Husband, Father, Killer: The Alyssa Pladl Story (2024) Movie Script
[reporter]
We're reporting shocking news
from Dover Plains, New York,
tonight
of a series of crimes that
have left a family shattered.
[reporter #2]
...following reports
of a North Carolina arrest
on charges
of incest and adultery.
[reporter #3]
...that what they are looking at
is, by all appearances,
a triple murder and suicide.
[reporter #4]
There were stunning allegations
that a father
and his own daughter...
[Alyssa] In retrospect,
I see how I was manipulated--
how we all were.
I've asked myself
if there was something more
I could have done
to protect my family,
to protect myself.
Why would he do it?
All I can say
is that there is
real evil in the world.
[Alyssa] I'm just gonna close
the drapes, Detective.
Steven would kill me
if he knew
I was meeting with you.
[Detective] Alyssa, were you
always afraid of Steven?
[sighs]
[sighs]
Steven loved bragging about
shooting up his room with a .45
and covering the bullet holes
with-with posters.
And you didn't see that
as a red flag?
No, I just thought...
it was cool.
It was bad-ass.
How did you two
get together?
We met in a chatroom.
I was 15. He was 21.
I don't know, he just,
right from the start,
had my number.
He love-bombed me
from 2,000 miles away.
Pretty soon, we were just
talking on the phone for hours.
Do you, uh,
do you do puzzles?
Yeah, I've done jigsaw puzzles.
Okay, you know
when you're about
to finish a puzzle
and there's just that-that
one missing piece,
and, you know,
you-you just kill yourself
trying to find it,
and then,
out of nowhere
it pops up and...
[blows air]
...it's perfect?
Yeah?
[older Alyssa]
37-year-old me knows
he was just
pouring honey in my ear.
That's how I feel
now that I've met you.
[knocking at door]
I'll call you back!
Okay, yeah.
[bangs phone down]
[Alyssa] I wish I could
go back and tell myself
not to stop caring about
everything except Steven,
to not fall for his act,
to not let my grades go to hell,
to listen to my parents.
Everything they were saying
was right,
even when they forbade me
from ever talking to him again.
[exhaling deeply]
Well, you know...
Steven didn't like that.
He didn't take that so well.
[thumps desk]
[chair hits floor]
[raging, glass shatters]
[Alyssa] When he heard that,
nothing could stop him
from coming for me...
...and the crazy thing is,
I wanted him to.
Some girls
are just moths to the flame.
I guess
I was one of those girls.
[car door closing]
You're my baby.
Okay, let's go.
[Detective]
How did your parents react
after you left?
The second
my beautiful, perfect daughter,
Denise, was born,
my mom and dad came around.
[tearfully] And they were
trying to help, you know?
But Steven would say that--
that they were trying
to take the baby from us.
My baby was not even six months
before...
he moved us
2,000 miles away.
And that's when
his true colors came out.
You have to take it back!
[Steven]
No way! It's too late!
You've had it for two hours.
Just take it back--
Oh, so you want me to lie?
What kind of example is that
setting for my little girl?
Steven,
we need food for the baby!
Oh! Yeah, and all that
organic crap you buy--
no wonder we're broke!
You know, for once, once,
maybe you can get a job you
don't, like, lose right away!
I told you,
I will not lick boots!
[whirring]
[crashing]
What the hell?
That is not supposed to happen.
Stupid thing.
Does she ever shut up?
- [crying]
- It's okay--
Stop it!
She has to learn!
You coddle her!
You promised me never again--
you swore!
What are you doing?
[Steven]
Getting some peace and quiet!
[Alyssa] Please, Steven,
don't put her in the cooler!
Please, I promise,
I'll keep her quiet!
You say that every single day!
I don't want her to die!
Please!
[Alyssa] Sometimes,
Steven would pinch her
to get her to stop crying,
but that would only
make it worse,
or he'd put her in the cooler
so he wouldn't hear her scream.
I was too young.
I knew I couldn't protect her.
She would be safer
away from him.
[arguing, indistinct,
Denise crying]
When I told him
we had to put Denise
up for adoption,
he said yes.
He would say anything
not to lose me.
[adoption agent]
They're good people.
I'm sure
they'll do everything they can
to make her feel
safe and loved.
They did have
one request, though--
her name.
They'd like to give her
a new name for her new life,
if that's all right with you.
[Denise crying]
Th-That'll be fine.
They're her new parents now.
[]
[Alyssa] I told my parents
that Denise
was going to a good family
and they had good jobs,
and they had a nice house,
and they would love her.
They just couldn't understand
why I wanted to give her up.
I couldn't tell them
what Steven had done.
I didn't...
didn't...
didn't want to give her up.
[sighing]
In the back of my mind,
I'd always hoped to be reunited,
that I'd see Denise again...
...but not like this.
[mother and father]
Happy birthday to you
[all]
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday
Dear Katie
Happy birthday to you
Thank you, thank you,
thank you, thank you. Thank you.
Oh, wow.
Mm. Thanks, Mom.
Oh, my god!
[laughter]
Oh, my god,
it's like a thousand colors.
I'm actually gonna go crazy.
That's the best kind of crazy
to go.
It's pancakes and lots of bacon
as soon as you're dressed.
Come on.
Uh, Mom, Dad?
Yeah?
I'm-I'm ready to do it now.
It's... time.
To do what, honey?
Uh... sweetheart?
What? Why shouldn't I?
You... should,
if you want to.
Your birth parents
were good people.
They knew
what was right for you, but--
[deep breath]
...they were damaged,
and I'm sure
long since broken-up.
You don't know
what kind of chaos
you could be stepping into.
Maybe just wait a while longer,
until you have a little more
life under your feet.
Baby, if you're sure
now is the time...
N-No, I'm not,
but I want to anyway.
- Right after pancakes.
- Okay, good.
Okay.
- I love you.
- I love you.
[Alyssa]
Why does anyone stay in hell?
I don't know.
Where would I have gone?
I had no money,
and the girls,
they loved Steven.
He was more of a playmate
than a daddy,
and with Caroline having autism,
change is crazy tough for her.
I didn't want
to blow up her world.
Staying with him
became a habit,
something I got used to,
even when we were sleeping
in separate bedrooms.
[handle clunking]
[toothbrush hits jar]
[sighing]
[exhaling deeply with resolve]
[calling out] Steven?
[Steven] Surrender, earthlings!
The invaders from Zorgon
have overcome your defenses!
Surrender!
We will never surrender!
Oh, ho, ho, then Zorgon
will finish this...
the Zorgon way!
[Alyssa]
Always the Pied Piper.
He knew how to turn it on
for the whole world.
Oh, no! You're--
You're killing Zorgon!
The Earthlings
are too strong!
[he groans theatrically]
Can you please
go make us breakfast?
I need to talk to your dad.
You heard your mom.
Go rustle me up
some waffles.
Thank you.
Heavy on the syrup!
The water's off.
You swore
you were gonna pay for it.
Yeah, yeah,
I thought we were in the--
what do you call it--
grace period.
- You "thought"?
- Yeah.
[fidgeting with water gun]
How can you let the girls
live like this?
Like what?
Look, I know where the box is
on the side of the house.
I'll grab my wrench,
have it on like that--
no problem.
- Mm-hmm. What if we get caught?
[snickers] Cops are gonna
come and arrest you?
You know what?
Just forget about it.
You know, I'll go downtown
and I'll talk to them,
and I'll work
four overtime shifts,
and I'll get it paid by Friday--
[mockingly] Ohh!
And get a start
on next month's rent.
Great, yeah.
Yeah. What happened
to your job at the shop?
Total jerks.
Waste of my time.
Providing for your family
is a waste of your time?
Don't worry about it.
Steven.
Steven, I'm done.
Good to know.
[water sloshing as he fidgets]
Stop!
Yeah, in a minute.
[water sloshing]
Now! Stop.
Don't touch me like that.
Well, you sure know how to stab
a knife in the back of fun,
don't you?
- You know what I can do?
- Hmm?
I can pawn something
to get out of this hole.
- Oh, yeah? What?
Something I should've done
a long time ago.
No.
Don't you joke about that.
Do you seriously want
to keep going around
this merry-go-round,
pretending that we're in
any kind of marriage?
That's the joke!
You can't
do that to me.
I actually can,
if I do it really fast
before I chicken out.
You can keep the house.
I will get a house
with the girls.
You're great mom.
You'd do that to Caroline?
You know the hell
she goes through
when things change.
She's the reason
that I've been here so long.
She's the reason
I'm here.
I'll be at peace...
finally.
Dad!
I can't find the waffle mix!
Dad?
Go.
Coming!
[exhales intensely]
[Steven] Did you look
in the cupboard?
[]
[Steven] Alyssa?
You have to see something.
What happened?
Nothing.
You just have to see it.
You ready
for your world to explode?
What--
[Steven] She, uh...
she tracked us down.
[laughs] She-she knows
everything about us.
She even wants to come
and meet us after she graduates
from high school in May.
It's our baby girl.
We get to see her again.
What?
Hey, what--
[thumps lid down]
What is your problem?
Why aren't you
excited about this?
Have you forgotten
why we gave her up?
The things you did
to that baby?
Oh, for god's sake.
You have no right
to be happy about seeing her.
You can't tell me how to feel.
I'm her dad,
and I did
what I thought was best.
I just wanted her
to stop screaming.
But did I ever, ever do that
to Caroline or Jenna?
No, I didn't.
So I have every right,
I think,
to feel whatever I want to
about our baby.
She's not our baby.
So, what are you gonna do?
You're just gonna tell her,
"No, you can't come meet us"?
I probably should.
Alyssa, but will you?
Could you actually do that?
No. No, you couldn't.
I-I couldn't.
So we're agreed,
and there is no problem.
And...
we can't exactly
break up now, right?
What are you talking about?
Well, what kind of
a welcome would that be?
"Hi. Great to meet you.
We're splitting up"?
You're just trying
to stop me from leaving.
Alyssa, but what about
Caroline and Jenna, huh?
Uh, "Hi, girls. Guess what?
"You have a big sister
we kind of forgot
to ever tell you about,
and, oh, yeah, by the way,
as of right now,
you come from a broken home."
I mean, y-you really want
to drop all of that
on your daughters
in-in one big... blammo?
Think of what
that would do to them.
I'm-I'm gonna write her back.
Thanks.
[sighs heavily]
Oh, my god.
[]
This looks like the address.
They're here!
[Mom] You feeling okay?
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
You call us anytime, okay?
Every day.
[Katie] Okay.
[door creaks]
[Mom]
Do you want me to get that?
I think I got it. Thanks.
I'll get the door.
Hi! Long drive?
[Katie] Yeah. [chuckles]
Okay.
[Steven] Hey.
Wow.
Hi.
Hi, I'm Kelly,
and this is Anthony.
Hey.
Good to meet you.
- Hey.
- Hi.
This is Katie.
Katie, this is...
Oh, Alyssa, Steven, and Jenna.
Jenna, please say hi
to Mr. and Mrs. Fusco.
Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Fusco.
Hi!
Are you my sister?
Yeah, I am.
[laughs] Yeah.
You're pretty.
Oh, thank you.
My other sister's inside--
she's on the spectrum,
so she's a little bit shy.
A little shy?
That's okay.
I'm-I'm a little bit shy, too,
so, I think we'll get along.
[laughter]
So nice to meet you.
[chuckling] "Katie".
Okay, well, you all must
be hungry after a long drive.
We're having a barbecue.
Backyard?
- Uh...
- Thank you.
Yeah, thanks, but we've got
a long drive to get back, so...
Oh!
All right. Yeah. Okay.
[claps his shoulder]
[Alyssa] All right, well,
thank you so much
for driving her down,
and, of course,
I'll keep you in the loop.
Great, thank you.
And yeah, me, too, obviously.
- [laughter]
- I know.
- Okay, bye, Mom.
- Okay, bye.
All right-- ding-ding,
hear that lunch bell ringing?
Bye, Dad.
- See you in two weeks!
- Bye.
- Have fun.
- I will.
- See you. Love you.
- Bye.
[Steven] Jenna, a hand, please?
Yeah, there you go. Oh.
[Alyssa]
When Katie first arrived,
I had that horrible feeling
you get
when you know things
are gonna go very bad.
I should have stopped it
right there.
[Detective] How could you have?
[Alyssa] I don't know.
I just should have.
Let's just go, okay?
How about you
go show her, okay?
You've gotta see your room.
We made it pretty for you.
[]
[Katie gasps]
Thank you.
It's wonderful.
Thank you.
Why are you, like, crying?
Oh. No, I'm not crying.
I'm just, um... [sniffling]
It'll be the first time
I've ever slept in my own room.
Yeah, in our trailer,
I had to share with my sister.
Trailer?
It's really nice!
It's bigger than a lot of homes.
[Steven] When did you move out?
Uh, we didn't.
We still live there.
Jenna, why don't you
go help her unpack, okay?
[Katie] You gonna help me?
Okay, come on.
[door closes]
Did you know about this?
[hushed] Talk over there.
Do you remember
what I remember?
A two-bedroom house?
[Alyssa]
It was better than our house!
[Steven] This whole idea
that she'd be raised by a family
who could give her a better life
is a load of crap!
Will you please just be quiet?
She's right next door!
Can you put a lid on it
for two weeks?
Please, for her sake?
Just...
[thumps door]
All right, Burger Express!
All aboard! Choo-choo!
I'm sorry.
[]
- [Katie] A little to the left.
- [Alyssa] This way?
