From: Marni Centor <marni@panix.com>

GUIDING LIGHT UPDATE -- THURSDAY, MAY 22, 1997

                HELLO AND GOOD-BYE

Highlights:
* Vanessa agonizes over whether to call Matt.
* Matt has a blind date, while Bridget & Nola kibitz.
* Annie feeds Marah & Shayne's anxiety about Reva. 
* Reva has a difficult good-bye with her kids.
* Alan & Amanda spar; Amanda senses Alan's feelings for Annie.
* Annie takes Alan on an outing. 

SWISS CONVENT: A nun brings Vanessa fresh water & notes that she looks 
troubled. Van says her mind is all jumbled up. She needs guidance. The 
nun offers to listen. Van tells her about taking her death to spare her 
husband. Now, she wants to tell him that she's alive, but she's afraid 
that it would make him suffer more. Or maybe it would be the best thing 
she could do for him.

DINER: Matt's sitting in a booth when 2 women I don't recognize surprise 
him. Oops, that's Bridget & Nola -- it's been so long, I almost forgot! 
They're picking up baked goods for Company. Matt says he's meeting a 
friend & she's late. He insists that it's not a date. The girls don't 
give him too hard a time, and make themselves scarce. An attractive 
young woman with short hair & a deep voice introduces herself to Matt as 
Sandra. He immediately apologizes for not showing up the last time.

LEWIS HOUSE: On the phone, Josh tells Billy how he almost got Annie to 
crack when he told her he was hiring a private investigator to find the 
fetal remains. After stopping by the hospital, he became sure that Annie 
was responsible for their disappearance. He asks if Billy has had any 
luck tracking down Fran, then rings off when he hears Annie coming with 
the kids. 

The kids pout about having to go away to Tulsa. Josh hands them each a 
slip of paper with his pager number so they can call him anytime. Shayne 
asks why Annie can't come with them. Marah answers that Annie has to 
stay for the trial. "To see if they put Mama in jail." Josh shoots Annie 
a look. 

Marah says all the kids at school are talking about it. She heard her 
mama could even go to the electric chair. Annie says that's nonsense; 
even murderers like Charles Manson... Josh cuts her off & explains to 
the kids that a lot of complicated, adult things are going on. When they 
say good-bye to their mama, they should be thinking about how they feel 
about her in their hearts & give them lots of hugs & kisses. 

Josh says he has an appointment & has to leave. He reminds Annie that 
Reva & Rusty will be coming by to pick up the kids later. Annie says she 
has a PTA meeting, so she won't be around & Reva is free to spend as 
much time with the kids as she likes. Annie adds that she might not be 
home for dinner. Josh tells the kids he loves them & takes off.

Annie gathers the kids to her & promises them they will have a wonderful 
time with their uncle. And they shouldn't pay any mind to what the kids 
at school might say. "Because it's not true?" asks Marah. Annie wavers & 
says it's all very confusing adult stuff. Sometimes good people do bad 
things & it's up to the judge to decide if Reva really meant to hurt 
her. "Did she?" asks Shayne. Annie sidesteps this & goes to answer the 
door. It's Rusty & Reva, and they don't have much to say to Annie.

CONVENT: Vanessa knows she was wrong to lie to her husband. Maybe she's 
experiencing divine retribution & is meant to stay away from Matt. The 
nun says God knows what was in Van's heart & knows her motives were 
pure. It's a wonderful thing to spare other people pain, and Van's only 
mistake was in believing her life was over. Van asks what she should do. 
The nun advises her to pray, and search her heart for the answer. 

Van looks at the telephone. She imagines a reunion with Matt where he 
has come to get her after hearing from her. He is thrilled to have this 
second chance with her. Van says it feels like a dream. "It doesn't have 
to be," answers Matt. Van tells herself this is true.

DINER: Matt & Sandra share some coffee & information about themselves. 
Sandra is the new station manager at WSPR. He asks what it's like to 
work for Dinah. Sandra says it's very interesting. Matt offers to get 
them some lunch, if she has time. Sandra's up for it, but assures Matt 
that there's no pressure; it's just lunch. They joke around a little.

Over in another booth, out of sight, Jet & Nola have been watching. Jet 
wants to go over, but Nola says Matt is doing fine. Jet scoots into the 
booth next to her brother & introduces herself as the proprietress of 
Company. She mentions her 4-year-old son & gets Sandra to admit that she 
likes kids. Matt says Eleni is coming out with Jet's pies & shoves her 
out of the booth. Sandra laughs & guesses that Jet is either Matt's ex 
or his sister. Matt laughs.

