prison, thinking and imagining what he'd missed out on. The biggest thing had been a relationship with his and Brooke's daughter. It meant a lot to Hope to be in the presence of both her parents, but it didn't have to be a rarity. Like Deacon, Hope believed they were a family. Brooke asked how Hope knew it would be different that time.
Deacon said prison changed people for the better or worse. He'd decided that, for him, it would be for the best. It had meant reflecting and deciding what was important to him. "This" was important to him. Being still in prison had given him the perspective he'd needed to be the right kind of father. He asked Brooke for the chance to be a father, a grandfather, and maybe even a friend. "I need this opportunity to prove to myself that I'm worth a damn," Deacon said.
Just then, Ridge arrived. He grew incensed upon seeing Deacon in the house. Hope said it was okay, but Ridge hustled Deacon toward the door. Brooke ordered Ridge to leave Deacon alone.
At Brooke's house, Brooke attempted to calm things down and talk reasonably. Ridge didn't know what there was to talk about. Hope wanted Deacon to stay, but Ridge couldn't have Deacon around the people Ridge cared about. Ridge asked what was going on with Brooke and if she'd forgotten. Brooke hadn't forgotten, and she said she knew how Ridge felt about Deacon.
Ridge had thought it was how he and Brooke both felt about Deacon. Ridge said everything he was doing was for Hope and Brooke, and he couldn't have that criminal in their house. Hope claimed to understand the concerns, but Ridge wasn't sure she did. Hope respected Ridge's feelings, but she didn't share his perspective. Brooke said Hope had never been able to form her own perspective on Deacon. Ridge told Hope that they'd given her facts, not a perspective. Hope wanted to believe Deacon had changed.
Ridge asked if Liam was okay with it. Hope replied that it was her decision. Ridge asked about the children. Deacon asked if Ridge really thought Deacon would hurt his grandchildren. Ridge felt that it was their job to protect the kids from people like Deacon and Sheila. Hope said she always put her children first. Ridge hoped that meant Hope and Brooke weren't buying Deacon's routine. Ridge asked them to tell Deacon to get out and never return.
Brooke stated that she and Ridge needed to consider what Hope wanted. Deacon respected Ridge's feelings and said he wasn't there to cause problems. Ridge had heard it all before, though, and noted that Deacon was hanging out with Sheila. Those two were birds of a feather.
Deacon revealed that he wasn't with Sheila any longer. "She dumped you?" Ridge asked deridingly. Deacon said he'd realized how difficult being with Sheila would make his relationship with Hope, and all he wanted was to be a father to Hope. Deacon didn't want to cause problems for Brooke and Ridge. Ridge replied that Deacon would like that. Deacon acknowledged that he might have used it to his advantage in the past, but he wasn't about that anymore.
Deacon told Hope that her faith gave him the strength to believe in himself. He loved her and would miss her. He was proud of who Hope had become. He credited Brooke for picking up the slack and accomplishing what she had with Hope. "Great speech. Thanks for coming by," Ridge said and opened the front door. Deacon left the house, and Brooke glared at Ridge.
In the design office, Katie said it was easy to blame all the Logans for everything that went wrong. Quinn noted that she and Carter had been having a private conversation. Katie asked if the evil Logan sister narrative ever got old. Quinn thought the truth never got old, and she was kind of sick of the Logan sisters showing up, whispering in Eric's ear, and being inappropriate.
Katie defended Eric's friendships with the Logan sisters. Quinn felt that Katie had an interesting idea of what friendship was, and Katie quipped that she could say the same thing about Quinn's idea of fidelity. Quinn said her life was none of Katie's business, and the sisters needed to back off and stop interfering in Quinn's marriage.
Katie suggested that Quinn take some responsibility. Quinn claimed she'd apologized, and Eric had decided to remain with her and not allow the Logan sisters to do any more damage. Katie asked if Quinn thought all her problems would disappear if the Logans were gone. Katie had a reality check for Quinn: Quinn had interfered in her marriage all on her own.
