Summer Bay braces itself for another emotionally bruising chapter as Home and Away heads into a storyline that carries the quiet devastation of Emmerdale, the family-driven heartbreak of EastEnders, and the moral dilemmas so often seen in Days of Our Lives. At the center of it all is Roo, facing one of the most terrifying possibilities any parent figure can imagine: the fear that she could lose Cohen forever.

The preview for September 22, 2025, makes one thing heartbreakingly clear—this is not just a misunderstanding or a temporary setback. This is a situation that threatens to permanently alter Roo’s relationship with Cohen, shaking her sense of identity, purpose, and belonging to its core.

The tension begins quietly. Roo senses a shift long before anyone else acknowledges it. Cohen grows distant, guarded in ways that feel unfamiliar and unsettling. Conversations that once flowed easily now stall. Roo notices missed glances, unfinished sentences, and an emotional wall she can’t seem to breach. At first, she tells herself it’s just a phase. But deep down, she knows better.

As fragments of information emerge, Roo realises that forces beyond her control may be pulling Cohen away. Whether it’s legal pressure, outside influence, or a decision made by others “for his own good,” the message is devastatingly familiar: Roo might not get a say. That realization hits harder than any argument ever could.

For Roo, this fear isn’t abstract. It’s rooted in history. She has already lost too much in her life, already watched people she loves slip through her fingers despite her best efforts. Cohen isn’t just someone she cares about—he represents stability, second chances, and the family she fought to rebuild. The thought of losing him reopens wounds she never fully healed.

The storyline explores Roo’s internal battle with painful precision. She tries to stay calm, to be rational, to trust that love will be enough. But as the possibility of separation grows more real, panic sets in. Sleepless nights follow. She replays every decision she’s made, wondering if she failed Cohen without realising it.

Cohen, meanwhile, is caught in a storm of conflicting emotions. He’s torn between loyalty, fear, and confusion about where he truly belongs. The pressure surrounding him intensifies, and Roo can see how it’s wearing him down. What hurts most is the sense that he’s being forced to choose—something no child should ever have to do.

Summer Bay reacts in familiar ways. Some residents rally around Roo, offering support and reassurance. Others urge caution, warning her not to push too hard or risk driving Cohen further away. The divide highlights one of the show’s most enduring themes: love can unite, but it can also fracture when fear enters the equation.

As the episode approaches its emotional peak, Roo faces a brutal truth. Fighting too hard could cost her Cohen’s trust. Doing nothing could cost her Cohen entirely. There is no safe option—only painful choices with irreversible consequences.

A pivotal scene places Roo and Cohen face-to-face in a moment charged with unspoken fear. Roo wants to promise that everything will be okay, but she can’t. Instead, she chooses honesty, admitting how scared she is of losing him. The vulnerability is raw, stripping away any illusion of control. For Cohen, it’s overwhelming. For Roo, it’s the only truth she has left.

The preview hints that outside decisions may soon override personal wishes. Documents, conversations, and authority figures loom in the background, reminding Roo that love doesn’t always win against systems designed to decide what’s “best.” That looming threat hangs over every interaction, making each moment with Cohen feel precious—and painfully fragile.

What makes this storyline especially powerful is its realism. Home and Away doesn’t frame Roo as perfect or Cohen as ungrateful. Instead, it shows two people trying to hold onto each other while the ground shifts beneath their feet. There are no villains—only fear, miscommunication, and circumstances that refuse to bend.

As September 22 approaches, viewers are left watching Roo inch closer to the edge of a loss she can barely contemplate. The preview suggests that whatever happens next will not be easily undone. Bonds will be tested. Trust will be challenged. And Summer Bay will once again learn that family is not defined by certainty—but by the willingness to fight, even when the outcome is heartbreakingly unclear.

By the end of the preview, one truth stands out above all others: Roo’s fear isn’t just about losing Cohen physically. It’s about losing her place in his life—about becoming a memory instead of a constant.

And as Home and Away sets the stage for this emotional reckoning, it leaves viewers with a question that lingers like a cliffhanger at sunset:

When love is real but control is impossible, how far would you go to keep the person you love from slipping away forever?