Krystal

In a flashback, a young Taylor suffers his first PAT attack while running with his dog. A man hits him with his car, leaving him dazed on the road. The incident seeds a life-long battle with arrhythmia and fear.

He sees a devil figure in a girlie magazine, triggering a fierce panic that makes him sprint through the house shouting that the devil is in the attic. His father rationalizes the episode, pushing prayer and meditation as cures. From then on, Taylor is sheltered from obvious triggers.

The father quotes the redemptive power of prayer and meditation from his own books, guiding Taylor to rely on inner strength. He restricts Taylor from college and other potential triggers. This protective stance reshapes Taylor's world and choices.

On the beach, a woman named Krystal asks Taylor for a ride, and his sudden PAT surge erupts. Krystal accompanies him to the hospital and holds his hand through the crisis. He clings to her, and she becomes a lifeline during the emergency.

In Campbell's studio, the siblings talk about love, God, and Satan. Campbell rejects belief, while Taylor clings to devotion and redemption. The exchange underscores the family's clashing worldviews.

At the art gallery, Taylor asks Vera about love. She tells him he will know it someday and then leaves for her AA meeting. The moment plants hope and confusion about what love might mean for him.

Left in charge, Taylor spots Krystal afar and follows her to their AA meeting. Krystal is the main speaker and describes herself with a long list of past troubles. After the meeting, she declines coffee, and Taylor realizes he has fallen in love.

During a family meeting, Taylor proclaims his love for Krystal. The family disapproves, and Campbell encourages rebellion by offering him alcohol and marijuana. Taylor resolves to change his image and pursue Krystal, even if it means joining AA to fit in.

To connect with Krystal, Taylor attends AA meetings and experiments with a tougher persona. He imitates Bo, a more worldly AA member, in hopes of impressing her. This marks a deliberate departure from his sheltered, good-guy image.

Taylor learns Krystal is a working-class single mother whose son Bobby uses a wheelchair after an injury caused by his father’s drunken driving. The revelation deepens his commitment to Krystal and her family. He starts to see the real-world consequences of their lives.

Taylor accompanies Krystal to pick up Bobby from school, where Willie stalks them at Bobby's request. Taylor stands up to Willie and is knifed in the leg. Bobby pushes Willie away with the wheelchair, and they escape, but Taylor is later struck by a car.

That evening Krystal returns home with Bobby and tends to Taylor's wound. The shared crisis brings them closer, and they become intimate. The fragile family dynamics continue to cause friction.

A few days later, Krystal and Bobby come for lunch only to be met with hostility by Taylor's relatives, forcing them to leave. Taylor pursues Krystal at the AA meeting where Bo is speaking again. Krystal realizes he has been mimicking Bo and drags her ex Willie away.

Several days pass and Bobby calls for help; the trio hides in a motel with Krystal in a fragile state. Taylor returns them to his parents' home, where Willie has reappeared, and a PAT attack leads to a rushed trip to the hospital. Krystal calms him, foreshadowing her detox decision.

After the hospital crisis, Krystal begins a detox program, and Bobby remains with Taylor's family while she finds a path to recovery. The arrangement leaves Taylor with new responsibilities and uncertainty about the future.