At the morgue, the satin shroud slipped off part of the body as it rolled into the crematorium. Deacon shrieked, screaming, "Ten toes!" Carl shut the oven door.
Deacon freaked out, stammering about what he'd seen. Carl ran out to get Deacon some water, and Deacon yelled that he'd seen ten toes in there. Deacon muttered to himself about the impossibility of it, but at the same time, he knew what he'd seen. There had been ten toes. It hadn't been Sheila.
Carl returned with the water, figuring that it hadn't been a good idea to let Deacon attend the cremation. Deacon yelled that he might be losing his mind. Grasping Carl by the collar, Deacon demanded answers and begged Carl to help him.
Carl stated that he couldn't have Deacon grabbing him. Deacon let Carl go and asked Carl to explain what was going on. Carl began to explain the cremation process, but Deacon insisted that wasn't what he meant. "What is going on here, man?" Deacon asked.
"What if that wasn't her?" Deacon wondered. Bewildered, Carl replied that Deacon wasn't making any sense. Deacon asked if Carl had embalmed Sheila, worked on her, and done repairs or enhancements. Carl shook his head, not understanding. Deacon figured the morgue dolled up the bodies, but he asked if they restored missing digits or appendages, specifically a right middle toe. Deacon stated that Sheila had been missing one. "Absolutely not! We would never do anything like that!" Carl responded.
Carl rushed out to take a call, and Deacon figured his eyes had played tricks on him. He envisioned the feet again. "I don't care what you say. I saw ten toes!" he stated.
In Eric's office with her dad, Steffy announced the end of Sheila Carter and hoped they could return to their normal lives. Ridge realized he'd missed Lauren's visit, and he didn't get why Hope and Finn had gone to Sheila's memorial. Steffy replied that it was complicated, and after Sheila had messed with Finn's head, Finn was dealing with a lot. Steffy hoped the end of Sheila meant the end of Finn's connection to his birth mother.
Steffy admitted that she was upset that her husband had gone to the memorial, but she hadn't fought it because she hadn't wanted anything else to get between them. Ridge said Steffy had done what anyone would have done. Steffy was still upset that it had had to be that way.
Chief Baker arrived, saying they needed to talk about Sheila Carter. Baker had just gotten word that no charges would be brought against Steffy, who'd acted in self-defense.
Later, Baker had gone, and Steffy expressed relief. Ridge said it was over and in the past. She replied that Sheila still haunted her. Ridge indicated that the only good thing Sheila had ever done had been to birth Finn. Ridge disparaged Sheila, who'd cut off her own toe and pretended she'd been eaten by a bear. "Who does that?" he asked. Ridge asserted that they didn't have to worry about nine-toed Sheila ever again.
At Il Giardino, Finn thanked Hope for being there while he dealt with his conflicting emotions about Sheila. Hope replied that he'd said he wouldn't judge her, so she didn't plan on judging him. Finn said Hope was the nicest, least judgmental person he knew, and Hope warned him not to let his wife hear that after Steffy had accused Hope of ruining Thomas' life.
Finn was sure Thomas would bounce back and said Hope had done the right thing in not accepting Thomas' proposal. Hope admitted that she hadn't been ready to get married so soon. "Especially with..." she started to say. Hope cited that her mother had been married more times than she had fingers, and Hope didn't want that for herself. Finn asked if that meant there was no chance for Hope and Thomas. Hope didn't know and couldn't really say. All she was doing was concentrating on her line, herself, and her daughter.
Finn asked how Beth was handling Douglas' absence. Hope replied that Beth missed him almost as much as Hope did. It felt as if Douglas was a million miles away, but Hope knew he and Thomas would take care of each other. Things hadn't been the same since Douglas had gone, but wanting to give as much time as needed, she said she wouldn't contest the situation just yet. Finn added that she didn't want Douglas caught in the middle.
Hope added that Douglas had asked her not to, and she had to trust that if he needed her, he knew she was a call away. Finn remarked that having Hope made Douglas a lucky kid. Finn decided that he had an important promise he wanted Hope to make him.
