At Eric's house, Eric was adamant about telling Quinn about the breakthrough he'd had with Donna. Brooke was worried that Quinn would go off on Donna. He promised to make sure Quinn knew that Donna had done nothing wrong. Brooke figured it wouldn't matter to Quinn because she got things stuck in her head when she felt wronged. Brooke felt that Donna was a lover, not a fighter, but Quinn could go off on people and be dangerous. Eric assured Brooke that it would be okay, and Brooke left.
At Forrester, Quinn shoved a chair at Donna's knees, pinning her against the desk. Frightened, Donna said she didn't want to fight and didn't know what Quinn was thinking. Quinn had heard Eric and Brooke and had surmised that Donna was going after Eric. Quinn ordered Donna to back off, or Quinn would make sure Eric never heard from Donna again.
Donna wanted to go back to her desk, but Quinn kept blocking the path to the door. Quinn refused to let Donna disrespect her marriage or make moves on her husband. Donna admitted that she and Eric had shared a hug. Quinn rolled the chair away, and Donna posted herself behind the desk. Quinn figured it had been some hug.
Donna could see how Quinn might be hurt by Eric responding to another woman. Quinn accused Donna of thinking she could have anything or anyone she wanted. Quinn believed the Logan sisters looked down on her as if they'd never done anything regretful. Quinn claimed she'd owned up to her mistakes, and those mistakes didn't justify Donna going after Eric.
Donna tried to say that wasn't it, but Quinn figured it irked Donna that Eric had chosen to be saddled for life with "a piece of trash like me." Donna replied that she'd never called Quinn that. Quinn thought it was written on Donna's face. Quinn belittled Donna for being the sweet Logan, the good one who balanced out the arrogance and entitlement of the other two. Quinn figured that Donna let her sisters do her dirty work while Donna waited for her chance to pounce.
Donna insisted that Quinn wasn't being fair. Quinn refused to let Donna steal Quinn's husband, and Quinn would do everything she had to do to protect her marriage, even if it meant eliminating Donna from their lives forever. Quinn left, and Donna sobbed.
Later, Brooke arrived. She started talking about Eric. Upset, Donna stated that she'd said she didn't want to get between Quinn and him. Brooke sensed something had happened. "Quinn happened. She was here. And she knows," Donna said.
Donna concluded that something was seriously wrong with that woman, who'd shown up with her crazy eyes. Donna revealed that Quinn had pinned Donna against the desk with a chair and had ranted about the Logans. Brooke asked how Quinn knew, and Donna revealed that Quinn had overheard Brooke and Eric talking the previous night.
Back at the mansion, Quinn arrived in a disquieting mood, and Eric asked what was wrong. She asked when he'd planned to tell her about him and Donna. Quinn revealed that she'd overheard him and Brooke talking. Quinn seemed hurt that he couldn't with her but he could with Donna Logan. Eric was sorry about how Quinn had found out. He'd planned to tell her himself that day.
Quinn thought it was significant that he'd felt something with Donna. Quinn was happy for him and had begun to realize that his problem had been about her. She believed that it would happen between them again, but she needed to understand what had gone on with Donna.
Eric said it had been innocent. Quinn found it hard to believe and said Donna was in love with him. Eric knew that. He said Donna had been concerned about him, and he'd held her. It hadn't been sexual. It had been about history and friendship.
Quinn remembered when it had first happened; Eric had wanted to go straight to the bedroom. "That was about Donna," Quinn said. Eric claimed that it had been about him and Quinn. He'd wanted sex with Quinn, and he stated that Donna had done nothing wrong.
Quinn yelled that Donna and her sisters had been attacking Quinn's marriage from the start, and Quinn had had to bite her tongue because of the high esteem he held them in. Quinn didn't ever want to see Donna's face again. Quinn didn't want him to be around Donna ever again except to tell Donna to clean out her desk and never set foot in Forrester or the mansion.
Eric said Quinn was overreacting. Quinn disagreed that she was overreacting after what Donna had done. Quinn screamed that she needed Eric to respect her and honor her. She said that if he thought their marriage had a chance, he had to tell Donna to get out of Forrester and their lives forever.
