The History of Lyla Montgomery Peretti

1980: John Dixon's old flame from Chicago, gutsy nurse Lyla Montgomery, arrived with her daughters, Margo and Cricket, in tow. As the Montgomerys established themselves in Oakdale, Lyla became friendly with Bob, much to Nancy's delight. Lyla's daughter Cricket baby-sat for Bob's daughter, Frannie, so it seemed they had a lot in common. However, ever-present killijoy John was giving Lyla a hard time at the hospital about taking up with Bob, who thought Lyla was much more pure than the wild, fun-loving woman John had known. Dee overheard John and Lyla fighting one day and wondered about their connection.

Lyla was very concerned that her free-spirited daughter, Cricket, would repeat her mistakes, and she cautioned her that sex the first time should be special. The rebellious Cricket announced that she was 18 and could do what she pleased! Both Cricket and Margo were confused about their parents divorce. Margo had always sensed that her father, a traveling salesman named Bart Montgomery, had never really loved her. Never at a loss for words, Margo asked her mother if she'd had an affair. Lyla wouldn't answer her but confided to Bob that Bart left her when he learned of her past mistakes. A sympathetic Bob said she shouldn't put all the blame on herself, that everyone makes mistakes. One day at the hospital, Margo heard John yelling at Lyla, and she told her mother she didn't have to take it. Margo asked John why he was always harassing her mom, and John told her to ask her herself. Lyla warned Margo to stay away from John. Alone, she recalled a time when Margo needed blood and her husband's was the wrong type. There was no way he could have been her father!

1981: Tom Hughes has come home with his new girlfriend, Lyla's younger sister, Maggie Crawford, a lawyer. Maggie was fascinated by the rape case as John was booked. Tom agreed to represent Dee and filled Maggie in on John's background. Meanwhile, Lyla was warned that she may have to testify, since she was on duty when Dee was brought into the hospital. Lyla knew John had a gun, and, afraid that he might threaten her, she took it and hid it in her home. Discovering the gun missing, John confronted Lyla at her home and met Maggie, who, to his surprise, offered to defend him. Horrified by Maggie's offer, Lyla returned the gun when John threatened to broadcast their affair. Lyla's ex-husband, Bart Montgomery, then informed Tom that Margo wasn't his daughter. Bart agreed to testify. Meanwhile, John swore to Maggie that he first met Lyla at Memorial. Amidst this turmoil, Bob proposed to Lyla, and she accepted. Tom warned his father and thought Bob should attend when Lyla was recalled to the stand. Bart's appearance shocked Lyla. He testified that while they were married, Lyla was seeing another man. When Tom asked if that man was in the room, Bart pointed to John. Maggie tore into John for his dishonesty, and Lyla swore to Bob she'd never loved John. She had kept the affair secret because she thought Bob wouldn't want her. Bob said he didn't know how he felt, and Lyla sadly returned his ring.

Shocked to see their father take the stand, Cricket and Margo were stunned to learn of the affair. Bart said that Lyla lied about Margo being his daughter, and they divorced. Recalled to the stand, Lyla admitted the affair. Margo screamed, "Tell me who my father is!" Sobbing, Lyla blurted out, "John Dixon!" Margo and John had never liked each other. However, it didn't take long or the two to form a special bond.

1982: Cricket went into labor in her own home, where Jeff delivered Billy. Lyla was getting another addition to her family: Her son Craig was returning to the States from the island of Martinique. Margo and John were overwhelmed by the news of Margo's safety, when she contacted them from Paris. Upon their return, Tom admitted that he and Margo shared a special closeness. Maggie was miserable; after all, Margo was her niece. She told Lyla, but Lyla stood up for her daughter.

1983: In true Tom and Margo fashion, this passionate couple tied the knot in a very unusual ceremony. Friends and family were called to Sunset Park on an "emergency." It was come as you are: Lyla arriving in a housecoat and curlers! In the middle of Cricket's wedding to Ernie Ross, Cricket went into labor. Determined to tie the knot, the couple completed their vows in the ambulance, with Lyla and the minister in attendance. As they were pronounced husband and wife, their baby girl was born. The new Ross family moved to California to set up house.

