Rain greets two sad occasions: Kylie's birthday and Leanne's leaving. David has a birthday present of a garden swing for Max and (the slightly too young for swings) Lily. He literally has a screw loose as Bethany sits on the insecure swing and breaks it. Craig insensitively uploads a photo of the incident and before long, Bethany is convinced that she is fat and is swigging diet pills with cola and David is pressing the spare screw into his palm so that it draws blood - from the shock of Bethany's fall or the stress of the day?
It takes a village to raise a child and it takes a Street to stop Leanne from leaving. Aidan persuades Eva who persuades Nick, whilst Simon hides the coach tickets and lets Nick hear, via mobile phone, that Leanne still loves him. Simon is unusally perceptive and senstive for a 13 year old boy - I reckon he fancies living in Victoria Court more than bunking up with his Aunty Toyah in L8. This subterfuge and David's talk of adopting Max, as well as his nihilsm over some Stallion lager ("Maybe it's too painful, maybe it's not worth it") all convinces Nick to do an Usain Bolt through Manchester coach station to save Leanne from a life in Liverpool and to be the baby daddy to Leanne and Steve's child. Nick declares his love for Leanne and she reciprocates, under the eye of the most patient coach driver I've ever seen. No doubt Toyah will be upset, but she's been living thirty miles away from her sister and never bothered to visit? I wonder who's looking after the juice bar in Streatham since Spider is off in Peru with Aunty Em.
One person who isn't going to be happy that Leanne hasn't left is Steve, who cheers up considerably once he thinks that she's gone, accompanying Michelle to her doctor's appointment, asking questions, agreeing to go to ante-natal classes and promising pomegranate juice for his wife.
Sharif has forgotten to pretend to forget that it's his and Yasmeen's Sapphire/Aluminium Oxide wedding anniversary and they have a nice day of lunch and art to look forward to. At the Bistro, Zeedan has to spill orange juice on Sharif so that they'll go back to the house and take part in the surprise party that he and Rana and Alya have arranged. It's hard to plan a surprise when the surprisees have free will.
Sharif has his own surprise: firstly, he's arranged to take Yasmeen to Bruges, home of canals, chocolate and the 1302 Matins Massacre (I love Roy's facts) and secondly, when old family friend, Sonia, turns up, having been kicked out of her house by her husband. Slowly, it's revealed that Sharif may not have been at the allotment all the times he has said he was there, and that he and Sonia have been having an affair for seven years. Seven! This is as mysterious as the suddenly divulged fact that Yasmeen's parents disowned her when she married Sharif. I do wonder if one of the consequences of the eventual disclosure of Sharif's affair will be Zeedan abandoning his principles and making Rana a happy woman. I hope so - I like Rana. Just as we need a battleaxe on the street, we also need a minx and there hasn't been one of those since Rosie left. I also hope that we learn about the mystery of her parents at some point.
At the end of the day, Leanne is on her way home and back on the street, both parties wind up. "It's been sad but lovely," says Gail, unaware that her grand-daughter has body dysmorphia and a tub of internet diet pills. "It's been the most perfect day," says Yasmeen, unaware that she's just invited her husband's mistress to live with them.
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