"Hayley sat alone at a table in the dining room of The Valley Inn. Her food remained untouched as she gently massaged her neck. Vanessa happened to stroll on by and instantly recognized Hayley as Adam's daughter. She put on a big smile and reminded Hayley that they'd met at SOS's grand opening. Before Hayley could respond, Vanessa sat down and invited herself to join Hayley for lunch. Vanessa remarked that she was glad that she'd found someone who hated to eat alone. Hayley's mouth gaped slightly. From there, Vanessa blathered on about how she and Adam had meant years ago on a Trans-Atlantic cruise. Vanessa, however, was not done dominating the conversation. She told Hayley that she was surprised that Adam and Liza had gotten back together. Nevertheless, she felt it was very romantic that the couple had found love "the second time around." Hayley bowed her head and said that she'd remembered she was late for an appointment. She rose to her feet and dashed away. Vanessa was puzzled by Hayley's departure, but she didn't let it bother her for too long. She turned her attention to the menu momentarily. Before long she noticed a familiar face sitting at a table across the room. Vanessa gently placed the menu on the table and waltzed across the room to greet Palmer and one of his business associates. Ironically, Vanessa and the man, Reginald Hightower, were old friends. Palmer invited Vanessa to join them at the table and Vanessa bashfully agreed. The men continued talking business. Reginald stated that he was considering voting against Palmer in the CEO election because Cortlandt Electronics' quarterly earnings were down for two consecutive periods. Vanessa looked at Reginald and told him that the slump had been due to the troubled Asian economies. "Cortlandt Electronics is still a blue chip stock," she said confidently. Palmer smiled broadly, as he was obviously impressed by Vanessa. Reginald nodded his head and told Vanessa that what she'd said made a great deal of sense. Reginald was miffed that he had to leave town so soon because he wanted to spend more time with Vanessa. Vanessa smiled slightly and told Reginald to tell his wife she'd said hello. Reginald cleared his throat and walked away. Palmer thanked Vanessa for intervening. Vanessa claimed that she was only speaking the truth, but indicated that she'd be glad to speak to other stockholders on Palmer's behalf. Palmer said that everything else was under control. Erica, he stated, was the only person he still needed to contact. Vanessa filled Palmer in on Erica's trip to Brazil. As she was spinning the tale, Vanessa carefully slipped in comments about her relationship with Erica. Of course, Vanessa made herself look like a martyr. She claimed that she'd sadly severed her close relationship with Erica because of Erica's friends' opposition to their relationship. She also mentioned that she was not at all please that David was tending to Erica considering that it was his fault that Erica had been injured in the first place. Vanessa also admitted that her relationship with David has been strained for years. "I have a son like that," Palmer said. "Ross---he's like a stranger to me." Palmer decided that he would fly to Brazil in the morning and talk to Erica about the vote for CEO. Vanessa asked Palmer if he could deliver some papers to Erica for her. Palmer smiled and told Vanessa to join him for dinner so that they could talk more.
The results of Dixie's tests showed that her heart and kidney functions were normal, her blood pressure was fine, and her blood sugar level was also okay. That left Dixie to wonder exactly why she was feeling so poorly. "You're pregnant," Jake said softly. "I'm-I'm pregnant?" Dixie asked in disbelief. "It's not possible. [Tad and I] use protection." Jake noted that no form of birth control is one hundred percent effective. Suddenly the nausea and dizziness made sense. "I've wanted to have a baby for a very long time," Dixie said euphorically. "Especially with Tad." Dixie said that she'd never expected to get pregnant because of all the precautions she and Tad had been taking. Those precautions, explained Jake, were there for a reason. He warned her that having a baby would put extra strain in her body. Considering Dixie's recent health problems and the fact that she had only one kidney, Jake felt it was very risky for Dixie to continue on with the pregnancy. He did note, however, that it was not his decision to make. "The child inside me is a gift from God," Dixie responded. "It wants to be there." Dixie couldn't wait to tell Tad what she viewed as good news, but Jake made her promise that she'd tell him the full story---including the bad news. Liza poked her head into the examining room and asked if she and Colby could visit with them for a while. Colby was due for a check-up, but Liza didn't see any reason why they couldn't visit too.
