Days of Our Lives Recap: Doug Receives Threat Against Ari and Holly, Chad Reconnects With Cat, and Tate Confesses His Heart Still Belongs to Holly!

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New Beginnings

At night, Javi finds Gabi struggling with work in the kitchen. She apologizes for firing him and for the way she treated him. She begs him to come back to work, but he’s already been accepted as a rookie firefighter/paramedic at the Salem Fire Department. Gabi is surprised to learn of his career pivot, but is really happy for him. She knows he’ll be the hunkiest firefighter of them all. The support means the world to him.

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After they banter at The Spectator about Philip waking up and Chad’s Cat drama, Chad and Leo walk to the Pub. Outside, Leo drones on about Titan, wondering if Chad should ride in and save DiMera. Chad passes. Will leaves the Pub and embraces Chad, but is surprised to see him with Leo. They explain they’ve grown into copacetic colleagues.

After Chad leaves, a sincere Leo tells Will how much he regrets the pain he’s caused him and Sonny over the years. Will saw how broken up Leo was at John’s funeral and read the obituary he wrote. It was touching and eloquent. He wonders how different Leo’s life could have been had he grown up with John like he did. Leo wonders that too.

Javi joins them and meets Will, who rushes off for dinner with Gabi and Ari. When Javi asks about John’s funeral, Leo grows solemn. Javi comforts him and then tells him he got the job. They go home to celebrate.

Chad Apologizes to Cat

Cat dances around her apartment, dusting when Aaron comes home, surprising her. He explains he returned to walk with his class at graduation. After he’s left, Chad comes by. He apologizes for Jennifer kicking her out of the house. Cat thinks she deserves Jennifer’s anger, but Chad disagrees. He’s made his fair share of mistakes and has learned that they all deserve grace. He doesn’t begrudge Jack and Jennifer their feelings, but he won’t let them dictate who he socializes with. Unless she really doesn’t want to see him again.

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Cat doesn’t want to be a source of more pain for his family. Chad says Abby’s gone and there’s nothing that anyone can say or do to bring her back. He just hopes Jack and Jennifer can realize that grief is a heavy enough burden to carry, they shouldn’t carry a grudge too. He’ll think about Abby every day for the rest of his life, but he can’t stop living it. Since Cat thought she lost both her parents in that accident, she’s been taking baby steps back into the land of the living. Chad suggests they take those steps together. She offers to make him dinner to make up for the skydiving debacle. “How can I say no to that?” he says.

Preparing For Graduation

Wearing a Class of 2025 t-shirt, Tate comes to pick up Sophia for their pre-graduation celebration. She doesn’t feel like going because the baby kicks her every five minutes. She puts his hand on her belly. He can’t believe how real this is and that that’s his kid. Sophia calls it “our” kid and worries about not having an adoptive family before she gives birth. Tate suggests they find one after it’s born, but she worries he won’t want to give it up if they wait.

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Ari runs into Holly in the Square on her way to dinner with her parents. Also wearing a Class of 2025 t-shirt, Holly invites her to hang out with her friends. Ari agrees, but lets it be known she prefers more mature men over boring high school boys. Doug spots them across the Square and keeps on walking, unseen. Ari tells Holly about hooking up with a guy from Small Bar, who she really likes. When Holly fills her in on her boy drama, Ari relays that Tate wants her back. Holly would like to reunite, but there might be another guy. Besides, something always happens with Tate and Sophia, who walk up.

As Ari and Sophia catch up, the baby kicks. Ari sends Holly and Tate to get froyo so she can talk with Sophia one-on-one about the baby. Sophia doesn’t know what she would have done without Tate to lean on. Ari asks if she’s into him. Sophia admits she’s crushed on him forever. Ari wonders why Sophia is giving up the baby if she wants to hold onto Tate. Sophia reminds her it’s not 1953 and that she’s only 18. She’s not ready to give up her life to become a mother. Plus, she wants Tate to want her for her. Maybe after the baby’s adopted, they’ll see.

As Tate and Holly return with frozen treats, Aaron surprises them. Holly goes to call her mom, leaving Aaron to marvel over Tate having a baby with Sophia. Tate admits he still wants to be with Holly. Maybe after the baby’s adopted, they’ll still have a chance.

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Aaron sits with Sophia alone and admits he once thought they might end up together. But a lot of things have changed. Across the Square, Holly returns to Tate. Her mom is coming back for graduation, and she’s looking for universities in Europe. In fact, she’s waitlisted at the Sorbonne. Tate plans on Salem U. He barely got his grades back on track after rehab. Holly blames herself, considering he took the hit for her drugs. Tate would do it all over again. “I’d do anything for you.” They share an emotional hug, and Tate returns to Sophia.

Gabi and Will meet at The Bistro and discuss John until Ari shows up. As they eat salads, Gabi brings up Ari sneaking out of the house. Will admits she broke curfew a few times in Arizona. Ari reminds them she’s an adult now, but Gabi points out that only happens when she’s living on her own and paying her own bills. Will backs Gabi up.

Doug Needs Leo’s Help

Behind the bar at the Pub, Doug finds a manila envelope addressed to him. He pulls out surveillance photos of Ari and Holly. A handwritten note reads, “It’d be a shame if something happened to those pretty faces.”

Leo and Javi make out as they return home, and Doug barges in with an emergency. Javi leaves them to talk. Doug shows Leo the photos and the threatening note from the loan shark. He asks for another loan to get them off his back. Leo can give him a thousand dollars. He also has a lead on Julie’s necklace. Doug explains he got into this mess because he took a gig delivering merchandise to a fence, but he met a girl. The next morning, his car was broken into, and the merchandise was gone. He needed money fast to pay the scary guys back, but now he’s in deep with scarier guys.

After Doug leaves, Javi returns. He lit candles in their room and put on 90s R&B. Leo wants Javi to put on his firefighter pants so he can take them off. Outside the house, Doug ignores a call from Ari.

Next on Days of Our Lives, Bo and Hope make future plans, and more is revealed about young Tom and Alice.