Todd was digging through the trash bin,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMaNi9FbXkS
pulling out a few newspapers—21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3X8VOMmnxq
but they were too damaged.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3nLk4ya9tT
He tossed them back in and kept looking.
The paper was damp, some pages blackened at the corners.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSFYBPYAhWm
Others had mystery stains—maybe sauce, maybe shoe prints.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBYPbgovwCB
Todd frowned as he searched,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ848LDX1C47
his fingers long since used to the grime.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ998pp0EG8f
What mattered was whether the paper was still readable.
The girl watched for a few seconds, then joined in.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJbqHgkXHQh
Her movements were much gentler than his.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7jKnS5pSus
She carefully shifted the piles of paper,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsjxb1HkDo1
her fingertips avoiding the soggy spots and torn edges.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxFQ47FaSxW
Then she found one that was mostly intact and handed it to him.
Jason looked down—21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7LvHL2KxFc
pretty clean.
He grinned,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpiw0eQ8arY
like a little pirate who’d just uncovered a treasure map.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXwUi1UykCe
He spread the newspaper out fast,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7TZnzzJwWD
and when he saw the big photo inside,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgf5LyrmCdU
his whole face lit up.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp4Mljwbw62
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.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ25baF9JJAG
And when he said the name “Nana,”21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuSeOk2Q8ct
she’d nodded.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqgBbJS6uhf
No sound,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7nBRN3Vf8P
but it felt like… agreement.
The girl leaned in,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMI2QwvYMYP
eyes focused on the image of the masked boy.
In the photo, the teen was leaping from a rooftop, gripping a rope,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFhPWSoMAkk
mouth tilted in a smile—21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAqw3S0y3c2
a smile with no fear,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ34kC4K931K
as if gravity didn’t apply to him.
Jason was thrilled.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGgQTdNoMqr
He read the article out loud,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJdHMQnfmzD
his voice muttering like he was trying to memorize it.
When he finished,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRKvwzQBaTC
he looked up and saw the girl still staring at the picture,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUAHlW60JA1
eyes unmoving.
“You know Robin, right?” Jason asked, hesitant.
She shook her head.
“What?” His eyes went wide.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkks7jZEXV8
“You don’t? Do you know Batman then?”
The girl paused,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdOkVgXyLGz
then raised her hands—21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTpIFa3hGep
pressed the wrists together,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1MvRygmo76
moved her palms up and down like wings.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7qLCQleRrt
Then tilted her head at Jason.
Jason blinked.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqn0TUbE9og
He actually understood her.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnl7lYVHqFs
She meant “bat.”21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTowrrhKxsm
Yeah—she knew bats,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsA0QP3xDM9
but not Batman.
“What kind of Gotham kid are you?” he muttered.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL6ICJvpFWh
“Who doesn’t know Batman or Robin?”
He stood up,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmSB7ajGPSR
like something had just ignited inside him.
“Alright then.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGOM5XwxMyG
Today, I’ll teach you what Gotham pride really means!”
So, next to a broken junkyard,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAU2spv1cHc
a boy spent hours explaining.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡevSC6FvT52
He talked with his hands,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY0aeVXQpAF
pointed at photos,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5jFZ0of2dq
and described those heroes21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo1eU7q17l9
like they were friends he’d actually met.
He told her how Batman snuck into criminal hideouts.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFdIIAoDdbh
How Robin jumped from the sky and beat up bad guys.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ66J01eC4l2
How Gotham’s nights weren’t as scary21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzpp9wej3g3
because of those two shadows.
Jason’s voice grew louder,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdxkxba6gqX
like he was reciting a hymn—21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvXSJBadqJ5
a secret anthem only he could sing.
Finally, he wrapped it up with a clear, confident summary:
“So basically, Robin is Batman’s partner.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmy8sJp6cpx
They protect people.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNFtp66GF1Q
They make sure the bad guys end up in jail.”
The girl nodded.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYzfz6FwYXj
She looked at the photo again,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj3SyPoPhjD
pointed to it,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjYUSN10UIi
then moved her hands—21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaA78NoHcV5
one high, one low—opening and closing,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDIM1LAr1Ru
then pointed at Jason.
Jason watched,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ41i2oqynQT
and got it.
“No one knows who Robin really is, Nana,”21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsSUosq8ydH
he said in a hushed tone,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsqo43fCBe3
like sharing a secret.
I’m skinny. Small. I don’t even know what I’ll eat for dinner.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLw8Xpwzo8C
I’m like a rat in the sewer. Batman wouldn’t even look at me.
Then Nana looked at him,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfiF83zmyl2
and raised one hand over his head,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG6U1lUxuYn
as if measuring his height.
Jason glanced up,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX2NcBUCepJ
saw how little space there was between her hand and his head.
He laughed a little,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLw1m0cKaFK
then looked away.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ8mciTOyJy
“…Thanks, Nana.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ4j3of43iw
But Robin’s someone else. I’m not him.”
