The bus shelter was crowded after the school concert. Rain ticked against its roof. Ellis sat on the only dry bench, balancing a violin case across his knees.
An older woman stepped into the shelter carrying two shopping bags. She leaned against the side and rubbed her wrist. Ellis looked at the bench, then at the puddle beside his shoes. He had been standing on the concert stage for a long time, and his legs ached.
He tucked the violin case under one arm and stood up. “Would you like this seat?”
“Thank you,” she said, placing the bags at her feet. “These handles have been digging into my hands.”
Ellis waited near the doorway. A boy from his class shifted sideways to make room under the roof. Neither of them said anything. When the bus arrived, the woman picked up one bag. Ellis carried the other to the bus door, then handed it back before finding his own seat.