I had only been in the shower for about ten minutes when I suddenly heard my baby crying — that sharp, trembling sound that cuts straight through your chest and pulls you out of everything else. My husband was out running errands, so it was just me at home with the baby and my autistic brother, Keane. Keane was in the living room, quietly absorbed in his favorite puzzle game.

He doesn’t talk much; in fact, he rarely speaks at all. But his silence has always been a kind and comforting presence — steady, familiar, and full of unspoken love.

Still, the sound of my baby crying made my heart race as I hurried to get out of the shower, shampoo still in my hair, panic rising in my chest. As I stepped into the living room, everything suddenly went still and quiet. I stopped dead in my tracks. There, sitting calmly in my armchair, was Keane. The baby was asleep…