16 May 2024

Colin makes coffee

Colin is making a cup of coffee when Britt comes downstairs, 

"Do I look all right, Col?"

asking if she looks all right;  

"You always look all right"

he insists that she always looks all right, “Well, more than all right – ah, you look lovely!”

She asks if he likes the new blouse;  “Do I look like a good mother?”   

"I'm nervous about the meeting`'

He gives her a hug and she admits that she feels a bit nervous about the meeting this morning.

"You can't go like that, Colin!"

“Anyway, what are you going to wear?   You can’t go like that – you’ll ruin things – they won’t give us another chance!”   He agrees that he will go and get changed, assuring her that everything will be OK.   

Colin has a good feeling about today . . .

He says that he has a good feeling about today.

. . . but Britt has a slight mishap

Britt picks up her coffee and accidentally spills it all down her blouse;  she squeals, “Colin!”

"I know it needs a bit of work"

Ffion hesitantly enters Deri Fawr, followed by Rhys, and looks around her;  “I know it needs a bit of work to get it up to your standards,” he says, 

"It needs more than a bit!"

and she exclaims that it needs more than a bit.

“Come on – I know you’ve got a very vivid imagination,” he continues, 

"Arwen toasting marshmallows . . ."

“Imagine next Christmas, in front of the fire, Arwen toasting marshmallows, a tree over there 

". . . you roasting a turkey at the stove"

“and you roasting a turkey at the stove.”

“By the stove, yeah – where every woman should be, is it?” Ffion growls.

"Someone has put mistletoe right there!"

He continues with his fantasy, “You’re here with me and someone has put mistletoe right there.”   He points above their heads and she is rather sceptical about that.

The ceiling does not look very secure

At that moment something falls from the ceiling, surprising them;  

"Where did that come from?"

Rhys wonders where it came from, but quickly makes up an explanation.   

"The ceiling in that corner is a bit weak"

“Yes, it’s in our notes that the ceiling in that corner is a bit weak.”   Ffion regards that as complete rubbish.

Britt needs a replacement blouse

Megan is surprised to see Britt and Colin come into her shop;  “Have you got any nice blouses?” Britt asks, “I need something better than the tops I’ve got at home – the perfect blouse – we’re in a bit of a hurry, to be honest.”

"I'm sure I can find something"

Megan is sure that she can find something, 

"We're meeting the fostering service"

as Colin explains that they are meeting the fostering service at 11:00am in Llanelli to discuss Kylie, after that business with Yvonne and Britt does not have anything posh enough to wear.   Megan determines that she will find something suitable.

A tie catches Colin's attention

While they wait, Colin notices a tie which he fancies.

Ffion says she has seen enough

Ffion comes to the conclusion that she has seen enough and does not want to waste any more of Rhys’ time.   

"The master bedroom is worth seeing"

“You haven’t been upstairs yet – and the master bedroom is worth seeing – it’s huge!” he insists.

"Shouldn't you make sure the place is safe?"

“Shouldn’t you make sure the place is safe before we start gallivanting upstairs?” she enquires, 

"It might be that external wall"

“It might be the external wall – I’ll take a look – but thanks for trying,” she adds as she walks out.   

He is invited to try again

“You can try again if you want to.”

The mess at Bryntirion . . .

There is a repeated knocking at the door of Bryntirion, which is now in an even worse state, 

. . . where Jason ignores Kelly's shouts

but Jason is very reluctant to get up from the sofa.   Then Kelly’s voice can be heard, shouting, “Jase, are you there?”   It appears that she is not going to give up.

Mathew is quickly on the scene

Rhys has summoned Mathew to Deri Fawr to look at the problem;  he replies that he will need to check the external wall as he suspects damp is coming in from outside.   

"You know what she's like"

Rhys says that Ffion thought the same thing and is out there, checking;  “You know what she’s like.”

"This is an excuse to spend time with her"

“No,” Mathew replies, “But you do!   Come on, Rhys, you can’t deny it – selling this place is an excuse to spend time with your ex.”   Rhys maintains that may be true, but stresses that she is the one after him.   

Mathew does not believe that

Mathew is not taken in by this.

"I might be living here next year"

“But if things carry on like this, I might be living here next year,” Rhys optimistically predicts, then changes the subject, “Enough about me – what's going on with you and Eleri?”

