Episode Theme song: "Dance" Sam Smith

Previously on One Day at a Time
- The Roboto Gang planned an auction ball for launch their new perfume
- Andy and Nicholas grew closer after Clayton left town
- Will continued to have dreams of Eva
- Victoria asked Bryce why he mumbled Eva's name and "the baby" while he was in the hospital
- Donovan continued to plan revenge on Lukas and Jasper
- Leah, Jeff, Cory & Meggan agreed to go to Santa Barbara
- Natasha wondered if Cassie found a way to alter Carter's paternity test results
- Max dumped Paige
- Abby asked Dominick for a job at Robertson Enterprises
- Greg hired Traci, a new maid at the house

The River Rock Casino

"So, this space will be converted into the main area that your ball will be held," Antonio Moretti smiles as he gives Natasha, Robbie and Kim a quick tour of the River Rock Casino. Antonio opened the casino last November in Twin Peaks and it has been a slow burn at getting customers through the doors as many citizens were against the idea of having a place to gamble in the city limits. Antonio is a very powerful man who refuses to give up; he was very determined to make the casino a huge success and he knows that having a gala hosted by Roboto, one of the biggest companies in the country, will help him do that. "The room just over there, that's usually a gaming room for high net worth players, that's where we will have the items up for bid in the auction."

"This is all great Mr. Moretti," Natasha smiles back to him. "This really is the perfect place for us to throw this ball. But, I have to ask you, are you connected to Donovan and Victoria Moretti? The name isn't that common?"

"I am," Antonio smiles back to her. "They are my niece and nephew; their father, was my brother."

"This is a small world," Natasha replies to him. "They are my half siblings, we shared the same mother in Eva."

"Ah yes, Eva was a wonderful woman. I am sorry to hear about her passing last year."

"Thank you," Natasha tells him. "She was the best. Now, back to the business at hand."

"I'm glad that you approve of the space," Antonio replies to her, Robbie and Kim. "This casino, it's been slow off the ground, but I believe that this party will help draw more attention to it."

"Well the entire city will be in attendance of this ball," Kim purses her lips together. "So, anyone that hasn't already been here, will get to experience the casino firsthand."

"The best business deals are those that benefit both parties," Robbie chimes into Antonio. "We will both come out winners after this party."

"And that is music to my ears," Antonio grins back to the gang from the cosmetics company. "Now, if you have any other questions, we can address them now, but I believe everything is in place for this gala. And I couldn't be happier about it."

One Day House; Nicholas' Office

"I thought you had a busy morning planned?" Nicholas asks Andy, who moves into his office with a coffee from the Sugarbowl. Nicholas had assumed that Andy was busy at the newspaper all morning, so he is surprised to see his boyfriend in his office.

"I finished my article for tomorrow's edition and wanted to come see you, are you super busy?" Andy asks him as he passes him a coffee.

"I am but I can always make time for you," Nicholas smiles back to him. "Thanks for the coffee, by the way."

"The pick me up is great sometimes," Andy nods back to him. "And, I ran into Madeline at the coffeehouse when I was there."

Nicholas arches his eyebrow back to him. "How'd that go?"

Andy shrugs back to him. "Pretty well, I mean, she's still missing Clayton but it is out of our control, right?"

"Exactly," Nicholas tells him. "I am sure that in time Madeline will come around and accept that we can't control Clayton's actions."

"You know what?" Andy puts his coffee down. "I don't want to talk about Clayton anymore. I want to focus my attention on my sexy boyfriend."

Nicholas chuckles back to him. "Is that so?"

"That is so," Andy leans in and kisses him on the lips. "Would you be upset if I locked that office door and made love to you?"

Nicholas starts unbuttoning his shirt. "I would love that, go lock the door," he winks to his lover, who rushes towards the door.

The Sugarbowl

"It's been a while since we've had a chance to catch up," Adam tells Cory as the two men sit next to one another at the window seats of the coffeehouse. Adam just finished telling his friend that he isn't sure where he and Robin stand right now because of the uncertainty surrounding her unborn child's paternity. Adam is still reeling from the fact that Robin is pregnant and that either him or Shane could be the father.

