Happiness Falls

Eugene’s first scary physical outburst happened when he was 7 and Mia and John were turning 13. Eugene had started waking up in the night, screaming and jumping, and the twins were aware of family tension as their birthday approached. After overhearing that paying for a party or summer camp would be difficult for Hannah and Adam, the twins pretended that all they wanted for their birthday was unlimited computer time. Nevertheless, Adam and Hannah made elaborate birthday cakes, which Eugene then destroyed, prompting Mia to slap his hand away. Later, after Eugene was taken to the hospital for a bowel obstruction made worse by sugar, Hannah apologized to the twins for having prioritized Eugene’s needs over theirs.

Eugene’s hearing makes it clear that Detective Janus had seen the neighbor’s video of Adam and Eugene before meeting the rest of the family. Feeling betrayed, John and Mia burst into the hearing room. Detective Janus suggests they also watch the video, which shows Adam attempting to calm Eugene, who screams, squeezes his eyes shut repeatedly, and then claws his father in the face. In the video, Eugene is not smiling. When the video ends, the judge announces that Eugene will be held in secure placement until a hearing.