In the town square, Leo said aloud, "You better buckle up, Mom, because I have a lot to say to you. And you are going to sit there. And you're going to listen." Leo looked down at the script he had written for his conversation, and he continued. "What kind of mother leaves their eight-year-old son alone in a heart shaped jacuzzi with a pack of smokes and a flamingo pool float?" Leo muttered. Leo continued to rehearse his speech to his mother, and he stressed that he was not worthless or unlovable. Before Leo could finish, a shirtless Alex interrupted to ask if he could have Leo's water.

Leo informed Alex that Theresa had told him that she had been interested in Alex before she had learned that he was the Kiriakis heir. "Alex, you can never be too careful," Leo warned. When Alex asked Leo what he meant, Leo explained that unscrupulous people would pursue Alex for his fortune. "But Theresa, she seems legit," Leo said. Alex noted that he had had a similar conversation with Marlena.

"Are you in therapy with Dr. Evans? Samesies!" Leo said. When Leo asked Alex if Marlena was helping Alex, Alex said yes. "Dr. Evans is a great listener. She gets it," Alex said. "Maybe there's hope for me, after all," Leo said. Leo looked at the script for his conversation with his mother, and Alex asked about it. Leo explained that he planned to visit his mother in prison and enumerate all his complaints and grievances about his childhood.

"I wrote it all down, so I don't get flustered and go off script," Leo said. Alex wished Leo luck. With a nod, Leo noted that his parents had done their best. "It's not like you hit the parents scratch-off yourself with Victor. No offense," Leo said. "None taken. Victor was a complicated man," Alex agreed. Leo added that Alex had been lucky to have been raised by Justin. "Yeah," Alex whispered.

Steve was ending his call to Tripp when Justin entered the hospital room. "How's Tripp doing?" Justin asked. Steve said that Tripp and Wendy were planning a backpacking trip. Justin asked about Steve, and Steve insisted he was fine. Justin apologized for Steve's predicament.

"[Kayla] said you might be in need of a lawyer," Justin said. Justin asked Steve to explain the situation. "You're hired. Long story short, I broke Clyde Weston out of prison," Steve confirmed. "Why in the hell would you do that?" Justin asked. Steve explained that he had been forced to aid Clyde in order to save Tripp's life. "Now that [Clyde] has been captured, Kayla's worried that he might throw me under the bus," Steve said. Justin agreed that was a valid concern.

"I'm not going to live in fear. I'm going to turn myself in," Steve announced. Justin argued that he could broker a deal under the facts of the case. Steve thanked Justin for his help. When Justin asked Steve if anyone else had been involved in the prison break scheme, Steve said no.

In the Brady Pub, Kayla placed a large takeout order. "I'm guessing Steve's feeling a whole lot better," Roman said with a chuckle. Kayla confirmed that Steve was doing well but that she continued to be frustrated by his "hero complex." When Kayla mentioned Montana, Roman noted that Ava had missed a week's worth of work. With a groan, Kayla wished aloud that Ava was gone for good.

"So sorry to disappoint," Ava said as she rolled her luggage over to Kayla's table. Ava apologized to Roman for having been gone longer than expected. Ava explained that after Montana, she had gone to China to see Tripp and Wendy to tell them in person that Clyde was no longer a threat to them. "I figured that after all they'd been through, they deserved that much," Ava said. Roman told Ava that had been a good idea.

"I'm sure you're eager to get back to Steve at the hospital, so I'm gonna go put your order in," Roman said. As Roman walked away, a worried Ava asked why Steve was in the hospital. "He's been shot," Kayla said. Ava asked if the shooting had been Ava's fault. "No, this wasn't. But, you know, now that Clyde's been captured, I've hired Steve a lawyer," Kayla said. Kayla noted that she was surprised that Ava had returned to town. Ava asked why.

"[To avoid the consequences] when Clyde decides to share that you were the one who spearheaded the whole plan to break him out of prison," Kayla said. Kayla asked Ava why she wanted to stay in Salem, since Tripp was gone. Frustrated, Ava reiterated that she was over Steve. Before Kayla could respond, Roman interrupted to give Kayla her order. Through gritted teeth, Kayla wished Ava luck, and she walked out.

"I do agree with one thing [Kayla] said. I did think long and hard about staying in China, doing some solo traveling. The only reason I came back was because I need to know where I stand with Harris," Ava said. Roman confirmed that Harris had not returned to the pub since Clyde's arrest. "Is he moving out?" Ava asked. Roman admitted that he had no idea. "If Harris isn't coming back, then maybe I should just leave," Ava said. Roman cautioned Ava not to make any decisions when she was jet-lagged.

"Plus, I need you to help in the morning with the breakfast rush," Roman said. Ava smiled. Roman urged Ava to get some sleep, and he promised to get in touch with Harris for her. "And for the record, I do hope things work out between you two," Roman said. "So do I," Ava whispered. When Ava went upstairs, Harris was in the room.

