In the studio, Nicole arrived as Oliver was finishing up with a model. Nicole wanted her name added to the candidate list, but he reminded her that she had to get permission. Nicole was confident that she'd have it soon. Oliver wasn't so sure Maya would let Nicole into Maya's territory. Nicole said she helped Maya to be her authentic self, Maya helped Nicole, and everyone stayed happy.
At Quinn's warehouse, Quinn daydreamed of stabbing Brooke. Wyatt snapped Quinn out of it. He was alarmed to see her retreat to a dark place in her mind. Quinn claimed that nothing was on her mind. Wyatt figured he'd just given her some shocking news; however, she said there was nothing shocking about it, and Deacon had been "gaga" over Brooke for years.
Wyatt asked if it had been a mistake to tell Quinn. Quinn claimed it hadn't been, and she appreciated him looking out for her. He asked what she planned to do. Quinn said she'd talk to Deacon, get to the bottom of his feelings for Brooke, and take it from there. Wyatt asked if he should be worried.
Deacon arrived and guessed that Wyatt couldn't trust Deacon to handle his own business. Wyatt stated that he didn't trust Deacon at all, and if he saw Deacon aiming heartbreak at Quinn, he'd tell her.
Deacon respected Wyatt for that, and Deacon began to explain things to Quinn. Quinn interrupted because she felt it didn't require a long-winded explanation. She merely wanted to know if something was rekindling between Deacon and Brooke. "Yes or no?" she asked.
Deacon asked Wyatt to leave, but Wyatt refused. Quinn said it was okay, and Wyatt left. Quinn said she'd trusted and committed herself to Deacon, as he'd wanted. He claimed it was true, and she asked if Brooke had become a problem. He began to speak about his feeling for Brooke, but Quinn asserted that she didn't plan to be anyone's second choice.
Quinn said her question hadn't been difficult. She asked if he had feelings for Brooke or not. Deacon said he loved Quinn, but she noted that it wasn't an answer. She guessed it was no surprise because he'd been helping Brooke, who hated Quinn and forbade him from marrying Quinn.
Deacon said Brooke would have a place in his life, but not Quinn's place. Deacon said Brooke wasn't the one he couldn't wait to return home to or the one he wanted to marry. He asked why he and Quinn hadn't done it yet. He wanted to pick a date and stop waiting.
At the sky lounge, Brooke arrived while Rick was talking to Katie. Rick said he'd been just about to tell Katie that he planned to work out his differences with Caroline. "We've talked a little, and we've made some progress since she's been in New York," Rick added.
Katie took off, and Rick noted that he hadn't seen much of Brooke at work. Brooke replied that he didn't need his mother over his shoulder. He conveyed that Brooke's opinions mattered to him, so Brooke decided to render an opinion on the decision he'd made to rehire Quinn.
"You know that she's absolutely insane," Brooke said. Rick claimed the consumers didn't care if Quinn was wacky -- they just missed her jewelry. Brooke said Ivy's line was doing just fine. Rick replied that Ivy was good but lacked Quinn's flair and experience. "So we just overlook the fact that Quinn is completely out of her mind," Brooke assumed.
"Nobody's perfect," Rick reasoned. Rick said Quinn seemed to be more settled because of Deacon. Brooke warned that Quinn was as volatile and unpredictable as ever. Rick said he had Wyatt to run interference, but Brooke said rehiring Quinn was like inviting trouble to take a front-row seat.
Rick promised to keep an eye on Quinn, but he felt Brooke also had a problem regarding Caroline. Brooke stated that she didn't trust Caroline, either, after how things had gone, and but Rick had become very forgiving. Rick denied it, saying he'd held on to his pain like a badge of honor. Brooke guessed that things were better because he had the truthful Maya.
In the CEO's office, Maya asked Carter how long he'd been there. "You were born a boy?" the disconcerted Carter asked. He asked if her name was Myron. Maya replied that her name was Maya. Carter guessed it was a big joke then. She said it wasn't, and he told her it was crazy. "We've been involved. I would have known!" he asserted.
