"At Fusion, a stunned Erica fell into a chair, unable to fully come to terms with what she'd just been told. "Palmer can't be..." her voice trailed off, unable to complete the thought. Erica look to Jack and told him that she had to be with Opal but needed to call Kendall and Bianca to tell them what had happened. Jack urged Erica to take a moment to take everything in. "I don't want to," Erica replied. Erica reflected on how Palmer had been so kind to her and her girls. "It's a good thing I'm not the jealous type," Jack said with a comforting smile, adding, "You two were too much alike to be anything more than friends." Erica left the office to go to Opal's side, and Jack announced that he'd be going with her.
"Pete Cooney can't be dead," Adam snarled, "He's in Europe trying to behead that jackanape who swindled him." With tears in her eyes, Brooke informed Adam that Palmer had returned to Pine Valley. Jake had found Palmer in a room at the Valley Inn and had been unable to revive him. Adam decided that he could call his nephew, Ross, to tell him the news but wondered how he could sound sincere in offering condolences for a man with whom he had spent a lifetime at odds.
AMC Recap Photo 100420Adam was crushed when he learned that Palmer's heart had given out. Suddenly, his own health woes seemed much more real. Brooke assured Adam that he would not befall the same fate as Palmer. Adam felt guilty for making Palmer's death all about him but was aghast when Brooke suggested that, had the roles been reversed, Palmer would have felt the same way. "Self-made, always right, ruthless with enemies, anything for family," Brooke said, rattling off the similarities between the two men. Adam reflected to a time when Palmer had managed to wrangler Chandler Industries away from him. "I won you, Adam Chandler," a proud Palmer had boasted, "and there's not a damn thing you can do about it."
Adam ceded that Palmer had once stolen his company, but it was that stealthy business deal that had, at the time, pushed him and Brooke back together. Adam wanted to tell Brooke something he hadn't had the courage to tell her, but Brooke felt it best to leave before Adam said something in the heat of the moment that he didn't really mean.
At Pine Valley Hospital, Angie was also stunned to learn that Palmer had been back in town. Jake explained that his father, Joe, had somehow convinced Palmer to let Jake be his personal doctor after Joe had retired and moved to Florida. "He only cursed me out once," Jake said with a chuckle, recalling a time that his stethoscope had been a little too cold. A woman arrived at the hospital and said that she was to have met Palmer at the Valley Inn.
Angie introduced the woman to Jake as Daisy Cortlandt, one of Palmer's ex-wives. Jake greeted Daisy and told her that he was "sorry." Upon hearing the word, Daisy's face dropped. She knew then that she'd not be seeing her "P.C." again.
A few moments later, after Daisy had made some calls, she returned to tell Angie that Nina would be flying in from Chicago, and Petey was going to fly home from Switzerland. Daisy also stated that there would be a gathering at Tad's house with a midnight candle-lighting ceremony to remember Palmer.
Later in the park, Daisy and Nina had a private meeting. Nina confessed to her mother that she wasn't yet ready to go to Tad's and face a crowd. Daisy nodded understandingly, then asked Nina if she'd had her weekly phone conversation with Palmer. With a laugh, Nina said that she had, and that her father had been all abuzz about Cortlandt Electronic's latest patent for a video conferencing product. Nina then asked Daisy when she'd last seen Palmer.
Daisy sighed, and said that she was supposed to have seen Palmer earlier in the day, but that she had been delayed because she'd missed her flight. After taking a deep breath, Daisy said that she had to tell Nina something that she'd never before told anyone. Daisy's thoughts drifted off to a past conversation she'd had with Palmer, one in which they'd agreed to get together for a romantic tryst every fall because she "always liked Pine Valley in September." Nina questioned why Palmer would have wanted to see Daisy in April. Softly, Daisy revealed that she knew the answer to that.
AMC Recap Photo 100420Tad returned home and found Opal sitting alone in the dark. He teased his mother for taking "being green" to the extreme. As he flipped on the lights, Tad noticed the tears streaming down his mother's face. "Palmer," she said in disbelief, "He died. He's gone."