When Kayla returned to Steve's hospital room, she asked about his meeting with Justin. Steve told Kayla about his plan to surrender. "I can't imagine you spending one day in prison or me losing you again, but I don't want us to live in fear," Kayla said. "Then we are on the same page," Steve said. Kayla asked if John and Ava planned to make a plea, as well. Steve confessed that he had told Justin that he had acted alone in the prison break. Kayla was frustrated that Steve wanted to help Ava. but she said she understood.

Alex walked into the Kiriakis living room, and Justin apologized to him about the Konstantin situation. "When I heard that you went running after Theresa unarmed? Alex, if anything had happened to you," Justin said with a shrug. Alex said he was fine. "Actually, something good came from it," Alex added. Alex told Justin that he had realized that he believed that Theresa was "the one."

"I think there's something you should know about Theresa," Justin said. Justin told Alex that Theresa had been with Brady, and Alex confirmed that he knew about their night together. Alex admitted that he had had a fling with Kristen to make Theresa jealous. "So, to that point, Theresa and I are even, in a way," Alex said. Justin pointed out that unlike Alex and Kristen, Theresa and Brady had a history together. "Most of it bad," Alex said.

With a shrug, Justin noted that Brady and Theresa shared a son, and he had witnessed their bond firsthand. "Frankly, I'm just concerned, as any father would be," Justin said. "But you're not really my father, are you?" Alex said. Alex added that even if Justin was his father, his relationship with Theresa was not Justin's business. With a nod of agreement, Justin walked out.

Alex turned to Victor's portrait. "For all your character flaws, you were decisive. You set your sights on something, and then it was yours. Well, it took me a while to figure it out. But I now know exactly what I want," Alex said. Alex opened an engagement ring box.

At the prom, Theresa explained to Brady that Sophia had told her about a conversation she had overheard between Tate and Aaron about a secret plan. "I am sure that was Holly's idea," Theresa growled. Theresa said she was certain that Tate and Holly planned to sneak out of the dance to be together.

By the refreshments, Holly, Aaron, and Tate complained about the music. Sophia rolled her eyes and dragged Tate onto the dance floor. Holly lingered by the punch bowl until Tate returned. "Where's Sophia?" Aaron asked eagerly. Tate shrugged, so Aaron went in search of his crush. "We having fun yet?" Tate asked Holly. As Tate got closer, Holly gently pushed him away and reminded him that his mother was watching. "She just warned me to stay the hell away from you," Holly said. Tate apologized. "I've decided we should go back to the OG plan," Tate said.

Theresa exited the bathroom, coughing and complaining about the vape smoke. "How many kids did you bust?" Brady asked. With a laugh, Theresa noted that the girl had pretended that her vape pen had been a flash drive. "Mostly I'm just really concerned about Sophia. She was bawling her eyes out in the bathroom. How can Holly do that to her best friend?" Theresa said. Brady looked out on the dance floor, and he noted that Sophia appeared to be fine.

"Well, maybe she's pulled it together since then," Theresa said. Brady argued that Theresa was likely overreacting to normal teen drama, but Theresa guaranteed that she would bust Holly and Tate that night. "Holly Jonas, she's not even gonna know what hit her," Theresa said.

Brady warned Theresa that they were there to chaperone and not embarrass their son. Tate walked over and rubbed his head. "I'm not feeling well all of a sudden," Tate said. Theresa stared pointedly at Brady. "You looked like you were feeling fine a minute ago," Brady said. Tate complained of a headache, and he said he wanted to go home. With a smirk, Theresa told Tate that she would drive him home.

"No, you have to chaperone, remember? The school is counting on you," Tate stressed. Tate said he wanted to walk and get some fresh air. "Get better!" Brady called out as Tate exited the building. "Told you so!" Theresa said. When Brady noted that Holly was still at the dance, Theresa argued that Holly would make a swift exit.

At the refreshments table, Aaron asked Sophia, "What it do?" Sophia stared daggers. "Cringe, Aaron," Sophia said. When Holly asked Sophia about Tate, Sophia noted that her date had left. "He said he had a headache," Sophia said sullenly. Holly pretended that she was surprised.

"What are you waiting for? Aren't you going to run after him?" Sophia asked. Holly played dumb, but Sophia explained that she knew that Tate had lied so that he could sneak away with Holly. "Tell me I'm wrong," Sophia challenged. Aaron attempted to help Holly, but Sophia interrupted to note that she had overheard Tate talking to Aaron at the pub.

"About how Tate only asked me to prom because his parents won't let him see [Holly]," Sophia said. Holly apologized, but Sophia did not believe her. "Because when I told you that I was interested in Tate, maybe you could have mentioned you two were a thing," Sophia complained. "I wanted to! Believe me, I did. I probably should have. I realize that now, but I just didn't want you to tell your mom, and then she would have told mine," Holly explained. With a furrowed brow, Sophia asked Holly why she had chosen to break Sophia's heart instead.

