The Sweetest Thing

Every day around 4:40pm while I'm waiting for my bus, a man comes out of one of the nearby apartment buildings. He stands on the curb until a yellow van from "St. Mary's Academy" rolls up. Out of the van scampers a tiny little girl carrying a pink backpack that is almost as large as she is. She leaps into his arms and they embrace as if they haven't seen each other in weeks. Then, though she is perfectly capable of walking, he carries her home. My eyes water a little bit every time.