The Young and the Restless Recap Dec 31: Cane and Lily kiss, Daniel and Tessa make love
In The Young and the Restless recap for Wednesday, December 31st, 2025, Tessa and Daniel make love, Kyle turns to Victoria for help with Victor, Adam and Sally celebrate New Year’s together, and Lily and Cane kiss.
The Young and the Restless Recap
At Society, Adam and Sally ran into one another. Chelsea was home with the flu, and Billy’s flight back from a short-notice business trip in Chicago was delayed. Adam suggested they sit down and eat the meals they had ordered for takeout.
Sally agreed, but they had a pact not to discuss work or Victor. Soon, they were reminiscing about a New Year’s Eve in their past. Adam said that he and Chelsea were doing well on the ranch and that Connor was doing well. But then he took a shot at Billy, and Sally’s mood changed.
Adam said that Billy would always ruin things for himself, despite her loving him. Adam just didn’t want Sally to get hurt. He could tell by her reaction that Sally was worried about the same thing.
Sally pointed out it was almost midnight, and wondered if Adam needed to get home. Adam said Chelsea was sleeping, and Connor would be deep into a video game.
They talked about resolutions, and Adam asked what Sally wanted for herself in 2026. They took a moment to do the countdown and clinked glasses as they cheered in the new year. Back to the resolutions, Sally just wanted to be the best she could be, and Adam had the same wish.
Adam wanted to be the best partner and father he could be. “From what I can see, so far so good,” Sally told him. Adam said he also hoped that they could get to the point of being friends. Sally thought it might happen.
At the GCAC, Kyle wandered through the dining room while on a phone call with someone at the office. When he was done, Victoria walked in. She said that she was alone as Nate was spending the evening with Amy. Kyle agreed it wasn’t how he planned to spend New Year’s Eve, either, but he was content with his decision to stop waiting for Claire.
Kyle let Victoria know he had had enough of Victor’s control over everyone’s lives and the attacks he was making on his family. Kyle suggested Victoria appeal to Victor to back off; she said it wouldn’t make a difference.
Victoria mused that Jack must have discussed it with her mother and Kyle admitted they were waiting to hear back from her on any headway she’d made. Kyle credited Nikki for being willing to stand her ground with Victor. “So I have to ask, with her as an example, why do you fall in line with him?” Kyle asked.
Victoria noted that Kyle doesn’t know the Newmans as well as he thinks. Kyle conceded that Victoria was the most independent and had defied her father, but asked if she’d ever wondered what life would be like without Victor.
Kyle reminded Victoria of the time that she, Abby, and Nick sued Victor and suggested they band together against Victor again for the sake of the Abbotts. Kyle told Victoria that her father wasn’t a god. Victoria pointed out that the urge to win had caused Jack to keep the war going as well.
Kyle tried to get Victoria to at least tell Nikki that she agreed to help the Abbotts. He said if Victoria stood up to her dad, it would mean something about her character.
Victoria said that Newman would flourish without the addition of Jabot. She said she’d told Victor that many times, and it didn’t make a difference. Despite that, she said she’d try again. Kyle appreciated it, and just then the New Year countdown began.
On the Crimson Lights patio, Tessa and Daniel practiced playing the guitar together. Daniel offered to take a break so they could talk about Tessa’s life instead, but she said he didn’t always need to help her.
Tessa ended up telling Daniel that Mariah had left the facility and wasn’t getting treatment. She found out by spotting her location on the family app. Tessa called Mariah and left a message saying happy holidays, and didn’t hear back. After a second message, Mariah responded, saying she’d checked out.
Mariah had originally been heading west, but when Tessa last looked, she was heading south, away from them. Tessa had no idea when or if she would hear from her again. “I don’t matter to her anymore,” Tessa decided.
Daniel told Tessa that she mattered to him and he was sitting right there, willing to do whatever she needed. “I need to feel loved,” Tessa said. Daniel leaned in, and they kissed. Daniel and Tessa went up to his room and kissed their way into his bed.
Cane was hanging out alone on his train when Lily showed up. He told her it was a great surprise, and there was no one else he’d rather be with. Lily told Cane that she was there to make things clear: if he’d gotten false hope the night of the launch, she wanted to correct that.
Cane couldn’t believe that Lily would come over late at night on New Year’s Eve to tell him something she could’ve sent by text. Lily told him he was still a liar who got a rush from power.
Cane argued that Lily was letting him in, and they had a great time, and he wondered why she pulled back. Lily called Cane insidious and said how smoothly he lied.
Lily blasted Cane for kissing Phyllis and said she made her feel stupid for considering anything with him. Cane tried to swear to Lily she had it all wrong, but Lily said she wasn’t going to let him play her ever again.
Cane realized Lily had to have been on his train to have seen him and Phyllis. He asked if Lily showed up unannounced and then just left right away. He claimed to have put a stop to it right away, and she missed it.
Lily ranted about how she’d talked to Traci and thought they could have had something. Cane said that maybe Traci was right: Lily would look for any excuse not to take a risk. Cane told her that they could have had something amazing because he would never do anything to lose her again.
“Maybe Phyllis isn’t as smart as she thinks she is, because if she were, she would know that I will only ever love one woman: You,” Cane said intently.
Cane said he was thinking back to the New Year’s Eve many years ago when he pushed her away but then decided their connection was unavoidable. Lily remembered but claimed she didn’t want to.
Lily said again that she wanted Cane to stay away. Cane didn’t believe her because she showed up to tell him. “You want me as much as I want you. So why don’t you just admit it?” Cane asked.
Cane said that he knew Lily hated that she still thought about him, talked about him, and how he’d let her down. He listed off the things that she hated and what he loved about her. He told her to stop pretending she didn’t want to be with him. “Lily, I love you more than anything in the entire world, so will you please let me love you?” he asked as he cradled her face in his hands, leaned in, and kissed her.