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Anna wakes up in bed with Valentin staring at her. She asks if he sees something he likes. He says he sees something he loves, and he could spend every morning like this. They kiss.
They get dressed, and Anna hates the idea of going back to work today. Valentin tells her to play hooky. She can’t make any decisions without caffeine. He heads to the kitchen to make her some coffee, and Anna retrieves his satellite phone. He returns that he’s out of milk, and Anna says it’s a sign she should go to work and get coffee there.
Valentin thinks it’s a sign they should stay in, and he begins kissing her. He thinks they deserve time by themselves before everything changes. She asks what is going to change. He says soon people will find out about their feelings for one another and will have opinions.
As they kiss, suddenly, Charlotte walks in and says, “Hello Papa, I’m home!” Valentin is shocked as he was set to fly back and get her for her holiday. She says her friends already left, and she thought to come home and surprise him, which she succeeded in doing. Anna decides to leave them to catch up, but Charlotte asks her to stay as she doesn’t like loose ends and has something to say to her.
Charlotte owes Anna an apology and hopes she will listen to her. Anna says it’s not necessary, and her apology is accepted. Valentin feels what Charlotte has to say will be theraputic. Charlotte cries that she’s sorry for how she treated her. She believed her grandfather Victor about her, and she’s so sorry for how she acted. Valentin asks how she came about in this shift in thinking. Charlotte says there are kids in her school who lost their homes and their families to horrible people. She realizes her Grandpa Victor was bad like them, and Cassadines are bad people unless they die trying to be good.
Anna tells her she’s wrong, and she and her father are proof that not all Cassadines wind up bad. Anna says she made a lot of mistakes, too, and shooting her was the worst mistake she made, and she’s so sorry. Charlotte knows she means it, and she hopes Anna can forgive her, too. Anna says she already has. They embrace, and Anna tells her that she has a lot of grace. Charlotte says the kids at school taught her that she has a father who loves her, which is a lot more than they have. Charlotte can see how important Anna is to her Papa and that she will never do anything to hurt him.
Anna leaves, and Valentin thanks Charlotte for making peace with Anna. Charlotte is happy they are back together, but he says we wouldn’t say that just yet… However, he feels that, for the first time, there is a lot of hope.
Carly visits Brennan again in Pentonville. He’s happy to see her but assumes something must be wrong. She took his advice and hired the best lawyer she could, but the FBI has her on recording stating she took control of Sonny’s organization. Brennan knows she did what she did to protect her family, and not a lot of people would have the nerve to do what she did. He calls her a born secret agent.
Carly relays her lawyer gives her a thirty percent shot at acquittal. He thinks they can improve those odds. He says the justice department and the courts won’t show leniency, they won’t care she was acting as mother seeking to protect her family, so she needs to avoid a trial entirely. He says she can go on the offense to the media, cry government overreach, and try and shame the feds into cutting her lose, but it could backfire. Her other option is to keep Jason valuable to the FBI. She won’t let Jason do this forever. Brennan says not forever, and if she destroys the evidence, she destroys the case. She notes the evidence is on a protected FBI server. Brennan says it won’t be easy, and she has his sympathy.
Carly says if it were just her, she’d take her chances. However, she can’t do that to Jason or her kids, especially Donna. Brennan knows what it’s like to have to make a choice between the lesser of two evils, even if it hurts those around you. Carly still feels guilty. He asks if she feels guilty choosing her child. Carly doesn’t, so Brennan says that’s her answer. She thanks him for his expertise once again.
After Carly leaves, men in black suits approach Brennan and say they are ready for him.
Jason tries to slip something under Elizabeth’s front door, but she opens the door holding the trash and catches him. He admits he heard her and Jake talking and was just going to leave this tuition here. She invites him in, but Jason doesn’t want Jake to think he’s here to force him to talk to him or feel pressured to take the check. Liz says the only thing to do is make the offer and see what happens.
Liz and Jason head inside and see Jake. Liz explains that his dad is here to give him something. Jason says he heard he got accepted to an art school in Spain. Jake says it’s expensive, so he has to get the loans together before he can go. Jason explains that’s why he’s here, and he wants to pay for his schooling. He’s not trying to buy his forgiveness or a place in his life. Jason states he is offering this money with no strings attached. Jason admits that if he had been any kind of father, paying for his schooling wouldn’t have been a question. He asks Jake to take the money and don’t let his own failings mess with his future.
Jake wants to go to art school, so he accepts his dad’s help. Jason hands him an envelope, and Jake extends his hand to shake it. They then embrace.
