Todd was digging through the trash bin,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCcHqydrhNg
pulling out a few newspapers—27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2aKOwdyjtw
but they were too damaged.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcxZVKf9BMS
He tossed them back in and kept looking.
The paper was damp, some pages blackened at the corners.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHRZhzDGKrU
Others had mystery stains—maybe sauce, maybe shoe prints.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv4qQs6rSAZ
Todd frowned as he searched,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2cfo23pUrC
his fingers long since used to the grime.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnSgMStDI58
What mattered was whether the paper was still readable.
The girl watched for a few seconds, then joined in.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKtq7HVMwqj
Her movements were much gentler than his.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw9MNVsqXra
She carefully shifted the piles of paper,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡseAwDd83LK
her fingertips avoiding the soggy spots and torn edges.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaQwN1aX9rr
Then she found one that was mostly intact and handed it to him.
Jason looked down—27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNzh9w0FcBL
pretty clean.
He grinned,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0McZA4s7VO
like a little pirate who’d just uncovered a treasure map.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡra1hvqPzwU
He spread the newspaper out fast,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4JC2Dm0mpW
and when he saw the big photo inside,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkwiYyzI8SB
his whole face lit up.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOciI2TrhUw
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.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSGESkVYNOn
And when he said the name “Nana,”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ViKxEbEaL
she’d nodded.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5iut205aT1
No sound,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnsrBttLcti
but it felt like… agreement.
The girl leaned in,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrBCdtyhRlt
eyes focused on the image of the masked boy.
In the photo, the teen was leaping from a rooftop, gripping a rope,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLkfQGloZYw
mouth tilted in a smile—27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Gsb1L3phD
a smile with no fear,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtKdISRVXsZ
as if gravity didn’t apply to him.
Jason was thrilled.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaI3u9qJzoR
He read the article out loud,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGfk7IRx62O
his voice muttering like he was trying to memorize it.
When he finished,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjgfyro7cme
he looked up and saw the girl still staring at the picture,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBIhItqvOKZ
eyes unmoving.
“You know Robin, right?” Jason asked, hesitant.
She shook her head.
“What?” His eyes went wide.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzoy7QGsAG9
“You don’t? Do you know Batman then?”
The girl paused,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAQGOKuVI0Z
then raised her hands—27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0s4Rx0hqdL
pressed the wrists together,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpGHmmFQg4n
moved her palms up and down like wings.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ77xnrTAKaf
Then tilted her head at Jason.
Jason blinked.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWp2Z5AtFas
He actually understood her.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfaNg3s5HSl
She meant “bat.”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOQrcEGb3Hd
Yeah—she knew bats,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9rOo6E04ZQ
but not Batman.
“What kind of Gotham kid are you?” he muttered.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIP3WHLBYX7
“Who doesn’t know Batman or Robin?”
He stood up,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxqOZ2sJnwt
like something had just ignited inside him.
“Alright then.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1teN4gaPNS
Today, I’ll teach you what Gotham pride really means!”
So, next to a broken junkyard,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVfX3xsGeK0
a boy spent hours explaining.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Suoc2jOMV
He talked with his hands,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJn7OGNSFXO
pointed at photos,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVSHGq0PN89
and described those heroes27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhSGbBZ0rMw
like they were friends he’d actually met.
He told her how Batman snuck into criminal hideouts.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMF5dfE0d8f
How Robin jumped from the sky and beat up bad guys.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSUyFzJpguQ
How Gotham’s nights weren’t as scary27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡapk0P5QYph
because of those two shadows.
Jason’s voice grew louder,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS5xT8KuPaf
like he was reciting a hymn—27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡITHsC9xwe1
a secret anthem only he could sing.
Finally, he wrapped it up with a clear, confident summary:
“So basically, Robin is Batman’s partner.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQOj57nvHch
They protect people.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBlgC4P2Cym
They make sure the bad guys end up in jail.”
The girl nodded.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC9HQHWIM5y
She looked at the photo again,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw5J0xxb1fD
pointed to it,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJUyJtFF8cf
then moved her hands—27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2sLIOm8BNu
one high, one low—opening and closing,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIJTRTS8P52
then pointed at Jason.
Jason watched,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgFsjSqnIMo
and got it.
“No one knows who Robin really is, Nana,”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5hfXYQBj5a
he said in a hushed tone,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYr8nGX2UaK
like sharing a secret.
I’m skinny. Small. I don’t even know what I’ll eat for dinner.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsxvvxfwoUX
I’m like a rat in the sewer. Batman wouldn’t even look at me.
Then Nana looked at him,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3OnIr34JBD
and raised one hand over his head,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBNaRXPDzQQ
as if measuring his height.
Jason glanced up,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkgbbDxdB0S
saw how little space there was between her hand and his head.
