This week on Home and Away in Australia, Eden enlists her friends and family to organise a wedding anniversary celebration for her and Cash – but will it be the only one they ever celebrate?
It’s an emotional time in Summer Bay right now, on the one year anniversary of Cash (Nicholas Cartwright) and Eden’s (Stephanie Panozzo) wedding day.
The joyous occasion took a tragic twist when Theo (Matt Evans) left the celebrations early to help Lacey (Sophia Pennington) confront her mother’s killer, a decision which would result in Theo’s death.
While Leah (Ada Nicodemou) and Justin (James Stewart) are quietly commemorating the anniversary of Theo’s passing, it should be a celebratory affair around the corner at Cash and Eden’s place.
However, with Eden’s aplastic anemia diagnosis turning their world upside down in recent months, their anniversary isn’t top of Cash’s priority list.
He’s only just beginning to come to terms with the fact that his wife might die if a compatible stem cell donor isn’t found soon, and Eden has had to force him to discuss what would happen if a match isn’t found.
With Eden refusing to stay optimistic – in Cash’s eyes, seemingly accepting defeat – Cash has turned to the internet for support.
Having found an aplastic anemia support group online, he’s been buoyed by the story of a patient who is doing okay three after her diagnosis, despite her doctors having been unable to find her a stem cell donor.
Eden was dismissive of Cash’s optimistic story, pointing out that just because that particular patient has survived, it doesn’t mean that she will. Yet Cash is determined for Eden to live, and will do anything in his power to make that happen.
This week, TV Week reports that Cash finds a diet plan in the online group, and believes that healthy eating will be a key part of keeping Eden’s health up.
However, as a picture from this week’s episodes shows, he’s got mixed feelings as he tries one of the meals.
He’s not the only one – when he invites Remi (Adam Rowland) to sample his “tofu surprise”, the response from Eden’s best friend isn’t particularly encouraging: “Is the surprise that people actually eat it?”
Meanwhile, Eden is determined to mark her wedding anniversary. Yet when she suggests to Cash that they have a celebration, her husband tries to put a stop to things.
“Our first wedding anniversary should be so special,” she tells Cash.
“We’re not risking your health,” Cash retorts, but Eden tells him that that should be her decision to make.
When Levi hears that Cash isn’t keen on Eden’s plans for a celebratory party, he confronts his brother in law.
“So this is about protecting her?” Levi (Tristan Gorey) asks Cash, who replies that “this is about not sacrificing her health for a party.”
At home, Cash breaks down as he looks at a picture of him and Eden from his wedding day, fearful that this could be the only anniversary the two of them ever have.
After Cash’s lukewarm reception to her plans, Eden refuses to give up.
She laments to Remi that “tomorrow might be the only anniversary I’ll ever get to celebrate.”
“I just need everyone to stop treating me like I’m made of glass,” she explains. “I have to celebrate my marriage while I still can.”
Going against Cash’s wishes, Eden enlists her friends and family to help her put on a special event at the Summer Bay lighthouse.
As Remi helps plan the surprise, he tasks Levi with distracting Cash as they put preparations in place.
Levi pretends that he just wants to spend the day hanging out with Cash, but with the pair having never been particularly close friends, Cash sees right through him.
Levi is soon forced to reveal the truth – Eden is planning a surprise party up at the lighthouse – and Cash doesn’t know whether to be angry or delighted.
The pair eventually make their way up to the lighthouse, where Mackenzie (Emily Weir) is waiting with champagne, as Remi watches on with a huge smile on his face.
Next to them is a dinner table, with drinks and food waiting to be served.
“Where’s…” Cash begins, before spotting his wife in a beautiful red dress.
As Eden carefully gets up and walks towards him, Cash is taken right back to their big day a year ago.
“Fancy seeing you here,” he says to his wife, as the celebrations get underway.
“It’s a deeply emotional time but filled with so much love and gratitude,” Stephanie tells TV Week.
“We knew going into this that we really wanted to honour this storyline the best that we could. We are lucky in the sense that we have worked together for over four years. So, we have that level of comfort and trust with each other as actors.”
Can Cash put his fears to one side for one afternoon to celebrate his marriage?
While Eden may have got her wish of a wedding anniversary celebration, she’s still got a long road ahead of her.
