In the upcoming 2025 UK finale week of Home and Away, Harper finds herself pulled into an emotional whirlwind when she suddenly decides she wants to seek out her estranged, drug-addicted parents. Her unexpected mission sparks outrage from Dana and Tarn, and a seemingly harmless gesture from Sunny ends up triggering a chain reaction that threatens to fracture Harper’s closest relationships.
Harper has been wearing an eye patch recently, ever since a wayward champagne cork flew straight into her eye when she stepped into Sunny’s apartment at the worst possible moment. Though the injury wasn’t severe, the temporary change in her appearance unsettled baby Archie at first. Feeling guilty, Sunny tried to mend the situation by gifting Archie a stuffed toy that sported its own tiny eye patch. Dana initially hid the gift out of embarrassment, believing it was in poor taste, but Harper was unexpectedly delighted with the toy. She jokingly named it Patch, and even Archie warmed up to it quickly.
By the time Harper receives medical clearance to remove her own patch, she feels ready to poke fun at the whole situation. Wanting to thank Sunny for his support, she stops by with what she considers a humorous gift: another bottle of champagne. Dana accepts it on Sunny’s behalf and casually teases that Harper’s gift was far better than his silly teddy bear. Harper defends Patch lightheartedly, reminding Dana that Archie adores the toy and has practically welcomed it into the family. Dana playfully tells Archie he’ll only ever need his mother and aunt, not a whole extended family—an offhand remark that later sparks something much deeper in Harper.
When Harper stops at the diner later that day, Alf offers to hold Archie while she steps outside to take a work call. Marilyn notices how naturally Archie settles with Alf and comments that Alf could easily pass as the baby’s grandfather. The observation surprises Harper, especially when Alf starts reminiscing about the grandchildren he barely saw grow up. He confides that he met three of them—Martha, Rick, and Ryder—only when they were already teenagers, and that two of them he didn’t even know existed at first. He also seldom sees Duncan, who is the father of Bryce, Alf’s youngest grandson. Despite these regrets, Alf speaks fondly of the chance he now has to be involved in Ryder’s life. His words touch something in Harper, now seeing parenthood through her own fresh lens.
Harper then heads to the surf club to speak with Dana, explaining that Dana’s earlier quip about their nonexistent extended family stirred up memories of their own troubled childhood. With newfound clarity as a mother, Harper admits she’s begun rethinking elements of their past. She reminds Dana that while Archie has family connections on Tarn’s side, his only grandparents on her side would be the very parents they cut out years ago. Their mother and father were deep into alcohol and drug abuse throughout Harper and Dana’s upbringing, and they haven’t had any contact with them for over ten years. Dana’s bafflement turns to horror when Harper suggests they consider searching for them. Harper argues that, for Archie’s sake, they should at least find out whether their parents have changed. Dana immediately shuts the idea down, insisting their parents destroyed their childhood and would only endanger Archie’s.
Still seeking support, Harper brings the topic to Tarn over lunch at Salt. Tarn listens carefully as she glosses over the darkest parts of her past, trying instead to portray a softer possibility—one where her parents might have evolved. Tarn doesn’t reveal his stance, but her hesitance makes him uneasy.
Later, Harper meets Dana again at the diner, hoping her sister might reconsider. But Dana’s view is unshakeable. She refuses to reopen old wounds or let their parents anywhere near Archie—ever. Meanwhile, Tarn seeks out Cash to get the truth about Harper’s upbringing. Reluctant to betray Harper’s trust, Cash eventually tells Tarn the grim realities. Rattled, Tarn confronts Harper and Dana, telling Harper he no longer feels comfortable with her plan. Furious and hurt, Harper walks out.
Moments later, she appears at Cash’s doorstep, shaken but determined. She hands him her parents’ old information and begs him to check the police database to find out whether they’re alive, incarcerated, or still missing. Cash protests that doing so could risk his job, but as Harper’s desperation grows, he eventually gives in. At the police station, he hesitates before finally typing their names into the system—setting the stage for whatever shocking truth awaits.