06/17/1999 David Demands Vanessa's Key To Erica's House




"As Liza started her walk down the aisle, Dixie nudged Jake and asked, "Isn't she beautiful." Remembering that Liza was toting Colby, Jake smiled and nodded his head---adding that Liza didn't look so bad either! The reverend, who by now was running late for a funeral, used a bit of whit in his opening remarks as well. "Dearly beloved, we are finally gather here today," he grinned. Marian was the first to speak, reading a passage Stuart had helped her select from The Book of Romans. In Marian's synopsis of the passage, she said Liza and Adam finding their way back to one another should serve as an example to everyone. Ryan and Gillian exchanged quick glances. The chapel grew quiet at the minister arrived at the part of the ceremony when he asks if "anyone can show just cause why this couple should not be married." Tad bit his lip and muttered that he hopes that Liza knows what she's doing. The couple wrote their own vows and planned to use the same vows they'd written on their Sleepy Hollow Inn getaway. Liza referred to Adam as her "partner... equal... and soulmate." She also said that she wants to be Adam's "best friend, lover, mate, wife... and sometimes the devil's advocate." Adam started reciting his vows, but Liza chirped that she hadn't finished. Liza opted to alter the vows that they'd rehearsed. She walked over to Jake and picked up Colby. She then praised Adam for being able to accept Colby and Jake into his life." In his vows, Adam thanked Liza for being able to put up with him. "I'm no easy feat," he grinned. The reverend pronounced them husband and wife and the union was sealed with a kiss. Hayley raced up to her father and gave him a big hug. Dixie and Tad approached more slowly and only Dixie wore a smile. She congratulated them both, but Tad remained unusually quiet. In the vestibule area, Ryan paced back and forth. Hayley told him that he was not alone in his feelings because she too was saddened by the ceremony. She told Ryan that she couldn't help but wonder if she and Mateo would ever have a wedding of their own. Gillian slowly walked out of the chapel. She bumped into Ryan and he felt obliged to ask her how she was doing. Gillian admitted that she'd cried during the ceremony and joked that she must have looked like a "tycoon." She actually meant "raccoon." Ryan shook his head and told her that she didn't look like a raccoon. "You looked..." his voice trailed off. He said nothing more.

At the wedding reception, the mood was surprisingly subdued. Sure the clamor of good tiding and the clinking of glasses echoed through the parlor, but for many the occasion was less than festive. Hayley phoned home to see if Mateo could drop by, but she was unable to reach her lover. He may have meant well, but when Adam asked Hayley why Mateo wasn't with her, Hayley's funk intensified. She held back tears as she quietly told her father that Mateo had to spend time with Max. Jake and Liza announced that they had something to say. Jake looked towards Tad and Dixie and asked them if they wanted another child. The newlyweds looked at each other in confusion. Jake stated that he and Liza wanted them to be Colby's godparents. Tad, whose foul mood continued, finally showed signs of happiness. He and Dixie proudly accepted the honor. Dixie took Colby and strolled around the room. She walked past Hayley and asked her if she'd like to hold Colby. Dixie smiled and said that it would be good practice for Hayley. Hayley closed her eyes and sighed deeply. She told Dixie that her plans to have a baby were on hold. Across the room, Marian and Stuart watched as Gillian and Scott chatted. Marian commented that they made a cute couple. Stuart gently elbowed her and scolded her for thinking about playing matchmaker. While they talked, Scott wandered away and Jake took a spot next to the princess. Stuart smiled and told Marian that he thought that Gillian and Jake made a nice couple. Jamie and Junior were getting restless, but Tad and Dixie weren't ready to leave. Scott stepped in and offered to take the boys home---and to play some games with them until Tad and Dixie returned. Tradition took another side step as Liza decided against tossing the bouquet. She said that since only one woman wasn't "technically hitched," she'd prefer to simply hand the bouquet away. Hayley accepted the bouquet and listened as Liza and Adam promised her that she would be the next to get married. Hayley slipped away unnoticed, leaving the bouquet on a table in the foyer. One by one the guests left until Adam and Liza were alone. They shared a very tender kiss and headed upstairs to their bedroom.