Opal had known that Palmer had been back in Pine Valley, and she'd called to set up a time to see him. Palmer, however, had told her that he had been tired, and they hadn't been able to see each other before he had died. Opal lamented that Palmer had never known how she really felt about him. Tad produced a DVD and, as he popped it into the DVD player, assured Opal that Palmer had. "She can deny it all she wants," a feisty Palmer said as the video played, "but I know she loves me."
Krystal returned home, and later Erica and Jack arrived at the house. As Erica and Opal shared a loving embrace, Jack revealed that Palmer had left orders that there be "no fuss" made over his death and no formal memorial held. Tad suggested that they cook up some fried chicken. "What better way to send off Palmer than to celebrate with the bird that put Palmer back on top," Tad clucked. Those gathered remembered how, after losing nearly everything he had owned, Palmer had bought the Chicken Shack and had managed to parlay the fast food eatery into a million-dollar business. Everyone filed off to the kitchen, but Erica remained behind. She looked longingly at a photo of Palmer before joining everyone else in the kitchen.
After the chicken had been fried up, Opal revealed a bit of irony about Palmer's rise back to the top -- he had been allergic to feathers. Daisy and Nina arrived at the house, and Tad greeted them with pieces of chicken. Opal raced to embrace Nina then offered a hug to Daisy. As everyone got reacquainted, a messenger arrived with an envelope that was addressed to Palmer. Opal opened the envelope and found a DVD of outtakes that Hayley had filmed for her documentary earlier in the year. Everyone was anxious to see them, and Tad queued up the DVD player.
In the scenes, Palmer talked about his Dobermans and how everyone had been afraid of them. Nina chimed in that she had often thought her father had loved his guard dogs more than her. Palmer then talked about his ex-wife. "I didn't give anything away for nothing," he said with a slight grumble, "it was all for me. Except for my dear love, Daisy. Nobody talks much about Daisy anymore. And it's hard for me to talk about her, too." Everyone then offered a toast to Palmer.
AMC Recap Photo 100420Erica pulled Opal aside to make sure that she was okay after having seen Palmer reflect so happily on Daisy. As they talked, Daisy walked over and apologized to Opal. Opal felt that no apologies were necessary. After all, it had been Daisy who'd convinced Palmer that Opal was the woman for him. Erica stepped away to let the two women talk. Daisy decided that she needed to tell Opal why she was really in town. "P.C. called, and he asked me to meet him at the Valley Inn," Daisy explained.
A confused look crept over Opal's face. "Well, that's just wrong," she said as she frowned. "I mean, you two always meet in September, and last time I checked, this was April." Daisy assured Opal that she'd never wanted to hurt Opal. She had been hurt at first, Opal admitted, but she knew that a piece of Palmer's heart had always belonged to Daisy. "Every year when September comes around," Opal said softly, "I know the leaves will fall, school starts, and Palmer is with you."
Amazed by Opal's gesture, Daisy thought it time to tell Opal the truth about her planned meeting with Palmer. Palmer had told Daisy the he had something important to tell her. "Palmer wanted to end our same time, next year dates," Daisy revealed. Knowing that, Daisy believed she had subconsciously missed her flight to Pine Valley.
Among Palmer's belongings, Daisy had found a silver chicken pin, a pin Opal had bought Palmer during the heyday of the Chicken Shack. "Of course he never wore it," Opal laughed. Opal was surprised that Palmer had been carrying the pin around with him. Opal burst into tears as she thought about all the time she and Palmer had "wasted."
The doorbell rang, and when Krystal opened the door, she did a double-take at seeing Adam and Brooke standing there. "I don't know if this is a surprise or not," Krystal said, staring at the couple. She invited them in. Brooke and Nina shared an embrace, and Nina reached out to shake Adam's hand. Adam said that he hoped his presence wasn't unwanted. He then reached into his jacket pocket and produced a silver flask.
"Your father and I shared this once, proving that we were just into grinding each other into dust," Adam said, handing the flask to Nina. Nina asked Adam to stay, and Daisy and Opal concurred. "Your memories of Palmer are definitely unique," Opal said with a smile. Erica stood up from her seat on the sofa and also asked Adam to stay, saying, "We're remembering Palmer... good, bad, and the ugly." Tad looked to Erica and deadpanned, "From what I understand, Adam and Palmer were the male version of you and Brooke." Brooke quickly retorted, "Well, I hope Erica and I are the good, bad, and the beautiful."
