Victoria and Nick sit at the bar in Society discussing when to set up the quarterly meeting. Once they have wrapped up the business talk, she remarks on how much work slips through the cracks when you are busy dealing with nearly getting murdered. It’s good they are so good at what they do. After a little fist bump, Nick tells his sister how nice it is to focus on work after all the bullets they dodged. Victoria points out they didn’t all dodge the bullets. Nick is just grateful things worked out. He’s sure the old man has a lot of years left in him. “Unless he doesn’t,” Victoria counters. She explains that when she checked in on their father earlier, he seemed morose about the future. It’s not like him. Nick says he could have died, but didn’t, and he’s likely just taking stock of his life. She gets that, but it was still unnerving and she’ll never be ready for the day they lose their parents. He’s with her on that, but it’s inevitable. They just need to enjoy the time they have and love them as much as they can. Nick reminds her of how many close calls their dad has had. He always comes back stronger than before and has a lot of life left in him. “He better,” she says.
Harrison Pitches an Idea
Harrison is with his parents on the Crimson Lights patio. They have snacks and he tells them he needs to make a shoebox diorama about a typical day at home. He already has lots of ideas and would like his parents to help. Summer suggests they have dinner at the Abbott mansion to start right away. When Kyle reacts warily, Summer backtracks, but his son begs him to agree. Kyle caves. Harrison is sure that his friends will be doing dioramas about playing games but he wants to do one about his family sitting around the dining room table. His favorite part of the day is when they eat together. Laughing, Kyle is sure Jack will love that. Harrison adds he loves it best when his mom is there. Summer loves that but points out that’s not typical. Harrison seems disappointed so they assure him he doesn’t need to change a thing. Awkwardness ensues, but Harrison is super excited. He wants to put Mrs. Martinez in the diorama too. Kyle hands him money to run inside and buy her a treat.
Summer apologizes to Kyle if she infringed on plans he had for the night. He admits he was supposed to have dinner with Claire and Victor…which is likely why he’s happy to have a reason to get out of it. Claire wants to show her grandfather that he’s a good guy. Summer had no idea they’d reached the point where they require Victor’s blessing. She can’t recall them going to extremes to win her grandfather’s approval. Kyle points out Victor’s opinion of him has changed since then. His ex says it looks like things are getting serious with Claire. Kyle asks if that will be a problem, but Summer assures him it won’t be. She’s happy for him as long as he’s happy…and Claire is better than Audra. He goes on about how Claire is the most incredible woman he’s been with but then apologizes if that sounds like a dig at her. It’s just fresh and he’s excited about the future. Harrison returns with a cupcake for Mrs. Martinez. It’s his favorite kind and his mom teases that he must be planning on having her share it with him.
Claire Debates Victor
Claire wanders into the new ranch and surprises Victor as he’s looking at his tablet. As she takes off her coat, they chat about her work ethic and all the wonderful work she has been doing at Chancellor. They discuss his recovery, and he assures her that he’ll be back at the heavy bag in no time. When she asks him to dinner, he says he’d love it. When she adds it will include Kyle, he says that’s a different story. Claire assumes he’s looking for an excuse. Her grandfather explains he can’t condone her relationship with Kyle. She’s not backing down. Victor is impressed that she’s so stubborn… she’s a Newman.
Flatly, Victor tells Claire that Kyle is wrong for her. He’s sure she can’t see beyond the romance of it all. That seems condescending to Claire. She wants him to see the man she knows and see why he’s so good for her. Adjusting in his chair and groaning in pain, Victor admits that this is about Kyle being Jack’s offspring. He detests that man and has had decades of bad relations with him and his mendacity. When she suggests they let the past go, her grandfather points out that Kyle just stabbed his own family in the back and stole from them. Claire suggests that he had more than a little to do with that. Waving his finger, Victor refuses to take the blame.
Claire fills her grandfather in on her lunch with the Abbotts, noting how dear family clearly is to Jack. “That warms the cockles of my heart,” Victor snarks. He respected John, but Jack is a joke. He and Kyle both inherited everything. They are weak and built nothing from the ground up. Kyle went back to his family because he couldn’t hack it on the outside. Victor’s baffled Kyle would agree to have dinner with him. She explains that Kyle is willing to put his feelings about Victor aside for her sake. Claire knows that her grandfather has tended to step in whenever Victoria got involved with someone he didn’t approve of. Victor points out that her mother married Billy Boy Abbott and “that Ashland Locke guy” and they both broke her heart. His granddaughter can’t deny that but says she loves Kyle and he wants to be with her.
As Victor promises he only wants what’s best for Claire, Kyle calls. He hopes she hasn’t proposed dinner yet and explains he can’t make it. He and Summer have to help their son with an art project. Claire wouldn’t want to get in the way of that. Besides, dinner has been a hard sale. This is no surprise to Kyle. Claire is not giving up and suggests they reschedule. Once she hangs up, she tells Victor he’s off the hook for now and why. He warns that Kyle will always put Summer and their son first. The world is opening up for Claire, what can she see in that guy? Claire says he makes her feel safe and loved. That’s what she assumes her grandfather wants for her, so she won’t give up. Smiling, Victor says she’s as stubborn as he is, but he warns that Kyle will not change.