LEWIS HOUSE: Annie tells Reva that Josh has already left for work. Reva 
appreciates Annie letting her come over to say good-bye to the kids. 
Annie is  condescendingly empathetic to Reva's fear of losing her kids 
now that she's lost a child of her own. She mentions that she & Josh 
have tried to explain to the kids what's going on. Reva is wary, and 
tired of chit-chatting. She'd like a few moments alone with her kids. 
Annie mentions her PTA meeting & says she's a little concerned about 
leaving Reva alone with the kids. Reva reminds Annie whose kids they are 
& Annie gets all snotty, saying the only reason she agreed to this at 
all is because Rusty is a police officer. Reva says nothing & goes in to 
see the kids. 

Reva tries to make the kids feel better about going to Tulsa. She tells 
them it's near Cross Creek & they might be able to ride on an ostrich. 
Shayne is not appeased & runs out of the room. Annie smiles evilly.

SPAULDING MANSION: Alan is surprised to see Amanda at home; he thought 
she'd be at the office making more trouble for the family. He sees 
everything she's doing as payback for the way he treated her when she 
thought he was her father. Amanda pours coffee & says she's still 
considering her options. Alan hopes she gives more thought to them than 
to her bed partners. Amanda retorts that Roger is not her bed partner & 
Alan asks if that means she's never been to bed with him. She rightly 
tells him it's none of his business. Alan insists that Roger is using 
Amanda to further his own ends, & the Spaulding family is going to pay. 
Amanda says she's not Holly; she's no emotional cripple being 
manipulated by Roger. They are equals. "Until he gets what he wants," 
says Alan. "Until I decide otherwise," replies Amanda. 

Alan senses that there have already been serious changes in the Roganda 
partnership--she's not wearing her engagement ring. Amanda doesn't 
comment.

LEWIS HOUSE: Reva starts to go after Shayne, but Annie says she'll talk 
to him. Reva wants to know what Annie said to him to make him so upset. 
Annie claims she said nothing inappropriate; it's the situation. She 
says the kids have heard things about Reva in the playground. Annie 
tells Reva how confusing this whole thing has been for the kids. Reva 
says Annie is the sickest, most twisted person she knows & she'd rather 
die than let her children stay with her. "How do you sleep at night?" 
she wonders. "Quite well, thank you. Right next to Josh," Annie sneers. 
Rusty intervenes & reminds Annie that she was going to talk to Shayne. 

After Annie leaves, Reva blows up at Rusty for siding with Annie. He 
explains that he would never do that; but Annie was baiting Reva & Reva 
was biting. He was just trying to defuse things before Reva made a bad 
situation worse. Reva calls Annie "the devil in disguise." Rusty says 
they will make her pay for what she's done, but they shouldn't let the 
kids see them argue. 

Annie returns with Shayne & says she's going to give the kids some 
private time with their mama. She tells them she loves them & when they 
get back they will be a family again & no one will tear them apart. She 
blows them kisses & leaves. Reva hugs Rusty.

CONVENT: Van moans about how unfair her life is. She wants to be the 
woman that she was. That's what Matt deserves. She tosses his picture 
onto the floor, then pushes herself out of bed & stands. Tentatively, 
she puts one foot forward. Slowly, she makes her way toward the photo, 
then falls. At the noise, Michael comes rushing in & asks if she's hurt. 
She says no. She's happy because she took three whole steps.

On the floor, Vanessa's joy turns to tears. Michael helps her up & back 
to bed. She says she's OK. She tells Michael about admitting the truth 
about how she deceived her husband to "Robert" over the Internet, and 
how Robert's reaction really upset her. Michael points out that Robert 
is probably resentful because he lost his wife & Van could be with her 
husband, but chooses not to be. Van says Robert said she should call her 
husband & tell him she's alive. Michael says Van shouldn't do something 
just because some guy on the Internet tells her to.

DINER: As they pack up bakery boxes with Eleni, Nola warns Jet that her 
behavior is likely to drive Matt away from getting together with his 
date. She thinks they should just let it happen naturally. Jet says she 
won't even look. They both peer over their shoulders toward Matt.

