Episode 6853

Extended Summary

Dean is going down to the beach when he sees Willow going the other way, barging through a crowd of surfers. He asks her who’s annoyed her and she replies that she’s going to punch something, advising him not to volunteer. At the farm house, Ziggy asks Ben how the job hunting’s going and tells him he should have used a different font for his resume. Maggie and Coco come back from shopping for Ziggy’s birthday and Ziggy asks if she can open one present; Coco gives her some anti-ageing cream. Ziggy notes she’ll be relaxing on the sofa the following morning, then goes off to shower. Maggie asks who was meant to be keeping Ziggy busy while they organised the surprise party; Ben points out he’s handling catering and Coco says she’s on decorations. They suggest just having a normal party but Maggie is determined to make it a surprise.

Ava is sat on the sofa glaring at Justin as Brody turns up with a visiting Raffy. They pick up on the tension and Justin explains Willow left Ava alone and she used Brody’s knives. Ava says she often makes a meal at home and Brody explains his knives are sharper than usual. Ava says Justin yelled at Willow, as Brody gets a text from Maggie asking him to come to Salt. Raffy realises Justin only got cross because he’s scared of Nina. Justin asks Brody to help him out but Brody leaves. At Salt, Ben quietly asks him to keep Ziggy busy next morning. They rejoin Maggie, Ziggy and Coco, and Brody invites Ziggy to a romantic birthday breakfast. Ziggy refuses despite encouragement from the others, saying Ben always makes her breakfast pancakes on her birthday. Ben says he has an interview with Baz, who Maggie remembers from his work at the school, the next morning and Ziggy is roped into helping him. Ziggy “deduces” that they need her out of the way to do the cake.

Next morning, Mason and Jasmine are exchanging stories of patients, with Mason recollecting finding a patient in bed with his girlfriend when he came to prep him. Jasmine says she has to go to boot camp and Mason says he has some clinical skills classes but offers to walk with her while he picks up his lifeguard roster. Afterwards, he heads home and asks Brody if it’s okay to bring a plus one to Ziggy’s party. Brody says it should be fine and suspects he means Jasmine. Raffy and Ava are having a cushion fight on the sofa, but Ava takes a moment to glare at Justin when he emerges. Justin notes sleeping on it didn’t help. Brody thinks he needs to apologise to Willow, saying there were lessons learned on both sides and Ava’s more capable than he thinks. Ava falls off the sofa during the fight but just picks herself up and carries on, which Brody thinks proves his point.

Willow runs into Dean on the beach and asks him if she’s good with kids. After jokingly suggesting they have one, Dean agrees she’s always been good with them and was born a grown-up. Willow wonders if she’s expected everyone to be like her and says she messed up with Ava. Dean is amused at the idea of Justin being a father and Willow says he’s a good one. She wonders if she should apologise but a half-comment from Dean leaves her thinking Justin doesn’t respect her or see her long-term. Shortly after, Justin, Raffy and Ava arrive at the beach with Raffy commenting on the awkward silence. Justin admits that he shouldn’t have taken his worry out on Ava. Ava says he shouldn’t have taken it out on Willow either. Willow and Dean appear and Justin sends Raffy and Ava to get milkshakes. Willow comments on him trusting his 15-year-old sister to look after Ava but not her. Justin invites Willow to have a coffee with him. To Dean’s disappointment, she accepts.

At the Diner, Ziggy runs Ben through his first meeting with Baz, telling him not to use first names and how to shake hands. Leah asks Ziggy if she got her necklace for her birthday and Ziggy says she actually got $100 and hair straighteners. She gets Ben to practise shaking hands with John; John is a bit bemused but, on learning what it’s about, also offers advice on handshakes. Leah goes to the farm house with food supplies; Coca is making a banner to hang outside and Maggie has claimed the cake, turning down Leah’s offer of help. She gets a pain while lifting butter down from the top of the fridge and wonders if she’s pulled a muscle. Coco asks Leah to help hang the banner before she goes.

Ben meets Baz at Salt, while Ziggy watches from the bar. Baz comments on Ben being dressed up, saying he’d be a labourer. Ben says he hasn’t been to an interview in a while and Baz asks how he’d cope with taking orders after being his own boss. Dean joins Ziggy and calls Baz scum, saying most people don’t last the interview, with one person actually hitting him, and he doesn’t let up afterwards. They note Ben looks close to breaking point. Meanwhile, Mason hides behind a beach vehicle until he sees Jasmine coming, then steps into view to “coincidentally” run into her. She starts to walk away after a bit of small talk but Mason calls after her and invites her to Ziggy’s party. Jasmine is unsure, since she doesn’t really know Ziggy, but Mason says she can be his plus one and convinces her it’d be a good way to meet people.

Justin and Willow walk on the beach, with Willow complaining about being lectured in front of a nine-year-old. Justin says he wants to apologise: He freaked out and is new to being a dad. Willow tells him he’s good at it, if a control freak. She says she had to look after herself at Ava’s age but Ava has people looking out for her. Justin is worried about the effect of everything on her but Willow says Ava has two homes where she’s loved. Back at Salt, Baz comments on Ben sponging off his wife but Ben insists he’s worked regularly. Brody joins Ziggy in watching the car crash as the two men finally say goodbye. Ben admits he wouldn’t mind if he doesn’t get the job. Ziggy asks to go home with him and Brody hastily offers her a birthday cocktail. After Ben has gone, Ziggy comments about the surprise party. Brody appears not to hear over the sound of the cocktail shaker.

Jasmine comes into the Diner and tries to grab a muffin but Leah tells her they’re for the party. Jasmine explains she’s going with Mason. Leah is intrigued but Jasmine says it’s not a date, they’re just hanging out as friends. However, at Salt Mason is ecstatic that Jasmine has agreed to go out with him. He asks Brody to check that Ziggy doesn’t mind her going to the party but Brody points out Ziggy isn’t meant to know about it. Mason thinks she’s already figured it out; Brody agrees, but he isn’t going to confirm it.

Coco rejoins Maggie, complaining about cheap glitter. Maggie heads to the bathroom, telling Coco not to touch the cake…or the icing she adds, after Coco has just eaten a fingerful of it. In the bathroom, Maggie again winces in pain and starts exercising and massaging her arm and shoulder…then stops as she seems to feel something under the arm. Meanwhile, Raffy and Ava meet up with Justin and Willow outside the Diner, who confirm they’ve kissed and made up. Raffy gets a text from John asking her to come with him to pick up the balloons for the party. Justin, Willow and Ava agree to hang out and go to a movie. As they walk away, Justin checks Ava has sun screen on.

Ben arrives home and comments on Coco being dressed up. He admits the interview didn’t go well but says it was good experience. Coco says Maggie’s been in the bathroom a while. They call out to her and she calls back that she’ll be out in a minute. Sat on the bathroom floor, she asks a search engine on her phone how to tell if your cancer’s spread. The result includes a photo of an examination similar to the one she was giving herself earlier.