Mia considers the “Blue Brain” idea of innate knowledge after instantly reading Adam’s soaked notebook title as “Happiness Quotient.” She shares the HQ clue and the locked HQ files she found, while Detective Janus promises clarity once the notebook dries. When Mom asks about Adam’s wallet, Janus suggests it might have fallen out in the rapids, then steps away for an urgent call.

On the porch, Mia notices Eugene’s unusual long pants and tries speaking to him plainly about “happiness quotient.” Eugene appears to recognize the term, but when Mia tests him to point it out, he shuts down. Realizing she has patronized him, Mia retreats inside, frustrated with herself.

In the kitchen, Mia rejects mystical explanations and prods John for thoughts. Their banter triggers memories: first, Dad’s fireplace lesson about baselines and happiness soon after the Graveyard Incident; later, Dad’s binge on happiness podcasts and the notion of taking a “happiness temperature.” These moments reinforce that Adam framed happiness in numbers.

Mia then recalls her pre-college music algorithm distinguishing difference versus quotient. Adam had called her insight “brilliant,” saying it solved his problem capturing the “relativity of emotions.” Embarrassed, Mia downplayed it, and the topic died. Now she links her quotient idea to Adam’s notebook and experiments, wondering what he might have shared if she had encouraged him, even hinting at other secrets, including “the women.”