Episode 8532

Extended Summary

Theo and Lacey walk through a park area. Lacey says that she doesn’t want to feel like this but Jo did something unforgivable and won’t take responsibility for it. She also isn’t convinced about Jo trying to make her feel sorry for her. Theo suggests Lacey might be wrong about how her mum died. In a similar area, Tane helps Jo get her breathing under control. Jo says she sometimes gets panic attacks and attributes it to her train wreck relationship with her sister but doesn’t want to go into details since their friendship is new. Tane asks if he can call anyone and she suggests David. Tane asks for his number.

Justin and David arrive at the Diner, with Justin giving David his car keys back and saying it wasn’t a big job in the end. Leah greets them and David notes his daughters agreed on something and a good thing came out of the house sale. Justin tells Leah that a sale can lead to good things and Leah explains about buying the Diner off Irene. David gets the phone call.

At the beach house, Harper has Archie in his pram and asks Irene if she needs her to stay. Irene suggests Harper is trying to avoid boot camp and Harper says the first one back will hurt. It takes Irene a few seconds to remember the phrase “No pain, no gain.” She notes Tane can’t object to his own son making a noise; Harper says Archie would be too distracting and she’s leaving him with Marilyn. She passes John as she leaves. John checks Irene is okay selling the Diner and notes he might get booted out like Dana if he pushes too hard. Irene says Dana’s back today.

Dana and Sonny arrive back at the Diner flat, talking about only having one night away. Sonny suggests a swim and Dana says she wants to get back to Irene. Sonny suspects she’s counting the minutes until the 48 hours are up. He reminds her not to crowd Irene; Dana agrees but insists Irene needs her help. Meanwhile, Tane and Jo are waiting on the balcony at Salt. Tane assures her he’s got time before his class. David turns up and Tane leaves them to it, telling Jo to call him if he needs him. David gives Jo a hug. Theo and Lacey are walking past down below; Theo points it out and says it doesn’t look like an act to him. Lacey just quickens her pace.

John finishes a phone call with Jett and tells Irene he sends his love. Irene says she’ll miss the Diner but still has a heartbeat, great friends and this place. Looking over at her photo shelf, she has flashbacks of exchanging compliments with Selina, being reunited with Chloe, being thanked by Tasha, convincing Belle to stay there, inviting Olivia to stay permanently and finally offering Harper and Dana refuge. At that moment, Dana arrives, 48 hours on the dot, and says they managed a night away. She offers Irene a cuppa and Irene tells her to sit down while John excuses himself.

Up on the headland, Tane is taking a class including Harper. He orders a rest and gets Harper her water bottle. Harper says it’s his fault she’s unfit, since she carried his son for nine months. David and Jo are walking nearby, discussing what happened with Lacey. Tane and Jo lock eyes, which both Harper and David notice.

Dana tries to protest that she’s going to offer Irene help if she sees she needs it. Irene says if she wants a cup of tea, she’ll ask for one. She says that Dana’s not to do her laundry again and she’ll do the cooking. Dana says she’ll do the cleaning. Irene agrees…and asks for a cup of tea. At the Diner, Leah takes Sonny’s order. John arrives and says Irene’s been waylaid. Leah wants to accidentally burn her hand so she can’t sign and says she’s feeling sad and guilty. Justin says there’s no need to feel guilty and Irene wouldn’t want anyone else running it. Leah serves Sonny, who wonders why Irene leaving is a big deal. John tells Justin to explain. Justin says Irene’s worked there for decades and everyone knows and loves her.

David is sat in the surf club. Theo briefly stops by him to check Jo’s okay. Tane comes in chatting to a client. David stops him, thanking him for earlier and saying it’s good Jo has someone else to look out for her. He explains no one thing triggers the panic attacks and they started after the car accident. He gets a text from Lacey asking to talk.

David goes to the Diner flat to meet Lacey and comments on the view. Lacey says Jo said the same thing and they spend too much time together. David says he’d happily spend the same amount of time with her. Lacey asks how he’s forgiven her. David says she’s his daughter and it was an accident. Lacey realises he believes that and asks him to talk her through it, saying she’s ready to listen this time. Meanwhile, Leah serves John at the coffee cart as Irene turns up and says a courier has dropped the contracts off. John offers to go with them for moral support but they both decide it should just be the two of them. Irene calls John “Jett” as she leaves.

Back at the flat, David tells Lacey that there were no skid marks, so speed wasn’t an issue, and no drugs or alcohol in Jo’s system. His theory is that she swerved to avoid an animal. Lacey suggests she might be lying about not remembering but David thinks she blocked it out and there’s no evidence it was her fault. Theo arrives back and Lacey says she’s changed her mind and wants to accept the money, saying she’ll put it to good use. David is pleased and says he’ll arrange the transfer and to give him her bank details. After he’s gone, Lacey tells Theo she’s going to use the money to hire a private investigator to look into the accident.

Irene and Leah are sat in the Diner. Irene insists she’s happy with the contracts and they don’t need to be sent back. Leah hesitates before signing it, with Irene jokingly threatening to scream. Leah signs, but when she hands it over to Irene, she hesitates as well. Leah says she doesn’t have to do it but Irene signs. Leah says she’ll get a cuppa. At the surf club, Dana is flirting with Sonny. John tells them to hurry up. When Dana joins him, he tells her about Irene forgetting his name and notes it’s going to keep happening and he doesn’t know how to handle it.

Irene is sitting on a bench, staring out to sea. Sonny comes and sits with her. He asks how she is and Irene indicates she doesn’t know.