Ava Peralta

Infobox soap character
series = Guiding Light
name= Ava Lewis
first = August 24, 2005
last = July 2008
parents = Jeffrey O'Neill (biological father)
Olivia Spencer (biological mother)
siblings = Emma Spaulding (biological maternal half-sister)
portrayer = Michelle Ray Smith


caption1 =
gender = Female
parents = Jeffrey O'Neill (biological father)
Olivia Spencer (blogical mother)
Paul Peralta (adoptive father)
Donna Peralta (adoptive mother)
sibling = Emma Spaulding (maternal half-sister)
spouse =
Sandy Foster (divorced, deceased) [20??-2005]
Bill Lewis (Annulled; 2008)
| children = Maximus "Max" Lewis (son, with Remy) (adopted by Bill, deceased)| relatives = Marissa Spencer Randall (maternal aunt, deceased)
Nate Randall (maternal uncle, deceased)
Jonathan Randall (adoptive cousin)
Sarah Randall (adoptive 2nd cousin)
Tammy Winslow Randall (adoptive cousin-n-law)
color=#F0E68C

Ava Peralta (previously Foster and Lewis) is a fictional character on the daytime soap opera "Guiding Light". She has been played by Michelle Ray Smith since August 24, 2005 to July 2008.

Character's background

When Ava first came to town, she found a job working as a bartender at Jonathan Randall's bar, Outskirts. She later began working at Company and CO2 for the Coopers. She is currently working for the C.E.O of Spaulding Enterprises, Alan-Michael Spaulding.

Ava and her boyfriend Coop's relationship was at first complicated by Coop's ex-girlfriend Lizzie Spaulding, who claimed that her unborn child was Coop's and tricked him into almost marrying her.

After the two enjoyed a brief period of happiness, Ava began to push him away as she learned that she was adopted. She also found out she was the child of two people she already knew in Springfield, Olivia Spencer and Jeffrey O'Neill Coop also began making decisions for her, specifically about what she should know and what he felt he could handle. Ava took a job working for Alan-Michael which Coop also did not approve of, at least partly due to Alan Michael's apparent interest in Ava.

Ava took the job anyway, and Alan-Michael has been trying to come between Coop and Ava ever since. However, it seems to be Coops own controlling behavior that led Ava to call it quits. Their split is tentative, with Ava telling Coop that she needs more "space" but it certainly opens the door further for Alan-Michael.

Ava is the biological daughter of Olivia Spencer and Jeffrey O'Neill and the biological sister of Emma Spaulding. Was adopted by the Sutton family. Ava's adoptive mother Donna and father John Sutton separated. Ava's adoptive mother Donna remarried a man named Paul and took her step-fathers last name Peralta. Her adoptive mother Donna and stepfather Paul are both deceased. Her adoptive father John Sutton lives some where out of town.

In early 2007, however, Alan Michael left town and Ava soon set her sites back on Coop, who had begun a relationship with Ashlee Wolfe. Despite her efforts to win him back throughout 2007, Coop remained loyal to Ashlee, and Ava, frustrated, gave up on him altogether in 2008, when she began a courtship with Bill Lewis. Ava and Bill hit it off with a few rolls in the hay, but when Bill confessed his love for Lizzie to Ava, she felt rejected.

As Olivia became diagnosed with a heart condition, Ava became close with her sister, Emma. Fearing that her mother would not be around to raise Emma, Ava decided she wanted a baby of her own, to raise alongside Emma once Olivia had passed away. Her plans for the baby started in March 2008, when Ava comforted Bill after an argument he had with Lizzie. The two of them ended up in bed, where Ava pierced holes in his condom in order to concieve a child with him.

As weeks passed, Ava was distraught to know that her plan had failed, but she had backup plans. Ava was later artificially inseminated and decided to pass the baby off as Bills. Although she was committed to starting a life with Bill, Ava began falling in love with Remy Boudreau, and, enjoying feeling care-free and open with him, made love to him in the Spaulding Mansion, where she and Bill had moved when Dinah Marler stole the property from Alan.

Ava's plan had worked. Bill cut things off with Lizzie in order to start a family with Ava, although Lizzie saw through to Bill's plan, which was to throw Ava in front of the cameras as a "trophy wife". Ava's feelings for Remy grew stronger and stronger, but Remy was heartbroken when Ava and Bill announced they were engaged. Not giving up, however, Remy persisted in proving to Ava that she was meant to be with him, but Ava, knowing it was true, still couldn't accept it as she feared Remy would not be able to offer her the security that Bill could. Despite the obstacles, Ava and Bill wed in the summer.

On July 24th, 2008, Ava gave birth to Max "Maximus" Lewis. Since he was born prematurely, the doctors quickly whisked him away without Bill or Remy getting the chance to see him. Ava's plot came to a disastrous end when Bill set his sights upon "his" newborn son -- who happened to be an African-American. Ava's artificial insemination was unsuccessful, and her one night stand with Remy Boudreau resulted in her pregnancy. Remy and Bill put significant pressure on Ava regarding who she should raise the baby with, and as the Lewis' and Boudreau's squabbled, Ava developed a case of post-partem depression.

Jeffrey, Ava's father, saw the way she looked at Remy, and knew that he was the one Ava truely loved. Although Bill's name was on the birth certificate, Jeffrey had put security guards outside of Max's room to prevent Remy and Bill from seeing him, although Jeffrey agreed to help Remy see Max.

Ava's mental state continued to deteriorate, and Jeffrey, seeing Ava as a threat to herself and to baby Max, whisked her away to a health clinic in Chicago. Soon after Ava's arrival in Chicago, however, Max lost his battle to a serious fever, leaving the Boudreau's in shock, and Bill Lewis in a fit of rage. Ava has not been seen on-screen since, although she has been frequently visited off-screen by Remy, Olivia, and Jeffrey.