Recap
- Serena kissing Stingray on the cheek.
- Boyd throwing away the dog tags Sky gave him.
- Libby receiving flowers from Darren
Number 30
Toadie leads Sindi in blindfolded for her surprise party. Lyn says hi to Steph and asks how Joe's doing. Toadie waits for everyone to get a glass of champagne then proposes a toast.
TOADIE: Sindi is a wonderful, spontaneous, sometimes crazy... actually always crazy but always amazing woman. I admire her very deeply and I love her very much. So, uh, happy birthday, Sindi!
Stu can't hack hearing all of this and makes his way to the door to leave, but doubles back inside when another guest of the 'hot chicky babe' variety arrives for the party.
Youth Disco
Stingray and Serena are on the dance floor with Stinger busting some crazy moves. Serena is having a fun and notices a group of girls are watching them, shaking their heads in disapproval. Stinger also sees them and says they can leave if she feels embarrassed. Serena tells him the girls are just being snobs and she wants to stay, doing the Stingray dance emphatically to prove her point. Stingray is happy about this.
Susan's Backyard
Libby is outside having a cuppa. Susan walks out wondering what she's up to. She tells her mum that Darren's been in touch and that he wants her and Ben to join him in Shepparton. Susan looks sad but calmly asks if she loves Darren and when she receives a yes answer, she tells Lib to grab the chance while she can. Libby is worried about leaving her and Karl by themselves but Susan says they only get one life, "make it a happy one." Lib laughs and says Susan is supposed to be the voice of reason talking her out of it but Susan doesn't agree. "Nup. Not this time. This is your decision." They smile at one another.
Number 30
Lyn is asking Steph how Joe's coping in Bendigo and Steph realises that her mum wants to know her opinion on things. Steph says it's not been easy for her to have her parents split up but she knows that Lyn wouldn't have done it if it wasn't necessary, and that Joe does look happy on the farm. Steph jokes that they might need a babysitter soon anyway so Lyn can't go anywhere.
Stingray and Serena arrive and Serena says she's had a great night. Stingray tells her not to speak in past tense because the "night is still young, sweetcheeks!"
Stu is talking to Jack but keeps getting distracted by Sindi and Toadie. Sindi's friend that Stu was taken by earlier is standing with the birthday girl and says she'd like to be introduced to her "handsome friend". Sindi takes her over and introduces Jacinta to Stu and Jack. Jacinta makes it clear that she only has eyes for Stu though and they start to make conversation.
Later on, Stingray is showing his dancing prowess to the whole room and calls out for Sindi to join he and Serena. Sindi yells out that she gave up dancing like that in the 90s. Toadie points out Stu and Jacinta chatting on the couch and then says he wants to give Sindi her present. It's a romantic weekend getaway. Lyn comes up to them and says she has to go and relieve the babysitter but she's happy they invited her. When Sindi and Toadie walk back into the lounge room they see Stu and Jacinta kissing. Sindi suddenly looks off-colour and says she has a headache. She starts to leave and Toadie goes with her.
Susan's
Stingray and Serena walk in and she thanks him for a fun night. They look like they're about to kiss (with Serena seeming a teeny bit hesitant) when Sindi and Toadie burst in the door. They realise they've interrupted something and scurry off to bed. Serena makes her exit as well. When she leaves Sindi and Toadie rush back out and excitedly ask what's going on and if they interrupted a moment. "I wish you'd come a moment earlier," Stingray grunts. "Stop me from making a complete idiot of myself." They look disappointed.
Morning.
Karl drops by with a bunch of flowers and wonders what all the packed boxes are for near the door. Susan says he should wait and Libby can tell him what's going on but ends up telling him herself. "Libby is moving to Shepparton to be with Darren!" Karl is the antonym of excited. Susan gets annoyed and tells him to just be supportive. She adds that Libby is going to go anyway, he may as well give her his blessing. "She's a grown woman, Karl. It's her decision." Karl realises that he won't make any difference to the situation and puts the flowers on the bench, "these are for you by the way. Thank you for yesterday." Karl knows that he's got to let his kids be grown ups.
SUSAN: Yeah well, 'Your sons and daughters are beyond your command'.
KARL: Dylan?
SUSAN: Well you can't live with you for a quarter of a century and not pick up some lyrics!
Karl says that their children are living their own lives now and Susan agrees, adding that they are too it seems.
Coffee Shop
Libby has given Sky a set of paintbrushes as a present. It's her way of apologizing for leaving Sky and breaking up the partnership but she's sure that Bill will use her drawings somewhere else in the paper. Sky thanks her and wonders what she's going to do without Lib; she's come to think of her as a big sister. Libby says she'll get through everything. Sky says that since Lana is leaving the country that should sort itself out, but things are well and truly over with Boyd. Libby asks if that's what she wants and when Sky says no she suggests that Sky fight for him then.
Number 30
Sindi and Toadie walk in and comment on the mess to Stu who's eating brekkie in the lounge room. Toadie slyly says he thought it would be breakfast for two just as Jacinta strides in wearing Stu's shirt and his police cap. Sindi isn't at all impressed and suggests to Toadie that they eat at the Coffee Shop to get away from the messy house (and her mounting jealousy).
Jacinta starts to talk about meeting up again with Stu but he soon quashes that. He gently says he thought it made it clear last night that he wasn't after an attachment. Jacinta obviously didn't get that memo though and looks annoyed, shoving Stu's police cap at him and going off to get dressed. Stu looks underwhelmed at his own lack of suaveness.
