At Brooke's house, Brooke fretted about whether she'd made a mistake in letting Ridge go. Deacon reasoned that Ridge hadn't behaved like a prince. Deacon believed that Ridge had overreacted and had jumped onto the other team at the most vulnerable time in Brooke's life.
Hope and Liam arrived, and Deacon said Brooke was having a rough day. Brooke stated that she no longer recognized herself. Hope thought Brooke needed outside help, but Brooke said she was attending her meetings and seeing her therapist. Liam added that Brooke was also sober. Confident that Ridge would come to his senses, Hope urged Brooke to stop worrying herself sick about the problem. Brooke expressed that it was too late to fix it, but Deacon reasoned that being in Hope's life again had taught him that it was never too late.
Later, Deacon had gone to work. Hope and Liam asked Brooke if Deacon had added to Brooke's anxiety. Brooke didn't see Deacon as the problem, but Liam reasoned that time alone with Deacon shouldn't be on the "menu" if Brooke wanted to reconcile with Ridge. Although Hope was sure Deacon was merely being supportive, she advised Brooke to keep her distance.
Brooke replied that she hadn't invited Deacon there. He'd just shown up the way he had that horrible night. Brooke asked why she hadn't controlled herself and why she'd let another man sleep in her husband's bed. Nothing had happened, but something dark and sinister had taken Brooke over. "I let it win," Brooke stated, and she insisted on taking responsibility.
Hope believed Brooke had been taking responsibility all along. Liam reasoned that Brooke had taken a little too much blame and had cut herself zero slack. Brooke replied that all she'd done had been to hurt Ridge, and she'd taken it too far. She'd thrown her marriage vows "to hell." She asked if she'd done it because she'd wanted to kiss Deacon and drink. She said she hadn't wanted those things. All she wanted was Ridge. She needed to figure out how to get him to understand.
Outside the door of the design office, Steffy listened in on Thomas' phone call. During the call, Thomas asked to meet the caller somewhere to talk. Unbeknownst to Steffy, the caller was Sheila, who was saying that it wasn't a good idea to be seen in public. Not wanting him at her hotel, Sheila agreed to meet him in an alley outside Il Giardino.
After the call, Steffy entered the office and asked what was going on. Thomas claimed to be fine and not in the mood. She said he was acting strangely, but he quipped that she'd been saying that since they'd been kids. She remarked upon his intense phone conversation, and he accused her of eavesdropping. Becoming worried, Steffy asked him to say what was wrong.
Thomas asked Steffy not to worry about him, but she didn't get why he was behaving so intensely. She believed he should be as happy as she was about their family. Thomas replied that it wasn't that simple. Steffy said it wasn't rainbows and butterflies, but it felt like a miracle to have their family back together. "Yeah, something like that," Thomas murmured.
Thomas promised Steffy that he was doing all he could to keep their family safe and happy. Glad to hear it, Steffy said he was as loyal to the family as anyone. He didn't want her worrying about his loyalty. He stated that he needed to meet someone. Thomas left the office, and after a few moments, Steffy decided to follow him.
In Sheila's hotel room, Sheila thought back to the time she'd met Brooke, and she recalled when Brooke had admitted that she didn't like Sheila, who was incapable of change. Sheila also recalled when Brooke had told Sheila to stay away from Eric. Lastly, Sheila flashed back to the argument that she and Brooke had had at Il Giardino before New Year's Eve.
To Sheila's surprise, Finn arrived, saying he'd wanted to check up on Sheila. "Check up on me?" she asked. He replied that he wanted to believe she wasn't creating more problems. Sheila asked why he always thought she was up to no good. Finn revealed that he knew about the things Sheila had been saying to Taylor. Sheila guessed Taylor had filled him in.
"You know you're not supposed to just show up at her office," Finn said. Sheila reasoned that she and Taylor had a nice rapport, and Taylor had been understanding. Finn conveyed that the Forresters were his family. Sheila added that she was his family, too, but he told her that his wife still had walls up regarding Sheila. Sheila said she knew it, but Taylor had been welcoming. Sheila hoped she'd get to spend time with Finn soon.
