Previously on Neighbours
- Amber and Daniel give in to their desires and kiss in the darkroom
- Brad gets fired from the gym
- Lauren and Paige sit down and have a 'proper chat'
- Naomi kisses Toadie, and is promptly rebuffed - and fired
- Sheila tells Naomi her affair with Charles was to blame for her father's fatal heart attack
No 26
Naomi is upset that Sheila blames her for her father's death, and tells Kyle she feels she always knew her mother was hiding something. Kyle insists Sheila didn't mean it and was just angry. Georgia comes in, and senses a crisis in the air. Naomi and Kyle explain what happened; Kyle asks Georgia to check on Sheila, who's out the back.
NAOMI: Probably building a stake to burn me at.
In the garden, Georgia questions Sheila about what she said to Naomi, and demands to know what triggered it.
SHEILA: A lifetime of her getting her own way, that's what. She was always Daddy's little girl - as far as Frank was concerned, she could do no wrong.
GEORGIA: Well that sounds like he loved her very much.
SHEILA: Hmm. And she had him twisted around her little finger. I used to tell him over and over again, the girl needs boundaries. She's running amok. But do you think the silly fool would listen? So when he finally found out her affair, well, it broke his heart.
GEORGIA: Sheila, I -
SHEILA: She was his favourite! The shock was too much for him.
Georgia queries whether it's really fair to blame Naomi for Frank's heart attack, but Sheila insists that's what caused it. Sheila also says she's fed up of propping Naomi up and coming to her rescue.
SHEILA: Enough's enough. I'm done with it. From now on, she's on her own.
Sheila returns to her angry gardening.
Lassiter's Complex
Outside Harold's, Amber is admiring a picture of Daniel, and a close-up photograph of her and Daniel's clasped hands, but when Lauren comes over she hides them behind another photo. Lauren asks to see, but Amber is standoffish and says they're not very good. Lauren suggests they combine their efforts for the women's art exhibition, as she's struggling with her drawing a bit. She suggests they do a collage on the theme of love and family, and Amber agrees.
Meanwhile, Paige and Brennan are passing; she has bought some paper for her own artwork, and he asks if it's for her mystery sketch.
PAIGE: It's not a mystery. It's just none of your business!
BRENNAN: I'll try not to take that personally.
Paige explains she's working on an idea for the women's art exhibition. Brennan asks if she'll show it to him and, distracted by Lauren walking past, she says it depends how it turns out.
BRENNAN: I didn't realise your art meant so much to.
PAIGE: The fame and fortune do!
Paige wanders off, and Matt shows up. He asks what Paige is like to live with.
BRENNAN: Apart from the wet towels on the bathroom floor and the dirty dishes in the sink, she's not too bad. Why?
MATT: Bit of a mystery, that's all.
No 26
Kyle and Georgia discuss the stand-off between Sheila and Naomi. Kyle's pessimistic about the hopes of reconciliation, but Georgia convinces him to try talking to Naomi again, so he does. Naomi is busy erasing Sheila's details from her mobile phone, but Kyle insists she can't erase her from her life, and that Sheila doesn't really believe what she said about Frank's death. He adds that he and Sheila need Naomi, as they've been like a real family since she turned up.
KYLE: Dad was a dropkick. He never cared about me, but Gran, she's just - she's always been awesome. I know she can be a pain sometimes. And sure, she can be bossy, and interfering, and the way she wants to know every little thing about your life can get really annoying. But underneath all that, she really does love you. Please, Naomi - can we try and work this out?
Harold's Store
Paige tells Lauren she's been thinking about how to solve the dilemma of how to include her missing daughter in the sketch for the exhibition, and has come up with a perfect solution. Lauren says she's been meaning to talk to her about it, but asks Paige to come back later when it's quieter.
Meanwhile, Brad is moaning about his lack of employment, and discussing options with Josh and Terese - his yoga classes won't cover the shortfall and there aren't any management positions going elsewhere. Terese suggests she could talk to Paul about opening a new gym in the hotel, but Brad can't see it being viable.
