Morning had arrived. Tim opened his eyes.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAefJD3fwSf
Sunlight streamed through the gap in the curtains, falling at an angle onto the carpet by the desk. This wasn’t Nora’s small apartment—it was his room in Wayne Manor. Familiar, yet cold.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqPKzqcZRGV
He’d spent the night there because Nora was away on a business trip. She’d be gone for a week.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTwJKF6zJSf
Tim stared at the ceiling, not quite fully awake yet.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLOoDtKnOf9
I need to drive Finn to school, he thought.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYqJvyR3Gce
He rubbed his eyes. There was a trace of exhaustion in him, but he pushed himself to sit up. He still had responsibilities to take care of.
In the dining room, he saw Finn—already dragged out of bed by Leila.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1vmpgaG3Mn
The little boy was still in his pajamas, his hair sticking up in tufts, slumped beside the table and blinking at the grown-ups, as if he hadn’t quite realized he was awake yet.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYhHcdNLQOZ
He yawned, half his eyes still closed. He had none of the usual energy, none of that “I can’t wait to see Miss Nora!” excitement.
He used to be thrilled to go to school just to see her.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5zm6BofK2Y
Every morning in the car, he’d ask, “What color do you think Miss Nora’s wearing today?”141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5rmxBK3Ko2
He would even wipe his water bottle clean all on his own—so Nora wouldn’t tease him for being messy.
But now that Nora wasn’t around, he had no motivation at all.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTgU3zknJv3
He went through the motions at breakfast.
While eating his toast, Finn asked:141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL3KGPROtQ0
“Mommy, when is Miss Nora coming back?”141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJMOdEYy7Qd
Leila looked up at her son, then glanced across the table at her brother, who was quietly sipping coffee.
She raised her hands and replied in fluent sign language: “She’ll be back next Monday.”141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBHvhCxu0ab
Finn nodded, then started counting the days with his fingers.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwPyK8a65uC
Chewing on his toast, he concentrated hard, like he was solving a very difficult math problem.
When he got to five fingers, Finn gasped.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgNH0cXlejT
“That many days?!” he exclaimed, full of exaggerated drama and despair.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ZqCHpxLm3
He stared down at his half-eaten toast as if the distance of time had taken his appetite, too.
He didn’t notice that his uncle sitting across the table looked equally defeated.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB0WExjnlGD
Tim circled his fingertip around the rim of his cup, quietly drinking his coffee. His blue eyes fell on the toast as he, too, counted down the five days.
…Leila watched the two moody men beside her.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡedhkQKrIuw
She silently rolled her eyes.
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Finn climbed into his uncle’s car.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc2HuyjZJml
He sat quietly as the seatbelt clicked into place. After swinging his legs a few times, he settled down.
He sat alone in his child seat, thinking.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpwvE9MIreN
His little head tilted back as he stared out the window, his face full of a five-year-old’s burdens, as if the weight of the world rested on his small shoulders.
Tim started the car.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr2MLxoL1An
It pulled smoothly out of Wayne Manor, heading toward school. The radio was off; only the engine filled the silence.
Finn looked at his uncle in the driver’s seat and said seriously,141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTjvbF6pcoV
“Uncle Tim, I think five days is way too long.”
Tim glanced at his nephew through the rearview mirror and replied in a calm but resolute tone:141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuMbf9TCBMe
“Even so, I still have to take you to school.”
Finn suddenly channeled Shakespeare. His gaze turned solemn.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRPJm44apZa
“Love,” he said, “is always full of trials—that’s what makes it precious. A kindergarten without Miss Nora has lost all its light. Can Earth even sustain life without the sun?”
Tim…141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKaBR6zCJA3
was momentarily speechless. His mouth twitched as he wondered what kind of show this kid had watched last night.
Finn kept going, still serious:141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXw9nf95IbP
“Uncle, if I went to find Miss Nora right now, would she be happy?”
Tim, gripping the steering wheel, replied,141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe4X6Km7s2z
“You’re five. You can’t go on your own.”
But Finn persisted:141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDuM28EfbuL
“But my heart hurts—so, so much. And you could come with me, right?”
Tim…141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlSA9V7CLNn
lightly tapped the brakes to turn a corner. He took a deep breath, realizing this little gremlin was dangerously close to convincing him.
Finn’s eyes sparkled. “Uncle?”
Tim swerved right. Toward the airport.
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Leila received the message three hours later.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfJxspnsXWC
She was about to make herself some coffee when her phone screen lit up with a text from Tim.
It read:141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPdgD3xFgxa
[We’ve landed. I’ll take good care of Finn.]
Leila…141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSn8EyBWakj
Nearly tore the coffee packet in half.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkgYs6cjc17
Her face twisted into an expression that could only be described as: beyond speechless.
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and then Add to home screen.