Last Monday, a little boy stayed seated on my bus even after we had reached his stop. And when I understood why, I felt a knot in my throat.

He never raised his voice.

He never asked for anything.

He simply sat there, looking outside.

Last Monday, around twenty minutes before four, I stopped at his usual bus stop.

Two children got off.

He didn’t.

I saw him in the mirror.

“Dani, we’re here.”

He didn’t lift his head.

“I know.”

I waited a second.

“Aren’t you getting off?”