"Only Belinda knew why Opal hovered around Adrian like a moth to a flame. Since he didn't understand the secret connection, Tad was frazzled by Adrian's presence around his mother. Tad walked over to the secret agent and blasted him for hanging around Opal. He suggested that he find a new mission---and fast. Adrian wasn't about to take Tad's insults on the chin. He angrily informed Tad that he was helping Opal deal with a problem in her life. Opal didn't want Adrian to spill the beans about her marital woes with Palmer, but by the time she could quiet the secret agent the cast was already out of the bag. Tad looked towards Opal and asked her to explain what was going on. Opal nonchalantly stated that she and Palmer were in the process of getting a divorce. It seemed like a normally enough situation until Adrian told Tad that Palmer was trying to keep Opal from seeing a penny of his amassed fortune and gain sole custody of Petey. Opal was concerned that Petey would overhear their discussion and urged the two men to keep their voices down. Tad was furious with Palmer and stormed out of the house. Opal asked Adrian to round up Petey so that they could slip out the back door and head back to Cortlandt Manor.
Sometimes the presents that don't need unwrapping turn out to be the best gifts. Max jumped onto Hayley's lap and gave her a big hug. As he thanked Hayley for allowing his mother to stay at Wildwind, Raquel looked on unhappily. Mateo picked up on Raquel's uneasiness and asked her what was bothering her. Obviously, Raquel somehow misinterpreted Hayley's present as a way to gain Max's love---as evidenced by the hugs Hayley was receiving. That was not the case and Raquel never admitted that she felt this way. Max turned back towards his mother and asked if it would be okay if he had a piece of candy from his stocking. Raquel pursed her lips together and surrendered to her son's request. She walked Max off to get his stocking. Meanwhile, Mateo looked at Hayley and thanked her for her generous offer. Hayley explained that she did not want to see Max unhappy. She also guessed that she would rarely see Raquel since Wildwind was such a huge house. She did, however, let it be known that Raquel's stay at Wildwind would end when Max became accustomed to living with them. Of course Hayley couldn't be totally serious. A wry smile planted on her face, she mused that Mateo had "married a saint." She then corrected herself and said "almost married," referring to Mateo's still-married status to Raquel. Raquel wandered back into the room and told Mateo and Hayley that she was going to head back to the Pine Cone to pick up some clothing. Hayley told Raquel that she had a few things in her closet that she could wear. She also offered Raquel free choice of anything that was still in Gillian's closet. In the morning, they said that Raquel could return to pick up some of her belongings. Later, Mateo and Hayley were sharing a romantic moment in their bedroom until Matt noticed that Max's teddy bear was in their room. Knowing that his son would be unable to sleep without the stuffed animal, Mateo announced that he was going to run down the hall and deliver the toy. When he opened up the door, he found Raquel standing outside. Donned in one of Gillian's revealing negligees, Raquel explained that she couldn't fit into any of Hayley's clothing. That still didn't explain what Raquel was doing outside the bedroom. She told Matt that Mac had asked for him to read a bedtime story. Mateo smiled broadly and told Hayley that he'd be back in a few minutes. After Mr. and Mrs. Santos left, Hayley kicked and punched the bed in frustration.
Things were not going as planned for Palmer. He had expected that his attorney would have dug up tons of dirt on Opal by now---but that was not the case. Palmer had to cut his phone chat short because Dixie and Junior returned to the mansion. Unaware of her uncle's relationship problems, Dixie casually asked Palmer if he'd seen Opal lately. Palmer shook his head and remarked that he didn't care where Opal was. "Opal Gardner is about to get kicked to the curb," said Palmer colloquially. Dixie was stunned by Palmer's comments. Palmer insisted that his feelings were justified because Opal had turned him in to the Feds during his stolen painting debacle. Dixie was quick to remind Palmer that he had betrayed Opal on many occasions---including his one-night stand with Jane "Janet Green" Cox. Palmer claimed that he's tried to fix his problems with Opal and hinted that Opal was the one who was unwilling to let bygones be bygones. He smiled proudly as he announced that he was following Dixie's lead by "dumping Gardner trash." That was, of course, a reference to the way Dixie and Tad had parted ways. Dixie told her uncle that she and Tad had worked out their differences, a comment that struck fear into Palmer's heart. She warned Palmer that he had better find a way to get back in Opal's good graces because he was not going to find anyone else to tolerate his "crotchety old ways." Braden performed his personal assistant duties by answering a knock at the door. He tried to tell the unexpected visitor, Tad, that "Mr. Cortlandt" wasn't taking any visitors. Tad blinked his eyes in amused bewilderment and walked past Braden without saying a word. Opal, Adrian, and Petey followed a few seconds later. Tad asked Opal to take her son upstairs so that he would not hear what he was about to say. Petey looked up at Tad and asked, "What are you going to do to my daddy?" Tad smiled and assured his much younger brother that everything would be okay. Tad blasted Palmer for trying to skimp Opal out on a divorce settlement. He reminded Palmer that after he went broke, it was Opal's secret fried chicken recipe that helped build up the Cortlandt fortune. Because of that, Tad argued that everything Palmer owned should be handed over to Opal. "Over my dead body," Palmer retorted. Adrian stepped closer to Palmer and said that that could be arranged. Tad threatened to use his spot at WRCW to expose all of Palmer's dirty little secrets. 