Episode 7008

Extended Summary

Justin and Willow have just finished a swim on the beach. Justin fills Willow in on Ava’s recital and Tori’s pregnancy. Willow says she’s been to a GA meeting and her sponsor’s helping. Justin tries to get her to focus on them: They kiss but Willow says she has community service. At the surf club, Alf, John and Ben are going over plans for the fundraiser. John says (not for the first time) it should be out the front and the others say (not for the first time) that there’s no room. John checks the sausage sizzle will be front and centre and Alf says it’ll be right next to the first aid tent. Ben sees Justin and invites him to join them.

Chelsea meets Dean outside the board shop and asks if he’s going to tell Colby what he’s found. Dean is sticking to his guns. Willow passes them, sarcastically commenting on them clamming up, and also passes Colby, who invites her to join them for a coffee but she says she can’t. Colby reminds Dean they need a suit fitting. Dean says he’s busy with work, picking up the board he’s working on, and claims not to have heard from Holsten. At the surf club, the guys are noting they have to sort out the last of the tents, barricades and stalls. Ben invites Justin upstairs to talk over his set. Dean turns up with the board and Ben tell him to put it on the ute. Dean asks John where the community service group are working.

Dean finds Willow working on dune clearance and tells her he and Chelsea weren’t talking about her earlier but about Colby and Bella. He says he could use her help. At Salt, Justin and Ben are talking about the set-up. Maggie still has no idea and Ben is fine with Justin taking over, pleased to have live music. Justin asks him about his plans. Ben says Maggie wants to do more fundraising and travelling and with the kids grown up they can do it. He asks if Justin has plans with Willow. Justin says he’s working on it.

Dean has explained to Willow about Rick going to see Karen. Willow encourages him to find a way to see her. At the Diner, Colby and Chelsea are discussing wedding plans. Dean comes in and Colby tries to get him to come with him to check on the suits. Dean says he’s still too busy and Chelsea backs him up so Colby decides to go on his own but reminds Dean he needs to go to a fitting some time. Dean tells Chelsea about needing to see Karen and she realises he wants her to pull strings, commenting on the irony of a River Boy asking a cop for help. Dean reminds her it’s for Colby.

Justin notices Willow at the surf club; she is in a bit of a daze and it takes him a while to get her attention. He asks her about making plans but she says she’s just living day to day at the moment. Justin asks if it’s all right for him to think of some options for when she’s ready to talk and she agrees. Ben suggests they go to the Diner for lunch and also pick up the cans of drink they’re donating. Alf says to bring him back a pie; John tries and fails to get out of going as well. Not too far away, Chelsea is on the phone to the hospital, telling them she’s a police officer and asking to see Karen.

John, Ben and Justin enter the Diner; Ben says they should get the slabs of cans from out the back but John promptly sits down and seemingly goes to sleep so they decide to give him a minute. Justin asks Ben about making plans and Ben says Maggie does that and he goes with the flow. Justin admits he’s been so busy with other stuff he hasn’t thought about Willow and they’re in limbo. John wakes up enough to comment that it’s hard to be a pillar of support and look after yourself, saying his mum used to say that. Justin and Ben head outside with the cans and Ben briefly checks in with Dean. He tells Justin Dean’s doing all right: He knows boards and has the gift of the gab. John follows them out with the food and doesn’t impress anyone by saying he ordered barbeque sauce. Chelsea joins Dean and says she’s found a way to talk to Karen.

John, Justin and Ben arrive back at the surf club with Alf’s pie and the four men go into the office to eat. John talks about finding a common goal in a relationship. Ben says life or kids take care of the future. Alf remarks in his day you used to commit to a sheila and then hang on. He suggests Justin and Willow set themselves goals. Later, as they set up in the surf club, John suggests a pet, Alf suggests fishing and Ben suggests travel. Alf agrees, saying a road trip. Justin leaps on the idea but admits the timing isn’t good. Ben suggests working up to it.

Chelsea finishes a phone call and tells Dean they can get in to see Karen on Tuesday, explaining she pulled the outstanding charges as a reason. Dean comments that that’s bending the rules. He says he’ll call Holsten, which Colby overhears. They head up to the flat and fill him in on everything: Their mothers knowing each other and Ross visiting Karen. Dean says he would have told him but wanted all the answers first. Colby insists on going with them, despite warnings about Karen’s mood.

Later, Chelsea apologises to Colby for going behind his back but is committed to helping out, saying he and Bella are family. Outside, Willow asks Dean how it went and he tells her about the appointment to see Karen and says her advice was helpful. Willow offers to help more but when she sees Justin on the wharf she hides. Dean is unimpressed and tells her to forget it.

That evening, Willow is drinking a coffee in the Diner. She quickly drinks up when Colby comes in but he says he’s not with anyone and sits down with her. He asks how long she’s going to keep it up, saying she’s obviously not okay with how things are. Willow says she hopes the lead works out and Colby says if it does he’ll throw a party. Willow gets a text from Justin asking to meet. Colby says they miss her and Willow admits she misses them too. Outside the Morgan house, Justin has looked up road trips on his phone. However, when Willow turns up she thinks he’s brought her there to question her and says she needs a night alone: He’s put her in an impossible situation and she hates it.