"With just a few hours until his flight to Paris, Tim finished packing his bags. Privately, Janet entered the room and told Tim that she was going to miss him. She then leaned close to her stepson and told him that while Trevor didn't show it, he was aching over the prospect of losing his son for several weeks. So after asking Tim to keep their conversation under his hat, she asked that Tim take some time out every now and again to drop them a line. It wasn't unnatural for either Trevor or Janet to be upset about Tim leaving. This was, after all, the first time he'd left home for more than an overnight stay at a friend's house. Janet left the room to double check that Tim had gotten everything that he'd needed. While she was gone, Trevor wandered downstairs with a farewell message for his son. In an eerily similar move, Trevor pulled Tim aside and told him that Janet was very sad that Tim would be going to France. Trevor asked Tim to give them a call or drop a postcard every so often just to make Janet feel better. Janet entered the room and Tim broke into laughter. Trevor and Janet looked at one another and tried to figure out why, at such a somber moment, Tim was in a fit of hysterics. "You guys are the worst liars," Tim smiled. "Most parents can't wait to get rid of their kids." Janet waxed nostalgic about how far she and Tim had come in the space of a few years. She said that she thought of Tim as a friend in addition to a stepson. The last Dillon plodded into the room carrying a length of rope. She told Tim that she had a trick to show him and asked him to hold out his arm. When he did, Amanda wrapped a loop of rope around his arm and tightened it around his room. The trick might have been correctly dubbed a trap; This was Amanda's best attempt to keep Tim from leaving. Amanda had gone on record earlier as being pleased that Tim was leaving because she could have his room. But truth be told, she was heartbroken that he'd be leaving home. The Dillon family---complete with Smokey---sat down on the sofa and shared a big family hug before Tim had to gather his things and leave for the airport.
This marks the last scheduled appearance for Tommy J Michaels (Tim). While his character may return from time to time, the future of Tommy's spot on AMC has become the subject of much debate.
Mateo wasn't quite sure what to make of Raquel's reference to freedom. Raquel tearfully told Mateo that she'd spent the past six years envision a future with Mateo that no seemed impossible. "I was wrong to think we could be a family," she said softly. There was only one way that Raquel believed she and Mateo could move forward and spare their son the pain of seeing them fight: Granting him a divorce. Mateo's eyes widened. Raquel imagined that life wouldn't be a total disaster by signing off on their marriage. She could still see Max just about every day and maybe, just maybe, she and Mateo could remain friends. Max returned to the room and saw that his parents were in good spirits. He asked if they were "friends again." Mateo was still basking in the glory of the announcement when Gillian and Hayley returned to the condo. Raquel told Max that she needed to speak to Mateo and Hayley alone. Gillian stepped up to offer her babysitting services by offering to take Max to the park. After Gillian and Max left, Raquel left the room so that Mateo could tell Hayley "the good news." Hayley was overjoyed by the news that Raquel was granting Matt a divorce. But she couldn't help but wonder why Raquel had suddenly made a one-eighty. Still, the good news needed to be celebrated and the pair shared a passionate kiss. Raquel reentered the room and bowed her head shyly. She apologized for interrupting, but Mateo quickly assured her that she was not interrupting anything. Mateo told Hayley that he was going to go get Max at the park and then take him by the new club. This left Hayley and Raquel alone---a potentially awkward situation. Raquel sobbed uncontrollably. Hayley rolled her eyes and handed Raquel a tissue to wipe her eyes. Raquel said that she's seen "that look" in Hayley's eyes before. "You don't believe that I'm going to give Mateo a divorce, do you?." Hayley replies that she wants to believe it more than anything in this world---it's just that Raquel has a tendency to make promises that she doesn't keep. "So tell me," Hayley asks. "Why should I believe you now?"
At the hospital for a routine examination, Liza sat on the sun porch mulling over the events of the past few days. As she read about child care and nursing, Jake strolled into the room and told Liza that he'd seen her name on Dr. Clader's patient list. Jake, dressed in a muscle shirt and preparing to shoot some hoops, tried to make small talk about breastfeeding. His attempts to lighten the mood failed miserably so Jake decided that it was best if he left. Shortly after he left, Liza had yet another unwanted visitor: David. David had overheard Liza's brief chat with Jake and knew that Jake was giving her a hard time. With just the mention of a few words, David claimed that he could get Jake out of Liza's life forever. Liza shook her head and told the doctor that she wasn't interested in anything he had to say. Joe happened upon the pair and wondered if David was giving Liza a hard time. Liza told Joe that she and David had just finished their conversation and that there was no need for alarm. David got the hint and hurried off to finish his rounds. Joe sat down at the table across from Liza and asked her how she was feeling. His interest was truly genuine, as Liza was about to find out. Joe mused that it was "unorthodox" for his son to be the father of Liza's child, knowing all the while that Liza was interested in another man. He explained that no matter who Liza planned on marrying, he and Ruth still felt that it was their responsibility to be grandparents to Colby. Liza had been reading her book, but when Joe used the word "grandparents," she suddenly looked up. It seemed that Liza had never really thought about the fact that Joe and Ruth would be Colby's grandparents. Joe hoped that he hadn't stepped on Liza's toes by expressing his desire to be a part of Colby's life. "I would be honored to have you [and Ruth] as [Colby's] grandparents," Liza smiled. After a rocky start, things were starting to turn out better than Liza expected. "Babies have a gift for bringing families together," Joe replied as he leaned over and kissed Liza on the forehead.