Back at Crimson Lights, Summer, Kyle and Harrison plan to meet up later and work on the diorama. Pulling his parents into his arms, Harrison tells them he loves them. They are the best mom and dad ever.
Sharon Visits Adam and Chelsea
Adam is at the ranch calling for his son. Chelsea walks in sucking her fingers as Adam complains their boy polished off his favorite chips. He wants to have a talk with him about boundaries; food is sacred. Chelsea admits that she ate them. He jokes that they still have a lot to learn about each other. Their smiles drop when Sharon walks in to welcome them to the neighborhood. Sharon explains that Connor let her in on the way to the stables. She knows this may be awkward, but she’s determined to establish a sense of normalcy… like visiting her neighbors. She brought a quilted throw since it gets chilly in the country… but she wasn’t sure if she should get one or two. Chelsea leaps into insisting they won’t be sharing and makes it clear they’re not a couple. Apologizing for seeming nosy, Sharon reminds them they have found their way back together in the past. Chelsea assures her that history will not be repeating itself, especially since she practically has her own wing. Sharon nods along.
Adam and Chelsea tell Sharon how happy they are to see her after her ordeal. Sharon explains she’s putting that behind her and focusing on getting healthy again. “I don’t want you worrying that I’m still out of my mind on drugs and framing people for crimes they didn’t commit,” she adds. Adam assures her they don’t feel that way and Chelsea talks about being kind to yourself when dealing with mental issues. They know she was a victim. Sharon knows she still needs to make amends. Her meds are balanced again and therapy is going great. “My family has been so supportive and understanding, “Especially Nick,” she coos. “That’s my brother,” Adam says, grinning widely and nodding his head. Sharon continues to gush about how important Nick’s support has been to her. Eventually, she realizes she’s taking up their time. Reminding them she’s nearby if they need anything, she takes off.
Adam hopes that the worst is behind Sharon. Chelsea suggests the worst could be behind for all of them. She worries Sharon didn’t buy her insistence that they aren’t a couple again, but Adam points out she sold it pretty hard. He warns that people will continue to assume they are a couple. It’s going to get tiring explaining they aren’t. Chelsea tells him to get ready to be tired. As she looks at the throw Sharon left, they return to teasing each other about chips. He brings up how Sharon was speaking about Nick. She was practically glowing and it seemed all too familiar. He wonders if she is developing real feelings for him again.
Summer jogs into the new ranch house to check on her grandfather. Spotting Claire, she apologizes for disrupting her plans tonight and hopes she’s not upset. Claire says they can have dinner anytime and Harrison is what matters. Once she exits, Summer asks how Victor is feeling; what he went through was terrifying. Victor is glad she wasn’t there. She knows he was quite the hero, but wishes he would promise not to do that sort of thing again. He insists he will always do anything to protect his family.
Claire Asks Victoria for Help
Back at Society, Nick tells Victoria how much of a toll the ordeal with Sharon took on Faith. He couldn’t be prouder of how tough and resilient his daughter has been. Victoria asks how Sharon has been after her roller coaster. Nick thinks she’s amazing. What she went through would have broken most people. He only hopes that her recovery is genuine and she’s not masking what’s really going on. His sister is sure she now has the chance to get back to normal. Nick says she knows that she can lean on him and the kids for all she needs. He hates what Ian and Jordan put her through, along with everyone else. “I only hope Ian and Jordan are rotting in hell now,” he says. Victoria is sure they are. As they hug, Claire walks in. Nick exits and Claire immediately asks her mom for help. She needs to know how to win a fight with Victor Newman. Her mother assumes this involved Kyle, and Claire explains she tried to set up a peace-making dinner but it didn’t go well. Victoria isn’t sure there’s any way to fix this. There’s a good chance Victor will not approve of anyone she gets involved with. Not willing to leave it at that, Claire vows to prove to all doubters that Kyle is her perfect man. “Good luck with that,” says her mother.
Kyle and Harrison arrive at the Abbott manse with bags full of stuff for making his diorama. He asks his dad if he’s happy that Summer is coming over. He knows they used to fight all the time and asks if they just pretend to be nice to each other when he’s around. Kyle points out that he let her finish his cookie. Would he let someone he didn’t like eat his cookie? Laughing, Harrison realizes he wouldn’t. The boy wishes it could be like the old days when the three of them were always together for everything.
Victor’s Caught In the Act
Nick arrives at the ranch, happy to see Summer and Victor together. He learns Summer and Kyle are spending time together with Harrison, and listens as Victor goes on about how important it is for a child to see their parents connecting. For example, he thinks Chelsea moving in with Adam is wonderful. Summer hopes he’s not implying she should move back in with the Abbotts because that’s not really an option. Victor teases that he wouldn’t wish that on anyone. After Summer gives her granddad a kiss and exits, Nick shoots his father a disapproving look and asks, “Did I just hear you encourage Summer to get back together with Kyle?”
Next on The Young and the Restless: Victor defends his actions, Nate struggles to reunite Amy and Damian, and Diane takes matters into her own hands.
