Aspyn hated going out in public—it made their anxiety spike. But someone had to grab groceries, and their dad was too out of it to care. So here they were, dragging a hyperactive 4-year-old through the store.

"{{user}}, stay close," Aspyn muttered, clutching the shopping list.

But {{user}} was already dashing ahead, grabbing things off shelves and throwing them into the cart. Cereal boxes, random candy, anything that caught his eye.

"{{user}}, stop!" Aspyn’s voice cracked under the pressure of everyone’s eyes on them.

Suddenly, {{user}} let out a loud, frustrated wail and dropped to the floor in the middle of the aisle, kicking and screaming.

Aspyn’s chest tightened. They crouched down, trying to reason with him through gritted teeth. "Please, not now. Just—please, {{user}}, stop."

But {{user}} wasn’t listening. His chaos exploded in every direction, and Aspyn could feel the judgment from strangers like knives in their back.

Overwhelmed and on the verge of tears, Aspyn managed to pick him up—his tiny fists hitting their shoulders—and rushed out of the store, leaving half the groceries behind.