Hope grew nervous, but Finn said it wasn't ominous. He stated that they were friends and cared about each other, "whatever that might turn out to be." Hope wondered where he was going with his request. Finn stated that it had to do with the problems between Hope and Steffy, who worked together and saw each other every day but had a problematic history because of Liam.
Finn stated that Steffy and Hope didn't have to be rivals like their mothers. Instead, the women should support each other. Finn asked Hope not to hold a grudge against Steffy about Thomas. He said Thomas was gone, and no one knew who Hope would share her life with. Hope assumed she should be open to any possibility.
Finn reasoned that Mr. Right might be waiting in the wings as they spoke. He could be someone unexpected, someone she knew. He thought that the beauty in life was the unexpected. He stated that Steffy was different than anyone he'd ever met, but with one look, he'd known. He figured that the same thing could happen for Hope.
Later, Finn assumed it seemed like he was looking out for his wife, but he was also looking out for Hope. Hope said Steffy was lucky to have Finn, but he felt lucky to have Steffy. Hope was sure Steffy felt that way, too. She recited a long list of Finn's attributes and said he'd never hurt Steffy or the kids. She agreed to take what he'd said into consideration. She wanted everyone to get along but noted that Steffy had been the one to stick her nose into Hope's business. Hope noted that she felt much better after the unexpected "doctor's appointment" with Finn.
At Il Giardino, Deacon tried to work before opening but was distracted by the ten-toe mystery at the crematorium. Hollis asked if Deacon was okay after the memorial the previous day. "No. I'm not all right, Hollis. I'm not all right at all," Deacon uttered, staring in deep thought. Hollis stated that it was hard to believe that Sheila was really gone. "You're telling me," Deacon replied.
Hollis strode off, and Deacon flashed back to Sheila saying she took faking her death seriously and explaining how she'd faked her death with the detached toe. He shivered, and muttering to himself, he said that if he'd seen ten toes, it couldn't have been Sheila.
At the cliff house, Steffy handed Finn coffee and noted that they hadn't spoken about the memorial because he'd worked late that previous night. She was glad to hear that he'd gotten closure, and it was finally over. He called her amazing.
Steffy remarked that she'd heard Hope had also been at the memorial. Affirming it, Finn said it had been a simple ceremony, but eye-opening. He hadn't realized how much Deacon had cared for Sheila, and Finn acknowledged Deacon's difficulty in accepting that Sheila was gone.
Steffy didn't have a lot of sympathy for Deacon, who'd harbored Sheila. Steffy acknowledged that it had been rough on them all. Finn thanked Steffy for giving him the space to grieve and to acknowledge what he'd lost. Steffy stated that she'd always support her husband, and Sheila wouldn't get between them in life or death.
Finn thanked Steffy for her patience and understanding, and Steffy said they'd proven themselves again. Finn wished they didn't have to keep doing that. Steffy and Finn agreed that they could put Sheila behind them and move on.
Just then, Deacon called, frantic. He needed to talk to Finn about Sheila. Finn agreed to be at the restaurant as soon as he could. Steffy rolled her eyes when Finn told her where he was going. He insisted that it was fine and might be the last time they'd ever talk about Sheila.
Finn left, and Steffy paced, thinking of when Sheila had shot her.
Back at Il Giardino, Deacon poured himself a drink. "It can't be. It can't be," he murmured. Finn arrived and found Deacon in a disconcerted state. Finn said it was normal, and it had been an emotional time. Finn needed to put it behind him and said he couldn't keep burdening his wife with memories about Sheila. Finn asked to hear what Deacon had to say, so Finn could put Sheila in the past. Finn added that Deacon needed to let it go, too.
Finn said that Deacon had done all he could and had given Sheila a good send-off. Finn stated that it was over, and Sheila was dead. "What if the person I saw being cremated wasn't Sheila?" Deacon asked.
In Eric's office, Hope met with her team. R.J. asked how the memorial had gone. Hope said she'd been there to support her dad the previous day, and it had been hard for Deacon. Zende replied that the good thing was that Sheila was no longer a threat.
Hope figured they'd all heard that Thomas had relocated to Paris for the time being because Hope hadn't accepted his marriage proposal again. She didn't know what it meant for her personally and professionally, but she was counting on her team to step up. Zende remarked that Thomas had designed, but Hope was the heart of the line.
