Frank Dawson was introduced as Adrian's father, a fact that no one refutes. However, Adrian was in for the surprise of his life when he learned that his mother, Alice, was not the woman who had given birth to him. Many years before, Opal Gardner showed up in West Eleanor, Alabama, after fleeing her abusive husband, Ray. Frank took Opal into his home and helped nurse her back to health. Opal and Frank fell in love, but at that time an interracial relationship was not yet as widely-accepted as it is today. Opal became pregnant with Frank's child. Shortly after Adrian as born, Ray tracked down Opal and their son, Tad, and forced them to leave with him. Rather than run the risk of having Adrian abused by Ray, Opal lied and said that Adrian was a child that she was babysitting. Frank later married Alice and they raised Adrian as their own.

On November 1st (which aired on the October 31st episode) 2000, Frank suffered a stroke and Adrian left Pine Valley to be with his dad.