“No! I... I won’t apologize!” someone stammered softly.
Stunned, Joseph thought, Little One? Was that Little One?
Previously, he had kept Charlotte behind him to protect her. All of a sudden, someone tugged his arm from behind and before he knew it, she shielded him with her thin body. An expression of determination mixed with fear flashed across her face. “Joseph... Joseph did nothing wrong!” she said firmly, “It was you! You cut my face with a needle. You... you called me a slut. My face is like this all because of you. W-Who are you to... to come into my home and... and cause a scene?”
These few sentences might have been easy for someone else to say. However, it took Charlotte quite a while before she could spit it all out.
And when she finally did... she had exhausted every ounce of strength! Her entire back was drenched with sweat! There was perspiration covering her forehead as well.
She desperately tried to quell the fear within her; the fear of speaking out loud. She had no idea where this sudden outburst of courage came from.
Watching the Field family stood up for her made her want to come forth and try her best to express herself. For the first time in her life, she wanted to overcome the source of all that pain.
There were people she wanted to protect too. She certainly didn’t want to see them insulted and walked all over by Mrs. Fraser! She was fine with being insulted herself. But she would not allow that to happen to the people she wanted to protect!
The entire Field family was shocked.
Mrs. Field walked up to her in disbelief and grabbed her hand as though it would give her strength. “Lottie... you...”
She was deeply touched. What did she just say? My home...
She really takes this place as her home!
Mrs. Field’s eyes began to water.
She had long since noticed how Charlotte was different. The little girl was quiet, anti-social and extremely shy. The doctor she consulted revealed it was highly likely that Charlotte was suffering from autism. Everybody was clear about how it affected people.
It certainly wasn’t easy for someone suffering from autism to express him- or herself so clearly.
She had been hesitant about bringing Charlotte to see a doctor because she was afraid of giving this sensitive little girl the wrong impression that her family disliked her.
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