Quinn assumed Katie was referring to Quinn and Carter. Reasoning that she'd already taken her beating, Quinn suggested that Katie lay into Carter next. Quinn warned him that the Logans didn't play fair. Katie asked how fair Quinn had played when she'd threatened Donna and had Eric fire her. Quinn thought Donna had deserved it and chuckled at the thought that Katie might have wanted Eric to fire Carter and Quinn, so Katie wouldn't have to see them again.
Katie figured Carter knew how she felt and also conveyed that he'd been willing to give everything up for Quinn, who'd turned him down. Quinn said it had been to fight for her marriage. Katie asked why Quinn was there, reminding Carter that she'd wanted a future with him. Katie asked if Quinn was reconsidering and if she'd leave Eric for Carter.
Quinn figured Katie and her sisters would like that, and they'd install Donna in Quinn's place. Katie replied that she had no control over Eric, and the Logans just wanted him to be happy. Quinn figured they'd have a field day. She imagined they'd set her portrait on fire and throw her clothes in the pool. Katie suggested roasting marshmallows.
Katie figured Quinn had no right to harass Eric about who he saw if Quinn was there reviving things with Carter. Quinn recalled that she hadn't answered Katie's question, and the answer was, "No." Katie thought that was quite blunt and was a little insensitive to say in front of Carter, who'd wanted a future with Quinn, had shared so much with her, and had feelings for her still.
Quinn was surprised that Katie was defending Carter. Carter piped up, saying he didn't need it. Agreeing, Katie said she didn't condone the affair, but he was a good and decent man. Quinn noted that Katie cut Carter slack, but Quinn was unredeemable. Katie called Quinn the instigator who needed so much attention, but Carter had gotten caught up in Quinn. Katie hoped it wouldn't happen again and said Carter deserved a woman who put him first.
At Thomas' apartment, Douglas showed Paris and Thomas some drawings, and she surmised that the boy wanted to be an astronaut -- and a soccer coach. Paris imagined that Douglas could be an astronaut in space, and Douglas cooed at how awesome that could be.
Douglas went to do his homework in another room, and Thomas thanked Paris for being so great with the child. Paris thought she was in her element with kids. Thomas explained that Douglas inspired Thomas to be the best version of himself. Paris felt that Thomas was an amazing parent. It meant a lot to Thomas, who noted that Paris was compassionate like Hope.
Douglas returned to the room with a question for Paris. "Are you my daddy's girlfriend?" Douglas asked. Douglas really liked Paris and was glad that she was his dad's girlfriend. Paris liked him, too, but said she wasn't dating Thomas. Douglas noted that Thomas lived with Paris.
Thomas and Paris explained how they'd become roommates after Thomas' real estate deal had fallen through. They concluded that they were friends rooming together until Thomas found a new house. Douglas asked if Paris would move into the new house with them. He was sure there would be plenty of room.
Paris thanked Douglas for being so welcoming. Thomas explained that Paris was already at home in the apartment and would live there even after Thomas moved out. Douglas invited Paris to hang out at the new pool Thomas had promised their new house would have, and Paris welcomed Douglas to hang out at her apartment anytime. The two hugged.
Sheila smiled broadly as she looked at a picture of Finn on her phone. Her smile washed away when she heard the doorknob on her door jiggling. Sheila peered through the peephole and saw a dejected Deacon standing in the hallway.
Sheila stepped aside and allowed Deacon to enter the room. She surmised that Deacon had been shot down by Brooke and Hope. Deacon replied that "that bastard Ridge" was the one who had shot him down. Deacon rewound to the beginning of his story, sharing how he had surprised Brooke and also had an opportunity to talk to Hope. Deacon said that he was convinced that Hope wanted him in her life.
