TWELVE-YEAR-OLD Lily Slater has decided she’s ready to step up and be a mother to her unborn baby.
But her decision throws Jack Branning into a desperate frenzy in upcoming EastEnders scenes.
Jack Branning spirals next week
He struggles to accept his son Ricky supporting Lily Slater through motherhood
Lily decided to keep her baby
The copper (Scott Maslen) is unable to cope with the news his son, Ricky Jr., fathered Lily’s baby.
Although she initially thought of having an abortion, particularly due to the Slaters’ money issues, the preteen portrayed by Lillia Turner ultimately decided against it.
And much like Lily, Ricky Jr. is ready to face fatherhood head on, despite his young age.
Coming up on BBC One, Jack finds out the lad has offered to support Lily in bringing up their baby and all hell breaks loose in the Branning household.
His wife Denise (Diane Parish) pleads caution but he fails to listen and demands a meeting with Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) and Martin Fowler (James Bye).
Jack insists they should talk some sense into Lily but Stacey is adamant on respecting her daughter’s choices and retaliates by affirming abortion is off the table.
This prompts Jack to resort to underhanded tactics as he later bumps into Lily’s in McKlunky’s.
When he runs into her, Jack tells her what her life will be like as a teen mother, in the hopes he could trigger doubts in Lily and, eventually, lead her to get rid of her baby.
Sadly, Jack’s actions have a whirlwind of consequences, particularly for his son.
Stacey gets wind of this and storms over to No.27, banning the whole Branning clan from having anything to do with the baby.
Ricky Jr. is crushed and calls his mother Sam Mitchell (Kim Medcalf), just as Denise squares up to Jack, telling him he’s out of order.
Ricky Jr. makes a shock decision and leaves the house to move in with Sam, while Jack is devastated.
Later on, Stacey and Denise join forces and get Martin to speak to Jack about coming to terms with Lily’s decision to keep the baby – but will it work?
Inevitably, Lily’s pregnancy is another issue for Jack and Denise to face despite the wedge it may drive between them in their marriage.
Will Jack make peace with the Slaters?
Could his marriage with Denise be doomed?
Will Ricky Jr. be allowed to be in his baby’s life?
EastEnders airs from Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm on BBC One.
Ricky Jr. was told he was the father of Lily’s baby
Both the Brannings and Slaters try to talk things out
