Steak and Burgers

The week ended with a tentative, but lovely, reconciliation between Leanne and Nick. It was Gloria who pushed it, with some uncommonly sensible talk from her. The old steak and burgers analogy worked very well.

Leanne returned to town to see how she felt about Nick. Couldn’t forgive him, she decided. After she witnessed him coming unglued at the kids’ Hallowe’en party, she joined her mother, Tina and Gloria at the Bistro. While they chatted, she stared into space, brooding.

Gloria did an astute assessment and pushed her to talk. She couldn’t get past his one night stand, especially with it being Kylie, Leanne told her. Gloria agreed, why go out for hamburgers when you’ve got steak at home? Exactly, Leanne said, glad to have her grandmother side with her. “But the steak wasn’t at home, was it?” Gloria added, puncturing that little balloon of sanctimoniousness.

On a plate

Leanne went over to the restaurant counter to mope, head in hands. Gloria pursued her and continued the discussion out of earshot of Stella and Tina. Sympathetically, she agreed Leanne had every right to be hurt and angry at Nick’s actions. But, she pointed out, the reason he was alone in the hotel, available for Kylie or anyone else, was because Leanne was not with him on what was to be their wedding night. The fact that Nick had turned down Eva when she offered herself on a plate showed that he had not intended to stray from Leanne. But he had learned in a cruel way that Leanne had pretty much offered herself on a plate to Peter right before she was supposed to be at the church marrying Nick. Think on that, lassie!

And think Leanne did. It can take several thinkings and tellings for something to sink in. Earlier in the week, Gail had said much the same thing to Leanne. That Nick wouldn’t have had the chance to sleep with Kylie if Leanne hadn’t stopped en route to her wedding to see if her ex was still available. 

The words of Gail and Gloria perhaps reinforced Leanne’s recall of her own words when she first suspected Nick had been with someone else that night – that, given her actions, it was understandable that he’d seek solace elsewhere. It’s ok, she had said then, we both erred.

She says much the same to Nick now, this time knowing all the facts. She means it, I think. I hope they can reconcile. I hope too that she wipes the floor with that dreadful child Grace when she attempts her planned trick on Simon and Nick.

More on all these stories on Coronation Street Blog.