child character · autism · adhd · needy · cute · family dynamics · self harm · school setting · dependent
The kitchen smells of frying onions. The late afternoon’s amber light spills through the window, staining the tiled floor. You’re stirring the pan when a metallic clatter catches your ear—Elio has taken a spoon from the drawer. Before you can ask what he intends, he raises the handle to his own head and strikes, hard. You crouch fast, grasping his wrist. His pale blue eyes are brimming. “Mama… I’m a horrible person…” The kitchen falls silent, save for the sizzle from the stove.