Daily Updates

All My Children Update for Thursday, 9-Mar-2000

Rae and Myrtle arrive back at the boarding house after their adventure, and share a laugh over Myrtle's fake heart attack and Rae's proficiency with the tape dispenser. Rae becomes a little melancholy and it is revealed that the file they went through so much to find contained nothing helpful. Rae wonders if this is a sign that she is just not meant to find her daughter, but Myrtle says that no daughter of hers would give up so easily.

Edmund and Alex have just returned to Wildwind from England when Tad bursts in, searching for Jake or Gillian. Clearly confused, Edmund and Alex demand that Tad explain exactly what he is blathering about.

Gillian and Ryan are sitting on a bench, Gillian looking utterly sad and defeated. Ryan takes on look at Gillian and knows what happened; knows that Jake found out that Gillian has been sitting on the secret of Colby's paternity all along. Without a word, Gillian leans into his arms.

In Liza's bedroom, Jake is angrily demanding to know if he was the last one to find out that Adam was Colby's father, pointing out the vast hurt and humiliation which Liza had caused him. Finally his anger is replaced by sadness as Jake explains that everything that mattered to him is gone - his daughter, his trust in his brother, his wife, and his friendship with Liza, all lost to the lies that were told him. He holds a picture of Colby and cries when he says that he doesn't think she'll remember him, but Liza insists that Colby will always be his daughter.

Gillian tells Ryan everything that happened, and how terrible it all was. Her voice tends to get high and a little squeaky when she is crying, but I find that more appealing than annoying - she seems so sincere, and very different from the selfish little girl who first appeared in Pine Valley. Ryan is unable to console her, but his pity for her is plain on his face when Gillian says, "Colby is not a Martin anymore and neither am I." Ryan tells Gillian to just give Jake time to understand her point of view, and tells her that no man could look at her without falling in love with her. When he offers to take her somewhere, she says that she wants to go home to Wildwind.

Myrtle asks Rae if she is afraid that Rae's daughter will not like her - and if not, then what exactly is she afraid of? Rae insists that she is not afraid, just tired and frustrated. Myrtle finds a message for Rae on a notepad. It seems that the private investigator had called while they were out. The Bible Rae was searching for had not yet been found, but the sale of the desk was traced to an antique dealer in New Orleans. Rae manages to find the phone number and address of the dealer and plans to go there immediately in the hopes of getting to the desk before it is sold again. Then she realizes that leaving Pine Valley means leaving Myrtle. With much encouragement from Myrtle, Rae does leave to follow the desk and continue the search for her daughter. There was such a finality in their goodbye, though Rae said it would be only a week or so. I wonder if we will ever again see Rae Cummings in Pine Valley?

Tad finishes telling Edmund and Alex about the custody hearing and Liza's revelation that Colby is not Jake's baby. He tries to justify his decision not to tell Jake, but at the same time heaps all the blame on himself. Alex makes the observation that nothing good comes of keeping secrets. Tad fears that Jake will never forgive him, but Edmund reminds Tad and he and Dimitri always managed to put the past behind them. After Tad leaves, Edmund picks up Maria's picture.

Jake is angered by Liza's statement that he will always be Colby's father. Adam is Colby's father, and Adam always grabs what he wants. Liza, weeping, begs Jake to help her fight him. It is then that Jake realizes that he is merely a pawn in Liza's game to hurt Adam. "When I held Colby it hurt Adam, and you loved it." Liza admits that it is true, but that it didn't happen that way on purpose. Liza had chosen Jake as her baby's father, and when Adam took that away from her, she wanted to make him hurt. She said that Adam had "cheated, used deceived and courted" her. She wanted the truth to be kept secret because of how it hurt Adam. He couldn't play the proud father in public because that was Jake's established role but what hurt Adam the most was that Jake was the better father. Liza tearfully apologized to Jake. When Colby's cries are heard coming from another room, Jake cries too. Liza tells Jake that Colby needs him. Jake returns with Colby in his arms, and they sit and talk to her and to each other. It is a bittersweet moment as it becomes obvious how good a father Jake is, and how much Liza wants him in that role. Jake slips out of the room as Liza plays with Colby on the bed.

Still holding Maria's picture, Edmund flashes back to the time when they lose their child - when Sam's birth mother wanted him back, Maria wanted to keep him and flee the country, while Edmund wanted to do the right thing and return Sam to his mother. Maria screamed and screamed, "my baby!" even while she let Edmund take him away from her. In the present, Alex stepped up beside Edmund, and he turned and touched a lock of her hair. Much as I like Finola Hughes in this role or any other, it was a poor comparison after seeing Maria emoting her heart out, and seeing the obvious connection between Maria and Edmund. Edmund reminds Alex that he and Maria lost their baby for a while, and Alex points out that his story had a happy ending. I don't guess the ending will be so happy for Liza and Jake. When Ryan and Gillian arrive, Alex hustles Gillian upstairs. Alone with Edmund, Ryan asks, "how do you protect the ones you love?" To which Edmund replied, "sometimes you can't."

Tad eventually finds Jake, standing at the bar waiting for his beer and tequila. Tad tries to tell Jake that Jake's lawyer called and that there might be some way for Jake to still win custody of Colby, but Jake ignores Tad and finally collects his drinks and walks away.

Tomorrow on All My Children:

· Tad punches Adam in the kisser.
· Harriet tells Liza that Jake and Colby are gone.