19

Twenty-two years earlier, Lucian wakes to the familiar terror of his father’s violence. Exhausted from school and work, he has slipped in his vigilance. Rushing downstairs, Lucian finds his father beating his frail mother and wielding a kitchen knife. When he sees her bleeding, Lucian snaps and fights back, disarming his father and trading blows in a frenzy fueled by years of rage and fear.

Across the street, Sloane hears the escalation and, despite a promise to Lucian to stay out of it, calls 911. She has long tracked Mr. Rollins’s abuse and dreamed up plans to stop him, but tonight’s breaking glass forces action. She loves Lucian in her own uncertain way and chooses his safety over his likely anger.

Police and an ambulance arrive, lights drawing neighbors. Chief Wylie Ogden handcuffs the bloodied Lucian and declares him the aggressor, while Lucian’s mother remains silent under her husband’s watch. Sloane, stricken with guilt, tries to defend Lucian, revealing she made the call.

Simon Walton confronts Ogden, demands Lucian’s release, and instructs Lucian not to speak without a lawyer. An officer and EMT show quiet sympathy as Lucian, hollow with shame and fear for his mother, is taken to the station. Lucian pushes Sloane away to protect her, while Simon promises, “I’m going to fix this,” underscoring the divide between those who break and those who repair—and how Lucian sees himself among the broken.