When Laura’s route ended that day, she parked the bus at the depot, grabbed her jacket, and walked back toward the neighborhood where she’d last seen the dog. The air was cool, and the streets were quiet except for the distant hum of traffic. She wasn’t sure what she expected to find maybe nothing at all but her heart told her to try. As she turned the corner, there he was again. The same golden-brown dog, sitting right where he always did, staring down the road with that same patient expression. For a long moment, Laura just stood there watching him. There was something heartbreaking about his stillness, as if he believed that if he waited long enough, someone he loved would step off that bus and come home. She crouched down a few feet away. “Hey, buddy,” she said softly. “Who are you waiting for?” The dog lifted his head but didn’t move closer. His eyes, deep and calm, met hers for a brief moment before he turned and began walking away.
Laura hesitated, then followed. The dog walked with purpose, tail low, paws padding along the cracked sidewalk. He turned down a narrow lane lined with old fences and faded mailboxes, heading straight toward the edge of town. Laura trailed behind, keeping her distance so she wouldn’t scare him off. The sun dipped lower, casting long orange shadows across the road. After what felt like twenty minutes, the dog stopped in front of a small house with chipped blue paint and a rusted gate. He sat down again, just as he had at the bus stop, staring at the front door in total silence. Laura frowned. The place looked abandoned — windows covered in dust, the porch half-collapsed, weeds growing tall around the steps. Her heart squeezed. What was this poor animal doing here?
As she was thinking, a voice behind her spoke softly. “You’re not the first to follow him.” Laura turned to see an older woman standing by her mailbox, watching the scene with sad eyes. “That dog’s been doing this every day since his owner passed. He waits for him to come home on that bus… but he never will.”
Continue reading on the next page to uncover the heartbreaking truth.