Anna heads to Jason’s and begins searching Valentin’s phone after hooking it up to a computer. Later, Jason arrives and asks if she got it. Anna says it has all the information they need to shut Pikeman down and nail Valentin. Jason asks for the phone, but she says she can’t give it to him, not yet.
In Drew’s office, he tells Michael that as Aurora’s acting CEO, he’ll have to work with Nina. If that is a problem, he’ll fire her, just sat the word. Michael says as much as he doesn’t like the idea of working with Nina, she is an excellent editor, and Willow is getting closer to Nina again, so firing her would only hurt Willow. Michael says for so long, there wasn’t much happiness in his and Willow’s lives, and he used to pray for the life they have now. If he has to play nice with Nina, so be it. He also knows he’s in debt to Drew for risking everything to help save Willow, who thinks of him as her guardian angel. Drew says he doesn’t deserve that title, but Michael says his moving past what Nina did to him has motivated Willow to do the same thing.
Drew states that if Willow wants a relationship with Nina, then that is because Willow is a forgiving person. Michael says Willow still admires him and this run for Congress. Drew hopes he’ll live up to her expectations. Michael knows Willow will be his biggest supporter. He also believes Drew will succeed, and he succeeds in everything he does. Michael notes that giving Nina back her job was the right thing to do, Crimson has been doing better than ever, and he’ll also do what is good for business.
At Crimson, Willow shows up to see Nina, and Nina shows her the latest issue she’s working on. Willow cries. She did something terrible, the kind of thing you can only tell your mom or a sister, and she doesn’t have a sister. Nina tells her that she can talk to her about anything.
Willow can’t believe this happened and says it was at the Fourth of July party. She says she and Drew were talking, toasting to him, and the fireworks were going off. She has no idea how it happened, but one moment they were looking at the sky, and the next, they were kissing. Nina is stunned. Willow says Nina must think she’s a terrible person. Nina doesn’t, and she’s no one to judge given the mistakes she’s made. Nina admits she just never expected something like this. Willow calls it self-destructive and stupid. Nina thinks perhaps she remembers things a little fuzzy from the alcohol, but Willow says she wasn’t drunk, and she kissed Drew like she kisses her husband.
Nina asks if this was the first time. Willow says it was, but she and Drew have always had a special connection, and it’s getting stronger. She insists she loves Michael, but Drew saving her life bonded them in a way she’s never felt for anyone. She doesn’t know what she feels for Drew, but she can’t stop thinking about their kiss. Willow cries Drew’s campaign is just starting, and this could side-track him. Nina tells her that Drew was a willing participant in this, and she understands how she feels as recently she kissed someone she shouldn’t have. What is important is what you do about it. Willow says she regrets the kiss and that it can’t happen again, but Drew surprised her when he said that in a different world, there might be something between them.
Nina says any man would wonder “what if” when it comes to Willow because she’s a wonderful person. She tells Willow she’s human, and one kiss under the influence of fireworks doesn’t have to lead to a divorce. Willow thinks Michael will react differently when she tells him. Nina says, “Then don’t tell him.” Willow doesn’t know how to keep this from Michael, as he’ll sense something is wrong. Nina says telling Michael may relieve the burden on her, but there is no telling how Michael will react to knowing his uncle kissed his wife. Willow fears it will ruin their relationship. Nina suggests she treat it as a minor slip, and in time, she’ll forget it happened. Willow thought she could do that, which is what brought her here. Nina tells Willow this kiss is not the end of the world, and the less power she gives it, the less it matters. Willow thanks her for letting her dump on her, and she has a lot to think about. Willow heads out, and Nina grabs her phone.
In Drew’s office, he gets a call from Nina, who demands to see him. Drew says he’s in a meeting. Nina tells him to get up here now, or his campaign will be over before he kisses his first baby.
Willow barges into Drew’s office to talk to him, only to find Michael there. Michael says Drew left for a meeting. Hopefully, she’ll settle for him. She tells Michael she’s never settling when it comes to him, and he’s given her everything, and she loves him so much.
Back in Nina’s office, Drew enters and asks what the hell is wrong with Nina. Has she forgotten he’s her boss? Nina slaps him, hard, and calls him a son of a bitch for kissing her daughter.
On the next General Hospital: Willow wonders if this is a good idea to Sonny. Drew tells Nina it’s time they come to a new understanding. Joss tells Dex, who is shaved an in his academy blues, “I completely forgot about that.” Lois asks Gio, “Are you ready for the bright lights?” Anna tells Jason, “I can’t let Cates take Valentin away.” Cates informs Ava if this works out, it’s to both of their advantage.