AMC Recap Photo 100420Adam thanked Brooke for convincing him to stay. He then mused that he was glad someone was able to see the "soft side" of Palmer. "He shot me!" Adam snapped. He then recalled when he and Palmer had teamed up to go after Michael Cambias, during which Palmer had accidentally shot Adam.
"You couldn't hit a bull on the ass with a bass fiddle," Adam had said angrily as he and Palmer had flown on his private jet. Palmer had told Adam to shut up and "get plastered" because he had planned to remove the bullet with a butter knife. Krystal then noted that Palmer's surgical skills might have been questionable, but she swore that his kissing skills had been just fine. She then remembered a time when Palmer had unexpectedly swept her off her feet and planted a kiss on her.
Erica received a call from Kendall, who said that she'd reconsidered her plans to return to Pine Valley. She wanted to stay in Majorca and work on things with Zach. Erica then informed Kendall that Palmer had passed away. Kendall announced that she'd be on the next plane home. While appreciative of the gesture, Erica urged her daughter to stay put. Palmer would have wanted it that way, Erica said. Kendall promised to take part in the midnight candlelight ceremony.
Adam said that he'd always be thankful to Pete Cooney for reminding him that one's time on Earth was not limitless. He looked to Brooke and told her that he had something that he needed to tell her. Brooke avoided making eye contact with Adam and urged him not to say anything. "I love you. Maybe we can't be together. Maybe you don't love me, but I've said it." Brooke then looked directly into Adam's eyes. "I love you, too," she replied. The two shared a kiss.
AMC Recap Photo 100420At midnight, Palmer's loved ones lit candles no matter where they were.
Aboard the yacht, Kendall lit a candle and remembered her friend. "You're the only one who knew exactly how to handle the Kane women. Equal parts love and steel."
"We didn't always agree," Angie reminisced at the hospital. "But you treated me with kindness... and Jesse, too. You will be missed, Palmer."
Also at the hospital, Jake recalled stories his father had told him. "My dad said that there was -- and could only ever be -- one Palmer Cortlandt. He was right."
"You were the most charming, debonair man I ever met," Krystal said, her voice cracking, "And a great kisser. You made me feel like you liked me. And being liked by you is the most special feeling in the world."
"The great Palmer Cortlandt. I was so intimidated, when I first met you, by those eyebrows and all that bluster," Brooke reminisced, "but I got to know a man who always said exactly what he thought, consequences be damned, and I learned a lot from you. And today, because of you, I had the courage to say something that I wanted to say for a long time."
"You were the best dancing partner, the best business partner, the best friend," Erica offered as she lit her candle.
"You gave me everything and expected everything in return," Nina said, shaking her head slightly. "I love you, father."
"You were irascible, witty, absolutely brilliant, and always, always surprising," Jack added.
"You and I were always about butting heads," Tad whispered, "but Dixie loved you like a father."
"I damned you to hell for quite a few years," Adam said with a grin, "but the truth is, I wouldn't be the man I am if it hadn't been for you. From Pigeon Hollow to Pine Valley, because of you, my happiest days are still ahead."
Fighting back tears, Opal said, "You are the love of my life, Palmer. A great big wild and woolly bucking bronco kind of love. You drove me stark-raving mad, you old coot."
AMC Recap Photo 100420"P.C., what I wouldn't give to see you one more time," Daisy reflected, "to honor you and remember you and how much I loved you."
"Kiss my Aunt Phoebe for me," Brooke said as she smiled, "'cause I know she's looking for you."
"You, Myrtle, my mother... Heaven's in for quite a time," Erica added softly.
"You're safe now, lovebug. You're loved. I'll carry you in my heart forever," Opal concluded.
As bright white light enveloped the space, a door swung open to reveal Dixie.
"Uncle Palmer," she said softly, smiling and extending her hand, "Welcome home.""
- Soap Central