Sheila interrupted the story, saying that she imagined that Brooke had gone into "mama bear mode" and listed all the reasons why Deacon needed to stay away from Hope. Deacon replied that things hadn't quite gone like that, but he believed that Brooke could come around if she didn't have Ridge telling her what to do.
Sheila was surprised to find out that Hope had stood her ground with Brooke. She wished for the day that Finn would stand up to Steffy. Sheila was confused when Deacon said that he loved "both of them too much to cause them any more pain." Sheila asked Deacon if he understood that any idea he might have had about having a relationship with Brooke was just a "fantasy."
In the executive suite at Forrester Creations, Steffy praised the "unconventional marketing" plan that James had developed. Paris scrolled through some items on her phone and said that the plan was "blowing up" on social media. James thanked the women for their kind words and left the office.
Steffy said that Kelly and Hayes had missed Paris. Paris echoed the sentiment and promised to visit the kids soon. Steffy expressed her confusion that Paris was dating Zende but living with Thomas. Paris explained that she rarely saw Thomas because they were both so busy. She added that an unexpected perk of living with Thomas was the opportunity to hang out with Douglas. Steffy and Paris discussed how Douglas seemed to be confused about the relationship that Paris and Thomas had.
Elsewhere in the building, a shirtless Thomas looked at a piece of marketing material that had a photo of Paris on it. Zende entered the office and jokingly told Thomas that he needed to warn people before he paraded around half-naked. Zende noticed that Thomas had been looking at the photo of Paris, which led to Zende singing his girlfriend's praises.
Zende encouraged Thomas to speed up his house hunting, saying that Zende could have Paris all to himself once Thomas moved out of the apartment. Paris entered the office and gave Zende a kiss.
An emotional Hope told Brooke and Ridge that she cared about the person Deacon was, not about the mistakes he had made in the past. "I believe him when he says that he is committed to being a father worthy of his daughter's love," Hope roared. Hope stated that no one could tell her whether or not she could have a relationship with her father.
Ridge told Hope that he believed that emotions were clouding Hope's objectivity. He also questioned why Hope would want to bring someone like Deacon into her children's lives. Hope denied that she would ever put her kids in harm's way. She repeated her position that Deacon would be a part of her life, no matter how anyone else felt.
Brooke urged Hope to think things over before she made a decision. Hope insisted that she didn't need additional time. She stated that if Brooke and Ridge could not support her decision, she, Liam, and the kids would be moving out of Brooke's cabin. Brooke asked Ridge to leave so that she could talk to Hope alone. Ridge agreed but not before again telling Hope not to move forward with her decision to allow Deacon into her life.
Hope apologized for giving Brooke an ultimatum. Brooke assured her daughter that there was no need to move. Hope regretted allowing Ridge to chase Deacon away -- and for not chasing after Deacon. Brooke explained that Ridge was only trying to protect Hope. "I don't need protection from my own father," Hope erupted. Hope sobbed as she asked why she shouldn't give her father a second chance.
"I have to do this, even if I get hurt in the end," Hope said. Brooke nodded ever-so-slightly. Hope reached for her phone and called Deacon. When Deacon answered, Hope asked him to pay her another visit. Deacon told his daughter that he didn't want to cause any more problems. Hope assured him that she wanted to see him.
Deacon hung up the phone and, still somewhat in a state of disbelief, told Sheila that Hope wanted to see him.
Back in the executive office at Forrester Creations, an enraged Ridge vented about Deacon to Steffy. He questioned why Hope seemed to be the only one who did not see that Deacon was trouble. Ridge revealed that Hope wanted Deacon to be a part of her kids' lives. A stunned Steffy asked why Hope would make that kind of decision.
While waiting for Deacon to arrive, Brooke tried to explain why Ridge felt so protective of Hope. Brooke said Ridge had been there to help raise Hope when Deacon hadn't been. A knock sounded on the door, and an excited Hope raced over to the door to let her dad inside.
