Todd was digging through the trash bin,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIYuiYlrcmC
pulling out a few newspapers—54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfIACWNpUkq
but they were too damaged.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOXNRhuUpdd
He tossed them back in and kept looking.
The paper was damp, some pages blackened at the corners.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwl1LRjbX4F
Others had mystery stains—maybe sauce, maybe shoe prints.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1gxBOTR3rs
Todd frowned as he searched,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcCjR3xudW5
his fingers long since used to the grime.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7A8ov4jKaZ
What mattered was whether the paper was still readable.
The girl watched for a few seconds, then joined in.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmCsfW3OQfS
Her movements were much gentler than his.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2xOoBGgOlf
She carefully shifted the piles of paper,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJZNGv1Yqgh
her fingertips avoiding the soggy spots and torn edges.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNLOXcSVqnd
Then she found one that was mostly intact and handed it to him.
Jason looked down—54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzmoPQ1aXsw
pretty clean.
He grinned,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRNph1uTm36
like a little pirate who’d just uncovered a treasure map.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNVVgpiAakw
He spread the newspaper out fast,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIhOTaD8DtN
and when he saw the big photo inside,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5CfuLGvUgb
his whole face lit up.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxu4e8Uil8L
His blue eyes sparkled with excitement.
“Nana, come look! This is Robin—he’s so cool!”
Earlier, Jason had asked if it was okay to call her that.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXt07LNrMKU
And when he said the name “Nana,”54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYea0Dzg81j
she’d nodded.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK8LE1TpPMw
No sound,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv0ijNtAX5i
but it felt like… agreement.
The girl leaned in,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZw8h4vWkvz
eyes focused on the image of the masked boy.
In the photo, the teen was leaping from a rooftop, gripping a rope,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuZOVGtcJ1R
mouth tilted in a smile—54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCOtEuPEuaa
a smile with no fear,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFjRUMB47yJ
as if gravity didn’t apply to him.
Jason was thrilled.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdthsNBye5G
He read the article out loud,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkdTtucBk6t
his voice muttering like he was trying to memorize it.
When he finished,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWXrIRdTpTj
he looked up and saw the girl still staring at the picture,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyvqLFgZuwe
eyes unmoving.
“You know Robin, right?” Jason asked, hesitant.
She shook her head.
“What?” His eyes went wide.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIOaumY5L0B
“You don’t? Do you know Batman then?”
The girl paused,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ7gaj2En0Y
then raised her hands—54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgPmGUcXtm8
pressed the wrists together,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡObuqS62YF1
moved her palms up and down like wings.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMdjy9OrPWm
Then tilted her head at Jason.
Jason blinked.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdu9NweVD8Y
He actually understood her.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO1I9gaJNnE
She meant “bat.”54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiVDvmfQItv
Yeah—she knew bats,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzmeB3LvlRa
but not Batman.
“What kind of Gotham kid are you?” he muttered.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYFruVU6Trq
“Who doesn’t know Batman or Robin?”
He stood up,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuIJkI97fPB
like something had just ignited inside him.
“Alright then.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSCibEkAVdj
Today, I’ll teach you what Gotham pride really means!”
So, next to a broken junkyard,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAOQgK85hki
a boy spent hours explaining.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLYGF8qi6Ur
He talked with his hands,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgOx6Iyf25h
pointed at photos,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbaI98jopDh
and described those heroes54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡclR33xPvMi
like they were friends he’d actually met.
He told her how Batman snuck into criminal hideouts.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrjnQONcpHR
How Robin jumped from the sky and beat up bad guys.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbr9vcDiTkT
How Gotham’s nights weren’t as scary54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1cVxE2lDsK
because of those two shadows.
Jason’s voice grew louder,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPM8Puk2Q6s
like he was reciting a hymn—54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSMSDfyRjcA
a secret anthem only he could sing.
Finally, he wrapped it up with a clear, confident summary:
“So basically, Robin is Batman’s partner.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYZ7eEiiJuU
They protect people.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9wgJi69c1o
They make sure the bad guys end up in jail.”
The girl nodded.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrH7Govpw4u
She looked at the photo again,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNeH7Grfb6g
pointed to it,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpNz4MFvNO9
then moved her hands—54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtOTb9z13wW
one high, one low—opening and closing,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4CmgSuqRdz
then pointed at Jason.
Jason watched,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7DJVkajDtX
and got it.
“No one knows who Robin really is, Nana,”54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8VQuiHiPqS
he said in a hushed tone,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCieOh2Olpe
like sharing a secret.
I’m skinny. Small. I don’t even know what I’ll eat for dinner.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGENg441q53
I’m like a rat in the sewer. Batman wouldn’t even look at me.
Then Nana looked at him,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq4QR6MMtcg
and raised one hand over his head,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsvai7vK00d
as if measuring his height.
Jason glanced up,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUK6PfEg2Jy
saw how little space there was between her hand and his head.