"It has," Cory takes a sip of his coffee. "And just remember what I told you about this situation with Robin; at the end of the day, all that matters is the health of the baby. Everything else will sort itself out."

"That's very true," Adam nods back to him. "I did tell her that if Shane is the father, her and I would be over."

"And did you mean that? That would be the final straw for you?"

"I can forgive a lot," Adam sighs back to him. "But the truth is, this child would be her second child with Shane while we were supposedly together. I don't think I can get past that."

"That's fair," Cory tells him. "We all have our breaking points. And you and Robin, you've never really been able to have a peaceful, happy time in your relationship."

"Are you thinking that is a sign?"

"I mean, maybe?" Cory chuckles back to him. "I'm not a saint and I've had my share of relationship issues so I can't really talk."

"But you and Leah are doing good right now, aren't you?" Adam asks him, moving the conversation from away from his relationship issues and over to Cory's.

"Things are good," Cory nods back to him. "She's going through a lot right now with finding out Frederick Richardson is her biological father but her and I, we are solid, and we are good together."

"That's awesome," Adam smiles back to his friend. "Does that mean you're thinking of proposing?"

Cory chuckles back to him. "It's funny you say that," he says. "When Leah and I first got together we agreed that marriage was off the table for us but the more I think about it, the more I do want her to know that I want to be with her for the rest of my life."

"It sounds like you're going to do some ring shopping," Adam winks back to her. "Seriously Cory, I am happy for you. At least someone in this town is happy."

"You'll find happiness Adam," Cory tells his friend. "There's always sunny skies after a storm, remember that."

Robertson Enterprises

"You didn't seem yourself in that meeting," Jeff tells Leah as they move into Leah's office at Robertson Enterprises. The two were just in a staff meeting with Tyler, where he was indicating that big changes were coming for the company, but he didn't say what, exactly. While in the meeting, Jeff couldn't help but notice that his ex-wife seemed very distracted. "Everything okay?"

Leah puts her files down on her desk and cross her arms over her chest before she lets out a large exhale. "How can you ever ask me that? I don't feel like anything is okay right now, Jeff."

"I know you've been thinking about our child that you gave birth to in Santa Barbara," Jeff replies to her. "But Leah, we are moving in the right direction by agreeing to go to the winery in a couple of weeks."

"I know, I know," Leah tells him. "It's just, I can't seem to shut my brain off about our child and my paternity."

"You and I really haven't spoken about the fact that Frederick, of all people, is your father. It's understandable that you're upset by that, Leah. Everything you knew about your life has changed."

"Frederick is a son of a bitch," Leah replies to him quickly. "He hurt so many people; it's unsettling to think that he gave me life."

"I think you just need to remember that Dominick raised you and treated you like a daughter your entire life," Jeff says back to her. "That doesn't have to change. Dominick is still your father."

Leah feels her eyes swell with water. "I just feel like I'm close to snapping Jeff," she reveals to him. "If we don't find anything at the winery that will help us find our child or Frederick, I worry about my mental health. I don't think I can take much more, and I don't want to fall apart."

Jeff moves up to her and pulls her into a hug. "You won't fall apart. I won't let you, okay? You're a strong woman, Leah. And you have me in your corner. You will get through this, I promise."

The Lawson Estate; Greg & Cheresa's Home

"I happen to think that your husband's advice was excellent," Greg tells Abby as they stand together in the living room of the lavish home that he lives in with Cheresa. Abby just finished telling Greg that she told Dominick that she wanted to potentially get a job at Robertson Enterprises; as Dominick isn't the CEO anymore, he told his wife to speak to Tyler, which upset Abby because she doesn't believe Dominck's family likes her or would be willing to help her get a job. "If you reach out to Tyler, he might give you a chance after all."

"I can sort of attest to that," Cheresa tells her sister as she pours herself a glass of water. "When I was modelling at Robertson, Tyler was very easy to work with. He might surprise you."