Maya asked Carter to hear her out with an open mind. She said she'd never identified as a boy, but her mother had said she'd grow out of it. Her father had wanted a boy, "and by God, he got one."
Maya hadn't known what had made her different, but a childhood friend named Valerie had offered to play dolls with Myron. Maya felt that Valerie's innocence had allowed Valerie to see the real Myron, and it had allowed Maya to be herself without being ashamed. Maya had realized that at the core of her being, she was a woman, and she'd needed her outside to reflect it.
Carter assumed that Maya had had surgery. Maya said it had been when she'd been with Jesse, who'd seen her through it. Carter mentioned the daughter. Maya said it had been Jesse's daughter, but Maya had been her mother in every sense of the word.
"You kept this from me the whole time..." Carter uttered. He grabbed the conference table chairs and slammed them against each other. "We were sleeping together! It didn't occur to you that you should have told me that?" he screamed.
Maya admitted that she should have told Carter, but she didn't think in terms of explaining that she was a woman. "It's who I am," she stated. Carter called it bull. He said they'd been getting married, she'd been a whole other person, and their relationship had been a lie. He asked if he would have stayed with her. "Who the hell knows? I never got to decide. How is that fair?" he asked.
Maya repeated that she should have told Carter, and Carter asked if Rick knew. Maya said that she planned to tell Rick, but until she did, she needed Carter to promise not to tell anyone. Maya claimed that she hadn't said anything before because of situations like the one she and Carter were in. She stated that he had no idea how it was to explain what she'd gone through to become her true self to someone who'd never questioned himself.
Carter declared that the truth was that Maya claimed not to be ashamed of who she was, but she hid it. Maya claimed that it had been a mistake. She'd been afraid that Carter wouldn't love her if he'd known, but she'd learned from it. "Not if you're repeating it," Carter stated.
Maya promised she'd tell Rick if he proposed to her. "I proposed to you!" Carter bellowed. He declared that Rick deserved to know who she was. Maya claimed that it wasn't Carter's news to tell, and it was Maya's life. Carter added that it was Rick's life, too, just like it had been Carter's life.
Carter stated that Rick had a right to know what he was into and who he was with. Maya asserted that she was the same woman Rick had always known. Carter told Maya to keep telling herself that, but they all knew how Rick felt about secrets. "And they don't come bigger than this," he added. He yelled that she'd played him for a fool, and he wouldn't let her do the same to Rick.
Just then, Rick entered and asked what was going on. Carter said he'd been just about to look for Rick. Maya asked Carter not to do it. Carter said he was single and had no children. His first loyalty was to Forrester and acting in the best interest of the company and CEO. Carter said that when the truth got out, and it would, he didn't want to be in some kind of "you should have told me" mess.
Rick asked what truth Carter was talking about. Carter stated that he and Rick had a lot in common, and Rick wouldn't believe what it was.
At Forrester, Carter and Rick faced off. "You won't believe it when I tell you," Carter shouted at Rick. Maya angrily told Carter to stop, but Carter maintained that Rick had a right to know who Maya was.
Ridge entered and interrupted the tense situation. Carter said that Maya had been living a lie. Rick called Carter jealous and said Carter was "still pining away for Maya."
"Why else would you be so angry?" Rick asked. Rick suggested that Carter should try to find a woman like Maya -- "as unique and special as Maya," Rick said. Rick told Carter to leave and apologized to Maya that Carter had been so insulting. Maya left the office and paused outside the door, so upset that she strained to catch her breath.
Inside the office, Ridge and Rick discussed the latest line that Ridge and Caroline had designed. "It's fresh," Ridge said. He explained that they had plans to go big with billboards and more. Ridge worried that Rick had not been listening. Rick admitted that Carter had been irritating him.
Rick explained that Carter had implied that Rick didn't know anything about Maya and that Maya had been conning him. Rick planned to spend the rest of his life with Maya. He was convinced that Carter and everyone were jealous of his relationship with Maya. Rick planned to confront Carter, and he left.
