Bride & gloom
Ashley Abbott is hiding a big secret on her daughter Abby’s wedding day.
Ashley (left) is keeping something from Abby on her wedding day to Stitch. Weekdays e.tv (*194) 09:00
Doctor Ben “Stitch” Rayburn (Sean Carrigan) and Abby Carlton-Newman (Melissa Ordway) are turning a determined blind eye to Stitch’s feelings for the bride’s mom Ashley Abbott (Eileen Davidson) as they prepare for their wedding this fortnight. Melissa admits, “I think that Abby wants to believe that Stitch loves her just as much as she loves him. She wants the wedding of the century: she wants it to work and she wants to be Mrs Rayburn.” But Ashley is still going to grab all the attention as Abby’s big day begins on Monday 12 September.
SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW
On Friday 9 September, the women of the Abbott and Newman families set aside their differences and unite to give Abby the traditional bridal gifts in a sweetly sentimental scene. Ashley gives her “something old” – her late grandfather John Abbott’s (Jerry Douglas) handkerchief as “a reminder of the family that you come from and who loves you, now and forever.” The “something new” is her wedding dress, while her half-sister Victoria Newman (Amelia Heinle) lends Abby a pair of diamond earrings as her “something borrowed” and her aunt Traci Abbott (Beth Maitland) gives Abby a sapphire bracelet that belonged to Abby’s late half-sister Colleen (Tammin Sursok) as “something blue”.
SOMETHING SHOCKING
Later on Friday 9 September, dad Victor Newman (Eric Braeden) walks Abby to the altar with her niece Faith (Alyvia Alyn Lind) scattering flower petals. But just as the episode ends, Ashley slumps in her seat, then falls to the ground unconscious. And for once, Ashley’s not making a super-dramatic statement to stop the wedding. On Monday 12 September, after Dr Neville (Michael E Knight) diagnoses Ashley with low blood sugar, she refuses to go to hospital until Abby and Stitch are declared husband and wife. Later, while the couple’s friends are toasting their happily- ever-after, Dr Neville, who’s lied to protect Ashley, catches her trashing her lab. And she finally admits what’s really wrong: she’s not pitching a fit over losing Stitch; she has an inoperable brain tumour. Ashley Abbott is dying!