"I suppose that's fair," Abby replies to her sister before she looks over at Greg. "I think the piece is that none of Dominick's family is happy that we are married. I don't think Tyler will give me a job because of this."

Cheresa moves closer to Abby while she notices Traci lurking around pretending to do some dusting. Cheresa wonders, for a moment, if the maid is listening to their conversation or if she is just working away. "You will never know until you have that discussion."

Abby nods back to her. "Right," she tells her. "And, I guess, even if Tyler doesn't give me a job, I know that I want to do something. I don't want to feel like a prisoner in this marriage, to be honest."

"You're not a prisoner Abby," Greg tells his daughter. "The fact that you want to do something more with your life is great. I'm very proud of you."

"Thank you, Daddy," Abby smiles over to him, as Traci continues to dust the fire mantel, fascinated by the conversation that the family is having as they are very different from her last family.

"They just keep talking about problems that don't even exist," Traci quips to herself in her head. She knows that she can't say anything out lout because she is still on a trial basis at the job, but she finds the entire thing amusing.

The Richardson Estate; Meggan, Lukas, Donovan, Logan & Olly's Home

"It looks like when you do get back to work, you will have a lot to deal with," Lukas tells Donovan as they sit together in the living room of the house that they share with Meggan. Lukas is reading a news article on his IPad about Roboto's upcoming gala that is the backdrop for their launch of their new perfume. "Roboto's gala sounds like it will be a great time."

"I read that article a bit earlier," Donovan replies to his husband. "And you're right, I'm sure Tyler is already working overtime on how to ensure Robertson stays on top. It's a never-ending cycle between the two companies."

Lukas chuckles back to him. "I wish you were better," he tells Donovan, who is still sitting in his wheelchair. "Having a nice time out with you in our tuxedo's would have been so much fun."

Donovan nods back to him. "I still have hope that one day I will regain my leg strength," Donovan tells him, knowing that he is lying to everyone about his inability to walk. Since he caught Lukas kissing Jasper, he has been planning revenge on them and he is realizing that Lukas going to the ball might help him with his plan. "But in the meantime, you must still live your life, Lukas. Don't let me hold you back."

Lukas arches his eyebrow back to him. "What are you saying, Donovan? You want me to go to the ball without you?"

Donovan nods to his husband. "You love getting dressed up and going to a party," Donovan says with a grin on his face. "I won't be with you, but Meggan will be there. Andy and Nicholas will be there; you will still have a good time, Lukas."

"I don't know."

"I know," Donovan chuckles. "Dust off your tux, you're going to the ball!"

The Tower's; Floor Eight; Victoria & Bryce's Condo

"How is Donovan feeling? Has he made any progress with regaining the use of legs?" Bryce asks Victoria as he takes a sip of the coffee that he is holding in his hands. He knows that his wife went to see her brother earlier in the morning and he is curious to know if he has made any progress.

"About the same," Victoria replies to him. "He is still hopeful that he will regain the use of his legs, but it is still a work in progress."

"Is everything alright between you two? You just saw him yesterday and felt like you needed to see him again this morning."

"Oh, things are fine," Victoria sighs as she moves some hair behind her ear. "The truth is, Will's visit yesterday where he admitted that he was dreaming about my mother just brought up a lot of memories of her for both of us."

"That makes sense," Bryce sits next to her on the sofa. "You know, you can talk to me about Eva anytime, right? I am your husband, I want to be there for you if I can be."

Victoria smiles back to him. "Thanks Bryce; I guess I am still getting used to this married thing. And, if I'm honest, I'm still baffled that you were mumbling my Mom's name when you were in the hospital Bryce. I don't understand that still."

"I know," Bryce looks back at her. "And I've been thinking about that and I think I have a reason as to why I was calling out Eva's name."

Victoria arches her eyebrow back to him. "Really? What is it? What do you think happened?"

"I think I must have met Eva when she was the chief of staff at TPGH," Bryce reveals to her. "That must have been when I met her and why I was calling her name."

Victoria uneasily nods back to him. "I guess that makes sense, Bryce. You both worked at the hospital, it makes sense that you would have known her from that time."

