Home and Away is no stranger to emotional gut-punches, but this week’s storyline delivers one of the most devastating arcs the show has explored in years. Just when young Cohen finally believed

he was on the brink of stability, the ground threatens to crumble beneath him once again—leaving Roo facing an impossible choice and viewers questioning whether Adrian has truly walked away from his son.

Only weeks ago, Cohen’s world began to shift when he learned the truth about his fractured family. Following the arrest of his mother Samantha in June—after police discovered her

and Cohen living rough in a tent—his life was abruptly turned upside down. With Samantha facing multiple theft charges and Cohen placed into foster care, the boy was already grappling with feelings of abandonment before the worst news even arrived.

In a shocking move, Samantha formally relinquished all custody rights to Cohen. For Roo, who had grown deeply attached to the vulnerable child, the priority became protecting him from further pain. She delayed telling Cohen the truth about his mother, desperately hoping another family member would emerge or that Samantha might change her mind. But as Sergeant David Langham began searching for living relatives, the options quickly dwindled.

Cohen spoke of a grandmother he believed lived in Canberra, but David’s investigation hit a heartbreaking dead end. The truth was even crueler than expected: Cohen’s gran had passed away from cancer only months earlier, and Samantha’s letters from prison were being returned unopened. With no more hope of reunion, Roo was forced to deliver the devastating news—Cohen’s mother had abandoned him.

The emotional fallout was immediate. Soon after, Cohen was hospitalized with tonsillitis, a moment that proved to be a turning point for Roo. Seeing his vulnerability firsthand, she made a life-altering decision: she wanted to adopt him. For Cohen, the idea was nothing short of miraculous. Finally, someone wanted him—completely and unconditionally.

But Home and Away rarely allows happiness to arrive without consequence.

As Roo began the adoption process, David uncovered a startling detail buried deep in Samantha’s old case files. When Samantha was arrested as a teenager—already eight months pregnant—her bail had been paid by a man named Adrian Pcel. The implication was clear, and both David and social worker Harper quickly reached the same conclusion: Adrian was almost certainly Cohen’s father.

Summoned to Yabbie Creek Police Station, Adrian confirmed what he had always believed. He had never stopped thinking about Cohen and even carried a photo of the boy in his wallet. According to Adrian, Samantha had vanished with the baby when Cohen was just three months old, insisting the child wasn’t his and cutting off all contact. For years, Adrian was left with unanswered questions—and now, suddenly, the truth was within reach.

Although plans were made to wait for DNA confirmation, Adrian couldn’t help himself. Spotting Roo and Cohen near the surf club, he approached the boy and introduced himself. The moment left Cohen confused and overwhelmed, forcing Cash to intervene and Roo to explain everything properly. When the DNA results arrived, they confirmed Adrian’s story: he was Cohen’s biological father.

For Roo, the confirmation was bittersweet. While it answered long-standing questions, it also threatened to shatter the fragile family she was building. Still, she tried to put Cohen first. An early meeting between father and son went surprisingly well, with Cohen already calling Adrian “Dad” as they kicked a football together, laughing like they’d known each other forever.

But the cracks soon appeared.

When Adrian attempted to explain that he had never abandoned Cohen—that Samantha had lied and taken him away—Cohen reacted badly. Still fiercely loyal to his mother, he refused to believe she would deceive him and angrily rejected Adrian. Roo, protective and already emotionally invested, didn’t hesitate to support Cohen’s decision, keeping Adrian at arm’s length.

It took a quiet conversation with Alf during a fishing trip to uncover the truth behind Cohen’s anger. Alf gently encouraged Roo to reconsider, reminding her that Adrian was navigating unfamiliar emotional territory too. Complicating matters further, Harper warned Roo that actively obstructing Adrian’s relationship with Cohen could jeopardize her role as foster carer altogether.

Reluctantly, Roo stepped back. Father and son met again, agreeing to start over—but uncertainty lingered. Adrian admitted he had no idea how to be a father, a confession that deeply unsettled Roo. While Cohen grew more hopeful, Roo feared Adrian might be unintentionally raising expectations he couldn’t meet.

Her worst fear seemed to come true when, after a warm family dinner where Adrian excitedly spoke of introducing Cohen to his wider family, everything unraveled. The following day, Roo discovered Adrian packing his car, preparing to leave town without explanation. His only words were devastatingly brief: “Tell Cohen I’m sorry.”

The timing couldn’t have been crueler. Cohen had only just come to terms with the belief that his mother didn’t want him. Now, it appeared his father was abandoning him too. Roo was left shattered—not just for herself, but for the boy who had already endured more heartbreak than most adults.

Determined not to let Cohen suffer another loss without fighting back, Roo made a bold move. Putting her own emotions aside, she headed to the police station and demanded Adrian’s address from David. She wasn’t ready to give up—not on Cohen, and not on the possibility that Adrian was running from fear rather than responsibility.

The question now haunting Summer Bay is simple but devastating: has Adrian truly abandoned his son, or is there more to his sudden departure than meets the eye? And can Roo convince him to return before Cohen’s fragile hope is destroyed for good?

One thing is certain—this storyline is pushing Home and Away into deeply emotional territory, reminding viewers that love, family, and healing are rarely straightforward. As Roo fights for Cohen’s future, the outcome may change all their lives forever.