No 30
Sonya and Mark are packing away after the picnic, when Steph comes in. Mark is about to make a hasty retreat, but Sonya suggests he stay so the three of them can talk about it, and Steph is clearly itching for some answers.

STEPH: Why did you guys kiss?
SONYA: We - it really didn't mean anything, Steph. It - I mean, we were just trying to prove there was nothing between us.
STEPH: Really? (!)
SONYA: Yes. I mean, we've both been in a really bad place lately...
STEPH: So was this a one-time thing?
MARK: ...
SONYA: ...
MARK: No.
SONYA: I'm sorry. I was confused about Caitlin, and -
STEPH: No, you know what? You don't need to explain. (To Mark) You and I were over long ago, and it's really none of my business anyway.

But Steph is clearly angry and upset, and marches out of the house.

Ramsay Street
Toadie and Shane have driven back from the picnic. Shane apologises for causing tension with his revelation about Mark and Sonya's kiss, but Toadie insists it's not his fault.

TOADIE: All this time through the surrogacy, I had this feeling like there was something happening. Okay, I stuffed up big-time; I get that. But Sonya and Mark - he's meant to be a mate. Or used to be. I can't stop thinking about all the times that they were alone in our house.
SHANE: Don't do that. Don't get paranoid about the past. If you want to work things out with Sonya, you have to find a way forward.
TOADIE: What if it's too late? What if she doesn't want to - she's moved on already? What does that mean for us and our family?
SHANE: Just cos she snogged this bloke, doesn't mean it's over. Could be a one-off.

At that moment, a taxi pulls up, and Toadie and Shane's mother, Angie, emerges! Toadie asks what she's doing here.

ANGIE: I came to see if Puffie was doing what he promised. You've got to have your family - especially since that ungrateful wife kicked you out of your house!
TOADIE: You know there's more to it.
ANGIE: We all know that you stuffed up in London. But for her to take revenge by hooking up with that cop - I mean, I know he's nice looking and all of that...

Toadie realises that Shane has been reporting back to Angie. Angie opines that Sonya is playing Toadie 'like a two-dollar banjo', and that she'll be shacked up with Mark in no time.

Harold's Café
Susan is making sympathetic noises to Terese about Sheila having banned Xanthe from seeing Piper. Terese can't believe Sheila thinks Piper is a bad influence and yet apparently isn't worried about Brooke's influence on Xanthe.

Gary comes in, interrupting them, and while he's out of earshot at the counter, Terese tells Susan that she's surprising Gary with a massage at the Lassiter's Day Spa today. Glancing over at Gary, Terese admits she's "not loving the whole singlet look".

TERESE: Because of the whole back hair situation. You know, the little tufts? I'd love to get rid of it. Does that make me an awful person?
SUSAN: Awful? No! Superficial -
TERESE: I think I could kill two birds with one stone...

The Waterhole
Aaron finds Steph looking sorry for herself at a table. She explains that Shane saw Mark and Sonya kissing, and that they've admitted to it happening more than once.

STEPH: Guess it's karma really (...) I cheated on Mark with Victoria, and let Sonya down with the baby...
AARON: No, Steph, you can't blame yourself for this.

Steph says she never thought Mark and Sonya would actually go there, and had been trying to convince Toadie of the same. She remarks that Aaron doesn't seem surprised, and he admits that, when he was talking the other day about Mark being confused, he meant about Sonya. Steph feels an idiot for thinking Mark might want to reconcile with her, and Aaron gives her a hug.

No 30
Sonya groans when Angie marches in uninvited.

ANGIE: Well, I hope you're proud of yourself!
SONYA: It's nice to see you too, Angie (!)
ANGIE: My boy is totally devastated.
SONYA: This is between me and Jarrod, alright?
ANGIE: Toadie only ever wanted the best for you. Anything you wanted, he gave you - and more!
SONYA: It's really not about that.
ANGIE: Oh, isn't it?! You pushed him into letting you do the surrogacy. He didn't want it! But anything to make you happy.
SONYA: He had an affair!
ANGIE: One incident does not make an affair!
SONYA: Angie! Emotionally, it was more than that.
ANGIE: Well, from what I hear, you haven't exactly been playing the saint either! Your past - the secrets you kept from Toad. He always forgave you. But clearly, that's a one-way street! If you think I'm gonna stand here and let you take away everything that's dear to him, you've got another thing coming.

Angie marches out again as Sonya breathes a sigh.

Harold's Café
Aaron is keeping a glum Mark company. Aaron explains he's spoken to Steph, who's pretty shaken up. He says that she was hoping she and Mark might get back together, and that he might have accidentally encouraged her.

