On today’s Days of Our Lives, Julie’s writing at her desk, looks wistfully at an old photo of her and Doug. She flashes back to the first Valentine’s Day at Doug’s Place and wishes her love a Happy Valentine’s Day. Doug III shows up with a bouquet of red roses and is told they were his grandfather’s favorite flower.
They sit down and she tells him about the Valentine’s Day she was thinking about. Doug III is fascinated to hear she and his grandfather owned a club. Sadly, it was turned into a restaurant, which is now gone, too. Doug suggests opening a new club in his grandfather’s honor. Julie sadly tells him it would never be the same.
Doug is sorry to hear how much she’s struggling, and Julie tells him she’s finally doing grief therapy with Marlena. She’s still struggling, though, and Doug tells her he’s happy to listen any time she needs him. She thanks him and asks if he met any nice girl… or boy? Definitely girl, but no, no luck. He’s interested in this one girl, but she’s not single.
Julie says it’s good to be respectful of a relationship — but he should be honest about his feelings, too. (Is she encouraging him to be a homewrecker??) She tells him about how Doug was paid to break up her marriage — but that was fine, because she didn’t love her husband. Doug was different. She tells him about the song he wrote for her, “Julie,” and Doug III asks if he could see the lyrics.
But she comes back a short time later, unable to find the book with it in. Oh, wait! She took it to the family cabin during the Radioactive Mayor saga. Doug offers to go get the book for her, but she insists it’s too much hassle. He won’t hear it and heads out to grab the book.
Holly comes downstairs to find a rose and note from Tate. She reads it, turns around, and he pops in with a bouquet and chocolates. She thanks him happily, saying he’s already doing enough cooking for her at the cabin. But she didn’t get anything for him. That’s OK, they’re going to be having plenty of fun tonight. He checks in, though, to make sure she’s not feeling pressured.
She’s not, though she wishes they’d both been each other’s firsts. Tate says tonight is going to be perfect, being with Holly. It’s going to be a Valentine’s Day to remember. He runs out to get groceries for tonight.
Maggie shows up and Holly hands her some chocolate, thanking her for letting Tate take the keys to the cabin. He wants their day to be really special. “Dare I ask how special he plans to make it? Are you two planning to have sex tonight?” Holly swallows hard. “Grandma!”
Yes, yes, but Nicole is in Paris, so Maggie has to be the one to talk about this. She’s old enough to do what she wants, but Maggie hopes for an open dialogue. OK, fine, Holly smiles, they are planning on “being together.” Maggie knows what it’s like — both she and Sarah were teenagers — just be prepared for taking a big step. She seems to be up and down about Tate and Sophia.
Holly tells her this is the right time, so Maggie tells her she just wants her granddaughter’s happiness. They hug and Holly heads out to the cabin.
Sophia and her mom are sipping smoothies in the Horton Square when Amy hands her daughter a Valentine’s Day present. It’s a baby gift. And the baby’s only six months off. That’s when Sophia tells her mom that she and Tate are looking for a great couple to adopt their baby. Amy tries shutting that down right away, but Sophia lays out her plan to find a loving, Christian couple that her mom knows — or can get to know.
“Don’t you think that the best life possible would be with his or her biological parents?” No. She doesn’t. They’re too young and they won’t be together. She pleads with her mom to at least consider it, saying this could be the baby another couple is praying for. Tate walks by just then, and Sophia asks for backup with her mom, but before he can get far, she doubles over in pain.
She insists she’s fine after, then it hits again and they rush her to the hospital.
Johnny brings Chanel breakfast in bed for Valentine’s Day — and their anniversary! — and she insists she climbs in bed and joins her. They talk about how excited they are to start a family in Salem. Chanel cautiously tells him that she’s very much ready for motherhood, but there may be a problem. She’s worried about another miscarriage. But Johnny reminds his wife that Kayla told her the risk is low. They don’t have to rush into it, though. Chanel wants to try, so maybe they should get an appointment with Kayla.
Kayla greets Steve in the morning, sitting with a cup of coffee, looking around curiously. Steve plays dumb and tells her to grab coffee while she gets dressed. “Did he forget our anniversary?” she mutters to herself when he’s gone. She’s grumbling about it when Stephanie drops in with campaign ideas to save the hospital. The fight isn’t over. She sees the coffee and goes to grab a cup, dismaying Kayla more.
Steve comes out and the two keep playing dumb about the day, so Kayla awkwardly heads off to work. “Unless you need me for anything!” Nah, they’re good. Once she’s gone, Stephanie and Steve get started on her anniversary surprise. They get out balloons, old pictures, banners; the works.
“Have you always been this romantic?” Steph asks her dad. No, no he has not. He flashes back to their first Valentine’s Day when she gave him a card and he gave her her present: wind up chattering teeth. Steve thanks Stephanie for helping out, then asks about her own plans. She’s going out with Alex. He’s glad to hear she didn’t give up on love.
Over at the hospital, Johnny and Chanel thank Kayla for squeezing them in. She says it’s fine, there’s been a lot of cancellations since people heard the hospital is closing. She goes over the bloodwork, then, and gives them the bad news: It’s not a great idea to try for another pregnancy now. Her HGC levels are high, which could be a new tumor from leftover tissue of her molar pregnancy. They need to check on it some more, so it’s a better idea to not get pregnant now. But it shouldn’t affect her chances of getting pregnant in the future.
It’s a blow, but Chanel’s glad they consulted before trying. And maybe it’s not a good idea to try again ever. They head out to the reception area to talk things over before leaving. Johnny tries reassuring Chanel that her being healthy is the most important thing.
Kayla then checks out Sophia with Tate and Amy and says she’s got a very common bout of Round Ligament Pain. No biggie. She gets a pamphlet and that’s when Amy says they both seem to care so much about the baby, so why give it away? That’s exactly why, they say. Amy pauses. “OK. If you can find the right couple.”
In the show’s final moments, Steve and Stephanie jump out with a surprise, scaring a delighted Kayla. “I can’t believe you made me think that you forgot.” Steph leaves to let them enjoy their anniversary and her parents joyfully kiss.
Julie breathes in the roses back home, and we flash back to Doug’s reading of the poem, back in their early days. Maggie pulls her out of her memory, wishing her good friend a happy Valentine’s Day. She asks about the roses and Julie gushes about her kind step-grandson, heading to the cabin to get Doug’s lyrics. Oh, Maggie notes, he’s in for a surprise then…
Holly gets to the cabin, unpacks and breaks out her sexy nightgown and robe. She tries it on, checks herself out in the mirror… and Doug walks in.
Sophia thanks her mom for changing her mind about the adoption. Amy tells her daughter that her feelings do matter. They both say they love each other. Outside the room, Tate texts Holly to say he’s running a little late, then spots Chanel and Johnny. He tells them about Sophia and how her mom is finally onboard with an adoption. “Now all we have to do is find the right couple.”
Chanel and Johnny look at each other. “Maybe you just did.”