Hope stated that she'd need help designing a new collection. She claimed that HFTF was the company's youngest line, and her team was the youngest generation at the business. She was excited about what they could achieve, but everyone had to step up.
Luna, Zende, and R.J. responded enthusiastically. Hope added that after Luna had impressed everyone with her work on Eric's line, Hope wanted to give Luna more responsibility. Hope didn't see it as a setback. She saw it as a chance to try something new, and she envisioned Luna working closely with Zende. Zende cut his gaze to Luna, and she gulped.
Hope shared that she appreciated Luna's work with R.J. on Eric's line, but HFTF operated a little differently from Couture. Zende stated that Couture was about making an entrance, while HFTF was about making an impact. Hope claimed that Zende had his finger on the pulse of the collection, Zende knew what made it work, and his designs were important to their success. Hope was looking forward to what R.J. could bring to the table but thought Zende had the experience to take over for Thomas.
Zende thanked Hope for the opportunity, and she was sure he'd make the most of it. Hope didn't know how things would go because a lot of things were up in the air with her life, but she felt that HFTF was in good hands. She was sure they'd bring out the best in each other. She advised Luna to stick close to Zende, who'd learned from the best. Hope was sure Zende had plenty of secrets to share. Luna flashed back to moments between her and Zende.
Later, Hope and R.J. were alone, and she hoped he understood why she wanted Luna to work with Zende. Hope said R.J. would work with Luna, too, but the time with Zende would be good for Luna. R.J. nodded.
In the design office, Luna was alone with Zende. He said he hadn't known Hope would have them work closely together. Luna said it was complicated because of that night, but he reminded her that they couldn't let it interfere with work. Keeping the secret was killing Luna, and working together would make it harder. Luna didn't think she could keep lying to R.J. or work every day with the secret inside. She asserted that she couldn't do it, and R.J. deserved the truth.
At Il Giardino, Deacon admitted that he knew he sounded crazy, but he asked what Finn thought about Sheila not being dead. Finn reminded Deacon that Sheila had perished in Finn's home. None of it made sense to Deacon. He'd seen Sheila's face and said goodbye, but the person who'd been cremated had had ten toes. "Ten toes, Finn!" he yelled.
Finn tried to put Deacon's grief into perspective, but Deacon insisted that he knew what he'd seen. He stated that he'd looked at the body, and he had seen Sheila's face. The employee had allowed him to press the crematory button. It had been the hardest thing Deacon had ever done. Deacon flashed back to watching the body on the conveyor belt. He said the shroud had slipped off, and he'd seen ten toes.
Finn, who had a lot of experience with death, said it wasn't uncommon for a person witnessing a person's last breath to think he saw something. He'd once heard a wife say her husband had smiled. Deacon yelled that he knew what he'd seen. Finn ordered Deacon to get a hold of himself. Deacon continued, asking what might happen if it hadn't been Sheila in that box.
Deacon insisted that the image of ten toes had been burned into his brain, but Finn figured Deacon's mind was playing tricks on him. Finn said there was no way Sheila hadn't been there, and Deacon had seen Sheila himself. Finn told Deacon that Deacon had to accept that Sheila was dead. A flash of the toes went through Deacon's mind, and he threw back a drink.
At the cliff house, Liam arrived with a stuffed animal Kelly had forgotten. Steffy guessed that had been because he'd bought her a ton of new ones, and he admitted having trouble denying their daughter. Sighing, he realized that it was nice being unafraid for her and the kids with Sheila gone. Steffy smiled and nodded.
Liam wondered if the memorial had flushed Sheila out of Finn's system. Steffy hadn't liked that Finn had gone, but he'd gotten much-needed closure She concluded that Liam was right: they didn't have to worry about Sheila anymore. Liam told Steffy that she wasn't going through it alone. She thanked him for caring but said she wasn't alone, and she felt more patient with what Finn was going through because she knew Sheila would never be back.