Deacon asked if Brooke was okay with him being there. Speaking for Brooke, Hope said that Brooke had some reservations. However, Hope noted that she was a "grown woman" who made her own decisions. "As my father, you will always be welcome as long as I am living here on the property," Hope said. Brooke repeated that she did not want Hope to move. Deacon was shocked that Hope had been willing to move because of him.
Deacon turned to Brooke and asked if she could accept him. Brooke said that she did not think Ridge would approve, but she said that she needed to support her daughter's decisions. Brooke smiled warmly. Hope started to cry as she welcomed her father home and ushered in a "fresh start" for her family.
In Brooke's cabin, Brooke hoped her daughter had had a change of heart after sleeping on it, but Hope was still adamant about Deacon. Hope said that if Ridge and Brooke couldn't support Hope's choice, then it might be time for Hope and her family to move out. Brooke asked what Liam had to say. According to Hope, Liam didn't know about it yet because he was returning from a business trip that day. Hope was confident that Liam was a supportive husband.
Liam arrived home and was happy to see Hope after a night away. He asked what he'd missed. He became worried about the looks on Brooke and Hope's faces, and Hope revealed that she'd finally made a decision. It was a talk she wanted to have with Liam alone. Before leaving, Brooke asked Hope to promise to listen to Liam's concerns.
Alone with Hope, Liam apprehensively repeated that he'd have concerns. Hope figured that he would at first, but she needed him to listen and respect her feelings. He seemed to cringe as if he knew where it was going as Hope took the long way of explaining that it was about her father and making Deacon a part of her life.
Hope said Deacon was her father. Liam noted that Deacon was also a criminal, and people didn't typically want criminals around their children. Hope replied that Deacon regretted his past. Liam didn't think that meant Deacon was reformed. Hope had seen another side of Deacon through his letters. In her view, Deacon wanted to better himself and turn his life around.
Liam got that Hope wanted to believe Deacon. Hope said she did believe Deacon and said Deacon looked at her the same way Liam looked at Beth -- with love. She knew Liam was worried about the family and kids, but Hope would never let Deacon near the children if he was a threat. She revealed that Deacon had gotten to know the kids through her letters and looked forward to meeting them. He wanted to be a grandfather, and Hope wanted that, too.
Hope realized that she and Liam usually made decisions together, but this time, it impacted her differently because it was her father. Liam said it was one thing to want to know Deacon, but all the grandfather talk was another thing. Hope noted that Bill had done things he wasn't proud of, too, but they let him around the kids. Hope wanted her dad to have the same chance.
Liam felt that no one was more forgiving than Hope, but she had to exercise some skepticism, too. Hope said he hadn't seen the change in Deacon, but she had. She said they knew what it was like to make mistakes. Giving Liam a look, she added that they knew what it was like to want to make up for them. She noted that Bill was still around after landing him and Liam in jail.
Liam thought it was a fair point. Hope said she wouldn't consider it or say she'd move out if she wasn't sure. "Wait. Move out of here?" Liam asked. Hope said "they" didn't want Deacon on the property, and "they" were making it hard for her to have a relationship with her father.
Liam didn't even know what to say. Hope asked him to say he understood. She realized she could get hurt in the end, but she believed they could give Deacon enough support to make the difference. Liam said it wasn't her job to rehabilitate Deacon. She didn't want it to get between them, but she believed that if Deacon knew he had a family that believed in him -- "Just say you'll give him that. Just say Deacon can be a part of our family," Hope said.
At Forrester, Ridge tried to work on a design with a model, even though his mind seemed preoccupied. Steffy arrived afterward, unable to believe Hope was letting Deacon into her life. Ridge said that lowlife was trying whatever he could, and it was working. Hope had welcomed Deacon in, and her home was his home. "Her home is your home," Steffy quipped.
Steffy stated that it wasn't about Hope, and Hope needed to think about the kids. Ridge asserted that if Hope couldn't do it, the rest of them would. Just then, Justin arrived and asked what Ridge had called about. Ridge had another job for Justin.
