Max banged on the front door, throwing glances over his shoulder as he did so. Any minute now a neighbour would come and see what all the fuss was about.

"Steph!" he yelled. "I know you're in there…"

Steph pulled the door open and folded her arms. "What?" she snapped.

"Can we talk?"

"Why?"

"Leave him. Come home with me. Now. Today."

"Get in here," she said, grabbing at his shirt and pulling him across the threshold. She slammed the door shut behind him. "Are you nuts?"

"What?"

"You come round here, banging on the door, yelling for me. What if Ian had been home?"

"Is he?"

"…That's not the point."

"I mean it, Steph."

"Let's assume for a moment that I would actually leave Ian. You want me to come back to Ramsay Street with you?"

"It's your home."

"No, Max, this is my home. And what about the baby?"

"I said that I wanted to share it all, the whole parenting gig, with you. Nothing's changed, Steph."

"Everything's changed."

"Steph…"

"I'm married."

"Didn't stop you sleeping with me. On more than one occasion."

"That's different."

"How?"

"So we slept together. As I recall, not a new thing."

"Do you love him?"

"He's my husband."

"You're not answering my question."

"Yeah, I love him. Is that what you wanted to hear? I care about him, I love him, and I'm having a baby with him."

"Is that what you really want?" he asked. "You didn't seem so keen about starting a family the other day."

"I wasn't pregnant then," she replied.

"So it could be mine then?"

"Yes, Max," she sighed. "It could be your baby. But it's more likely to be Ian's."

"Would you leave him?"

"Look around you, Max. Look at my life. I have a good husband who adores me, and I love him. I have a nice house, comfortable life. Ian gives me everything I could ever want."

"So what happened between us? Old habits?"

"Max, don't be like that…"

"Was it just sex? A bit of fun while hubby was at work?"

"Of course not!" she yelled.

"Then what?"

"I still love you," she replied.

After a pause, Max smiled and said, "Then come home."

"It's just so easy for you, isn't it? You make this grand gesture but I'm the one who has to take the chance. I'd have to break his heart, Max. No matter what you think, or what I've done, I really do love Ian. It's just…"

"You think you can't rely on me?"

"It's not that. I love him… and you… You're the love of my life, Max. I can't just make this choice, up and leave him. It's too much."

"Time was we were making some pretty big commitments to each other."

"I married someone else. I think that's a bigger commitment."

"Do you want to stay here? With him?"

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't."

"So I'm just wasting my time…"

"Max…"

"Fine," he said.

"Wait," Steph said, reaching out and grabbing at his hand. As her fingers closed around his she whispered, "I don't want to lose you."

"You won't," he said, pulling her in closer to him.

"Stay," was the last thing she said before pulling him in for a kiss.


Steph grabbed at her watch and struck out under the covers. "Max!" she exclaimed.

"What?" he asked, sitting bolt upright.

"You have to go."

"Why?"

"Ian will be home soon."

"So?"

"So," she said, pushing him gently, "I don't think he'll appreciate finding his wife in bed with another man."

"He has to find out at some point, Steph."

"I know, and I'll tell him," she said, throwing his shirt at him. "But he is not finding out like this. I owe him that much."

"You will…?"

"Max, please. I'll tell him, I promise."

"Call me?" he said, grabbing the last of his stuff from around and under the bed.

"I promise," she said. "Love you."

"I love you too," he said before leaving.


"I'm gonna stop coming home for dinner at this rate," Boyd complained. "Train tickets aren't cheap. Unless you want to buy me a car…"

"What? Sorry? Car?" Max asked.

"You OK, Dad? You seem distracted."

"Yeah. Fine."

"Dad?"

"I've… I'm just waiting on a phone call."

"Something important?" Summer asked.

"Yeah. Could be," Max replied.

"So… what was I talking about?" Boyd asked.

"OK, so I wasn't listening, I'm sorry."

"I…" Boyd started, but was interrupted by a knock at the door. "I give up," he said as Max went to answer it.

Steph was standing on the doorstep, bag slung over her shoulder and tears forming. "He knows," she said.

"You told him?" Max asked.

"Didn't get the chance," she said, holding up his wallet. "Under the bed."

"Oh," he said, taking it off her. "So…"

"Steph!" Summer exclaimed, coming from the kitchen. "Are you OK?"

"Fine, sweetheart," Steph said, wiping her eyes. "Just a little upset. Oh, hey, Boyd," she added.

"Hey, Steph. How've you been?" he asked.

"Come in," Max said.

"No," she replied. "I'm not stopping."

"Go finish dinner," Max told Boyd and Summer. "I'll be ten minutes." He waited until they'd gone back into the kitchen before stepping outside and pulling the door to. "What happened?"

"You mean after he found your wallet? A few choice things were said…"

"Steph…"

"It's over. I've left him. I told him who you were… are to me."

"What about…?"

"The baby? I told him I was pregnant."

"And?"

"And that it was yours."

"Why?"

"Because if I told him I thought it was his he'd never have let me leave."

"Are you going to be OK?"

"I… I don't know. I think so. I just… I can't believe I've done this to him. He deserves so much better."

"He'll be fine. Look, come in and…"

"No," she said quickly.

"What?"

"I didn't leave him for you, Max."

"But I thought…"

"Max, I still love him, despite what I've done to him. I need to deal with this too."

"So what now?"

"I'll be at Mum's."

"So… once again I'm in love with the girl across the road and I can't do a thing about it."

"You can give me time."

"Time?"

"I'll see you around," she said.

"Steph!" he called after her. "Take care. It'll be alright."

"Hope so," she called back.

Max went back inside and sat at the table.

"Is Steph coming back?" Summer asked.

"Will you give it a rest?" Boyd sighed. "Two years… she's married to someone else!"

"She's left him," Max said.

"Why?" Summer asked. "Because of you?"

"In part," Max said.

"So she's coming back?" Boyd asked. "Just like that?"

"She's back in the street, but I don't know what'll happen with us," Max replied.

"Do you want her back, Dad?" Summer asked.

"I still love her, yeah. But it's up to her."

"After what she did…" Boyd started but was silenced by a kick from Summer under the table.

"She needs time. We all do," Max said.

"I want her home now," Summer said.

"Time is good," Boyd said. "There's a lot of stuff to get used to."