[Katie] Yeah, so the light
falls on you.
[Alyssa] Okay.
- That's perfect. Perfect.
- All right.
Yeah, just hold that.
I'm sorry, I've never
done this before.
No, it's... it's perfect.
Can I talk?
Yeah, absolutely,
as long as you don't move.
Okay.
You know, I thought about you
every day.
Yeah, I prayed
that you were happy.
Mm. I was happy.
Yeah. Had an awesome life.
I, um... I mean, sometimes,
I wish I wasn't, like,
buried in a small town,
but, um...
you know, my parents
are good people.
They're like "the real deal,"
you know?
Yeah, I was, um...
felt completely, uh...
...loved, yeah, yeah.
Oh, that's beautiful.
So,
what do you think about
living in a small town?
Oh, no, I'm gone.
I'm already gone.
[laughs] I hear a plan.
- Okay. Um, community college--
- Okay?
...And then transfer
to SUNY to study art.
That's awesome.
Yeah. [laughs]
Yeah. Yeah, without art, I--
I don't even...
I don't even know
what life looks like.
I wish Chris got that.
Boyfriend?
Um... ish.
Ah! Let me guess--
he wants you to have three kids
before you're 20?
Kind of. I don't know.
I really like him!
I-- I do.
I-I don't know.
Listen.
I'm probably the last person
that should be giving advice,
but, you know, don't let anybody
come between you
and what you really want.
What did you really want
when you were my age?
You.
Beyond that,
I don't even know.
It was just so...
buried under so much stuff,
you know?
[chuckles sadly]
Sorry.
[softly] It's okay.
I carried you.
I breastfed you.
You were my baby.
It feels so good to hug you.
[]
[laughter]
[Katie] Oh, my god, like,
the look on his face!
Did you see it?
I actually died.
It was so funny.
[both laughing]
Hey, guys, does the whole class
get to hear the joke?
[both laughing]
You had to be there.
It was like...
I had the best time.
I know. Me too.
Let's do it again, okay?
Yeah.
Hey, Katie, would you please
go put the groceries inside,
please?
- Mm-hmm.
Thank you.
What?
Talk about not fair.
[Alyssa] What's not fair?
You monopolizing Katie.
I want to spend time
with her, too.
You can hang out
with her tomorrow.
I had today off.
Is that okay?
Since you have
nothing else to do.
[scoffs]
Why are you even home
right now?
Idiot foreman had it in for me
because he knew I could
do his job blindfolded.
It was only
a matter of time
before he found
some lame-ass excuse to can me.
[door shuts]
Oh, wow.
I mean, look at this one.
It is...
a genius--
- [giggles]
- ...Out of my own blood.
No, I don't know
about genius.
I mean, yeah,
I have a lot to learn.
Yeah, you think
you're gonna get that
at Podunk Community College?
Well, yeah,
it's just till I transfer.
Pfft. Same difference.
Look, college is for losers
wasting their parents' money
while they figure out how to get
their thumbs out of their asses.
- It's true.
- What?
You're a mile ahead of that.
So, what?
I just, like...
Like, I don't go
to college at all?
Yeah.
[laughs] What else do I do?
Uh, get out of Podunk
and start being an artist
right now.
Richmond is the big city,
tons of art schools.
You can take classes.
You can live with us--
for free, in your own room--
and do all the art you want
all day long.
So, I-- you mean, like,
I just don't go home next week?
This is home.
[chuckles and sniffles]
Sorry.
What? What did I say?
[crying] I'm sorry.
Hey.
Why did you give me up?
I had nothing to do
with that.
[groans]
It is all this crap
your mom made up.
She said, "Oh, Steven,"
you know,
"she's gonna be raised by
a rich family with a big house.
She'll have
all these opportunities.
She'll travel the world."
I'm such an idiot
for falling for it.
No, no! You're not an idiot.
Like, I had a great childhood.
Yeah, but you could've had that
with your real parents,
plus your own room,
and two baby sisters
to worship you,
but you didn't.
And you know why?
All because
your quote-unquote mom
wasn't ready to give up
partying
and hanging out
with her friends.
That's why?
Hmm.
Hey, you've got
something right there.
It's okay.
[laughs] I'm okay.
Are you sure?
[laughing] Yeah.
No, it's... I'm happy.
- Me too.
- Yeah.
[Steven] Oh!
[laughing loudly]
You're kidding me!
Are you kidding me?
Here we go.
[Katie] Yeah, I'm ready.
[Steven] Oh, my god!
[Katie] That was so close.
[Steven] One, two, three...
Open your mouth!
Open your mouth!
You guys are getting on
like gangbusters.
Yeah, you know it.
Uh, hi, Katie.
[Katie] Hey.
What are you guys
doing for dinner?
Uh, we were gonna go out.
Yeah, yeah.
Finish the day off
with a little
father-daughter burger night.
Cool. Well, it sounds fun.
All right.
See you later, then.
Thanks.
- Yeah, thanks.
- Okay, ready?
- Oh, yeah, I am ready.
- Ready. This is the time.
- The question is, are you?
- This is my moment.
My-- Okay.
[laughing]
[rock music playing
in background]
[Steven] Thank you so much.
[]
Oh, sorry.
Whoa.
A strawberry margarita with...
a cute little umbrella.
What's the drinking age here?
21, why?
Then it's illegal.
[laughs] So?
No one's gonna card you!
My parents hate
when I drink alcohol,
even like half a beer.
Kelly and Anthony Fusco--
sworn enemies
of fun and excitement.
- [laughs]
- Who are they--
or anybody else on the planet,
to tell a tough,
incredibly talented,
amazing and totally awesome
young woman
what she can
and can't do?
- Right?
- Yeah!
- Who are they? Right?
- Yeah.
- Yeah!
- [laughs]
I mean, sure, yeah,
legally, it's a crime.
Riddle me this, Batman--
where's the harm?
[]
[clink]
[thumps glass down]
[muffled strains
of retching]
[Steven] Quiet.
Shh, shh, shh...
You're doing good.
Just get it all out.
Get it all out.
Oh, my god!
What did you feed her?
Oh, no, I believe
it's more a matter
of what she had to drink.
You got
your underage daughter drunk?
What is wrong with you?
Are you a monster?
Hey, a person's first
big drunken puke
is an important rite
of passage.
- [gagging]
- Ooh!
Just be glad
she's going through it
with a responsible adult
who cares for her,
and not some horny teenage boy.
You sound crazy!
And disgusting.
[slurring]
I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
I should've stopped
at just one.
Baby, this is not
your fault, okay?
What happened?
[Alyssa]
Oh, don't worry. It's normal.
She just ate something bad.
It doesn't look normal to me.
Shh. Hey.
Are you all right?
You want to sleep it off?
Want to go to bed?
- Yeah.
- Okay.
- Okay.
- We'll get you to bed, honey.
- Okay.
- Hold on.
[Steven laughing] Oh, no.
[Katie gags, Steven snickers]
Get out! Just get out!
[Steven laughing]
[Katie retches]
Oh, I got you.
I got you.
[birds singing]
[]
[Steven groans]
[grunts]
[Alyssa gasps anxiously]
Good morning.
[hushed]
You're sleeping in her room?
What planet is that normal on?
Okay, you know what?
I don't know what it is
about your voice,
but even your whispering
just makes me want to vomit.
Shh.
You should be in jail
for what you did last night.
What?
What do you mean, what?
[scoffs] Oh!
- What's wrong with you?
- Let me see.
I keep losing track.
Which excuse is this
to divorce me?
Hmm?
Number 687?
Oh, no! You know what?
I forgot.
You don't need any excuse.
No, no, no.
So long as it makes you feel
all good and righteous
about bailing
on your family again.
You know that's a lie.
Oh, yeah, yeah,
I-I-I keep forgetting.
Yeah, uh, Katie's been here
all along,
her name's still Denise,
and us losing her
for all these years
was just
an ugly, screaming nightmare.
[breath shaking]
You make it so easy
for me to just hate you.
Oh, that's good!
Now we're getting somewhere.
Go on, admit it.
You wish I was dead.
[sobs]
Oh, my god, Katie!
I'm so sorry.
[door slams]
- [Katie] Go away!
- Katie, I'm sorry!
[knocking]
Please, can you open up?
- Why?
- I just want to talk to you.
There's nothing to talk about.
It's fine. It's not a big deal.
What's not a big deal?
You walking out on Steven
and everyone else!
- What?
- It's fine.
- That's just what you do!
- No! Oh, my god.
- It's fine.
- Please!
Go away!
Please, can I just talk to you?
No, I actually don't care!
I actually don't care.
Please go away.
[Steven sighs]
There's something deeply
and seriously wrong with you.
Oh--
You telling her God knows what
about our past?
That's just gonna hurt her.
She has a right
to know her own history.
If it's the truth.
Try this...
keeping it together.
For Katie's sake.
For our girls.
And?
I can't even breathe
in the same room as you.
Stay.
I'll take the girls.
I'll get a new place.
And what about Katie?
Katie...
what she does
is her call.
Fine.
Smash us all to pieces.
Knock yourself out.
[]
[door opens and closes]
[Caroline]
Do you really hate Dad?
[Alyssa] Of course not.
He gave me
two beautiful babies.
I-I don't hate Dad.
But you said you did.
People say all kinds of things
when they're upset--
things they don't mean.
Then why do we have to move
to a different house?
Then why are you guys
breaking up?
We were kids, you know?
Now we're adults,
we go two different directions.
When can we see Daddy?
Honey, anytime you want, okay?
Mom?
Yeah?
Did you ever want
to give me and Jenna away
like you gave Katie away?
Oh, my god, no, baby.
No, no, no, no,
not in a million years.
Come here. Come here. No.
[swing creaking]
Hey.
You know
Steven and I breaking up
has nothing to do you, right?
It's been a long time coming.
Okay.
It's not your fault...
okay?
I want you to come with me
and the girls.
No, you don't.
I do.
You don't
really know Steven.
He isn't...
[deep breath]
I just, I-I...
You don't really know him,
and he's just--
Is what?
He's irresponsible.
I'm 18.
I don't need someone
to be responsible for me.
Yeah, I thought
the same thing, too.
You know,
whatever you say about him
is just your side of the story,
right?
I don't come with you...
[sighs shakily]
...do I still get to see
Jenna and Caroline?
Of course.
Then I'll stay.
I mean, I like it here.
I like my room.
I'll be fine.
I'm gonna help the girls pack.
[]
It's gonna be so great,
you guys.
You're gonna be
in a new neighborhood,
and you'll meet new friends,
and there's probably gonna be
new types of frogs in the yard,
and maybe a new place
to get ice cream.
It's exciting!
You'll get to paint
your room a new color.
Isn't that exciting?
Um, no.
No? Okay,
well, what about you, J?
What color are you gonna paint
your new room?
Um, peanut butter.
Peanut-- Peanut butter!
Okay. Um, right, right, right,
so are we going
crunchy or creamy?
- Crunchy!
- Crunchy. Got it.
Got it, got it.
Love you, baby. Mwah.
Sorry.
Oh!
[Steven chuckles]
Oh, goodbye,
my darling angel.
I'll see you real soon, okay?
Come over whenever you want--
day,
middle of the night--
[tearfully]
...it's your home, too, okay?
Come on, baby girl.
Let's go.
Hey, Caroline,
got a hug for your dad?
Yeah. Thanks.
Be good.
[Alyssa] I didn't
fight hard enough for her.
It's like I left a baby deer
in a lion's den
to fend for itself.
[crying softly]
Love you!
Bye!
[]
[shots firing]
Just like that.
You're up.
[laughs]
Right?
- Okay. Here, here, here.
- All right.
Hold it with both hands. Yeah.
Just like that. Good.
Now...
line up the notch
with the can.
Yeah. Take a deep breath...
...and pull the trigger.
[fires]
Yes!
- [laughs]
- Whoo!
[giggles and squeals]
[]
[mailbox claps shut]
[]
[chuckles]
[]
[Alyssa] That was my freedom
I was holding in my hands.
I couldn't sign
those divorce papers
fast enough.
[Steven] Is this good?
Yeah, move your shoulders
a little more to face me.
[chuckles] Like that?
Yeah, a little--
split the diff.
- Hold that.
- Okay.
Can I see it?
Just want to take a peek.
- I'm not done.
- Let me take a peek.
You did that already?
That is great!
[Katie laughs]
You never got that from me.
I'm lucky if I can figure out
how to draw a stick figure
for a game of hangman, you know?
Um, what about Alyssa?
Yeah.
Yeah, she's more
the artistic type.
I never saw her
pick up a brush, though.
Hmm.
Hey, wait, why don't--
why don't we do this more like
the real thing?
How about
if I take off my shirt?
Yeah?
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
How's that?
[]
[Alyssa] I'd been with
the same guy since I was 15,
and now, wow, I'm free--
totally free--
the whole world's out there.
But it was scary, too,
because I didn't know anything
about being free.
[sighs]
[]
Sometimes,
when I look at you,
I... feel like,
I don't know,
like I'm looking in a mirror.
Mm.
Look at this.
Oh, yeah, right here,
with the thumbs?
Yeah, same hand.
And how about this?
[laughs]
Same weird crooked toes!
Speak for yourself.
Same.
Same...
...same.
[Katie chuckles awkwardly]
But it all looks better on you.
[chuckles nervously]
[clapping]
[car approaching]
[calls out] Dad's here!
All right, here you go.
Come on, girls, let's go.
Hop in.
[snickers] What are you trying
to do with your hair?
