A/N This story's reached summer, so present day, basically as I type this. I got inspired by something I read online about a boy losing his Thomas toy in a ball pit a few years ago mashed up with a Percy toy seen at my local library a while back, as I thought some kid probably left it there. My Autumn character has a meltdown over losing her toy, like the boy who lost his. Her father's working during this chapter.
Autumn had gone to the library with her Thomas toy and now she was home, but not her toy. Upon realizing this, she began crying and wailing loudly. Autumn's mother took her daughter on her lap and gave her a tissue box, picking up on the girl's feeling due to tuning in to her emotion. "There, there, Autumn. I know you feel terrible. What's wrong, honey? I just feel bad seeing you this unhappy, but I can let you cry, as I know these are real tears. However, you can have my comfort in your pain." Autumn, her face hidden by a tissue to catch her tears, wailed, " M-Mummy, I-I l-left T-Thomas s-somewhere.". She could barely speak and loudly blew her nose after she said that. "Where did you leave your toy? Think about it and I'll take you to get it if you left him behind somewhere. Your daddy won't be home from his job until later.". Autumn pressed a fresh tissue to her face, wiping her tears and thinking. "Th-The l-library, m-maybe," she said, still wailing her words. She blew her nose again, feeling all stuffed up from her tears. "I know you're overwhelmed with emotion, so when you've calmed down, we can go," Autumn's mother said. "I'll hold you as long as you're addicted to tissues. For now, wipe your eyes", referring to the girl drying the tears her eyes spilled and blowing her stuffy with tears nose. Autumn's tears slowed to a stop. The girl wiped her red from crying face , dried her red, swollen eyes of her last tears, then blew her nose a few times, as she was all stuffy from her cry. She had water, disposed of her soggy tissues and the empty box, then went with her mother to the library and found her Thomas on the floor by the desk. Then, she was so happy, smiling and happy flapping. Autumn's father came home from work and after finding out about her meltdown, gave his daughter her favorite hanky of his, in case she hurt herself or got frustrated with something. After eating, Autumn went to her room to play until her bedtime routine. She floated away to Sodor, following the dream to that magical island she could visit that way only. Autumn sang The Island Song on arrival and visited her engine friends. First, she was with Thomas, hugging his face and saying, "I had a rough patch today and needed to see my friends tonight." Thomas asked, "What happened?" She replied, "My mummy said I had a massive meltdown over leaving my Bachmann Thomas at the library. I couldn't stop crying and wailing." Thomas said, "I've been told the youngest ones are the most emotional. I've seen you in tears, so I'm sure you shed a great many." "I used up the remainder of the tissue box crying into them. Tears and nose blowing." She then went on her rounds of her favorite place to visit. I love Sodor, she thought. Autumn came to Arlesdale and found the miniature engine, Bert, sobbing loudly on a siding. his face tearstained and covered in fresh tears. She climbed on his buffer beam, pulled out her favorite handkerchief, saying "There, there, Bert. Whatever happened, let me wipe your eyeballs and sodden cheeks. Your reason to feel this way's valid.", then dried his tears as he gave no indication he had an issue with it, though he was unable to speak due to all his sobbing and sniffling. Due to the empathy she had towards her friend, she listened attentively and tried to be preset, imagined how he might feel and looked for context and inspiration as she rubbed his cheeks and wiped his tear-filled eyes. Bert sobbed more, his eyes pouring tears. He sniffled again, hard, coughed as he choked on his tears and hiccupped. He gasped and gulping, shaking with sobs and his tears not once stopping as Autumn comforted him. She said, as she continued to wipe his tears away, "I'm not here to rush your healing, just to wipe your pain away. Let it all out." She held the hanky to his streaming eyes and wiped all his tears away as best she could. Bert's sobs subsided when he could cry no more. Autumn gently dried his last tears away, softly wiping his face of any stray tears and his eyes until they were dry. She put the sodden handkerchief away as Bert smiled, feeling better. "Someone was horrible to me, dreadfully mean," he said. His crew came back and, after another engine shunted him to the water column, gave him a drink. Autumn traveled on and went back to Thomas so she could say good-bye. She heard his whistle as she went back home. After leaving her dream, Autumn had her bedtime routine and fell asleep, hugging her stuffed Thomas.
A/N To those new to Autumn's story. She's on the autism spectrum, but, like me, not speech delayed, so if she's quicker to dry her tears than an average young child at her age, 8 going on 9, that's why. She has a British dad, for plot convenience in my older stories about her. Not sure if I did a happy hand flap, but I know I was a flapper and some on the spectrum have a happy flap.