"It's over – and thank goodness for that!"

Mathew, with a note of disdain, answers, “It’s over – and thank goodness for that!”   Rhys knows what he means and he continues, “There’s no point trying to find a woman in Cwmderi.”

"I have to go back to the office"

Rhys has a text calling him back to the office 

He throws the keys in Mathew's direction

 asks Mathew to lock up the place when he is finished.   

"Rhys, you can't leave me here!"

“Rhys, you can’t leave me here!” he protests, but Rhys is already out of the door.

Kelly has some coffees from the deli

As Kelly comes out of the Deli, carrying two coffees, she sees Diane across the road and calls to her;  

"Has Siôn said anything about Auntie Neet?"

“I’ve been trying to phone you – has Siôn said anything about Auntie Neet or what?”

"They're not having an affair"

Diane enlightens her that they are not having an affair and that there is nothing wrong with Anita;  she maintains Kelly is making a fuss over nothing.

"Too much gin yesterday"

Kelly can see that she is not feeling great and Diane confesses that she is a bit rough;  “Too much gin yesterday,” and as she fumbles with the headache tablets, 

"Is Jason all right?"

she is asked whether Jason is all right.

“I really need to talk to him,” Kelly stresses, 

"He's very busy"

but Diane says that he is very busy.   

"Before Griffiths has a tantrum"

“I’d better go before Griffiths has a tantrum,” says Kelly as she heads back to Tomos ac Ellis.

"Cone on, it isn't that bad"

As they walk along the back street, Colin remarks, “Come on, it isn’t that bad,” 

"They'll think you're off your head"

as he adjusts his rather gaudy tie, but Britt thinks that the fostering people will think he is off his head.

“Is that the impression you want to give?” she demands, 

"Oh, it's the agency"

then she receives a call from the agency.   

"Cancelled?"

“Cancelled?” she exclaims, “Why?   I don’t understand – no, our situation hasn’t changed – of course we’re still together.   

"He said what to Kylie?"

“He said what to Kylie?”

Jason is still lounging

Jason is lying on the sofa, amidst all the rubbish everywhere, watching the television, when there is some more banging at the door, this time accompanied by his mothers voice.   “Jason – I know you’re in there – I can hear the telly!” she shouts, 

He thinks he had better open the door

so he does get up this time.

He opens the door and informs her that he has a day off;  

"Kelly didn't get an answer"

“Kelly popped over earlier and didn’t get an answer!” Diane complains, then sees the state that the place is in.   “She was worried that something was wrong!”

"Nothing is wrong, Mam, OK?"

He is of the opinion that there is nothing wrong and asks his mother not to tell her that he is there, giving the excuse that he is just a bit tired.

“Look at all this mess!” she rages 

"I was just about to tidy up now"

and he says that he was just about to tidy up now.   

“You need a kick up the backside sometimes!” she goes on, “I know things are difficult for you, but you can’t live like this – you’ve got responsibilities!   It’s disgusting – Ifan shouldn’t have to live like this.”

"He could catch something, with all these germs!"

He tells his mother to stop fussing, maintaining that Ifan is fine, but she continues ranting, “He could catch something with all these germs!   Kelly said you were ill yesterday – is that why you’re at home this time of day and not at work?”

"Just stop talking for a second, please!"

Now Jason shouts, “Just stop talking for a second, please!”   

"I'll make a cup of tea"

Diane will go and make a cup of tea and then will help him to tidy up.

"That Rhys has an answer for everything"

Back at Deri Fawr, Ffion tells Mathew, “He’s got an answer for everything – ‘Yes, don’t worry, Ffi, I’ll get Mathew to sort everything out’!”   

"Yes, he could sell anything"

Mathew agrees that Rhys could sell anything, 

"Perhaps I should forget about this place"

which Ffion takes as a hint that perhaps she should forget about the place.

Mathew explains that is not what he meant, just that Rhys is good at his job;  

"They're the dangerous ones!"

“He’s a charmer, isn’t he?”   Ffion concedes that they are dangerous.   

"Do you see yourself getting back with him?"

“So, do you see yourself getting back with him?”   

"How about you?"

Ffion does not envisage that and asks, “How about you?”

