"A chocolate pudding-filled birthday cake had been ordered for Hayley's surprise party. It upset Adam slightly that he didn't know that his daughter liked chocolate pudding. He bowed his head and told Liza that he never knew Hayley when she was growing up. "You're in her life now," Liza replied warmly. Adam and Liza both knew that in the blink of an eye they would be throwing a surprise party for Colby's twenty-fifth birthday. A knock sounded on Adam's office door. Jake had dropped by to pick up Colby. While Adam and Liza were at Hayley's party, Jake was going to watch Colby. The young doctor had also made arrangements to go over to Tad and Dixie's to spend time with Junior and Jamie. Liza said that she was going to suffer "severe separation anxiety" the whole night. Adam smiled slightly and told his wife that there as no need for her to be concerned because Colby was "in good hands." Jake was caught off guard by the praise, but he was very grateful for Adam's kind words. After Jake left, Liza praised Adam for being "very generous with Jake." Adam nodded and said that he had done it for Colby's sake. Liza told Adam that he had no reason to feel insecure because he was only father Colby would ever need. Adam had, after all, changed his entire life for Colby. Adam started to remark that Colby had no idea how much he'd had to change his life, but he cut himself off before finishing his statement. "There's so much I want to say to you," Adam lamented. "The biggest failure of my life is fatherhood." He stated that he'd failed all of his children, but vowed to be there for Colby. Then came a surprise twist: Adam had a confession to make. Rather than revealing the overdue truth about his role in Colby's conception, Adam said that he had been keeping a secret. He claimed that he had a "fantasy" that Colby was really his biological daughter. He cocked his head to one side and asked Liza if she'd ever had a similar fantasy. Liza said that she would always be grateful to Jake for helping her have Colby, but she admitted that she'd had similar thoughts. "It would be heaven," she said of the idea of Colby being Adam's daughter. She knew, however, that it was unfair and even a bit cruel to think that because it would mean that Colby would be missing out on the love Jake and the Martin family could give her. Adam said nothing more except to tell Liza that it was time to head to SOS for Hayley's party.
"You didn't forget," Hayley smiled. Mateo shook his head and told Hayley that there was no way that he could forget the most important day in her life. Mateo told Hayley that he'd had to lie to Adam about her whereabouts. Mateo thought it was the best thing to do. Hayley, though, cited an AA pledge that states that it's a mistake to keep secrets from loved ones. "I want you to come home," Mateo interjected. He felt that Hayley could have her solitude at home just as easily as she could in a hotel room. Hayley admitted that it took every ounce of fortitude she could muster to keep herself from jumping into Mateo's arms. That wouldn't solve anything. Hayley said that she needed to be by herself for a little while. She wasn't sure how long she'd need to be away, but she said that she'd know when the time was right to return home. When Hayley was able to look across the courtyard and not feel ill will towards Max and Raquel then and only then would ordered have been restored to her life. Mateo reminded Hayley that he'd offered to move his ex-wife. Mateo wasn't listening to what Hayley was trying to tell him. Raquel's physical proximity wasn't what was causing trouble for Hayley. It became harder and harder for Hayley to talk to Mateo. Finally she ordered Mateo to leave. Mateo was stunned. He'd never Hayley to give him the boot. He turned and walked towards the door. He stopped momentarily and told Hayley that he'd only been trying to help her have a happy birthday. Later, Hayley sat on her bed and looked at the gift Mateo had given her. For the long nights during their separation, Mateo had given Hayley a stuffed puppy dog to hug. Hayley was moved to tears. She jumped from bed, grabbed her purse, and raced out of the room.
As promised, Palmer met Vanessa for dinner at The Valley Inn. The two briefly discussed Vanessa's concern over Erica's operation. Palmer was confident that Erica would come through "with remarkable ease." Vanessa thanked Palmer for being a comfort to her. The conversation took a turn and again the two parents discussed the often-difficult roles they take on as parents. Palmer said that he takes solace in knowing that after his death his children might finally realize that he was right all along. Vanessa looked at Palmer with sad eyes and commented that she never would have guessed that behind his tough exterior he was such a lonely man. After the meal, Vanessa reached into her purse for the papers she needed Palmer to deliver to Erica. In addition to the Enchantment documents, Vanessa had also written a letter to Erica as an attempt to repair their broken relationship. Palmer apologized for the way Opal had interfered in Vanessa and Erica's friendship. Vanessa said that she could only hope that her true feelings came across in the letter. Palmer thought for several seconds before telling Vanessa that she should tell Erica what she was feeling in person. Out of nowhere, the business whiz invited Vanessa to travel to Brazil with him. Vanessa's neck snapped back and she scolded Palmer for thinking that she was the type of woman to run off on a romantic rendezvous with a man she'd just met. Palmer quickly explained that he'd booked an entire suite at a hotel---a suite with at least seven bedrooms. There was nothing sexual about his offer. Vanessa blushed and apologized for having jumped to the wrong conclusion. She then told a rather revealing tale about her days as a young actress at MGM. She was to have appeared in a film opposite Cary Grant. She tried her best not to give into the temptation to have a romantic liaison with the famed actor---but apparently her willpower wasn't strong enough! Vanessa agreed to travel with Palmer to Rio de Janeiro. After Palmer left, Vanessa sighed deeply and mumbled to herself. "He had his own teeth---God is good."
