Love Conquers All:
Daytime's Greatest Couples Always Beat The Odds
Keeping romance alive in real life is hard enough, but on soaps, it's practically impossible. Just look at ALL MY CHILDREN's Noah and Julia, who spent what should have been their wedding night on opposite sides of a jail cell. Then there's YOUNG AND RESTLESS's Nick and Sharon. They're only in their first year of college, but they've already earned Ph.D.s from the school of Heart Knocks. And as DAYS OF OUR LIVES's Bo and Hope can tell you, even the most faithful husbands will stray if their amnesiac wives stay in Stefano's attic for too long. But nowhere does love triumph like it does on daytime. Read on, and you'll meet 10 couples who are still together, despite kidnappings, plane crashes, prison terms and, yes, death. Isn't that romantic?
Romance: Lucy and Alan-Michael spend their time doing "little" things, like swinging in the park, dancing on desks at Spaulding, eating burgers at Wheels & Meals. Their life together is a series of small, tender moments that prove they really, truly don't need the Spaulding millions to be happy.
Fidelity: So far, so good. Once he put Eleni and Tangie behind him, Alan-Michael committed himself to Lucy, and his eye hasn't wandered yet. And suffice it to say that Lucy's definitely gotten over her last boyfriend, Brent.
Problem Management: Improving. When they first met, the lovebirds couldn't even look at each other without arguing. Over the last year, though, they overcame more obstacles than any other couple in Springfield (okay, not Reva and Josh), and in the process, learned to face things more calmly and rationally.
Communication: Good. When Brent raped Lucy, Alan-Michael was the first person she told. Later, when she falsely tested positive for HIV, Alan-Michael hugged her tightly and said, "I'm going to be with you every step of the way. Nothing has changed. I still love you. I still want to share my life with you. I will share it, wherever it takes us." But Alan-Michael loses points for casually blurting out his marriage proposal over dinner.
Prognosis For Future: Excellent. Unlike his first three wives, Lucy is marrying Alan-Michael for love, not money or American citizenship.
* First appeared in the February 27, 1996 issue of Soap Opera Digest