At Il Giardino, Katie noted that Carter was holding her hand. He thought it was a nice, soft hand. He asked if it was okay, and Katie said she didn't mind a bit. Their meals arrived, and the topic turned back to the question of how Carter would feel if Quinn became available.
Katie thought Carter deserved better than Quinn. He deserved someone who appreciated him and would always put him first. Katie knew that his feelings for Quinn ran deep. He replied that he would have walked away and never looked back if Quinn had gone with him. Instead, she'd gone back to Eric. He didn't know what he was supposed to do with that. Katie asked if Carter was saying he wouldn't be with Quinn even if he had the chance.
Carter was glad that he and Katie, who'd known each other for so long, had finally truly conversed. He'd never thought Bill had been worthy of her. Carter thought highly of Katie, the accomplished businesswoman. She was warm, funny, open, and honest. She was also vulnerable, and he didn't know where her strength came from. He knew she'd felt she'd been in Brooke and Donna's shadows, "but I see you."
Katie said the feeling was mutual. Carter didn't think she needed to say that. Katie didn't know how she couldn't notice the most eligible bachelor Forrester had ever seen, and it baffled her that he was unattached. He wanted to change that and find a woman he could build a future with. Carter was looking forward, and he saw good things ahead. Katie did, too.
At Eric's house, Quinn was distraught that Eric's breakthrough had happened with Donna. Believing that Donna was trying to sabotage Quinn's marriage, Quinn asserted that if Eric respected Quinn and their marriage, he'd fire Donna right away. Quinn needed Eric to prove that they were his priority by telling Donna that she could no longer be a part of their lives.
Later, Quinn was home alone, drinking whiskey, and she shed tears, thinking of what she'd overheard the previous night and what she'd ordered Eric to do.
At Forrester, Katie breezed into the CEO's office, where Donna and Brooke were still talking about Quinn. Katie had had a lovely lunch at Il Giardino. She noticed her sisters' moods, and Donna and Brooke updated Katie on what had gone on between Donna and Quinn. Katie asked if Donna was okay. Donna hadn't been hurt, but she'd been scared for her life and said that there was no telling what Quinn might do.
Katie believed Eric and Donna shared a connection that Quinn and Eric never would, and Brooke thanked God that Eric was realizing that he was with the wrong woman. Donna had been too afraid to allow herself to think it could happen, and she refused to interfere with his marriage. Brooke said what had happened had been innocent.
To Katie, it had been profound. It had been a sign that Eric couldn't connect with Quinn psychologically and emotionally. Brooke added that it was because Quinn had betrayed him so many times. Katie said that if he'd loved Quinn once, it was gone. Brooke believed that Donna was the person he was longing for, and Katie said Eric belonged with Donna.
Katie claimed Donna had been on the sidelines, but it was her moment. Donna wondered if that marriage could really be over. It was the first time she'd had a glimmer of hope that she and Eric could be together. Katie and Brooke urged Donna to have faith that it would happen.
Eric arrived and asked for a moment alone with Donna. Brooke and Katie exited. Donna told Eric that Quinn knew about what had happened. Donna was sorry that Brooke had gone to his house and that Quinn had overheard the way she had. Donna insisted that she'd never interfere in his marriage and that it had just been an innocent hug that had triggered the unexpected.
Eric said he had spoken to Quinn, and she didn't believe it had been innocent. Eric explained that he had done some self-examination about his life and how he would be moving forward. He said that Donna knew what she meant to him, and she'd brought him back to life. He felt whole again and reborn. He wanted her to know how much he loved her and how grateful he was.
Donna said Eric knew how she felt, too. He replied that it was why he wanted to talk to Donna about their past, what they'd meant to each other, and their future.
At the cliff house, Liam and Steffy were back from a hike with Kelly, and Amelia had taken Steffy's kids to the park. Steffy and Liam felt that their kids were their lives, which was why it was important to keep Deacon and Sheila out of their lives for good. Liam and Steffy were weirded out about Deacon and Sheila claiming to be in love and were convinced that it was a trick out of Sheila's playbook. That was why Steffy and Liam had to remain vigilant.
