There's nothing like holding out an olive branch to a former friend — because a bunch of other friends made you. On the Sunday, August 28, episode of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, the ladies made good on their plan to force Teresa Giudice and Jacqueline Laurita to kiss and make up by going on a girls' weekend getaway to a luxurious spa. Because everyone wanted to avoid World War III, Teresa and Jacqueline remained separated for the drive there. (Teresa rode with Dolores Catania and Melissa Gorga, while Jacqueline rode with Siggy Flicker.)
Upon arriving and settling in, however, the calm atmosphere quickly turned when Jacqueline failed to properly greet Teresa. "She walks in trying to ignore me and it's like, 'Why'd you even come?'" Teresa sighed before a few of the others essentially summoned Jacqueline to come and say hello. She complied, but she offered to shake Teresa's hand instead of hug — another slight Teresa did not appreciate. At this early point in the trip, no one seemed very optimistic that these two were going to make peace.
Time for S'more Bonding
Later that night, the women enjoyed a very formal dinner followed by fireside s'mores, and, shockingly, everyone got along — even Teresa and Jacqueline, who fondly reminisced about their trip to visit Teresa's family's village in Italy years before. From there, the conversation turned to finances (another touchy subject for Teresa, who had recently been released from prison where she had served a sentence for fraud).
While this topic seemed like a time bomb, it too was discussed peacefully. Jacqueline opened up about her own financial troubles, explaining that caring for her son Nicholas, who has autism, costs upwards of $60,000 per year, and she and her husband were having to shoulder that burden as he launched a new business that essentially generated no revenue yet. Melissa followed up with a story about a time when her Costco card was no longer working and she had to leave the store empty-handed.
Then Teresa jumped in, commenting that people always asked her why she stayed with her husband, Joe, after what he'd done. (To be clear, Teresa still didn't seem to be taking any accountability for any role in their fraud convictions, but the rest of the women were apparently tired of trying to convince her to do so.) Teresa noted that when anyone asks her, she replies, "What do you mean how do I stay with him? I love my husband."
All of this brought Siggy to tears as she reflected that they'd "all had ups and downs" but it was these life lessons that made them who they are. (She also admitted she was an "emotional drinker," which probably contributed to the waterworks.)
They ended their night by calling Teresa's husband, Joe, and pretending she and Jacqueline were having a huge fight. It was unclear whether he found this funny, but the women didn't care because they had already moved on to playing wine pong.
Jacqueline Breaks Down
The next morning, while everyone else chowed down on scones, Jacqueline hid in the bathroom, crying, until Siggy found her and forced her to talk about what was wrong. Apparently, Jacqueline had gotten sad when all of the other ladies were discussing their "proud mommy moments" because she didn't get the same ones with Nicholas.
"The proud mommy moments," Jacqueline managed through her tears, "I have those too, but they're different. My child's childhood is different from theirs. Nicholas works so hard every day for doing the things that other kids do so easily. At this age he doesn't notice the differences, but one day, he might."
By this point, several of the other women had gathered around, including Teresa. "If you believe it, he will," Teresa offered when Jacqueline expressed her hopes for Nicholas' future. To the camera, however, Teresa didn't seem so sure. "I can't even understand what Jacqueline is going through," she confessed. "It breaks my heart into, like, a zillion pieces."
Teresa and Jacqueline Make Up for Real
Later that weekend, Teresa and Jacqueline enjoyed a body-brushing treatment side by side. As they had their toxins "brushed out" (err … or something like that), Jacqueline commented that she needed to start socializing Nicholas more. "If you ever have a bad day, always feel free to call me," Teresa offered in a tone that implied she actually meant it.
To the camera, Jacqueline commented that she felt like this discussion with Teresa was a breakthrough. "It's nice to have her ask about me and really listen," Jacqueline said. On the other side, Teresa explained to the camera that she hadn't been there for Jacqueline as much as she would have liked when the issues with Nicholas first surfaced because she was mired down with her own legal woes at the time. She didn't right come out and say she regretted this, but it was implied.
They ended their weekend with a yoga class, which Teresa taught. She finished the class with, "Namaste, bitches." Sounds about right.
Tell Us: Do you think Teresa and Jacqueline's truce will last?
The Real Housewives of New Jersey airs on Bravo Sundays at 8 p.m. ET.
