Henk is telling lies to cover the truth of his relationship with Cassie. Fisher refuses to acknowledge his negligence. Sally works up the courage to sack Fisher, so why doesn’t she go through with it? Jack and Sam decide to get married, leaving Martha shaken.
Extended Summary
Sam has learnt that Rory and Annie are missing – and her fear touches off painful memories of her life on the run from her ex, Shane. Jack does what he can to support her, but Sam makes it clear that he has no idea what she’s going through. The search for the kids gets underway, but to Sally’s concern Fisher seems unwilling to take responsibility for his negligence.
Meanwhile, Henk is nervous about his growing feelings for Cassie – and guilty about being caught out. If Rachel learns about this, he has no doubt that she’ll make sure everyone knows the truth about their own relationship. All Henk wants to do is hide from the public eye, but when he and Cassie are returning from a secret swimming expedition, they find Annie and Geoff walking along the side of the road – and they’ve got no choice but to rescue the kids. Trying not to panic, Henk tells a series of increasingly complicated half-truths to cover his relationship with Cassie. And it’s clear that Rachel’s suspicions are growing…
Sally is struggling to come to terms with the fact that she’ll have to sack Fisher. Trying to protect Fisher’s dignity, she gently point out that he’s been having trouble fitting in since he came back to teaching but Fisher is too proud to acknowledge this. It’s only when talking to his oldest and closest mate, Alf that he finally – and with a sense of shame – admits that he only came back to teaching because he was short of money. Feeling he’s made a mess of his life, he tells Alf he’s a failure. But Alf rallies Fisher – encouraging him to follow his dreams and make a new start. To Sally’s surprise, Fisher resigns – and to her great relief, it seems that their relationship will survive the tension unscathed.
Even though Rory’s now safely back at home, the tension between Sam and Jack escalates. Jack’s concerned that Sam isn’t ready to trust him to take a parenting role with Rory. An argument builds until Jack delivers an ultimatum: “Either I’m part of Rory’s life and part of these decisions, or I’m not. And if I’m not, then I’m not sure this relationship is going to work out.” It’s serious food for thought for Sam, and eventually she goes to Jack and they make a decision about the best way forward. Excited, they enter the Diner to announce their news – they’re going to get married! Everyone crowds around them to offer congratulations, but Martha is left reeling, struggling to hide her devastation. Has she lost any chance she ever had of winning back Jack?