With Jude’s Paternity In Hand, Stefan Backs EJ Into a Corner — and Alex Tries Making Peace with Brady

Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale.

In today’s Days of Our Lives, Eric is tidying up in the Kiriakis living room after the wedding when Tate bursts in wanting to know if the news of Konstantin killing great-granddad and holding Theresa hostage was true. He wants to see his mom, but Brady says she has company. She’s up with Alex.

“Oh. I’m guessing that you’re… not OK with this?” Brady says that Theresa made a choice between them and Tate realizes that’s why his dad never came home the night before. “Oh my God!”

Tate wants to know why Brady is still there, then. He’s cleaning up: “Sometimes you have to clean up your own messes.” But then Tate points out a few times how awkward it is with Theresa upstairs with Alex and Brady finally agrees and runs out. Tate’s about to join when Holly comes in.

Upstairs, Alex comes out of the bathroom in a towel and checks on how Theresa is doing. He starts kissing the places she says hurts, and it’s not long for the towel to drop. They cuddle in bed after some love making and talk about how scared she was with Konstantin — until Alex came and rescued her. (Forget Xander, he just wanted Kon dead.)

Alex, though, wonders what Kon meant by Theresa being a “thorn in his side” ever since he got to town. She plays dumb. “The guy was unhinged. I just don’t think he liked me.” Alex still isn’t sure, so she says something about standing up to him — but she’s hungry, they should eat.

Paulina, meanwhile, is back on the internet looking at the Concerned Citizens of Salem page, “Oh, get a life, all of you.” Abe comes in with wine, telling her to let it go, but Paulina says she’s writing an op-ed for The Spectator. She wraps it up, sends it off, and Abe says he’s proud of her… but maybe it’s time for her to take the night off to relax.

He hands her a glass of the good wine — their wedding anniversary is tomorrow. Paulina apologizes for forgetting, but Abe laughs it off and says it’s time to ignore the world and enjoy each other. They go through their wedding album again, though things sour when Paulina mentions the day ending with Lani turning herself in for shooting TR.

Tomorrow, though, it’s not just their anniversary or Juneteenth, Paulina’s planning Johnny and Chanel’s going away party.

More: Days just turned everything around

Nicole’s working late over at the paper with Jude next to her, then apologies when Eric comes in. She wouldn’t have brought the baby if she’d known Eric would be working late too, but he smiles and says it’s fine. He coos over the baby a bit, then admits he needs to get a posting in the paper by tomorrow morning. He needs to get rid of Sloan.

He and Nicole walk through the “publication divorce” in the paper and him hiring EJ as his lawyer. They start working on the post. Eric forwards the template EJ gave him, but Nicole thinks they should make it more fun and less formal. She adds some “pizazz” buy Eric tries to stop her. “You can’t write that for the newspaper!”

“Dear, you miserable, lying slut…”

EJ bursts into the living room back at the DiMera mansion, demanding a talk with Stefan, and to find out if he was in on Kristen stealing the CEO position. Stefan gleefully toys with his brother, envelope in hand before passing it over, “I think this belongs to you.”

EJ has no clue what’s going on, or what’s in the envelope. “These are DNA results, and they say that you are not the father of Nicole’s baby. Which must mean that Eric Brady is.” EJ snatches the envelope out of Stefan’s hands and admits he forgot the DNA test was even in there when Stefan laughs at him for keeping it in the safe.

He never even looked at it. Stefan finds all that plausible, but points out that EJ wasn’t the least bit surprised about the “news” Jude isn’t his father. EJ shrugs it off saying it’s all completely fabricated, but when Stefan offers to set up a new DNA test, EJ snatches his phone away. Stefan points out Nicole would leave him for Eric in a heartbeat if she knew.

More: Mary Beth Evans celebrates Stephen Nichols

“Shut your damn mouth,” EJ snaps. Stefan will. For a price. Stefan wants Gabi out of prison. EJ’s not the DA anymore, he points out. “So get the job back,” Stefan says. He’s got nothing better to do and he should be highly motivated, Stefan points out. EJ’s already started a recall campaign against Paulina. Once she’s gone, he’ll run for mayor and appoint a DA who will do what Stefan wants.

That’s not good enough for Stefan who wants Gabi out now, but as EJ starts yelling at him, Nicole arrives with Jude and stops the fight. EJ runs out on an “important errand,” leaving a ticked Nicole to stare down Stefan: “What was that all about?”

Brady runs into Alex at the Brady Pub, surprised to see he’s not with Theresa. He’s about to slink off when Alex stops him and says they should clear the air. They talk about how Theresa used Brady to make Alex jealous. Alex admits it was his fault for doing the same with Kristen, but he knows he wants to be with Theresa. Is Brady OK with that?

Sure… Brady admits. He and Theresa never work, so maybe Alex saved him from more disappointment. Alex thanks him and leaves, just as Eric walks in, asking about Konstantin and his confessing to killing Victor. But when he asks about Theresa… “Don’t worry about your cousin. If there’s anyone who’s good at getting out of sticky situations and landing on her feet, it’s Theresa.”

Holly and Tate make some small talk, then note that the Prom is tomorrow. Holly’s grounded and Tate’s parents are chaperoning, so she doesn’t have much hope, but he’s got a plan to be together. They’re about to kiss when Theresa comes downstairs and wonders what’s going on. She flips out at Tate, but they didn’t do anything. Holly came to check on Maggie, Tate came to see his mom, but Theresa won’t stop yelling, so Holly leaves.

More: Preview — Jack is back and it’s prom time!

But when Theresa says Holly hurt him before and will again, Tate fires back, “Oh, really, the same way you hurt dad?!” Theresa’s horrified that Brady told Tate what happened and says she feels horrible, and Tate tells her to shut up. She never cares about anyone. “Go! Go hang out with your little stupid boyfriend or whatever.” He storms out.

In the show’s final moments, Holly and Tate hold hands as they walk through the Horton Square. They stop and kiss, but Tate’s still worried about who might see them. He apologizes for his mom, but nothing will keep them apart. She then asks what his plan for the prom is.

Back in the Kiriakis mansion, Theresa flashes back to her night with Brady, shaking it off as Alex gets back home. He asks why she’s distracted and she tells him about her fight with Tate, but it’s “nothing for you to worry about.”

In the pub, Brady checks in on how Eric is holding up and wants to be sure Eric is OK working with Nicole at The Spectator.

Stefan closes the safe as Nicole asks where her husband ran off to. He isn’t sure, but it probably has something to do with the news about Kristen getting the CEO position. Abe and Paulina are about to have one last glass before bed when someone knocks at the door. It’s EJ. He’ll have the petition withdrawn — but he wants something in return.