Almost Prince Charming

The relationship hasn't been going on long.  They met two weeks ago at a beginning music class that her mom teaches.  Her name is Evie.  She's a beautiful blue-eyed blonde with sensory issues and a mitochondrial disease called LCHAD.

She's an avoider.  Her mito and sensory issues make him nearly impossible for her to tolerate.  Her blue eyes stare widely as he literally runs circles all around her.

He is a seeker.  He jumps and runs constantly.  He squeals and yells out random syllables that make no sense at all, but somehow, in the midst of all of the chaos swirling in his brain, he noticed her.  She GOT him.  When his mom tried to force him to shake her hand during the welcome song, and he protested--loudly--she didn't get offended.  She just turned away.  Yet, as they spent more time together, he continually kept coming back to her.  She wasn't pushy like that other girl, the one who tried to give hugs and could already sing.

He runs laps around the room, his eyes constantly seeking out hers over the back of the couch upon which she sits.  Showing off?  Who knows.  Neither of them are especially verbose, so conversation is out of the question.

So how does an overbearing autistic prince let an avoidance prone mito princess know that he's interested?  Focus on the advantages that autism gives him--the attention to detail.  Other boys might be overwhelmed by the shy smile she's giving.  They might be startled by the feeding tube trailing from under her shirt to the monogrammed backpack she wears.  But not him.  He sees her bare feet.  In a moment of sheer romantic brilliance he picks up her shoe, sits at her feet, and puts her sandals back on.  And she let him.  Even though he didn't use any words.  Even though she's not fond of her shoes.  Even though it wasn't time to go.  She let him.

And even if Disney might be light years away from giving us a princess with a feeding tube, in that moment, she is Cinderella.  And even if future girls consider him anything but charming, he is a prince.  And two exceptional children shared a moment of total normally that was anything but normal for them.  And it was the sweetest thing I've ever seen.

Handsome Prince Noah