Later, Justin couldn't imagine Hope putting her kids in a bad situation. Steffy had felt safe sending Kelly to stay with Hope and Liam, but she didn't want to do that if Deacon could show up. Ridge said Steffy couldn't, and no one knew what information Deacon was feeding Sheila about the kids and their schedules. Steffy hadn't even thought of that.
Ridge figured Hope hadn't, either, and was focused only on having her dad back. He felt for her and knew what a big impact Deacon leaving had had on her. Justin asked when Deacon and Sheila had hooked up. Steffy explained that they'd been pen pals -- or something. Justin grinned at the "coincidence" surrounding it. Steffy said Hope was a smart woman, and they'd been on the same page; however, Hope had started making a place for Deacon in her life.
Justin agreed to do some research and see what he came up with. He left, and Steffy told her father that they had to do more than keep an eye on Deacon. Steffy said Finn realized how poisonous Sheila was, and Hope had known it forever about Deacon. Steffy said they had children to protect, and she assumed Liam was going crazy about the news.
Steffy had thought Liam had convinced Hope and asked what about Brooke. Ridge didn't want Deacon near Brooke because it reminded her of her biggest betrayal. Steffy asked if Hope wasn't sensitive to that. Ridge said Hope believed that Deacon wanted to make amends. Steffy asked how Hope could put more faith in Deacon than in the people around her.
Brooke arrived, and Ridge and Steffy were anxious to hear if Hope had changed her mind. Brooke said she had tried to reason with Hope, but Hope still felt the same way. Brooke didn't want to draw a line in the sand and alienate yet another daughter over Deacon.
Steffy said Brooke couldn't just throw her hands up, either. Brooke had tried, but Hope was determined to believe that Deacon had changed. Steffy brought up his involvement with Sheila, and Brooke stated that it was over -- or so Deacon had said. Steffy said that if Brooke couldn't make headway, then Liam could talk Hope out of the insanity. "He has to," Steffy concluded.
Brooke stated that she'd warned Hope that Liam might not go along with it. Steffy asked if that meant Hope had made the decision without Liam. Brooke explained that it was personal for Hope. Ridge said it was about all of them, not just Hope. Ridge and Steffy doubted Liam would be okay with Hope "throwing this guy into all our faces." That was what worried Brooke.
Steffy knew that Liam didn't want to tell Hope what to do, but Steffy asserted that he had to. It was too important. Ridge and Steffy agreed that Hope was putting a lot at risk, like the kids and her marriage. Brooke wasn't worried that Hope would endanger the kids, but Brooke did think it could cause problems for Hope and Liam's marriage.
At Forrester, Finn arrived to take Steffy to lunch at Il Giardino, but she had a meeting with Thomas. Finn complained that he'd be lonely, but Steffy was sure he'd chat up somebody. Steffy appreciated that Finn was taking her warnings about Sheila seriously. He understood and was glad he'd at least gotten to meet his birth mother. He was curious about who his father was.
Steffy didn't think it was a good idea to consult Sheila about it. Finn didn't intend to, but he wondered if his father knew about him, if he had also given Finn up, or if his birth father was just as bad as Sheila. Steffy believed Sheila probably had taken advantage of Finn's birth father, and Steffy offered to hire someone to do some digging about it. Finn agreed to think about it.
Later, Thomas and Steffy breezed through their meeting, and he advised her to catch up with Finn for lunch. Steffy figured she should go to the commissary and eat at her desk, but Thomas prevailed in talking her into getting some alone time with her husband outside of work and their busy schedules. He offered to handle a meeting Steffy had coming up, and she left.
At Il Giardino, Jack approached Sheila's table, and she asked why he'd wanted to see her. Jack was there to thank Sheila for keeping their secret. For Sheila, it was a pleasant change to be appreciated instead of attacked. Sheila figured Li wouldn't take it so well that Jack had had an affair and conned her into adopting his biological son.