At Spencer, Katie, Bill, and Liam met. They discussed that Caroline had told Liam that Rick had seemed to have a change of attitude. "She said he was being nice, even cordial," Liam shared. Bill and Katie scoffed and agreed that none of them should trust Rick.
Bill wondered if Rick had second thoughts about his divorce. Bill was convinced that Rick might have finally realized he'd made a mistake in leaving Caroline for Maya. Katie disagreed. She said Rick had to have forgotten Maya's gold-digging days. Katie figured it would take something major to break Rick and Maya up.
Bill insisted that Rick would leave Maya if anything went wrong, but Liam argued that Caroline was perfectly happy with Ridge. The conversation turned to Brooke, and Katie shared that Brooke had a drinking problem and had turned to Deacon, whom Bill referred to as "Mugshot."
At Brooke's house, Brooke warned Wyatt that he should not have told his mother about the conversation he'd overheard between Brooke and Deacon. Wyatt maintained that his mother had a right to know the truth. "You overreacted," Brooke said.
Wyatt reminded Brooke that she and Deacon had discussed that if Deacon had not been engaged, then Brooke and Deacon might have had a second chance. Brooke responded that it had all been hypothetical, and Deacon had maintained that Quinn was good for him, and he loved her.
Brooke added that Quinn was dangerous, and no one could control her -- not even Deacon. "He's going to honor his commitment to your mother," Brooke said. Wyatt disagreed. "I believe he's still in love with you," Wyatt said. Brooke said she didn't want to see Deacon with Quinn because Quinn was unstable.
At Quinn's place, Deacon begged Quinn not to call off their wedding because of "a throwaway remark" he'd made. "I want to be with you," he said. Quinn was furious. She said she'd believed that he wanted to be her husband, but she didn't want him if he was "the slightest bit in love with Brooke." Deacon nodded that he'd understood.
"My son heard you daydreaming about a life with Brooke," Quinn accused. Deacon defended himself that he would always care about Brooke on some level, but he wanted to spend his life with Quinn.
Deacon begged Quinn to pick a wedding date and marry him. Quinn was frustrated, and she put on her coat. She said she had to leave and clear her head. She left, and Deacon worried.
Later, Wyatt showed up, and Deacon accused him of giving Quinn another reason to hate Brooke. Wyatt looked apprehensive, and Deacon worried about what Quinn would do next.
Outside Brooke's house, Quinn lingered at the front door and fantasized about stabbing Brooke. Brooke opened the door and promised that if Quinn laid a hand on her, she would call the police. Quinn accused Brooke of leading Deacon on and trying to break them up. Quinn warned that Brooke should never have messed with her. "Do I look scared to you?" Brooke countered. Quinn smirked. "Trust me, you will be. You'll be very scared," Quinn threatened.
Quinn added that there was no way she would allow Brooke to interfere in her engagement. "We'll see," Brooke said. Quinn reasoned that she had been interested in only two men in her entire life -- Bill and Deacon. "I take my relationships very seriously," she said. She added that Brooke had had countless marriages, affairs, and children. "Deacon is taken. Find yourself a new A.A. partner," she warned. "Or what?" Brooke dared.
In Carter's office, he flashed back to happy times with Maya. He remembered kissing her. He recalled that he'd asked her to marry him. He had slipped a ring on her finger. He remembered making love to Maya. Maya walked in.
"How dare you," Maya shouted. Carter maintained that nothing could save her, and Rick had a right to know. Maya maintained that she'd had to deal with "enough crap" in her life. She begged Carter to have some compassion and empathy, but he reminded her that she'd had no problem lying to him about her former life as a man.
"I am a woman. You will not say one word to Rick. I won't let that happen," Maya boomed. Maya promised to tell Rick in her own time. "We are devoted to each other. He will love me no matter what," Maya said. Carter pressured Maya to tell Rick immediately.