The topic turned to Finn's visit to Deacon that day, and Liam didn't know what Deacon had seen in Sheila. "Yeah, I have no sympathy for that man, so..." Steffy replied. Liam noted that Finn did. Steffy reasoned that Finn cared about people who didn't deserve it, but Finn had promised that they were done talking about Sheila once and for all. Steffy shared that Baker had told her there would be no charges in Sheila's death.
Steffy changed the topic to how Liam was doing and asked him to be real with her. Liam said he was hanging in there, focusing on Beth, Kelly, and work. He said he might be soul-searching and asking himself uncomfortable questions -- like whether he was the kind of man he'd want to see his daughters with. "Not really," he replied.
Liam decided that he was guilty of waffling between Hope and Steffy for years. He admitted he had to figure out who he was. He stated that he just wanted to be a dad for a while, the best father he could be. Steffy told him that he was a great father. She'd seen his growth and self-awareness and figured he should be proud of himself. Liam replied that it meant a lot coming from her.
In Eric's office, R.J. worried that Hope was stressed about the line. Hope tried to be confident about the team but recalled that the line had been shelved the last time Thomas had been off it. R.J. said it wouldn't happen that time, and the team would look out for each other. Admitting that Thomas' absence was concerning, Hope believed she had a good game plan and talented designers. Hope thought it would be great for Luna to work with the talented Zende.
Later, R.J. hoped his problems with Zende were in the past. R.J. thought he could learn from Zende. Hope asked how R.J. felt about Luna working with Zende, and with some difficulty, R.J. replied that Luna could learn from Zende, too.
Hope was glad things had healed between Zende and R.J., and though she'd been leery of working on the line without Thomas, R.J.'s support had put her at ease. Hope sensed Luna would be a big part of the project. He sang his girlfriend's praises, called her a light in his life, and said they were lucky to have Luna.
R.J. laughed, thinking of how he hadn't wanted to work in the family business. He was grateful to work with his sister and cousin and said he'd be building something with the woman he loved. He felt that they'd all be better for it because they had transparency and trust.
In the design office, Poppy arrived in time to join Luna and Zende's discussion about Luna's decision to confess to R.J. about her night with Zende. Poppy began to try to talk her daughter out of it, but Luna insisted that it wasn't who she was or whom Poppy had raised her to be. Luna declared that she'd tell R.J., and no one could stop her.
Poppy decided not to talk Luna out of it. Poppy felt that she had let her daughter down. Poppy was done with the mints and refused to pressure Luna not to do what she felt was in her heart. Apologizing, Poppy hugged Luna.
Later, Poppy had gone, and Luna was glad her mom had stopped trying to talk her out of telling R.J. Luna tried to explain to Zende why she couldn't keep silent. He could see that the secret was eating at Luna, and he didn't want that for her. He cared about her too much. He was sorry for what had happened, but he felt that R.J. knew she was a good person.
"You won't lose him," Zende stated. Luna cried, saying things had been perfect with R.J., her job, and the Forresters. It had become a nightmare because of her mom's mints. Zende figured that he never should have flirted with his cousin's girl, and he said he wouldn't have gone through with that night if he'd known she hadn't been herself or if he hadn't had the feelings he had for her. Zende hoped R.J. handled things well, but if he didn't, Zende was there for Luna.
In the design office, Zende told Luna that, no matter how R.J. reacted when she confessed, Zende would always be there for her. She appreciated it and didn't blame him for what had happened between them. He replied that no one could have known that she'd been influenced by the mints. Luna said the last thing she'd expected had been to get involved with two incredible men and bring drama to their family.
Zende asked Luna not to worry about it, but Luna didn't want to disrupt their family unity. She was sorry about having to do it, but she couldn't live that way anymore. Zende indicated that he and R.J. would always be cousins, and Zende expressed concern for her. Luna replied that flat-out lying wasn't her. Zende didn't believe she'd intentionally hurt anyone, and she replied that he wouldn't, either. Zende stated that she should do what she needed to do to get peace, and he agreed that R.J. deserved to know about that night.
Later, Zende was alone, thinking about that night, when Carter arrived. Noting that Zende seemed distracted, Carter joked that Zende needed to get it together because he was the new lead designer, mentoring R.J. and Luna. Carter assured Zende that he had it, he'd grown, and he had picked up a lot from Hope and Thomas.