Someone had the unenviable task of cleaning up the broken mirrors at Erica's new house. A messenger dropped off a package at the house, but Erica was too ashamed of her bandaged face to answer the door. She instructed the deliveryman to leave the package at the door and didn't retrieve it until after he'd left. The package came at a very bad time. It contained a promotional kit of photographs of Erica from before the accident. A little later, someone else dropped by the house. Vanessa called out to Erica and told her that she had a gift for her. Erica claimed that she was too busy with her work to entertain guests and asked Vanessa to leave the package by the door. Vanessa insisted that someone might steal the beautifully wrapped box and Erica reluctantly let Vanessa into her home. Erica took the present and hurriedly opened the box. The gift was unlike one Erica had seen before; It was a Vishnu good luck charm. With the gift opened, Erica told Vanessa that she'd have to be on her way. Vanessa worried that Erica wasn't looking for solitude, but rather exile. Vanessa tried to appeal to Erica's tender side, by hinting that, like her, she had also had her heart broken by David. Before Vanessa could go into detail, Myrtle arrived at the front door. Erica tried to get rid of her, but Vanessa instructed Erica to let Myrtle inside. Myrtle wasn't happy to see Vanessa---and the same might have been true the other way around. Nevertheless, Vanessa asked that Erica take time out to speak to Myrtle. Erica refused, telling Myrtle that she would have to come back when she was done visiting with her "friend." Vanessa played nice and walked Myrtle to the door. Myrtle turned towards Erica and whispered that she should "be careful" around Vanessa.
In the park, Max stomped on a sandcastle that Gillian had constructed. Gillian scolded Max, but her words have little if any effect on the boy. A basketball rolled over to the edge of the sandbox. A few seconds later, Jake walked over to retrieve the ball. This was more than a coincidence. Jake had observed the problems Gillian was having and stepped in to lend a hand. Jake and Max tossed the basketball back and forth, with Jake praising Max on his top-notch skills. Mateo showed up and thanked Gillian and Jake for watching his son. Mateo took his son by the hand and lead him off to the car. Gillian asked Jake where he'd learned how to relate to youngster so well. Jake guessed that his upbringing and spending time with Junior and Jamie had given him a leg up. Gillian remarked that Jake would make a good father some day. Jake thanked Gillian and said that he hopes Colby agrees. Gillian was stunned to learn that Jake was going to be a father---and even more shocked when she found out that Liza was going to be the mother. "You and Liza had an affair?" Gillian asked in awe. "There wasn't really any romance," Jake replied nonchalantly. "We're just having a child." Gillian's mouth hung open. When she regained the ability to speak, she commented that things are much different in Hungary!
The new club, which is still unnamed, was still in the early stages of construction. Max grumbled continually about his unhappiness. Mateo lifted Max into the air and sat him down on a wooden crate. Mateo promised that the tension between him and Raquel would be a thing of the past. To prove it, Mateo told Max that he could spend the night with his mother. Max yipped joyfully and gave his father a big hug.
Myrtle had an appointment with David to monitor her heart. David gave Myrtle a clean bill of health, but Myrtle still had to drop by for regular checkups. David asked Myrtle if she'd spoken to Erica since her release. Myrtle nodded, but said that Vanessa might be a better person to give him a briefing on Erica's condition. Vanessa, Myrtle said, "was acting quite the lady of the house."
Back at Erica's new home, Vanessa told Erica about the fight she and David had had in the lobby of The Valley Inn. Erica was appalled by the way David treated her, and urged Vanessa to rent out the entire upper-level of the hotel just to spite David. Vanessa was no longer the outspoken woman Erica had become used accustomed to. Vanessa meekly noted that she was having "financial problems" and was unable to afford a single room let along the penthouse. Vanessa said that the only place she had to turn was the women's shelter. Erica tossed her hands in the air and told Vanessa that she could not possibly go to the shelter because it was "roach infested" and run by Brooke English! The only other option Vanessa could see was spending a few days with Erica. At first, Erica claimed that she wasn't up to having a houseguest, but she ultimately agreed to let Vanessa stick around for a few days until she could make other arrangements. Vanessa claimed that she had a lot in common with Erica. Like Erica, Vanessa said that she had been scarred. Vanessa's scars were not the same type as Erica's. She told an emotional tale of her younger years when her good looks helped her get by. Now, she said sadly, crow's feet and wrinkles had set in and she was no longer the beauty she'd once been. Erica didn't see the similarity, but she did feel a bit sympathetic to Vanessa's plight. When the doorbell sounded, Erica surmised that Myrtle had returned. She stomped towards the door preparing to lecture Myrtle about her persistence. Instead, David was waiting outside---and he was not happy.
Back in the park, Gillian sat alone on the edge of the sandbox. She ran her fingers through the sand until she felt someone's gaze upon her back. She turned and looked up. A few feet away, Ryan smiled warmly."
- Soap Central