Just when it looked like Abe and Paulina had finally found stability again on Days of Our Lives, Salem delivered one of its biggest emotional shocks in years. Lexie is alive — and suddenly Abe’s entire life has been turned upside down.
Monday’s episode picked up moments after Lexie stunned the entire DiMera family by stumbling out of the secret tunnels beneath the mansion during Stefano’s will reading. But while the cliffhanger itself was huge, the real emotional fallout started once everyone arrived at the hospital.
By the end of the May 11th episode of DOOL, Abe was sitting beside Lexie’s hospital bed holding her hand while trying to process the impossible. Then Lexie woke up, looked directly at him, and softly told him she loved him. Abe immediately said it back.
Meanwhile, Paulina stood frozen in the doorway hearing every word.
Honestly, it’s hard not to wonder if that moment just changed everything for Abe and Paulina’s marriage.
Paulina Is Already Keeping a Massive Secret
The situation is even messier because Abe still has no idea Paulina already knew about Lexie before Monday’s shocking reveal.
During the episode, Paulina admitted to Theo that she had known the truth for weeks after Theo discovered EJ and Dr. Rolf were secretly keeping Lexie alive beneath the DiMera mansion. Theo kept the secret to protect his mother, and Paulina ultimately became part of it too.
That alone feels like a disaster waiting to happen.
Abe spent years grieving Lexie and believing she was gone forever. Now he may soon learn that both Theo and Paulina knew something was happening behind his back while he remained completely in the dark. Even if Paulina believed she was doing the right thing, Abe may not see it that way once the shock settles.
And knowing Days, that reveal probably won’t stay buried for very long.
Abe and Lexie Still Share a Powerful History
One thing Monday’s episode made very clear is that Lexie’s return is not something Abe can emotionally separate himself from overnight.
This was not just another Salem resurrection involving an ex from years ago. Lexie was Abe’s wife. They built a family together. They survived years of DiMera chaos, heartbreak, and tragedy together before her devastating death back in 2012.
That history does not simply disappear because Abe eventually moved on with Paulina.
The hospital scenes carried a lot of emotional weight because Abe looked completely overwhelmed sitting beside Lexie again after believing for years he would never see her alive. And once Lexie recognized him immediately and said his name, the situation became even more complicated.
Paulina clearly recognized that too.
Paulina May Already Feel Herself Losing Abe
What made the final scenes so uncomfortable was how isolated Paulina suddenly seemed from Abe’s world.
While Abe focused entirely on Lexie, Paulina was left standing outside the room watching the reunion happen from a distance. Even though she encouraged Abe to go be with Lexie earlier in the episode, you could already see the heartbreak written all over her face once she heard Abe tell Lexie he loved her too.
And honestly, it’s hard to blame her.
No matter how understanding Paulina tries to be, this situation puts her in an almost impossible position. Lexie is not just somebody from Abe’s past. She is the woman he mourned for years and never truly expected to see again.
That changes everything emotionally whether anyone wants it to or not.
The Fallout May Only Be Beginning
The spoilers for this week already hint that Salem is only starting to deal with the fallout from Lexie’s return.
Abe appears emotional and protective around Lexie while the people around them continue struggling to process what EJ and Dr. Rolf actually did. Meanwhile, Kristen warned that bringing Lexie back would only cause pain for the people who loved her.
Right now, that warning already feels incredibly accurate.
Because even though Lexie’s return is being treated as a miracle, it may also completely unravel the life Abe built after losing her. And if Abe eventually learns Paulina knew the truth before he did, their marriage may not survive the damage that follows.
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