Adrian comes over to Roo’s for dinner and tells Cohen all about the rest of his family, he’s yet to meet.
Excited Cohen is full of questions for his dad, but Roo clocks Adrian’s unease.
The next morning, Adrian informs Roo he’s decided not to take Cohen to meet his relatives and asks her to pass on his apologies.
Roo (Georgie Parker) is currently in the process of adopting Cohen (Nathan Murray), who she took in as an emergency foster placement following his mother Samantha’s (Heidi May) arrest back in July.
When Samantha subsequently relinquished all parental rights to Cohen, and with no father named on his birth certificate, the search was on to find any other family members who could perhaps take the boy in.
Local sarge David’s (Jeremy Lindsay Taylor) initial search for Cohen’s maternal grandmother, who Cohen vaguely remembered as living in Canberra, proved fruitless.
It wasn’t until Cash (Nicholas Cartwright) gained Cohen’s trust, and learnt some further details, that he finally managed to track her down to Queanbeyan, just across the border from Canberra in New South Wales. Sadly, they then learnt that Cohen’s grandmother had passed away only months beforehand.
With no other family members known, and with Samantha returning Cohen’s letters unopened, Roo was eventually forced to tell Cohen the truth about his mother giving him up.
Hoping to give the lad some stability as she grew ever closer to him, Roo announced to Alf (Ray Meagher) that she wished to adopt Cohen. Roo tentatively approached the idea with Cohen, who was initially conflicted over the idea that Samantha would no longer be his mother.
After some time to think during a fishing trip with Alf, and assurances from Roo that she would never replace his actual mother, Cohen agreed that he’d like to be a member of the Stewart family permanently.
However, as this week comes to a close, Roo is confused to receive word from the department that her application to adopt Cohen had been paused. As she struggles to get hold of someone to talk to, Roo calls David on the off-chance that he knows anything. She’s stunned when David reveals that they may have found Cohen’s father.
Next week, David explains to social worker Harper (Jessica Redmayne) that whilst he was going through Samantha’s criminal record, he found mention of a guy who had posted bail for her when she was pregnant with Cohen. Both agree that the man in question could be a likely candidate for being Cohen’s father.
Roo storms into the police station, demanding answers about the man’s claims, but all David can do is urge her to keep calm and wait for confirmation before jumping to conclusions. Back at home, Alf and Marilyn (Emily Symons) are doing their best to distract Cohen, but he quickly picks up on the tension and knows something isn’t right.
When Roo later learns Cohen must undergo a DNA test, she covers with him by saying it’s simply a routine follow-up for his recent bout with tonsillitis.
Determined to protect Cohen at all costs, she then decides to go and see Cohen’s potential father face-to-face.
Back in Yabbie Creek, the man in question, Adrian Purcell (Tom Matthews), finally arrives at the police station, where he’s welcomed by David and Harper.
Adrian is cooperative and explains that he has long suspected he could be Cohen’s father. Producing a photo of Cohen as a newborn from his wallet, Adrian admits he has carried it with him for all this time, despite Samantha walking out on him when Cohen was 3 months old, claiming he wasn’t his son.
Roo arrives mid-meeting and tries to intervene, but David firmly puts her in her place—nothing can be discussed until the results are known. Roo leaves in frustration, determined that Cohen now belongs with the Stewarts at Summer Bay House.
Adrian later attends the hospital for the DNA test without fuss, keen to get the matter settled. Both David and Harper stress the importance of keeping him at a distance from Cohen until they have the results, but fate seemingly has other plans.
Having casually found his way to Summer Bay, like most people in Yabbie Creek tend to do, Adrian spots Roo with a young boy near the beach.
Roo sees Adrian approaching and attempts to divert Cohen away, but it’s too late.
Surmising that the boy must be Cohen, Adrian gets ahead of himself and calls out to him, seeing it as his chance to connect. Cohen is left bewildered by the stranger’s sudden attention, as Adrian blurts out that he thinks that he may be his dad.
Horrified, Roo reacts with fury, and calls out to Cash who happens to be close by and has already witnessed the encounter.
Cash steps in and orders Adrian to back off. Though Adrian retreats, the damage has already been done—Cohen knows he may have just met his father, which will put an entirely new perspective on things.
After Cash takes Adrian back to the station, Adrian admits to David that he only wanted Cohen to know he’s always cared. David is unimpressed, and reprimands him for overstepping.
Cash later escorts Adrian back to his car, where Adrian explains he once tried to fight for a place in Cohen’s life but wasn’t given the chance. Cash listens, softening slightly to his situation, and explains that they will have to be patient with Cohen, who has been through a lot.
Back at the house, Cohen demands answers, and Roo has no choice but to tell him that what Adrian says could be true. He might be his dad. Cohen quickly realises that he could be sent away, but Roo assures him that he doesn’t need to worry.
Harper is fuming when David updates her on the situation, though David admits he doesn’t think Adrian meant any harm. That’s beside the point, Harper reminds him, explaining that if the DNA test comes back negative, Cohen is going to be dealt another blow after potentially getting his hopes up.
Harper heads to Summer Bay House to check on Cohen, whose mind is already made up—even if Adrian is his dad, he wants to stay with Roo.
Talking privately with Alf and Roo afterwards, Harper explains it may not be that simple, given that Roo is still only Cohen’s foster carer.
Roo reads between the lines as she realises that if Adrian decides to go for custody, they won’t have a leg to stand on…
Will the Stewarts be forced to say goodbye to Cohen already?
