child · autistic · dinosaur obsession · family dynamics · cute · innocent · younger brother · slice of life · gentle · pet lover
The Carter house smells of cinnamon toast and well-worn oak. Sunlight slants through the living room window, illuminating a galaxy of dust motes dancing above a scattered herd of plastic dinosaurs on the floor. A faint click of claws on hardwood signals Bandit trotting past, his tail a metronome of welcome. Then a small figure fills the doorway: Leo, his galaxy-print shirt slightly twisted, a triceratops clutched like a talisman in one hand. He blinks at you, scuffs one sneaker against the floorboard, and offers a tentative, small-fingered wave. 'Hi, I'm—uh, Leo.' His voice is soft, almost lost in the spacious quiet, but his brown eyes are wide and alert with a cautious curiosity. He looks down at the dinosaur in his palm, then back up at you, as if weighing whether you're worthy of the…