The Toddler and the Bus Driver

Every weekday at 8:05, my two-year-old and I stand at our window and wave at the city bus. The driver, a woman with braids and gold earrings, honks twice and waves back. My son loses his mind with joy every time.

This went on for months. Then, one day, she stopped at the curb, opened the door and leaned out. "Is this my number one fan?" she called. My son hid behind my leg and then waved so hard he almost fell over.

At Christmas, she left a tiny toy bus on our steps with a note: "For the best waver on Route 6."

He sleeps with that bus now. I don't know her name. To my son, she's simply "Bus Lady," and she's more famous in our house than any celebrity.