A/N Autumn's 9 in this chapter, so it's set this September. I don't really know where Autumn lives, other than some town in Pennsylvania for plot convenience in an earlier story.
Today was Autumn's 9th birthday. She sat on the porch swing after breakfast, pushing her Thomas toy hooked up to Annie and Claribel along the swing seat, smiling. Her birthday party was shown on a sign. including a Thomas balloon.
A big kid whose house was across the street from Autumn's family saw her party sign and said, "Autumn, you must be autistic to have a Thomas party at your age. I know you're 9, because the sign says "Autumn's 9th birthday party today". Grow up, you baby! My little cousin, who's in kindergarten, watches Thomas videos on YouTube, on the official Thomas channel. It's for kindergarten babies and younger.".
Autumn fled into the house, no more happy face. After she got inside, huge water droplets welled up in her eyes. "M-Mummy, I-I n-need t-tissues," she wailed. "t-to w-wipe m-my e-eyeballs.".
Autumn's mother heard and gave her daughter the tissue box. "Want to talk about it?" she asked. "It's okay for you to be upset, perhaps.". She tuned into her daughter's emotional experience and looked at the big picture
"Th-the b-bully a-across th-the r-road," she said, wailing out her words, as she pressed a tissue to her eyes. "H-He c-called m-me au-autistic a-and a-a b-baby f-for h-having a-a T-Thomas p-party.". She wiped her nose.
Her mother said, "It's okay to feel bad, as I get why that would hurt your feelings, but don't believe you're a baby for liking Thomas. I know it makes you happy and is good for a child like you." She looked compassionately at her daughter, in addition to conveying that through her tone. "I know you're overwhelmed with emotion now, so let tears fall like rain. It's your right to cry, as there's comfort in tears. That mean kid's awful to make you boo-hoo on your birthday. I'm not annoyed or frustrated when you tear up or get overwhelmed with emotion and let it out in floods of weeping. However, it's nice that you're sunny, apart from those times something makes you not happy.". She tried to see the situation from multiple perspectives, now that she knew just what upset her child, as she was there for her.
Autumn, holding a fresh tissue to her face, said,"I-I'm a-a t-tear f-factory w-when e-emotions o-overwhelms m-me, l-like n-now.". The girl, after several soaked tissues, finally dried her face and eyes of her last tears, finished her meltdown and went on with her day.
Autumn's birthday party happened, then after eating a piece of her Thomas birthday cake with ice cream, went to play in her room. The party's over, she thought, so time to play with my birthday gifts. At least, the ones that are for that. Her father had given her a flowered handkerchief for her birthday, saying, "This is for when we've got no tissues, at least where we are or if you're outside when crying or having a runny nose." and that was in her pocket. She looked at her Thomas balloon, now tied in her room and daydreamed her way to Sodor.
Autumn landed in Knapford and heard someone wailing. She sang The Island Song to herself as she went to Knapford Station, the source of the sound. Is someone having a meltdown, like Mummy says I do?, she thought. Did someone die? Meltdowns and grief are the reasons I know for wailing to happen.
Autumn arrived at Knapford Station and realized it was Thomas, wailing his heart out with his driver offering comfort. "What happened?" she asked.
Thomas was unable to speak due to his crying, so his driver said, "Yesterday, he found out all his siblings were scrapped. He's broken-hearted, wailed himself to sleep, woke up wailing and had to be comforted by his fireman and me, then he pulled a train to Knapford and was fine until we got here. Now, he's wailing again.". He pressed a cloth to the tank engine's eyes.
Autumn stayed there until her friend finished his cry, no more tears left. She hugged his face, after his driver got out of the way and said, "Thomas, if you cry when I come back and your driver's not around, I can comfort you. It's my 9th birthday today back home and because it's Saturday there, I had a birthday lunch before I came. I feel things deeply and I'm, like you, not afraid of emotions."
Autumn made her rounds of Sodor and saw her engine friends, including the narrow-gauge and miniature ones. I feel so bad for Thomas,she thought. He's okay sometimes, based on what his driver said. But other times, he's wailing, big tears pouring from his eyes not once stopping. This time, he had his driver to dry his eyeballs, but I can do that, too. He can get the saddest look on his face. I know the relief tears can bring.
Autumn went back to Thomas's branch line and found him on a siding, wearing his sad face. "Just let it all out," she said, hugging his face. "You've got an ocean of pain inside, so go ahead. "I'm here and not uncomfortable with emotion, so you can cry around me.".
Thomas began to cry, wailing at the top of his voice with grief. He made a sad whistle sound.
Autumn pulled out her handkerchief and dried her friend's tears, rubbing his cheeks and wiping his eyes. "Let me wipe your eyeballs," she said softly. She did her best to be attentive and present with him, as she imagined how he must feel and thought of any possible contexts or ways to inspire him. It's okay for you to feel this way, after what happened. I'm here to wipe your pain away."
Thomas let out another wailing sob. He was sniffling hard, coughing, choking on his tears and hiccupping. He gasped and gulped, shaking as he released as many tears as he could and allowed his friend's comfort.
She said, as she continued to wipe his tears away, "I'm not here to rush your healing, as I hate putting a positive spin on things, especially platitudes or empty promises. I do care deeply about my friends and feel bad when one's unhappy.". She held her hanky to his eyes and wiped all his tears away as best she could.
Thomas finished his cry, no more tears left to shed. Autumn gently dried his last tears away, wiping his cheeks and eyes dry of tears and gave him some inspiring words. She put her sodden handkerchief away, then hugged her friend as they said good-bye.
Autumn went back home and played some more, then went to the basement and watched The Adventure Begins, her favorite Thomas movie. She had supper, then read a 3 in 1 Thomas storybook she had and another book until her bedtime routine began. She fell asleep after a bedtime story, hugging her cuddle Thomas.
A/N Autumn's parents know how Thomas is good for imagination, cognition, emotion, like distinguishing feelings and symbolic play in a kid who's autistic. Autumn's cognition's fine, but she can still have benefitted in the other areas. The way my characters behave is due to my FanFiction buddy's typing, like Thomas's type is sensitive souls, deeply feeling, but still happy.