Todd was digging through the trash bin,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg68kmMdwrl
pulling out a few newspapers—30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhocmfjNL6d
but they were too damaged.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcnHAZcAtYN
He tossed them back in and kept looking.
The paper was damp, some pages blackened at the corners.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ877UGZhEBI
Others had mystery stains—maybe sauce, maybe shoe prints.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvUVJgjHupu
Todd frowned as he searched,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡof7P6veVEQ
his fingers long since used to the grime.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBPSvvehe7E
What mattered was whether the paper was still readable.
The girl watched for a few seconds, then joined in.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpNBL9uQ8VQ
Her movements were much gentler than his.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTPg6BNPrLp
She carefully shifted the piles of paper,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSOZBygu7Vt
her fingertips avoiding the soggy spots and torn edges.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIfdNnrNSmQ
Then she found one that was mostly intact and handed it to him.
Jason looked down—30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlfrHnEJ0yW
pretty clean.
He grinned,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkchA6ln1tA
like a little pirate who’d just uncovered a treasure map.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrYFQ5Gclsg
He spread the newspaper out fast,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLNvQHx6V6i
and when he saw the big photo inside,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP0ibgGX9Ip
his whole face lit up.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCGHtAojuJM
His blue eyes sparkled with excitement.
“Nana, come look! This is Robin—he’s so cool!”
Earlier, Jason had asked if it was okay to call her that.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFBvKB0yaJL
And when he said the name “Nana,”30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡet36z2Gm6K
she’d nodded.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTjgrwqZ0G9
No sound,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZQOV37gtTW
but it felt like… agreement.
The girl leaned in,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOKAAsQKYX3
eyes focused on the image of the masked boy.
In the photo, the teen was leaping from a rooftop, gripping a rope,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTarrh5QHGT
mouth tilted in a smile—30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeo64a22Hef
a smile with no fear,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx9JWgzL7gM
as if gravity didn’t apply to him.
Jason was thrilled.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvZBvdymfhZ
He read the article out loud,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhWRDTK78wW
his voice muttering like he was trying to memorize it.
When he finished,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOPWsMqZ8oF
he looked up and saw the girl still staring at the picture,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa76QAr8LbF
eyes unmoving.
“You know Robin, right?” Jason asked, hesitant.
She shook her head.
“What?” His eyes went wide.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxDXaCdp9nn
“You don’t? Do you know Batman then?”
The girl paused,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRyDHUWUIwB
then raised her hands—30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmne52fEdUb
pressed the wrists together,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZMdNYf8isQ
moved her palms up and down like wings.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdmVxUa1QLD
Then tilted her head at Jason.
Jason blinked.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfdS2ZqrmCS
He actually understood her.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ULyu5QC73
She meant “bat.”30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMtJigzCLXc
Yeah—she knew bats,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEvUDpL6GWU
but not Batman.
“What kind of Gotham kid are you?” he muttered.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu240fiYB0g
“Who doesn’t know Batman or Robin?”
He stood up,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlMqgQ8sN6m
like something had just ignited inside him.
“Alright then.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd3XUmHasxK
Today, I’ll teach you what Gotham pride really means!”
So, next to a broken junkyard,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGgEuVwG2Po
a boy spent hours explaining.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzPRNElbeOx
He talked with his hands,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWSY2YEFe4I
pointed at photos,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnWaelxTILb
and described those heroes30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB3WCQqdyw6
like they were friends he’d actually met.
He told her how Batman snuck into criminal hideouts.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnGSAnhyMbT
How Robin jumped from the sky and beat up bad guys.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡllwONQ3v3W
How Gotham’s nights weren’t as scary30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiPdyUj2uNV
because of those two shadows.
Jason’s voice grew louder,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqSJoASGL3a
like he was reciting a hymn—30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlw3S56LCrr
a secret anthem only he could sing.
Finally, he wrapped it up with a clear, confident summary:
“So basically, Robin is Batman’s partner.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZmrpRlJM5G
They protect people.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6dUeH29s25
They make sure the bad guys end up in jail.”
The girl nodded.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8KWJFjn4q0
She looked at the photo again,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4HFISKXqmh
pointed to it,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuoNUJEQcwT
then moved her hands—30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRmmO8vVgC7
one high, one low—opening and closing,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpHPfisMqjD
then pointed at Jason.
Jason watched,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAjOrENWghU
and got it.
“No one knows who Robin really is, Nana,”30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjlGrd7C7m8
he said in a hushed tone,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGd3TmB8Uyu
like sharing a secret.
I’m skinny. Small. I don’t even know what I’ll eat for dinner.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe3eE5tNhpK
I’m like a rat in the sewer. Batman wouldn’t even look at me.
Then Nana looked at him,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdeiNE3L4Wi
and raised one hand over his head,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡovNyYWPGSn
as if measuring his height.
Jason glanced up,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1WX8m6vsH7
saw how little space there was between her hand and his head.