What? You say that
like it's a bad thing.
You're not 16 anymore.
A guy shouldn't
look his best?
Can you just make sure
you give them more than candy
at the movies, please?
What do you take me for?
Yes.
Say goodbye to your mom.
[girls, jokingly]
"Goodbye to your mom."
[chuckles] Bye, girls.
Have fun.
[door rumbles and thuds]
[car engine starts]
[text alert chimes]
[]
Okay! Pladl-berry muffins!
Thank you.
Here.
[giggling] Give me it!
[chuckling]
[]
[giggling]
Dig in, guys.
[Katie keeps laughing]
[]
[man]
The very best they ever wrote?
Yes! In your humble opinion,
of course.
I-I don't know how humble,
but maybe...
"The grass ain't greener,
the wine ain't sweeter
either side of the hill"?
A truer word
was never spoken.
Okay, you.
Best Dead lyric ever.
Oh! Okay, no contest.
"If all you have to live for
is what you left behind--"
[both] "...Get yourself
a powder charge
and seal that silver mine."
You got it.
I love that song.
- Okay.
- Full disclosure--
I have
three beautiful daughters,
one's on the spectrum,
and the others just ask
too many questions,
and, um...
I have a psycho ex
that's the spawn of the devil,
and he has many guns.
Hmm.
[sighs]
Do your girls like fishing?
[laughs]
Yeah.
[clink]
[Jenna] Okay, okay.
So I hold it like this,
with my thumb here?
Yup. My god.
We've got ourselves a natural.
Ex-Exactly.
Now, don't think about
making it fly, right?
Just keep your thumb on here,
and then you just flick it,
and when you flick it,
that's when you let go.
Whoa!
- Yay!
- Look at you.
Good job, Jenna.
- I got it into the stream!
- You did get it in the stream.
Did you want to give it a try?
No? All right.
I don't think the fishes
are very hungry.
I don't know.
Maybe they already
had their breakfast,
and now they're just
hanging out.
Doing what?
Eh, not much,
just rolling with the day.
Kind of like we are right now?
Yeah.
Oh... I see your point.
Like, here we are just
enjoying the sunshine,
and what if
a giant hook just came
and snatched one of us up
into the sky,
and that would--
yeah, that would--
that would kind of take the fun
out of the day, wouldn't it?
- Pretty much.
- Yeah, yeah.
Okay, well, I have an idea.
What is your--
What's your favorite food?
Rocky road ice cream!
Oh, I love rocky road.
What about you, Caroline?
Blueberries.
Blueberries?
All right.
Well, what if, right now,
blueberries came
raining out of the sky,
coming down really hard,
and we got to eat
as much as we wanted
until our tongues turned purple?
How would you like that?
Really a lot.
Yeah? All right.
Well...
Well, fish aren't big
on blueberries,
but we have
the next best thing.
Here, can you get me
the bread, please?
You'll see. You will--
Thank you, love. Okay.
Now, this is really important.
We've gotta make
blueberry-sized pieces.
Okay, you take one.
Take one.
Very important.
Blueberry-sized pieces, okay?
[chuckling]
[Alyssa]
Eric, he's just...
he never judges anything.
He accepts me for who I am,
who the girls are.
- What?
With him,
I'm just, you know...
[]
I have to tell you something.
I've given birth
to three girls,
and I don't work out,
and Steven is the only one
that I ever...
You are perfect
just the way you are.
Really?
Really.
[]
[door thuds]
[Katie] What do you mean?
Just...
you know, the stuff
that comes bubbling up
from the deep,
in the dark of your soul,
when nobody's looking and...
keeps you awake at 3:00 A.M.
What is it,
for you?
Fear.
Yeah, fear I'm-- I'm never
gonna make it as an artist,
and the whole world
will think I'm a joke.
Well, there's a way to make
that noise in your head go away,
you know?
- I would love to know.
Well, you tell it
to go to hell.
Literally. Out loud.
I do it all the time.
You say,
"Screw you,
voices inside my head,
trying to tell me
what I should and shouldn't be
because I, Katie Pladl,
am the most amazing person
who ever lived."
[chuckles]
"Fusco," sorry.
It's okay.
It's the same difference,
though.
"I, Katie Fusco, kick ass
no matter what I do,
so out of my head, now."
Yeah, I wish I believed that.
Well, you don't
have to believe it.
You just have to do it.
Go ahead.
- Right now?
- Yeah.
Loud as you can.
Scare the hell
out of those voices. Go!
I, Katie Fusco, kick ass,
so get out of my head!
[laughing]
There. Done.
You'll never
hear from them again.
From your lips to God's ears.
You know that--
that feeling you get
when you do a, like,
a thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle,
and you get it all done,
every bit of it,
but there's still
a piece missing?
And you look for it for days
and days,
and you finally give up,
you think you'll never find it,
and then...
out of the blue...
out of nowhere,
there it is...
it just turns up...
...and you put it back
in the puzzle, and...
...[exhales]
ohh...
the picture is complete.
Yeah.
That's how I feel right now.
Me too.
[]
Is this wrong?
Is what wrong?
I don't know, this--
you and me being, kind of--
I don't know.
Hey...
does it feel wrong?
[]
[Katie crying]
Hey, Katie, it's okay.
I'm here.
You're safe.
Nothing can hurt you.
[Katie panting]
[]
[Eric] So did your parents
ever forgive you
for giving up Katie?
Not entirely.
It's complicated.
Do you visit them often?
Uh... I haven't seen them
since Katie was Denise.
Yeah, because, you know,
travel's expensive, and...
but we do video call.
Wow.
Yeah, "wow."
Wow.
"Wow."
[gasps]
- What?
- I gotta go pick up the girls!
No, not right now.
Yes, no, I gotta go.
I gotta go.
Okay.
You see?
This is the upside
of split custody
nobody tells you about,
but I gotta go.
Oh, I'll be right here.
[laughs]
[Caroline] No!
What do you mean, no?
Are you too stupid
to know what "no" means?
[Steven]
Do not raise your voice at me!
[shouting] Caroline!
Do you want me
to break this door down?
Caroline,
you know the rules.
Everyone washes
their breakfast dishes.
Go away!
Caroline, open up the door!
Caroline, I will break
this door down, I swear,
unless you come out now
and wash those dishes.
You have three seconds.
One, two...
[car horn honking]
Hey, you get back here.
Get back here
and wash those dishes!
[roars] Caroline!
Bye, Katie.
Bye, Daddy.
See you next Wednesday.
[breath shaking]
Bye, sweetheart.
[pounding railing]
You'll never guess the big news
at the Pladl house.
What big news?
Oh, nothing.
Just the cat's
gonna have kittens.
What cat?
All right, come on, girls,
what's going on?
You two look guilty. Tell me.
Katie's pregnant.
Is Chris the dad?
Dad's the dad.
What did you just say?
Did you just say,
"Dad is the dad"?
I'm sorry.
Did you just say,
"Dad is the dad"?
No, she's just joking.
Chris is the daddy.
Caroline, please, come on.
Tell me the truth.
Chris is the dad.
Are you sure?
Is she okay?
She's fine.
She said
she feels really good.
Okay, honey. All right.
Why don't you guys go inside?
I have to make a phone call.
- [both laughing]
- I'm over here.
[phone buzzing]
Who is it?
Oh. [sighs]
[Katie] Hello?
Hey, um, I heard the news.
What news?
About the baby?
It's all right, Katie.
I was three years younger
than you are.
Have you told your parents?
Yeah.
What'd they say?
I don't know, not much.
Have you told Chris?
Um, I can't really
talk right now.
Do you have a doctor?
Um, I have to go. Bye.
[]
[]
Goodbye to you guys, too.
[Alyssa] Hey, kiddos!
Hey.
Good luck with Caroline.
She's been a real nightmare
at home.
That's weird. She's an angel
when she's with me.
Oh, so it's my fault again--
like always.
And you're Miss Most Perfect Mom
of All Time?
Okay, Steven.
Look, there's something
in Caroline's journal
you need to read.
Why are you
going through her things?
She keeps leaving it out.
I think she wants us
to see it.
Really? Well, what does it say?
Just read it,
and then we'll talk.
Call me!
[]
[Alyssa crying]
What's wrong?
Steven told me that I needed
to read Caroline's journal.
Okay.
"Daddy says him and Katie
feels like couples.
Did they get
a little too drunk that night?
My dad is a slut.
He's Satan.
My dad says
Katie's my stepmom.
He doesn't even want me
to call her 'sister' anymore."
- Read this!
- Oh, my god. What's--
Okay. "He'll go to hell,
but he won't be the one
getting tortured.
He'll be the one
torturing people.
Wait, one second--
if he's Satan
and Katie is a human,
then the baby
will be half-demon."
- What the h--
- He's the devil.
Why on Earth
is he showing you this?
Because he thinks that
he didn't do anything wrong!
Can you please
just watch the girls?
Of course, go.
Are you k--
Oh!
[sobbing]
[starts car]
[pounding on door]
[pounding]
Get outside, right now.
[door closes]
What is going on?
You made me
read that on purpose?
That you conquested
your daughter?
Are you evil?
You really are evil.
I thought you already knew.
- Oh, my god!
- Alyssa, it's not a secret.
Katie and I are in love.
We're planning to--
[shrieking in rage]
Get off of me!
It's illegal!
Are you crazy?
No law can tell me
who I can love.
It's incest!
[sobbing]
She's your daughter.
She's your daughter, my god!
Look, she loves me.
[shrieking]
Don't you ever touch her again!
Don't you touch her again!
It's over. You hear me?
It's over.
If I had a gun...
I would kill you!
But I have daughters
that need me.
I would murder you!
Don't you--
Don't you ever touch her again.
[sobbing]
[Alyssa] With the new plan
automatically replacing
the grandfathered plan,
you're gonna get
a slight increase
in angry and abusive callers,
right?
But... it's important
to maintain a calm tone.
[shrieking]
Okay? Stay calm.
[raging]
[Alyssa, echoing in rage]
Don't you ever
touch her again!
Whoa. Um...
[voice shaking]
I'm sorry, I can't do this.
Can you--
Can you take over for me?
Please?
Thank you.
[Alyssa hyperventilating]
[]
[Alyssa]
I remembered you
from when my car was stolen
last year,
and I just felt like--
like I could trust you.
[Detective]
I'm glad you called.
[exhaling deeply,
phone ringing]
[Alyssa] So you see why
he would kill me
if he knew you were here?
Yes. I can.
You've been through
something unimaginable.
It feels like
it's happening to someone else.
I wish it was happening
to someone else.
Katie and Steven have
absolutely committed
a crime
for which they can be arrested.
Both of them?
Yes.
But given Steven's
history of violence,
once he finds out
he's the object
of possible prosecution,
you and your younger daughters
may be in danger.
We're already in danger.
I believe that.
How fast can it all happen?
With the restraining order
preventing him
from seeing you and the girls,
almost immediately.
An arrest warrant
on charges of incest
is a bigger deal.
Okay.
Just act super-cool.
Pick up the girls
like everything was normal,
then take them someplace--
anywhere but home.
Someplace safe.
[breathes shakily]
- [both chuckling]
- I don't know. I mean...
- Yeah.
- I've got time now, right?
[Katie] Yeah, it's true.
Yeah.
I'm proud of you, though.
Yeah.
[car doors closing]
Are you expecting anyone?
[Katie]
Who would I be expecting?
[Detective] Steven Pladl?
Wait here.
I'm Detective St. James.
What is, uh,
all this about?
We're serving you
with a restraining order
preventing you from
approaching or contacting
your ex-wife
or minor children.
Appreciate you
bringing this by, Detective.
You have a good day now.
She thinks
she can do this to me?
She thinks she can keep me
from seeing my children?
Don't get upset.
Please, please,
it's gonna be okay.
No, she is gonna
pay so hard for this.
Steven, Steven,
don't think about that!
- [rages] So hard!
- Just think about our baby!
Honey, and us!
And our future, okay?
What Daddy's done with Katie
is wrong...
and it's against the law.
Why is it
against the law?
Because it is.
That's not a very good answer.
Okay, honey, look.
When one person is...
the parent,
and the other person
is the child,
and they get together--
which is not right--
the child isn't making
that decision on their own.
It's the parent's fault.
Does that help you
understand a little bit?
Kind of.
Okay.
You know how--
you know how Daddy
gets really angry sometimes?
[dryly] Uh... yeah.
He's gonna get so angry
when he finds out
I told the police
about what he did,
so angry
that he might do bad things
that he might regret.
So...
we can't stay home right now.
We have to find a place
where Daddy doesn't
know where we are.
Then where are we gonna go?
We'll figure that out.
Right now,
all I need you to do
is get your giraffe
and all your toys...
where's that smile?
[chuckles]
...And your favorite bag.
I got you.
Can you do that?
- Okay.
- Yeah?
Okay, come on.
[phone rings]
Hey.
[voice breaks] Hey.
Look.
Steven has
a restraining order now,
but the police,
they're saying that...
they're saying
that I can't stay home,
and you could totally say no--
Okay, l-listen, say no more.
Okay, l--
- Are you okay?
- Yeah.
Good.
Okay, here's what
I want you to do.
I want you
to come over right now.
I'll leave
the garage door open.
Thank you, Eric.
Hey. Everything's gonna
be fine, I promise.
[]
[Detective]
Girls, can you explain to me
exactly what
your father told you?
Yes. My father said
Katie isn't our sister anymore.
She's our step-mom.
[Jenna]
Is Katie still our sister?
Yes, she is.
