Episode 7003

Extended Summary

Ben, Maggie and Ziggy are having dinner at Salt; Ben mentions that Brody has agreed to provide a cooking lesson for the silent auction. Maggie worries that the event is next week and she hasn’t really done anything but they tell her there’s plenty to do nearer the time. Leah and Roo come in with the posters for the event; Maggie is open-mouthed that it features a large picture of her but agrees when they say she’s the face of the campaign. Meanwhile, Justin tells Willow that he wouldn’t have asked about Dean if he’d known she’d struggle. Willow says it’s not that but leaves hurriedly without talking about it.

Roo and Ziggy are discussing putting posters up. Ben asks Maggie if she’s okay with it all and she claims she is. They wonder about publicity. Ben says the Coastal News are offering free adverts. Ziggy wonders if anyone actually reads it. Roo says Alf and John do, then takes her point. Maggie says Coco is talking about it online. Leah asks Ziggy about Raffy and she admits she’s still not talking to Brody. Brody’s depressed mood underscores the point. He and Ziggy exit the surf club with her trying to cheer him up. They pass a jittery Willow. Brody wonders if she’s okay and Ziggy says she probably feels guilty over Dean and should do. Brody looks stunned at her response.

Justin is leaving a phone message for Willow. Brody comes in and Justin assumes he’s run out of milk. Brody tells him about seeing Willow. Justin says they haven’t had a fight but admits something happened. He says things were fine while they were away but since they got back she’s been preocccupied about Dean. Brody warns him that stress is dangerous for someone like Willow. At the gym, Willow is sat in the office, looking at the gambling app on her phone. She nearly places a bet but Justin comes in. He looks aghast.

Marilyn runs into Leah near the Diner; Marilyn is about to take a cake home for John while Leah is going to put up the posters. Marilyn is surprised Leah isn’t doing a vlog but Leah is reluctant after what happened with Raffy. Marilyn offers to help her put the posters up, saying John can wait. Meanwhile, Justin has settled Willow in his room so she can phone her sponsor and thanks Brody for his help. He goes back to Willow and says it’s obvious staying away from Dean is too much for her and she doesn’t have to do it. Willow says she’s responsible for her actions. Justin wants to understand, asking about her earlier comment about Dean doing fine, but Willow says they’ll talk in the morning.

Next morning, Ben and Maggie are walking to the Diner and find the side of the pier covered in posters. Alf and Roo emerge and compliment them, suggesting they go for a coffee at the Diner. Maggie privately tells Ben they should take some of the posters down but Ben likes looking at her. Later, the four of them go down a long list of what has turned into an all-day event. Maggie goes to talk to Leah at the counter and suggests the posters are going overboard. Marilyn cheerily takes responsibility and also drops hints about the vlog. Leah puts it to Maggie and says she doesn’t have to do it. Maggie says she will if it will help.

Justin catches Brody sneaking in to take milk but tells him he’s welcome to it after the previous night. They realise Willow isn’t around and when Justin tries to call her they find she left her phone. Justin says at least that means she isn’t gambling but Brody says there are other ways. Brody goes out the back where Ziggy is playing with Buddy. She chides him for forgetting the milk and he tells her Willow’s missing. Ziggy isn’t bothered so Brody reminds her of everything Willow’s going through: No family, community service and a criminal record. Ziggy agrees to help look for her.

Justin finds Willow on the beach. She says she couldn’t sleep and left her phone behind to avoid distraction or temptation. She suggests they go back and talk, saying seeing Dean moving on messed with her because her own life is a train wreck. At Salt, Brody gets a text from Justin about Willow. Ziggy moans slightly about wasting time looking for her. Ben comes in and says the fundraiser has turned into a celebration of Maggie surviving cancer so he wonders if Brody would play guitar at the dinner. Brody doesn’t seem keen but agrees to think about it.

Settled back at the Morgan house, Willow tells Justin that she’s spent so long helping out Dean that she’s only just realised how little she has in her own life: She has no plans for the future, no money and nothing much to show for herself. Justin says she has him, prompting Willow to ask where he thinks their relationship is going. She saves him having to answer by asking him to take her to Irene’s to get her gym uniform. Soon after, Justin and Willow arrive at the surf club where they meet Ziggy. Justin goes upstairs to see Brody while Ziggy tells Willow that she stands by what she said last week but didn’t think about how hard things were on Willow so she’ll back off. Leah and Maggie come in and ask Willow for a favour.

Soon after, Willow is giving Maggie a training session on the beach while Leah films them and Ziggy looks on. Willow leaves them and Leah asks Maggie to give a message. Maggie gives an upbeat but somewhat perfunctory speech about the fundraiser and what it’s about. Ziggy is underwhelmed and Leah asks Maggie to make it more personal since it’s her story that’s grabbed people. Maggie snaps that it’s not about her and refuses to redo it. Later, back at the surf club, Leah comments to Roo that she should have learned from Raffy and not pushed Maggie. Maggie and Ziggy join them. Maggie apologises for what she said and Leah and Ziggy apologise for pressing her. They all agree it should be about raising funds and awareness of cancer.

Up in Salt, Brody tries to get Justin to take over from him playing guitar at the dinner and Justin agrees although he thinks Ben wants Brody. He tells Brody about his chat with Willow and her lack of direction. He asks when Brody knew Ziggy was the one and Brody says as soon as he met her. Justin admits that when he thinks about his and Willow’s future he’s got nothing.