1984: Up to this point, Lyla had sympathized with Craig in his attempts to stay married to Betsy¾or rather, the attempts she knew about. But once Craig used his own child, Lyla realized how twisted her son was. Out of guilt, she traced Danielle to the home of Mrs. Hoffman, a stuffy nursemaid whom Betsy had fired previously, and Danielle was returned to her mother. Margo was promoted to detective, but Craig had done so many terrible things to the people he loved that he felt he deserved to be punished and decided not to fight the charges against him. Lyla was so angry with her son for what he had done to Danielle that she refused to go to the trial. Craig was sentenced to five years in prison and admitted to Betsy that Steve was Danielle's father.

Lyla was becoming serious about Frank, but he in turn found himself attracted to Maggie. Maggie was representing Frank in the NYPD corruption case and knew nothing about his relationship with Lyla, when they made passionate love after the acquittal. Frank neglected to tell Maggie that the "other woman" whom he promised to end it with was her sister. When Maggie found out it was Lyla, she felt she had to bow out for her sister's sake. But Frank knew he and Maggie belonged together, so he gently broke the news to an irate Lyla that he was in love with her sister. Eventually, Maggie told Frank she and Lyla worked things out, and now Maggie and Frank could be together. Lyla and Steve stood up for Maggie and Frank as they tied the knot on Christmas Eve.

1985: Maggie was stunned to learn that Lyla and John were getting close again. The one obstacle was an attractive but very young lady named Shannon O'Hara. Lyla was baffled by John's new "maid" and wondered why Shannon was staying at John's despite his complaints that he couldn't wait for her to leave. Lyla wanted John out of her life permanently.

John Dixon was thrilled when he overheard Craig telling Lyla about Lucinda's past. When Lyla told Craig that John knew, Craig feared that John would use the information in a way that could hurt Sierra. Craig and Sierra get engaged. Just as Craig and Sierra were about to make love at the Foxwood Lodge, the phone rang. It was Lyla. Tonio Reyes, Sierra's ex-fiance, had been found alive in a Miami hospital.

1986: Dr. Casey Peretti, a protégé of John Dixon's arrived. Casey, a resident at Memorial, was boarding at Lyla's. Casey and Seth were vied for Frannie's attention. Seth was ahead. Lyla encouraged Casey not to give up, but things got complicated when his old flame, Taylor Baldwin, came to town and went to work in the Memorial lab.

Craig and Lisa went into business and re-opened Caroline's as the Mona Lisa. Lyla's musical talents were used as their new evening singing entertainment.

When Lily forced Meg out of the house, she turned up on head nurse Lyla's doorstep.

By holiday season, Lyla Montgomery was in love with an unlikely person--her boarder, Casey Peretti. He was young enough to be her son, but Casey didn't care. He was in love, and everyone noticed that Lyla was walking on air.

1987: Bob called Lyla and asked her to check hospital records as to whether an ob'gyn patient named Fullerton was admitted to Memorial in December 1965, and if so, what doctor signed the birth certificate for the daughter who was born to her. Rick and John beat Lyla to the hospital records room, and Rick stole Sabrina's file, but Lyla managed to locate proof of Mrs. Fullerton's admission on December 10, 1965.

