Days of our Lives recap for Friday, December 23, 2022.
In today’s Days episode, Jennifer is back, Eli returns with the twins, Sarah learns from Thomas that Xander owes Gwen one, and Chad receives a special Christmas Eve visit from Abigail.
In the last Days recap, Rex arrived for Christmas, surprising his parents, Brady agreed to Eric’s suggestion to kidnap Rachel, and Chloe and Kristen traded insults while Chloe and Stefan decided to go to New York for Christmas.
Chad visits Abigail’s grave while Silent Night plays in the background. Later, What Child Is This plays as he talks to Abigail about the tree-trimming party and that he’ll bring them here tomorrow to wish her a Merry Christmas.
He can’t believe he’s spending Christmas without her and they say it gets easier with time but each day he can’t hear her, or feel her close to him… he misses her more, not less.
He places a mixed bouquet of flowers and says he loves her and will love her forever. Jennifer appears. He thought Jack was picking her up from the airport.
She took a car service. They embrace and he says she should be there to help the kids hang their ornaments.
Jennifer cries. She knows. They hug and Jennifer feels different without the crutch of being high, she says.
Less self-centered in her grief and more worried about Chad and the kids. He says they’re managing.
Gwen sets the Horton table for Christmas dinner while talking on a call with Leo about snagging a place at the Kiriakis mansion when he was down and out.
He wants to talk about her but she has no details to share.
She didn’t have to help Xander out of that jam but she ensured he knows he owes her one.
Thomas appears and questions why he owes her one.
In the living room, Doug’s on a call with Hope and tells her, “Merry Christmas, Princess.”
Julie wishes she could be with them now but Hope has to work.
She says she’ll expect nothing less than a gold medal for her skating students in the Olympics.
They disconnect and talk about missing their kids. They’ll have no kids or grandkids in Salem.
Shawn and Belle went to Africa with Claire. She’s depressed Eli isn’t with Lani but she’d like to know they’re okay.
She’d give anything to see them. Eli walks in with the children and Julie squeals and hugs them.
Julie calls Doug a little devil for knowing that they were coming.
Doug doesn’t think they should invoke “you-know-who after last year.”
Back in the dining room, Gwen disconnects with Leo and she tells him it’s impolite to eavesdrop.
Thomas says she was talking loud. She tells the kid she did Xander a favor. Gwen has told Thomas she helped Xander find a present for Gwen.
Jack arrives in the living room with Charlotte, happy to see Eli with the twins. Julie tells Jack about Lucy, the sitter who goes to Salem High.
She’s upstairs waiting to care for the kids.
Jules starts crying as Eli and Jack take the babies upstairs. Eli returns and Julie asks how he’s coping. He’s not going to lie. It’s been tough.
Valerie’s been great but she’s no substitute for Lani. She’s eligible for parole in a year at least.
He’s more concerned that Chad can’t promise that their mama will come home to them.
Later, Jack finds Gwen and Thomas pinky swearing not to tell. He asks what the secret is.
She says they were bonding. Gwen says she has to check on dessert in the kitchen so Jack takes Thomas away.
To herself, Gwen calls him a nosy brat.
At the no-tell-motel, Xander reads about Ava “losing the last of her marbles” in the news.
He calls it a Christmas miracle. Sarah appears and he tells her she looks lovely in her red pantsuit. He wants to go to the after-party festivities instead.
He hugs her and she gives him a present. It’s a Christmas ornament. He looks torn.
He doesn’t feel worthy but she tells him he’s her husband and everyone gets an ornament for the Horton family tree.
He gets down on himself and she tells him her dad and uncle Bill’s rivalry was so bad it almost turned deadly.
And Julie and her mother, “My aunt Addie,” fell in love with the same ex-con who they met through her uncle Bill.
Xander asks who. “Doug,” she says. Xander yells. “DOUG? Doug Doug?”
Maggie arrives to take them to the tree-trimming and Sarah tells her mom why Xandy’s upset.
Maggie says that Victor got his ornament when they married.
Some members didn’t like it but they got over it when they realized how in love they are. Maggie calls Xander a hero now.
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Chad and Jennifer appear in the living room, much to Julie’s happiness.
Jack and Thomas greet Jennifer with hugs while Chad and Eli commiserate.
Eli knows this Christmas will be tough for him. He’s glad they have each other.
He goes to check on the twins. Jennifer snuggles Thomas and Jack and later, Eli returns with Charlotte. Jennifer hugs her and learns Carver and Jules are napping.
Julie goes to set the desserts out and is upset when Jack says Gwen already is. She toddles off. “Oh no, Grandma’s on the warpath,” Eli says.
Doug tells him it’s officially Christmas.
Julie arrives in the dining room and isn’t happy to see some English pudding being set out, not just the donuts.
Julie tells her to have respect since she’s squatting in this home that belonged to Alice Horton, who created those donuts.
Gwen claps back telling her if it wasn’t for her, Jennifer would be spending the season in Statesville. Julie’s eyes bug out.
That can’t be true. Gwen says she could ask Jennifer but believes it’d be stressful for her to think about running down her step-daughter, high as a kite.
Julie asks if she’ll blackmail Jennifer. Gwen says no. She loves her father which is why she’s keeping it secret.
Julie says fine, serve the pudding but she won’t have a Horton ornament.
Sarah, Xander and Maggie arrive. Eli and Xander chat about how Xander helped save Carver and Jules and then about how Lani’s counting the days until her release.
Sarah goes to get a wrap when she spots Thomas. She stops him and they talk about how he misses his mommy.
He tells her about Gwen helping pick out her Christmas present and then realizes he was supposed to keep it secret.
He relays what he heard about Gwen owing Xander one. Sarah looks worried but says she’ll keep the kid’s secret.
Gwen goes into the living room to say Merry Christmas to Maggie and Jenn. It’s uncomfortable but everyone is cordial.
She’s glad Jennifer’s doing better and then goes to Xander to tell him what happened with Thomas when Sarah interrupts.
Julie’s ready to trim the tree. Jenn asks Doug to sing.
He starts O Come Let Us Adore Him as everyone files over to the tree and puts their ornaments on.
Sarah adds Mackenzie’s and Bo and Hope’s are put up.
Afterward, everyone is gone but Julie and Doug who tells her she outdid herself.
In spite of the sadness this year, they agree tonight’s party was great.
They profess their love and share a kiss.
By the door, Jack texts Maggie to ensure she got home safe.
Jennifer tells him the kids are all in bed. Eli too. He’s exhausted. Jack gets frisky and wants sex. Jennifer says, “Jack, in a house full of people?”
He says he can be quiet. She asks, “Since when?” He’s ready to show her his stealth moves but JJ calls from Johannesburg.
Later, Gwen looks at Xander’s ornament. At least someone will have a Merry Christmas.
Sarah and Xander get ready for bed back at the Cockroach Inn and Sarah is obviously not in a good mood.
He has a gift for her. She asks if it’s the one Gwen helped pick out for her. “What?”
He asks. She says Thomas told her he overheard Gwen tell someone he owed her one. Xander lies that he ran into her in the square and saw he was clueless and helped her.
She opens the gift, a sexy nightie. She doesn’t seem convinced that this is what they chose together.
Back at the Horton house, Chad talks to Abigail at the tree about the kids when Abby appears to him.
“You’re here.” She says she always is there. A little thing like death can’t come between a love like theirs. He misses her.
She misses him too. She tells him to be strong for him.
There’s so much joy for him to feel. She’ll be there through it all.
“Look for me in their faces.”
They say Merry Christmas and she disappears.
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