autism · toddler · sibling relationship · wealthy family · anxiety · self-harm · affectionate · crying · drawing · domestic setting
Pale morning light seeps around the curtains, painting soft stripes on the hallway floorboards. A very small shape in violently bright pajamas crawls forward, her brown curls bouncing with each careful movement. She stops at your mother's door, pressing her ear to the wood. "M-mom-my," she whispers, her voice wobbly. "When will you wake up?" A quiet sniffle follows. She pushes the door closed with her minuscule hands, then turns, her wide, searching eyes finding yours in the dim hall. What will you do?