At Il Giardino, Deacon tried to work before opening but was distracted by the ten-toe mystery at the crematorium. Hollis asked if Deacon was okay after the memorial the previous day. "No. I'm not all right, Hollis. I'm not all right at all," Deacon uttered, staring in deep thought. Hollis stated that it was hard to believe that Sheila was really gone. "You're telling me," Deacon replied.
Hollis strode off, and Deacon flashed back to Sheila saying she took faking her death seriously and explaining how she'd faked her death with the detached toe. He shivered, and muttering to himself, he said that if he'd seen ten toes, it couldn't have been Sheila.
At the cliff house, Steffy handed Finn coffee and noted that they hadn't spoken about the memorial because he'd worked late that previous night. She was glad to hear that he'd gotten closure, and it was finally over. He called her amazing.
Steffy remarked that she'd heard Hope had also been at the memorial. Affirming it, Finn said it had been a simple ceremony, but eye-opening. He hadn't realized how much Deacon had cared for Sheila, and Finn acknowledged Deacon's difficulty in accepting that Sheila was gone.
Steffy didn't have a lot of sympathy for Deacon, who'd harbored Sheila. Steffy acknowledged that it had been rough on them all. Finn thanked Steffy for giving him the space to grieve and to acknowledge what he'd lost. Steffy stated that she'd always support her husband, and Sheila wouldn't get between them in life or death.
Finn thanked Steffy for her patience and understanding, and Steffy said they'd proven themselves again. Finn wished they didn't have to keep doing that. Steffy and Finn agreed that they could put Sheila behind them and move on.
Just then, Deacon called, frantic. He needed to talk to Finn about Sheila. Finn agreed to be at the restaurant as soon as he could. Steffy rolled her eyes when Finn told her where he was going. He insisted that it was fine and might be the last time they'd ever talk about Sheila.
Finn left, and Steffy paced, thinking of when Sheila had shot her.
Back at Il Giardino, Deacon poured himself a drink. "It can't be. It can't be," he murmured. Finn arrived and found Deacon in a disconcerted state. Finn said it was normal, and it had been an emotional time. Finn needed to put it behind him and said he couldn't keep burdening his wife with memories about Sheila. Finn asked to hear what Deacon had to say, so Finn could put Sheila in the past. Finn added that Deacon needed to let it go, too.
Finn said that Deacon had done all he could and had given Sheila a good send-off. Finn stated that it was over, and Sheila was dead. "What if the person I saw being cremated wasn't Sheila?" Deacon asked.
In Eric's office, Hope met with her team. R.J. asked how the memorial had gone. Hope said she'd been there to support her dad the previous day, and it had been hard for Deacon. Zende replied that the good thing was that Sheila was no longer a threat.
Hope figured they'd all heard that Thomas had relocated to Paris for the time being because Hope hadn't accepted his marriage proposal again. She didn't know what it meant for her personally and professionally, but she was counting on her team to step up. Zende remarked that Thomas had designed, but Hope was the heart of the line.
Hope stated that she'd need help designing a new collection. She claimed that HFTF was the company's youngest line, and her team was the youngest generation at the business. She was excited about what they could achieve, but everyone had to step up.
Luna, Zende, and R.J. responded enthusiastically. Hope added that after Luna had impressed everyone with her work on Eric's line, Hope wanted to give Luna more responsibility. Hope didn't see it as a setback. She saw it as a chance to try something new, and she envisioned Luna working closely with Zende. Zende cut his gaze to Luna, and she gulped.
Hope shared that she appreciated Luna's work with R.J. on Eric's line, but HFTF operated a little differently from Couture. Zende stated that Couture was about making an entrance, while HFTF was about making an impact. Hope claimed that Zende had his finger on the pulse of the collection, Zende knew what made it work, and his designs were important to their success. Hope was looking forward to what R.J. could bring to the table but thought Zende had the experience to take over for Thomas.
Zende thanked Hope for the opportunity, and she was sure he'd make the most of it. Hope didn't know how things would go because a lot of things were up in the air with her life, but she felt that HFTF was in good hands. She was sure they'd bring out the best in each other. She advised Luna to stick close to Zende, who'd learned from the best. Hope was sure Zende had plenty of secrets to share. Luna flashed back to moments between her and Zende.
Later, Hope and R.J. were alone, and she hoped he understood why she wanted Luna to work with Zende. Hope said R.J. would work with Luna, too, but the time with Zende would be good for Luna. R.J. nodded.
In the design office, Luna was alone with Zende. He said he hadn't known Hope would have them work closely together. Luna said it was complicated because of that night, but he reminded her that they couldn't let it interfere with work. Keeping the secret was killing Luna, and working together would make it harder. Luna didn't think she could keep lying to R.J. or work every day with the secret inside. She asserted that she couldn't do it, and R.J. deserved the truth.
