Following the soap’s annual Christmas break, Home and Away is set to return this week with heartbreaking scenes that are set to divide sisters Harper and Dana Matheson after the pair learn some shocking news about the death of a family member.

Viewers know that Harper and Dana are estranged from their mum and dad, who have both struggled with alcohol and drug addiction.

During Friday’s episode (2 January), Harper enlists Cash to look up her parents, having been toying with the idea of reaching out since before the Christmas break. After Cash looks her parents up on the police database, he calls Harper with the sad news, telling her that her father died four years ago from a drug overdose.

Driven by concern for her baby son Archie, Harper had hopes of a happier future with both of her parents back in her life.

Despite receiving the news of her father’s tragic death, Harper remains hopeful that her mother might have reassessed her life in the aftermath, and Cash hands over the details of her mother’s whereabouts.

In scenes set to air on Monday 5 January, Dana laments to Sonny, talking about how Harper had tracked down their parents, only to discover that their father died four years ago from a drug overdose.

As Dana’s boyfriend, Sonny is encouraging and reminds her that Harper has spent years saving people from bad situations, so Archie is in good hands.

He tells her that yes, while Dana had addiction issues like her parents, but she has turned her life around, with Dana admitting that is largely thanks to Harper’s involvement.

Though Harper has privately found the memorial website for their father, Dana arrives to have a tough conversation with her sister.

Explaining that she doesn’t really understand Harper’s motivations to reconnect with their mother, Dana says she respects the fact that they both have different needs when it comes to their estranged family.

Dana asks Harper for one favour, that she is kept out of Harper’s plans, telling Harper that she cut their parents out of her life for a reason and wants it to stay that way.

Will the Matheson sisters ever be on the same page over this?