As they reconvene in the diner and share the news with Alf, he’s curious as to where Irene would get such a daft idea. Sonny owns up, leading Dana to storm off.

Sonny follows where Dana gives him a serve, telling him he needs to grow up, though she eventually softens and admits her reaction may have been clouded by her own feelings about the mother figure she’s found in Irene.

In the end, she decides that if this is what Irene wants, then she should be able to go for it, and vows to spend as much time with her as she can.

When Irene is summoned to the diner by Alf, she arrives to find him sitting down with Leah. She can guess what’s coming next, as they confront her with their concerns directly, but she bristles as she warns them not to ambush her.

She briskly tells them her mind is made up, and they can either support her or step aside.

When they later visit her at home as she looks through her postcards again, the mood is less heated, and Irene explains herself more openly.

Irene doesn’t want her friends to watch her unravel day by day, and she’d rather they remember her as she is now. All she wants is to leave Summer Bay knowing she has the blessing of her oldest and dearest friends.

Leah and Alf are still uneasy, but they finally see that she’s serious.

Will they be able to support Irene in her decision to leave Summer Bay?