Days of our Lives Recap, August 13, 2025: Chad asks Cat about 'James'

On Days of our Lives today, Wednesday, August 13, 2025, EJ questions Marlena’s intentions, Javi has questions of his own, and Arianna and Sophia reconnect, as do Tate and Holly.

What Happened on Days of our Lives

At Rafe’s house, Javi arrived home with Tesoro. Rafe was busy making a family recipe in the kitchen, and the cousins lightly joked about Rafe’s culinary skills. Javi received a text from Leo informing him that Leo was being sequestered for the remainder of the trial. Javi’s eyes popped when he saw the pages-long list of items Leo wanted dropped off at the hotel. Arianna came downstairs and declined Rafe’s invitation for food, since she was meeting with her friend Sophia.

Javi clarified with Arianna that it was the same Sophia he had met. He seemed taken aback to learn from Ari that Sophia had recently given her baby away. Javi mentioned that he had run into Sophia and her mother earlier in the day. Sophia’s mom hadn’t seemed enthused by the idea of Tesoro having more than one foster dad. Ari explained Mrs. Choi was “traditional” in her values, but as a fellow member of the “two dads club,” Ari would say something to the woman if she had disrespected Javi.

Javi assured Ari that Mrs. Choi had kept her opinions to herself, but he appreciated the support. After Ari left, Rafe asked Javi why he was staring at the baby. Javi told Rafe about Mrs. Choi’s comment concerning Tesoro’s looks. It had made him theorize that Tesoro might be at least partially Asian. He further confided that – if not for his certainty that Sophia had still been pregnant when Tesoro was born – he might believe that Tesoro belonged to Sophia.

Javi had a better understanding of why Sophia had reacted so strongly to Tesoro. She had been reminded of her own baby. Rafe empathized because he’d felt the same way when he’d given up Jordan’s child, David. “But it’s nothing compared to what you went through,” Rafe said to Javi. “It never goes away, does it?” Rafe added; Javi nodded and said "it" seemed like a lifetime ago.

In Horton Town Square, Tate and Holly laughed about their biking routine. Sophia watched sadly from a distance. Later, Sophia and Ari met up for a shopping spree. Sophia balked, though, when Ari suggested they stop by Sweet Bits for a quick bite to eat. She claimed her hesitance was because she wanted to lose pregnancy weight. Ari reassured Sophia that she looked amazing for just having had a baby, and Sophia would be back to her normal self in no time.

Sophia wasn’t confident about Ari’s assertion. She confessed that nothing had turned out the way she had expected. Ari realized Sophia was referencing her hopes for a relationship with Tate and gently said she believed Tate and Holly were fully back together. Ari had noticed their strong bond when Tate had rescued Holly and her. Sophia mused that Tate and Holly had been in the process of reuniting while she had been giving birth to his baby.

“The thing is…” Sophia trailed off. Ari asked for elaboration, and Sophia claimed she had just wanted to express regret for not being around for support when the kidnapping had happened. Arianna said her ordeal was nothing compared to Sophia making the difficult choice to give her baby up for adoption. She thought about Sophia every time she looked at Tesoro. The baby’s name made Sophia tense, especially after Ari disclosed that the baby’s foster dad, Javi, was her cousin.

As Ari gushed about Tesoro, Sophia wistfully agreed that the baby was adorable. Ari encouraged Sophia to put herself back out there with dating again, since plenty of guys would want to date her. Sophia opened up about her disappointment in attending Salem U instead of her dream school, the University of Chicago. Her outlook improved when Ari revealed that she, too, had been accepted to Salem U. The girls hugged, happy they would be going to school together again.

At Marlena’s place, Tate told Holly they had the place to themselves. They could both take separate showers. Later, a towel-clad Holly waited in Tate’s bedroom. Tate, draped in his own towel, entered the room and complimented Holly on her beauty. He couldn’t believe they were finally together after everything that had happened.

“There’s a way we can prove it to ourselves,” Holly suggested. Catching her meaning, Tate asked, “Do you want to?” Holly nodded, kissed Tate, and their towels soon dropped to the floor. They moved their activities to the bed.

Later, the couple admitted how much they had missed each other and promised they would never be apart again. They resumed said activities, but the intimate moment was interrupted by Belle. She made a quick exit, and a mortified Tate rushed after her. He assured Belle that he had been “safe” with Holly. Belle suggested – given her own experience – that Tate choose a different location for his private activities next time.

