On Martha

Thinking back to her childhood, Martha Byrne (Lily/Rose) recalls one of her earliest memories:a painful broken leg. "My sister broke it for me, thank you very much," she laughs. "She kept me out for two hours trying to stop me from crying. She gave me candy and ice cream and I wouldn't stop crying." The actress chuckles as she recalls the tiny little cast she wore on her leg, and how she had to hobble around. But she also marvels at the intensity of the memory, even to this day. "I remember where it happened," she says, "I remember feeling it...everything. And I was only 2!

When Martha Byrne began planting the seeds for her dual roles last year on ATWT, she thought about how roses differ from lilies. Roses have thorns and are vibrant; lilies are delicate and enduring. While Byrne has always brought those characteristics to Lily and Rose, it was never more apparent than the week Holden and Luke were presumed dead. Lily was a wreck and struggling to keep her hopes from fading. Wrapped in a blanket, her nose red, her chin trembling, she could hardly spit out the details of the expolsion to Rose, who defiantly shook her head in slience. Rose than leapt into cheerleader mode. Her finger-waving, head-shaking optimism sharply contrasted with Lily's hunched stance and pale, tear-stained face. Rose knew Lily needed her to be strong, and that is exactly what she gave her sister. When Lily cried out that it was all her fault, Rose countered, "Life doesn't work that way. God does not take away people that you love as some kind of punishment." Rose threw the blame on everyone but Lily -- even herself. Byrne's frantic gestures and facial expressions showed Rose was pulling out all the stops to keep Lily's spirits up. "They're alive, and you've got to believe that," Rose augues as the sisters held hands. Expert split-screen work enhanced these scenes. When Lily and Rose hugged, viewers saw Rose let down her guard; she was clearly fighting back tears. There was such a distinction between Lily and Rose, it was as if viewers were watching two different ators -- but it was simply Byrne in bloom.