Steffy and Liam sympathized with the positions their spouses were in. Liam said cutting her father out of her life was a hard pill for Hope to swallow. Steffy said she'd probably feel the same way but would put the children first. Liam didn't want to tell Hope how to live her life or who she should associate with. Steffy wasn't enjoying doing it, either, but said they couldn't risk it. Steffy insisted that they needed to stand together and stay on high alert for their families.
In the design office, Hope ignored a text message from Deacon. Finn arrived to see Hope. She informed Finn that her father had reached out, but she hadn't responded yet. Finn said Sheila had been reaching out to him, too, and he assumed Hope knew how his wife felt about that.
Finn wished he wanted nothing to do with Sheila, but he was curious about her and about what had made her the way she was. Hope thought it was natural to feel a connection with Sheila. Finn got why people didn't trust Sheila, and he wished things were different. Having a father as the town's pariah, Hope understood and noted that Beth couldn't even meet her grandfather.
Finn said it wasn't like Hope and he were saying their parents were innocent. Hope stated that Sheila and Deacon had done it to themselves. Finn and Hope felt stuck in the middle, and their parents were complicating things even more by supposedly being in a relationship together.
Finn wanted to give his and Hope's parents the benefit of the doubt and see them happy. Hope said Sheila and Deacon appeared to want to improve themselves, but Hope wondered if they were a good influence on each other. Finn remarked that he and Hope didn't have a say in the matter, and it was possible their parents had learned from their mistakes. Hope thought it was possible, even though Sheila had big demons to overcome.
Citing Deacon, who'd said he'd walked out of his cell a new man, Finn was open to giving Deacon and Sheila the opportunity to prove themselves. Hope said she might consider it, too. Finn reminded her it wasn't just up to them. Even though Finn got Steffy's feelings, it didn't make it any easier on him, and his dream of getting to know his birth mother had gone out the window because he and Steffy functioned as a team.
Hope agreed that it was a tough situation. She wasn't proud of the choices Deacon had made, but he was still her dad. She didn't want to be an unforgiving person in his life. Ridge had been a good stepfather, but Deacon was her dad. She wanted to believe he'd changed.
In the corridor, Steffy was striding toward the CEO's office when she heard Finn through the open door to the design office. Finn was saying he felt comforted that Sheila and Deacon weren't alone. Finn felt bad always telling Sheila she couldn't be around. Hope admitted that it felt a little unfair that they were being forbidden from seeing their own parents.
"Excuse me, Hope? What are you saying to Finn?" Steffy asked, closing the door behind her. Finn said he and Hope were discussing their parents. Steffy cut Finn off and accused Hope of questioning why Steffy wanted Sheila out of her life. Hope said she hadn't been saying that. Steffy asserted it was her husband, her marriage, and her family. "You keep your bad advice to yourself," Steffy told Hope.
At Forrester Creations, Steffy blasted Hope for "interjecting" herself into Steffy's marriage to Finn. Hope tried to explain herself, but Steffy cut Hope off. Steffy called Deacon and Sheila "poison" and did not understand why Hope -- or anyone -- would want to bring them back into their lives. Finn suggested that Steffy was reading too much into the conversation that she'd overheard.
Hope noted that she and Finn had something in common: "Parents with very, very troubled pasts." Finn added that those parents were parents that he and Hope had been told they could not see again. Steffy remained steadfast in her belief that Finn and Hope were being used. Finn rejected Steffy's insinuation that Sheila had no legitimate feelings for him.
Steffy claimed that she was not trying to be "hard or controlling" and admitted that Finn and Hope were in difficult positions. Hope lashed out at the suggestion that she and Finn should cut their parents out of their lives forever without giving either one a chance to prove that they had changed.