Zende said it wasn't that. Carter stated that he knew Zende, who'd been off his game and distracted. Carter asked what was going on. Zende decided that he indeed needed someone to talk to. "It's about Luna," Zende revealed.
In Eric's office, Steffy was impressed by R.J.'s sketch and felt he'd come a long way. He claimed he'd just been messing around, but she saw a chance for him in Thomas' absence. R.J. replied that he, Luna, and Zende had met with Hope about stepping up and would work well together.
Ridge arrived as R.J. was asking how Steffy was holding up and mentioning how weird it had been for Deacon to hold a memorial. R.J. received a message saying Luna wanted to meet him at his place to talk. R.J. took off, and Ridge asked what Deacon had been thinking.
Ridge called Sheila and Deacon's relationship a fling and was puzzled that Deacon thought they'd been in love. Steffy grimaced. "How did I not get invited to this? It hurts me to the core," Ridge joked. He got why Hope had gone but wondered what Finn had gotten out of it and why Finn had had to say goodbye to the person who'd been after Steffy for months.
Steffy replied that she didn't want Finn to resent her. Ridge asked what Finn would resent her for, and she stated that she'd killed his birth mother. As far as Ridge was concerned, Sheila had had it coming, and Finn should be supporting his wife.
At the beach house, Luna let herself in with the spare key. R.J. arrived with flowers for Luna. R.J. was glad she'd wanted to get away to talk. They spoke about the great memories they'd made in that house, and he decided that they needed to make it a point to spend more time together. He tried to kiss her, but when she wasn't into it, he asked her what was wrong.
R.J. noted that Luna hadn't been herself. One minute, she was vibing with him, and the next, it seemed she'd drifted off. He wondered if he was the problem, but she said he hadn't done anything wrong. Next, he guessed it was her mom, and she replied that her mom was part of it.
R.J. deduced that Luna had been distant since Eric's party and wedding. Luna apologized. R.J. said she had no reason to, but she insisted that she did. He asked her to tell him what it was.
At Il Giardino, Finn tried to tell Deacon that, in his grief, he'd seen what he'd wanted to see at the crematorium. Deacon insisted that it wasn't about grieving, but he'd seen her face -- and then he'd seen ten toes. Finn concluded that Deacon's mind had played tricks on him.
Deacon figured he might be as crazy as Sheila had been, but he might also be right. "What if I did see ten toes? What if your mother's alive?" Deacon asked. Finn tried to tell Deacon that the brain had a way of protecting one from trauma, but Deacon didn't want to hear all the doctor stuff. Deacon implored Finn to, as Sheila's son, listen to Deacon.
"What if we didn't lose her?" Deacon asked. Finn asked where Sheila was and why she hadn't reached out to them. "You saw her face," Finn stated and added that her body had been identified by multiple people. "Tell me where that extra toe came from!" Deacon persisted. Finn called it wishful thinking and warned that going there would only hurt more. Finn urged Deacon to accept the fact that he wouldn't see Sheila again.
Later, Deacon was alone, talking to Sheila's picture and wondering how he'd solve it. Ridge arrived. "Not today, please," Deacon said. Deacon asked why Ridge was there. Ridge shared that his daughter was having a tough time after having to "put down" Sheila.
Ridge inquired about the memorial. Deacon said it wasn't Ridge's business, but Ridge claimed that, as a friend, he wanted to say it had been a big waste of time and money. Deacon replied that it had been his time and money. Ridge maintained that Sheila being gone was good for everyone. Deacon questioned whether Sheila really was gone.
Back at Forrester, Finn arrived, ready to take his wife then and there. Steffy reminded him that they were in her office. Steffy guessed Deacon had wanted to give Sheila's ashes to Finn. Finn remarked that Deacon was losing it and saying crazy stuff about Sheila. Steffy became glib about Deacon's feelings for Sheila until Finn revealed that Deacon had convinced himself that Sheila might still be alive.
In the design suite at Forrester, Carter apologized for not having been a better friend to Zende. Zende said that he probably would not have spoken about what was bothering him, even if Carter had previously asked. However, Zende felt that he needed to talk about things. Carter correctly assumed that whatever was troubling Zende had something to do with Luna.