Mateo sat on the floor, bracing himself against a chair. He gently stroked a photograph of Hayley unaware that someone was ringing the doorbell. When he snapped back into reality, he quickly raced to answer the door. Outside, Raquel stood tall, smiling proudly. She'd used a walker to make the journey across the courtyard. Mateo was amazed that Raquel was able to walk by herself and invited her into the condo. Raquel was upset that Hayley wasn't home to see her maiden voyage with the walker. She assumed that Hayley was at the club and Mateo made no effort to correct her. Mateo's mind continued to wander. He muttered that he'd never known how difficult it was to raise a child. Mateo's remarks seemed to come out of nowhere and Raquel asked him if everything was okay. Before Mateo could say anything more, a knock sounded on the door. This time Adam had dropped by and he was in a remarkably good mood. His good mood wasn't just due to the fact that he'd just been married. In his hand he held a small package---a gift, he explained, for Hayley's twenty-fifth birthday. Mateo told Adam that Hayley was still asleep because they'd worked late. Raquel crinkled her brow and cocked her head to one side. Adam told Mateo that he was glad that he was a part of Hayley's life. He then apologized for their past disagreements and even shook Mateo's hand. After Adam left, Raquel asked Mateo why he'd lied about Hayley's whereabouts. Mateo lamely replied that he'd never lied---he just didn't tell Raquel that Hayley wasn't at the club. Mateo ran his hands through his hair and sighed heavily. "I'm such a bad liar," he groaned. Mateo told Raquel that Hayley had left him. Raquel was stunned. Mateo told Raquel that Hayley is troubled by the way Max feels about her. Raquel assured Mateo that Max was coming around. Mateo shook his head. Setting fires and breaking windows were not a sign that Max's feelings were changing. "She almost took a drink," Mateo said. Raquel bowed her head. "You and Hayley were doing so well before Max and I showed up," she said softly. Mateo agreed. So as not to let Raquel feel totally responsible for the problems, he explained that he'd caused the most damage by not having told Hayley about his relationship with Raquel.
Jake met with Joe on the sun porch at the hospital and told him that Dixie had been having dizzy spells. Joe was worried that Dixie's heart was acting up again. Jake told his father that that was not the case-she was pregnant. Joe shook his head. He grumbled that Dixie had been advised not to get pregnant. Jake concurred, but noted that Dixie had seemed "thrilled" by the news. He said that he'd tried to warn her about the dangers posed by the pregnancy, but that nothing he'd said seemed to make any difference. Joe worried that Dixie would sugarcoat the news about her pregnancy and not tell Tad that she faces serious health problems if she allows the pregnancy to continue.
Dixie returned home and looked longingly at pictures of Junior and Jamie. She sat on the sofa and daydreamed for a while before Tad's shrilly "Helloooo" broke the silence. Tad noticed that Dixie was smiling more than usual and he remarked that she looked even prettier than normal. Dixie blushed and looked down at her feet. "What are you up to?" Tad asked with a grin. Before Dixie could answer, Liza popped in through the back down. She apologized for intruding but said that she wanted to return the dress Dixie had given to Colby. Liza noted that Colby would soon outgrow it. Tad talked to Liza about Scott's movie project while Dixie fixated on the infant. Liza told the couple that Adam had planned a surprise birthday party for Hayley and asked that they be in attendance. Tad surmised that they could get Becca to babysit the boys. He then fantasized about what life would be like with a full-time babysitter living under their roof. He mused that he and Dixie might get to have a night out more than once a year. He also gently teased Liza about having spoiled the only free time that he and Dixie had have since their return from their honeymoon. Dixie pledged to be at the party and at the same time told Tad that she liked the idea of having Becca stick around. Liza headed on her way and Dixie once again had Tad all to herself. Before she could break her big news, Tad became extremely amorous. He gently nibbled on her neck and told her that he wanted to her to join him upstairs. Dixie melted in her husband's arms and followed him upstairs.
Hayley returned to her hotel room and momentarily looked out the window. She closed her eyes for a second before closing the blinds. She walked over to the honor bar and ran her fingers up and down a miniature bottle of vodka. She quickly reached for a can of soda and drank as much as she could in one mouthful. When the phone rang, Hayley's spirits lifted momentarily. They quickly sank when she found out that it was housekeeping calling to see if she had enough bath towels. Hayley curled up on the bed. She laid there for a few minutes before racing over to her purse. She reached for an inspirational book entitled "Courage to Change," a book designed to provide motivation to alcoholics. She put the book down and walked over to the dresser. She looked in a small mirror and sadly wished herself happy birthday. Hayley again sat on her bed, but this time she fell asleep. She dreamt that she was at her birthday party. Adam, Mateo, Max, and Raquel surrounded the table. Adam continually whispered in Hayley's ears that she should wish for whatever she wants when she blows out the candles because he can make it happen. Sure enough when Hayley blew out the candles, Max and Raquel slowly faded into nothingness. Mateo was devastated as Hayley boasted that her wish had really come true. "I thought you loved me," Mateo said coldly. "You took my son away from me. I'll always hate you for that." Mateo slowly faded away. Hayley woke up from her dream breathing heavily. Hayley once again walked to the window, this time opening the blinds. As she stared out the window, she was reminded of the happier times that she and Mateo had shared---their lovemaking sessions on the beach in Jamaica, their hospital room wedding, and the first night they'd spent in the condo. A knock sounded on the door and Hayley once again had her hopes raised. She trotted over to the door and anxiously opened it. Mateo smiled warmly and handed a bouquet of flowers to Hayley. "Happy birthday," he said softly."
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