Lyla Montgomery and young Casey Peretti were having their struggles with romance as well. After John's tirade over their age difference, Lyla became concerned about how people would view her romance with Casey, and when Casey offered to move out, she agreed. Lyla couldn't tolerate the separation, so she decided to defy public opinion and asked him to return. Their bliss was challenged by Casey's old flame, Taylor Baldwin, who joined the Memorial staff. Taylor's arrival stirred Lyla's insecurities, and Casey feared that if Taylor learned about his romance with Lyla, she'd try to come between them. Once again, Lyla had to keep her romance under wraps. Taylor managed to find out about it anyway and was undeterred in her quest--Taylor always got what she wanted. Casey confronted her about the way she'd been ingratiating herself into his life. The showdown led to a kiss, and Taylor took great pleasure in telling Lyla about Casey's passionate slip. Lyla told Casey it was either she or Taylor. Knowing that he'd been crazy to lose her, Casey took Lyla into the hospital linen closet and proposed. Because of their age difference, and because she was not interested in having more children, Lyla was hesitant. Casey responded by telling her over and over how much he wanted to marry her, buy Lyla was still uncertain. Casey was relentless, and Lyla was just about to give in when she learned that he's proposed to Taylor when they were involved. Although she was very torn, Lyla told him no. Casey moved our of the bedroom, then out of the house.

During one of Lyla's singing performances at the Mona Lisa, Case brought her a single rose, and Lyla was touched. Heather's former manager, Otis, was at the Mona Lisa and he offered Lyla a new gig in New York and a possible recording contract. Although Margo and Casey thought Lyla was running away from a marriage she truly wanted, Lyla accepted Otis's offer. Hurt and alone, Casey made Taylor dinner one night, had too much to drink and dozed off. When Casey woke up and realized how much he had drunk and who he was with, he freaked out. Realizing what he'd almost lost, Casey, along with Tom and Margo flew to New York to be at Lyla's opening. Lyla was thrilled to see Casey and sang her newest song, "From Now On," to him. After Lyla's singing engagement, she and Casey toured New York, and she realized she couldn't live without him. To Casey's great delight, Lyla accepted his umpteenth marriage proposal.

Lyla and Casey asked Tom and Margo to be matron of honor and best man at their wedding. Lyla and Casey Peretti were married in the hospital chapel with the whole Peretti family from Boston in attendance.

1988: Margo was now in Akros, Greece, assisting Inspector Hanyotas in his search for Craig. She wrote Tom that he should accept the end of their marriage and move on, as her feelings for Hal hadn't gone away. Casey warned Lyla to stay out of the matter, but Lyla only wanted to know where her daughter was and if she were all right. Lyla showed up in Greece. Hanyotas told her that Margo was safe, and he had reason to believe Craig was being held by a Greek crook. The man agreed to give Craig up in exchange for another hostage. Margo volunteered, but Casey had followed his wife to Greece and insisted on being the decoy.

In a Greek jail, Craig was near death from a hunger strike, but with Casey's help he escaped and contacted his mother and sister. Margo gave birth to Adam, Hal's son on the island of Livia, Greece.

1989: Margo and Lyla dissuaded Craig from going to Montega when he heard that Sierra was still alive and well and fighting for the Montegan resistance.

The Peretti's were gloriously happy and expecting a child. Lyla was enjoying her pregnancy in Boston, being cared for by Casey's folks. Their happiness was marred, however, when Casey began to experience spells of numbness in his arm and other unusual symptoms. He soon felt too weak to work and asked John to remove him from the surgical roster. Then he collapsed in the hospital cafeteria. Tests showed Casey had Guillain-Barre syndrome, a disorder of the nervous system. It wasn't long before the paralysis spread to his neck. Casey realized his life could be threatened if the paralysis attacked his respiratory system, but he was encouraged when he began to experience some sensation in his hand. When Lyla's water broke, Casey checked himself into her Boston hospital. Lyla gave birth to a daughter, and they named her Kathyrn Ann, Katie for short.

1990: Casey Peretti ws not so lucky. He was losing his battle with Guillain-Barre syndrome and was confined to a wheelchair. Completely helpless, Casey had to be fed and bathed. His career in medicine over, Casey gave his surgical instruments to Duke. He then set up a trust for Katie and asked Margo and Tom if they would be her legal guardians. When Dan McClosky choked during a dinner party, Duke performed an emergency tracheotomy under Casey's guidance. The episode cheered up Casey enough to look into teaching at the local medical school, and he was thrilled when he was offered a position. Casey then began to have difficulty swallowing. His worst nightmare was confirmed when he found out he had a deadly brain virus, encephalitis, and would soon slip into a coma.

