Stephanie is thrilled to have her dear friend Ruthanne Owens in town for a visit. They catch up with each other and Ruthanne bluntly urges Stephanie to reconsider calling things off with Jack because love is never perfect. Karen and Thorne bask in the afterglow of an entire day and night of making love before leaving for the Forrester Mansion. During a phone call with Brooke, Taylor inadvertently mentions that Stephanie is throwing a Christmas gathering tonight. Furious that she was left out of this family event, Brooke calls a sitter and prepares to crash Stephanie's party. Meanwhile the guests arrive: Bill pests Thorne with questions whether he and Karen will make their relationship official anytime soon while Sheila is excited to spend the holidays with Eric and his family. Just as Stephanie tells her maid Maria not to serve and instead to socialize because she is part of the family, the unwelcome pariah of the family shows up. Stephanie quickly tells Brooke to leave, but she is unwilling to surrender that easily.
—Torsten B. Tomaschek