Episode 8461

Extended Summary

Kirby is singing to herself as she washes down some boards outside the surf club. Tane comes past and she conversationally asks if he’s excited for the big day tomorrow. Tane snappily asks why wouldn’t he be, then apologises before walking on. Cash also appears and dismisses Tane’s behaviour as wedding nerves.

Irene and Dana arrive home with Dana saying she’s pleased Irene’s coming to the wedding. Irene is looking forward to it but comments that Harper seemed tense earlier. She leaves Dana to check on her while she goes to see if she’s got something to wear. Dana finds Harper in her room and realises she’s not crying happy tears.

Tane and Cash are sitting at Salt. Tane tries to get Cash to go away but Cash says this is a wedding meeting and he’s still best man. John joins them with drinks and says they’ve mostly structured the wedding around Harper’s requirements and he wondered if Tane had anything he wanted to add to the ceremony: A surprise for Harper or something to make the day more memorable. Tane says he’s happy with what John’s arranged.

Eden is out the back of the Lyrik house when Kirby arrives back, singing. She explains it’s one of the songs she got back from Forrest. Eden says she’s been thinking about getting engaged to Cash again: He was there earlier but it wasn’t the right time to ask him. Kirby suggests asking him after the wedding and Eden agrees it’s a good idea.

Harper has changed out of her wedding dress as Dana asks what’s changed. Harper says nothing has and yet everything has: She’s asking what she’s signing up for, since Tane’s never told her how he feels. Dana suggests him working hard on the wedding and coming up with the Japan trip might be evidence his feelings have changed and suggests Harper ask him, as she may have nothing to worry about.

Cash and Tane arrive home. Cash thinks he can’t say anything else but Tane encourages him to speak. Cash says that it’s the night before Tane’s wedding and it’s sad that they’re arguing about this: There’s no whanau, no joy, no celebration. Tane says just because it’s not how Cash would do things doesn’t make it wrong. Harper arrives outside the door as Cash is saying he’d proudly stand by Tane’s side if he thought it would work out and asks if he loves Harper or not. There’s a long awkard silence until Harper walks in and says she’d like to know too.

Cash goes over to see Eden at the Lyrik house and notes he was pushing Tane to be honest and Harper walked in at the worst possible moment. Eden suggests it’s good to be honest with someone. Kirby chimes in that it’s especially important with someone you want to spend the rest of your life with, before heading out and telling Eden to use the time alone wisely.

Tane tells Harper that it’s Cash’s problem, not his. Harper says it’s been worrying her for a long time. Tane says he cares about her and this is important to him. Harper says she loves him and asks if he loves her. Tane admits he doesn’t but wants to be there for her and Archie. Harper agrees.

At Salt, Kirby is telling Justin that she’s happy with the work she’s done polishing the songs. Justin tells her he’s booked the recording studio. Kirby wonders if she can balance pursuing music with her job at the board shop. Justin checks his phone, saying he got an alert from the garage and needed to check the cameras but it was a false alarm.

Irene comes downstairs and tells Dana she was hoping to get Harper’s opinion on her outfit. Dana says Harper’s gone to see Tane, which Irene thought was bad luck. Dana says it couldn’t get much worth, then backtracks, calling it a speed bump, and tells Irene to go with the blue outfit. Harper comes home and, after exchanging a few words, Irene goes upstairs. Harper says Tane was honest with her: He cares about her but doesn’t love her. Dana says she’ll support her, but if it doesn’t feel right, she shouldn’t go through with it. Harper goes to her room, where she runs a hand over the wedding dress and over her baby bump.

Next morning, Tane finds a basket of goodies and bottle of wine outside the house from Mackenzie and Levi. Harper appears and Tane wonders if they should see each other before the service. Harper says they can’t do this and it’s wrong. Tane asks what’s wrong about being a family. Harper says they can still be that but she wants more: She can’t live a lie and bring up a baby in a loveless marriage.

Kirby is singing and playing the keyboard. Cash and Eden come in and she apologises for disturbing them. Eden says they weren’t sleeping. Kirby wonders if Cash should be heading off to the wedding before she herself heads off to work, passing Tane as she leaves. Tane tells Cash and Eden that the wedding’s off.

At the beach house, Dana is on the phone to Harper wondering where she is as John and Irene look on. Harper then reappears and tells them there’s no wedding, calling it a joint decision. Dana convinces Irene and John to go to the beach to let the people who were setting up and the photographer know. She then takes Harper into her room where Harper admits it never felt right.

Outside the surf club, Kirby is rushing around trying to get ready for a lesson and tells Justin she had to put her song aside to come there. Justin suggests she needs to think about prioritising, saying Mali will understand her going with her passion rather than spreading herself thin trying to please everyone. They prepare to get ready for the wedding but John appears and tells them the wedding’s off and as far as he knows it was mutual.

Dana finishes a phone call to Marilyn, and Harper wonders if she was upset since she was more excited than anyone. Cash arrives and gives Harper a hug. Harper notes they all knew how Tane felt and Dana tried to warn her but she went ahead thinking it would be fine. Cash offers help and Dana says she has a very long list of things to cancel. Harper also gives him the engagement ring, asking him to give it back to Tane.

Eden finds Tane sitting out the back of the Parata house. He acknowledges that what he had with Harper wasn’t the same as what he had with Felicity but he thought they could make it work and he could love her. Eden says you can’t force yourself to love someone and a kid just needs two parents, who don’t have to be married. Tane goes to make some calls as Cash returns and asks Eden how he is.

Dana and Harper are walking along the beach and Dana checks that Harper and Tane are over, saying hopefully they can still be friends. Harper says she can’t stand to be around him now. Dana points out he’s meant to be there at Archie’s birth and she’ll still see him. Harper wonders how they’re going to do that.