next stop.
Surely they’d call the station. Trainstation cafes
Surely someone would come back for me.
I sat on a bench and waited.
One hour passed.
Then two.
Then four.
The afternoon faded into evening.
The platform grew colder.
Passengers came and went.
The shops began closing.
Still, nobody returned.
A janitor noticed me sitting alone and stopped nearby.
“Kid, are you waiting for somebody?”
I nodded quickly.
“Yeah. My family’s coming back.” Familysupport services
He looked doubtful.
“You sure?”
I forced a smile.
“Positive.”
But when he walked away, I pulled my knees against my chest and stared toward the tracks.
I had never felt so small.
Around midnight, I found an old payphone near the main entrance.
With trembling hands, I placed a collect call to our house.
When Mom answered, she was already laughing. Motherhoodresources
“Ethan! You’re still making a big deal out of that?”
My throat
