23/04/2025

There’s a thaw between Joy and Rochelle as they make the baked cauliflower postponed from last night. Joy suggests tentatively that she has some money set aside to help Rochelle get her own place. Wrongfooted Rochelle’s unsure. Joy presses on. It would be somewhere to bring the kids and have friends – like the one she met in the café the other day. Rochelle won’t be drawn. Instead she accuses her mum of wanting to reinvent her from head to toe. Rochelle feels judged. Joy insists she’s just trying to improve Rochelle’s lot – she’s not always thinking the worst of her. She knows Rochelle likes Ambridge, and just wants to help her stay around. Rochelle insists that’s not going to happen any time soon. She knows Joy and Mick want their space, and besides she’ll soon be back with her own family.
Helen’s taken delivery of Tom and Natasha’s new sofas. Henry agrees to polish the hall floor. However he overdoes it and Natasha and Tom slip and slide. They see the funny side but it’s not the welcome Helen wanted to give them. Natasha accepts Helen’s gift of a vase, before declaring the sofas are in the wrong place. Helen apologises but Natasha backtracks – she’s grateful Helen was around when they arrived. Later Natasha wonders to Tom if she was a bit rude. This was after all Helen’s domain, so it must be a bit strange for her. She wonders if it’s too late to get out of the living arrangements. Tom confirms it is. Onwards and upwards.