Finn replied that it depended on Sheila and whether she could stay on the straight and narrow. Finn was counting on it. "So, please, don't let me down, Mother," he requested. Sheila conveyed that she was aware of her history with the Forresters, and she'd never forget the mistakes she'd made. She asserted that those things were behind them, and everything she did from that point on was in an effort to get closer to Finn and Hayes.
Finn stated that Steffy and Hayes were Finn's life and future. Finn felt he had to do everything he could to protect them. "By keeping me at arms' length?" she asked. Finn replied that it would be that way for the time being, but if she was truly reformed, he could ask Steffy to lighten her position, "because I would really like to get to know my birth mother." Sheila said she'd disappointed him enough, and he'd never hear anything disappointing about her again.
In the alley behind Il Giardino, Sheila arrived, and Thomas grumbled that she was late. Sheila replied that her son had visited her, and she hadn't been about to rush Finn off. Sheila claimed everything she'd done had been for Finn, and if Brooke hadn't vowed to keep Sheila from Finn and Hayes, Sheila never would have set Brooke up. To Sheila, Ridge and Taylor's reunion had been icing on the cake, and she rejoiced that the two were almost a couple again.
Thomas frowned, replying that his father was living in the guesthouse. Sheila reasoned that it would make things more meaningful when Ridge and Taylor were ready to take things to the next level. Thomas stated that Ridge was torn and loved Taylor and Brooke. Sheila replied that Ridge was under Brooke's spell, and it was time to break that cycle. Thomas wanted what was best for his father, but he didn't know how much longer he could keep the secret under wraps.
Sheila urged Thomas to keep "our" secret. Thomas said it was her secret, but she insisted that they were in it together. In her mind, it was a win-win for her and Thomas; however, he said what she'd done had been messed up. Sheila quipped that he wasn't innocent. Thomas admitted that he'd made mistakes in the past, and that was why he didn't want to let his family down again.
Sheila implied that it would happen if he allowed Brooke back into Ridge's life. Sheila asked where the harm was in letting Taylor and Ridge experience a new beginning. Sheila added that Finn wanted her to have a role in his life after the many years they'd been kept apart. Sheila urged him to see that it was a once-in-a-lifetime gift, and she implored him to do it for his entire family. "You be the hero," Sheila reasoned.
At the bar inside the restaurant, Deacon's curiosity was piqued when Steffy approached, asking if Deacon had seen Thomas. Deacon hadn't, but after he strode off, the bartender, who'd recognized Steffy, said he'd just seen her brother in the alley while he'd been taking out the trash. Steffy flashed a look of disbelief. The bartender said he didn't know what Thomas was doing back there or if he was still there.
Steffy thanked the bartender and sneaked out the back door of the restaurant. She hid behind some pallets and spied Thomas talking to Sheila. "What the hell, Thomas?" Steffy murmured, determined to find out what was going on.
In the alley behind Il Giardino, Steffy hid behind some pallets and watched Sheila and Thomas, who seemed to be in an intense conversation. Vowing to find out "what the hell" was going on, Steffy silently slipped back into the building.
Across the alley, Sheila urged Thomas to remain silent for his parents' sake. Thomas stated that Sheila had triggered Brooke's relapse. Sheila said she'd stood up to Brooke, something no one else had the guts to do. "By using her addiction to alcohol against her?" he asked. Sheila griped about him thinking with his heart, not his head, and she noted that he didn't even like Brooke.
As the disagreement continued, Sheila tried to get Thomas to see that they could both win in the end, but Thomas replied that it wasn't a game. He said there was a marriage at stake, and people's lives could be changed by what Sheila had done. "Yes, and maybe for the better," Sheila responded. She felt that he should sing her praises, not rat her out to his family.
Sheila reasoned that Thomas might not have liked her methods, but he couldn't deny her results. Thomas asked if he was supposed to be eternally grateful. She quipped that he should be, but right then, she wanted him to tell her how much more disrespect his family should take. She asked him to help her to free Ridge from Brooke once and for all.
At the cliff house later, Steffy was home in a fresh set of clothes. She was home early, and Finn was disappointed that he hadn't had time to surprise her with dinner. He asked if something was going on. Steffy said she wasn't sure what it was, but it had to do with Thomas and Sheila. In Steffy's view, Thomas wasn't as happy about what was going on with their family as she felt he should be, and she'd learned that he'd met up with Sheila.
