Morning had arrived. Tim opened his eyes.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuuiUJydUDq
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.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs6umB3lNy1
He’d spent the night there because Nora was away on a business trip. She’d be gone for a week.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQEtVwiDZ04
Tim stared at the ceiling, not quite fully awake yet.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4x88jFf0aG
I need to drive Finn to school, he thought.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyX6CihW07K
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.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy9Pkxsoj83
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.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNTgnq6oISR
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.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp4aJaNsAt2
Every morning in the car, he’d ask, “What color do you think Miss Nora’s wearing today?”140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt2hgYYLOY5
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.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfPkXntNHHU
He went through the motions at breakfast.
While eating his toast, Finn asked:140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRmAp2RbUfM
“Mommy, when is Miss Nora coming back?”140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ9WewVlrAb
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.”140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsCPskXGrQs
Finn nodded, then started counting the days with his fingers.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNSlpumgA2Y
Chewing on his toast, he concentrated hard, like he was solving a very difficult math problem.
When he got to five fingers, Finn gasped.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlGDAreWIm3
“That many days?!” he exclaimed, full of exaggerated drama and despair.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoRhtW96FmU
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.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpew9FoW9Ev
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.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq6GaN8oPY9
She silently rolled her eyes.
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu2BKquQ4fo
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFLgdBNjSIp
Finn climbed into his uncle’s car.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbbVVmULNWt
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.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFTYvqsxcYb
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.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCIQStlw6Er
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,140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ96cBSeQQ9Z
“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:140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwuuvGXCktJ
“Even so, I still have to take you to school.”
Finn suddenly channeled Shakespeare. His gaze turned solemn.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeonC6CkdXs
“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…140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx9SSgk2e50
was momentarily speechless. His mouth twitched as he wondered what kind of show this kid had watched last night.
Finn kept going, still serious:140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ43rjOAAz9f
“Uncle, if I went to find Miss Nora right now, would she be happy?”
Tim, gripping the steering wheel, replied,140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMI2p2wm94b
“You’re five. You can’t go on your own.”
But Finn persisted:140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVijQSCSv6d
“But my heart hurts—so, so much. And you could come with me, right?”
Tim…140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWh5IOeKF20
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.
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBlm0J8WbSI
Leila received the message three hours later.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz6UQxAYLg3
She was about to make herself some coffee when her phone screen lit up with a text from Tim.
It read:140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSvwmBUtADb
[We’ve landed. I’ll take good care of Finn.]
Leila…140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVuEv9W84S3
Nearly tore the coffee packet in half.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiwGnJ2XVFW
Her face twisted into an expression that could only be described as: beyond speechless.
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp9aC7GEWrK
and then Add to home screen.