Zende told Carter that he respected Luna. "She's just so beautiful and smart and creative," Zende gushed. Carter agreed, but pointed out that Luna was also R.J.'s girlfriend. Zende was silent. Carter asked if Zende needed to be reminded that R.J. was "with Luna." Carter explained that R.J. was Zende's cousin, and he warned that Zende could not act on any feelings he might have for Luna.
Carter observed a change in Zende's demeanor and asked if Zende had "already acted" on the feelings he had for Luna. Zende replied that Luna was "totally committed" to R.J. Carter argued that people could be committed and still make mistakes. Zende recounted the events of the night of Eric's party. Zende explained that somehow, Luna had left the party and ended up in the guesthouse. Carter asked Zende what had happened next.
At the beach house, R.J. said that Luna had been acting "kinda off" ever since Eric's wedding. Luna let out a sigh as tears welled in her eyes. R.J. assured Luna that she could tell him anything. Luna told R.J. that he was everything that she had ever dreamed of in a guy. Before telling R.J. what she needed to tell him, Luna again professed her love for R.J. He, in turn, assured her that the feeling was mutual. "No one could come between us," R.J. promised.
R.J. told Luna that she would feel better after she opened up to him. Luna agreed. She told R.J. that the night of Eric's party, she had felt odd, "kind of like being drunk, but on a whole other level." Luna said that she had only later learned why she'd felt that way. "My mother and her mints," Luna said. R.J. didn't understand what that meant but surmised that Poppy's mints had "drugs in them."
Luna explained that somehow, Poppy's mints had ended up in her bag. "I wish I never took any of my mom's damned mints. Everything would be so different," Luna sobbed. R.J. asked Luna if something had happened after she'd left the party. Luna nodded. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," she cried.
At Forrester, Steffy was puzzled by why Deacon believed that Sheila might still be alive. Steffy grumbled that "some of Sheila's crazy must have rubbed off on Deacon" for Deacon to be going around and telling people that Sheila wasn't dead. Finn chalked it up to grief.
Without dredging up the past, Steffy noted that she, more than anyone, could attest to the fact that Sheila was dead. Steffy mentioned that Deacon had also seen Sheila's body cremated and asked if Deacon suddenly didn't trust his own eyes. Finn told Steffy that Deacon claimed that the body in the crematorium had had ten toes.
Steffy's eyes widened as she argued that Deacon was wrong and "losing it." Steffy expressed concern that Finn didn't seem to agree with her.
At Il Giardino, Ridge became angry upon hearing Deacon suggest that Sheila was still among the living. A frantic Deacon pleaded with Ridge to hear him out. "It's not much of a memorial if the person that you're talking about and honoring is not..." Ridge quipped. Ridge noted that Deacon had gone to the crematorium to be with Sheila, so he questioned how Deacon could suddenly doubt that Sheila was dead.
Ridge suggested that Deacon had created a lie about Sheila in order to foster some sort of connection with Finn. Ridge said that he liked Deacon and insisted he was not trying to tell Deacon that he could not mourn Sheila's death. "In your apartment, you should have a little corner with a candle [and] incense, and on her birthday every year, you can sacrifice a frog or a garden snake," Ridge mused. To everyone else, however, Ridge stated that Sheila was dead and would remain that way. Ridge stormed out of the restaurant.
Alone, Deacon thought back to seeing Sheila's body at the morgue. He told himself over and over that what he'd seen was real. "Maybe you're out there, and maybe you need my help," Deacon said to himself.
Deacon pulled out Sheila's laptop and decided to look through her emails. He found a lot of work emails, some spam, and one about Pilates, but nothing out of the ordinary. He decided to check the log of her text messages. There were only three contacts listed: Deacon, Finn, and Unknown. Deacon decided to open the conversations with the unknown sender.
Sheila's replies indicated that she had "nothing more to say" to the other person. The unknown contact vowed that they would find Sheila. "Stay away from me, Sugar!" Sheila replied in the last message. "Who the hell is Sugar?" Deacon asked aloud.