Hope asked to speak to Steffy alone. Finn was reluctant to leave the two women, but he agreed to step out of the room. Before Hope could say a word, Steffy said that it was perfectly fine if Hope wanted to have a relationship with Deacon, but Steffy demanded that Hope keep Finn out of any of her plans. Hope insisted that she was not trying to interfere in Steffy and Finn's marriage.
Hope asked for time to prove whether everyone was right or wrong about Sheila and Deacon. "It's about second chances," Hope said. Steffy noted that Sheila had already been given a second chance -- and a third and fourth chance. Steffy marveled at how Sheila and Deacon's "relationship" had successfully manipulated Hope and Finn.
At Il Giardino, Katie appeared distracted as she sat across from Brooke. Eventually, Katie, who opted not to have any food, turned the conversation to Eric and Donna. Brooke hoped that Eric had decided to dump Quinn for Donna because Eric's life would be "saner" with Donna in it. Both women agreed that Quinn had gone too far by threatening Donna. They also agreed that Eric wanting to speak to Donna could only be seen as a good sign.
At the Forrester mansion, Quinn paced around the living room, waiting for Shauna to arrive. When Shauna finally arrived, Quinn told her that Eric was with Donna, "doing what [she] should have done from the start." Shauna mentioned that it had to have been painful for Quinn to know that Eric had been aroused on multiple occasions by Donna.
Quinn admitted that she was happy that Eric had had a "breakthrough" but added that Eric being aroused by a Logan woman was hard to swallow. Quinn stated that she had told Eric that Donna needed to be cut out of his life permanently. Shauna was surprised by Quinn's demand, but she said that she understood it. Shauna chided the Logans for badmouthing Quinn and Carter's relationship while all the while pulling for Donna to have a relationship with the still-married Eric. Quinn said that if Eric respected her and their marriage, Donna would be gone from their lives by the end of the day.
In the executive office at Forrester Creations, Eric told Donna that all of his troubles faded away when he was with her. "Everything's gone except how happy you make me," he beamed. Donna replied that when he was happy, she was happy. Eric shared that he'd had to tell Quinn what had happened between them, and, as Donna might have expected, Quinn had not taken it well.
Donna said she understood why Quinn had been upset. Eric again stated that he needed to tell Donna about the decision that he had made. Donna begged Eric to cut to the chase and end the suspense. Eric rewound a bit, saying that he was unable to explain to Donna what it meant to him as a man to have had "such a wonderful breakthrough" with her. He shared that it had been devastating when he had been unable to return home and make love to Quinn.
Eric said that he had never known anyone else who had "such a huge heart" as Donna. Eric chuckled slightly as he explained how different Donna and Quinn were. He described Quinn as a "force of nature" and Donna as a "calm, loving woman." Eric asked Donna if she had loved him "this whole time." She replied that she had never stopped loving him.
Eric looked down at the floor and took a step away from Donna. Eric stated that he took his commitments and vows to Quinn seriously. He shared how Quinn felt "disrespected" by Donna's action and wanted Donna cut from their lives. Donna shared that Quinn had told her the same thing. Eric became silent. Donna's eyes welled with tears as she began to understand why Eric had wanted to talk to her. "Don't... don't tell me... you're, you're gonna..." Donna's said as her voice trailed off. Eric nodded his head.
Donna reeled, her knees seemingly buckling under the weight of a heavy heart. Eric apologized and told Donna that he had not wanted things between them to end that way, but he stated that he needed to honor his wife's wishes. "I hate telling you this," Eric said before Donna told him to stop. She told Eric that she would clear out her desk. "I don't want to make this any harder for you than it already is," she said as a tear streamed down her cheek.
"I will cherish our memories, and I will always hold them close," Donna said softly, adding, "And I wish that we could make more together, but don't forget one thing: my love for you is constant. You are the one great love of my life, Eric Forrester, and nothing or nobody will ever change that." Eric took a step toward Donna, but she quickly took a step away from him. Eric bowed his head and walked toward the door. Donna turned and watched Eric walk out of the office. As the door closed behind him, Donna buried her head in her hands and sobbed uncontrollably. Outside, Eric leaned on Donna's desk, his lower lip quivering.
