11

On a quiet Sunday, teenage Lucian plays chess with Simon Walton, absorbing lessons about strategy and self-control amid the Waltons’ affectionate, messy kitchen. Karen Walton returns with groceries, and Lucian learns Sloane is on a date, sparking jealousy he hides. The Waltons’ warmth contrasts with the rigid, volatile atmosphere in Lucian’s home.

That night, Lucian’s father returns drunk and violent, mocking Lucian’s chess book and beating him until Lucian finally lands a retaliatory blow. Lucian tends to his injuries, worries for his mother, and wrestles with festering anger and the impossibility of leaving for college without abandoning her.

Hearing Sloane at her window, Lucian climbs into her room despite fears of tainting her life. Sloane notices his bleeding lip, gently cleans him up, and lightens the moment with banter about school and her supposed “street cred.” She reveals she dated Jonah only to break up with him, validating Lucian’s warnings.

When Sloane suggests going to the police, Lucian refuses, citing the police chief’s friendship with his father and insisting it would make things worse. They strike fraught promises: Sloane will not call the cops, and Lucian will protect himself. He also forbids her from intervening or drawing attention, prioritizing her safety over his own.

They acknowledge the cost: Lucian will forgo college to keep his mother safe. Nestled in Sloane’s fortress of pillows, they listen to Shania Twain, exchanging comfort and unspoken longing. The music and closeness momentarily let Lucian imagine a different life, and he stays beyond “three songs,” their secret bond sealed by tenderness and shared risk.