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Xander was initially reluctant to leave girlfriend Dana for so long, but she encouraged him to follow his dream—after all, it was only for six weeks and only an hour’s flight away.

Dana and Rose were both there to wave him off, as Rose told her little bro how proud she was of him.

“Summer Bay’s really been the making of us, hasn’t it?” she told him. “We live in paradise, we’re both kicking work goals, and you finally have a non-imaginary girlfriend! Seriously, I’m happy for you.”

Xander said a heartfelt goodbye to Dana, telling her that he loved her for the first time, before driving off.

Next week, both Dana and Rose are looking forward to Xander’s return, but as Dana busies herself with organising Harper (Jessica Redmayne) and Tane’s (Ethan Browne) wedding, she misses a number of calls from Xander.

When Rose eventually catches up with Dana, she’s forced to tell her what Xander had been trying to contact her about… he’s staying in Melbourne, and isn’t coming back!

A quick call to Xander and Dana learns that he’s been offered his dream job as events manager for a major hospitality group (Lassiters perhaps?).

Rose can see it from Xander’s point of view; it’s a massive opportunity, but at the same time, he’s leaving behind his girlfriend.

Dana explains that’s where it gets complicated—he’s asked her to move to Melbourne so they can be together!

Rose agrees that it’s a massive ask, particularly as Dana points out, it would mean abandoning pregnant sister Harper before her wedding, as well as her job as a volunteer lifesaving at the surf club.

But Rose is also finding it difficult to accept Xander’s decision, given that he was the reason she moved to Summer Bay in the first place. She can’t imagine her life here without him.

Dana begins to wonder whether Xander meant what he said when he told her that he loved her, and resolves to tell him that she’s not moving, hoping that the ultimatum will help him realise that he’s walking out on both his girlfriend and sister.

Dana later gets a further text from Xander reiterating that he’s not coming back, begging her to come to Melbourne and that she’ll love it there.