"Well I know how hard it must have been for you, because you have your quick temper and your big mouth... But still you did it, you put up with me because you love me." - Erica to Janet
"I mean I still don't think you have any sense of style at all. You really have to stop shopping at those outlet malls. And I find it very annoying that you have never met a man that I haven't met first." - Erica to Brooke
"You know if I waited to meet a man that you have never dated, I..." Brooke to Erica
"Both being from the same small West Virginia town, Stuart and Becca had an endless number of stories to share with one another. Stuart momentarily forgot that there were others in the room, but when he snapped back to the present he quickly introduced Becca to Marian. Becca forced a smile and softly noted that she and Marian had already met. Becca offered to give Marian a homemade remedy for her rash, but Marian declined after stating that her dermatologist had already given her a lotion. Marian looked towards Scott and told him that she'd thought of a great idea for his film project: love. Marian went on a lengthy explanation of how Scott could follow couples in the various stages of love. Scott interrupted and explained that, thanks to Becca, he'd already come up with the perfect theme. Marian was not at all thrilled by the thought of doing a film on break-ups, but she seemed even less happy that Becca had thought of the idea. Stuart was simply crazy about the young woman. He got caught up in the moment and suggested that Scott call Adam to ask if he'd bankroll the film project. Becca cleared her thought and reminded the two men that Adam had just gotten married and probably didn't want to be disturbed. Stuart remained giddy about meeting Becca even after Becca returned to Tad and Dixie's house. Marian, however, had moved on to other issues. She again expressed her unhappiness that Stuart and Scott had to ask Adam for money. Stuart sensed an argument coming and tried his darnedest to change the subject. He suddenly called out to "Nurse Marian" to help nurse him back to health. Marian smiled devilishly and gently chewed on his earlobe.
The door to Erica's house opened slowly and a slightly confused Janet walked inside. Erica's house was eerily quiet and numerous bouquets of flowers adorned the house. Myrtle, Janet, and Brooke had all been summoned by Erica, but no one knew exactly why. The three women---but mostly Myrtle and Janet---spoke of how badly Erica had made them feel when she went on her tirades about loyalty and friendship. Janet said that she was not sure that she could handle another "high and mighty" speech from her friend. Erica slowly walked down the stairs and greeted the women. "I want to offer you my deepest apology," Erica said softly. Erica said that her facial injuries were no reason to lash out at the people who had meant the most to her---her friends. Erica said that she now knew who her real friends really were. "Does that mean we can break into a chorus of Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead?" Janet asked wryly. Erica bowed her head slightly and said that she'd prefer not to discuss Vanessa. Erica stepped towards Janet and apologized for the way she'd treated her. She said that she'd lost a lot of sleep over a comment she made to Janet telling her that she was "just a bookkeeper." Janet assured Erica that all was forgiven. Erica puckered her lips slightly and told Janet that it must have been hard for Janet not to fire back at her, musing that she had a "quick temper and a big mouth." Janet laughed and the two women shared a hug. Erica then turned to Myrtle and apologized to her long-time friend for always being there for her. "You are like a second mother," Erica said. "You're always there to tell me what I don't want to hear." Myrtle and Erica both chuckled and embraced. Brooke's eyes bulged as Erica turned in her direction. Erica praised Brooke for having "a lot more courage" than she'd eve given her credit for. Brooke cocked her head to the side and asked Erica not to get too sappy. Erica said that she would do no such thing. She wiped a tear from her eye and told Brooke that she doesn't think that she has "any sense of style" and urged Brooke to stop buying her clothes at outlet malls. "And I find it very annoying that you have never met a man that I haven't met first," Erica snapped. Brooke raised her eyebrows and muttered, "If I waited for a man you never met..." Erica laughed softly. She said that Brooke was "an intelligent, self-confident, focused" woman and admitted that she was often jealous of Brooke for having those three character traits. Myrtle said that she couldn't wait to tell Opal the news that Erica was back. Opal had been invited to the gathering, but other commitments prevented her from being there. Erica had more news for the trio. She announced that she was headed to Brazil in the morning to undergo reconstructive surgery. Her plastic surgeon determined that the time was right to operate. The women wished Erica well, but they had some news of their own. Janet confessed that she'd had Trevor call some of his friends to do research on Erica's doctor. Brooke, too, admitted that she'd used Tempo's resources to check into the surgeon's past. Both women boasted that the doctor was "a genius" who had worked miracles many times in the past. Before leaving, Myrtle asked Erica why she had so many flowers. Janet looked around and noted that there were nineteen bouquets. "Well, you know that nineteen has always been my lucky number," Erica smiled. [The writers carefully inserted the flowers into the scene as a way to congratulate Susan Lucci for winning the Daytime Emmy---on her nineteenth nominations. The explanation on the show was that Erica's doctor contacted her on the nineteenth of the month to tell her that her face was ready for surgery.] Erica again thanked her three friends, surprisingly lumping occasional nemesis Brooke into the same category as Janet and Myrtle.
