Helen gets the shop as a surprise 21st birthday present and Shula and Lizzie get even further away resolving the family’s problems.

Radio Times: Helen is propositioned at her party.

Characters: Caroline, Helen, Lizzie, Pat, Shula, Tommy, Tony

• The preperations for Helen’s 21st are going well. Well, they’re going well now Helen is organising everyone! She has lots of friends visiting (including encouraging her mother to network with a friend whose father owns an organic shop).
• Caroline’s making a few arrangements ahead of William coming to stay, still pleased to be doing something, taking a weight off Clarrie’s shoulders at least (who’s still got Edward, sprained ankles and all, to worry about).
• Helen’s desperately trying to keep Tony off the dance floor and away from the DJ and is horrified when he takes the mike. He starts by praising his daughter and thanking her for her support during the recent hard times. She, in that embarrassed way people have, would rather he shut up, but he soldiers on before unveiling his coup de grâce – asking her to run the shop!
• Shula calls at Lower Loxley, reporting to Lizzie on how she found Jill in floods of tears. Of course, Lizzie can’t see how this was her fault, when Shula calls her behaviour stupid and selfish, Lizzie responds that it’s unsurprising coming from her, favoured by Doris and now nicely set up on Mark’s legacy with Alistair’s income, too. Shula accuses her of tearing the family to pieces and, when Lizzie uses her children as a weapon again, Shula reacts with perhaps the lowest blow in her arsenal – bringing up her abortion of Cameron Fraser’ child. At which point a white-angry Lizzie orders her sister from her home.