Ruairidh is unveiled at the heart of the village grapevine.

Radio Times: Alice has a rude awakening.

Characters: Adam, Alice, Brian, Jennifer, Neil, Susan

• Alice is up early. Ruairidh has had a disturbed night, so nobody got much sleep. Brian is at a loss as to how to comfort him. He plans to take him into the village.
• In the shop, Susan is voicing to Neil her worries about Christopher when Brian and Ruairidh enter. Susan immediately realises that Ruairidh is Siobhán Hathaway’s son – is he coming to visit. No, he’s come to live with his daddy. Oh! It will be round the village in no time.
• Jennifer finds it hard to justify to Alice that she has put a picture of Siobhán in Ruairidh’s room. Alice doesn’t understand how her mum can do all this; Jennifer explains that she can’t not do it.
• Adam finds Alice sitting alone. It is horrible at home. She knows it is tough for Ruairidh, she is not completely heartless, but it all feels so different: it is not her home any more.
• Brian uses a story to try to get the message to Ruairidh that his mother is no longer ill but cannot be with them. He has a box of trinkets that Siobhán gave him for Ruairidh and he shares this with Jennifer. There are tears all round.