ATWT: SAME TIME, LAST YEAR

And the year before that, and the year before that....

While actress Maura West is on maternity leave following the birth of her fourth child, Carly is off the Oakdale canvas, having run off with sexy con-man Simon.

Naturally, whenever Carly disappears (be it to Hong Kong or a spa that prematurely ages her, i.e. Maura's previous maternity leaves), the fans miss her.

So, to fill the gap, we're going to take a photographic look back at where Carly was exactly one year ago. And the year before that. And the year before that.

PHOTO #1: In February of 2004, Jack (Michael Park) and Carly were temporarily happy. They'd remarried that summer, and were raising Parker and newborn Sage, who, as frosting on the cake, turned out to be Jack's child, after all.

PHOTO #2: In February 2005, however, after a year during which Jack had been presumed dead, developed amnesia, and returned to Oakdale with a "wife" and "son" he'd picked up along the way, Jack and Carly were reunited, but she, Lily (Martha Byrne) and Luke (then-Jake Weary) were too busy wondering who'd killed Jack's ex-"wife," who had since moved on to Holden.

PHOTO #3 February 2006 saw Jack and Carly still together, but him on suspension from the police force thanks to his covering up one of Carly's many, many misdeeds. Carly, hoping to help Jack get his job back, went undercover as cocktail waitress in an attempt to solve a case -- and make Nick (Jordan Wolley), the cop who'd replaced Jack at the Oakdale PD, look bad. Suffice it to say, it did not go well.

Carly and Jack split again over her lies, which led to her eventually hooking up with Simon, which led to her current exit.

Will Carly and Jack reunite once she returns to town this Spring?

There are no guarantees in life, of course. But looking at their track record above, well, who really would bet against them?