"You're too scared to do it," Carter said. Maya ordered Carter to leave her alone. "Stop pressuring me. I will not be bullied," Maya countered. She promised to tell Rick after he proposed, but Carter was unwilling to keep the information from Rick.
"You really think Rick will forgive you?" Carter asked. Carter reminded Maya that her secret would have an impact on the company and its customers around the world. It would be a scandal no matter what.
Maya maintained that a very powerful LGBT community would support her and praise Forrester, but Carter said she was taking a big risk. Maya angrily warned that Carter would be fired if he opened his mouth, but Carter guaranteed that Maya would be the one who was out of Forrester.
Rick stormed in and demanded to know what Carter had been talking about. "Whatever the hell this is, it's time to get it out in the open. Tell me," Rick ordered Carter. Carter looked at Maya, and Maya glared at him.
At Forrester, Carter, Maya, and Rick had a tense discussion. "You think you know something. Get it off your chest," Rick demanded of Carter. Carter looked at Maya and remained silent. "You don't know a damned thing," Rick said. "You're wrong, Rick. You don't know Maya as well as you think you do," Carter said quietly. Rick accused Carter of being a jealous ex.
Rick said that he and Maya had been through more than most couples had ever been through. "Rick, I'm still learning things about Maya. In time, so will you," Carter said. Maya looked tearful.
Rick insisted that he wanted to know what was going on. Maya said it was nothing, and Carter reluctantly agreed. Rick warned Carter to be respectful to Maya because it could affect his job security.
Rick left for a conference call, and Maya said she would see Rick at home. Maya asked Carter why he hadn't told Rick the truth about Maya's transition from a man to woman. "He needs to hear it from you," Carter said.
Maya promised she would tell Rick when he proposed. Carter maintained that a ring on her finger wouldn't change anything. Maya made up excuses for not sharing the news with Rick. She said he was still worried about his divorce, and he had people threatening his job.
Carter maintained that Rick had a right to know what he was getting into. "It doesn't just affect you," Carter said. Carter encouraged her to be honest with Rick so he didn't feel tricked. Maya understood that was the way Carter felt. "This is who I am -- the woman you see standing in front of you," she said tearfully. Carter walked out, and Maya looked concerned.
In the studio at Forrester, Oliver, Ivy, and Ridge discussed upcoming photo shoots. Ridge asked why Oliver needed a photo of him, and Oliver replied that they needed it for an article that was about to hit the Internet. Ridge posed for portraits, and Ivy told Oliver there was no rush on shots of her jewelry.
Nicole entered and instructed Oliver to shoot her next. Ivy and Ridge looked surprised. Oliver said he had not received an approval from Maya. Nicole maintained that she wanted to be a model. "My sister's gonna pull some strings for me," Nicole said.
Ridge encouraged Oliver to shoot audition photos of Nicole. Oliver and Ridge offered her tips, and Ivy pulled Ridge aside to ask why he'd been helping Nicole. Ridge said that he hoped Nicole would be the undoing of Rick and Maya.
Ridge explained that modeling was always about the design -- not the model. Oliver and Ridge pointed out that every person had a good side, and they helped Nicole see hers. Later, Ivy pointed out the Internet article about Ridge and Caroline -- the new design team at Forrester -- was up on the Web. Ridge smirked. Ivy told him they could all be glad the article had been about Ridge and Caroline rather than about Queen Maya and her sister the model. Ridge smiled. Ivy left.
Ridge flashed back to his romantic evening with Caroline. The phone rang, and it was Caroline. He told her he'd been thinking of her all day and missed her. "I have been thinking about you all day," she said. She promised to return to him as soon as she could. They exchanged "I love yous," and Caroline teased that he'd better not be painting without her. They hung up.
Nicole entered an office and called out to Maya, but she found Carter. Nicole shared that she'd had her first modeling session. Carter wondered if Maya had set it up. Nicole admitted that she had not, but Ridge had encouraged her. Carter noted that Maya had wanted Nicole to focus on computer science.
