Guest Author - Lynn McMonigal

The love story of Lily Montgomery and Jonathan Lavery is actually pretty sweet. OK, so to fully enjoy the story means disregarding the age difference. And that messy serial killer past Jonathan has. It is really not difficult to do--as soap opera fans, we are often expected to believe the unbelievable, and revisionist history is normal.

What makes this story special is that it is so simple, so pure. Lily has autism, which makes her a very unique daytime character. How often do we get to see someone who is disabled in any way? Certain things--like the color red and physical touch--cause her pain, and trusting is not easy. Everyone around her wants to protect her. Most, like her father, brother, and even her friend Aidan, try to protect her by not allowing her to do things that she could fail at. They tell her what she cannot do. Too often, they see the autism and not Lily.

Jonathan, on the other hand, sees Lily for who she is. He doesn't view her disorder as a limitation. "OK, so you are different. I am, too. So what?" Jonathan believes in Lily. He trusts her. He loves her.

The most touching scene in this love story came this week. Jonathan's headaches caused him to collapse at the park. Something had changed. He was back to the "old Jonathan", hopefully without the homicidal tendencies. Lily doesn't know this yet, though. She only knows that her husband is her X, comparing him to the constant variable in any equation. Her love for him came through when, upon seeing him lying in a hospital bed, she hugged him. Both Jonathan and his sister Erin, who was in the room at the time, had tears in their eyes. They understood what a huge step this was for her. No doubt many viewers did, as well.

Jonathan has opted to not tell his wife of the changes this collapse has brought on. Will this change their relationship? It is bound to. As Erin said, with something this huge it is a matter of when it comes out, not if. When it does, how will Lily be changed?