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

"I see y'all made up." Adriana said as she walked into her mom's apartment, hung her jacket up on the back of a chair and flopped down next to her mother on the leather couch in the living room. Sam smiled and nodding said "Yeah, we did.. I told him though, this time we had to take it slow." as she looked down at Adriana and asked with a smirk, "What about you?"

"I was just having drinks with the guy, Mom. Not a big deal." Adriana fumbled for words as she thought back to earlier in the night. Nathan had gotten her to dance with him as a 'condition' when he'd beaten her in a game of darts. She'd figured she had him beat but he'd surprised her. She could still smell his cologne on her shirt and it made her smile a little.

Sam pulled out her cell phone and said "Sure.. And your aunt Kristina's been photoshopping these all night via cell phone and sending them to me, Adri? You two look cozy.. And more importantly, you look happy."

"Mom.. Seriously. And anyway, if she's been texting you pictures of me all night, suppose I should tell you that she and Ethan were practically making out while dancing at one point, huh? Wonder what grandma would say about that one?" Adriana mused with a shrug and a giggle before yawning and then asking, "So.. Is he moving back in? I mean I see his motorcycle in the garage, a bag in the hallway.. Did you finally let the man come back? I'm glad you two stubborn asses talked. Just so you know I was fully prepared to throw you two in a room and lock the door until you did. Danny deserves mama and daddy. Not just one of you at a time."

Sam nodded, laughed as she told her daughter quietly, "I think we're gonna be okay.. And what about you? Did you at least try and accept that Nathan might possibly want to be more than friends?"

"Mom.. His ex girlfriend is freaking gorgeous. I'm me.. I hardly see that happening." Adriana said as Sam shook her head and said quietly, "You.. are every bit as gorgeous as Maxie Jones.. Or anyone. Anybody who says any different is blind or an idiot."

"You kinda have to say that, I mean you are my mother."

"Everyone says it."

"No they don't."

"Lucas is always telling me how guys hit on you when you two are making rounds at the hospital. And you're always getting phone numbers when you're out somewhere."

"Because they wanna hang out and play poker and watch football, Mom. Huge difference in being the girl and being the best friend who happens to be a girl. If you grew up with sisters like mine were.." Adriana admitted as Sam sighed and shook her head then said quietly, " You definitely are my daughter. Stubborn." before asking, "Well, did anything noteworthy happen?"

"We're going to see a movie tomorrow.. As friends most likely." Adriana said as Sam laughed and then said "I knew it! And if he asked you to a movie, Adri, nine times out of ten, it's a date."

"Who says?"

"It's in the dating handbook, kid." Sam said as she yawned and s tood, pulled her daughter up off the couch and said with a smile, "Only waited up to give you hell for the pictures your aunt sent me. Now that both my kids are home I can go to sleep." as Adriana nodded and said quietly, "I'm glad I chose to stick around.. It feels more like home here.. I mean the Harpers.. They sorta loved me.. But this just feels more like home."

"I'm glad you stayed too, Adri." Sam admitted as Adriana ducked into her room. Sam walked on down the hall to her room and got into bed beside Jason who asked sleepily, "She finally came in?"

"She did. And she likes him a lot. I told her we talked. She gloated, of course."

"Figures." Jason chuckled as he slid his arm around Sam, pulled her against him in bed and kissed her forehead. "Sleep woman.. We have work tomorrow."

"We do, sadly." Sam muttered as she lie there, smiling to herself in the dark. Her life was good. It was perfect, actually. Normally, she'd worry about something happening and messing that up. Not now. She'd just gotten it all back. She couldn't wait to see what it held in store for her.

Down the hall, Adriana lie in her bed in the newly painted pale blue, formerly blinding pink room and stared at the ceiling. What if Nathan did like her as more than a friend? She had no clue how to handle this situation, she hadn't ever had or kept a serious boyfriend around long. They all just seemed to lose interest when something prettier came along. She gave up trying when she kept taking guys home in high school and one of her two adopted sisters wound up being the girl the guy she was bringing home was actually more interested in.

She thought about all the fun she'd had with him tonight, at the Rib, and she wondered if he really did mean for tomorrow night to be a date, or was it just two friends going to see a movie. She worried about this so much that she was pounding the pillow in frustration until about 4 am and finally, she gave up on sleep altogether and made her way down the hall to the kitchen where Jason was feeding Danny.

"Can't sleep?"

"Just restless." Adriana said quietly as she watched Jason with Danny and smiled a little. Jason sat Danny in a high chair and then handed Adriana a glass of water as he asked, "A reason you're restless?"

"Not particularly, no." Adriana said as she looked at Jason and said quietly, "Not one that I wanna get into anyway, I mean it's stupid."

"I think I know what it is.. Only thing I can tell you, Adri, is don't let things get to you like they do. You overthink a lot, I've noticed. Sam does it too. I think it's a genetic trait really." Jason mused as he worked on feeding Danny his formula bottle and trying to get him back to sleep. Adriana nodded. She did tend to overthink things too much.

"Basically, what you're tellin me is don't think so much."

"Mhmm. Just let whatever happens, happen. No sense in getting rushed into something. That's when the most problems start." Jason nodded as Adriana asked, "That's where you and Mom's problems started?"

"Sort of. It was a mixture of things, really. But when it's right you'll know.. When it's wrong you'll know too." Jason said as Adriana stood and stretched. "Thanks.. For the talk." she muttered as he nodded, managed a smile and asked, "Going to sleep now?"

"I'm gonna try. Maybe my mind will shut off a few hours and let me."