As ever, the chance to gift a job to one of her mates without following due process causes nearby Susan's ears to prick up - and as Terese is passing, she says she thinks she might be able to help.
No 26
Sheila, Naomi, Kyle and Georgia are seated in the garden, Kyle and Georgia playing mediators between mother and daughter. Kyle invites Sheila to start.
SHEILA: I've said everything I need to say.
NAOMI: I highly doubt that.
With some prompting from Kyle and Georgia, Naomi says she's willing to forgive if Sheila will apologise for what she said. But Sheila says Naomi should apologise for having the affair that caused her father's heart attack. Recriminations fly across the table, as Naomi accuses Sheila of being jealous of her closeness to her father.
NAOMI: No wonder he died, to get away from you!
Kyle and Georgia try to intervene, but the argument just gets more heated.
NAOMI: No. I will never forgive you for blaming me for his death!
SHEILA: See? That's my point! She never takes responsibility - it's always someone else's fault!
NAOMI: Okay, how about this - I'm going to take responsibility. You are the worst mother in the world. I am moving out, and I am never speaking to you again.
SHEILA: Fine!
Naomi marches off, leaving Sheila distraught. Kyle and Georgia look worried.
Back inside, Kyle tries to convince Naomi not to leave, but she's already packing her bags, saying she needs to get as far from Sheila as possible. She asks to borrow money from Kyle until she gets back on her feet, but he says he has none spare with the wedding coming up. He suggests she ask Toadie for an advance on her pay, but she implies she's leaving her job too, without revealing she's already been fired. Naomi leaves, saying she'll send for the rest of her stuff later. Kyle is sad.
Lassiter's Lake
Amber is taking photographs of a tree when Josh turns up. He dismisses the artistic subject as a 'bunch of leaves' like the philistine he is.
AMBER: You might see a bunch of leaves. I see the interplay of shadow and light in a canopy of green.
Josh pulls a face, then starts whingeing about how boring his dad's yoga classes are - but says he keeps going because Brad needs the support. Josh has homework to do, but is prepared to postpone it if Amber wants to hang out. However, when she says he can help her with the photos for her art piece, Josh makes a hasty exit, finding the prospect of homework preferable. Amber sighs.
No 22
Brad is in the garden doing angry weightlifting, when Terese shows up, moaning on about how he hasn't been answering his phone. She reveals that Susan has told her there's a health and human development teaching position currently vacant at the school, and that Susan thinks Brad should apply.
Brad goes through the usual futile protestation that often accompanies spontaneous job offers in Erinsborough, in order to extract the maximum drama - he's not interested, he's not qualified, blah blah blah. Terese says she checked with the Education Department and he is qualified, but Brad reminds her that teaching isn't his thing. Instead, he tells her he's been head-hunted by Eden Hills Gym for a temporary management vacancy; they've asked him to come in this afternoon. We won't hold our breath about the outcome of that one.
Suite 1 Eclipse Apartments
Naomi calls in to see Paul, who's in a better state than when she last called round - he's even been signing off council paperwork. Naomi cuts to the chase, asking Paul if he could give her back the last payment she made to him for the dodgy painting debacle. Paul asks why, if she's desperate, she can't borrow money from her mother or her boss. Assuming she's on a hiding to nothing, Naomi makes a swift exit. Paul looks puzzled.
No 32
Lauren is assessing the photos that Amber has prepared for their art exhibit. She thinks they're all good, particularly one of Matt and Bailey wrestling, which Lauren thinks is a 'powerful metaphor for family - the tangled, messy beauty of it all.' Amber likes one she's taken of Lauren that has a framed picture of Lou visible in the background.
Lauren then notices the image of Amber and Daniel's hands clasped together, and assuming the male hand is Josh's, is very taken with the photo.
AMBER: It's not very on-theme, though.
LAUREN: Well, what is love, if it's not human beings connecting?