Nicole wondered how Carter had known about her earlier conversation with Maya. Carter told her he had overheard her entire conversation, especially the part about how Nicole had threatened to tell everyone Maya's secret -- that Maya had been born as Nicole's brother, not her sister.
At the Forrester mansion, Maya returned home to Rick, and Rick suggested pizza and a Kings game. Maya admitted that she was not a fan of hockey. Rick acknowledged that Carter had been correct in that Rick did not know a lot about Maya.
Maya looked surprised. She promised to watch hockey after everything Rick had done for her. They discussed that they had known very little about one another when they'd first met, and Maya had thought Rick was a homeless waiter. Rick gushed about how wonderful Maya had been for him. He said she meant everything, and he admired her honesty and integrity. They hugged, and tears streamed down Maya's cheeks.
At Brooke's, Brooke warned Quinn not to threaten her. Brooke added that she would not pursue Deacon, but she didn't believe that Deacon and Quinn were a good match. Nothing would convince her otherwise. Quinn said that she didn't care what Brooke thought. She just wanted Brooke to stay out of her life. Quinn left, and Brooke looked relieved.
Later, Brooke and Rick talked on the phone, and Rick told her that Forrester needed her. She promised to see him in the morning. Brooke looked at her computer and saw the article about Ridge and Caroline.
At Quinn's place, Deacon told Wyatt that it had been a mistake to rile Quinn up. Wyatt said he had told his mother the truth about what he'd overheard between Deacon and Brooke. Deacon worried that Quinn would confront Brooke. Deacon told Wyatt that he was going to marry Wyatt's mother. Wyatt left.
Deacon played with tools in Quinn's workshop, and Quinn entered. Quinn admitted that she had gone to see Brooke. Quinn shared that she had tried to get through to Brooke, and Quinn advised Deacon that he was done being Brooke's A.A. partner.
"Is that what you need to hear from me?" Deacon asked. He promised to do whatever she wanted because he was committed to their relationship and potential marriage. Quinn agreed they would work on their relationship.
At Forrester, Rick and Maya kissed and discussed how he was dreading a meeting he had with Ridge that morning. Quinn barged in with the gatekeeper, Pam, on her heels. Quinn insisted upon giving Rick a gift for rehiring her. Rick opened the gift and saw the dagger-like letter opener. Stabbing the air with it, Rick said it might be handy, since he'd retired Stephanie's gun.
Ridge arrived and soured upon seeing Quinn. She ducked out, but Rick told Ridge to accept Quinn's presence. Ridge asked if he should accept it like he had to accept Rick's notes on the sketches. Brooke arrived and asked how many times Ridge had to be told not to use that tone with the CEO.
Ridge asked if Brooke had been added to the meeting. Brooke said it wasn't the point; his treatment of Rick was. Ridge asked if he couldn't disagree with Brooke's son. Maya quipped that Ridge disagreed about everything, but Pam called the statement unfair. Brooke felt that Ridge was being unfair. Ridge said he was just stating the obvious, and Ricky would agree.
Brooke asserted that her son's name was Rick, and Ridge asked what the difference was. Brooke refused to allow Ridge to create more dissension within the group, but Ridge said Rick didn't need help creating dissension. Rick claimed that he'd acknowledged his shortcomings and was adjusting.
Maya added that Rick and the staff were getting along, and Brooke said it was because the staff understood what Rick was doing. Ridge decided that he didn't have time for the motherly lioness routine, and he stalked out of the office. Pam left, too, and Rick thanked his mother, adding that he "now" had two women fighting for him.
Across the hall, Ridge griped to Pam that Maya was annoying, and Rick's mother was propping Rick up. Ridge received text messages with more design changes from Rick. Pam asserted that none of it would be happening if Stephanie were alive, and Stephanie would be the one firing shots. Ridge wondered when Eric would wake up.
Pam figured that Rick had snowed Eric with the "poor me" routine. Ridge guessed Rick had everyone snowed. Ridge was tired. Pam urged Ridge to remember that he was a fighter and his mother's son, and he couldn't let "them" win. Ridge refused to change his design. Glad, Pam noted that Ridge was the designer, not the number-crunching Rick.