Over in the booth, Matt apologizes for Jet's "inquisition." Sandra says 
she got to hear Matt's laugh. She thinks it's wonderful. She asks Matt 
about himself. Matt says he moved around a lot & calls himself a 
"garden-variety carpenter" until he got drafted by Lewis Construction. 
He tells her animatedly about the children's wing he's working on for 
Cedars. He mentions that he's making it the way Vanessa would have 
wanted it, & explains that Van is his late wife. Sandra says it's almost 
as if Matt were talking to Vanessa just now instead of her.

LEWIS HOUSE: Reva asks Shayne if he's afraid of her. Marah says she's 
not. Reva asks if she's sure. Marah knows Reva would never hurt anyone. 
Reva brings the kids close by her. She doesn't know what Annie already 
told them. Marah says Annie told them to remember the good things Reva 
had done, and that it was up to the police & judge to decide if Reva 
would go to jail. "Or of they should `lectrocute you," adds Shayne. 
Marah says Annie didn't say that. "No, you did, stupid," replies Shayne. 
Rusty pulls Reva aside & suggests that maybe he should just take the 
kids & go. Reva doesn't want them to go feeling the way they do.

Josh enters & Reva is glad to see him. He didn't want her to go through 
this alone. 

SPAULDING MANSION: Amanda says she & Roger decided to put their 
engagement on hold for the time being. Alan wonders why Roger spent so 
much time with Holly at the hearing today. Amanda says she & Roger don't 
have a conventional relationship. She admits that Roger isn't perfect. 
But she's a Spaulding & she craves a "challenging" relationship. Isn't 
that why Alan is fascinated with Reva? She's still piqued that Reva 
ruined her party. Alan says he did not act out of revenge. Amanda 
guesses it must have been Annie, then. She warns Alan that if he's 
helping Annie frame Reva for murder, then he's getting into dangerous 
territory. Alan starts to deny this, but they're interrupted by Annie.

Alan asks Annie where they're going. Annie won't tell him & drags him 
out the door. "Gotcha," smiles Amanda after them.

LEWIS HOUSE: Josh gives Shayne a big hug & asks the kids if they've said 
good-bye to Reva yet. He reminds them that the most important thing is 
to remember how they feel about people in their heart. He asks why they 
look so sad when they're going on a great trip. Reva chimes in that 
she's jealous that she can't go to Tulsa too. Reva says it's where she 
was born. Josh adds that it's where he & Reva first met. And Rusty will 
show them all the cool places, like the Space Museum. Shayne starts to 
cheer up, but Marah is not so easily distracted. She asks why they're 
talking like Reva won't be there when they get back.

Josh says Reva will definitely be there when they get back. She adds 
that there's nothing she'd like more than to spend the summer with them 
in the treehouse they're going to build. Marah is still upset. Reva says 
Marah can tell her anything. Marah says it's about Annie.

DINER: Matt & Sandra wrap things up. He hopes he didn't make her 
uncomfortable by talking about Vanessa. Sandra is sorry she never met 
Van. Matt thanks Sandra for being so non-pressure-y about the whole 
dating thing. She tells him to hang onto her number until he feels 
ready. He promises. They kiss on the cheek & Sandra says Dinah has good 
taste. Matt agrees. Sandra waves good-bye to Nola & Bridget before 
leaving with Matt.

CONVENT: Michael says it's one thing for Van to chat with people on the 
Internet, but it's another thing to start taking advice from a total 
stranger. Van says Robert isn't a stranger. Michael makes her realize 
that she doesn't really know anything about Robert. He thinks following 
Robert's advice is like playing Russian Roulette with her future. The 
decision has to be Vanessa's. Van says she's afraid; she could slip back 
& be paralyzed again. Michael says she could also recover completely. 
Only she knows the right thing to do. Van knows this is true.

LAUREL FALLS: Annie drags Alan through the woods. He asks what she's up 
to. She tells him to close his eyes. He thinks it seems silly. Annie 
asks if he's afraid of her.

LEWIS HOUSE: Reva asks if Annie said something to Marah about her. Marah 
says no. Reva encourages Marah to tell her what's bothering her. Marah 
looks into Reva's eyes & sees that Reva loves her. Reva wants Marah to 
be able to tell her anything. Finally, Marah asks if Reva pushed Annie 
down the stairs & killed Annie & Josh's baby.

REARDON HOUSE: The phone is ringing as Matt gets home. He answers & we 
can see via split screen that Vanessa is calling. But when he asks who's 
there, no one answers. Van holds the phone with tears in her eyes as the 
screen fades to black.


--Marni (marni@panix.com)



