Could Steam (Liam and Steffy) be on the rise on Bold and the Beautiful?

Steam shippers, could our time finally be coming on The Bold and the Beautiful? The set up seems as perfect as we're going to get it at this point in their relationship. Steffy, who's been quite happy in her marriage with Finn, is about to hit an impasse. While she and her husband thinks their love can withstand anything, I don't believe it'll be able to weather Finn's conviction to be in his birth mother's life. We're talking about Sheila Carter, Steffy's nemesis. How is that supposed to work?

Yes, it's true that the infamous woman didn't actually attack Steffy the night the power went out at the Cliff House. It was actually Sugar, Sheila's former "friend" who'd been wronged and was seeking revenge after decades living as Sheila's look-alike without her consent. The real Sheila had been chained to a wall in an abandoned building and nearly starved to death. That, however, isn't going to change the fact that Steffy has PTSD due to Sheila's crimes against her and her family over the years.

So Finn can go on about how his mother was innocent and actually a victim, and that she'd tried to stop Sugar from harming Steffy, but it's not likely to move the needle where his wife is concerned. It's going to make her anxious and I'd bet angry to know that Sheila isn't out of their lives for good and that he wants a relationship with her. Where is Steffy going to turn when her husband makes an about face when it comes to Sheila? Her ex-husband and best friend, Liam, of course.

Now, I will say I'd still prefer an actual love story for Steam. I've been tired of the repetitive way the writers have given us a taste of Steam through infidelity. As a viewer and a shipper, if they're not going put Liam and Steffy on the path to getting back together for a significant time, and by that I mean some years, then I'd rather us not go down this road. Again. But I do see a way forward for them.

Last year, Liam did his darnedest to show Steffy that he realized he'd made a mistake. He said shouldn't have walked away from her and their love despite how hard it was for them to come back from her night with his father (and her ex), Bill. He'd understandably run because she'd hurt him and then he fell back into a relationship with Hope. While there's more twisted road of drama to lay out there, the crux is that the trust Liam had in Steffy didn't fully recover, and he chose the safe option because supposedly Hope would never hurt him like that--because he put her up on a pedestal.

Hope did hurt him in a similar way by falling for his rival and the man who, for months, kept from them that their daughter, Beth, was alive and not dead like they thought. Once Hope came crashing down from the pedestal he'd put her on, Liam "awakened" to what he'd given up in an effort to protect his heart. He's currently looking not to engage in a romance because he's sick of waffling and wants to work on himself. But we can be real for a moment. It's also because Steffy's not available.

The question though is whether she will be in the near future. There's been definite seeds planted on The Bold and the Beautiful that she might be. Steffy has been unusually curious about how much time Hope and Liam have been spending together now that Thomas has broken up with her and moved with their son to Paris. Then, when she happened upon her cousin, Ivy, kissing Liam at Il Giardino, Steffy was clearly jealous which is something she hasn't been in years when it comes to her ex.

She and Liam have definitely been growing closer and a spoiler for Tuesday, May 7 even states, "Liam gets closer to Steffy over her concerns about Finn." We've already somewhat seen what that looks like. When she was struggling with having killed who she thought was Sheila, and giving Finn space to grieve his mother, Liam was there for her. He even held her. It felt platonic but these two have the kind of chemistry and relationship that can go romantic at the drop of a dime.

Not to mention, it was so odd that Liam told Ivy that Sinn live in his old house. The line felt like a forced way of reminding the audience that at one point in time the Cliff House had been where he lived. Now though it's Steffy's. She purchased it from Bill. I see it as her home and have since she bought it, but I do have to admit I've always hoped that it would be the Steam home.

We're headed into May sweeps so we can pretty much expect something big to happen before the month is out. It may have nothing to do with Liam and Steffy but, the way the soap has been building lately, it feels like it just might. I'll certainly be keeping my eyes peeled for Steam developments.

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