Finn asked how Steffy knew about the meeting, and Steffy explained that she'd followed Thomas to Il Giardino after overhearing him on a cryptic phone call. Finn suggested that Thomas and Sheila had coincidentally encountered each other at the restaurant, but Steffy conveyed that the pair had been in the alley behind the restaurant. "That's weird," Finn said.
Steffy said Thomas couldn't stand Sheila, but he'd been there alone with her. Steffy wondered what Thomas had needed to talk to Sheila about and what was going on between them.
In the CEO's office, Ridge couldn't figure out what was lacking on a gown a model was wearing. From the doorway, Eric suggested that Ridge accessorize it with a belt. As the model left, she thanked Eric. Ridge gave a quizzical look, and Eric said the model had been a little flirty. He joked that they shouldn't tell Quinn because she'd have the model's job over it.
Ridge asked how Quinn and Eric were. Eric said they were fine, and he asked how Ridge had been since he'd moved away from Brooke. Eric figured Ridge was still in Steffy's guesthouse, and Eric said it probably meant a lot to Ridge's kids and Taylor to have Ridge there. Agreeing, Ridge remarked that Taylor had always been like an oasis to him.
Eric said that Taylor was a wonderful woman, and Ridge recalled that Taylor was the woman that Stephanie had selected for him. "But we all know that Brooke is the woman for you," Eric replied. Eric hated what it was doing to Brooke and Ridge, but Eric lent his support to Ridge, no matter what Ridge decided.
Ridge was grateful for it, but he didn't know how objective Eric could be. Eric claimed to have the same affection for Taylor as he did for Brooke. Ridge said they were very different women and brought different things to his life.
Eric wanted Ridge to remember that. Eric stated that Ridge could be a loving, supportive, attentive father and grandfather. "You can do all that and still go back to Brooke," Eric concluded. Ridge thanked Eric for his advice. Ridge knew that Eric always wanted the best for Ridge. "I do, but I will always believe that Brooke is absolutely your destiny," Eric responded.
At Brooke's house with Hope, Brooke continued to berate herself for what she'd done on New Year's Eve. Hope tried to explain that Ridge understood that alcohol had played a role, but Brooke asked how she could expect Ridge to believe her when she couldn't believe herself. She had a history of doing it to Ridge. "If I could just figure out what cost me my sobriety. If I could just find that trigger, then maybe me and Ridge could have a chance," Brooke said.
Brooke asserted that she never learned, and it was no wonder Stephanie had been leery of Brooke, who'd torn through Stephanie's family. "Ridge, Eric, Thorne. I can understand why she had so much contempt for me," Brooke stated. She flashed back to Stephanie telling her that evil didn't triumph over good. Brooke was sure Stephanie would be mad at Brooke for letting Ridge down again, and Brooke didn't even know why she'd done it.
Hope tried to get her mother to go for a walk, but Brooke was fixated on memories of Stephanie, who'd known Brooke would keep hurting Ridge if Stephanie didn't stop Brooke. Brooke flashed back again to the argument with Stephanie in which Stephanie had said Brooke was finally finished, and Stephanie had won. Brooke said Stephanie had known Brooke better than Brooke knew herself. Brooke had given up the best man in the world due to that one night.
Brooke asked why she'd hurt Ridge again like that. At first, there had been Bill and then Deacon. Brooke asked what was wrong with her. She said she had a serious character flaw. She said Stephanie had seen it, and it had been why Stephanie had tried to get rid of Brooke.
Brooke said that Ridge was finally free of her. She'd promised to make the divorce easy. She didn't know why she'd said it because she didn't want that. She didn't want a divorce or to spend one more day without him.
Just then, Ridge arrived. "Tell him what's in your heart," Hope said and walked out through the terrace. Brooke told Ridge, "I can't eat. I can't sleep. I can't do anything without you, Ridge. I made a mistake sending you over to Taylor's and Steffy's. I never should have let you walk out that door. But I did. But it's not what I want. I want to be able to work through this, and I believe it's something that maybe we can do together. I need you to come home. Come back to me Ridge. Come home," she said.
