Bed of Roses

When Louisa Atherton's wealthy husband, Jack drops dead in the arms of another women she thinks things can't get any worse - until she discovers that he has left her bankrupt and homeless. Retreating into denial, Louisa is ill equipped for the emotional fallout. Rainbow's End is the only place left for her to run to, and so she does, she runs home to mother.

Louisa is deeply depressed and humiliated as she is forced to sell her clothes online and search for unskilled work. She hides her pain behind jokes for Holly's benefit. In reality, Holly is falling apart. After incurring the wrath of her new school mates, she slips the urn containing her father's ashes in her school bag for comfort. It slips out the following day and she's derided and ostracised.

Shannon Atherton is lost, but a footy legend doesn't admit to feelings of insecurity, nor will he face the fact that he's a has-been at 24. And he's in financial trouble. Shannon's life has run off the rails and so does what he's always done, he looks to Louisa to help him out. Builder Marty Mason, is renovating Louisa's shack, and is chuffed to have an AFL player on his turf.

Shonky builder Marty is still the bane of Louisa and Holly's life. Holly demands that Louisa sack him, but Louisa's too intimidated. Holly confides to Sean that her mum is more annoying than her dad ever was. She confesses that she's still carrying Jack's ashes. Meanwhile Louisa discovers old letters that reveal "Mary Kelly" was actually a Chinese woman called Meilin Chee.

An exhausted Louisa is juggling her cleaning and photography jobs, as she struggles to finish the shack by herself. Nick comes to her rescue but she offends him and he retreats, leaving her alone. When a rain storm destroys her plaster sheets, Louisa admits defeat, sobbing as she tells Holly they'll have to sell the place unfinished. But she wasn't counting on her Rainbow's End friends.

Louisa is about to start a new phase of her life. The shack is for sale, the auction sign's up; the minute it's sold Louisa is moving on. Realising she has little time left to put her affairs in order, Louisa takes courage and declares her feelings for Tibor. She sleeps with him, but leaves wondering whether she has done the right thing. Holly, for one, doesn't like him.