His voice had a pinch of bitterness,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLAk8JJziGR
a bit of tough-boy bravado.
Wind whistled through the cracks in the rusty tin sheets,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwuRF6m6Adc
rustling the edge of the newspaper.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtjN3A0UxD5
It fluttered like a bird trying to fly,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyMKEe1PRu6
but nailed to the ground.
As the two kids grew closer,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZmo23KxABv
they began to share more and more of their world.
At school, no one dared to mess with Jason—21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAvqzhEliI4
he was known as the most vicious fighter when pushed.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJxpMAX4LgC
And with Nana always beside him,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2wrNPDKK2m
no one really wanted to bother her either.
Jason even went to the library21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmlWqtddc1R
and borrowed a beginner’s sign language book.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtGhqAJnyTo
He specifically asked the librarian if it was the easiest one—21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3AvJsVrepA
said it was for a “friend” to learn.
He practiced the signs,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPGulTd5uEj
made Nana do them with him.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOSirNgUPMO
Paper and pencil were slow,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1qAPPdfDgy
and hard to come by.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzizBN2f69E
You didn’t often find writing supplies in trash heaps.
Something happened when Nana saw the book.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdmREo0Pdgy
Her mouth opened slightly,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoq0WgNsRsG
her eyes widened round.
“What?” Jason teased.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡljpG2NSjkh
“You’re not about to tell me you can actually talk, are you?”
His tone was half joking,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRnMiv9CAiW
half hoping.
But he’d already looked down,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtpZgQ7DRJI
flipping to the first page.
He didn’t really catch the look on her face.
Nana looked guilty.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRNAoLQ5F3Q
Her lips moved just a little—21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZh5fW3k3CT
then slowly closed again.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnMR8L15Db3
It was like she tried to speak,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI1rhuvXgX0
but swallowed it back.
Jason noticed nothing.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdj2UBzdSVp
He simply handed the book to her.
“First page’s about greetings. Pretty easy.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ88iP3vvbM6
Let’s try it together.”
21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡidiwXY46Xz
One day, the church was holding a funeral.
The two kids sat across the street, watching.
The weather had been freezing lately—21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc4atiRTWkG
cold like Gotham’s night had fallen from the sky and refused to leave.
Many homeless people had died from the cold.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVnXvrR0aiH
The bodies lined the sidewalks,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg7ezGdbqNM
covered in simple cloths,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIRynJ6JgzC
waiting to be taken to the public graveyard.
The two kids weren’t scared at all.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9sbFXoChqT
They’d seen this kind of thing plenty of times—21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMbLGnOoAX5
worse, even.
They didn’t watch in fear.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEzY27xf1KZ
More like quiet observers.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdt89dGgPH0
Like watching pigeons scavenge crumbs in the street.
Then they saw a nun.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhV2ktvk6sf
She was holding a large bundle of white lilies.
One by one,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaB3FrUMkUM
she placed a flower on each chest.
The row of white flowers looked like a final, unified symbol for the dead.
Jason watched carefully.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRMTRr9J6A9
From the way the nun approached,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx139O5wnBP
to how she placed each flower,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMhrpqmsnSj
to the way she gently straightened the edges of the cloth.
Nana watched too.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8B0w1GEkQ8
Then turned and pointed at her own chest.
Jason shook his head,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0V3ma1T0P3
then started signing.
His fingers moved slightly faster than usual—21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTohjL9ayQT
there was a hint of emotion21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEE45lxiFRR
he didn’t normally show.
“Don’t you think…21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhqZKPHE5YK
it’s kind of nice, having a flower after you die?”
He traced the shape of a blooming flower in the air,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr6qNyFiZxG
then tapped his chest again.
“Even if the dead can’t know,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6VtsmoFy8s
it means someone remembered21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtFUI0dUnlA
you once lived.”
The girl looked down.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAhiabjxLc7
Thought for a second.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoiyr6smSe0
Then signed something back.
Jason’s face froze.
“Thanks,” he signed back, a bit forcefully.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3rycRxfony
“Thanks for remembering to bring me a flower.”
He gritted his teeth.
Idiot.
The girl pressed her lips together,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3l7loWkKMx
and quickly signed back:21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRmkxqiwjWc
“You’re welcome.”
Jason snorted through his nose,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKzrpFntmx1
like he didn’t want to show he cared—21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuM7qzIWBQg
but still kept signing:
“Then I don’t want lilies.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5gOSOxhQqx
I want white roses.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpJTeUvAW93
I like white roses.”
His fingers slowly drew the spiral of a rose,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT1jjzvhSFM
carefully,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI6nxlpeUpF
deliberately—21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh5Rn40ey8O
as if a real flower was blooming from his hand.
Pure white.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0QERd9c1ik
Without thorns.