At the cliff house, Steffy and Finn tried to figure out why Thomas would have been meeting with Sheila in an alley behind Il Giardino. Steffy told Finn that Thomas had been acting "strange" in recent days and that he had been dodging her questions about his behavior. Steffy worried that Thomas had gotten himself into some sort of trouble.
Finn wondered if Thomas' behavior had something to do with a fear that Taylor and Ridge's reunion was "too good to be true" and could somehow fall apart. He also suggested that Thomas might have met with Sheila to put Sheila on notice before she attempted to interfere in Ridge and Taylor's relationship. Finn stated that Sheila had been on her best behavior of late, and he did not see her risking the progress she had made.
Later, Finn and Steffy adjourned to the bedroom. Finn told Steffy that he had been waiting for "a night like this" for a long time. He praised her strength, sensitivity, and sexiness. "You have brought so much into my life, and I am looking forward to a long and happy future with you," Finn said softly. They kissed passionately before falling into bed and making love.
In the executive office at Forrester Creations, Thomas pulled out his mobile phone and looked at both Sheila and Ridge's entries on his speed dial list. As he stood transfixed by his phone, Taylor entered the office and asked her son if he'd like to join her for lunch. Thomas hurriedly tucked his phone away, leading Taylor to ask Thomas if something was bothering him.
Thomas insisted that Taylor did not need to worry about him. He eventually confessed to being "a little worried" that Taylor and Ridge's reunion might not stick -- especially since that had been the case in the past. Taylor understood Thomas' concern. Noting that she and Ridge shared a "special bond," Taylor shared that she had not expected that her return would result in a renewed relationship with Ridge.
"Dad gives you the kind of love and fulfillment that you deserve," Thomas said. Taylor told Thomas that "with everything that is going on with Brooke," she did not want to admit that she wanted a second chance at a life with Ridge.
"You said that we could get through anything -- for better or for worse," Brooke noted as Ridge paced around the foyer of her home. Ridge acknowledged that he had made that vow, but he reminded Brooke that there were other vows that they had both made. Ridge didn't explicitly mention any specific vows, but Brooke appeared to know immediately what he was referring to.
Rather than point fingers, Ridge stated that he had dropped by to make sure that Brooke was not drinking. Brooke told Ridge that letting him go was the "worst mistake" of her life, and she asked that he return home to be her husband. "You want me to come home?" Ridge asked. Brooke laughed as she thought about how she had "set [Ridge] free." She told Ridge that she loved him and repeated her request that he return home.
Brooke talked of the "amazing, wonderful, exciting, yet sometimes painful road" they had traveled together. She hoped that Ridge was still committed to continuing the journey with her. Ridge dodged the question by repeating that he had only dropped by to make sure that Brooke was not drinking. Brooke questioned how Ridge could question her love for him. She vowed to wait as long as it took for Ridge to return to her. "Because I will always love you, and I know you will always love me, too," Brooke said.
Brooke started to walk away. As she passed by Ridge, he latched on to her arm and prevented her from leaving. "You're right," he said softly as Brooke turned to face him. "I will always love you." He and Brooke embraced. Brooke closed her eyes as she let out a deep sigh, tears streaming down her cheek.
This episode included the song "Reverie" by Marcus Eaton.
Due to news coverage, The Bold and the Beautiful did not air. This was not a planned preemption, but there were no "lost" episodes. The episode originally scheduled to air was broadcast on Friday, March 25.
At Brooke's house in the evening, a rose wilted on the bar. Hope had just put Brooke's dinner in the oven to keep warm. Brooke said it was nice of Hope to bring dinner. Brooke expressed her wish that things were different with Ridge. Hope replied that Brooke and Ridge were communicating, and he'd said he'd always love Brooke. Brooke figured that it had to be enough for the time being.
Hope decided that she had to get back to the kids and Liam. Brooke admitted that she didn't like to be alone with an empty house and a full mind. Hope reminded Brooke that she was loved and suggested that Brooke take comfort in all the loves she'd had in the past. Before leaving, Hope said that the nice thing about memories was that they were there when one needed them.
