Although she’s not due for another three weeks, the doctor tells Aoife that she might deliver in the next 24 hours. Casey comes to see her after the appointment, and she and Trish reassure Aoife that Joey is still going to find her attractive when he comes home.

Joey has Edel drop him off at Aoife’s house before going to see his siblings, but Aoife and Trish are out getting pedicures. Tony answers the door. Joey says he is clean, but Tony slams the door on him. A few seconds later, he opens it again and tells Joey he let him down. Joey is hurt—Tony is the only true father figure he has known, but he knows Tony’s disappointment is warranted. Tony asks Joey to prove him wrong, and Joey promises he won’t leave Aoife or their child.

Afterward, Joey goes to his parents’ graves and then to a welcome home party at the Kavanaghs’ house. His grandmother gives him a letter from his late grandfather, and the Kavanaghs show Joey a small house they built in their backyard for Joey and Aoife’s new family. He promises to repay Edel for everything one day, but she insists that his being here is all the repayment she needs. Joey goes into town with Gibsie, hoping to find Aoife at home this time.

Aoife, back at home now, is having irregular contractions. She panics because her father took the car to the garage while she and Trish were at home. As she steps out of the bathroom, she sees Joey sitting on her bed. Aoife’s water breaks, and she finally admits she is in labor. Trish comes in and reminds them they don’t have a car. Joey calls Gibsie to give them a ride to the hospital.

Aoife’s labor goes on for hours before she is fully dilated, and they finally take her to an operating room. Shortly after the baby is delivered, Aoife starts to lose a lot of blood, and the doctors push Joey away. As he tries to get back to Aoife, a nurse passes Joey his new son, and he is immediately in love. He is ushered out of the operating room alone and tells Trish what is happening on the phone. Trish and Joey feel terrified that Aoife is in the room alone.

Though the doctors assure Joey that Aoife is fine, he still worries about all the blood she lost during the delivery. He sits by her hospital bed, telling her how proud of her he is as she sleeps.

Joey feels different about his son than he did when Ollie and Sean were born, and he sees Aoife’s looks in the baby. He remembers the letter his grandmother gave him and is shocked when he finds €15,000 and a letter telling him that his grandfather gave him this money under the condition that he be out from under Teddy’s roof first.

When Aoife finally wakes up, Joey introduces her to their son. Aoife tells Joey that he can never leave their son again, and Joey promises he won’t relapse.

Trish, Tony, and Casey come to visit, and when they ask what the baby’s name is, Joey lets Aoife decide. She names the baby Anthony Joseph (AJ) Lynch. Joey helps Aoife get in a shower. She is embarrassed about the way she looks, even though he says she looks more beautiful than ever.

On her second night of parenthood, Aoife feels like she has failed as a mother because she can’t get AJ to latch and breastfeed. Joey reassures her that she is doing a great job. The next morning, Joey doesn’t want to leave Aoife, but they both know he needs to start his first day at Tommen College.

Joey tries to ignore the whispers about his reputation on his first day at Tommen. He is surprised when Shannon and Gibsie defend him against gossip.

Aoife feels unable to take care of AJ on her own but doesn’t want her mother’s help. She feels she must be able to be a mother on her own, as she is still afraid that Joey will relapse again. Trish tells Aoife about her own postpartum depression, and Aoife feels better about her feelings.

Gibsie and Johnny want Joey to play on their rugby team, but Joey refuses. Joey sees Lizzie again and feels completely indebted to her. Tadhg is also having his first day at Tommen, and he gets in a fight with a student who bullies him because he doesn’t have as much money as them. Joey tries to help him walk away and ignore the other boy, but when the boy makes a comment about Aoife, Joey punches him.

Edel tells Joey and Tadhg that Joey is suspended for two weeks for punching the boy. When they get home, Joey tells Edel about the money his grandfather gave him, which he wants to give to the Kavanaghs, but Edel refuses.

Looking for a ride into town, Joey goes upstairs to ask Johnny. He sees Johnny and Shannon having sex, an awkward image he can’t get out of his head. Later, Johnny tells Joey he plans to take Shannon with him whenever he leaves Ballylaggin because he loves her. Joey gets a call from Trish asking him to come over, and he leaves the house as quickly as he can.

Joey takes AJ and lets Aoife nap as he talks to Trish about how they can make things easier on Aoife. Joey suggests that Aoife and AJ come to live with him, but Trish refuses, as he expected. Alone with the baby, Joey thinks of his usual fears about AJ growing up to be like him and prays that AJ will be like Aoife.

Later, Joey talks to Trish and Tony about what will happen next, telling them that he needs his family to be together. He says he plans to spend some of the money his grandfather gave him to pay for Aoife’s tuition to Tommen, so they can be together for their last year of school. Surprisingly, Trish thinks Aoife and AJ should stay with them, but Tony knows it is Aoife’s decision.

Joey can’t sleep that night, still thinking about his mother. When Aoife wakes up, she tells him she is proud of him. Aoife tells him that he has one last chance with her because she can’t risk the baby’s safety, and Joey says that is the only chance he needs.

Aoife feels much better having Joey around during his suspension. Joey takes Aoife and AJ to see Edel and shows them his new annex building for them. He asks Aoife to move in with him and promises to give Aoife her happy ending.

A few months later, Shannon narrates as she goes to visit Joey’s family in the annex. She takes care of AJ as Joey and Aoife get ready for school. Shannon is happy that Joey is living just next door, but even more so that he is so happy now. Trish comes to pick up AJ, and Shannon goes outside. She sees that it is snowing and Johnny, Tadhg, and Gibsie are having a snowball fight. Shannon is still happy in her relationship with Johnny, and happy that her family is together and safe.