The bus driver notices a CRYING girl every day, looks under the SEAT after getting off and FAILS at what he sees…

What did your mom say? She got really angry, said she wouldn’t let me sacrifice my life or carry that reminder forever. Rory’s voice dropped to a whisper. They sat in silence for a moment before Rory spoke again, her voice so quiet Walter had to lean forward to hear her.

I heard my grandma talking to a nurse. She said the new baby will come soon and my mom wouldn’t have more time for her and will love me less, that the nurse should just… You know? Walter turned back to Rory, choosing his words carefully. Rory, I want to tell you something important, he said.

I have five children of my own, each one is different, each one is special in their own way, and not once, not for a single moment, did loving one of them mean I had less love for the others? Rory looked up at him, her eyes wide. Love doesn’t work that way, Walter continued. It’s not like a pie where each person gets a smaller slice when someone new comes along.

It’s more like… He searched for the right metaphor. Like a candle lighting another candle, the first flame doesn’t get smaller, instead there’s just more light. You really believe that? Rory asked, her voice small.

I know it, Walter affirmed. Your mother loves you, Rory. A new baby won’t change that, and whatever decision you make about your own situation, that won’t change her love for you either.

Rory was quiet for a long time, considering his words. Finally she looked up at him with the ghost of a smile. Thank you for finding those pills, Walter.

And for following us today. I was so scared. I couldn’t just look away when I knew something was wrong, Walter said simply.

That’s not who I am. As they sat together waiting for news of Laura and the baby, Walter reflected on the events that had brought him here. A simple observation, a moment of concern, a decision to act rather than ignore.

Small choices that had changed the course of a young girl’s life. He didn’t know what decisions Rory and her family would ultimately make, or how the healing process would unfold in the days and weeks to come. But he knew that by choosing to pay attention, by refusing to look away from a child in distress, he had made a difference.

And in the end, perhaps that was all any of us could hope to do, to notice when someone needs help, and to find the courage to act.