Brooke picked up a withered rose petal and thought of Ridge dropping petals down her fountain outside when he'd returned home from Paris. Brooke settled down to sleep on the sofa.
Brooke awakened and saw Eric beside her, pouring tea. She said she'd thought she'd been alone. Eric replied that she'd never be alone, and he let her know that he'd never stopped caring about her. He asked if it had really been 35 years. He said they'd had a wonderful time. She recalled that they'd raised two children together and made a beautiful family. Eric added that they'd made a beautiful couple.
A sultry version of the show's theme music played over flashbacks of Brooke and Eric's courtship. Clips of their wedding and balloon ride to the tent appeared on the screen. Eric stated that he'd always cherish their time together, even though he knew where her true destiny lay. "To know you, Brooke, is to know beauty and to know class. And most of all, it's to know love," he concluded.
Later, a living pink rosebud appeared on the bar beside Brooke's tablet, which displayed an alert that it had a new memory. On it was a photo of Brooke and Ridge in Italy. Brooke grinned, and from the corner of the room, Thorne said he knew that smile. She was amazed to see him in her living room.
Thorne wished he could make Brooke smile that way, but he got that the smile was only reserved for his brother. Brooke showed Thorne what was on the tablet, a picture of herself and Ridge. Thorne joked about the device showing one things that one hadn't seen in ages. He wondered what the point of anything was without memories. He felt that memories had saved him. At least that was how he felt when he thought of his relationship with Brooke.
A flashback played of Thorne and Brooke touring Italy. In it, Thorne said he wanted to feel that way for the rest of his life, and he wanted their adventure to go on forever. After the flashback, Thorne expressed that he'd been lucky to be loved by her. He said that Stephanie had had choice words for Brooke, but in the end, Stephanie had realized that Brooke was just a girl from the valley who followed her heart. Thorne said they all knew where Brooke's heart led her.
Later, Brooke heard a ship horn. She rushed downstairs and saw her terrace curtains blowing in the wind. A bright light appeared behind them, and in walked Nick in a captain's uniform. She said he looked amazing, and he told her that he'd worn it at their wedding. Brooke said she'd been thinking about him and had read wonderful things about him in the press.
Nick said he had been thinking about Brooke, too. He said she looked good, and he wondered if she was alone. When she affirmed it, he replied that she was never good at being alone. She told him that she was getting better. Nick hoped she knew that many people loved her. From his perspective, she'd never be alone. "The times we shared..." he said.
The song "I'm Going Back Again" played over a montage of memories shared by Brooke and Nick. After it ended, Nick said he'd been thinking about the journey of life and the times when one felt lost on the open water, without a compass or star. He said that to him, time with Brooke had always felt like clear skies, and the love and joy that she radiated were like beacons for the soul. "You guide us all home. I'm here for you always," Nick told her.
Later, Brooke sat alone thinking. "Ma chère!" she heard Bill say from the staircase. Surprised, Brooke said she'd thought she'd been alone. He responded that she wasn't because he'd always be there for her. He stated that it wasn't "her" to be alone, and he offered to have the Stella Maris fueled and crewed for Monaco. Brooke was sure he could do it. "But you know I can't, Bill," she stated.
Bill replied that he knew it, but he said they had had epic times together. On the screen played flashbacks of Brooke and Bill on his boat and in the Middle East. Bill loved that Brooke had loved him for himself. She hadn't judged him or tried to change him. He stated that he wouldn't change a thing about her, either. "How could I? How could any of us?" he asked.
Brooke turned and saw that Eric, Thorne, and Nick were there, too, and Bill stood by them. She thanked all the men for being there, helping her to not feel alone; however, there was really just one thing she wanted to hear.
"Logan," Ridge called from the doorway. The other men disappeared, and Ridge asked if Brooke really thought she'd make it through the night without him. "You're unforgettable," he said, reaching for her hand. The song "Unforgettable" played. Brooke spun around in a red dress, and she and Ridge danced in the living room. Her pink rose was in full bloom.
"Thirty-five years...only getting stronger," Ridge uttered, swaying with Brooke in his arms, declaring, "This romance is gonna last forever." They said that they loved each other, and they kissed.
This episode featured the song "Going Back Again" by Jack Wagner.
