After many months of waiting, the truth on Days of Our Lives has finally come to light. Nicole has returned her rings to EJ, and Eric has decided to stay in Salem with Jude instead of leaving for Paris.

This development suggests an imminent implosion for EJ and Nicole, while a long-term reunion for Eric and Nicole seems likely.

However, there’s an elephant in the room: Arianne Zucker’s departure from the show. Her final appearance as Nicole is expected on Friday, July 26th. Zucker had previously announced her exit but mentioned that the exact episode breakdown might change. Still, ending on a Friday cliffhanger makes sense.

The big question is how the show will handle Nicole’s exit. They aren’t killing off her character, so she might be leaving town or faking her death.

Recasting Nicole seems unlikely given the ongoing lawsuit related to Zucker’s departure. This leaves questions about the future of her family.

Where will Jude, Holly, and even Eric end up? According to the production schedule, Greg Vaughan and Ashley Pidus will remain in Salem until the show’s 15,000th episode in November.

It seems improbable that Nicole would abandon Jude with Eric after recently bringing them back. Conversely, it’s equally unlikely she would take Jude away, depriving Eric of fatherhood again.

Where will Holly go? She seemed understanding of EJ but living in the DiMera Mansion is doubtful, especially now that her crush on Johnny has faded.

She could stay with Grandma Maggie to finish high school and maybe date Tate. There’s also the possibility that the family leaves town for a few weeks or months and returns without Nicole.

Alternatively, Eric and Holly might come back just for Doug’s funeral, the central plot of the 15,000th episode. We’ll be on the edge of our seats to see how this plays out.

Meanwhile, Days of Our Lives spoilers for Friday, July 5th, reveal that Jada Hunter provided Rafe Hernandez with intel on Robert “Bobby” Stein, also known as Everett Lynch.

Bobby claimed he could help solve a murder case. Rafe suspected Bobby of manipulating Jada and worried about her ex’s mental state, but Jada insisted on pursuing the lead alone.

In the Town Plaza, Connie Valinsky approached Melinda Trask and apologized for previously blaming her for Li Shin’s death. On Friday’s episode, EJ DiMera demanded that Stefan DiMera tell him where Gabi Hernandez was, as EJ needed her for a press conference. Gabi, having just returned from Arizona, agreed to attend after witnessing Stefan and EJ’s argument.

Gabi pressed Stefan to reveal Jude’s true paternity and his blackmail material. She wanted Eric to know the truth about his son, but Stefan begged her to keep quiet. Gabi seemed to agree but looked troubled. Back in the Town Square, EJ was willing to relinquish control of his shares to persuade Kristen DiMera to choose Melinda as DiMera Enterprises’ legal counsel. Kristen accepted but was curious about EJ’s motives.

Eric Brady, meanwhile, told Nicole Walker at The Spectator that he had accepted a photography job in Paris and planned to leave that day. However, Nicole revealed EJ knew about her drunken kiss with Eric, leaving him conflicted about his feelings for Nicole and his anger toward EJ.