Then why did
Daddy say she isn't?
You girls have been great.
I'm just gonna go
speak to your mom.
[Alyssa] I should be out there.
No, look, they're gonna
be fine, all right?
It's their mom
I'm worried about.
- I'm fine.
- Yeah.
Hey, how were they?
They're fine.
- Yeah?
- Did you get anything helpful?
I did.
Okay, so when can
we arrest him?
Steven and Katie are on
their way to North Carolina,
to live near Steven's mother.
What? Okay,
so now it's interstate?
Yeah, that's right.
Big mess of red tape
to coordinate jurisdictions.
But how long? How long?
Months.
If we're lucky.
Hey, sweetheart.
Hi.
[forced cheer]
I'll be in touch.
When can we see Katie?
I don't know, honey,
but right now, we just have
to learn a big lesson,
and we have to stay strong
for one another.
Can you be strong for me?
Okay, but I don't wanna
learn a lesson.
[laughing]
I don't want
to learn any more either.
Hey! Yeah.
Well, you know,
it's an exciting time.
And obviously
I want you guys to be excited.
Look, it's, like--
...it's important to me,
and I want you guys to be there.
Uh, it's just...
It's just what?
It-It's a big thing
to take in.
Okay. Well...
I mean, getting married's
what people do
when they love each other.
Yeah, but it can't be legal!
Mm-hmm. So we have
different last names,
so we just don't
say we're related
on our application.
No one's gonna know.
You know,
it's not just about that.
What-- What is it about, then?
Like, Steven's mom is coming.
She's so happy for us,
and she wants us to be happy.
So do we! Always.
Well, why are you against it?
Like, you want
your grandchild to be raised
by two people
who love each other,
who are married to each other.
Hi, Anthony.
How's it going?
[sniffs]
Hi, Steven.
Listen, I know
you guys love your daughter,
and you care
about her happiness.
I don't doubt that
for a second.
Thank you.
[Steven] And I know you want
to be a part of her life,
just like you want
your grandchild
to be a part of yours, so--
[chuckles] ...I can't imagine
you not being there
on what ought to be
the happiest day of her life.
Yeah.
[Steven] So we're agreed?
Great.
- Well--
- Okay.
I gotta run.
We'll see you there.
Talk soon.
Love you.
- Okay. [chuckles]
- Bye.
Okay? All right.
I love you so much.
I love you.
Okay, I'll talk to you soon.
Bye.
[]
[]
[Caroline]
That is seriously weird.
I know, honey.
Why did Katie do it?
Um...
that's just something
that you're not gonna understand
until you're a little older.
Your dad, he, um...
he got into your sister's head
and just...
made her do things
that aren't right...
or legal.
Is the baby
gonna be born soon?
Yeah...
in a couple of months.
Will I get to meet
my baby brother or sister?
Or niece or nephew--
depending on how you look at it.
Um...
one day, yeah.
When?
Uh, I don't know, honey.
We're just gonna have
to wait and see, okay?
Eat up.
[smooch]
[whispers] I got you.
[]
[Katie] Steven, please, please.
I just want to hold him.
[Steven] No.
I just want-- Please, please.
I just want to hold my baby!
No!
I'm so tired. I just--
I just want to hold him!
This is for his sake!
A boy needs to learn how to get
through the hard stuff without
being coddled by his mother!
- What are you doing?
Maybe he's sick!
- Oh, he's fine!
- Will you just
get out of my way!
- Shut up!
Get-- Ow! Ow! Ow!
I will not
let you turn my son
into a sniveling
little mama's boy!
[baby crying]
[pounding on door]
[Katie] Get the door, Steven.
Just get the door!
Get the door!
[Steven roars] What the hell?
[baby crying]
- What?
- Steven Pladl and Katie Fusco?
Yeah.
[officer]
Mr. Pladl and Ms. Fusco,
you're under arrest
for charges of incest.
You have the right
to remain silent.
Anything you say can
and will
be used against you
in a court of law.
Ma'am,
can you step outside, please?
You have the right
to an attorney.
If you cannot
afford an attorney,
one will be appointed for you.
Um... um,
what about my baby?
This is Gloria Jimenez
with North Carolina Child
Protective Services.
She will make sure your child
is brought safely from here
to his grandmother,
Grace Pladl,
to be placed into her care.
No, you can't take my baby!
You can't take him!
You can't take him!
[Steven]
You can't fight it, Katie.
This is the state
in all their dark
and awesome powers.
[sobbing] What are they
gonna do to us?
Whatever they want.
[Steven]
What are you looking at?
[]
[reporter]
The mother of the child
has now been
released from jail on bond.
The father remains in custody.
The pair are forbidden to have
any contact with each other
or be unsupervised
with their son,
who has been placed in the care
of his paternal grandmother.
[crying]
All right, not a word.
[slams lid shut]
[forced cheer] Hey.
Did they get a snack?
Uh, no,
we did not have ice cream.
We had ice cream.
I got rocky road!
[Alyssa]
What? You had a rocky road?
[phone buzzing]
All right, girls, come on.
Upstairs,
homework on the double.
[overlapping] Yes, Mom.
[phone buzzing]
Hello?
I'm sorry, who is this?
I'm sorry--
[whispers] "The Outlook"?
Some tabloid thing on TV.
I'm sorry,
can you say that again?
No. No, no.
I'm not interested.
Thank you.
[sighing] Oh, geez.
They want to interview me...
about Katie
on TV.
[sighs]
How did
they even get my number?
They have their ways.
[]
[sighs]
[Katie] It's been weeks,
and they won't let me see him.
We're not even
in the same state.
Katie, you gotta
let the process play out.
He's a baby,
and he needs me. Like--
[sobs] I just...
I just need to see him.
[sighs shakily]
He's gonna think
I abandoned him.
I'm sure Steven's mother's
taking good care of him.
I'm his mother.
[phone buzzes]
[buzzing]
[sighs sadly]
[crying]
[Eric] Try her again.
I've already tried five times.
I'm the one
who blew up her life.
She's not gonna answer me.
Well, don't give up.
Hold on. Hold on.
I've got an idea.
Hi. Yeah, this is Alyssa Pladl.
Are you the person
I spoke to yesterday?
I want to do the interview.
[Alyssa] If I could
say something to Katie,
it would be that...
[deep breath]
...that I hope she realizes
how truly young she is,
and that she has a chance...
to start over,
and I hope to God
that she does.
And I want to let her know
that whatever Steven did
to her...
...was exactly what he did to me
when I was only 15.
All the attention,
um...
[sighing]
...saying that I was the most
amazing person in the world...
...drowning me
in whatever it is
he thinks love is.
And I would tell her
to protect her little baby
from him...
because of the things
he did to her
when she was little,
just to keep her from crying--
pinching her...
...putting her
inside of a cooler
with the lid on it.
And he doesn't have a heart--
not like she does.
[sobs] Katie,
if you're listening to me,
you have
such a beautiful heart.
[shouts]
Katie! Come here!
[Alyssa on TV]
And you're so strong.
And with the love
of your adoptive parents,
you can survive this,
and have the beautiful life
you deserve.
And I know you're angry at me--
and I'm sorry...
I truly am.
But I want you to know
that wherever you go,
whatever you do...
[sniffling]
...I will always love you.
Thank you for letting me
be just a little part
of your life.
[begins hyperventilating]
Daddy?
Yes?
Did I do something horrible?
Nothing we do for love
is horrible.
And I know you loved him.
You say that
in the past tense.
Well, maybe
because I hope it is.
Horrible or not,
you did
what he wanted you to do,
what he got you to do.
You're just
beginning your life...
...and it's all ahead of you.
No mistake
is too big
or too late to undo.
[]
[phone ringing]
Oh, whoa, whoa. [laughs]
Hey, hey!
I can't believe
I am looking at your face.
I'm literally just about
to walk in the door from jail.
Hi, Steven.
[laughs] I haven't even
called my mom yet.
How's our boy?
I don't know. I don't know.
I hear he's crying a lot.
He misses us.
Steven...
[Steven cackles]
Whoo! Katie, I love
that you called me.
You know what?
Screw them.
Screw the world
and all their stupid rules.
Nobody can keep us apart.
Well, jail sucked.
How was it for you?
It was okay. Steven--
Oh, hey, when-when
can I come see you?
Steven, will you
please listen to me?
I'm listening. What?
I don't think
you should come see me!
[snickers]
I'm sneaky.
They'll never know.
No, it's not that.
I just-- I think that--
You think--?
I think that maybe
they're right!
I think they-- I don't--
I don't think we should
see each other anymore.
Katie, you listen to me.
That is your parents talking.
They forced you to do this.
They have hated me
ever since
they took you away from me
when you were a baby.
It's not my parents.
Then who is it, hmm?
Did Alyssa get to you?
Have you talked to her?
No.
Then who?
Katie, do you love me?
Yes. Yes, I love you,
but I just--
I just--
I need to figure out--
Figure out what?
If you love me, then what
is there to figure out?
A lot!
I have a lot to figure out!
I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
No, no, no!
Do not hang up on me!
I'm sorry. I have to go now.
I love you. Goodbye.
[crying]
Katie!
Damn it!
[bag thumping deck]
[]
[Eric] Oh, my god!
The bubbles!
Look at them all. Stop!
Stop it!
Get him!
You're getting me all wet
with those bubbles!
Stop it, stop it!
Come here. Come here.
Come here, you.
Come here. Come here.
[grunts playfully]
Look at you.
[Alyssa chuckles]
[Eric] Look at them all.
Look at them all.
Oh, my goodness.
I'm gonna get you. Oh.
[]
I know you just got back here.
I'm sorry to just show up
like this, but...
[sighs] I wanted
to tell you in person.
Steven's been released.
Where is he?
He went home.
Bennett's with Steven's mother.
You need to protect you
and your family.
Thank you for telling me, okay?
Okay.
What's wrong, Mommy?
Oh, honey,
everything's okay, I promise.
Okay.
Hey.
I'm gonna take care
of you and the girls.
[Bennett cooing]
Hi.
Who's this?
Oop.
Toes in my nose!
[chuckles] Hi.
I know you like puppets.
Oh, hello!
Oh... hello.
Nice to meet you, too.
[deep voice]
Hey, do you know who I am?
[higher voice]
Oh, yes!
Yes, I know who you are!
[deep voice] No way.
Because if you knew who I was,
there's no way
you'd pull that crap with me.
[higher voice]
Oh, no, I'm sorry!
I'm sorry.
[deep voice]
No, it's too late for sorry.
No! Oh...
[makes hitting noises]
[pretends to cry]
[chuckles]
Yeah.
[]
[]
[wheezing]
[laughing deliriously]
[hyperventilating]
[racks cartridge]
[]
[sighing tensely]
[keys clacking]
[phone rings]
Hi. This is Alyssa.
This is Miss Fitchman
at the office at school.
Yeah?
We've gotten a call from
the police in North Carolina
that, um, your ex-husband's
mother called them.
Jenna and Caroline
may be in danger.
Wait! What do you mean?
Where are they?
Please, don't be alarmed.
They're here in the office
right now,
and we have
a police officer on campus.
Okay, I'll be there
in 10 minutes.
Great.
[slams receiver down]
[]
What's going on?
I'll let you know
on the way home, okay?
Why aren't we going
to Eric's house?
We are, honey.
All right, it's gonna be okay.
Just get in.
[garage door humming]
[]
Did you see anybody coming?
No.
Okay.
We're safe now.
Nobody can hurt us.
[shuts engine off]
[]
[car engine starts]
[car engine starts]
[]
[]
[brakes screeching]
[]
[Anthony] No! Steven!
[gun fires]
[firing]
[horn starts blaring]
[horn blaring]
Oh, god!
[]
[]
[car engine shuts off]
[Steven weeping]
[slams steering wheel]
[wheezing and sobbing]
[gun fires]
[Alyssa] No, no, no--
It's a little wet,
I'm just saying.
It's just a little wet.
Oh...
[Eric] I'm just saying,
and I like it.
[phone begins buzzing]
It's Detective St. James.
Hello?
Mm-hmm?
[gasping] Oh!
[wails]
Oh, my god, no!
Oh, my god!
No, please, don't tell me--
no!
[phone hits floor]
[screaming]
Katie's dead!
Katie's dead!
[]
[weeping]
Oh...
[Alyssa wailing]
Oh...
I can't tell them.
I don't know how.
[sniffling and sobbing]
[Alyssa, tearfully]
Hey, babies. Come sit.
I'll wait downstairs.
[sniffling]
There's something
that I have to tell you
that's really scary...
and that you may not
understand.
Your dad, uh...
he did something really bad--
something
that he can never undo.
And we won't see Daddy...
or Katie again.
What about Bennett?
[sniffling]
He's in Heaven with Katie.
I'm so sorry.
Come here.
[crying]
I'm sorry, babies.
[sobbing]
[]
[Alyssa]
It's starting to rain.
Yeah.
Mom?
Yeah?
Do you remember the time
where Dad made us
all hamburgers,
and he was really silly,
and we laughed a lot?
[sighs]
No, honey,
I don't remember that.
But I'm happy you do...
and I hope
you never forget that.
Is there a Heaven?
I hope so.
If there is,
is Dad there?
I don't think so, honey.
What about Katie?
Is... Is Katie there?
100%, Katie's there.
And you know where else
she'll always be?
Where?
In here...
and here...
forever.
Come here.
[Alyssa] Through everything,
Eric stayed by my side.
After all that
the girls and I went through,
it was hard to believe
that we could be so happy.