Mark looks angry, but at that moment Brooke barges in, and tries to convince Aaron to give her a job at Brand Enthusiasm. He explains it's a one-man band, but agrees to keep his ear open in case something comes up.

Piper, who is working, apologises to Brooke for her part in losing her the job opportunity at the hospital - but is soon disconcerted when Brooke starts angling for a job at Harold's instead! Piper tries to put her off, saying they're not hiring and that Lauren is selling up. But Brooke convinces Piper to let her work a free trial this afternoon, since it's so busy.

BROOKE: And then you can make a call to the manager or new owner, and tell them I'd be perfect!

Piper is visibly not keen, and is about to text Paige to get a second opinion, but Brooke is already busy demonstrating her special turmeric lattes!

Lassiter's Day Spa
Terese brings Gary in for his 'man-pampering' session. Gary is thrilled with the surprise, and begins to strip down for the massage. Alexis, the massage therapist, comes in; she didn't realise she had a client. Alexis reminds Terese of her request for more towels; Terese promises that it's on her to-do list, and glances slyly at Gary's back as she leaves!

Lassiter's Complex
Toadie is a bit sore with Shane for reporting back to Angie about his marital problems. Shane says he talks to Angie from time to time, but that she's quite close to Dipi, his wife.

SHANE: It's weird. She's like the daughter Mum never had.

Toadie asks how things are with Shane and Dipi. He's reticent, saying that there are always issues in married life. Keen to deflect the attention from his own marital strife, Toadie encourages Shane to explain what he means.

SHANE: The thing is, I came up with this invention. A solar-powered lawnmower.
TOADIE: Oh, that is awesome!

But the story is interrupted by Angie's arrival. Toadie asks where she's been.

ANGIE: I bumped into Sonya.
TOADIE: You bumped, or you stalked?

Angie tells Toadie they're going to his law office - it's about time he took off his rose-coloured glasses and started making legal preparations in order to prevent losing everything to Sonya, including Nell. As she drags Toadie away, she also says that Shane should stick around in Erinsborough to keep an eye on him. Shane glances around at Harold's Café and smiles.

Lassiter's Day Spa
Gary seems to be enjoying his massage with Alexis. Terese pops in to see how it's going, and asks to see Alexis outside for a second.

TERESE: I'll take care of things from here.
ALEXIS: But he's booked in for a wax.
TERESE: Yeah, he's actually my boyfriend. So I'll sort it.

Alexis seems to be getting increasingly crotchety about her deficit of towels, but Terese assures her it's 'on the agenda'. Alexis goes on her break, and Terese goes back into the massage room with Gary. She tells him to roll over, and starts pasting hair removal wax onto his back!

GARY: Is this a different kind of treatment? Because my back's pretty much done. You could have a crack at my toenails, though, if you wanted?
TERESE: Just relax. Breathe nice and deep. Now hold nice and still...

Gary shrieks in agony as Terese rips a huge patch of hair from his back!

Harold's Café
Piper encourages Brooke to write down customer orders rather than remember them - someone's just told her that the toilet's blocked, and she can't handle anything else going wrong.

BROOKE: Seriously, I've got a mind like a goldfish.

Piper is not reassured. She says she has a potential buyer coming in to view the café, and needs to find a plumber before then. Brooke offers to have a go at fixing it.

BROOKE: When you live with the Cannings, believe me, you learn how to unblock a toilet!

Lassiter's Day Spa
Terese is now applying some lotion to Gary's back to soothe his burning skin! She apologises for springing the back wax on him, but Gary is annoyed.

GARY: Terese, I'm not embarrassed by my back hair, but clearly you are! It feels to me like you're embarrassed of me again.
TERESE: No, not at all!
GARY: Then why couldn't you just talk to me about it, like a normal, sane person?
TERESE: Because it's awkward! I mean, how am I meant to tell you I don't like your back hair without hurting your feelings?
GARY: Like that!
TERESE: Oh, what, brutally honest?
GARY: Well, it's better than secretly attacking me with wax!
TERESE: Okay. Well, you tell me one thing that you'd like me to change about myself.
GARY: Nothing.
TERESE: Come on.
GARY: No, Terese - to me, you're perfect.

Alexis comes in, and is surprised they're not done yet.

TERESE: We got a little sidetracked.
GARY: Yeah, it wasn't the happy ending I was hoping for!

Alexis clocks that Terese has tried to wax Gary's back without his consent, and rants at her about how unprofessional that is!

ALEXIS: I have worked in hotels all across the world, and you are the worst employer I've ever had! I quit!

