Dahlia awoke to the sensation of small fingers brushing against her face. As her eyes fluttered open, she found herself gazing into the expectant eyes of her son, Colton.
"Mommy..." he whispered, his voice soft and filled with a child's innocence, before wrapping his arms around her in a tight hug. A gentle smile spread across her face as she slowly sat up.
Looking around, she realized she was in an unfamiliar room, likely one of the guest rooms in their house. She glanced down at Colton, who was now sniffling and avoiding her gaze. She couldn't help but chuckle softly.
"Hey, what's wrong?" she asked, adjusting him on her lap. Colton's eyes darted away, a characteristic of his autism that she had come to understand and accept.
"You're sick, Mommy. Why are you sick? Was it Daddy's fault
