Joy for Emma, shock for William: the decree absolute arrives.

Radio Times: The Grundys have a break with the past.

Characters: Clarrie, Emma, Lynda, Susan, William

• Panic over: George is better, just as the nurse said he would be. Emma almost wishes he wasn’t and hence could not go on holiday with Will, who is not being cooperative about keeping in touch. Susan has brought the post and it contains great news for Emma – the decree absolute; she is not married to William any more. She is so happy and so is Ed when he learns of it. Of course William will not disappear; he will still be in George’s life but Emma feels she can cope better with that now that he is not in hers.
• The contrast could not be greater. William has taken the decree absolute very badly. It was a shock, even though he new it was coming. He loved her once, then he hated her and he thought he couldn’t wait to get rid of her. Now it’s almost as if he had thought they might get back together. Not now. It’s finished.
• When Lynda has left the shop, she leaves Clarrie and Susan to talk over the issue of the day. Susan explains Emma’s reticence about George going away with no contact at all: William has ruled that out as too expensive and too inconvenient. Clarrie will ask Rosie to ring Emma at set times; she is sure Rosie won’t mind.
• Ed is looking after George and when he bumps into Lynda and Daniel, out with Scruff, his good mood is plain to see. Life will be so much easier now, he is over the moon. Lynda warns that everyone has sticky patches – but Ed will not hear of it: they will live happily ever after.