Harold's Café
Sheila comes in for a tea, and Piper is anxious to discuss Xanthe's ban from seeing her. But before she can, Brooke emerges from the customer toilets, followed by an unholy stench! Brooke is covered in effluent - and has made the broken toilet worse! The customers all leave, disgusted by the smell, and Brooke rushes off with Sheila to get cleaned up, leaving Piper alone to sort out the mess!

No 30
Sonya comes in to find Steph preparing to go out. Steph's clearly not in a mood to talk, but shows Sonya a bottle of wine that Shane's sent over as a gift to apologise for making matter worse between her and Toadie, evidently unaware of Sonya's alcoholic past.

SONYA: Look, you have every right to be upset at me, Steph. You have every right to be angry.
STEPH: You know, I can understand if it were a one-time thing, just making yourselves feel better. But you guys kissed in a public place, in broad daylight. You didn't care that you would get caught, or who would get hurt. You (were/hurt) my best friend, Son!!
SONYA: And I'm sorry!! We shouldn't have gone there. We've just been through so much together - we lost our daughter.
STEPH: You know what? I can't do this. I know I said I'd stick around to support you, but I just - I can't, not now. I'm gonna go and stay at the motel for a while. I really need to get my life together. On my own.

Steph marches out. Sonya looks upset.

No 26
Brooke is all cleaned up, but Sheila remarks that her dress will need a good soak. Meanwhile, Gary is still in pain following his back wax.

Brooke is upset that she worked a whole afternoon at Harold's for nothing, but Gary points out that Terese is going to need a new manager for the Day Spa now that Alexis has flounced out. Brooke thinks it would be perfect; she's done a beauty course and is great with people. Gary promises to put in a good word, remarking that Terese "owes him big-time".

Lassiter's Complex
Toadie and Shane are having a beer outside The Waterhole. Toadie explains that Angie's being pretty hard-line about where he should go from here in terms of his marriage - if she could get him to sign divorce papers, she would. But Shane says he thinks Toadie and Sonya will work things out.

SHANE: Deep down, you guys have got something rock-solid.
TOADIE: It's not like I haven't tried already.
SHANE: You should give her a call. Mate, this is your marriage. You can't give up.

He passes Toadie his phone, and tells him to call Sonya.

The Waterhole
Brooke comes in to talk to Terese about the job at the Day Spa.

BROOKE: I'm more than qualified. And I totally get why you were trying to give Gary that manscaping. But next time, I'd use cream. It's easier to get away with when you're trying to do it by stealth!
TERESE: Okay, Brooke - I'm sorry, but I've made other arrangements.
BROOKE: Oh! That was quick!

Terese hurries off for a meeting, and Brooke looks disappointed.

Mishti, the mysterious woman from yesterday, comes in to find Shane, who is drinking at the bar.

MISHTI: Just the man I was looking for!
SHANE: Shouldn't you be heading home?
MISHTI: I couldn't just leave you with things so uncertain.
SHANE: We probably shouldn't be seen together. Mum's here too.
MISHTI: That explains the drink.
SHANE: I'm thinking of setting up shop here. Toadie could use a mate right now, and I need a fresh start. Me and Dipi. Understand?
MISHTI: If that's what you want. Have you told your brother everything?
SHANE: Not yet.
MISHTI: But you're planning to?
SHANE: ...

No 30 / Lassiter's Complex
Sonya unwraps Shane's gift, the bottle of wine, and stares at it, conflicted. Her phone rings and she begins to cry - it's Toadie.

SONYA: Jarrod.
TOADIE: I'm sorry about today. About Mum going on the offensive.
SONYA: It's not your fault - that's Angie. She's just protective of you.
TOADIE: I don't blame you for what happened with Mark. You were hurt.
SONYA: I was sad. Whenever things fall apart, you were always here.
TOADIE: I can still be that person. I can still be here for you. Any time you like - you just say the word.

But Sonya has a sudden flashback to seeing Toadie about to TITTNLtm with Andrea Somers, and tells Toadie that she has to go. She hangs up, locks the door, and looks at the bottle of wine on the table, tears still streaming down her cheeks.

Coming up on Neighbours
- Jack tells Paige that he's here if she needs him. As much as he can be, she replies
- Mark suggests that Paige could move back in with the Brennans
- Mishti asks Shane how he's 'going to do it'. He tells her to leave it to him
- Shane appears to be making an announcement at Harold's to the Ramsay Street residents
- Susan remarks that things are seeming more civil between Toadie and Sonya, and she agrees
- Gary tells Terese that Brooke would be devastated if she knew the truth, but Brooke is listening in