Although many viewers of The Young and the Restless have been keeping their eye on Phyllis (Michelle Stafford) and Danny (Michael Damian) to see what may or may not come of their budding new friendship, the exes’ son deserves some attention of his own while Lily (Christel Khalil) is out of town.
When Lily left Genoa City in the episode airing on December 7, she was taking an emergency trip to see her daughter Mattie (Lexie Stevenson) after a fire broke out near her school. In the subsequent episodes, it was mentioned that Lily would be staying away for a while to ensure Mattie was okay. (In real life, Khalil is on maternity leave.) However, in her absence, Lily’s relationship with Daniel (Michael Graziadei) may be headed toward some turbulence.
It’s no secret to viewers that since Heather (Vail Bloom) returned to Genoa City, she’s developed a crush on Daniel. She’s admired how he’s turned his life around and has become a real role model for their daughter. Anytime Daniel, Heather and Lucy (Lily Brooks O'Briant) are in a room, Heather develops a twinkle in her eyes that looks as if she longs for the chance to be a family with Daniel again — that is if Lily was not in the way.
But once more, Lily is temporarily gone, leaving a window of opportunity for Heather to rekindle things with Daniel. So will Heather take it? Perhaps.
Since Lily’s departure, Heather has already found herself spending some moments with Daniel in some uninterrupted family time. Abby (Melissa Ordway) even caught one of these moments while watching from a safe distance. The Newman heiress was noticeably bothered by what she saw but remained tight-lipped.
Plus, although Phyllis has vowed not to interfere in Daniel’s love life, she has not been subtle about being a fan of Heather and Daniel. If Heather were to make a play for Daniel, we believe Phyllis would be Heather’s biggest advocate.
With all of that being said, it seems almost inevitable that Heather and Daniel will soon find themselves in a close moment without Lucy around. Should this happen, we can imagine Heather confessing her feelings and kissing Daniel, catching him off guard. Daniel may initially fight his feelings, but ultimately, he may give in.
Then in the throws of passion, Lily could pop back on the scene in a surprise return to catch Heather and Daniel in a cheating scandal. Viewers should recall that Lily has a key to Daniel’s place, so her catching her boyfriend and his ex in the act is certainly possible.
As the new year kicks off on The Young and the Restless, this blossoming love triangle is one we’ll be paying attention to.
The Young and The Restless episodes air on weekdays on CBS. Episodes can also be streamed on Paramount Plus.
