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Here is what happened on Days of our Lives, Friday, January 2, 2026, when Alex surprised Stephanie, and Leo and Javi’s wedding had a rocky start and ending.
What happened on Days of our Lives
When Steve, Alex, and Stephanie arrived at the Bistro for New Year's Eve, Kayla was already there. Kayla explained that she had taken advantage of EJ’s absence to celebrate with her family. “I have a feeling that 2026 is going to be a memorable one for you,” Kayla told Stephanie.
The two couples sat down for dinner, and Stephanie noted that she had ordered the burger on her first date with Alex. Stephanie commented on how beautiful the wedding decorations were in the square outside. “If we hang around long enough, we can crash their reception,” Steve joked. Kayla raised a glass to toast the newlyweds.
As Alex stepped away, Stephanie said, “I am just so proud to have the best parents anyone could ever ask for.”
“You are the perfect daughter after all,” Steve countered. Alex returned with a large, wrapped Christmas present. Stephanie opened the box and the several nesting boxes inside. In the smallest box was a piece of paper.
“Will you marry me?” the paper read. Alex dropped to one knee and held out a ring. “Will you marry me?” Alex asked. With tears in her eyes, Stephanie said she had not expected a proposal. “Well then, you were the only one,” Steve said. Alex explained he had asked both her parents for permission to propose.
“Your old man actually turned me down the first time I asked him,” Alex said. Stephanie gasped, and she looked at her father. “I told Alex that he had to prove himself to me and your mother and me, and he absolutely did,” Steve explained. Alex asked Stepanie for an answer. “Yes!” Stephanie said.
Steve and Kayla slipped over to the bar to give their daughter time alone with her fiancé. Kayla told Steve that he was proud of him for keeping an open mind about Alex. “I’ve got to tell you, I’m just so relieved that our baby girl has found the real deal, just like her poppa did,” Steve said. “And her momma,” Kayla countered.
At the table, Alex told Stephanie that he knew from the moment he had run into her that she was the one for him. “I didn’t know it yet that you were the one. But I sure do know that now,” Stephanie said. When Stephanie noted that it would be difficult to plan a wedding that year with all their work commitments, Alex said he was okay with a long engagement. “Not too long,” Stephanie said. Alex agreed.
In the town square, Javi admitted to Rafe that he was disappointed that Trey would be unable to attend the wedding. “I know that Leo is going to be upset when I tell him,” Javi said. Chad arrived, and out of earshot of Javi, Ari, Gabi, and Marlena admitted that Leo was not there yet. “Where the hell is he?” Rafe asked. Gabi promised to find Leo, and she tasked Rafe with making sure that Javi did not know that Leo was missing. When Javi returned to Rafe and asked how Leo had responded to the news about Trey, Rafe promised that he had “the situation handled.”
Marlena took Chad aside, and she told him about Leo’s earlier panic attack. “[He said] he didn’t feel he was worthy of Javi’s love,” Marlena said. Marlena admitted she had believed it had been normal pre-wedding jitters. Chad called Leo and left a voicemail.
Across the square, a furious Ari asked Gabi if she finally agreed with her that Leo was irredeemable. “I knew that this wedding was a disaster waiting to happen,” Ari said. As Ari turned to leave, Leo arrived. “Hope y’all didn’t start the wedding without me,” Leo said. Gabi grabbed Leo’s arm and pulled him aside to ask why he was late. Leo said he wanted to look his best for Javi.
“You didn’t think I was going to bail, did you?” Leo asked. “That’s exactly what I thought,” Ari muttered. Gabi noted that she was grateful they were wrong, and she pulled Ari away. Stunned, Leo asked Marlena if he was later than he thought. “We’re just very relieved that you’re here now,” Marlena told Leo. Leo told Marlena that her words had helped him. “I was only nervous because I loved Javi so much. And I don’t want to disappoint him or worse, hurt him,” Leo said. Leo noted that he was eager to marry Javi.
