She slid into a seat halfway down the aisle where she could look out the window, and watch for her stop. Gazing out at the passing landscape, the houses and stores now familiar to her, she began to relax in the comfortable seat. At the next stop, a woman and a little boy with curly blond hair got on, and took the seat in front of her. The boy immediately knelt on his seat facing Caroline, and grinned at her. She smiled back and said hi, just as his mother slapped his leg lightly and told him to sit down and behave. It was not far to Gleneton, and so her bus stop came up before she was quite ready to get off. But there was no help for it. Seconds after she rang the bell, the bus jerked to a stop, air brakes hissing. She stepped down onto the sidewalk amidst the smell of diesel and cold air that carried the briny smell of the bay, triggering a flood of childhood memories. She looked after the bus as it pulled away, and waved to the little boy who was waving to her. Admired her hand in the pretty blue glove Lynne had bought for her.