Hoylands'
Lyn is trying to teach Summer how to knit (baby stuff I think) while they wait for Max and Steph to get back from the doctor's. Max and Steph get back and Max seems a tad peeved to see his mother-in-law there. Lyn explains that Summer invited her over to wait with her. Steph tells them that they're not pregnant but they knew that hitting the jackpot straight away was always a long shot. Lyn is worried for Steph but she pretends that she's fine.
After Lyn and Summer leave Max asks Steph to tell him how she really feels. Steph admits that she's really disappointed but she didn't want to say anything because it doesn't seem fair after all the things Izzy has just been through. Max understands but he doesn't think it's healthy keeping those kinds of secrets from one another. Steph agrees and they hug.
Coffee Shop
Lyn and Jack are having a chat and a feed. She tells Jack that Gino's agreed to let her buy into the business once they've sold the house and settled some other debts. Jack doesn't look too impressed about the selling the house bit. Lou and Harold walk by and Lyn says they're just the guinea pigs she was looking for to practice her Life Coaching on. The guys start rambling some lame excuses as to why they're busy, but...
Pub Office
Lynnie is a persistent one and is delving into their psyche. She tells Lou that he needs to divide his eggs into a few baskets instead of lumping them all in the same one. She adds that he needs to find a balance between work, love and good friendship. Lou agrees and says that his business activities and love life has always been rather imbalanced. Lyn then starts on Harold and says she knows he misses Svetlanka but she has a feeling that Svetlanka and Lil will make up soon enough, "It's a mother-daughter relationship, it's one of the strongest bonds there is!" Harold seems pleased by this.
Pub
Karl, Susan and Libby are having lunch. Susan wonders whom she's going to watch her Brazilian soapie with and Lib laughs and says they'll have to give it up. Karl doesn't get what they're on about. He offers to buy them another drink but they say they should get back home. Karl wants a word with Lib before she goes though and Susan leaves them to it.
He asks if it's okay that he doesn't come down to the street and say goodbye but she understands. She thanks him for trusting her on what she's about to do. Karl says that she's an amazing woman and he trusts every decision she makes. "I've never been prouder." He adds that he knows every decision of his hasn't made her proud of him but that if she ever needs anything she just needs to call him and he'll be there.
KARL: Because I love you.
LIBBY: (on the verge of tears) I love you too.
They hug.
Pub
Lyn gloats to Max that she's a little bit better at the Life Coaching thing than he thought. "You should come around for some Life Coaching, I mean it. Free of charge!" Max looks bewildered. Lyn rushes over to where Jack is sitting all excited. He says he thinks she must have found her calling.
Out The Front Of Susan's Libby and Susan are packing up the moving van Libby has hired. Libby jokes that Susan always looked forward to the day she had a quiet house. "Be careful what you wish for, ay?" Susan ruefully says. She adds that she knows they'll still see each other but she'll miss the little things and that she's just got so used to having her around all the time. They start to get teary.
SUSAN: You have been my rock this last year. I don't know how I would have got through it without you.
LIBBY: You would have survived. You are such a strong woman, you've taught me everything I know. And I probably don't say it often enough, but I love you. You're the best mum a girl could ever have.
They start to cry and hug one another.
Number 30
Sindi is vacuuming when Stu walks in. She's annoyed at him for using her friend like he did and says he can stay away from them in future if that's how he's going to behave. Stu says he made it very clear to Jacinta that it was only for fun and there were no strings attached. Sindi tells him that he obviously has no idea about respect but he cuts her off and reminds her that he's single, and that she's made it perfectly clear that she wants nothing to do with him so why should she even care. Stu says that it's obvious her and Toadie are perfectly happy and so is he. Sindi looks a bit conflicted about that and Stu leaves her to finish the vacuuming.
Ramsay Street
Susan is putting Ben in his booster seat making sure he's okay. Libby is doing the goodbye rounds.
First off is Lou who hugs her and says to take care of his godson for him. She sees Harold walk over and goes to hug him. He says there'll certainly be something missing from the street with her gone.
Toadie calls out for his turn and Libby bounds over to him. He says he's entitled to a well-earned hug after all these years. Lib agrees and grabs him in a bear hug. He says he's going to miss her and she laughs and wonders what's she's doing. "Am I crazy? Am I just crazy packing up and leaving like this?" Toad says she's just following her heart and that Darren is very lucky.
Max, Steph and Summer walk over to her and Summer gives her a present. It's a framed photograph of the Hoylands' on Max and Steph's wedding day. Lib thanks them and sadly hugs Steph, telling her good luck with everything. They promise to visit one another. Lyn trundles over and gently tells Lib that she should get going, her mum is worried about her driving there before dark.
Libby makes her way over to the car and sees Stu standing there. She smiles and give him a big kiss on the lips which somewhat surprises Stu but it seems like what needed to be done between the two of them (if that makes sense). She jumps in the front seat of the car and Susan is standing at the door. In between tears and slight giddy laughter she says she doesn't know if she's doing the right thing. Susan and Lib say their last tearful 'I love you's' and Susan says she's so proud of her. Lib laughs and says, "This is the worst best day of my life!"
Libby starts the car and drives off down the street, sobbing and waving out the window. All the Ramsay Street-ites wave back at her and slowly make their way back to their houses. Lyn asks if Susan is alright and Susan tries not to get too emotional and says she'll be over later. The camera pans out to reveal Susan standing by herself in the middle of the court.