On "The Bold and the Beautiful," Nicole has been refusing to sign the adoption papers for the child she gave birth to. Everyone in her family has an opinion on what she should do regarding Lizzie. Her father Julius believes she should raise the little girl as her own. Rick and Maya want her to finalize the adoption so that they can continue raising Lizzie as planned. Zende (Nicole's husband) is siding with Rick and Maya -- he wants to wait to have a child of their own.

Zende is not supporting his wife

From the beginning, Zende was against Nicole becoming a surrogate for Rick and Maya.

He wanted her to wait so he would be the father of her first child. Nicole decided to go through with the surrogacy and she and Zende broke up. After watching Nicole give birth Zende softened his position. The two of them got back together and eventually married. Zende believes Nicole may eventually be able to give him a child. He told her that if not, they could always adopt or use a surrogate themselves.

Nicole does not want to hear this. She has already had the experience of being pregnant for 9 months and giving birth. She is already bonding with Lizzie and her maternal instinct is stronger than her reasoning and logic right now. This is partly due to the fact that Julius is pushing his daughter to reclaim Lizzie as her own.

What Nicole does not realize is that her father has an agenda of his own.

Julius Avante has his own agenda

Julius still has not really come to terms with Maya's sex change. Later, Julius argues his point of why Nicole has a right to want Lizzie as her own. When Maya insists that the little girl is hers, Julius says something that stuns his transgender child -- he tells her that if she were meant to have a child, she would have been born with what she needed to give birth.

Maya looks crushed but her father is not backing down, as he has made up his mind that Nicole should raise the child. Later, Julius chastises Zende for not supporting his daughter.

What everyone seems to be forgetting is that although Nicole gave birth to Lizzie she is not Zende's biological child. Also, if Nicole does not sign the adoption papers Maya will have no claim to the little girl, but Rick will because he is her biological father.

In a court of law, Rick and Nicole will have to come to an agreement regarding their child. Julius cannot deny Rick his paternal rights, and he cannot make Zende care for a child that is not his own. Of course, none of this will come into play if Nicole signs the papers.