"I honestly can't think of any other reason," Bryce lies to her, as he thinks about how he injected Eva's body with something that Vinny provided to him after she was stabbed last year. Shortly after, Vinny whisked Eva's body away; he doesn't know exactly what Vinny did with Eva, but he does know that she is alive and well. The only reason he hasn't said anything is because he knows that Frederick is out there and he knows about Bryce switching Abby's baby with Lukas and Donovan's son; he knows that can't be revealed because he could go to jail.

"Well," Victoria sighs back to him. "I appreciate you thinking about it and letting me know. I really am grateful you told me."

"I don't want to keep anything from you," Bryce tells his wife. "We need to be an open book with each other."

***

Meanwhile, in Madeline's condo, Will lays in the bed in the main bedroom as he is sleeping in because he is working the night shifts at the hospital. He tosses around in the bed a little and starts calling out Eva's name again.

Madeline slowly walks up to the bedroom door and freezes when she hears Will say Eva's name again. She knows that Will has been having recurring dreams of his former lover, but now that she is hearing him say her name just makes her feel uneasy. She wishes she understood why Will was still having dreams of this dead woman but the more it happens, the more troubling it becomes for her.

"When will I stop competing with a ghost?" she whispers to herself. "And when will you fully commit to me?"

The Cascade Apartments; Cassie, Max & Carter's Home

"I must admit," Cassie looks over at Max as they sit across from one another on the sofa in their small apartment that they live in together. She quickly turns her head and sees Carter fast asleep in his crib. "I am very surprised that you ended things with Paige, Max. You have wanted to be with her for so many years."

"It wasn't an easy decision," Max replies to her quickly. "But, after we had another fight, I just realized that I will never be good enough for her. I've spent the last few years pinning away for her but, in reality, it was never going to work."

"How are you holding up with your decision?"

Max shrugs back to her. "I think because I came to the realization it isn't so bad," he admits to her. "I made the decision and I think everyone in this town always thought it would be Paige that dumped me not the other way around."

"I am proud of you for realizing your strength," Cassie tells her son. "If this is what you want, then I support you completely. You do deserve to be with a woman that respects you and treats you right."

Max grins back to her. "I'm not in a rush to find another girlfriend anytime soon but when I do, I will keep that at the top of my mind."

The Calimo Mansion

"Your mother and I wanted to talk to you this morning about Carter's paternity test," Shane tells Jacob as he passes his son a cup of coffee before he sits next to him on the sofa in the living room of the Calimo mansion. Natasha finishes pouring herself a cup of coffee and then moves to the armchair that is across from the sofa. Shane looks back at Natasha as he recalls their conversation at breakfast when they agreed that Cassie still couldn't be trusted. "How are you coping with the news that you're a father?"

Jacob sighs back to his father before he looks over at his mother. "It was shocked to be honest," he admits to them. "I really thought Cassie was lying."

"We all did," Natasha tells him quickly, who raced home quickly after her meeting at the casino so she and Shane could talk to Jacob together. "That woman wouldn't know the truth if it smacked her across the face."

"But she was telling the truth," Jacob says. "Carter is my son. So, now I must focus on being the best father to Carter. That's what I want moving forward and I need your support to do that."

"We do support you son," Shane replies to him. "The piece is that we still don't trust Cassie. Not one little bit."

Jacob looks back at him in surprise. "I'm not sure what she could do now? We know the truth. We know that Carter is my son."

Natasha bites her tongue as she still thinks that, somehow, Cassie might have switched the paternity test results. She doesn't want to let Jacob know this incase he accidently lets it slip to Cassie, but she is determined to figure out the truth once and for all.

"Just do us a favor," Natasha tells him quickly. "And that is, keep your guard up with Cassie Nova. If we have learned anything over the years with that woman, it is that she can't be trusted. The last thing your father and I want for you is to get caught up in that woman's wicked web of lies and deceit."

Next on One Day at a Time
- The ball begins
- Natasha makes a plea to Tyler
- Paige confesses to Jacob