In Brooke's bedroom, Brooke and Hope gathered clothes to donate. The topic of discussion turned to Deacon and Sheila. Brooke disbelieved that the two were involved. Hope didn't want to think her father would lie to her, but Brooke said that was why she'd protected Hope from him.
Hope asked why Brooke was so dead set against Hope getting to know Deacon. Brooke said that he wasn't the man Hope wished he was. Hope felt there was more to it. Brooke said her history with Deacon was painful for her, and it filled her with a lot of shame.
Hope asked if Brooke could say anything good about Deacon. Brooke said that without him, she wouldn't have Hope. Hope became tearful. Brooke said none of it was Hope's fault. Brooke didn't want Deacon's presence to disrupt things with Ridge. Hope had thought Brooke and Ridge were solid. Brooke affirmed it but said some things hurt to remember.
Hope asked if it had really been that bad. Brooke stated that she'd done indefensible things. She said it had just happened, but she'd allowed it to happen. She'd allowed Deacon to seduce her with his charm and charisma. She'd been alone, and Ridge hadn't been there.
A flashback of the first time Deacon and Brooke had had sex played on the screen. Shedding tears, Brooke had said she'd made a mistake. It had been the worst betrayal of her life. She'd slept with her daughter's husband. Brooke insisted that Hope hadn't been a mistake. Brooke was blessed and thankful to have Hope in her life.
The crying Hope asked Brooke to say she'd seen something in Deacon or had felt something. Brooke flashed back to what Deacon had said to her after they'd had sex. He'd said that being with her had finally given him a sense of peace in his chaotic life.
Hope figured that Brooke had seen some good in Deacon or else Hope wouldn't be there. In her mind, Brooke recalled telling Deacon about the pregnancy. Brooke told Hope that Deacon had been happy about it. Deacon had had a hard life, but there were good qualities there.
Hope asked why she couldn't see Deacon. She said Ridge wasn't perfect, but Brooke always had Ridge's back. Hope noted that Ridge had been with Taylor during that period. Hope asked why she didn't get a say in it. She'd been separated from her father her whole life, and she didn't think she deserved it.
Brooke flashed back to Deacon holding Hope as a baby. Before leaving, he'd asked Brooke to tell Hope that he loved her. He'd vowed that when the storm cleared, he'd be waiting for Brooke.
Hope thought Deacon was fascinating and had led an interesting life. He was also sweet and had a wicked sense of humor. "He's also - " Brooke began to say. Hope said he was her dad, and it was her hard lesson to learn. It might have been a mistake for Brooke to let Deacon in her life, but Hope was the one paying the price. Hope wanted Deacon in her life, and she asked if Brooke would really rob Hope of her father.
In Sheila's hotel room, Sheila joked about how busy Deacon kept housekeeping, but he thought she shouldn't blame him for wanting to spread out a little after prison. She figured he'd want more than that and noted that they were in a relationship. He conveyed that it was a fake one, but she said that if he played along, their kids would believe they were in love.
Sheila reasoned that they needed proof. She showed him a stack of letters. "Our letters. Passionate correspondence between lovers," Sheila said. Deacon noted that he'd never written to her, but Sheila noted that he'd written to Brooke, Bridget, and Hope over and over. Deacon said that Hope had been the only one who'd responded. The letters to the others had been returned.
Sheila suggested that she use the returned letters as templates to help her create the story of her and Deacon's love affair. It would be so compelling that no one would doubt they were in a relationship. Deacon didn't think running a con was the way to make their kids see that they'd changed. He'd wanted to be honest and really connect with his kid. Sheila did, too, but the Forresters would never allow it. In her mind, the Forresters had forced them into the deception.
Deacon asked Sheila questions about their relationship. She didn't have the answers, and he said they couldn't get caught in a lie. If they slipped up, it would prove the Forresters right, and he and Sheila would never get a second chance with their kids.
Desperate, Sheila felt that Finn was her last chance to prove the kind of mother she could be. Her other children didn't want to have anything to do with her, but Finn was her lifeline and future. Hope was Deacon's. Sheila said they could be with them if Deacon stuck to the plan.
