Episode 7780

Extended Summary

Outside the surf club, Felicity is sending out an invite text for the next poker night. Tane comes along and gets the text. He confirms they can count him in and mentions Mia sending him away. They head up to Salt. At the Diner, Ryder, Bella and Nikau are wrong-footed about Chloe deciding to stay with Mia. Roo arrives and Ryder asks her about Martha, who is resting after the dialysis. He has heard about the transplant from Alf, who also arrives at that moment. They both encourage Ryder to spend time with his friends, before Alf gives Roo a hug.

Mia puts the food back in the fridge and is surprised to see Chloe in the house. Chloe assures her she wants to be there. Mia notes her plan to make a roast fell apart but Chloe suggests they get on with it. As they’re preparing, Mia recalls how Ari was always keen for measurements to be specific but Chloe isn’t keen to talk about it.

Alf and Roo wander up to the coffee cart where Marilyn is working, talking about Martha’s condition. Roo worries she delayed Martha coming around to the idea of the transplant and regrets spending so much time being angry with her. She wants to head back to the hospital but Alf says he’ll go. At the farm house, Ryder is dealing out poker hands to Nikau and a bored Bella, who folds just to end the game. Ryder says they might go to Vegas some day and the problem is there’s nothing at stake, so offers to buy a juice for whoever gets the most chips.

Mia and Chloe have put the roast in the oven and Mia recalls the first hangi Chloe went to: She kept poking the fire pit to see if it was done so Ari carried her around on his shoulders to keep her busy. She recalled how his family loved seeing it and suggests they go and see them. Chloe points out there’s her job and the gym to consider, but Mia says Irene would give Chloe time off and Tane’s handling the gym anyway, and wants to look up flights to New Zealand. Chloe snaps that she needs to move on and Mia’s making it impossible. Tane and Felicity arrive in time to hear the tail end of the rant and see Chloe storm off. Meanwhile, Marilyn tries to encourage Roo to take a break instead of helping her clear up. Roo thinks she can’t do anything to help Martha since she’s not going to get better without a transplant. Marilyn suggests she might be well enough if the hypertension improves.

Tane tries to assure Mia that Chloe didn’t mean it but Mia knows she did and that it must have been hard to hear her talking about Ari. She wants to go and look for Chloe. Tane says he’ll call her. Felicity tells Mia she’s a good mum and notes she didn’t get to spend much time with hers…before asking what’s in the oven. Meanwhile, Ryder announces that Nikau’s running flush beats Bella’s three of a kind. Nikau gives Ryder a chip as a tip. Chloe arrives and asks them to deal her in. She doesn’t want to talk about Mia and asks what the blind is, anteing up.

Alf arrives home and tells Roo and Marilyn that Martha’s a bit better. Marilyn says dinner’s nearly ready but he decides to go to bed. Roo says Marilyn was right about not giving up. Later, Alf finds Roo looking at her laptop. Roo says there are studies that say a positive outlook and reducing stress, with meditation, diet and exercise, can relieve heart conditions and high blood pressure. Alf doesn’t want to give Martha false hope but agrees if Martha does.

Nikau folds as Chloe gets a text from Tane asking if she’s all right. Ryder asks if she’s playing. Bella takes the phone and looks at the message. Chloe admits she was mean to Mia. Later, Nikau privately asks Ryder what the poker thing was about. Ryder admits he’s thinking of a career change to a croupier. He wonders if they should check on the others; Nikau says to leave it to Bella. Outside, Bella tries to reassure Chloe that she and Mia will be okay. She notes Chloe’s tried avoiding Mia and spending every second with her, so she needs to find a solution that works for them both.

Tane, Mia and Felicity finish eating. Mia says they don’t have to keep her company but Felicity is happy to stay, since the TV’s better. Chloe arrives back and Tane and Felicity give them space. Chloe apologises for yelling. Mia says she didn’t realise talking about Ari was a trigger. Chloe says Mia is as well, seeing how much pain she’s in, and she can’t be around her. Mia hugs Chloe but she pulls away, saying she can’t. Out the back, Felicity offers to stay but Tane thinks it’s better if she doesn’t, even though he wants her to. Mia comes out and Felicity leaves. Mia admits there’s nothing she can do to help Chloe.

Next morning, Ryder catches up to Bella and Nikau on the beach and they discuss his croupier plans. Bella protests he’s spent all that time studying hospitality, but he points out it’s a different kind of hospitality. Bella thinks Mackenzie won’t be able to run Salt without him. They come across Chloe, who chats with Bella and Nikau about Mia. Back at the Parata house, Tane notes Chloe left early. He tells Mia that she’s been acting as though there’s only two choices: Her and Chloe both leave or both stay. He suggests there’s a third option: Mia goes and Chloe stays with him.