Sheila spotted Finn at the entrance. Jack didn't want Finn to see them, but she eagerly approached Finn, who was on a call with the hospital. The host called Finn and took him to his table. Sheila followed him, and he asked what she was doing there. She said she was also having lunch. She promised she hadn't followed him and said she'd be gone before Steffy arrived.
Finn conveyed that he was solo. Sheila asked to join him. She wasn't above begging if that was what it would take. Finn agreed to let her sit for a moment. Sheila couldn't tell him what it meant to her. She was impressed with the man Finn had become and often reminded herself to let go of her regrets because giving him up for adoption had been best for him.
It affected Finn to hear that Sheila regretted giving him up. Sheila wished she could have raised him. He asked why she hadn't and assumed it had been due to his biological father. Finn knew that she might not be ready to talk about it, but he was curious. He asked if his biological parents had loved each other.
Finn had wondered about his biological father. Sheila hadn't been the woman he'd imagined, but it had been good to know her and hear her voice. He'd like to meet his biological father. "Unless, I mean, I -- I already have," Finn said.
Finn had noticed the way Sheila had looked at Deacon and wondered if Deacon could be Finn's father. Sheila gasped and swore that wasn't the case. Finn asked who it was. He was thankful to know Sheila, but he was ready for the full story. He asked her to say who his father was. He wanted the truth. Sheila glanced at Jack, who was peeking around a corner, watching them at the entrance.
At Brooke's house, Ridge was ready to go on down to the cabin and said it was why they'd arrived home in the middle of the day. Brooke was skittish about it. She didn't want to barge in. She preferred to wait to see if Liam could get through to Hope. Ridge was okay with that but wondered how they could stand by and let Deacon back into Hope's life.
Brooke couldn't dictate to her daughter, who was a grown woman. Ridge put hope into Liam's ability to get through to Hope, but Brooke feared what it would do to that marriage if Liam couldn't. Brooke thought the main piece of the puzzle was whether Deacon was really still harmful. If Hope didn't think so, she'd fight for Deacon's place in her family.
Ridge said it seemed selfish and asked where it left Brooke. Ridge professed love for Hope, and he was happy that Hope was there; however, that didn't mean they needed to take a trip down memory lane. For Ridge, some people needed to stay in the past where they belonged.
Ridge noted that Liam and Hope were finally happy and where they wanted to be. Stroking Brooke's face, Ridge said it would be okay. Ridge believed that Liam and Hope would work it out, and they wouldn't let Deacon get in the way of their relationship.
In Brooke's cabin, Hope stood firm on her decision about Deacon and asked Liam to say that he understood. Liam was reluctant about it, but Hope claimed to know what she was doing. She wanted her father in her life. He said it wasn't just her life. It was his life and their family's life.
Liam empathized with Hope because meeting his father and forging a relationship had changed his life. Hope said he didn't want the same for her. Liam claimed Bill had changed his life for the better and opened up opportunities. "It gave me you," he said. Liam asked what connecting with Deacon would give Hope except heartache. Hope thought she deserved to know the man behind the letters.
Liam told Hope that anyone could say anything in a letter. Hope turned her head. Liam noted that their life was great, and he asked if she really wanted to bring Deacon in, knowing what he'd done and who he'd hurt. Liam asked if she was sure that was the best thing for their family at that time. Hope asked if Liam didn't trust her instincts.
Liam admired Hope's ability to always see the good in someone, but it was Deacon. Liam couldn't pretend he wasn't concerned about what it would do to their life and what message it would send to the kids if they saw her in pain after her decision to let Deacon in. Liam felt that it was probably what would happen. Hope asked if Liam was refusing to accept her decision.
Hope decided that she and Liam shouldn't talk about it anymore. She had to get to work, and she didn't want them dwelling on it throughout the day. She preferred that they focus on their blessings. She believed that if they did that, it would work out.