Amber tries to dissuade Lauren from using the hands photo in the collage, saying she has plenty of others, but Lauren's already fallen in love with it.
The Waterhole
Well, what do you know - Brad failed abysmally at the interview for the temp at Eden Hills Gym, because they found out from his previous boss that he was fired. He whinges self-pityingly to Josh and Terese about it, and Josh suggests Brad should get back into coaching. But Brad is even less keen on that than teaching, and predictably decides that the latter is probably his only option after all.
Matt and Brennan come in. Matt is whining about how hard police work is, but Brennan points out the benefits - the adrenaline rush and chance to make a difference.
MATT: Mate, you almost sound like you miss it.
BRENNAN: Yeah. Then I speak to you.
Kyle comes in to meet Brennan, and tells him about Naomi and Sheila fighting.
MATT: Well, there's breaking news (!)
But Kyle says it's serious this time, and asks Brennan if Naomi can stay with him at No 24, to deter her from leaving for good and give them an opportunity to sort things out. Brennan says he doesn't want to get stuck in the middle, especially since Paige has been in a mood lately. Matt enquires as to whether it could be to do with Paige's friend who was staying (Ethan), but Brennan says it's just her artistic temperament.
KYLE: Dude, please, I am desperate here.
MATT: Yeah, dude. Think of the adrenaline rush. The chance to make a difference.
BRENNAN: Very funny. Look, I'll think about it, okay?
No 24
Paige is sketching a picture of herself with one hand, and conducting an expository phone call with Ethan on the other - revealing that she's decided the time is right to reveal the truth to Lauren, by presenting her with a sketch of her biological daughter (I.e. Paige).
As she finishes the call, Brennan comes in with Naomi, and reveals that she'll be staying for a few days. Paige isn't in the least bit interested, and makes a quick exit.
NAOMI: Wow, she always that friendly?
Harold's Store
Susan relays details to Lauren of Libby and Ben's 'great time' in Oakey, as well as the fact that Libby has just got a job interview at another school in Ballarat. Paige interrupts, asking if Lauren has a minute. Lauren says she was just about to call her and to just give her a second. While Paige goes to check the rota, Lauren reveals that she's got Amber involved in the art exhibit now, and doesn't know how to tell Paige. Susan asks if they can both help but Lauren says it has to be about family. Susan says Paige will understand.
LAUREN: Yeah, I hope so. I was really struggling to find a way to put my missing daughter in the piece, then Paige said she had an idea. But when I saw Amber's photos, it suddenly all made sense... I realised I'd been focusing way too much on the past, when really I should be focusing on the present.
SUSAN: Yeah, well sometimes the best thing to do is just keep moving forward.
LAUREN: Yeah, that's what I think.
Paige has been listening sadly to this exchange.
LAUREN: The family I have here and now - that's what's really important in my life.
Once Susan's gone, Lauren shouts back to Paige, unaware she's heard her conversation with Susan. Lauren says she'd love to see what Paige came up with for the exhibit.
No 24
A musical montage kicks off, beginning with Naomi looking sad on the sofa.
Ramsay Street
Sheila looks sadly at No 24, then continues watering the front lawn.
No 32
Amber looks guiltily at the 'hands' photo of her and Daniel, while Lauren pastes a sketch of some lilies into her collage; we infer that this was the idea Paige eventually opted to pitch to her (representing 'Lily') rather than the self-portrait.
Lassiter's Lake
Paige is on the Bridge of Reflection™, looking sadly at the sketch of herself that she never showed to Lauren. She tears it up and scatters the fragments into the lake, before walking away.
Tomorrow on Neighbours
- Amber and Daniel continue their liaison, as she promises to tell Josh the truth
- Paige is suspicious when Daniel asks Josh whether he's seeing Amber today
- Toadie tells Sheila that Naomi's deception is bigger than they thought
- Sheila starts throwing out Naomi's clothes, to Kyle and Chris's horror
- Jayden asks Josh to initiate him into the ways of skating, but it all ends in tears