Back Together ~ pt 2

❤︎︎ Thirty-Six ❤︎︎

*back to Lexi's POV*

It finally came to the day. Liliana's assessment. Our lives were gonna change. Well... they wouldn't because we would still love her regardless but it just meant that we would have to fight more for her. Liliana had a little time with the lady there just them two and then we went in and she asked us a couple questions just to confirm everything.

"Are there any traits or anything that Liliana does that could link to her being autistic?" She said.

"we've pretty much got a list on why she's probably autistic so you could probably just diagnose her off that list. she doesn't like change, she eats specific foods, she zones out a lot, she has insane separation issues, she has to have certain clothes. that's just to name a few things..." I said before looking at Lando "Lan, I don't know if you can name any more things that she does?"

"Um... She also has difficulty making eye contact and tends to flap her hands when she's excited or anxious" he said.

"oh yeah... that too. I just don't see how she can't be with all these different traits..." I said to her. She nodded and gave us the look. Yep, Liliana was diagnosed as autistic that same day. We went back home and Liliana had a nap on the couch while we both just sat there in silence. It wasn't like we didn't expect it but it was still a lot to take in. I finally spoke up. "i don't really know what to think now... it's not like I'm upset about it but it's still a shock to hear it actually confirmed even though we knew that she had it way before this..."

"I know it's a lot to process... but remember, we'll get through this together. We always do. And you know what? There's not a single challenge in this world that we couldn't overcome together, Lexi. If anything, this just means we have to be even stronger and braver than before. We've got this"

"yeah... it's just a little extra work..."

"Extra work is nothing compared to the amazing things we'll achieve together. We're Back Together now. And I'm not letting you go"

"i love you, Lan..."

"I love you too, Lex. More than anything in this world"

"we're gonna be okay, right...?"

"We're going to be more than okay. We're going to thrive, Lexi. Together"

"even with Liliana being autistic...?"

"Especially with Liliana being autistic. She's already brought so much joy and laughter into our lives and that's not gonna change"

"yeah... but can we like keep this quiet and just between family members and friends because a lot of autistic kids don't really want people knowing that they're autistic and I don't wanna say anything with Liliana saying it herself and she's too young right now and I don't wanna fuck up if she wants to keep it between family and close friends"

"Of course, baby. We'll respect whatever she wants to share about herself with others. You know I wouldn't do anything to hurt her"

"I just want her to feel safe and secure... she doesn't need the hassle of people having a go at her for something she can't control..."

"She deserves nothing but love and understanding. We'll make sure she knows that she has a safe place to be herself around us"

"it's going to be a really tough day when she goes to school..."

"We'll do everything we can to prepare her and support her. And if it gets tough, we'll be there for her every step of the way. We've just gotta wait and see what happens"