"Alone, bored, and worried about his wife's safety, Ryan bounced a tennis ball against the walls of Linden. He stopped tossing the ball and looked nervously at his watch. He sighed heavily and returned his attention to the ball. Finally, the attempt to divert his attention had lost its effectiveness. Ryan threw down the ball, grabbed his coat, and dashed out of the house.
It had been thirty years since Opal and Frank had last set eyes upon one another, but Opal instantly recognized Frank's kind smile. After the pair finished embracing, Opal welcomed her one-time love into her home. Opal told Frank that she was proud of the love they'd shared and of their son, Adrian. Opal repeatedly apologized for having told Adrian that she was his mother. Frank, however, assured Opal that he understood why she'd done what she'd done. "I know you'd lay down your life to protect our Adrian," Frank said as he smiled.
From his doorway observation post, Tad cleared his throat. Frank turned toward Tad and extended his hand. He introduced himself, and Tad got a strange expression on his face. "Uncle Frank," Tad said, hoping to coax some recognition out of the man. Frank squinted and looked at Tad. It took him several seconds to realize that the little boy he'd seen so long before had grown up. Frank noted that Tad had his mother's good looks, and the two men reminisced of a time they had played starship commander in the backyard.
In every word and gesture that Frank made, it became apparent that he truly loved and cared for Opal and Tad. Frank told Tad that he had prayed that Adrian would turn out like Tad -- a strong man that loved his family. He had worried every night for years about Tad's welfare and what Ray Gardner might have done to him. Frank was anxious to see his son again. Opal had the unpleasant task of telling Frank that Adrian had run off. Tad, who had so adamantly opposed searching for his brother, offered to make a few calls in order to help locate the missing spy.
The suggestion that she and Adam join Marian and Stuart for a double wedding did not sit well with Liza. She did not want to "horn in" on the happiest day of her mother's life. Additionally, there was the fact that Liza had never agreed to marry Adam again. Adam's face froze. He reminded Liza that she'd told him that she loved him. Liza chuckled and scolded Adam for misquoting her. What she'd actually said was that a part of her still loved him -- a far cry from "I love you."
Liza recounted a tale her father had told her. Liza's father knew of a man who had jumped in front of trolley cars for kicks. The man had repeatedly suffered broken bones, cuts, and contusions. Yet whenever he had healed, he would immediately head out and resume his daredevil activities. Adam knew that there was an impending moral to the story. He was right. The lesson was that one should learn from their mistakes.
"Adam Chandler," Liza said with a grin, "you are my trolley car." Liza handed Adam several magazines and ordered him to browse the magazines for wedding ideas -- for Marian and Stuart. Liza told Adam that she was headed for a doctor's appointment. Adam wanted to tag along, but Liza told him to stay put.
On the sun porch, Palmer perused some papers in preparation for a hospital board meeting. Braden walked into the room and said that he needed to have a word with his boss. Palmer was so absorbed in his work that he barely took notice to his employee's presence. When he did, he asked Braden to stop bothering him. Braden told Palmer that they needed to talk about a new cardiac unit for the hospital. Palmer grumbled slightly and remarked that he knew nothing about the new wing.
Braden explained that he had promised David a new cardiac wing for the hospital in exchange for David keeping quiet about Dixie's improving health. Palmer was stunned by Braden's deal; a cardiac wing would cost millions of dollars. Braden smiled slightly, noting that the wing was a good investment and a huge tax deduction. Plus, there was the added benefit of keeping Dixie away from Tad. Palmer reluctantly agreed to the plan. He did, however, warn Braden to keep an eye on David. A doctor who would lie about his patient's health, said Palmer, could not be entirely trusted.
Dixie snatched her medical records out of David's hands. She paged through her file, but the terms and jargon within the file made little sense to her. Dixie asked for her tests to be run again, but David explained that the lab had already run the tests twice -- and he'd checked over the results himself. David was quick to assure Dixie that the test results did not mean that she would never get better. In fact, he remained confident that his initial diagnosis was on the money: Dixie would get better.
Dixie wanted to know why she hadn't shown any sign of improvement. Every patient had a different speed at which they healed, David explained. He took back Dixie's medical file and warned her that only qualified physicians should be perusing the documents. Braden entered the office and was there to help Dixie pick up the pieces. Dixie was definitely upset by the news. She was sure that she had been getting better. She announced that she would seek out a second opinion. David was confident that any other qualified cardiologist would arrive at the same conclusion.
Braden told Dixie that it would be harder to keep her health troubles a secret if more doctors were privy to her medical history. Dixie realized that Braden was right and apologized to David for implying that she doubted his medical expertise. David told Dixie that her concern was understandable, again promising her that he would do everything in his power to see her heal. The trio exited the office and stood in the hallway for several minutes, wrapping up loose ends.
As Dixie, David, and Braden talked, Liza rounded the corner and observed what was going on. She ducked back around the corner and listened to what was being said. Braden thanked David for all of his help. David smiled and told Braden that he was only doing his job. The cardiologist then returned to the privacy of his office and reviewed Dixie's file. "I get a new cardiac wing, and I didn't even have to lie to get it," he said. Dixie really wasn't getting any better.