He laughed a little,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIDLQLqppSb
then looked away.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtBCLeVWwq2
“…Thanks, Nana.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvHj9PjMzXm
But Robin’s someone else. I’m not him.”
His voice had a pinch of bitterness,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwVRTnoFjVc
a bit of tough-boy bravado.
Wind whistled through the cracks in the rusty tin sheets,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRHSQ7WjIjv
rustling the edge of the newspaper.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaD9Z8RiR1E
It fluttered like a bird trying to fly,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtDINL7BwJY
but nailed to the ground.
As the two kids grew closer,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrOgtuSFeZD
they began to share more and more of their world.
At school, no one dared to mess with Jason—27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzwAJWn9OCC
he was known as the most vicious fighter when pushed.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXgD2qB7aJI
And with Nana always beside him,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDrffY9bwdj
no one really wanted to bother her either.
Jason even went to the library27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHngcPORWai
and borrowed a beginner’s sign language book.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrKfeUvAZVg
He specifically asked the librarian if it was the easiest one—27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjKfpW12Yjx
said it was for a “friend” to learn.
He practiced the signs,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk8fkFW1qOV
made Nana do them with him.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFqeMBEFrjw
Paper and pencil were slow,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZF6j0vxtV6
and hard to come by.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy8i5e4nsZB
You didn’t often find writing supplies in trash heaps.
Something happened when Nana saw the book.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNh21eZq5ml
Her mouth opened slightly,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTJWp3XduYZ
her eyes widened round.
“What?” Jason teased.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK4Xs9BxJWH
“You’re not about to tell me you can actually talk, are you?”
His tone was half joking,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8yL3ILfS5s
half hoping.
But he’d already looked down,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1fJkzmkLQ4
flipping to the first page.
He didn’t really catch the look on her face.
Nana looked guilty.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSLie15LMnf
Her lips moved just a little—27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUProhwPRyc
then slowly closed again.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXBHfdHlfLB
It was like she tried to speak,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡehDNxubTGR
but swallowed it back.
Jason noticed nothing.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpEkFXjqiln
He simply handed the book to her.
“First page’s about greetings. Pretty easy.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWWDMgsY1GC
Let’s try it together.”
27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Hi2NaSiQL
One day, the church was holding a funeral.
The two kids sat across the street, watching.
The weather had been freezing lately—27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDAnrYWnSWW
cold like Gotham’s night had fallen from the sky and refused to leave.
Many homeless people had died from the cold.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7OM9PkAmta
The bodies lined the sidewalks,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF6A3cDK6CH
covered in simple cloths,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiXsTnci2eo
waiting to be taken to the public graveyard.
The two kids weren’t scared at all.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW6I2q2pEQU
They’d seen this kind of thing plenty of times—27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡelH8aUh6WW
worse, even.
They didn’t watch in fear.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbCjeB4aOUl
More like quiet observers.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtX77yCgKh1
Like watching pigeons scavenge crumbs in the street.
Then they saw a nun.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiW2ag5TmCc
She was holding a large bundle of white lilies.
One by one,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8pzb3Q5NbM
she placed a flower on each chest.
The row of white flowers looked like a final, unified symbol for the dead.
Jason watched carefully.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCnhUXT57rE
From the way the nun approached,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxiS7TIGn1p
to how she placed each flower,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfuX5JLeCHb
to the way she gently straightened the edges of the cloth.
Nana watched too.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBMvZ6hyWIn
Then turned and pointed at her own chest.
Jason shook his head,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWYTD1AiuBi
then started signing.
His fingers moved slightly faster than usual—27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqUgQ6ZSt3v
there was a hint of emotion27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhG9IpcmR5W
he didn’t normally show.
“Don’t you think…27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkT6FtT5VMZ
it’s kind of nice, having a flower after you die?”
He traced the shape of a blooming flower in the air,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtYTJSAHz7Y
then tapped his chest again.
“Even if the dead can’t know,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1a7YyPIjIs
it means someone remembered27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH4p88LtWZh
you once lived.”
The girl looked down.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhTGgIDc22G
Thought for a second.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ07Yyeg1wN0
Then signed something back.
Jason’s face froze.
“Thanks,” he signed back, a bit forcefully.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡawazmcjYss
“Thanks for remembering to bring me a flower.”
He gritted his teeth.
Idiot.
The girl pressed her lips together,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlPtvwZALhe
and quickly signed back:27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHKygZ0wDtS
“You’re welcome.”
Jason snorted through his nose,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡET9maGdA66
like he didn’t want to show he cared—27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXMgQRzqRir
but still kept signing:
“Then I don’t want lilies.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJZndmC0r0m
I want white roses.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBk4zJQy6Qp
I like white roses.”
His fingers slowly drew the spiral of a rose,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy2gjQyGtvi
carefully,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjCuy473zBE
deliberately—27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQSz2x1GFnc
as if a real flower was blooming from his hand.
Pure white.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSsVts9v7nc
Without thorns.