Even though she'd promised not to look at or talk about Ryan, Gillian couldn't seem to do anything but obsess about her former husband. Normally quite patient, Jake was beginning to tire of Gillian's antics. Gillian, however, seemed oblivious to the fact that she was slowly irritating her date. The pair hit the dance floor. Gillian rested her head on Jake's shoulder, but stared into the distance at Ryan; she was certain that something was upsetting Ryan and she wanted to be sure that he was okay. Finally Jake spoke up and told Gillian that if she did not stop talking about Ryan, he was going to leave. Then he came up with another idea. He knew of a club in Center City with "horrible music" and "low rent" clientele, but he was certain that Ryan would not be there. Gillian smiled, took Jake's hand, and the pair left. Their departure was not unobserved. Ryan looked up from chopping fruit slices and watched the couple walk out the front door.
In the back room, Hayley tearfully told Mateo that she "can't do this any more." Mateo apologized for speaking endless about Max and Raquel. Max and Raquel, claimed Hayley, were not the problems. "It's just me," she concluded. After a deep breath, Hayley said, "I can't live with you any more. I have to move out." Mateo was stunned. "We love each other," he said. Mateo misunderstood what Hayley was trying to tell him; She was not leaving him, rather she was taking a mental health leave. Hayley referred to Mateo as a "good and wonderful person." She said that she wanted the best for both Max and Raquel, but admitted that when she looks across the courtyard and their condo she "resents them." Giving up time with Mateo and not being able to get pregnant only compound her woes. "It's too much to live with anger and resentment," she said. Mateo accused Hayley of giving up, a charge Hayley vehemently denied. She explained that she needed time away to refresh herself so that she could come back stronger than ever. "I almost took a drink tonight," she sobbed. Again Mateo looked as though he'd been slapped across the face. Hayley assured her lover that Ryan had stopped her before she'd taken a drink, but the fact that she'd come so close scared her. She chalked up her close encounter to the pain she'd felt after receiving the bouquet at Liza and Adam's wedding. Mateo suggested that they take a few days and get away together. Unfortunately, Hayley did not see that as a fix because her problems would be waiting for her when they returned. Mateo wondered if this was Hayley's way of asking him to choose between her and his son. Hayley shook her head and said that she would never think of asking him to do that. Hayley knew that Mateo would choose his son and, in her words, that was "the right thing to do." She felt horribly for the way Mateo was being "pulled in two directions." She asked that Mateo continue to love her, saying that that love would help her through. Hayley softly announced that she was going to attend a midnight AA meeting and then return home to pack her bags. On her way out of the club, Hayley stopped to say goodnight to Ryan. "You saved my life tonight," she whispered.
In the morning, Erica took one final look at herself in the mirror before gathering her bags. She quickly called Bianca to tell her what was going on. She swore that she was not afraid, but asked her daughter to say a prayer for her. Erica promised that when her recovery was complete, they would spend some time together.
At the hospital, Stuart and Scott set up information booths for the Day of Compassion/AIDS Awareness Day. Stuart gently stroked a picture of his late wife, Cindy. Marian slowly walked into the solarium and placed a vase of daisy next to Cindy's picture. Gillian arrived and offered to write a donation check to the AIDS fund. Brooke appeared a little while later with two checks---one from Tempo and one from her personal account. Marian mentioned that Erica had dropped by earlier in the day to drop of checks as well. As Brooke was informing Marian and Stuart that Erica was on her way to Rio de Janeiro for reconstructive surgery, David passed by in the hall. He quickly raced to the phone and asked his secretary to cancel all of his appointments and to book him an immediate flight to Rio.
Her bags only slightly packed, Hayley fell asleep on the sofa of her condo. Mateo returned home and gently covered Hayley with a blanket. He stroked her hair softly and sat down in a chair to watch his lover sleep. When Hayley did wake, she tried to quietly sneak out without disturbing Mateo. Mateo heard the noise and jumped up. He asked Hayley not to leave because he'd come up with a solution to their problem. Mateo said that he had decide to "move [Raquel and Max] away.""
- Soap Central