Liza scurried around the hospital corridors, searching for Jake. She told him that she'd just seen Dixie and David together. Liza asked Jake if he knew anything, but Jake was leery of breaking the confidentiality guidelines. Since he had helped Tad break into the hospital computers, he figured that telling Liza what he knew wasn't going to weigh too heavily on his conscience. Jake told Liza that David was treating Dixie for "anxiety attacks."
Liza puckered her lips and cocked her head to the side. She was waiting for Jake to tell her the truth, but he was telling her the truth -- at least as he knew it. Jake agreed that it seemed rather odd for a top cardiologist to be treating something as simple as a panic attack. Things also seemed a bit peculiar because of Braden's involvement and the secrecy around Dixie's condition. They also agreed that Tad and Dixie both still loved each other. Liza suggested that they team up to find out what Dixie was hiding -- because that was the only way that they could get Tad and Dixie back together.
Gillian searched frantically for the money Hayley was to have hidden at the boathouse. The money was nowhere to be found. Gillian began knocking things over in a desperate attempt to locate the money. She stumbled backward and fell into Adrian's waiting arms. Gillian turned around and saw the secret agent's face. She crawled as fast as she could away from Adrian. She got a few feet away and jumped to her feet.
Gillian knew that Adrian was somehow involved with the government, but she wasn't sure how. What she did know was that Adrian could arrest her on the spot. Gillian babbled on and on about Ryan's innocence, insisting that Ryan was not capable of hurting "a flea." A voice from behind correctly called out, "Fly." Adrian calmly turned around and looked at Ryan. "Hans!" Gillian chirped. She winked in Ryan's direction, hoping to clue him in to her plan. Gillian claimed that Ryan was actually one of her friends from Germany, but Adrian recognized Ryan. He had, after all, seen him at the Crystal Ball.
Once Ryan knew that Adrian knew who he was, he set out to protect Gillian. He claimed that Gillian was an unwilling participant in his plan and begged the spy not to arrest her. Adrian shushed Ryan, telling him that he would only get himself into more trouble by ranting on and on. Ryan was surprised by Adrian's nonchalance. It turned out that Adrian's appearance was a coincidence. He was not there to arrest Ryan. "I'm here to find myself," Adrian explained, adding, "Have you seen me?"
Gillian asked Adrian why he wasn't going to arrest them. Adrian cryptically replied that Adrian Sword had worked for the government -- but Adrian Sword no longer existed. Neither Ryan nor Gillian had any idea what Adrian was talking about. "Stop unscrewing my head," Gillian said in confusion. Adrian told the couple that he didn't want to know what they were up to. He did, however, tell them that they should wait until nightfall before venturing outside. Ryan and Gillian scurried on their way. Before leaving, though, Gillian told Adrian that she hoped he found himself.
Adrian sat down and engaged in some deep thought. When he heard voices approaching, Adrian hid behind a canoe. Dixie and Braden talked briefly about the news Dixie had received from David. Braden had gotten what he wanted; Dixie believed that her health hadn't gotten any better. However, Braden was about to see his plan start to crumble.
Dixie began to worry that David might be holding back on her. Perhaps her condition was much worse that David had said. Dixie decided that she wanted to go through with her plan to videotape a message for Junior to play after her death. Braden and Dixie headed back to Cortlandt Manor. Adrian stepped out from his hiding spot with a look of bewilderment on his face. He had little time to process what he'd just heard. Within seconds, Tad appeared.
On their way back to Linden, Ryan and Gillian picked up a copy of the morning paper. They waited until they got back to Linden before reading the newspaper. They were both floored when they found out why Hayley hadn't dropped off the money -- she'd been arrested. A prominent story in the Pine Valley Bulletin announced that Hayley was being held on contempt charges. Ryan realized that Hayley would remain in jail until she told the court what she knew.
Opal told Frank that a day hadn't passed without her thinking of him or Adrian. Frank told Opal that he had known something had gone wrong when he'd returned to the cabin and found the front door kicked in. Opal praised Frank's parenting skills, saying that Adrian had grown up to be a fine young man.
Frank reached into his bag and produced a letter that his wife, Alice, had written for Opal. The letter was very sweet. In the letter, Alice thanked Opal for giving her the gift of a baby boy. She called Opal's decision to give up Adrian the "noblest, most generous thing a mother could do." Opal began to sob and found comfort in Frank's arms. As the two former lovers embraced, Palmer entered the room.
Adam placed calls to florists around Pine Valley, hoping to plan a surprise double wedding. He warned the florist he'd take his business elsewhere if the florist couldn't fulfill his order. David entered the office and asked why Adam was ordering flowers. Adam took pleasure in informing David of his double wedding plans. David looked mortified by the possibility that Adam and Liza were getting remarried.
Liza returned to her office, and David quickly scurried away. Outside in the hallway, a messenger handed David a manila envelope. David smiled and carefully opened the envelope. Inside the envelope were the results of Adam's DNA profile. After reviewing the results, David realized that Adam was definitely the father of Liza's baby."
- Soap Central