But we are.
This is our new life.
[]
[]
We're reporting shocking news
from Dover Plains, New York,
tonight
of a series of crimes that
have left a family shattered.
[reporter #2]
...following reports
of a North Carolina arrest
on charges
of incest and adultery.
[reporter #3]
...that what they are looking at
is, by all appearances,
a triple murder and suicide.
[reporter #4]
There were stunning allegations
that a father
and his own daughter...
[Alyssa] In retrospect,
I see how I was manipulated--
how we all were.
I've asked myself
if there was something more
I could have done
to protect my family,
to protect myself.
Why would he do it?
All I can say
is that there is
real evil in the world.
[Alyssa] I'm just gonna close
the drapes, Detective.
Steven would kill me
if he knew
I was meeting with you.
[Detective] Alyssa, were you
always afraid of Steven?
[sighs]
[sighs]
Steven loved bragging about
shooting up his room with a .45
and covering the bullet holes
with-with posters.
And you didn't see that
as a red flag?
No, I just thought...
it was cool.
It was bad-ass.
How did you two
get together?
We met in a chatroom.
I was 15. He was 21.
I don't know, he just,
right from the start,
had my number.
He love-bombed me
from 2,000 miles away.
Pretty soon, we were just
talking on the phone for hours.
Do you, uh,
do you do puzzles?
Yeah, I've done jigsaw puzzles.
Okay, you know
when you're about
to finish a puzzle
and there's just that-that
one missing piece,
and, you know,
you-you just kill yourself
trying to find it,
and then,
out of nowhere
it pops up and...
[blows air]
...it's perfect?
Yeah?
[older Alyssa]
37-year-old me knows
he was just
pouring honey in my ear.
That's how I feel
now that I've met you.
[knocking at door]
I'll call you back!
Okay, yeah.
[bangs phone down]
[Alyssa] I wish I could
go back and tell myself
not to stop caring about
everything except Steven,
to not fall for his act,
to not let my grades go to hell,
to listen to my parents.
Everything they were saying
was right,
even when they forbade me
from ever talking to him again.
[exhaling deeply]
Well, you know...
Steven didn't like that.
He didn't take that so well.
[thumps desk]
[chair hits floor]
[raging, glass shatters]
[Alyssa] When he heard that,
nothing could stop him
from coming for me...
...and the crazy thing is,
I wanted him to.
Some girls
are just moths to the flame.
I guess
I was one of those girls.
[car door closing]
You're my baby.
Okay, let's go.
[Detective]
How did your parents react
after you left?
The second
my beautiful, perfect daughter,
Denise, was born,
my mom and dad came around.
[tearfully] And they were
trying to help, you know?
But Steven would say that--
that they were trying
to take the baby from us.
My baby was not even six months
before...
he moved us
2,000 miles away.
And that's when
his true colors came out.
You have to take it back!
[Steven]
No way! It's too late!
You've had it for two hours.
Just take it back--
Oh, so you want me to lie?
What kind of example is that
setting for my little girl?
Steven,
we need food for the baby!
Oh! Yeah, and all that
organic crap you buy--
no wonder we're broke!
You know, for once, once,
maybe you can get a job you
don't, like, lose right away!
I told you,
I will not lick boots!
[whirring]
[crashing]
What the hell?
That is not supposed to happen.
Stupid thing.
Does she ever shut up?
- [crying]
- It's okay--
Stop it!
She has to learn!
You coddle her!
You promised me never again--
you swore!
What are you doing?
[Steven]
Getting some peace and quiet!
[Alyssa] Please, Steven,
don't put her in the cooler!
Please, I promise,
I'll keep her quiet!
You say that every single day!
I don't want her to die!
Please!
[Alyssa] Sometimes,
Steven would pinch her
to get her to stop crying,
but that would only
make it worse,
or he'd put her in the cooler
so he wouldn't hear her scream.
I was too young.
I knew I couldn't protect her.
She would be safer
away from him.
[arguing, indistinct,
Denise crying]
When I told him
we had to put Denise
up for adoption,
he said yes.
He would say anything
not to lose me.
[adoption agent]
They're good people.
I'm sure
they'll do everything they can
to make her feel
safe and loved.
They did have
one request, though--
her name.
They'd like to give her
a new name for her new life,
if that's all right with you.
[Denise crying]
Th-That'll be fine.
They're her new parents now.
[]
[Alyssa] I told my parents
that Denise
was going to a good family
and they had good jobs,
and they had a nice house,
and they would love her.
They just couldn't understand
why I wanted to give her up.
I couldn't tell them
what Steven had done.
I didn't...
didn't...
didn't want to give her up.
[sighing]
In the back of my mind,
I'd always hoped to be reunited,
that I'd see Denise again...
...but not like this.
[mother and father]
Happy birthday to you
[all]
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday
Dear Katie
Happy birthday to you
Thank you, thank you,
thank you, thank you. Thank you.
Oh, wow.
Mm. Thanks, Mom.
Oh, my god!
[laughter]
Oh, my god,
it's like a thousand colors.
I'm actually gonna go crazy.
That's the best kind of crazy
to go.
It's pancakes and lots of bacon
as soon as you're dressed.
Come on.
Uh, Mom, Dad?
Yeah?
I'm-I'm ready to do it now.
It's... time.
To do what, honey?
Uh... sweetheart?
What? Why shouldn't I?
You... should,
if you want to.
Your birth parents
were good people.
They knew
what was right for you, but--
[deep breath]
...they were damaged,
and I'm sure
long since broken-up.
You don't know
what kind of chaos
you could be stepping into.
Maybe just wait a while longer,
until you have a little more
life under your feet.
Baby, if you're sure
now is the time...
N-No, I'm not,
but I want to anyway.
- Right after pancakes.
- Okay, good.
Okay.
- I love you.
- I love you.
[Alyssa]
Why does anyone stay in hell?
I don't know.
Where would I have gone?
I had no money,
and the girls,
they loved Steven.
He was more of a playmate
than a daddy,
and with Caroline having autism,
change is crazy tough for her.
I didn't want
to blow up her world.
Staying with him
became a habit,
something I got used to,
even when we were sleeping
in separate bedrooms.
[handle clunking]
[toothbrush hits jar]
[sighing]
[exhaling deeply with resolve]
[calling out] Steven?
[Steven] Surrender, earthlings!
The invaders from Zorgon
have overcome your defenses!
Surrender!
We will never surrender!
Oh, ho, ho, then Zorgon
will finish this...
the Zorgon way!
[Alyssa]
Always the Pied Piper.
He knew how to turn it on
for the whole world.
Oh, no! You're--
You're killing Zorgon!
The Earthlings
are too strong!
[he groans theatrically]
Can you please
go make us breakfast?
I need to talk to your dad.
You heard your mom.
Go rustle me up
some waffles.
Thank you.
Heavy on the syrup!
The water's off.
You swore
you were gonna pay for it.
Yeah, yeah,
I thought we were in the--
what do you call it--
grace period.
- You "thought"?
- Yeah.
[fidgeting with water gun]
How can you let the girls
live like this?
Like what?
Look, I know where the box is
on the side of the house.
I'll grab my wrench,
have it on like that--
no problem.
- Mm-hmm. What if we get caught?
[snickers] Cops are gonna
come and arrest you?
You know what?
Just forget about it.
You know, I'll go downtown
and I'll talk to them,
and I'll work
four overtime shifts,
and I'll get it paid by Friday--
[mockingly] Ohh!
And get a start
on next month's rent.
Great, yeah.
Yeah. What happened
to your job at the shop?
Total jerks.
Waste of my time.
Providing for your family
is a waste of your time?
Don't worry about it.
Steven.
Steven, I'm done.
Good to know.
[water sloshing as he fidgets]
Stop!
Yeah, in a minute.
[water sloshing]
Now! Stop.
Don't touch me like that.
Well, you sure know how to stab
a knife in the back of fun,
don't you?
- You know what I can do?
- Hmm?
I can pawn something
to get out of this hole.
- Oh, yeah? What?
Something I should've done
a long time ago.
No.
Don't you joke about that.
Do you seriously want
to keep going around
this merry-go-round,
pretending that we're in
any kind of marriage?
That's the joke!
You can't
do that to me.
I actually can,
if I do it really fast
before I chicken out.
You can keep the house.
I will get a house
with the girls.
You're great mom.
You'd do that to Caroline?
You know the hell
she goes through
when things change.
She's the reason
that I've been here so long.
She's the reason
I'm here.
I'll be at peace...
finally.
Dad!
I can't find the waffle mix!
Dad?
Go.
Coming!
[exhales intensely]
[Steven] Did you look
in the cupboard?
[]
[Steven] Alyssa?
You have to see something.
What happened?
Nothing.
You just have to see it.
You ready
for your world to explode?
What--
[Steven] She, uh...
she tracked us down.
[laughs] She-she knows
everything about us.
She even wants to come
and meet us after she graduates
from high school in May.
It's our baby girl.
We get to see her again.
What?
Hey, what--
[thumps lid down]
What is your problem?
Why aren't you
excited about this?
Have you forgotten
why we gave her up?
The things you did
to that baby?
Oh, for god's sake.
You have no right
to be happy about seeing her.
You can't tell me how to feel.
I'm her dad,
and I did
what I thought was best.
I just wanted her
to stop screaming.
But did I ever, ever do that
to Caroline or Jenna?
No, I didn't.
So I have every right,
I think,
to feel whatever I want to
about our baby.
She's not our baby.
So, what are you gonna do?
You're just gonna tell her,
"No, you can't come meet us"?
I probably should.
Alyssa, but will you?
Could you actually do that?
No. No, you couldn't.
I-I couldn't.
So we're agreed,
and there is no problem.
And...
we can't exactly
break up now, right?
What are you talking about?
Well, what kind of
a welcome would that be?
"Hi. Great to meet you.
We're splitting up"?
You're just trying
to stop me from leaving.
Alyssa, but what about
Caroline and Jenna, huh?
Uh, "Hi, girls. Guess what?
"You have a big sister
we kind of forgot
to ever tell you about,
and, oh, yeah, by the way,
as of right now,
you come from a broken home."
I mean, y-you really want
to drop all of that
on your daughters
in-in one big... blammo?
Think of what
that would do to them.
I'm-I'm gonna write her back.
Thanks.
[sighs heavily]
Oh, my god.
[]
This looks like the address.
They're here!
[Mom] You feeling okay?
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
You call us anytime, okay?
Every day.
[Katie] Okay.
[door creaks]
[Mom]
Do you want me to get that?
I think I got it. Thanks.
I'll get the door.
Hi! Long drive?
[Katie] Yeah. [chuckles]
Okay.
[Steven] Hey.
Wow.
Hi.
Hi, I'm Kelly,
and this is Anthony.
Hey.
Good to meet you.
- Hey.
- Hi.
This is Katie.
Katie, this is...
Oh, Alyssa, Steven, and Jenna.
Jenna, please say hi
to Mr. and Mrs. Fusco.
Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Fusco.
Hi!
Are you my sister?
Yeah, I am.
[laughs] Yeah.
You're pretty.
Oh, thank you.
My other sister's inside--
she's on the spectrum,
so she's a little bit shy.
A little shy?
That's okay.
I'm-I'm a little bit shy, too,
so, I think we'll get along.
[laughter]
So nice to meet you.
[chuckling] "Katie".
Okay, well, you all must
be hungry after a long drive.
We're having a barbecue.
Backyard?
- Uh...
- Thank you.
Yeah, thanks, but we've got
a long drive to get back, so...
Oh!
All right. Yeah. Okay.
[claps his shoulder]
[Alyssa] All right, well,
thank you so much
for driving her down,
and, of course,
I'll keep you in the loop.
Great, thank you.
And yeah, me, too, obviously.
- [laughter]
- I know.
- Okay, bye, Mom.
- Okay, bye.
All right-- ding-ding,
hear that lunch bell ringing?
Bye, Dad.
- See you in two weeks!
- Bye.
- Have fun.
- I will.
- See you. Love you.
- Bye.
[Steven] Jenna, a hand, please?
Yeah, there you go. Oh.
[Alyssa]
When Katie first arrived,
I had that horrible feeling
you get
when you know things
are gonna go very bad.
I should have stopped it
right there.
[Detective] How could you have?
[Alyssa] I don't know.
I just should have.
Let's just go, okay?
How about you
go show her, okay?
You've gotta see your room.
We made it pretty for you.
[]
[Katie gasps]
Thank you.
It's wonderful.
Thank you.
Why are you, like, crying?
Oh. No, I'm not crying.
I'm just, um... [sniffling]
It'll be the first time
I've ever slept in my own room.
Yeah, in our trailer,
I had to share with my sister.
Trailer?
It's really nice!
It's bigger than a lot of homes.
[Steven] When did you move out?
Uh, we didn't.
We still live there.
Jenna, why don't you
go help her unpack, okay?
[Katie] You gonna help me?
Okay, come on.
[door closes]
Did you know about this?
[hushed] Talk over there.
Do you remember
what I remember?
A two-bedroom house?
[Alyssa]
It was better than our house!
[Steven] This whole idea
that she'd be raised by a family
who could give her a better life
is a load of crap!
Will you please just be quiet?
She's right next door!
Can you put a lid on it
for two weeks?
Please, for her sake?
Just...
[thumps door]
All right, Burger Express!
All aboard! Choo-choo!
I'm sorry.
[]
- [Katie] A little to the left.
- [Alyssa] This way?
[Katie] Yeah, so the light
falls on you.
[Alyssa] Okay.