"I feel terrible for hurting you! I mean, you're my best friend. I love you so much, and things have just been such a nightmare at home. And I know that's not an excuse," Holly said. "No. it's not," Sophia agreed. Holly said that she understood why Sophia was mad. "But look at you. You're insanely gorgeous. You're popular. You can have any guy you want," Holly argued. "I wanted Tate," Sophia said. Sophia told Holly that she could have Tate. Holly asked Sophia if she planned to tell everyone the secret. Sophia shook her head no.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Go catch up with him," Sophia said. "Is there anything I could do or say to get you to forgive me?" Holly asked. Fighting back tears, Sophia told Holly again to run after Tate. Holly mumbled another apology, and she walked out.

As Holly passed by Brady and Theresa, Theresa asked about Holly's date. With a shrug, Holly said she did not know. "I'm just going to the little girls' room. BRB," Holly said. Theresa started to pursue Holly down the hallway, but Brady reminded Theresa that they had promised to serve as chaperones. "There are plenty of other chaperones here, and the only important thing is our son," Theresa argued. Theresa walked out of the room, and Brady reluctantly followed her.

On the dance floor, Sophia was eager to leave, but Aaron stopped her. "Let me at least take you home," Aaron said. "I'm not speaking to you anymore. You were a part of this whole scheme," Sophia yelled. Aaron apologized. "Tate's my best friend, and actually, I was looking forward to maybe us two spending time here tonight," Aaron stammered. When Sophia asked why, Aaron admitted that he had been too scared to ask her out. Aaron told Sophia that he hoped she could get to know him better at the dance.

"All I'm trying to say is, I get it. To like someone so much and to have them not like you back, it sucks. And I fully sympathize with how mad you are. That was really cool, you not telling anybody anything about Holly and Tate," Aaron said. A look of guilt crossed Sophia's face.

When Theresa and Brady got to the square, they had lost sight of Holly. "Theresa, my new friend!" Leo yelled out from the café. Curious, Leo asked Theresa if she was on a date with Brady. Brady confirmed that they had been chaperoning their son's prom, and he asked if Leo had seen a teenage boy in a tuxedo pass by. As Leo furrowed his brow, Theresa asked Leo if he had seen Holly.

Leo remembered that he had seen Holly approach the entrance to the Salem Inn. When Holly had noticed Leo, Leo had given her a thumbs-up. Holly had smiled and entered the hotel. "Do you know where she went?" Theresa asked. Leo thought about when he had promised Tate and Holly that he would keep their park meetup a secret. With a shake of his head, Leo said, "Wish I could help you, but I didn't see anything."

After Leo walked away, Theresa grumbled that she did not believe Leo. "We don't know where [Tate] is, so let's call it a night. We'll talk to Tate in the morning, okay?" Brady said. Theresa reminded Brady of Tate and Holly's last big night out, but Brady argued that things had changed.

"Holly didn't go to rehab. She's probably doing drugs with our son now as we speak," Theresa argued. Brady rolled his eyes. "Our son isn't a junkie. You know what he is? He's a red-blooded male, and he is hot for this girl that he has been forbidden to see," Brady countered. As Brady talked about Tate's need for privacy, he noticed the Salem Inn across the square.

When Holly arrived at Tate's hotel room, it was decorated in streamers and balloons. "It's our own private prom. Do you like it?" Tate asked. "I love it. I just didn't realize that the address you sent me was the Salem Inn," Holly said as she glanced at the bed. Tate advised Holly to ignore the bed. "The only reason that I got us this room is so we could be alone without anyone seeing us. There is seriously no pressure at all. There's no expectations," Tate explained. Holly smiled.

After some playful chitchat, Holly told Tate that Sophia had overheard him and Aaron at the pub. "She knows we're together," Holly said. Tate was taken aback. "How did she take it?" Tate asked. Holly noted that Sophia was upset. "It's my fault. I should have just told her from the start," Holly admitted. Concerned, Tate asked if Sophia intended to tell her mother.

"I don't know, I still feel pretty awful about it all," Holly said. With a grin, Tate noted, "Maybe her and Aaron will hook up." Holly said she was hopeful because Aaron and Sophia were cute together. "So are we," Tate whispered. Tate kissed Holly, then he grabbed his phone to show her a playlist he had made for her. Holly teased Tate about the music, then she played a song so that they could dance together. The teens slow-danced together.

Tate admitted he was not a great dancer, and Holly agreed. "You make up for it in a bunch of other ways," Holly said. Tate asked for examples. Holly told Tate that he was handsome and easy to talk to. "And kiss," Holly said. After a kiss, Holly noted that it felt weird to be alone together for more than a couple minutes. "I don't want it to end," Tate whispered. "Me neither," Holly said. Tate promised that they would find a way to be together forever.

"But until then, let's just enjoy this right here, right now," Tate said. Tate and Holly kissed, and they sat on the bed. As the lovers continued to kiss, Theresa and Brady opened the door. "Aha!" Theresa yelled.

• Get a sneak peek with The Scoop's previews and spoilers.

• Miss an episode? Get caught up with our Daily Recaps Archives.

• Share your thoughts about the show on our message board.

• Share your thoughts in your own personal blog.