Ryan described the seductive relief of alcohol at a Saturday night gallery event and after-party, convincing himself it was manageable despite increasing loss of control. On Sunday morning, with baby Jet still asleep, Ryan and Lillian were briefly intimate, and Ryan cooked pancakes and bacon, savoring the image of himself as a good husband and father. Noticing his hands shaking, he took a hidden morning drink from a bottle stashed in a closet, rationalizing it as medicine and enjoying breakfast with Lillian and Jet while suppressing a gut-warning.

Later, Ryan phoned his estranged father to share that he and Lillian had a daughter. His father responded with indifference and a cutting “Good luck,” then brushed him off. Ryan hung up in anger, slamming the receiver, deepening his resentment and shame.

After a stressful day—an artist canceled and the gallery rent increased—Ryan returned home and began drinking beer to brace for Jet’s prolonged bedtime routine. Jet’s crying aggravated him, and he kept drinking until she finally slept after nearly two hours.

During dinner, Lillian raised the issue of their apartment lease and her desire to buy a house, which Ryan felt was unrealistic. Already numbed and volatile from alcohol, he dissociated into a spectator mode as the conversation escalated. Overwhelmed by “noise,” he threw a bottle that flew at Lillian’s head.

Lillian immediately left the kitchen, took Jet, and left the apartment. Ryan also left, packing a bag. He noted the aftermath as a hollow, destructive quiet and recognized the parallel to the violence of his own father, which he had sworn to avoid.

Ryan reflected that Lillian believed it was an isolated incident, unaware of his hidden liquor and constant need. On Matteo’s couch, he had a nightmare that the bottle hit Jet and saw his father’s mocking face. He decided not to return if he loved them, acknowledging a shift from believing he could stop any time to seeing no need to stop. He admitted he now drank not only for relief but also to intensify pain, chasing both sensations as his addiction deepened.