On the UK version of Home and Away, next week, Valerie offers Theo some much-needed confidence, but will it end in tragedy as Leah bids Summer Bay farewell and returns to the mental health center for more treatment?
After experiencing night terrors following her and Justin’s (James Stewart) trauma at the hands of Vita Nova, Leah (Ada Nicodemou) has gone through a lot in the past several months. This has culminated in her holding Justin at knifepoint in the diner.
She was afraid of relapsing, so she left the bay for a six-week stay in a mental health facility due to her ongoing issues. When she returned, she was hesitant to get back together with Justin.
Leah has finally returned to their Healey Road home, and she and Justin have reconnected in recent weeks. Thankfully, she has been able to get over it. The couple received additional good news last week when Justin completed his community service, and after overcoming several obstacles, he is eager to get things squarely back on track.
He asks Leah if the wedding should go forward again the following week as they celebrate Justin’s newfound freedom over a candlelit meal.
“With my community service completed and you back home, it feels like things are starting to get better again. Thus, I would like to know your thoughts on proceeding with the wedding.
“You know, like, arrange a date?” Surprised, Leah asks.
It’s clear that Leah is unsure of herself when she tells him that it’s too much, too soon. She tells him how much she appreciates his patience, but Justin feels betrayed.
When Leah meets Valerie (Courtney Clarke) the next morning, she tells her that her “first instinct was fear” when Justin asked her about going forward with the wedding. Valerie points out that Justin is obviously not worried, even though she acknowledges that she’s afraid of hurting him once more.
Considering Valerie’s advice, Leah calls Justin over for a conversation.
He apologizes right away for going too quickly the night before, but Leah cuts him off and says he has nothing to apologize for because she wants to marry him!
The next morning, Leah starts to feel stressed as Justin eagerly locates their wedding planning spreadsheet, starts talking about dates, and says he wants to enlist Theo’s assistance.
Reluctantly, Justin agrees as she proposes they wait a few more days before alerting anyone that she does, in fact, want to marry him.
However, Justin finds it difficult to control his excitement and, as usual, is unable to listen to his fiancée. As they converse with Irene (Lynne McGranger) at the coffee cart, he is at a loss for words.
Later, when Leah is working her shift at the cafe and an ecstatic Justin is bouncing up and down, Leah gives in. With a nod of approval from her, he blurts out their news with excitement—the wedding is back on!
Irene is thrilled for them, but a little while later, she pulls Leah aside to make sure things aren’t moving too quickly for her, unintentionally giving Leah additional cause for concern.
Later that day, as Leah returns home feeling isolated, she gets a call from the mental health center.
She says, “There’s a lot that’s been happening, and I’m not sure how I feel about it,” after reaching her counselor, Dr. Brooks.
However, Leah is unaware that Justin abruptly returned home. His expression falls as he listens in on the talk from the living room.
Confronted, Leah says she only wanted to make sure she wasn’t going too far and to follow up with her therapist.
The next day, after an online consultation, Leah tells Justin that although her counsellor was unable to provide her with any answers, she felt that Leah still needed to do more work since she was unsure of herself.
Leah informs him, “She’s offered me the chance to return to the clinic, for a week.”
Though he would rather she stay in Summer Bay, Justin reassures her that she must act in her own best interests despite his fears.
Leah continues, “I think I should go, for us as much as myself.” “I believe that the sooner the better.”
Assuring her that her health and happiness are what matter most, Justin sends her on her way, saying, “Do the work you need to.” When you return, I’ll be here, ready to wed you.
And with that, Leah starts packing and getting ready to leave Summer Bay behind. Justin returns the engagement ring to her before she leaves, and she is delighted to wear it.
Is there much more work to be done, or will she be prepared to marry Justin when she returns?
Two more Lyrik interview requests have been sent to Kirby (Angelina Thomson) for next week: one is for a print magazine, and the other is for a local radio station.
She tells Theo (Matt Evans) that the interviews are a wonderful way to talk Lyrik up while Remi is still out of action and recommends to Theo that she’ll handle the phone interview alone while they do the print interview together when she runs into him and Valerie at the beach.
Theo says he’s okay when Kirby asks again whether he’s ready for their joint interview, pointing out how much he’s been out partying lately.
Valerie adds, getting irritated, “He’s more than fine.”
Valerie queries why Theo is unable to do the interview alone while the new pair is by themselves.
He first pretends that Kirby handles all of the band’s interviews and publicity, but he quickly acknowledges that he has made terrible interviewing mistakes in the past.
Valerie tells him that he must believe in himself and that if Kirby doesn’t give him a chance, he would never get better. Theo tells Kirby that he wants to tackle the interview on his own when they run into Kirby again outside the surf club thanks to Valerie pushing him.
Kirby acknowledges that he is capable of handling the print interview and reassures him that she does believe in him; she had assumed he was not that interested in doing interviews. Still, it’s obvious from the expression on her face that she’s anxious to let him take off on his own.
Justin is leaving the Morgan mansion to say goodbye to Leah and travel to the city, leaving Valerie and Theo to enjoy themselves. Later that evening, Kirby sees the two of them—clearly baked—outside the surf club.
Kirby discovers them beaming on the sand the following morning, with Theo having just come ashore with a surfboard.
Unable to accept that Theo is simply going for a surf after obviously consuming drugs the previous evening, Kirby takes a sharp jab at him.
She informs him that she has changed her mind and he is no longer doing it when it becomes clear that he has forgotten that his interview is in a few hours.
Theo nods in disappointment, but Valerie is now even more enraged at Kirby’s excessive control.
The two rush over to the Lyrik residence after offering Theo some more words of encouragement. There, Theo declares that he’s got this—he’s doing the interview!
Valerie tells Kirby that she needs to put a little more trust in Theo as he leaves. Kirby then gets up and walks up to Valerie, begging her to stop feeding Theo whatever it is she’s giving him.
“Or what?” Valerie answers and then turns to leave Kirby furious.
Kirby meets Rose (Kirsty Marrilier) later in the day and informs her of her anxiety with Theo’s impending interview.
Valerie worries when she turns the corner of the surf club and sees Kirby speaking with a police officer while they are chatting.
Will Kirby win over Theo and Valeire with his drug-fueled good times?
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