He laughed a little,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYSg9BT3nz1
then looked away.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7aM8C0xz4u
“…Thanks, Nana.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPBusdPefZ1
But Robin’s someone else. I’m not him.”
His voice had a pinch of bitterness,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkKr6e1JSEQ
a bit of tough-boy bravado.
Wind whistled through the cracks in the rusty tin sheets,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv0qN8nsMJk
rustling the edge of the newspaper.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDlQYUvqpQE
It fluttered like a bird trying to fly,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8J5Klf0fAX
but nailed to the ground.
As the two kids grew closer,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyRH87sl7uD
they began to share more and more of their world.
At school, no one dared to mess with Jason—30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRp78C4LKvB
he was known as the most vicious fighter when pushed.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡarIxCJ71ju
And with Nana always beside him,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPy3fq7dja2
no one really wanted to bother her either.
Jason even went to the library30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW4r78swuYk
and borrowed a beginner’s sign language book.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡstr6wmTsZr
He specifically asked the librarian if it was the easiest one—30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa0YcSo0aJR
said it was for a “friend” to learn.
He practiced the signs,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4OX2YK6BkB
made Nana do them with him.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbbJDT41a2K
Paper and pencil were slow,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbEd5IGpY1w
and hard to come by.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLbJ2ets3vn
You didn’t often find writing supplies in trash heaps.
Something happened when Nana saw the book.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRnrxKuGRYg
Her mouth opened slightly,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPQYAnrw4gn
her eyes widened round.
“What?” Jason teased.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf55scBlsGM
“You’re not about to tell me you can actually talk, are you?”
His tone was half joking,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtIyU2MCA11
half hoping.
But he’d already looked down,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH4bJsytZCV
flipping to the first page.
He didn’t really catch the look on her face.
Nana looked guilty.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF7eUZDUiWV
Her lips moved just a little—30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡikQS0pDwJr
then slowly closed again.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFRjdpR4HgC
It was like she tried to speak,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8dDIoBeOsf
but swallowed it back.
Jason noticed nothing.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeI6eYeHWIJ
He simply handed the book to her.
“First page’s about greetings. Pretty easy.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBuU8N7s7SM
Let’s try it together.”
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL5mel72u5H
One day, the church was holding a funeral.
The two kids sat across the street, watching.
The weather had been freezing lately—30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqnM3JzHuBY
cold like Gotham’s night had fallen from the sky and refused to leave.
Many homeless people had died from the cold.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn73DQhOXiz
The bodies lined the sidewalks,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJlq83FQ7gn
covered in simple cloths,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHBAqlxTzh9
waiting to be taken to the public graveyard.
The two kids weren’t scared at all.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUWGSMKJP7t
They’d seen this kind of thing plenty of times—30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCXkAbCKjyY
worse, even.
They didn’t watch in fear.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfFN1AZ0uOW
More like quiet observers.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOvYfJaEwj1
Like watching pigeons scavenge crumbs in the street.
Then they saw a nun.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu3lXLthwLT
She was holding a large bundle of white lilies.
One by one,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiINzKMqzxs
she placed a flower on each chest.
The row of white flowers looked like a final, unified symbol for the dead.
Jason watched carefully.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNZ4b83sUcE
From the way the nun approached,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSr0ydQMZyy
to how she placed each flower,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTjMsJfUhy5
to the way she gently straightened the edges of the cloth.
Nana watched too.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUwSajXDpXI
Then turned and pointed at her own chest.
Jason shook his head,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbwoBGwEojz
then started signing.
His fingers moved slightly faster than usual—30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKpqGnPDoGe
there was a hint of emotion30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2TrWUk6QMM
he didn’t normally show.
“Don’t you think…30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY84ufOndH0
it’s kind of nice, having a flower after you die?”
He traced the shape of a blooming flower in the air,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRmUBq0vOLm
then tapped his chest again.
“Even if the dead can’t know,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBQocf65mKI
it means someone remembered30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGZJ5QA7xvn
you once lived.”
The girl looked down.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzfbb82tnv3
Thought for a second.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgYKQUj1EsF
Then signed something back.
Jason’s face froze.
“Thanks,” he signed back, a bit forcefully.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmPDk4jamJY
“Thanks for remembering to bring me a flower.”
He gritted his teeth.
Idiot.
The girl pressed her lips together,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQO9oZQTe2j
and quickly signed back:30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ59PdvBgj1C
“You’re welcome.”
Jason snorted through his nose,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ZePBNXCo2
like he didn’t want to show he cared—30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyGlHvDBbUs
but still kept signing:
“Then I don’t want lilies.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyenVpFIiOC
I want white roses.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE462HDoOEm
I like white roses.”
His fingers slowly drew the spiral of a rose,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2gAjaFwUQU
carefully,30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsqI23Gpxz0
deliberately—30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIDMSe00myQ
as if a real flower was blooming from his hand.
Pure white.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqoQU6qZw3F
Without thorns.
and then Add to home screen.