- That's perfect. Perfect.
- All right.
Yeah, just hold that.
I'm sorry, I've never
done this before.
No, it's... it's perfect.
Can I talk?
Yeah, absolutely,
as long as you don't move.
Okay.
You know, I thought about you
every day.
Yeah, I prayed
that you were happy.
Mm. I was happy.
Yeah. Had an awesome life.
I, um... I mean, sometimes,
I wish I wasn't, like,
buried in a small town,
but, um...
you know, my parents
are good people.
They're like "the real deal,"
you know?
Yeah, I was, um...
felt completely, uh...
...loved, yeah, yeah.
Oh, that's beautiful.
So,
what do you think about
living in a small town?
Oh, no, I'm gone.
I'm already gone.
[laughs] I hear a plan.
- Okay. Um, community college--
- Okay?
...And then transfer
to SUNY to study art.
That's awesome.
Yeah. [laughs]
Yeah. Yeah, without art, I--
I don't even...
I don't even know
what life looks like.
I wish Chris got that.
Boyfriend?
Um... ish.
Ah! Let me guess--
he wants you to have three kids
before you're 20?
Kind of. I don't know.
I really like him!
I-- I do.
I-I don't know.
Listen.
I'm probably the last person
that should be giving advice,
but, you know, don't let anybody
come between you
and what you really want.
What did you really want
when you were my age?
You.
Beyond that,
I don't even know.
It was just so...
buried under so much stuff,
you know?
[chuckles sadly]
Sorry.
[softly] It's okay.
I carried you.
I breastfed you.
You were my baby.
It feels so good to hug you.
[]
[laughter]
[Katie] Oh, my god, like,
the look on his face!
Did you see it?
I actually died.
It was so funny.
[both laughing]
Hey, guys, does the whole class
get to hear the joke?
[both laughing]
You had to be there.
It was like...
I had the best time.
I know. Me too.
Let's do it again, okay?
Yeah.
Hey, Katie, would you please
go put the groceries inside,
please?
- Mm-hmm.
Thank you.
What?
Talk about not fair.
[Alyssa] What's not fair?
You monopolizing Katie.
I want to spend time
with her, too.
You can hang out
with her tomorrow.
I had today off.
Is that okay?
Since you have
nothing else to do.
[scoffs]
Why are you even home
right now?
Idiot foreman had it in for me
because he knew I could
do his job blindfolded.
It was only
a matter of time
before he found
some lame-ass excuse to can me.
[door shuts]
Oh, wow.
I mean, look at this one.
It is...
a genius--
- [giggles]
- ...Out of my own blood.
No, I don't know
about genius.
I mean, yeah,
I have a lot to learn.
Yeah, you think
you're gonna get that
at Podunk Community College?
Well, yeah,
it's just till I transfer.
Pfft. Same difference.
Look, college is for losers
wasting their parents' money
while they figure out how to get
their thumbs out of their asses.
- It's true.
- What?
You're a mile ahead of that.
So, what?
I just, like...
Like, I don't go
to college at all?
Yeah.
[laughs] What else do I do?
Uh, get out of Podunk
and start being an artist
right now.
Richmond is the big city,
tons of art schools.
You can take classes.
You can live with us--
for free, in your own room--
and do all the art you want
all day long.
So, I-- you mean, like,
I just don't go home next week?
This is home.
[chuckles and sniffles]
Sorry.
What? What did I say?
[crying] I'm sorry.
Hey.
Why did you give me up?
I had nothing to do
with that.
[groans]
It is all this crap
your mom made up.
She said, "Oh, Steven,"
you know,
"she's gonna be raised by
a rich family with a big house.
She'll have
all these opportunities.
She'll travel the world."
I'm such an idiot
for falling for it.
No, no! You're not an idiot.
Like, I had a great childhood.
Yeah, but you could've had that
with your real parents,
plus your own room,
and two baby sisters
to worship you,
but you didn't.
And you know why?
All because
your quote-unquote mom
wasn't ready to give up
partying
and hanging out
with her friends.
That's why?
Hmm.
Hey, you've got
something right there.
It's okay.
[laughs] I'm okay.
Are you sure?
[laughing] Yeah.
No, it's... I'm happy.
- Me too.
- Yeah.
[Steven] Oh!
[laughing loudly]
You're kidding me!
Are you kidding me?
Here we go.
[Katie] Yeah, I'm ready.
[Steven] Oh, my god!
[Katie] That was so close.
[Steven] One, two, three...
Open your mouth!
Open your mouth!
You guys are getting on
like gangbusters.
Yeah, you know it.
Uh, hi, Katie.
[Katie] Hey.
What are you guys
doing for dinner?
Uh, we were gonna go out.
Yeah, yeah.
Finish the day off
with a little
father-daughter burger night.
Cool. Well, it sounds fun.
All right.
See you later, then.
Thanks.
- Yeah, thanks.
- Okay, ready?
- Oh, yeah, I am ready.
- Ready. This is the time.
- The question is, are you?
- This is my moment.
My-- Okay.
[laughing]
[rock music playing
in background]
[Steven] Thank you so much.
[]
Oh, sorry.
Whoa.
A strawberry margarita with...
a cute little umbrella.
What's the drinking age here?
21, why?
Then it's illegal.
[laughs] So?
No one's gonna card you!
My parents hate
when I drink alcohol,
even like half a beer.
Kelly and Anthony Fusco--
sworn enemies
of fun and excitement.
- [laughs]
- Who are they--
or anybody else on the planet,
to tell a tough,
incredibly talented,
amazing and totally awesome
young woman
what she can
and can't do?
- Right?
- Yeah!
- Who are they? Right?
- Yeah.
- Yeah!
- [laughs]
I mean, sure, yeah,
legally, it's a crime.
Riddle me this, Batman--
where's the harm?
[]
[clink]
[thumps glass down]
[muffled strains
of retching]
[Steven] Quiet.
Shh, shh, shh...
You're doing good.
Just get it all out.
Get it all out.
Oh, my god!
What did you feed her?
Oh, no, I believe
it's more a matter
of what she had to drink.
You got
your underage daughter drunk?
What is wrong with you?
Are you a monster?
Hey, a person's first
big drunken puke
is an important rite
of passage.
- [gagging]
- Ooh!
Just be glad
she's going through it
with a responsible adult
who cares for her,
and not some horny teenage boy.
You sound crazy!
And disgusting.
[slurring]
I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
I should've stopped
at just one.
Baby, this is not
your fault, okay?
What happened?
[Alyssa]
Oh, don't worry. It's normal.
She just ate something bad.
It doesn't look normal to me.
Shh. Hey.
Are you all right?
You want to sleep it off?
Want to go to bed?
- Yeah.
- Okay.
- Okay.
- We'll get you to bed, honey.
- Okay.
- Hold on.
[Steven laughing] Oh, no.
[Katie gags, Steven snickers]
Get out! Just get out!
[Steven laughing]
[Katie retches]
Oh, I got you.
I got you.
[birds singing]
[]
[Steven groans]
[grunts]
[Alyssa gasps anxiously]
Good morning.
[hushed]
You're sleeping in her room?
What planet is that normal on?
Okay, you know what?
I don't know what it is
about your voice,
but even your whispering
just makes me want to vomit.
Shh.
You should be in jail
for what you did last night.
What?
What do you mean, what?
[scoffs] Oh!
- What's wrong with you?
- Let me see.
I keep losing track.
Which excuse is this
to divorce me?
Hmm?
Number 687?
Oh, no! You know what?
I forgot.
You don't need any excuse.
No, no, no.
So long as it makes you feel
all good and righteous
about bailing
on your family again.
You know that's a lie.
Oh, yeah, yeah,
I-I-I keep forgetting.
Yeah, uh, Katie's been here
all along,
her name's still Denise,
and us losing her
for all these years
was just
an ugly, screaming nightmare.
[breath shaking]
You make it so easy
for me to just hate you.
Oh, that's good!
Now we're getting somewhere.
Go on, admit it.
You wish I was dead.
[sobs]
Oh, my god, Katie!
I'm so sorry.
[door slams]
- [Katie] Go away!
- Katie, I'm sorry!
[knocking]
Please, can you open up?
- Why?
- I just want to talk to you.
There's nothing to talk about.
It's fine. It's not a big deal.
What's not a big deal?
You walking out on Steven
and everyone else!
- What?
- It's fine.
- That's just what you do!
- No! Oh, my god.
- It's fine.
- Please!
Go away!
Please, can I just talk to you?
No, I actually don't care!
I actually don't care.
Please go away.
[Steven sighs]
There's something deeply
and seriously wrong with you.
Oh--
You telling her God knows what
about our past?
That's just gonna hurt her.
She has a right
to know her own history.
If it's the truth.
Try this...
keeping it together.
For Katie's sake.
For our girls.
And?
I can't even breathe
in the same room as you.
Stay.
I'll take the girls.
I'll get a new place.
And what about Katie?
Katie...
what she does
is her call.
Fine.
Smash us all to pieces.
Knock yourself out.
[]
[door opens and closes]
[Caroline]
Do you really hate Dad?
[Alyssa] Of course not.
He gave me
two beautiful babies.
I-I don't hate Dad.
But you said you did.
People say all kinds of things
when they're upset--
things they don't mean.
Then why do we have to move
to a different house?
Then why are you guys
breaking up?
We were kids, you know?
Now we're adults,
we go two different directions.
When can we see Daddy?
Honey, anytime you want, okay?
Mom?
Yeah?
Did you ever want
to give me and Jenna away
like you gave Katie away?
Oh, my god, no, baby.
No, no, no, no,
not in a million years.
Come here. Come here. No.
[swing creaking]
Hey.
You know
Steven and I breaking up
has nothing to do you, right?
It's been a long time coming.
Okay.
It's not your fault...
okay?
I want you to come with me
and the girls.
No, you don't.
I do.
You don't
really know Steven.
He isn't...
[deep breath]
I just, I-I...
You don't really know him,
and he's just--
Is what?
He's irresponsible.
I'm 18.
I don't need someone
to be responsible for me.
Yeah, I thought
the same thing, too.
You know,
whatever you say about him
is just your side of the story,
right?
I don't come with you...
[sighs shakily]
...do I still get to see
Jenna and Caroline?
Of course.
Then I'll stay.
I mean, I like it here.
I like my room.
I'll be fine.
I'm gonna help the girls pack.
[]
It's gonna be so great,
you guys.
You're gonna be
in a new neighborhood,
and you'll meet new friends,
and there's probably gonna be
new types of frogs in the yard,
and maybe a new place
to get ice cream.
It's exciting!
You'll get to paint
your room a new color.
Isn't that exciting?
Um, no.
No? Okay,
well, what about you, J?
What color are you gonna paint
your new room?
Um, peanut butter.
Peanut-- Peanut butter!
Okay. Um, right, right, right,
so are we going
crunchy or creamy?
- Crunchy!
- Crunchy. Got it.
Got it, got it.
Love you, baby. Mwah.
Sorry.
Oh!
[Steven chuckles]
Oh, goodbye,
my darling angel.
I'll see you real soon, okay?
Come over whenever you want--
day,
middle of the night--
[tearfully]
...it's your home, too, okay?
Come on, baby girl.
Let's go.
Hey, Caroline,
got a hug for your dad?
Yeah. Thanks.
Be good.
[Alyssa] I didn't
fight hard enough for her.
It's like I left a baby deer
in a lion's den
to fend for itself.
[crying softly]
Love you!
Bye!
[]
[shots firing]
Just like that.
You're up.
[laughs]
Right?
- Okay. Here, here, here.
- All right.
Hold it with both hands. Yeah.
Just like that. Good.
Now...
line up the notch
with the can.
Yeah. Take a deep breath...
...and pull the trigger.
[fires]
Yes!
- [laughs]
- Whoo!
[giggles and squeals]
[]
[mailbox claps shut]
[]
[chuckles]
[]
[Alyssa] That was my freedom
I was holding in my hands.
I couldn't sign
those divorce papers
fast enough.
[Steven] Is this good?
Yeah, move your shoulders
a little more to face me.
[chuckles] Like that?
Yeah, a little--
split the diff.
- Hold that.
- Okay.
Can I see it?
Just want to take a peek.
- I'm not done.
- Let me take a peek.
You did that already?
That is great!
[Katie laughs]
You never got that from me.
I'm lucky if I can figure out
how to draw a stick figure
for a game of hangman, you know?
Um, what about Alyssa?
Yeah.
Yeah, she's more
the artistic type.
I never saw her
pick up a brush, though.
Hmm.
Hey, wait, why don't--
why don't we do this more like
the real thing?
How about
if I take off my shirt?
Yeah?
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
How's that?
[]
[Alyssa] I'd been with
the same guy since I was 15,
and now, wow, I'm free--
totally free--
the whole world's out there.
But it was scary, too,
because I didn't know anything
about being free.
[sighs]
[]
Sometimes,
when I look at you,
I... feel like,
I don't know,
like I'm looking in a mirror.
Mm.
Look at this.
Oh, yeah, right here,
with the thumbs?
Yeah, same hand.
And how about this?
[laughs]
Same weird crooked toes!
Speak for yourself.
Same.
Same...
...same.
[Katie chuckles awkwardly]
But it all looks better on you.
[chuckles nervously]
[clapping]
[car approaching]
[calls out] Dad's here!
All right, here you go.
Come on, girls, let's go.
Hop in.
[snickers] What are you trying
to do with your hair?
What? You say that
like it's a bad thing.
You're not 16 anymore.
