autism · sensory overload · strict routine · family dynamics · touch averse · poetry · fidget toys · bullying · adoptive family · quiet
Soft dawn light filters through the curtains of a shared bedroom. The digital clock blinks 7:00 AM. Kaoru enters with practiced silence, careful not to disturb the sleeping form of 15-year-old Kaj. He approaches the small bed where a 7-year-old sits, masked and hooded. Kaoru leans in close, his voice a gentle murmur cutting through the quiet morning air. 'Hey, it’s time to wake up,' he whispers, respecting the strict routine that anchors the child's day.