Traci and Ashley meet at Society and can’t wait to spend some time with Allie, their new little niece. Traci hopes she decides to make Genoa City her permanent home. The conversation turns to his estrangement from his mother – they both know what it is. Traci remembers going to boarding school and how happy she was to have her dad there to support her when she got home. She flashes on John giving him a pep talk.
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Traci admits, “I miss him. I think of him everyday.” So did Ashley. He was always there for every milestone and always encouraged them to embrace the future. She recalls a conversation with John about graduating. Ashley thinks it’s important that they honor Jack and their father by making Allie feel part of this family.
Abby shows Traci and Ashley to their special table, where they’ll be enjoying a special menu, and they gush it’s so thoughtful of her. Allie joins them and Abby flees to the kitchen. Traci and Ashley are ready to tell him about their lives. Allie thinks it’s obvious that they are very close. Traci enthuses that they are friends and sisters forever. Ashley assures Allie she can’t get over it and urges her to ask them anything she wants to know.
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Allie learns that Traci wrote the history of the Abbott family in a book, but they wanted her to hear some of the stories in person. Allie marvels at being personally connected to Jabot and delights in being able to see the lab. They discuss having supportive fathers who wanted them to pursue their own passions. Allie asks if Traci always knew she wanted to be a writer. Traci laughs and Ashley reveals that she was once a singer. She mentions Danny Romalotti. Traci thinks he saved her in many ways. He asked her to sing with him and was very cute. “He still is.” She blinks at Danny telling him how happy he is that they have become such good friends.
Traci explains that she came to realize that her true passion was writing and remembers receiving her first book after it was published. Allie marvels that they are so confident, and they laugh and tell her they weren’t like that at her age. Traci ruminates that the young adult years can be some of the toughest of your life. She struggled with her weight and became addicted to diet pills. Ashley shares that it was hard to watch her suffer like this. Traci remembers her problems with Lauren Fenmore. “She could activate the charm like no one was interested in her, but there was something inside me. She just didn’t like me. But I found ways to fight back. She flashes on Lauren ordering her a banana split in a restaurant and she walks over and throws him over his head.
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Allie, Traci and Ashley laugh. Traci admits that decades later, she and Lauren have become friends. She remembers his apologies. Allie asks if Ashley had a nemesis. Ashley had a romantic rivalry with Nikki Newman. Traci tells Allie that it’s Noah’s grandmother. They remember Ashley clashing with Nikki against Victor. Ashley shivers.
Ashley tells Allie that she’ll spare her the details of her relationship with Victor, but suffice to say it comes at a cost. She remembers them having an emotional confrontation in the pouring rain after her abortion. Allie is stunned to learn that they have not only survived the dark days, but have been married more than once. She recalls a romantic moment when Victor gave her a diamond pendant and told her he wanted to make her life a fantasy.
Abby appears and explains that she is part of the bond that Ashley and Victor still share today. Brad’s name pops up and Traci explains that he’s no longer with them…but from the moment he walked through the door of the Abbott house, he changed their lives forever. Traci tells Allie about Brad’s rise to executive rank, but he started out as a pool attendant…and she couldn’t take her eyes off him. She remembers Brad telling her he was going to take her to the movies. Ashley agrees: “He was a charmer.”
Traci fell in love with him and remembers their honeymoon. She explains to Allie that they couldn’t hold on, but a beautiful thing came out of their love. “Our daughter, Colleen.” She talks about Colleen’s birth. Allie didn’t know she had a daughter Traci explains that she died when she was around the age Allie is now. Allie wonders how she got away with it. Traci admits it was the hardest thing she had to deal with…but her family helped her get back on her feet.
Abby reappears as Traci explains that Ashley also had a thing for Brad. Ashley concedes: “I’ve been married many times. She tells Allie that Abby was born on their wedding day and remembers she asked Victor to deliver her baby to the hospital. She explains that Brad adopted Abby, who adds that no one knew Victor was his father for years. She feels her mother and aunt are incredible women with wisdom and love to share.
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Traci, Ashley and Allie arrive at the Abbott mansion where Billy and Jack are hanging out in the living room. They explain that they talked about the family. Allie loved hearing all about their lives. Billy talks about his sisters and offers to give him another version of Abbott’s story. Allie wants to have dinner one day. Billy gives insight and explains how they sometimes went there, but they always supported each other no matter what. Ashley tearfully reveals to Allie that she is a breast cancer survivor and thinks back to Jack’s concern at the time.
Allie thinks her family is very special. Jack is happy to hear her refer to her as one of them, because she is. The conversation returns to John and they recall toasting their father at the breakfast table. Ashley thinks this is probably one of their most important traditions. Traci tells Allie that they are happy to have a seat at the table for her.
Allie receives a text and announces that she is going out with Noah. Traci urges her to go and Billy offers to drive her home. She thanks Traci and Ashley for everything today and follows Billy. Jack thanks his sisters and they agree to be there for the girl. Jack asks if they told him about Dina. They didn’t because they didn’t want her to feel pressured to talk about her own mother. Traci remembers confronting Dina and asking her if she really wanted her.
Ashley remembers when Dina told her that Brent Davis was her biological father. It was so painful that she literally couldn’t remember who she was or where she came from. She guesses it was so hard to accept that she wasn’t John Abbott’s daughter. She flashes on John crying as he tries to drive her home. She is relieved that he never found out the truth.
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Ashley never thought she would overcome her struggles with Dina, but in the end, her mother got the better of her. She remembers thanking Dina for protecting her in writing. “You loved me.” Ashley talks about them reconciling their hurts with their mother. “She loved us. Traci will wear this forever. Jack tells Ashley and Traci that he’s proud to call them his sisters. Traci marvels, “What happened?! The other day they were running around the house and now there are grandchildren…and great nieces. Ashley is encouraged that generations to come will know their stories and their mistakes and hold on to the best qualities while knowing how lucky they are to be Abbott.
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Next on The young and the restless: Ashley and Traci Abbott look back on the years as Eileen Davidson and Beth Maitland celebrate their 40th birthdays.
Take a look back at Traci’s life and loves in the gallery below.
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