Casey wanted to draw up a living will, but Jessica was out of town. He confided in Margo and asked her to keep the will a secret from Lyla. He wanted the will executed as quickly as possible. When Kirk and Ellie visited Casey, they brought him a tape recorder so he could make tapes for Katie. As he was explaining his condition one day to Margo, unknowingly left the tape recorder on. The doctors ordered a respirator, and Casey begged Margo not to let them hook him up--he wanted to die with dignity. A gasping Casey told Margo what he needed her to do. Margo tried to reach Tom, but he was in Washington, DC, and the living will wasn't finished yet. As Casey drifted in an out of consciousness, Margo turned to prayer. Left with no choice, Margo summoned up her courage and entered Casey's room. Her face tight with emotion and her chin quivering with grief, Margo grabbed the life-support plug and ripped it from the wall. Then she leaned over her stepfather and friend and kissed him goodbye. John encouraged Casey's parents, Joe and Maureen, and Lyla to honor Casey's last request to be taken off life support, not knowing that Margo had already done it. Lyla told John she could never do that. Then John got the news that Casey was dead. When Lyla entered her husband's room, she wondered why the respirator was unplugged. McClosky arrived to investigate Casey's death.

Craig came from Montega to help Lyla through this difficult time. The prosecutor asked Lyla if she condoned her daughter's act, and Lyla answered no. Just as testimony for the grand jury hearing, was about to begin, Lyla and Joe listened to the tape and heard Casey explain to Margo what was going to happen once his system began to shut down. Lyla visited Casey's grave and told him she wished he had come to her with his request. Margo found her there and told her mother Casey loved her too much to put her in that position. Lyla told the grand jury she couldn't condone what her daughter had done, but after hearing her husband plead with Margo to let him die with dignity, she forgave Margo. The grand jury decided not to indite Margo. Lyla told her daughter she would have done the same if she had been in Margo's position, and mother and daughter shared a tearful reconciliation.

Lyla considered going back to school to get a master's degree in rehabilitative medicine.

1991: At Christmastime, Cal turned his attentions to Lyla and stuffed all sorts of goodies for her and Katie under the tree. Lyla was just beginning to come out of her shell after Casey's untimely death. For her, one of the few bright spots was when Margo gave birth to a boy and named him Casey. By the time spring rolled around, Lyla and Cal were growing closer, but she still shied away from his affections, leaving the field open for Lucinda, who wasted no time in seducing the Texas millionaire. When Lyla angrily confronted Cal, he responded by proposing.

Craig and Sierra had their second child, a girl, Lucinda Marie. Lyla wanted to use Cal's jet to go to Montega and see her new granddaughter. Lucinda got wind of the plan and arrived at the airport, bags packed. It didn't take her long to notice how cuddly Cal and Lyla had become--and no wonder, because Lyla had accepted Cal's proposal.

1992: Margo still found time to listen to her mother Lyla's woes about her love life. Lyla had rented a room to Simone Bordeau, a Navajo girl who was attending Oakdale University. Simone's sister, Leslie, was trying to block Cal from claiming sacred tribal land to drill for oil. The dispute was headed for court. Appalled by what she perceived as Cal's insensitivity and lack of morals, she put their wedding plans on hold.

1993: Cal had satisfied Lyla by eventually settling with the Navajos in their land deal, but Lyla had decided that she needed a new start and left Oakdale on a singing tour.

1999: Lyla broke her hip while living in California. She wanted Katie to come help her out, but Margo volunteered instead.

2000: When she found out that her youngest daughter, Katie, had married an illegal alien to keep him from being deported Lyla returned to Oakdale. She spent Christmastime with her family and tried to convince Katie to end her sham of a marriage. When that did not work, Lyla met with Katie's husband Simon and asked him not to break Katie's heart.