"Me and Rhys?"

“Me and Rhys?   I have considered it a few times, but . . .” says Mathew;  rather she wants to know if he has anyone special in his life.   

"You and Eleri have been on a few dates"

She has been told that Mathew and Eleri have been on a few dates, but perhaps should not have mentioned it, but he did ask about her love life first.

He maintains that there is nothing to say, but reiterates that there is no point trying to find a woman in Cwmderi.   Ffion considers that rather an extreme view, but now has to take Arwen to a friend’s house.   She wishes him luck with the wall.

"Why did Kylie says we'd finished?"

When they return gloomily to number 21, Colin cannot understand why Kylie had said that the two of them had finished;  

"She saw me coming out of the flat"

“All I said was that we were spending some time apart at the moment, but we were bound to work things out in the end.   She saw me come out of the flat and it was obvious to her that something was wrong.”

"Why am I only finding out now?"

“Why am I only finding out now that you saw Kylie last week?” Britt demands 

"I didn't want to upset you"

and Colin says that he just did not want to upset her after everything that had happened.

"But you've really upset me!"

“Right – but you have upset me – you’ve really upset me!”   

"She'll be back here in no time"

Colin believes that once they explain that they are back together again, everything will be fine and Kylie will be back there in no time.

"They won't take us seriously now"

Britt puts on her MFC uniform and tells him, “They won’t take us seriously now, after everything that happened – 

"We look unstable – perhaps we are"

“we look so unstable – perhaps we are,” 

She walks out of the house

and with that she walks out of the house.

"I think I shall have to put the house on the market"

Diane brings Jason cup of tea, instructing him, “Drink that!”   He announces that he thinks he will have to put the house on the market, 

"You can't do that, Jason!"

but his mother is adamant that he cannot do that.   

"I don't have any choice, Mam"

He argues that he does not have any choice;  “I’ve promised Kelly £50,000 this week.”

"I don't care what Kelly wants!"

“I don’t care what Kelly wants – you’re not selling Bryntirion!”   

"But I'm desperate!"

He points out that he is desperate, 

"I don't care how desperate you are!"

but she is unsympathetic, “I don’t care how desperate you are – this is your home – yours and Ifan’s home.   Dai and I didn’t give you this house so you could sell it and give the money to Kelly!”

"Could I borrow the money, then?"

“Can I borrow the money then, please?   I’ll pay it back in instalments,” he begs;  his mother reminds him that he said that last time.

"Sort your life out, Jason!"

“No, Jason – there’s no easy way to say this, but it’s time for you to stop behaving like a teenager and sort your life out!   It was your decision to end the relationship and it was your decision to give all that money to Kelly.   So it’s up to you to deal with the consequences!”

Diane walks out

Diane picks up her coat and walks out of the house, 

Jason looks a pathetic figure

leaving Jason looking even more miserable than usual.

"You told me to try again"

Ffion is walking towards Cysgod y Glyn when Rhys rushes across the road and produces some more house details;  “You told me to try again, didn’t you?   Is Arwen home?”

"More marshmallows for us, then!"

When informed that she has gone to Ethan’s, he regards that as a pity;  “But there will be more marshmallows for us, then – although you haven’t got a fireplace to toast them.”   Ffion laughs that she knew he was going to say that, and he points out that she cannot blame a man for trying.

"Let's see what you have to offer"

As she opens the door she says, “Come on, then – let’s see what you have to offer.”

This time, a knock on the door . . .

Jason appears to have made some effort to clean up the place when there is yet another knock at the door;  

. . . is quickly answered

this time he hurries to let Kelly in.   

"What's going on, Jase?"

“I tried you this morning – what’s going on?” she demands.

"I'm trying to be a bit more organised"

He explains that he is trying to be a bit more organised.   “Oh aye – there we are, then – good – 

"Where's my money?"

“where’s my money?” she asks.

“I’m sorry, I’m not quite there yet – I know and I’m sorry,” he says.

"How many more times?"

She wonders how many times she is going to hear the same thing;  “We said this week, but somehow we’re in the same situation as we were last week, the week before and the week before that!”

"I've tried everything, Kelly!"

He explains that he has tried everything, so she snarls, “You sound like a broken record – 

"I knew this was going to happen . . ."