Ridge said Rick had an insatiable desire for power. Pam figured that Rick had gotten it from Brooke, who wouldn't be the co-vice president if it hadn't been for Brooke's self-interests. Ridge stated that Brooke was good at what she did but had lost all perspective about Rick.
Pam believed that Ridge should be CEO. In her view, everyone wanted it, and it would happen. She added that it was what Stephanie would have wanted. Ridge uttered that he missed Stephanie, too, and he and Pam hugged.
Back in the CEO's office, Rick told Brooke that Ridge hadn't responded to Rick's messages. Rick joked about Ridge's refusal to take orders from the "little runt." Brooke believed that things had to change and asked if Caroline was against Rick, too. Rick didn't think it was as bad with Caroline, but he felt that he could use reinforcements. Rick asked Brooke to return to work full-time.
Brooke doubted that Rick needed her, but Rick reasoned that he could accomplish more without having to deal with a disgruntled designer. Rick stated that Brooke had always been a force in the company, and he wanted to count on her to have his back at a crucial time. He asked if he could count on her, and Brooke pledged to be there for her wonderful son.
Rick called someone to put out a memo that Brooke was back and kicking butt. Maya figured Ridge was complaining in his office about Brooke putting him in his place. Brooke refused to let Ridge push Rick around and felt that she and Ridge owed Rick for the way they'd treated Rick in his childhood.
Rick stated that Brooke didn't owe him anything. He was glad she was doing better and admitted that he'd started to worry about her. Brooke admitted that she hadn't liked the out-of-control direction of her life, but things were looking up. For the first time in her life, she wasn't thinking about a man. She was thinking of her children, mainly Rick. She apologized for the way she'd reacted to Rick and Maya, but after seeing how Maya treated Rick, Brooke was thrilled for them.
Brooke left, and Maya and Rick joked about how Ridge would feel about Brooke's return. Rick was glad to have Brooke's support, but it didn't overshadow Maya's support. He knew there were things they didn't know about each other, but he felt those things would make them stronger. Rick loved Maya for the woman she was.
Later, Brooke looked into an office and saw Ridge working. She entered and said, "I worry about you." Ridge thought that was funny. Brooke didn't see why. Ridge said he couldn't take Rick seriously, and he likened Rick's control to a dog driving a car. She asked if Ridge knew how offensive he was. Ridge guessed he knew why she was there -- to prop up her son.
Brooke asked if Ridge thought his behavior was unimpeachable and asked where he got off treating Maya as he did. Ridge retorted that Brooke was late to the party and hadn't seen how Maya operated. Brooke claimed to have seen how Maya loved Rick. Ridge guessed the prison system had worked, and Maya was rehabilitated.
Brooke hadn't remembered Ridge being so arrogant and insensitive. Surprised, he said he'd been that way all his life. What Ridge didn't remember was Brooke being critical of him -- except where Rick was concerned. "When did you start drinking the Maya juice?" Ridge asked. Brooke claimed that Maya defended Rick while Ridge and Caroline tried to rip Rick apart.
Ridge corrected that he, not Caroline, was ripping on Rick. "You really gonna defend that girl to me?" Brooke asked. Ridge proclaimed that they'd finally gotten down to what Brooke wanted to talk about. Brooke asked if "it" was his midlife crisis, but Ridge quipped that it felt like his midlife salvation. Ridge believed he knew why Brooke was there, but he couldn't give her what she wanted.
At the sky lounge, Ivy fretted over a necklace, which was a departure from anything she'd ever done. Ivy felt pressure because of Quinn's return. Wyatt said Rick would like the necklace. Ivy stated that Quinn did good work. There was a time that Ivy would have loved to work with Quinn, but Ivy feared that if the collaboration didn't work, Quinn would throw Ivy under the bus to save herself.
