Morning had arrived. Tim opened his eyes.144Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEpMQgBtii6
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.144Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhzTPhWZD9o
He’d spent the night there because Nora was away on a business trip. She’d be gone for a week.144Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMvRFX3Ze0Y
Tim stared at the ceiling, not quite fully awake yet.144Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDc22GjzQt7
I need to drive Finn to school, he thought.144Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW9m8jMmqQG
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.144Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRTYAQ8GYiv
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.144Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡquXkVx9fEG
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.144Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKH1xOYrptT
Every morning in the car, he’d ask, “What color do you think Miss Nora’s wearing today?”144Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVqq6qCls81
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.144Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTJWHDHgIib
He went through the motions at breakfast.
While eating his toast, Finn asked:144Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvoLujcxXbv
“Mommy, when is Miss Nora coming back?”144Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF7E0NA201J
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.”144Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Nt34RaW2Y
Finn nodded, then started counting the days with his fingers.144Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpuMnr3gmk0
Chewing on his toast, he concentrated hard, like he was solving a very difficult math problem.
When he got to five fingers, Finn gasped.144Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡThKjbh4kGI
“That many days?!” he exclaimed, full of exaggerated drama and despair.144Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW86HfktFpC
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.144Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHN6IrHYkwx
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.144Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuFNwJ7Vddo
She silently rolled her eyes.
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Finn climbed into his uncle’s car.144Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHI6NjiG633
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.144Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA3dbXiftg6
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.144Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡycKRNjUbqo
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,144Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ52NCEXnyor
“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:144Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZNmCvUL42L
“Even so, I still have to take you to school.”
Finn suddenly channeled Shakespeare. His gaze turned solemn.144Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvoxoVO2WU8
“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…144Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAPGZYWXItw
was momentarily speechless. His mouth twitched as he wondered what kind of show this kid had watched last night.
Finn kept going, still serious:144Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNnjC7wAzGd
“Uncle, if I went to find Miss Nora right now, would she be happy?”
Tim, gripping the steering wheel, replied,144Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ70iByiKqFx
“You’re five. You can’t go on your own.”
But Finn persisted:144Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcKHV8oGsHN
“But my heart hurts—so, so much. And you could come with me, right?”
Tim…144Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7JJ3FKSy8u
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.144Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJw2z2Fq8i6
She was about to make herself some coffee when her phone screen lit up with a text from Tim.
It read:144Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo233yMxhtG
[We’ve landed. I’ll take good care of Finn.]
Leila…144Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLdbUtMR8wm
Nearly tore the coffee packet in half.144Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv7HgBXapY1
Her face twisted into an expression that could only be described as: beyond speechless.
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and then Add to home screen.