The awkward exchange ended with Tate thanking Belle for her discretion and Belle leaving. Holly joined Tate in the living room. The teens agreed that while the incident had been embarrassing, they couldn’t wait until they could be together again.

At Cat’s apartment, Chad awoke from his nap on the couch. Cat approached and revealed that both Felicity and she were feeling “much better, thanks to you.” Chad smiled and gave a thumbs-up. Cat referred to their current set-up as a “sick bed-and-breakfast” and thanked Chad for watching over her and her sister. Chad said fate had brought them together, just as it had in the elevator. “And like it has now,” Cat added with a small smile.

Chad suggested Cat eat something, since she hadn’t consumed much the previous night. Cat only remembered being “delirious” and asking Chad if she had kissed him. When Chad asked her what she thought the “dream” had meant, she dismissed it as "random" and “meaningless.” Cat walked the statement back and stuttered that she didn’t mean to sound dismissive of the “fever dream.” He was a friend, and she hadn’t wanted to make him uncomfortable.

Chad gave a vague response and suddenly asked if it was “hot” in the room. Cat worried she had gotten him sick. When she took his temperature, her fears were confirmed. She apologized, but Chad blew it off and said he’d stay at a hotel for a few days. Cat wouldn’t hear of it and pledged he would stay there so she could take care of him like he had taken care of her.

Later, Chad called Julie and updated her on the latest developments. He thanked her and ended the call, relieved that she hadn’t been too hard on him for staying at Cat’s place. Chad requested Cat stop apologizing, and she agreed, then went to prepare her brother’s room for him. When Cat stepped away, Chad heard a knock at the door. It was Rafe.

By the time Chad got to the door, however, Rafe was gone. He had left behind a container of soup with a note attached. It read, “Get well soon, James.”

Chad returned inside with the soup, and Cat and he shared the meal. Chad remarked that his friend Gabi made a soup exactly like it. He asked about James. Cat lied that “James” was an ex who had been trying to win her back. They’d gone out a few times, and she would see where it led.

Chad said he hoped it worked out for her. Cat’s smile faded after Chad looked away. Meanwhile, Rafe returned home from his soup drop-off, and Javi chided him about his mystery woman. Rafe insisted the woman was just a colleague and went upstairs to check on Tesoro.

Javi got a payphone call from Leo. The couple bantered about Leo's hotel essentials being akin to “Kim Kardashian’s Christmas list.”

At the courthouse, Belle and Marlena chatted about the trial. Belle asked how Marlena’s hypnosis session with EJ had gone, but Marlena insisted she couldn’t talk about it. EJ strolled up mid-conversation and told Marlena she was free to talk, as he was waiving doctor-patient confidentiality. He also served Marlena with a subpoena to testify.

After EJ explained his memory about the shooter being a “she,” Belle questioned to Marlena whether EJ’s recollection had been authentic. Marlena believed it had been. EJ expressed frustration that he still couldn’t remember the shooter’s actual identity. Marlena suggested that perhaps EJ’s memory was blocked because he knew the shooter well and had “significant” involvement with her.

“So, he’s subconsciously trying to protect someone?” Belle inquired. Marlena considered it a possibility, but she didn’t think her testimony would even be admissible in court. EJ persisted that he would use every tool in his power to save his son. “And I get to try to impeach my own mother’s testimony,” Belle sarcastically added. EJ believed Marlena’s testimony could exonerate Johnny, provided Belle’s cross-examination didn’t “ruin” it.

Belle let EJ’s comment slide and left to prepare for the trial. Before EJ could depart as well, Marlena stopped him and surprised EJ when she thanked him for handling Rachel so “gently” on the stand. EJ pledged he would never hurt his niece, and he gave his own thanks to Marlena for agreeing to help him with hypnotherapy. After EJ asked about another session, though, Marlena gave him a more unpleasant surprise by declining to hypnotize him again.

Marlena claimed another session wouldn’t be worthwhile because her upcoming testimony should be enough to create reasonable doubt. EJ protested that he still didn’t know who shot him. He wondered if Marlena had another reason for not wanting him to remember. He pondered aloud if the shooter could have been “Samantha.”

Marlena said she didn’t think Sami had shot EJ and promptly excused herself. Confused, EJ arrived at another startling possibility: “It couldn’t be Belle, could it?”

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