Home and Away Spoilers – David gives Cohen some devastating news

Next week on Home and Away in the UK, David delivers some heartbreaking news to Cohen, while Irene’s memory issues nearly see her make a huge mistake.

After what seemed to be a breakthrough in the search for any of Cohen’s (Nathan Murray) family, David (Jeremy Lindsay Taylor) is forced to deliver some devastating news.

Cohen was found living in a tent with his mum Samantha (Heidi May) a couple of weeks ago, the pair having been homeless for two years, after disgruntled locals called the police on them.

Samantha was discovered to have a number of arrest warrants out in her name, after turning to a life of petty crime to survive, and had in her possession a large amount of smartphones recently stolen from a warehouse.

David had no choice but to place Samantha under arrest, with Cohen brought into the care of foster mum Roo (Georgie Parker).

Not long after, David was blindsided when word came through that Samantha had expressed her wish to relinquish all parental rights over Cohen—effectively cutting all ties with her son.

Determined to prevent Cohen from becoming a permanent fixture of the care system, David and social worker Harper (Jessica Redmayne) began the painstaking task of trying to locate any surviving family members who could take him in.

A conversation with Cohen brought a glimmer of hope—he remembered spending time with his maternal grandmother, who lived somewhere in Canberra.

However, with no first name and no further details, the trail ran cold. Samantha seemingly offered no assistance, and when they checked Cohen’s birth certificate, it provided no clues either—his father’s name was listed as unknown.

After Harper shared more about Cohen’s situation, Cash (Nicholas Cartwright) felt compelled to step in. Having his own understanding of how daunting the foster care system can be, he decided to have a quiet word with Cohen himself.

Cash quickly built a rapport with the boy, and as they talked, Cohen recalled a memory of visiting a river in his grandmother’s hometown—a place he remembered being told had a name that translated to “clear water.”

That small detail proved to be the breakthrough they needed. Following up on the lead, Cash was able to trace Cohen’s grandmother to Queanbeyan, NSW, just a few miles outside Canberra, yet actually across the state border.

But while progress was being made behind the scenes, Cohen remained blissfully unaware of his mother’s rejection, as he asked Roo to post a letter he’d written to Samantha.

Roo was torn, but Harper gently suggested holding off until they knew whether any family could step in to support Cohen, or to see if Samantha changed her mind.

With a heavy heart, Roo quietly tucked the letter away, unposted.

Next week, Cohen’s enjoying some time on Flat Beach as Roo asks what else he would like to do.

Cohen, not wanting to be a burden, is hesitant to ask for anything. But with a little encouragement, he admits he’d love a trip to the library.

Roo decides to surprise him with one better, and takes avid reader Cohen to a local bookstore to pick out some brand new books for himself—a novelty for him after sleeping rough for the past few years.

The pair return to the beach, and as Cohen sits content, engrossed in one of his new stories, Roo watches on with a pang of guilt.

Marilyn (Emily Symons) approaches, and Roo explains that Cohen is still eagerly awaiting a reply from his mum—a reply that’s never going to come.

Maz gently suggests that maybe it’s time Roo told Cohen the truth, but Roo doesn’t know what to do. How can she break his heart by telling him his mum doesn’t want him anymore?

When Cash then shows up, Cohen is eager to show his new friend his latest haul.

Cash takes the book with a smile, flipping through the pages and remarking that he’ll have to borrow it once Cohen’s finished, before making his way over to Roo.

Roo quietly updates Cash on the situation with Cohen’s letter. At Marilyn’s suggestion, she’s been considering whether to send it after all, but she’s unsure how to go about it. She wonders if Cash could help her get the address of Samantha’s prison.

Cash is taken aback when he realises Cohen still has no idea that his mother has cut ties. He advises Roo that it might be time to come clean to Cohen.

“Kids deserve to know the truth,” Cash explains. “No matter how hard it is for them to hear.”

Cash reports back to David at the police station, where David admits that Roo’s strategy of hoping Samantha may change her mind is risky. Particularly since he’s just received notification that the court has granted Samantha’s request to relinquish custody.

Cash questions why they’re delaying telling Cohen, but David points out that Cohen’s grandmother could still be an option. If she’s willing to take him in, it might be better for the news to come from her rather than through Roo or the authorities.

Later that evening, any remaining hope is dashed when David takes a call from Queanbeyan. He informs Cash that Cohen’s grandmother passed away just a few months earlier.

With David agreeing that Cohen will need a friendly face, Cash accompanies him as he meets with Cohen and Roo.

Given the fond memories of his nan, how will Cohen take the news? And will it further delay Roo being able to tell him the truth about Samantha?

Elsewhere in Summer Bay, Irene (Lynne McGranger) is shaken when she narrowly averts a potential disaster caused by her memory issues.

After inadvertently standing John (Shane Withington) up after making dinner plans with him, Irene recently confided to him that she’d been having worrying symptoms over the past few weeks.

As well as numerous memory lapses, she had found herself standing in the middle of her garden in her nightie, with no memory of how she got there.

But John’s suggestion that Irene should seek medical help only served to upset her further. She had hoped that John would reassure her that it was nothing to worry about. Not wishing to face the reality of the situation, Irene told John to drop it.

Next week, Dana (Ally Harris) comes home to an empty house, noticing the ironing board set up in the middle of the living room. But as she goes to put it away, she yells out in pain as she burns her hand—the iron is still on, and must have been on all day.

When Irene arrives back at the Beach House shortly afterwards, she finds Dana holding her hand under the cold tap.

Explaining about the iron, Dana immediately puts the blame on Harper’s baby brain, as Irene reels from the realisation that she herself may have been responsible.

Harper’s confused when she walks in to accusations from Dana about leaving the iron on; Harper knows that she didn’t do so.

But as Irene shuts down the argument, they’re interrupted by the arrival of John, who has come to take her out to dinner.

As Dana explains what’s happened to John, he quietly realises that Harper isn’t to blame.

The next day, after a tense conversation with Tane (Ethan Browne) following his return from Japan, Harper asks Irene if she can babysit baby Archie whilst she heads out to talk things through with him.

Irene says it would be her pleasure, and is excited to spend some time with Archie.

A short while later, Irene grabs her handbag as she heads out the door, but stops suddenly when she hears Archie’s cries coming from inside the house.

Finding the baby in Harper’s room, Irene is puzzled as she goes to call her, only to find a text message thanking her again for agreeing to babysit.