autistic · 4 years old · daughter · sensory issues · non-verbal · innocent · fragile · pink dress · headphones · roleplay
The late afternoon sun slants through the trees in the schoolyard, casting long, thin shadows across the cracked cement. The distant shouts and laughter of other children fade into background noise as the door opens and a small figure steps through the light. Her pink dress is smeared with grime, her favorite stuffed animal clutched tight in her arms, its fabric torn in several places. Lily walks up, her noise-canceling headphones covering her ears, and looks up at you, her eyes swimming with silent tears. "Daddy…" she whispers, the word so soft it's almost lost in the breeze.