David dropped by Erica's house, but was unable to bring himself to ringing the doorbell. As he prepared to leave, Vanessa walked out of the house. They both froze instantly. David, of course, wanted to know why Vanessa had been inside the house. Vanessa said that she'd dropped by to give Erica a spare key that she still had in her possession. David didn't buy it and demanded that his mother hand over the key. David was in a particularly feisty mood. In a rare move of compassion, Vanessa reached out to gently stroke her son's hair. David suddenly grabbed his mother's hand and glared angrily into her eyes. "Like it or not," Vanessa said. "I'm a part of you." David disagreed strongly. He told his mother that he'd just done something that she could never do. "I left something go," he said proudly. His mother, he claimed, would have destroyed as many people as she could. Vanessa was upset by the accusation and insisted that she never deliberately sets out to hurt anyone. David warned his mother that if she did not leave immediately, he would call the police and report her from breaking and entering. Vanessa invited her son into the house so that they could both wait for Erica. She asked David why he'd come to see Erica. "That's none of your concern," replied David. Vanessa worried that Erica had done something to upset David, but David would neither confirm nor deny her suspicion. Instead, the doctor stated that he was in the midst of an "identity crisis." Doing the right thing was such a foreign notion to him after having been raised "on a solid portion of hate, spite, and smug superiority." The thought of being like his mother scared David, possibly for the first time. Vanessa reached out to her son and asked him to help her find enlightenment of her own. Suggesting that they start over failed to reap any benefit for Vanessa. David wanted to be distanced from his mother now more than ever. Vanessa wondered if Erica somehow had something to do with David's new attitude. David again looked coldly at his mother and warned her that "Erica is off limits!" Vanessa chuckled slightly and asked her son if he was "starting to care for Erica." David said nothing. Vanessa asked her question one more time, but again she received no response. David turned and walked away. He paused momentarily on the porch unaware that Vanessa was watching him carefully through the window. Then the doctor simply walked away. Vanessa closed her eyes and reflected on her past. She recalled a time when David was much younger and thought the world of her. One line more than anything else stuck in her mind; David saying that he "will always love [her] best." Vanessa slowly opened her eyes. "So," she said with a slight growl. "David wants you, Erica."

Ryan skipped out on the reception and headed to Pine Valley Hospital. There he attended a meeting of ACOA or Adult Children of Alcoholics. He listened carefully to the members who addressed the group. After the meeting concluded, a woman approached and introduced herself to Ryan. Ryan, however, said that he was just there to listen and wasn't sure if the group was really for him. The woman smiled and told Ryan that in time he'd know if he belonged there.

Fresh from the twelve-hour sale at Lacy's, Opal dropped by Tad and Dixie's house to hand out some presents. When she arrived, she heard a stir in an adjacent room. She grabbed a baseball bat and hid behind the sofa hoping to clobber any intruders. Without warning, Becca entered the room from the other direction holding a golf club over her head. The two women screamed but refrained from bludgeoning one another. "Either you're the best dressed prowler or you've got the wrong house," Becca sassed upon seeing Opal. Opal informed the young woman that she was Tad's mother. Becca shook her head and said that she'd seen pictures of Tad's mother and father---and she was not in them. Opal clarified that she was Tad's birth mother and Becca softened slightly. The two women introduced themselves. Opal told Becca that she'd heard of Pigeon Hollow because her ex-husband had been born there. "But don't worry," she smiled wryly. "I won't hold it against the whole town." The two women sipped on some mint iced tea before Opal remembered that she had to pick up Peter from a playdate. Becca walked Opal to her car. Meanwhile, Scott arrived with the boys. Jamie and Junior ran upstairs to fetch their video games. Becca returned inside. Scott looked up and both said, "It's you" simultaneously.

Hayley straggled into Sounds of Salsa on the verge of tears. She walked behind the bar and poured herself a glass of vodka. She took a deep breath and raised the glass to her lips."

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