"Talking smack about me already?" Quinn asked as she approached and grinned. Quinn expressed that she was excited to work with the talented Ivy, and Quinn believed they could do great things at Forrester -- if Ivy could get beyond the bridge fiasco. Ivy asked what would happen if she couldn't do it. Quinn replied that they'd have a problem that Rick would need to know about.
The women got down to work. Quinn liked Ivy's necklace and offered to present it to Rick. Wyatt became alarmed, believing Quinn wanted to take credit for the work. Quinn said she was offering because Ivy was having problems with Rick. Ivy said she thought Quinn was actually trying to help.
Carter arrived to notify the women that Rick had increased their budget, as long as they made every dollar count. Ivy quipped that it was in tandem with Rick's many other directives. Quinn asked what Ivy meant, and Ivy went on and on about how they were supposed to think of Maya and Maya's femininity while designing. Carter grimaced.
Quinn suspected that Ivy didn't like Maya very much. Ivy stated that Forrester had changed since Quinn had been gone, and everything was about Maya. Noting that Carter had almost married Maya, Quinn was sure he had some tidbits to tell them about his former fiancée. Wyatt said that Rick believed Maya was an open book, but Quinn stated that men in love believed anything.
"What about women in love?" Wyatt asked. Quinn asserted that they were talking about Maya, and Quinn wondered if Carter knew something about Maya that they didn't. Carter told them that they needed to go over some projections, and as for Maya not being who she seemed, "who is?"
At Forrester, Brooke felt that Ridge had a big ego, but Ridge was sure Brooke was mad at the world because he wasn't fighting for her. He said his heart just wasn't in it. Brooke laughed, stating that she could have Ridge back "just like that" and that she believed he was only with Caroline to irk Rick.
Ridge stated that he and Brooke had already had the discussion years earlier, but it had been about another Caroline who Brooke had also insisted hadn't been right for him. Brooke said she'd never disparaged Caroline senior, but Caroline junior lacked a conscience. He reasoned that he'd wanted the relationship, so his conscience might be the one lacking.
Brooke wished Ridge had said that twenty-five years earlier. Ridge asked if she was saying she regretted being with him. Brooke didn't; however, she wished they'd made better choices because it would have made their family stronger, and she wouldn't feel so alone.
Ridge didn't want Brooke to see their past as a failure. Brooke asked what was important to him at that time in his life. For her, it was her children, especially Rick. She felt the need to be there for Rick and to protect him. Assuming the protection was from him, Ridge said he didn't think about Rick unless Rick made him do so. She asked if Ridge thought of R.J.
Ridge asked what Brooke meant. Brooke said she didn't encourage their son to visit from school because she didn't want him to lose respect for his father. She had been waiting for Ridge to introduce Caroline properly to their son but no longer believed it would happen. Brooke predicted that soon, Ridge would tire of Caroline, and he'd move on with his life.
Ridge claimed that he and Brooke had been practically kids when they'd fallen in love. They'd shared the best of times and worst of times, but they'd seemed to find ways to forgive each other and move on. Brooke suspected that he'd need her soon, but he didn't know it yet.
Brooke wondered what Caroline and Ridge talked about. She asked if they discussed his youth and life before smart phones. She wondered if they'd discussed having children or how Caroline wouldn't have his children because he already had two families. Brooke believed Ridge would see that Caroline wasn't schooled enough for him, and he'd have to let go. Brooke believed it would be a sacrifice for Ridge, but it would be much better for Caroline in the long run.
Brooke asked what was keeping Caroline in New York. Ridge seemed to struggle to explain why Caroline was away. He said they collaborated on designs via email. Caroline was spending time with her mothers, and Dani was publishing a book.
Brooke decided to go but said she'd run interference with Rick if Ridge wanted it. Ridge quipped that it would be a new thing for her. Ridge decided that Brooke was right; he and Caroline didn't know everything about each other, and they might not have children together. Ridge conveyed that Caroline knew the Ridge he was that day, not the Ridge of twenty-five years past. He added that people did their best work when left alone, and he asked Brooke to try it for old time's sake.
