Morning had arrived. Tim opened his eyes.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlEivCY2Dpm
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Q2HOOpqxx
He’d spent the night there because Nora was away on a business trip. She’d be gone for a week.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFX7S7bt9NO
Tim stared at the ceiling, not quite fully awake yet.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnSJ2tGqWYf
I need to drive Finn to school, he thought.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡooVggi52ML
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxEhMKmcvns
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8FfHUtcbvY
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8DMmbr3B3L
Every morning in the car, he’d ask, “What color do you think Miss Nora’s wearing today?”141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbKAcYfxjgo
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUh1Susb5jk
He went through the motions at breakfast.
While eating his toast, Finn asked:141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaVrCGPuknL
“Mommy, when is Miss Nora coming back?”141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOnLhhPkfZA
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTiICoUi1Ip
Finn nodded, then started counting the days with his fingers.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdTC7jRGauh
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfQmweFJBgQ
“That many days?!” he exclaimed, full of exaggerated drama and despair.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZnwmHr298M
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWV2n4NVuTM
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3KRLRMKho5
She silently rolled her eyes.
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Finn climbed into his uncle’s car.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTVACHr1ag1
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4I8hUaAqHW
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlghVRhWCZy
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡie14LYxNFh
“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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc5PgqDGch9
“Even so, I still have to take you to school.”
Finn suddenly channeled Shakespeare. His gaze turned solemn.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTGsKWIrI13
“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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfEX07khz8X
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKBphEJMaRc
“Uncle, if I went to find Miss Nora right now, would she be happy?”
Tim, gripping the steering wheel, replied,141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd2qQ5sd9dc
“You’re five. You can’t go on your own.”
But Finn persisted:141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq2J78IpJjM
“But my heart hurts—so, so much. And you could come with me, right?”
Tim…141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs2c3r9DwOg
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpkYCO1sifo
She was about to make herself some coffee when her phone screen lit up with a text from Tim.
It read:141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtyWyMTmgkt
[We’ve landed. I’ll take good care of Finn.]
Leila…141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQM3KZsWRmC
Nearly tore the coffee packet in half.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsHezuQOgjB
Her face twisted into an expression that could only be described as: beyond speechless.
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and then Add to home screen.