ESPRIT LIBRE // Press Archive

Mother's Day on OLTL (Soap Opera Digest 5/2/06)

It's a battle of wils when Tess/Jessica go into labor this week. "They mention a C-section at first, but Tess is like, 'No, no, no,' because she's afraid that when she woke up she'd come out as Jessica," previews Bree Williamson (Jessica). "For the whole birth, it's basically Tess and Jessica fighting for control because it's kind of like [they think] whoever gives birth to the baby is the one who will be the 'real' mom, the one who will have the first attatchment and moments with the baby."

But Tess has never been the personality who dealt with physical pain and illness in the Tess/Jess dynamic, so she reluctantly accepts Jessica's help to get her through labor. "Because [the birth] is difficult, she needs Jessica's help," Williamson explains. "But this baby is one of the things that gives Jessica strength because she lost her baby Megan, so Tess didn't want it to make Jessica so strong that she wouldn't be able to come out again."

The two sides of Tess/Jess consciously work together. "There are moments where Tess is even calling for Jessica in the middle of the labor to make sure she's still there helping her," Williamson smiles. "The basis of their relationship is that they need each other, and Jessica and Tess are reminded of it during the labor scenes. One can't exist without the other."

Jess/Tess deliver a healthy baby, but with the tornado on its way next week, they're not quite out of the woods just yet.