I Was a School Bus Driver When I Found a 6-Year-Old Boy Walking Alone at Night — 13 Years Later, a Woman Came to Take Him Away

That night, I stayed with him at an emergency intake center while social workers worked out what to do. He clung to me like I was the only solid thing left in his world. His mother had died suddenly. There was no family. And something about him—his quiet, watchful eyes—reminded me painfully of my twin brother I’d lost as a child.

Before Christmas, I filed for adoption.

Gabriel came home with me. I worked nonstop to give him safety and love, never noticing how carefully he protected me. For thirteen years, he turned down opportunities, never left home, never told me why.

Then one evening, I came home early and found him crying beside a woman who told me the truth.

Gabriel had been hiding his brilliance so I wouldn’t be alone. He’d just been awarded a full scholarship to Stanford—and was ready to give it up for me.

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