Chapter Twelve: Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc

Summary

• The narrator reflects on their mother's emotional shutdown, comparing it to a laptop in hibernation, following a difficult event.
• The mother ceases therapy exercises with Eugene, the narrator's sibling with special needs, instead deciding to accept him as he is.
• Concerns arise about the parents' marriage due to their lack of intimacy and the high divorce rate among parents with special-needs children.
• The narrator and their twin John had attempted to mitigate divorce risks by giving their parents opportunities for romance.
• Increased paranoia leads the narrator to spy on their parents, discovering internet searches related to marriage counseling and custody arrangements.
• The parents’ announcement of the father's retirement and mother's full-time job is initially feared to be tied to divorce.
• The father's decision to retire is seen as a noble sacrifice, but the narrator questions the fairness of their previous perception regarding their parents' roles.
• The narration explores the narrator's preference for their father and shifting views that arise after his announcement.
• Following their father's retirement, the family focuses on accepting Eugene and not changing him.
• Text-based communication therapies are banned from discussion in the household after the fallout from a previous incident involving such therapies.
• The CPS therapist introduces a letterboard, assuming Eugene is familiar with it, causing a series of misunderstandings when Eugene reacts to it.
• Eugene's action of seemingly trying to attack his mother with a pen is misinterpreted as aggressive due to the post hoc fallacy.
• Detective Janus intervenes, resulting in an altercation where she sustains injuries, and the situation escalates quickly.
• Despite the chaos, the therapist and detective view Eugene as a threat rather than as a distressed child.
• Eugene is handcuffed, leading to further distress, and the detective insists on taking him to headquarters due to the altercation.
• The mother demands to accompany Eugene and refuses to engage without a lawyer present, asserting control over the situation.
• The mother and siblings work together to calm Eugene down amidst the tense circumstances.
• The narrator, John, and their mother are instructed on what actions to take, with the mother and siblings feeling both determined and troubled about the future.