“what’s ridiculous is that I knew, deep down inside, that this was going to happen.   

". . . stupid me!"

“I knew you weren’t going to give me the money, but, stupid me, I gave you a chance!”

"Put yourself in my shoes"

Jason urges her, “Listen – please put yourself in my shoes for a second.”

"I need some in my shoes sometimes!"

“Oh my gosh, Jason, all I do is put myself in your shoes – I need some time in my shoes sometimes!”

He assures Kelly that he has tried to sell his share of APD, he has tried to sell the house – he has even asked his mother for a loan;  

"I don't know what else you expect me to do, Kelly"

“I don’t know what else you expect me to do, Kelly!”   

Kelly is already out of the door

However by this time she has left the house and slammed the door behind her;  

He appears surprised

he is left standing there, open-mouthed.

"How about this one, then?"

Rhys continues his sales pitch at Cysgod y Glyn;  “How about this, then?   It’s big enough, a large garden,” 

"It's a bit soulless, isn't it?"

but Ffion regards it as a bit ‘soulless’.   She would prefer a house with some character, some history.

"Like Deri Fawr, you mean?"

He moves onto the next suggestion;  “Like Deri Fawr, you mean?   

"Come on, Ffi – it ticks all your boxes"

“Come on, Ffi, it ticks all your boxes – large garden, big enough, plenty of character – and a real fire to roast marshmallows!”

Ffion reminds him, “It’s disgusting!”

"Exactly what you're looking for"

“Of course it is – but with the ceiling sorted and a coat or two of paint, it’s exactly what you’re looking for,” Rhys insists.

"You're not just saying that?"

“Do you think so?” demands Ffion, “You’re not just saying that because you’re trying to sell the house?”   He maintains that he thinks it would make the perfect home for her and Arwen.

"I can see you both there now"

“I can see you both there now,” he goes on, 

"You might be right"

and Ffion believes that he might be right.   “I know I am – I’m always right!” he brags, “Do you know what?   

"I think I'm right about the mistletoe as well"

“I think I’m right about that mistletoe as well.”

"I don't like a lot of Christmas decorations"

After a few seconds’ thought, she disagrees, explaining that she is not one for lots of Christmas decorations.   

"We could sort out another viewing?"

He suggests that they could sort out another viewing and Ffion will give him a ring;  

"Thanks, Rhys"

she thanks him and he replies,  “One out of two isn’t bad!”

Britt waits at number 21

Britt is sitting on the sofa when Colin comes in, carrying a bag.   

"There's still hope, Britt"

“Listen, I’ve been thinking – there’s still hope, Britt.   The fostering service haven’t given us a definite ‘no’ yet – they’re just taking our relationship status into consideration.   

"We just need to fight for a bit longer"

“We just need to fight for a bit longer, that’s all.”

"It's not looking good, is it?"

Britt is of the opinion that it is not looking good, especially with them still waiting for the panel’s decision after what happened with Yvonne.   

"We'll get through this"

Colin assures her that they will get through this, although he does not sound particularly confident about it and proposes that he will make dinner.

“I’ve got chicken and a bottle of wine, so we can discuss it properly, just the two of us, over dinner.”

"Sorry, Col, I don't want dinner"

He goes into the kitchen and Britt follows him;  “Sorry, Col, I don’t want dinner!”   

"You love my barbecued chicken"

He reminds her that she loves his barbecued chicken, 

"You, the chicken – I just don't want it"

but she continues, “I just feel all this – you, the chicken – I just don’t want it.”

"I can cook something else"

He volunteers to cook something else, a Pasta Bake or chilli, so she informs him, “Listen to me, right?   I think you were right the other week – 

"We have reached the end of the road"

“we have reached the end of the road.   We haven’t dealt with why you left the other week – we just brushed it under the carpet, like we do with our problems.   I want to foster Kylie on my own!”

He cannot believe that she is serious, 

"Kylie needs someone stable"

but she goes on, “Kylie needs someone stable in her life and the two of us together can’t offer that, so, sorry, Col, I’m going to bed now.   

"Can you not be here in the morning?"

“Can you not me here when I wake up in the morning?”

He was not expecting that

She heads upstairs, leaving Colin in a state of utter confusion.