A guy shouldn't
look his best?
Can you just make sure
you give them more than candy
at the movies, please?
What do you take me for?
Yes.
Say goodbye to your mom.
[girls, jokingly]
"Goodbye to your mom."
[chuckles] Bye, girls.
Have fun.
[door rumbles and thuds]
[car engine starts]
[text alert chimes]
[]
Okay! Pladl-berry muffins!
Thank you.
Here.
[giggling] Give me it!
[chuckling]
[]
[giggling]
Dig in, guys.
[Katie keeps laughing]
[]
[man]
The very best they ever wrote?
Yes! In your humble opinion,
of course.
I-I don't know how humble,
but maybe...
"The grass ain't greener,
the wine ain't sweeter
either side of the hill"?
A truer word
was never spoken.
Okay, you.
Best Dead lyric ever.
Oh! Okay, no contest.
"If all you have to live for
is what you left behind--"
[both] "...Get yourself
a powder charge
and seal that silver mine."
You got it.
I love that song.
- Okay.
- Full disclosure--
I have
three beautiful daughters,
one's on the spectrum,
and the others just ask
too many questions,
and, um...
I have a psycho ex
that's the spawn of the devil,
and he has many guns.
Hmm.
[sighs]
Do your girls like fishing?
[laughs]
Yeah.
[clink]
[Jenna] Okay, okay.
So I hold it like this,
with my thumb here?
Yup. My god.
We've got ourselves a natural.
Ex-Exactly.
Now, don't think about
making it fly, right?
Just keep your thumb on here,
and then you just flick it,
and when you flick it,
that's when you let go.
Whoa!
- Yay!
- Look at you.
Good job, Jenna.
- I got it into the stream!
- You did get it in the stream.
Did you want to give it a try?
No? All right.
I don't think the fishes
are very hungry.
I don't know.
Maybe they already
had their breakfast,
and now they're just
hanging out.
Doing what?
Eh, not much,
just rolling with the day.
Kind of like we are right now?
Yeah.
Oh... I see your point.
Like, here we are just
enjoying the sunshine,
and what if
a giant hook just came
and snatched one of us up
into the sky,
and that would--
yeah, that would--
that would kind of take the fun
out of the day, wouldn't it?
- Pretty much.
- Yeah, yeah.
Okay, well, I have an idea.
What is your--
What's your favorite food?
Rocky road ice cream!
Oh, I love rocky road.
What about you, Caroline?
Blueberries.
Blueberries?
All right.
Well, what if, right now,
blueberries came
raining out of the sky,
coming down really hard,
and we got to eat
as much as we wanted
until our tongues turned purple?
How would you like that?
Really a lot.
Yeah? All right.
Well...
Well, fish aren't big
on blueberries,
but we have
the next best thing.
Here, can you get me
the bread, please?
You'll see. You will--
Thank you, love. Okay.
Now, this is really important.
We've gotta make
blueberry-sized pieces.
Okay, you take one.
Take one.
Very important.
Blueberry-sized pieces, okay?
[chuckling]
[Alyssa]
Eric, he's just...
he never judges anything.
He accepts me for who I am,
who the girls are.
- What?
With him,
I'm just, you know...
[]
I have to tell you something.
I've given birth
to three girls,
and I don't work out,
and Steven is the only one
that I ever...
You are perfect
just the way you are.
Really?
Really.
[]
[door thuds]
[Katie] What do you mean?
Just...
you know, the stuff
that comes bubbling up
from the deep,
in the dark of your soul,
when nobody's looking and...
keeps you awake at 3:00 A.M.
What is it,
for you?
Fear.
Yeah, fear I'm-- I'm never
gonna make it as an artist,
and the whole world
will think I'm a joke.
Well, there's a way to make
that noise in your head go away,
you know?
- I would love to know.
Well, you tell it
to go to hell.
Literally. Out loud.
I do it all the time.
You say,
"Screw you,
voices inside my head,
trying to tell me
what I should and shouldn't be
because I, Katie Pladl,
am the most amazing person
who ever lived."
[chuckles]
"Fusco," sorry.
It's okay.
It's the same difference,
though.
"I, Katie Fusco, kick ass
no matter what I do,
so out of my head, now."
Yeah, I wish I believed that.
Well, you don't
have to believe it.
You just have to do it.
Go ahead.
- Right now?
- Yeah.
Loud as you can.
Scare the hell
out of those voices. Go!
I, Katie Fusco, kick ass,
so get out of my head!
[laughing]
There. Done.
You'll never
hear from them again.
From your lips to God's ears.
You know that--
that feeling you get
when you do a, like,
a thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle,
and you get it all done,
every bit of it,
but there's still
a piece missing?
And you look for it for days
and days,
and you finally give up,
you think you'll never find it,
and then...
out of the blue...
out of nowhere,
there it is...
it just turns up...
...and you put it back
in the puzzle, and...
...[exhales]
ohh...
the picture is complete.
Yeah.
That's how I feel right now.
Me too.
[]
Is this wrong?
Is what wrong?
I don't know, this--
you and me being, kind of--
I don't know.
Hey...
does it feel wrong?
[]
[Katie crying]
Hey, Katie, it's okay.
I'm here.
You're safe.
Nothing can hurt you.
[Katie panting]
[]
[Eric] So did your parents
ever forgive you
for giving up Katie?
Not entirely.
It's complicated.
Do you visit them often?
Uh... I haven't seen them
since Katie was Denise.
Yeah, because, you know,
travel's expensive, and...
but we do video call.
Wow.
Yeah, "wow."
Wow.
"Wow."
[gasps]
- What?
- I gotta go pick up the girls!
No, not right now.
Yes, no, I gotta go.
I gotta go.
Okay.
You see?
This is the upside
of split custody
nobody tells you about,
but I gotta go.
Oh, I'll be right here.
[laughs]
[Caroline] No!
What do you mean, no?
Are you too stupid
to know what "no" means?
[Steven]
Do not raise your voice at me!
[shouting] Caroline!
Do you want me
to break this door down?
Caroline,
you know the rules.
Everyone washes
their breakfast dishes.
Go away!
Caroline, open up the door!
Caroline, I will break
this door down, I swear,
unless you come out now
and wash those dishes.
You have three seconds.
One, two...
[car horn honking]
Hey, you get back here.
Get back here
and wash those dishes!
[roars] Caroline!
Bye, Katie.
Bye, Daddy.
See you next Wednesday.
[breath shaking]
Bye, sweetheart.
[pounding railing]
You'll never guess the big news
at the Pladl house.
What big news?
Oh, nothing.
Just the cat's
gonna have kittens.
What cat?
All right, come on, girls,
what's going on?
You two look guilty. Tell me.
Katie's pregnant.
Is Chris the dad?
Dad's the dad.
What did you just say?
Did you just say,
"Dad is the dad"?
I'm sorry.
Did you just say,
"Dad is the dad"?
No, she's just joking.
Chris is the daddy.
Caroline, please, come on.
Tell me the truth.
Chris is the dad.
Are you sure?
Is she okay?
She's fine.
She said
she feels really good.
Okay, honey. All right.
Why don't you guys go inside?
I have to make a phone call.
- [both laughing]
- I'm over here.
[phone buzzing]
Who is it?
Oh. [sighs]
[Katie] Hello?
Hey, um, I heard the news.
What news?
About the baby?
It's all right, Katie.
I was three years younger
than you are.
Have you told your parents?
Yeah.
What'd they say?
I don't know, not much.
Have you told Chris?
Um, I can't really
talk right now.
Do you have a doctor?
Um, I have to go. Bye.
[]
[]
Goodbye to you guys, too.
[Alyssa] Hey, kiddos!
Hey.
Good luck with Caroline.
She's been a real nightmare
at home.
That's weird. She's an angel
when she's with me.
Oh, so it's my fault again--
like always.
And you're Miss Most Perfect Mom
of All Time?
Okay, Steven.
Look, there's something
in Caroline's journal
you need to read.
Why are you
going through her things?
She keeps leaving it out.
I think she wants us
to see it.
Really? Well, what does it say?
Just read it,
and then we'll talk.
Call me!
[]
[Alyssa crying]
What's wrong?
Steven told me that I needed
to read Caroline's journal.
Okay.
"Daddy says him and Katie
feels like couples.
Did they get
a little too drunk that night?
My dad is a slut.
He's Satan.
My dad says
Katie's my stepmom.
He doesn't even want me
to call her 'sister' anymore."
- Read this!
- Oh, my god. What's--
Okay. "He'll go to hell,
but he won't be the one
getting tortured.
He'll be the one
torturing people.
Wait, one second--
if he's Satan
and Katie is a human,
then the baby
will be half-demon."
- What the h--
- He's the devil.
Why on Earth
is he showing you this?
Because he thinks that
he didn't do anything wrong!
Can you please
just watch the girls?
Of course, go.
Are you k--
Oh!
[sobbing]
[starts car]
[pounding on door]
[pounding]
Get outside, right now.
[door closes]
What is going on?
You made me
read that on purpose?
That you conquested
your daughter?
Are you evil?
You really are evil.
I thought you already knew.
- Oh, my god!
- Alyssa, it's not a secret.
Katie and I are in love.
We're planning to--
[shrieking in rage]
Get off of me!
It's illegal!
Are you crazy?
No law can tell me
who I can love.
It's incest!
[sobbing]
She's your daughter.
She's your daughter, my god!
Look, she loves me.
[shrieking]
Don't you ever touch her again!
Don't you touch her again!
It's over. You hear me?
It's over.
If I had a gun...
I would kill you!
But I have daughters
that need me.
I would murder you!
Don't you--
Don't you ever touch her again.
[sobbing]
[Alyssa] With the new plan
automatically replacing
the grandfathered plan,
you're gonna get
a slight increase
in angry and abusive callers,
right?
But... it's important
to maintain a calm tone.
[shrieking]
Okay? Stay calm.
[raging]
[Alyssa, echoing in rage]
Don't you ever
touch her again!
Whoa. Um...
[voice shaking]
I'm sorry, I can't do this.
Can you--
Can you take over for me?
Please?
Thank you.
[Alyssa hyperventilating]
[]
[Alyssa]
I remembered you
from when my car was stolen
last year,
and I just felt like--
like I could trust you.
[Detective]
I'm glad you called.
[exhaling deeply,
phone ringing]
[Alyssa] So you see why
he would kill me
if he knew you were here?
Yes. I can.
You've been through
something unimaginable.
It feels like
it's happening to someone else.
I wish it was happening
to someone else.
Katie and Steven have
absolutely committed
a crime
for which they can be arrested.
Both of them?
Yes.
But given Steven's
history of violence,
once he finds out
he's the object
of possible prosecution,
you and your younger daughters
may be in danger.
We're already in danger.
I believe that.
How fast can it all happen?
With the restraining order
preventing him
from seeing you and the girls,
almost immediately.
An arrest warrant
on charges of incest
is a bigger deal.
Okay.
Just act super-cool.
Pick up the girls
like everything was normal,
then take them someplace--
anywhere but home.
Someplace safe.
[breathes shakily]
- [both chuckling]
- I don't know. I mean...
- Yeah.
- I've got time now, right?
[Katie] Yeah, it's true.
Yeah.
I'm proud of you, though.
Yeah.
[car doors closing]
Are you expecting anyone?
[Katie]
Who would I be expecting?
[Detective] Steven Pladl?
Wait here.
I'm Detective St. James.
What is, uh,
all this about?
We're serving you
with a restraining order
preventing you from
approaching or contacting
your ex-wife
or minor children.
Appreciate you
bringing this by, Detective.
You have a good day now.
She thinks
she can do this to me?
She thinks she can keep me
from seeing my children?
Don't get upset.
Please, please,
it's gonna be okay.
No, she is gonna
pay so hard for this.
Steven, Steven,
don't think about that!
- [rages] So hard!
- Just think about our baby!
Honey, and us!
And our future, okay?
What Daddy's done with Katie
is wrong...
and it's against the law.
Why is it
against the law?
Because it is.
That's not a very good answer.
Okay, honey, look.
When one person is...
the parent,
and the other person
is the child,
and they get together--
which is not right--
the child isn't making
that decision on their own.
It's the parent's fault.
Does that help you
understand a little bit?
Kind of.
Okay.
You know how--
you know how Daddy
gets really angry sometimes?
[dryly] Uh... yeah.
He's gonna get so angry
when he finds out
I told the police
about what he did,
so angry
that he might do bad things
that he might regret.
So...
we can't stay home right now.
We have to find a place
where Daddy doesn't
know where we are.
Then where are we gonna go?
We'll figure that out.
Right now,
all I need you to do
is get your giraffe
and all your toys...
where's that smile?
[chuckles]
...And your favorite bag.
I got you.
Can you do that?
- Okay.
- Yeah?
Okay, come on.
[phone rings]
Hey.
[voice breaks] Hey.
Look.
Steven has
a restraining order now,
but the police,
they're saying that...
they're saying
that I can't stay home,
and you could totally say no--
Okay, l-listen, say no more.
Okay, l--
- Are you okay?
- Yeah.
Good.
Okay, here's what
I want you to do.
I want you
to come over right now.
I'll leave
the garage door open.
Thank you, Eric.
Hey. Everything's gonna
be fine, I promise.
[]
[Detective]
Girls, can you explain to me
exactly what
your father told you?
Yes. My father said
Katie isn't our sister anymore.
She's our step-mom.
[Jenna]
Is Katie still our sister?
Yes, she is.
Then why did
Daddy say she isn't?
You girls have been great.