The moments of tranquility drew to a close for Tad and Dixie. The couple cuddled in bed savoring their physical intimacy. Tad told his wife that he was very happy---and that if he was any happier it "would hurt." Dixie looked at him with a partial smiled and asked if it was possible for them to be too happy. Tad shook his head and explained that after all they'd been through it was time for a little happiness. Dixie's grin grew and she told Tad that she knew of a way to make him even happier. Before she could tell Tad her big news, Junior and Jamie returned home. Junior clanged a pair of cymbals that he'd picked up at camp. Jamie wasn't empty-handed. The group was to dissect a frog in the morning, but Jamie didn't think it was fair for an innocent frog to be put to death. So, he'd "liberated" the frog. He opened the lid of a shoebox he was toting to show off the frog, but the little critter was nowhere to be found. The boys heard a "ribbit" from the hallway and quickly chased after their amphibian friend. Tad and Dixie exchanged worried glances when a loud clashing of a cymbal followed the boys' shouting out that they'd located the frog. Tad raced out of the room and was relieved to learn that the loud noise hadn't signaled the frog's untimely demise. Some time later, Tad and Dixie were dressed and ready to head to Hayley's party---but they had to delay their departure because Jamie's frog got loose again. They managed to capture the frog just before Jake and Colby arrived. Dixie sat the boys down and reminded them to be on their best behavior while Colby was there. Jake pulled Dixie aside and asked her if she'd told Tad that she was pregnant. Dixie shook her head and promised that she'd tell Tad when the time was right. Jake offered to tell Tad for her, but Dixie said that she could do it herself. After Tad and Dixie left, the boys sat down with Jake and asked him a few questions about babies. The most humorous asked when a baby girl starts acting "like a girl." In their words, they wanted to know when girls start hating things like frogs and worms. The boys chatted amongst themselves about how they'd never share a sister or brother of their own. Junior thought about it for a while and said that it was possible because Tad and Dixie could have a baby together. Jake took a deep breath, but said nothing.
Gillian arrived at Sounds of Salsa and immediately walked over to Ryan. There was an awkward exchange of greetings before Ryan asked Gillian how Eugenia was doing. Gillian smiled and said that her grandmother was well and that she was enjoying the book that Ryan had sent her. Trevor shuffled in a few minutes later and thanked the pair for agreeing to meet with him. Trevor pulled out some documents from his briefcase and handed one to Gillian and one to Ryan. Ryan and Gillian both asked Trevor if their divorce was now final. "I did what you wanted me to do," he replied. From the looks on their faces, though, it was blatantly obvious that neither Ryan nor Gillian had wanted things to go this far. The attorney urged the pair to admit their love for each other, but neither would speak up. Trevor saw the divorce as a chance for their relationship to have a rebirth and he asked them to "fight like hell" for their love. Ryan and Gillian stared at one another without saying a word. Trevor groaned and walked away. Gillian and Ryan continued to pussyfoot around the issue. Gillian asked Ryan if he thought it was possible for them to be friends now that they were divorced. Ryan shrugged his shoulders. Gillian said that she'd hoped her relationship with Ryan could grow into the type of relationship she shared with Jake. Gillian immediately realized that discussing Jake in front of Ryan wasn't such a good idea. Ryan, however, assured Gillian that he was not mad that she'd moved on. "I want you to be happy," he said. Mateo showed up at the club in a foul mood. Ryan asked Mateo if everything was okay. After some initial resistance, Mateo told Ryan that Hayley had left him. One by one, guests started showing up for Hayley's surprise party. The party also happened to be a surprise to Mateo. He tried to tell the gathering that it wasn't a good idea to have a party for Hayley, but before he could say anything one of the partygoers spotted Hayley. They all quickly hid and waited until Hayley entered the club before yelling out their birthday greetings. Hayley was definitely surprised and a look of shock crept over her face. From behind the bar, Mateo shook his head to signal to Hayley that he had no idea that they'd planned a party for her."
- Soap Central