He laughed a little,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkkb6X869Ms
then looked away.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuQ5MkPZFi2
“…Thanks, Nana.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwFkXiOTzSZ
But Robin’s someone else. I’m not him.”
His voice had a pinch of bitterness,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH4fMxk27O9
a bit of tough-boy bravado.
Wind whistled through the cracks in the rusty tin sheets,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjzH9MdgoRB
rustling the edge of the newspaper.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5GqaN1PiZL
It fluttered like a bird trying to fly,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa8loLqjq48
but nailed to the ground.
As the two kids grew closer,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs5FBFnZsal
they began to share more and more of their world.
At school, no one dared to mess with Jason—54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrZBc20SLUC
he was known as the most vicious fighter when pushed.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDLdCVIwqvy
And with Nana always beside him,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn0t3Xc0CQs
no one really wanted to bother her either.
Jason even went to the library54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfdBM5wPEpB
and borrowed a beginner’s sign language book.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdLDhkE3Bbf
He specifically asked the librarian if it was the easiest one—54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTc4Qn09VSv
said it was for a “friend” to learn.
He practiced the signs,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHa1P6W7dev
made Nana do them with him.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0XbezK6b0S
Paper and pencil were slow,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjRPuhGHcVN
and hard to come by.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTgdu1I61fx
You didn’t often find writing supplies in trash heaps.
Something happened when Nana saw the book.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQVc7di8Egd
Her mouth opened slightly,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡswv4B14In2
her eyes widened round.
“What?” Jason teased.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOCiSUEpGjt
“You’re not about to tell me you can actually talk, are you?”
His tone was half joking,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGtulLT0Qt6
half hoping.
But he’d already looked down,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm6e8HlLyVR
flipping to the first page.
He didn’t really catch the look on her face.
Nana looked guilty.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWMNr4BA4ky
Her lips moved just a little—54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhLI9fKJSxx
then slowly closed again.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuCP4ATCaIv
It was like she tried to speak,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ehEjwvgcS
but swallowed it back.
Jason noticed nothing.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXEVO37dDll
He simply handed the book to her.
“First page’s about greetings. Pretty easy.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKmkmfekZlP
Let’s try it together.”
54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNzvkrda4fo
One day, the church was holding a funeral.
The two kids sat across the street, watching.
The weather had been freezing lately—54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpB9GcrfYvD
cold like Gotham’s night had fallen from the sky and refused to leave.
Many homeless people had died from the cold.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl4KgyNgzL3
The bodies lined the sidewalks,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfHgTUcncuE
covered in simple cloths,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuaza76HsoS
waiting to be taken to the public graveyard.
The two kids weren’t scared at all.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA2iaq3tIZ7
They’d seen this kind of thing plenty of times—54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW8v4ZD4tZg
worse, even.
They didn’t watch in fear.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAuuQKw87jD
More like quiet observers.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5LKRfz7Lp7
Like watching pigeons scavenge crumbs in the street.
Then they saw a nun.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhnXC6U9kaA
She was holding a large bundle of white lilies.
One by one,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ47vdVbWCBp
she placed a flower on each chest.
The row of white flowers looked like a final, unified symbol for the dead.
Jason watched carefully.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcXSpxVeshr
From the way the nun approached,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj8MESPvMfa
to how she placed each flower,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoGRIq7Wqky
to the way she gently straightened the edges of the cloth.
Nana watched too.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAfuvEfxfeL
Then turned and pointed at her own chest.
Jason shook his head,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdktRrzwj4O
then started signing.
His fingers moved slightly faster than usual—54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlqn8EYzKXC
there was a hint of emotion54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHxQ6NUcaEl
he didn’t normally show.
“Don’t you think…54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrTyt9IdWCx
it’s kind of nice, having a flower after you die?”
He traced the shape of a blooming flower in the air,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo9q1p3NfaJ
then tapped his chest again.
“Even if the dead can’t know,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUsiVry54xo
it means someone remembered54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXJUCSIWgES
you once lived.”
The girl looked down.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6lvERm7Kus
Thought for a second.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2hio5Ie3tq
Then signed something back.
Jason’s face froze.
“Thanks,” he signed back, a bit forcefully.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIwVApCLzaz
“Thanks for remembering to bring me a flower.”
He gritted his teeth.
Idiot.
The girl pressed her lips together,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ43GBCh6R3p
and quickly signed back:54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9pdGKxCHAr
“You’re welcome.”
Jason snorted through his nose,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmDRxHAZGGK
like he didn’t want to show he cared—54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZBTSRpJaXL
but still kept signing:
“Then I don’t want lilies.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwVFceeK8dz
I want white roses.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf3Nnq0SMVU
I like white roses.”
His fingers slowly drew the spiral of a rose,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBSvyrMn5KT
carefully,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsJJw0gXkbg
deliberately—54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZIctDnyMhm
as if a real flower was blooming from his hand.
Pure white.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡccT9XzWT0j
Without thorns.
and then Add to home screen.