At Forrester, Katie found Donna clearing out her desk. Donna told Katie that it was over. Katie was enraged that Eric had fired Donna, but Donna said she'd agreed to leave. Katie was adamant that it shouldn't have affected Donna's employment and said Quinn didn't get to make decisions about who worked around there.
Donna ordered Katie to stop and said Eric had chosen Quinn. Katie said that Donna meant a lot to Eric, and he shouldn't force her out because Quinn wanted it. Donna stated that Quinn was his priority, and he didn't want Donna to leave. "He had no choice," Donna concluded.
At the mansion, Eric arrived home and informed Quinn that he'd had the talk with Donna. Quinn began to explain that Donna had used a personal problem in Eric's marriage to get between him and Quinn. Eric cut Quinn off, saying he'd done what she'd asked. Quinn hoped he knew that she was happy that he could be intimate again, but how it had happened had been the problem. She didn't think her request had been out of bounds. He replied that it had been what Quinn had needed, and Donna was packing up to leave as they spoke.
Quinn was sorry Eric felt so drained, and she didn't want him to think she was getting joy out of what had happened. Eric respected her feelings but felt that forcing Donna out was a complete overreaction. Quinn claimed that Donna had crossed a line with Quinn's husband. Quinn wanted to spend her life with Eric, but Donna believed that she belonged with Eric. That was why Donna had had to go.
Quinn stated that she and Eric had vowed to put each other first, and he'd done that for her. Quinn hugged him, but he looked unhappy as he hugged her back.
At Forrester, Liam arrived at Ridge's behest. Liam had thought he'd hear from Ridge and assumed it was about Sheila and Deacon. Ridge asked if it was true. "Deacon Sharpe and Sheila Carter sitting in a tree..." Liam sang. Ridge said the thought of it made him want to throw up, but he didn't buy it. In Ridge's view, if they were a "couple" anything, it was a couple of con artists.
Ridge said he didn't want Deacon showing up on his property with Sheila on his arm. Liam said that Deacon and Sheila's plan wouldn't work because Liam, Brooke, Ridge, and Steffy were there to protect Finn and Hope. Ridge asked what would happen if Deacon arrived at Liam's door. Liam said he'd slam it in Deacon's face. That was all Ridge wanted to hear.
Liam didn't want to dictate what Hope could and couldn't do, but he was trying to look out for the kids. Ridge shared the concern, recalling that Deacon had a history with Brooke. Ridge didn't want Brooke reliving any of it, so he was determined to keep Deacon away from her.
In Sheila's hotel room, Sheila sought to concoct a celebration to lure Hope and Finn to their parents. Deacon, on the other hand, was ready to tell the truth because a relationship with Sheila would only push Hope further away from him. He thought Sheila was delusional to think it would drive their kids away from their spouses and toward each other.
Sheila insisted that it would take some work, but it would happen. Deacon was adamant that they'd work on their relationships separately because an association with Sheila wouldn't get him anywhere with Hope or Brooke. Sheila scoffed at the idea that he wanted to win over Brooke. Sheila said it wasn't about getting Brooke into bed.
Deacon knew that but felt that he needed Brooke to approve. He said things would be easier if Brooke and Liam supported it. Sheila reasoned that Liam wouldn't be a problem if things went according to plan. Deacon asserted that it was Sheila's plan, and he wasn't a part of it. He said he didn't want to cause more harm to his daughter.
Deacon said Liam wasn't the guy Deacon would pick for Hope. Deacon called Liam a squirrely goody-two-shoes, but Deacon wouldn't go down that road again of attempting to break them up. Sheila contended that it would be better for Hope to have a life with Finn. Deacon asked if Sheila thought breaking up Steffy and Finn would get Sheila full access to Finn. Deacon didn't think Sheila should count on it being any better with Hope because Sheila hadn't been so great to Hope's mother, either.
