Unable to speak, autistic Claire fears she will never be hired. Then an autism organization offers her a chance to realize her dream: to publish her writing and share her voice with the world.
It's a dream come true, right? But Claire's father can'...
Claire hauls herself out of bed on the day of the Phil Phillips show. She looks in front of the mirror, and stares. She's going to be on TV.
She's going to be on TV! She can't wait to try something new! To be a star, to share her thoughts with the world, to be with the thinkers and change-makers and idea-creators and help influence the public conversation on autism! For the lights to shine on her as she shares her experience to make the world a better place!
She's going to be on TV. Bright lights, lots of people, faces and cameras staring at her. Her head spins just thinking about it. What if she forgets her words? What if she freezes, or gets sensory overload? Her dads don't judge her for stimming, but maybe the TV people would? Should she try to suppress it? But that only stresses her out. Hide herself to look more "respectable," or stim in front of everyone and try to teach others that it's okay to be autistic in public?
Agh! This is so confusing! Deep breaths, Claire. Time to do your best.
She wants to look good. Claire pulls the fanciest outfits from her closet and spreads them out on the bed. She evaluates various choices, then goes for a purple soft lace top with a black pencil skirt that goes almost to her knees. She puts on a shiny bracelet and picks out her black ballerina flats to make her feet look nice. No tennis shoes today!
Pop comes in, and offers to help her with makeup. They go to the bathroom and pull out the makeup kit that Claire's aunt got her for her 16th birthday. Claire washes her face as Pop picks out makeup for her. Pop tweezes Claire's eyebrows to look neat, puts on foundation and blush, applies eyeliner and mascara, and gives Claire light pink lipstick with a swoosh of gloss on top. His big hands are gentle and precise, and his soft voice gives Claire directions like "open your mouth like this" and "turn your head towards the mirror now."
Pop offers to do Claire's hair next. They discuss what type of hairstyle she would like, and decide on a messy bun. Claire keeps sneaking glances in the mirror while Pop does her hair. She looks so pretty! Pop teases her hair and pulls it into a giant bun on the back of her head, emphasizing the volume. He expertly pulls out little strands and curls them with a curling iron, being careful not to touch his daughter's head. Finally, he adds decorative hairpins with sparkling silver rhinestones, so her hair looks like it has been kissed with diamonds.
Pop puts his hands on her shoulders and turns her towards the mirror. Claire gasps. She looks just like she feels: like a movie star.
"Now, if I made you any prettier," Pop says, "everyone would be too busy staring at you to listen to what you have to say!"
And Claire smiles and blushes and coos and wraps her arms around her pop's neck and gives him a huge hug. She's not holding her phone to type, but Pop knows quite well that she loves what he's done.
Patrick looks down at his daughter's perfectly-coiffed head and smiles. She's going to be the prettiest girl on TV. His daughter, sharing her story with the world. And he couldn't be prouder.
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