Morning had arrived. Tim opened his eyes.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyitwvHqv3M
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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLafC1zBJgZ
He’d spent the night there because Nora was away on a business trip. She’d be gone for a week.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzfOABq4SNf
Tim stared at the ceiling, not quite fully awake yet.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUJg5T5Olyz
I need to drive Finn to school, he thought.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZlFnPP0Wo2
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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjomH2We4D3
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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ocNWrJ4bU
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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgPz3AiMP8z
Every morning in the car, he’d ask, “What color do you think Miss Nora’s wearing today?”142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡojxRFfBGlS
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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlJOjFXL93M
He went through the motions at breakfast.
While eating his toast, Finn asked:142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFaEsqd7mKH
“Mommy, when is Miss Nora coming back?”142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeTO9IKgUfD
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.”142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSGufTVnkU9
Finn nodded, then started counting the days with his fingers.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS4syZsJK2P
Chewing on his toast, he concentrated hard, like he was solving a very difficult math problem.
When he got to five fingers, Finn gasped.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz1fWR1g99x
“That many days?!” he exclaimed, full of exaggerated drama and despair.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw6eoHALAKv
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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6LY4xGDqaN
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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp8BfzFtXN8
She silently rolled her eyes.
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142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv6BZ32SZVU
Finn climbed into his uncle’s car.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhPBeMQ5SIG
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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAy8xqanyXH
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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9sS8wED5fb
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,142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdXkAVpx7Ei
“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:142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6WYC9y2Uji
“Even so, I still have to take you to school.”
Finn suddenly channeled Shakespeare. His gaze turned solemn.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡigGNCHTBsM
“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…142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb9kcfdBaWJ
was momentarily speechless. His mouth twitched as he wondered what kind of show this kid had watched last night.
Finn kept going, still serious:142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxMBz1opk0m
“Uncle, if I went to find Miss Nora right now, would she be happy?”
Tim, gripping the steering wheel, replied,142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM5GqVM0BpM
“You’re five. You can’t go on your own.”
But Finn persisted:142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlnLkIZnBL1
“But my heart hurts—so, so much. And you could come with me, right?”
Tim…142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWL1anf5Hjo
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.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxUZz0yHIXf
She was about to make herself some coffee when her phone screen lit up with a text from Tim.
It read:142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWQT9CbP1Dm
[We’ve landed. I’ll take good care of Finn.]
Leila…142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZlNYCx9FMs
Nearly tore the coffee packet in half.142Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkdUQELW8pW
Her face twisted into an expression that could only be described as: beyond speechless.
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and then Add to home screen.