Sheila saw a look in Deacon's eyes when he spoke of Brooke. Sheila figured that he wanted Brooke. Deacon admitted that there was one woman he'd never gotten over. "You and every man in Los Angeles!" Sheila quipped. Sheila told him that he was dreaming -- it would never happen, and if he didn't listen, he wouldn't have a relationship with Hope, either.
Deacon thanked Sheila for housing him and feeding him. He thanked her for kissing him, too. He hadn't minded it as much as he'd pretended to, but he had to get out of there. He couldn't do it anymore. Deacon proceeded to walk out the door.
In Brooke's bedroom, the distraught Hope wondered if Brooke would deny Hope a relationship with her father. Brooke recalled that she'd almost lost Bridget over Deacon. Hope noted that Brooke hadn't, and Hope figured that Brooke had loved Deacon. Brooke claimed to have been in love with Ridge -- even though they hadn't been together.
Hope clung to the belief that Brooke had had to feel something for Deacon, or else Hope wouldn't be there. Hope didn't think Brooke would risk such scandal for nothing, and Hope could see how Brooke would find Deacon appealing. He wasn't perfect, but there was a kindness in his eyes. Brooke said there could also be selfishness and cruelty. Hope asked why Brooke had chosen to ignore those things. "Because you loved him," Hope answered herself.
Brooke could understand Hope wanting to believe her parents had been in love. "Maybe that's what it was. I don't know," Brooke said. She did admit that there had been a strong connection. There had almost been some sweetness and tenderness, too, Brooke added. She smiled, snapped out of it, and wondered why they were even talking about it.
Hope noted that Brooke hadn't had a relationship with her father, either, but they'd worked it out. Brooke called it a totally different situation, but Hope said she was just asking for the same chance. Hope received a message from Amelia. Hope had to go, but she wanted Brooke to consider that -- just maybe -- Deacon might have changed.
Later, Brooke answered her front door. Deacon was on her doorstep. He was hoping to see her and Hope. "Please?" he asked, and Brooke let him in. She told him to say what he had to say before Ridge got home. Deacon knew it had been risky, but he'd had to see her. Brooke was sure his girlfriend wouldn't approve. Brooke said Sheila was the last person he should be hanging around if he wanted to prove that he'd changed.
Deacon agreed and said there was no more Sheila. He was done with that, and she'd been a huge step in the wrong direction. He was there to apologize. He was sorry for the man he'd been, the things he'd done to Brooke, and the pain he'd caused. Brooke didn't want or need an apology. She just wanted him to leave. "And I want to stay," he replied.
Deacon wanted to get to know his child and grandchild. He said he and Brooke had shared something powerful once, and he hoped the memory would allow her to find forgiveness for Hope's sake. He asked her to imagine what it would mean to Hope if they got along or could be friends. Brooke asked if that was what he'd written in those prison letters. He admitted that he'd asked for more. He dreamed of a life with her.
"Deacon!" Brooke replied. Deacon quipped that fantasizing never hurt anyone. He'd imagined Brooke and Hope with him like a family. "Oh, my God!" Brooke replied. Deacon grinned, saying, "A man's allowed to dream, right?" Brooke shook her head quizzically. She didn't understand what was wrong with him or what there was to dream about.
Deacon knew that Brooke hated him, but it couldn't be for the daughter they'd given each other. He said Hope was the best version of him and Brooke, a person her parents could never hope to be, and Hope existed because of his and Brooke's love for each other.
Brooke didn't want to hear it. Deacon didn't need her to admit it. He figured he wouldn't see her again, but he couldn't leave without letting her know how thankful he was for her and the way she'd raised their daughter when he hadn't done a thing. He was sorry to just drop in, but he wanted to be a part of it and to know their kids. He wanted a chance to prove he'd changed. He wanted Hope to know that her father was home, and he'd never leave again.
Hope walked into the house from the terrace. She told Brooke that Deacon was being sincere, and it should count for something. Hope felt she needed both of her parents. Hope had dreamed of having the three of them in the same room. She felt that it was a chance to make things right again as a family. Hope implored Brooke to let Deacon stay. "My dad is finally home," Hope said, and she hugged Deacon.
