Episode 7312

Extended Summary

Leah and Justin are walking along the beach to the Diner. Justin is on the phone to Ava and tells Leah that it’s her first football game of the season soon and she’d like them both to be there. Leah says they’ll see, pointing out that she hasn’t even started work yet. They see Ben sat on the beach. Justin calls over to him, inviting him to join them for coffee, but he doesn’t respond. When Leah asks if they should call Maggie, he says he just wants to be left alone. Back at the farm house, Maggie continues to insist that Marco isn’t Ziggy’s father but Ziggy says saying it over and over doesn’t change anything. Maggie insists she knows Ben is her father but Ziggy isn’t willing to rely on a mother’s intuition, especially when she’s been lying for over twenty years. Maggie says she’s going to look for Ben, and Ziggy can either help her or stay out of her way.

At the surf club, Willow and Dean have just arrived back in town. Willow is angry that she had to cut the trip short because of Stella not opening up the gym. Dean tries to point out that Jasmine didn’t seem upset when she phoned them and suggests Willow not make any decision when she’s spent three days either crying or taking it out on him, but Willow is determined. At the Diner, Irene checks with Leah that she’s still okay to start work the next day. Justin is happy to follow Leah’s lead. Leah gets a phone call and decides to go outside to take it. Justin tells Irene that they’re taking things slow.

Ziggy enters the surf club, leaving a message for Ben saying she needs to know he’s okay. Marco, standing nearby, says he saw Ben on the beach before. Ziggy blames him for everything that’s happened but Marco blames Maggie, saying he never intended things to come out and she should have kept quiet. Ziggy asks if he ever thought about her being his daughter and Marco says he didn’t want it to come out. Roo observes the argument from the stairs. Ziggy bumps into Dean and is pleased he’s back. They go for a walk on the beach where Ziggy notes it happened around the time Maggie got pregnant. Dean is surprised she didn’t call him and she says it only happened today. She is worried about the effect on Ben if it turns out he isn’t her father.

Justin finds Leah out on the pier and she says she needed a moment. She explains it was the prosecutor on the phone; Douglas is pleading guilty but they want to know if she’ll give a victim impact statement at his sentencing hearing. Justin suggests she’s worried about facing him again. They take hands. On the balcony at Salt, Ziggy is telling Dean that Ben was right about Marco. She isn’t convinced by Maggie’s assertion that Ben is her father and recalls that her parents got married because Maggie was pregnant. Dean thinks they’d have got married anyway but Ziggy says Ben gave up his surfing career and lost contact with his parents, and it might all have been for nothing.

Ben comes into Salt, apparently looking for someone. Marco is sat at a table and invites Ben to join him, ordering two more beers. Ben asks if Marco was serious about wanting to get the family back together. Marco says he was, but admits that the business is in trouble: He thought he could do better than their father but overinvested and made promises he couldn’t keep. It would kill their father if they lost the business and Ben’s investment would have saved it. Ben says Marco could have been straight with him and says he knows nothing about family. Meanwhile, Roo finds Maggie at the farm house and tells her about Ziggy and Marco arguing. Maggie tells her Ben is Ziggy’s father. Roo notes it would have been awkward if she’d been born nine months later. Maggie admits that’s what happened but says she was in a long-term relationship with Ben and it was just the once with Marco. Roo points out Ziggy isn’t going to just drop it.

Willow has called Stella into the office at the gym. Stella apologises for getting mixed up, saying it wasn’t her finest hour. Willow blames her for Jasmine having to come in to deal with it and for paying members being left waiting outside. She tells Stella to get her things because she’s fired. At the Diner, Leah is talking to Irene, Marilyn and Justin about the victim impact statement. Irene can understand why Leah would be reluctant to talk about it, recalling the trouble she had discussing her abuse, but seems to be in favour. Leah asks Justin his opinion and he suggests she should only do it if it gives her closure. Marilyn suggests she sleep on it but Leah decides she’s not going to do it.

Ben arrives back at the farm house. He asks Maggie if the time with Marco was the only one and she confirms it was. Ben says he thought he knew everything about her and wonders if she’s keeping anything else from him. Maggie tells him about Ziggy’s concerns. At the Diner flat, Dean tries to get Ziggy to eat something. Ziggy is worried that Ben might not be her father and Coco could just be a cousin/half-sister. Dean asserts they’ll always be her father and sister, saying Mackenzie’s his half-sister and he, Colby and Willow are family despite not having a blood tie. Ziggy isn’t convinced and is worried how Ben will react. At that point, Ben turns up and Dean leaves them alone. Ben understands her concerns. He says that he’ll always be her dad and she’ll always be his daughter but if she wants a test then he’ll be happy to have one.

At the gym, Willow is on the phone trying to get someone to take over Stella’s shifts. Dean turns up and Willow tells him she needs to reorganise the roster because she fired someone. Dean isn’t impressed but Willow insists she’s in charge and Dean leaves. Willow sees a figure with the legend “Willow Harris Manager” on the desk and throws it in the bin. Back at the farm house, Ben and Ziggy arrive back. Maggie and Marco are waiting, although Ziggy isn’t keen to see the latter. Maggie insists she knows in her heart that Ben is Ziggy’s father but Ziggy isn’t convinced so Ben suggests a paternity test. Marco thinks it’s a great idea but Ben says it’s not up to him. Ziggy says she needs to know and Ben says they’ll do it.

Next morning, at the surf club, Ziggy is relating the news to Dean. She says that they’ll have to wait a week for the results. Dean wishes he could go to the hospital with her but Ziggy notes that would be even more weird. At the Diner, Justin walks Leah in and decides to hang around for something to eat. Irene and Marilyn welcome Leah back, saying it’ll be like she’s never been away in no time. Leah doesn’t seem so sure.