Tane (Ethan Browne) has some big decisions to make after Harper’s shock revelation that she is 13 weeks pregnant with his child, the result of a one-night-stand in the gym.
Tane had been close to jeopardising his freedom by getting into a fight with Perri’s (Cantona Stewart) abusive father Carl (Matthew Holmes) whilst on a suspended sentence, when Harper blurted out the news to make him realise what he stood to lose.
Viewers saw Harper discover the pregnancy at the end of August, with only sister Dana (Ally Harris) and Dana’s boyfriend Xander (Luke Van Os) currently in on the secret.
Harper has been struggling to find the right time to tell Tane, not only because of the various dramas happening in his life—the latest being the death of his ex-wife Felicity (Jacqui Purvis)—but also because of her own unrequited feelings towards him.
Tane’s desire to have children had been the deal-breaker in his marriage to Flick. Despite his promise that she would be enough for him if she didn’t change her mind about not wanting children, Flick felt pressured into agreeing to try for a baby.
However, Flick continued taking the pill, buying some time in the hope she could get her head around it. When Tane inevitably found out, he ended things immediately.
After a quiet word together in the gym, where Harper explained that she had been wanting to tell him for some time, Harper left Tane to process the news, which involved him going up to Salt and knocking back the Ellisons (other non-fictional whisky brands are available).
A little worse for wear, Tane clumsily made his way to the Beach House late that night, explaining that he had some questions for Harper.
As we return to the scene next week, Harper thinks it’s best that they talk when Tane is sober. She makes Tane some toast to soak up the booze, but then finds that Tane has already fallen asleep.
Dana is in for a surprise when she arrives home from work to find the demigod sprawled across the sofa, and Harper goes on to explain that she finally told Tane but it was a disaster. If getting drunk is Tane’s reaction, then she’s not even sure her baby’s dad is going to want anything to do with it!
The next morning, a hungover Tane still can’t believe that Harper took so long to tell him, and he’s thrown when she divulges that she had to come to terms with how she felt about the pregnancy—wondering if she may have considered a termination without even telling him.
As he takes further time to consider, Tane’s annoyed when he finds out that both Dana and Xander are already aware that he’s going to be a dad.
Harper later calls over to the farmhouse to apologise, explaining that Xander only found out as he heard her and Dana talking. Hoping to make it up to him, Harper she brings along a printout of the ultrasound for him to keep.
Harper knows that Tane is angry, and admits that she was scared of how he would react given that she wasn’t the person that he had ever planned to have children with. With things being so tough lately, she hadn’t wanted the news to get overshadowed, but it didn’t work out like she planned.
Harper asks Tane to let her know when he’s ready to talk, but it doesn’t take long before he returns to the Beach House and says that there’s no need. He’s made his decision.
Is Tane ready to step up and be a dad?
Elsewhere in Summer Bay, Eden (Stephanie Panozzo) is nursing her broken heart after being dumped by fiancé Cash (Nicholas Cartwright), immediately following the funeral of her best friend Flick.
After burying his sister alongside his mum and dad, Cash had told Eden that everyone he loves ends up buried there, and so was ending things with her for her own protection. Eden pleaded with Cash as she tried to make him see sense, but it fell on deaf ears as he told her to head back to the bay on her own.
A shattered Eden returned to the share house and broke the news to a stunned Remi (Adam Rowland) and Bree (Juliet Godwin) that Cash had dumped her.
Next week, Remi does his best to assure Eden that Cash is overwhelmed by grief and will eventually come to his senses, but Eden remains despondent.
Meanwhile, John (Shane Withington) is surprised to see that Cash’s car is already back, but Bree covers by saying that whilst Eden has returned, Cash has decided to spend some more time with Gary (Peter Phelps).
When Eden heads to the beach for some alone time, John manages to innocently put his foot in it by saying that Bree filled him in about Cash. He’s stunned when Eden says that Bree had no right to do that, and that he should mind his own business.
Eden heads home and blasts Bree for gossiping about her, but later apologises when Remi sets her straight about what she actually said to John.
Across the street, Cash returns home with Gary. When Cash asks Gary if he could go and retrieve his car keys from Eden, Gary flat out refuses—if he made the decision to break up with Eden, then he should have the courage to face her in person.
Gary hopes that Cash will at least have a conversation with Eden, but when Cash heads over to No.55, he couldn’t be more cold with her, as he bluntly asks for his keys. As a tearful Eden hands them to him, Cash snatches them away and walks out the door.
As Eden talks things through, Bree points out that Cash is known to make rash decisions when he’s upset, though given his attitude Eden is left wondering one of those decisions was proposing to her in the first place. Maybe he never even wanted to marry her?
After witnessing Remi attempting, and failing, to get Cash to talk to Eden properly, Gary has had enough—if Cash won’t realise what’s in front of him, then he’ll have to take things into his own hands.
Gary heads over to Eden and tells her that he’s sorry for the way Cash has treated her, and gives her some gentle words of encouragement.
“Don’t make it easy for him,” he tells her. “If Cash is who you want, you fight for him.”
With Gary supporting her, Eden confronts Cash and tells him that he doesn’t need to push her away. Cash can barely look Eden in the eye as he asks Gary why she is here.
“Eden deserves a conversation,” Gary firmly tells his foster son, but it’s to no avail as Cash tells Eden to move on before retreating to his room.
Later that evening, Cash packs his bags and announces that he is coming back to the farm with him… permanently!
Monday 14th October (Episode 8336)
Tane faces a serious choice. Harper hangs on Tane’s words. Eden nurses her broken heart.
Tuesday 15th October (Episode 8337)
Cash takes the coward’s way out. Theo lends Perri a listening ear. Gary gives Eden some sage advice.
Wednesday 16th October (Episode 8338)
Perri gets cold feet. Cash goes down a dark path. Theo makes a grave mistake.
Thursday 17th October (Episode 8339)
Mackenzie calls out Levi. Mali gets some good news. Justin’s fears come true.
Friday 18th October (Episode 8340)
Levi and Eden rush to save their sister. Abigail is in grave danger. Justin struggles to make amends.