As Close As The Beat Of My Heart - OLTL Recap for Wednesday, June 17, 2009

At the cemetery, attendants transfer a tiny casket reading Hope Manning McBain 2008. A few feet away, Viki and Clint survey the huge hole where their granddaughter will be buried. Nearby, Jessie talks to Nash’s grave and apologizes to him for substituting his daughter with someone else’s. Brody sadly looks on, then walks over and kneels down to comfort her. Charlie, Natalie and Jared join Viki and Clint at the gravesite and shortly after come Jessica and Brody. Jess cries as she reveals that she never got to see her baby; only Bess and Tess did. After the service, white roses are gently placed on the gravesite by the attendees.

At LaBoulaie kitchen, Hope is making a huge mess with the Cheerios Starr is feeding her. Langston comes in and asks if she’s babysitting the child. The Manning teen is thrilled to tell her friend about Marcy tearing up the adoption papers.

Across town at the McBain apartment, Marcy excuses herself from packing to run an errand. She goes by Rodi’s to tell Gigi goodbye and about giving up Hope. The girls say their goodbyes and pledge to stay in touch by email and phone. John later comes in and gets the car title from Michael and they say their goodbyes. The ex-cop is miffed that the move is so impulsive on his brother’s part. At the bar, Gig leaves Schuyler a voice mail asking if he got the results of the DNA test yet. Schuyler is not answering his phone since he’s at the park with Stacy telling her that things may not end so well for her. She questions why anything of this is his business and then proclaims her love for Rex.

Court is in session for Cole’s parole violation with having a controlled substance in his possession. The judge sternly asks him if causing an accident and putting someone in a wheelchair for life wasn’t enough. He is skeptical of the boy’s innocence even when Nora comes to Cole’s defense and begs for a lighter sentence than the five years of prison that the judge has declared. The judge recesses to review the case further. When court reconvenes, the judge lessens the sentence to two years in prison with eligibility for parole in one year and two days to put his affairs in order. Coles goes to LaBoulaie to break the news to Starr. She greets him with Hope in her arms and proudly tells him they can now raise their daughter together. Starr sees his suit and asks him why he’s all dressed up.

Outside the Buchanan clan residence, Matthew asks Bo if he’s OK with his Mom marrying Clint. Matt feels that his Mom and Dad have been “getting tight lately.” Rex and Shane join them and ask them to attend the Balsom boy’s drum debut at the concert. The boys head off to the community center where Destiny announces that the piano player is sick and asks Matt to play. The Buchanan boy begs off but his two friends finally convince him to play. Meanwhile as Rex and Bo stroll the Buchannan grounds, the elder prods Balsom about his relationships with Gigi and Stacy. The commish reveals that he now understands why Nora did what she did and it was all for Matthew. He then warns Rex to take it slow with Stacy. Rex admits he’s sick to his stomach every time he thinks of Gigi. “It’s love,” advises his mentor.

At the community center, Bo and Rex get seated for the concert. The commish smiles as he sees his son playing the piano. Stacy comes in and presents Shane with a good luck panther keychain (from high school with Rex). The elder Balsom is impressed with the gesture. Bo quickly phones Nora to join him. She tells him she’s meeting Clint but changes her mind when she hears it’s about their son playing the piano. Bo turns to Rex and advises him to keep an open mind about Gigi --- that if he waits too long, it may be too late.

As the kids sing, “Time of My Life,” Matthew plays the piano and Shane the drums. Both fathers proudly look on. Nora takes a seat by her ex-husband and takes his hand. Stacy looks a little bored then takes Rex’s hand. Over at LaBoulaie, Cole holds Hope and wonders how he’s going to tell Starr the truth. At the graveyard, Jessica cries and rubs the tombstone as Brody comforts her. At the McBain apartment, Michael returns and finds Marcy still not ready for the cab. He picks up a pregnancy test box as Marcy comes out of the bathroom holding a digital tube showing a plus sign!