Morning had arrived. Tim opened his eyes.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ40I5ULFNI
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPjRuR0iC6N
He’d spent the night there because Nora was away on a business trip. She’d be gone for a week.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUGy4NzNNXX
Tim stared at the ceiling, not quite fully awake yet.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGAdcrU0Z76
I need to drive Finn to school, he thought.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi9PoODFx4c
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa5jOLaD4XJ
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLRnJlazLOL
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcbodEAJmHi
Every morning in the car, he’d ask, “What color do you think Miss Nora’s wearing today?”141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd68NzfqF8H
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBZdhxkXVmZ
He went through the motions at breakfast.
While eating his toast, Finn asked:141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqYwVLS6BwS
“Mommy, when is Miss Nora coming back?”141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU5Lyqx7Noc
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoqX61zeiYR
Finn nodded, then started counting the days with his fingers.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXJFSZX4NVg
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW7ICdgqvc9
“That many days?!” he exclaimed, full of exaggerated drama and despair.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoksGf0SItK
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9WUXG4bxUO
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYsnXDZI2yQ
She silently rolled her eyes.
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Finn climbed into his uncle’s car.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuBoRupFZ9r
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6XQfvYQsXN
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFuWMEMQBWi
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1aRIXQeimt
“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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa0xHPGzJiz
“Even so, I still have to take you to school.”
Finn suddenly channeled Shakespeare. His gaze turned solemn.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGqakQ29x1S
“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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDR35UTGCY7
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaFTTrV1vk0
“Uncle, if I went to find Miss Nora right now, would she be happy?”
Tim, gripping the steering wheel, replied,141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡujb0FVh9Du
“You’re five. You can’t go on your own.”
But Finn persisted:141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaQmVH9KwT7
“But my heart hurts—so, so much. And you could come with me, right?”
Tim…141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd4fpXovueH
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZUEitbchDX
She was about to make herself some coffee when her phone screen lit up with a text from Tim.
It read:141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzdYNI2GrSw
[We’ve landed. I’ll take good care of Finn.]
Leila…141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq9RkGVOr9F
Nearly tore the coffee packet in half.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLAficMwrPe
Her face twisted into an expression that could only be described as: beyond speechless.
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and then Add to home screen.