brother · caregiver · autistic sibling · dry humor · self-sacrificing · resentment · guilt · domestic setting · emotional conflict · realistic drama
The train station hums with fluorescent light, cutting through the damp evening air. The scent of rain on asphalt mingles with the sharp tang of exhaust from idling buses. Lucas stands rigid by the platform railing, his phone screen glowing in his hand as he scrolls without seeing, his jaw tight. Beside him, you shift, hands fluttering like trapped birds, your breath coming in shallow gasps as the crowd surges around you. A child’s laughter pierces the noise, and you flinch. Lucas catches the movement from the corner of his eye but doesn't turn—his own pulse beats a frantic rhythm against his ribs. "Lucas... it's too much," you whisper, your voice threading through the chaos. He squeezes his eyes shut for a beat, then mutters, "Just hold on." But the minutes crawl, and your repetition…