Chad said hell when he saw Gwen texting on her phone. “Leo and Javi seem like they’re a great couple, hmm?” Chad said. Gwen agreed. To Chad’s surprise, Gwen hugged Chad. Gwen said that although her history with Chad was rocky, she had been concerned about him when he had disappeared. Gwen added that she had been upset to learn about Jennifer’s plans to take Chad’s kids away from him.
“I think she’s just trying to protect them,” Chad said. “By depriving them of the one living parent they’ve got? That’s just, how dare she, so selfish,” Gwen complained. Gwen wished Chad luck with the custody case, and she said she hoped to spend more time with her niece and nephew in the future. “And I want to thank you for not telling them all the ways that they could hate me,” Gwen said. Chad noted that the kids would likely know the truth someday, but it would not be from him.
Javi greeted guests with Ari. When Javi questioned whether Ari was happy for him, she stressed that no one deserved to be happy more than her cousin. “Thanks. Because I am happier than I have ever been,” Javi said. Across the square, Leo was chatting with Marlena when he received a text from Javi about Trey being ill. “I’m sorry. I know how much you wanted them here,” Marlena said. After a deep breath, Leo noted that Trey was with them in their hearts.
“I’m much more positive these days. I have an incredible therapist. She happens to also be a dear friend,” Leo said. Marlena credited Leo with having worked to improve and change. “I’m so proud of who you are. The man you’ve become,” Marlena said.
Marlena asked everyone to take their seats, and the wedding party took their places at the front. “I would like to say how happy I am for my dear friend, Leo. Happy because he has found someone who gives him so much joy. And it gives me so much joy to see they are loving and committed to each other,” Marlena said. Marlena asked if there were any objections. Javi and Leo looked over at Gwen, and she gave them two thumbs up.
Gabi and Ari gave a reading of “Amor Eterno.” In the audience, Gwen checked her phone. Javi and Leo said their “I do’s.” Marlena asked if the attendees offered their blessings for the wedding. “We do,” everyone said. Marlena asked Javi and Leo to repeat the vows after her, and they did. After the grooms exchanged rings, Marlena said, “And may everything you’ve said here today become a living truth in all the days of your lives.”
Javi and Leo exchanged the golden coins and said in unison, “All that I have is yours. And all that you have is mine.” Marlena asked the grooms to recite their personal vows. Javi talked about how he had struggled with the loss of his daughter and with his own identity. “And then you came into my life. And you reconnected me to what really matters, helping others and making a difference,” Javi said. Javi promised that he would never let Leo down.
After a moment, Leo admitted that he had struggled to write his vows. Leo noted that a friend had made him understand why he had struggled. “It’s because words have great meaning to me. And if I couldn’t find the right ones to articulate how much I love you, and how loved I feel by you. I thought I would be failing you. And that was unbearable to me,” Leo said. Leo reminded Javi of when he had read to Javi early on in their relationship. Leo talked about a particular passage that they had connected over, and how he had memorized it.
“‘In the book that is my memory, on the first page in the chapter when I first met you, appear the words, here begins a new life.’ You are my new life, Javi. a new life surrounded by a loving family, that I never thought I would have,” Leo said. Javi joked that Leo was stuck with him, too. Marlena pronounced Leo and Javi as married. The grooms kissed, and the crowd clapped. Chad looked at Gwen, who smirked with her arms crossed.
After the ceremony, Leo and Javi signed the wedding certificate. Marlena promised to submit the form to the court to formalize the marriage when it reopened after the holiday. As Leo and Javi stepped aside to take photos, Ari admitted to Gabi that she had enjoyed the ceremony. “We should all be so lucky to find love like this,” Gabi said. Ari agreed. Gwen approached the grooms, and she congratulated them. “It means so much that you were here today,” Leo said. Javi asked Gwen if she would attend the reception. “Possibly,” Gwen said with a shrug.
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Leo suggested to Javi that they go to Small Bar after the reception. “Where we first met,” Javi said with a grin. Javi noted that they needed to find the photographer so that they could start the celebration. As Leo and Javi walked arm in arm, Dimitri stepped in front of them. “Dimitri?” Leo asked.
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