In the studio, Aly grimaced with embarrassment, watching Nicole bounce and dance instead of posing for Oliver's camera. Oliver cut off the music and said modeling and dancing were different. Carter entered to see why he'd heard loud music in the hallway. Oliver and Aly started to explain what Rick and Maya had told them to do, but seeing Nicole, Carter said it had become clear to him.
Oliver resumed the music, and Nicole continued to dance before the camera. She wondered if her photos would be in magazines and was disappointed when Oliver said they were just test shots. He added that she might get to be a fit model or do online work, but Nicole frowned. She tripped and worried that she'd ripped her dress. Oliver asked her to change into a new outfit.
Aly stated that they had work to do, and Carter murmured that it paid to have Maya's support. Everyone reviewed Nicole's photos and rendered skeptical looks when Nicole cooed about how well she'd done. Aly and Oliver left, and Carter asked Nicole to get out of the modeling clothes because they weren't hers. Nicole snapped that she wasn't a thief, but he quipped that she was sure squeezing Maya.
Nicole claimed to be trying to get Maya to treat Nicole like family. Carter stated that, to Nicole, it meant living in a mansion and placing herself ahead of experienced models. Nicole said most sisters got along normally, but Maya wanted to run away from hers. Nicole asked what she'd done to deserve it.
Carter replied that Maya was scared, but Nicole disagreed. Nicole said Maya felt that Rick would understand it in time. Nicole doubted Maya believed it and asked if Carter did. Carter didn't know what Rick would do, but Carter felt that Maya had lied to him. Carter had wanted to tell Rick, who deserved to know, but Carter hadn't been able to after looking into Maya's eyes.
Carter guessed there was a reason Maya hadn't divulged the information to him when they'd been together. He said he might not have made things easier for her, and he might have pushed her while she'd been rebounding from Rick. Nicole stated that Maya had been more wrong than Carter, and Maya had done the same with Nicole.
Nicole said she'd been little, and she'd thought Maya hadn't wanted anything to do with her. Carter reasoned that sometimes, while trying to survive, people forgot how to love others. "Wouldn't you agree?" he asked.
In the CEO's office, Maya and Rick kissed. Maya had driven Nicole to Forrester that morning, and it had interrupted Maya's normal routine. Maya claimed it was okay, and she could do her regimes at any time. Oliver called Rick to discuss Nicole's shoot, and Maya slipped off to take some pills from a bottle that had been tucked away in her purse.
Later, Rick was frustrated that Ridge hadn't made the design changes Rick had asked for. Maya complimented Ridge's work on the neckline, and Rick asked if he should let Ridge challenge Rick's authority. Maya said that Ridge needed his little rebellions and suggested that Rick agree to a mock-up design to see how the design looked.
Rick got a phone call and snapped at the person on the other end. After the call, he apologized for the interruptions. Maya apologized for telling him how to handle Ridge. Rick said she didn't need to do that. He wanted to hear everything she had to say without her holding anything back, including hearing about her hopes, fears, and dreams. She agreed not to hold things back.
Maya asked for Brooke's birth date and clothing size. She wanted to do something nice for Brooke, who'd been beautiful and accepting. Rick said Brooke knew what Maya meant to and did for Rick. Maya conveyed that she'd never thought she'd be that happy. Rick kissed her. Her purse tumbled to the floor, exposing the pill bottle.
Maya remarked that she was happy that things were improving between Caroline and Rick. Rick recalled how he hadn't been able to eat, sleep, or read a report after he'd learned about Ridge and Caroline. Rick didn't want Maya to pity him. He figured Caroline had kept things from him because she'd believed that her husband had been a wounded bird.
Maya said that if she ever had a husband, she'd want him to know all of her and everything about her. Rick said the husband would know what a lucky man he was. He told her he loved her.
Maya decided to take off, but she couldn't find her purse. Rick spotted it on the floor and picked it up. He also picked up the pill bottle and was surprised that the prescription was for conjugated estrogen. He asked why Maya needed to take it.