'Til he was done, Tad said that Palmer wouldn't be able to get custody of a dog let alone a child. Palmer thought Tad was bluffing. Tad wanted Opal to pack an overnight bag and head home with him, but Opal said that she could not leave for fear that Palmer would claim that she "deserted [her] marriage bed." Palmer smiled cockily as Adrian noted that Opal was probably right. He told Tad that he would spend the night at Cortlandt Manor to keep an eye on Opal. Tad stomped out of the house. Adrian walked Opal to her bedroom. Palmer was aghast by the way he'd been treated by Tad. Dixie was unsympathetic and told Palmer that she agreed "with every word" Tad had said. She added that she would never speak to her uncle again if he went through with his plan to steal Petey from Opal. Dixie left. Palmer was surprised that Dixie had sided with Tad, but not Braden. He told his boss that Dixie was not over Tad-and that she probably never would be. Palmer scratched his head and came up with Braden's next project: to make sure that Dixie forgets Tad. Braden chuckled slightly and said that he couldn't accomplish such a feat. Palmer was quick to note that he hadn't asked Braden if he could make Dixie forget Tad---he had ordered him to make it happen. He added a little incentive to his order---if he failed to complete his assignment or refused to do so, he'd be working at the Burger Barn.
Tad returned to his parents' house and was pulled aside by Ruth. Ruth had previously had a heart-to-heart with Jake and told him that she was sorry his relationship with Allie hadn't worked out. Now it was Ruth's turn to help perk up Tad. She compared Tad and Dixie's relationship to the tornado that had ripped apart their home. At first thought, it appeared to be a horrible analogy. Ruth recalled how the tornado had destroyed the home. Every memory was blown away or torn apart. The house had now been rebuilt, but it would never be the same. Still the comparison was unclear. Finally, Ruth explained that while she can never have what she once did, but she could rebuild a new home. She said that while Tad and Dixie might never be able to go back to the way they once were, it did not mean that they could not forge a new future together.
Ryan pulled away from Gillian and apologized for having made an unwanted advance. Gillian took Ryan's reaction the wrong way and assumed that Ryan was still unable to forgive her affair with David. Ryan was silent. Gillian tried to leave the room, but Ryan asked her to stay. He explained that he was the reason they were having so many problems. Had he not ignored her, Ryan felt that Gillian would never have had an affair. He explained that he had learned early in life that sooner or later everyone disappoints him. That lesson had come from watching his parents' numerous squabbles. How he was trying to put that lesson behind him and forgive Gillian. He opted to spend the night downstairs on the sofa so that they could sleep peacefully. Distance would not prevent Ryan from thinking about Gillian. He drifted to sleep, but his dreams were filled with romantic thoughts of Gillian. Myrtle returned home from The Martins' and asked Ryan why he was sleeping on the sofa. She surmised that Ryan and Gillian had had a "spat" and was sure that it wasn't a big fight because she knew that they were very much in love. As so many people do, Ryan opened himself up to Myrtle and explained that he was having a hard time forgiving Gillian for something that she'd done to him. He never said exactly what it was that Gillian had done. Myrtle told him that it was up to him to decide if harboring resentment was what was in his best interest. She explained that Ryan could be angry for years and end up a lonely, bitter man---or he could swallow his pride and allow himself to forgive Gillian. Ryan smiled and called Myrtle a "sweet" woman for helping him out. Myrtle cackled loudly and told Ryan that she was anything but sweet. She apologized for misleading him and gave him a brief synopsis of her carnie days when she was a bit of a hustler. Upstairs, Gillian sobbed to herself until a knock sounded on her door. She assumed that Myrtle was dropping by to ask her to quiet down her blubbering. She was wrong. Ryan appeared on the doorway and told Gillian that he loved her and wanted to be with her. Gillian was certain that she was dreaming and did not want to wake up from the dream. Ryan grinned and told his wife that she was not dreaming. To prove it, Ryan leaned over and kissed Gillian."
- Soap Central