She got her daddy's tongue and temper
Sometimes her mouth could use a filter
God shook his head the day he built her
Oh, but I bet he smiled.
Lee Brice, She Ain't Right
"Okay, so I'm betting y'all are wondering why I asked all of ya to meet me at the Floating Rib tonight? For a family dinner?" Adriana asked as she shifted nervously in the seat in which she sat, looked at her entire extended family as she bit her lower lip.. She knew that soon, she'd have to make a decision as to whether she remained here and got to know her real family, or whether she went back to Georgia and tried just going back to life as it was before she'd found out the truth. And she'd been on the fence as far as a decision for the better part of the two weeks she'd been here.
Until today, of course.. She'd just walked around the town, sort of checked out things for herself since her mother and her doctors were finally letting her move around more, since she'd finally been given permission to lose the crutches and stuff. And she'd found a garage downtown that happened to be hiring.. Not to mention, when she'd come into the Floating Rib earlier in the hopes of getting a drink and found it relatively unmanned, she'd been able to talk the owner into hiring her fairly easily.. And it hit her then.. These people were her real family. She felt like she fit in with them. Nothing made her feel like an outsider here. Life even seemed a lot more peaceful here, which coming from a country girl at heart, that was saying a lot.
She'd made the decision sometime between the unofficial end of her first 'shift' at The Floating Rib and now that she'd do it, she'd make the move to Port Charles and just go back to see her adoptive sisters on some holidays. After all, there wasn't really anything holding her to Georgia now, her adoptive mother was gone and she had no family of her own. Her sisters both had husbands, kids.. The life she wanted but was too afraid deep down to let herself think she could have.
"Kind of, yes.." Molly said as she smiled and nudged Kristina who asked, "Did you decide finally whether this is just a visit?" while Ethan studied his girlfriend's niece with a curious expression on his face. He related to her because he'd been in her shoes already, he knew how a lifetime of not fitting in with your so called family felt. Then he'd come here and while he and Luke butted heads, they still got along great for the most part.
"Actually, yeah, I did.." Adriana said as Alexis asked excitedly, "Well?" and Sam bit her lower lip, crossed her fingers beneath the table they were all crowded around with Lucas speaking up to add, "Well? Are you gonna leave us hanging all day?" as Julian chuckled and asked, "If you don't mind me asking, Adriana.. What do you really have in Georgia that you don't have here? I mean other than warmer weather. Maybe you can migrate." with a teasing smirk as Adriana gave him a playful dirty look and said "Ha, Gramps. Actually, I was thinking the same thing you just said.. And while I was walking around today, I happened to find a garage here in town that was hiring.. And The Floating Rib needs bartenders.. And I checked into PCU?"
"I knew it!" Molly shouted, making people at the tables around them eye her and laugh, shake their heads. Alexis smiled and asked casually, "What are you going to go for if you go to PCU?"
"Not to disappoint you, Grams.. But I think I might go for their medical program. I've got the stomach needed to be a nurse, I mean nothing really makes me sick." Adriana mused thoughtfully as Sam nodded and said "That's good, nurses are always in high demand."
"And I can aggrivate the hell out of you while we're at work." Lucas teased as Adriana gave him a playful dirty look and said "Yeah, but.. I can do it right back." with a mischevious gleam in her eyes as Kristina spoke up and said "So.. Are you going to keep living with Sam? We have to redecorate your room."
"We do, yes.. Not so much a fan of the blinding pink nightmare splashed on the walls." Adriana said as Sam nodded and said mildly, "I never have been. Nobody usually uses that room so it's just kind of stayed pink."
"Who the hell slept there, the Avon rep from hell? I mean that color pink, Mom..." Adriana joked as Alexis said "You're close." which made Sam snicker a little and then answer, "A girl named Brenda Barrett?"
"No shit? The supermodel that every teenage girl in America tries to copy?" Adriana asked with wide eyes and a bright laugh as she added, "Yeah, now I can totally see why it's pepto pink." as she ordered her food and then asked, "So.. This is okay with everyone?"
"We're glad you're staying." her family all basically agreed. They all dug into their food, talking and laughing, joking about random things, and Adriana got up to go to the bathroom. She'd just turned a corner when she collided with a taller dark haired male who chuckled, steadied her quickly as he asked, "You okay? I should've been watching where I was going. I'm Nathan."
"Adriana. And it's actually not your fault. I just kinda hauled ass to the ladies room.. Wasn't watching where I went." Adriana said as she smiled up at him and then said casually, "Here alone?"
Nathan shook his head and nodded to a table with a couple sitting at it, a baby in the woman's lap. He waved and then said "Those two dragged me out tonight.. Something about how I couldn't just sit around and mope because this girl I had a thing for, sort of, took off to stop another guy's wedding?"
Adriana snickered then said with a sheepish smile as her hand went to her mouth, "Sorry, it's just.. I thought I had bad luck, hon.. I'm kinda having a family celebration thing right now. Decided to move here, get to know my birth mother. Biggest move I'll have ever made in my whole life."
"Port Charles isn't boring, that's for sure.. It's not a bad place, just lots of stuff happens." Nathan mused as Adriana nodded and said "So I've noticed.. Feels more like home to me than Georgia did the entire time I lived there." with a shrug as Nathan nodded and then said "Maybe I'll see you around?"
"Probably so." Adriana called out over her shoulder as she made her way through the crowd and into the ladies room. Nathan went to sit at his table with Dante and Lulu, Lulu nudged him and asked, "Well?"
"She's cute.. Her name was Adriana, but do not go playing Cupid." Nathan said with a smirk as Dante chuckled and said quietly, "I know that look, man. And I know my wife.. You might as well hang her not butting in up."
"Hey, he's our friend.. I just want everyone happy like us.. And if Maxie is going to Spin, if she's finally going to make herself happy, why can't Nathan?"