1982 (#15) - The Abbotts' warm welcome and Mary's firm opposition

At the Abbott house, preparations are now in full swing for Jack and Patty's upcoming wedding. John is proud of his son, and for the occasion decides to reunite the whole family by calling the two younger daughters, Ashley and Traci. Ashley, recently graduated from Colorado State University, is ready to stay in town to start working in the family business and one day take over as Jack is about to do now, while Traci, the youngest, is about to attend college. Both Jack and Ashley and Traci have had a strict family background and have all been influenced by John. Jack, a Harvard graduate, only broke away from his father's principles in recent years once he achieved economic independence. Much closer and similar to his father is Ashley, who promises to become a woman of integrity, while Traci, the youngest, seems to hide a rebellious soul under a sharp and intelligent mind. John is delighted to have all his children back together to celebrate the wedding of his eldest son Jack: it's a very important moment for the family. Patty, meanwhile, is over the moon and wants nothing more than to become quickly integrated into her new family. So when Jack proposes to Ashley to be her maid of honour, Patty, who has received a strong contrast from Carl and Mary about her relationship with Jack, decides to ask Jack's other sister, Traci to be her maid of honour. Patty, in fact, is not even sure of her family's participation in the wedding given their strong opposition to the wedding, but she is happy to see that among the Abbott family everyone loves her.