I'm just gonna go
speak to your mom.
[Alyssa] I should be out there.
No, look, they're gonna
be fine, all right?
It's their mom
I'm worried about.
- I'm fine.
- Yeah.
Hey, how were they?
They're fine.
- Yeah?
- Did you get anything helpful?
I did.
Okay, so when can
we arrest him?
Steven and Katie are on
their way to North Carolina,
to live near Steven's mother.
What? Okay,
so now it's interstate?
Yeah, that's right.
Big mess of red tape
to coordinate jurisdictions.
But how long? How long?
Months.
If we're lucky.
Hey, sweetheart.
Hi.
[forced cheer]
I'll be in touch.
When can we see Katie?
I don't know, honey,
but right now, we just have
to learn a big lesson,
and we have to stay strong
for one another.
Can you be strong for me?
Okay, but I don't wanna
learn a lesson.
[laughing]
I don't want
to learn any more either.
Hey! Yeah.
Well, you know,
it's an exciting time.
And obviously
I want you guys to be excited.
Look, it's, like--
...it's important to me,
and I want you guys to be there.
Uh, it's just...
It's just what?
It-It's a big thing
to take in.
Okay. Well...
I mean, getting married's
what people do
when they love each other.
Yeah, but it can't be legal!
Mm-hmm. So we have
different last names,
so we just don't
say we're related
on our application.
No one's gonna know.
You know,
it's not just about that.
What-- What is it about, then?
Like, Steven's mom is coming.
She's so happy for us,
and she wants us to be happy.
So do we! Always.
Well, why are you against it?
Like, you want
your grandchild to be raised
by two people
who love each other,
who are married to each other.
Hi, Anthony.
How's it going?
[sniffs]
Hi, Steven.
Listen, I know
you guys love your daughter,
and you care
about her happiness.
I don't doubt that
for a second.
Thank you.
[Steven] And I know you want
to be a part of her life,
just like you want
your grandchild
to be a part of yours, so--
[chuckles] ...I can't imagine
you not being there
on what ought to be
the happiest day of her life.
Yeah.
[Steven] So we're agreed?
Great.
- Well--
- Okay.
I gotta run.
We'll see you there.
Talk soon.
Love you.
- Okay. [chuckles]
- Bye.
Okay? All right.
I love you so much.
I love you.
Okay, I'll talk to you soon.
Bye.
[]
[]
[Caroline]
That is seriously weird.
I know, honey.
Why did Katie do it?
Um...
that's just something
that you're not gonna understand
until you're a little older.
Your dad, he, um...
he got into your sister's head
and just...
made her do things
that aren't right...
or legal.
Is the baby
gonna be born soon?
Yeah...
in a couple of months.
Will I get to meet
my baby brother or sister?
Or niece or nephew--
depending on how you look at it.
Um...
one day, yeah.
When?
Uh, I don't know, honey.
We're just gonna have
to wait and see, okay?
Eat up.
[smooch]
[whispers] I got you.
[]
[Katie] Steven, please, please.
I just want to hold him.
[Steven] No.
I just want-- Please, please.
I just want to hold my baby!
No!
I'm so tired. I just--
I just want to hold him!
This is for his sake!
A boy needs to learn how to get
through the hard stuff without
being coddled by his mother!
- What are you doing?
Maybe he's sick!
- Oh, he's fine!
- Will you just
get out of my way!
- Shut up!
Get-- Ow! Ow! Ow!
I will not
let you turn my son
into a sniveling
little mama's boy!
[baby crying]
[pounding on door]
[Katie] Get the door, Steven.
Just get the door!
Get the door!
[Steven roars] What the hell?
[baby crying]
- What?
- Steven Pladl and Katie Fusco?
Yeah.
[officer]
Mr. Pladl and Ms. Fusco,
you're under arrest
for charges of incest.
You have the right
to remain silent.
Anything you say can
and will
be used against you
in a court of law.
Ma'am,
can you step outside, please?
You have the right
to an attorney.
If you cannot
afford an attorney,
one will be appointed for you.
Um... um,
what about my baby?
This is Gloria Jimenez
with North Carolina Child
Protective Services.
She will make sure your child
is brought safely from here
to his grandmother,
Grace Pladl,
to be placed into her care.
No, you can't take my baby!
You can't take him!
You can't take him!
[Steven]
You can't fight it, Katie.
This is the state
in all their dark
and awesome powers.
[sobbing] What are they
gonna do to us?
Whatever they want.
[Steven]
What are you looking at?
[]
[reporter]
The mother of the child
has now been
released from jail on bond.
The father remains in custody.
The pair are forbidden to have
any contact with each other
or be unsupervised
with their son,
who has been placed in the care
of his paternal grandmother.
[crying]
All right, not a word.
[slams lid shut]
[forced cheer] Hey.
Did they get a snack?
Uh, no,
we did not have ice cream.
We had ice cream.
I got rocky road!
[Alyssa]
What? You had a rocky road?
[phone buzzing]
All right, girls, come on.
Upstairs,
homework on the double.
[overlapping] Yes, Mom.
[phone buzzing]
Hello?
I'm sorry, who is this?
I'm sorry--
[whispers] "The Outlook"?
Some tabloid thing on TV.
I'm sorry,
can you say that again?
No. No, no.
I'm not interested.
Thank you.
[sighing] Oh, geez.
They want to interview me...
about Katie
on TV.
[sighs]
How did
they even get my number?
They have their ways.
[]
[sighs]
[Katie] It's been weeks,
and they won't let me see him.
We're not even
in the same state.
Katie, you gotta
let the process play out.
He's a baby,
and he needs me. Like--
[sobs] I just...
I just need to see him.
[sighs shakily]
He's gonna think
I abandoned him.
I'm sure Steven's mother's
taking good care of him.
I'm his mother.
[phone buzzes]
[buzzing]
[sighs sadly]
[crying]
[Eric] Try her again.
I've already tried five times.
I'm the one
who blew up her life.
She's not gonna answer me.
Well, don't give up.
Hold on. Hold on.
I've got an idea.
Hi. Yeah, this is Alyssa Pladl.
Are you the person
I spoke to yesterday?
I want to do the interview.
[Alyssa] If I could
say something to Katie,
it would be that...
[deep breath]
...that I hope she realizes
how truly young she is,
and that she has a chance...
to start over,
and I hope to God
that she does.
And I want to let her know
that whatever Steven did
to her...
...was exactly what he did to me
when I was only 15.
All the attention,
um...
[sighing]
...saying that I was the most
amazing person in the world...
...drowning me
in whatever it is
he thinks love is.
And I would tell her
to protect her little baby
from him...
because of the things
he did to her
when she was little,
just to keep her from crying--
pinching her...
...putting her
inside of a cooler
with the lid on it.
And he doesn't have a heart--
not like she does.
[sobs] Katie,
if you're listening to me,
you have
such a beautiful heart.
[shouts]
Katie! Come here!
[Alyssa on TV]
And you're so strong.
And with the love
of your adoptive parents,
you can survive this,
and have the beautiful life
you deserve.
And I know you're angry at me--
and I'm sorry...
I truly am.
But I want you to know
that wherever you go,
whatever you do...
[sniffling]
...I will always love you.
Thank you for letting me
be just a little part
of your life.
[begins hyperventilating]
Daddy?
Yes?
Did I do something horrible?
Nothing we do for love
is horrible.
And I know you loved him.
You say that
in the past tense.
Well, maybe
because I hope it is.
Horrible or not,
you did
what he wanted you to do,
what he got you to do.
You're just
beginning your life...
...and it's all ahead of you.
No mistake
is too big
or too late to undo.
[]
[phone ringing]
Oh, whoa, whoa. [laughs]
Hey, hey!
I can't believe
I am looking at your face.
I'm literally just about
to walk in the door from jail.
Hi, Steven.
[laughs] I haven't even
called my mom yet.
How's our boy?
I don't know. I don't know.
I hear he's crying a lot.
He misses us.
Steven...
[Steven cackles]
Whoo! Katie, I love
that you called me.
You know what?
Screw them.
Screw the world
and all their stupid rules.
Nobody can keep us apart.
Well, jail sucked.
How was it for you?
It was okay. Steven--
Oh, hey, when-when
can I come see you?
Steven, will you
please listen to me?
I'm listening. What?
I don't think
you should come see me!
[snickers]
I'm sneaky.
They'll never know.
No, it's not that.
I just-- I think that--
You think--?
I think that maybe
they're right!
I think they-- I don't--
I don't think we should
see each other anymore.
Katie, you listen to me.
That is your parents talking.
They forced you to do this.
They have hated me
ever since
they took you away from me
when you were a baby.
It's not my parents.
Then who is it, hmm?
Did Alyssa get to you?
Have you talked to her?
No.
Then who?
Katie, do you love me?
Yes. Yes, I love you,
but I just--
I just--
I need to figure out--
Figure out what?
If you love me, then what
is there to figure out?
A lot!
I have a lot to figure out!
I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
No, no, no!
Do not hang up on me!
I'm sorry. I have to go now.
I love you. Goodbye.
[crying]
Katie!
Damn it!
[bag thumping deck]
[]
[Eric] Oh, my god!
The bubbles!
Look at them all. Stop!
Stop it!
Get him!
You're getting me all wet
with those bubbles!
Stop it, stop it!
Come here. Come here.
Come here, you.
Come here. Come here.
[grunts playfully]
Look at you.
[Alyssa chuckles]
[Eric] Look at them all.
Look at them all.
Oh, my goodness.
I'm gonna get you. Oh.
[]
I know you just got back here.
I'm sorry to just show up
like this, but...
[sighs] I wanted
to tell you in person.
Steven's been released.
Where is he?
He went home.
Bennett's with Steven's mother.
You need to protect you
and your family.
Thank you for telling me, okay?
Okay.
What's wrong, Mommy?
Oh, honey,
everything's okay, I promise.
Okay.
Hey.
I'm gonna take care
of you and the girls.
[Bennett cooing]
Hi.
Who's this?
Oop.
Toes in my nose!
[chuckles] Hi.
I know you like puppets.
Oh, hello!
Oh... hello.
Nice to meet you, too.
[deep voice]
Hey, do you know who I am?
[higher voice]
Oh, yes!
Yes, I know who you are!
[deep voice] No way.
Because if you knew who I was,
there's no way
you'd pull that crap with me.
[higher voice]
Oh, no, I'm sorry!
I'm sorry.
[deep voice]
No, it's too late for sorry.
No! Oh...
[makes hitting noises]
[pretends to cry]
[chuckles]
Yeah.
[]
[]
[wheezing]
[laughing deliriously]
[hyperventilating]
[racks cartridge]
[]
[sighing tensely]
[keys clacking]
[phone rings]
Hi. This is Alyssa.
This is Miss Fitchman
at the office at school.
Yeah?
We've gotten a call from
the police in North Carolina
that, um, your ex-husband's
mother called them.
Jenna and Caroline
may be in danger.
Wait! What do you mean?
Where are they?
Please, don't be alarmed.
They're here in the office
right now,
and we have
a police officer on campus.
Okay, I'll be there
in 10 minutes.
Great.
[slams receiver down]
[]
What's going on?
I'll let you know
on the way home, okay?
Why aren't we going
to Eric's house?
We are, honey.
All right, it's gonna be okay.
Just get in.
[garage door humming]
[]
Did you see anybody coming?
No.
Okay.
We're safe now.
Nobody can hurt us.
[shuts engine off]
[]
[car engine starts]
[car engine starts]
[]
[]
[brakes screeching]
[]
[Anthony] No! Steven!
[gun fires]
[firing]
[horn starts blaring]
[horn blaring]
Oh, god!
[]
[]
[car engine shuts off]
[Steven weeping]
[slams steering wheel]
[wheezing and sobbing]
[gun fires]
[Alyssa] No, no, no--
It's a little wet,
I'm just saying.
It's just a little wet.
Oh...
[Eric] I'm just saying,
and I like it.
[phone begins buzzing]
It's Detective St. James.
Hello?
Mm-hmm?
[gasping] Oh!
[wails]
Oh, my god, no!
Oh, my god!
No, please, don't tell me--
no!
[phone hits floor]
[screaming]
Katie's dead!
Katie's dead!
[]
[weeping]
Oh...
[Alyssa wailing]
Oh...
I can't tell them.
I don't know how.
[sniffling and sobbing]
[Alyssa, tearfully]
Hey, babies. Come sit.
I'll wait downstairs.
[sniffling]
There's something
that I have to tell you
that's really scary...
and that you may not
understand.
Your dad, uh...
he did something really bad--
something
that he can never undo.
And we won't see Daddy...
or Katie again.
What about Bennett?
[sniffling]
He's in Heaven with Katie.
I'm so sorry.
Come here.
[crying]
I'm sorry, babies.
[sobbing]
[]
[Alyssa]
It's starting to rain.
Yeah.
Mom?
Yeah?
Do you remember the time
where Dad made us
all hamburgers,
and he was really silly,
and we laughed a lot?
[sighs]
No, honey,
I don't remember that.
But I'm happy you do...
and I hope
you never forget that.
Is there a Heaven?
I hope so.
If there is,
is Dad there?
I don't think so, honey.
What about Katie?
Is... Is Katie there?
100%, Katie's there.
And you know where else
she'll always be?
Where?
In here...
and here...
forever.
Come here.
[Alyssa] Through everything,
Eric stayed by my side.
After all that
the girls and I went through,
it was hard to believe
that we could be so happy.
But we are.
This is our new life.
[]
[]