Bus Driver Mocks Breastfeeding Mom, Realizes Baby Is His Grandson a Minute Later – Story of the Day

After mocking a woman breastfeeding on his bus, Keith saw her being greeted by his son, who was unexpectedly in a wheelchair. This vision brought back all the painful memories of his past, including what took him away from his family. This moment was his sign to finally make up for his mistakes more than 20 years later.

A young woman with a baby boarded the bus, and Keith resisted the urge to cringe. Babies were too unpredictable. They could start crying at any moment, and nothing was worse than having to endure the wails of an infant during peak rush hour.

There was already too much noise and too many people on his bus, as they were all hurrying to get home from work. Fortunately, a man vacated his seat and let the woman sit with her baby. Maybe that will stop the baby from crying, Keith thought.

However, a few tiny cries emerged a minute later, and he rolled his eyes. Here we go, he thought, focused on the road. But he suddenly heard a few murmurs, and other passengers started walking towards the back of the bus, which was odd considering how full it was already.

During a stoplight, Keith looked back and saw the woman putting a cover over her chest, where her baby was clearly eating. His cheek went red with anger at the indecent display she had presented.

"Lady! You can't do that here!" he said, widening his eyes in shock.

"Yes, I can. I'm feeding my baby," she responded, unfazed.

Keith looked at the other passengers, but many looked down or away. So, none of them wanted to get into this fight. But he saw a few moving around, trying to escape the woman. He was not the only uncomfortable person on the ride. The light turned green, so he had to keep driving, shaking his head the entire time.

"I can't believe the gall of some people. There's no decency anywhere these days. Kids think they're entitled to the whole world and just take out their bosom in front of complete strangers," he started mumbling, but the words got louder and louder.

He saw the woman adjusting her cover through the rearview mirror to hide more of herself, but that wasn't enough. He kept shaking his head and talking to himself.

"Since when did it become the norm to just breastfeed in public? As if we don't have rules in our society! Young people are driving this country into the dirt with their entitlement and disregard for others," Keith continued, so loud now that the woman couldn't avoid hearing it.

He turned to one side and saw two men nodding in agreement. One joined in the mocking, "Women in old times had a little mystery. Now, their boobs are always out, and they sleep with whomever. Bet, this one had a bunch of baby daddies."

Keith chuckled but composed himself quickly. "Like I said, no decency. Where's her husband? Why didn't anyone in her life tell her to have some self-respect? It's disgusting," he added and chuckled.

The mocking continued until the woman had stopped breastfeeding her baby, and after a few more stops, she got up to exit the bus. Keith looked at her with an air of superiority, hoping never to see that horrible woman with no morals on his route again.

But when the bus doors opened, Keith saw a man in a wheelchair waiting for her. He smiled, extending his hands to the baby. He and the other passengers had guessed she was a single mom, so the vision of a man waiting to take the baby was unexpected. However, the bus driver's jaw didn't drop because of that.

It was due to the man himself. It was Daniel. This was only the second time he had ever seen him, but now, his son was in a wheelchair. Keith couldn't fathom how or why the healthy-looking kid he had caught a glimpse of a few years ago was unable to walk now.

But it was real, and moreover, Daniel had a girlfriend or a wife and a baby. That meant that the woman Keith had mocked for the last half hour was his daughter-in-law, and her baby was… his grandson.

He didn't know either existed, which only broke Keith's heart. Again.

"Hey! Are you going to sit there and look like an idiot, or are you going to drive, old man?" a young hoodlum in the back yelled suddenly, breaking Keith out of his reverie.

He blinked, realizing that his son and his family were long gone, and he had a bus full of people wanting to get home. So, he turned around and started driving again. He blinked several times, trying to clear the sudden moisture in his eyes. But it was difficult, especially when the vision of his life 22 years ago came back to his mind against his wishes like a car accident you can't look away from.

***

"Ugh," Keith sighed as he arrived at his apartment and removed his dirty shoes. The heat had been scorching, and they were up trying to finish a roof all day. Laura was in their tiny kitchen, preparing something for dinner, which he had been looking forward to since he left work.

"Honey, that smells so good," he said, smiling as he wobbled toward her.

"It's just spaghetti and sauce from a jar," she shrugged, but Keith noticed the worried expression on her face.

"I'm sure it'll be delicious, but what's going on?" he asked, opening the fridge to grab a beer.

"I can't do it, Keith," she sighed, turning off the stove and pulling some of her hair.

"Do what?"

"The abortion. I can't do it. I'm already 15 weeks along," Laura stated, leaning on the kitchen counter.

This was the last thing Keith wanted to discuss after a tiring day at work. "Laura, I thought we agreed," he said quietly, chugging his whole beer in one sip.

"I know. But I can't do it. I can't get rid of this baby. I love it too much. I'm sorry," she apologized and sighed loudly.

Keith had no idea what to do. He wanted to complain, to point out that they lived in a one-bedroom apartment on the wrong side of town because that's all they could afford with their minimum wage salaries. But he saw her face, how upset the thought of abortion was.

He didn't want to fight. He had no idea how they could raise a baby, but he wouldn't push her. "Alright," he said, breathing deeply. "We'll just have to make do. People in worse situations have babies, too. If they can find a way, we can."

"Really?" she said, her voice choking with tears rushing her eyes. Laura wrapped around him with her tiny arms. "Thank you."

Keith hugged her tightly, worried about his situation. There must be a better job for him around the city. Something that could help them find somewhere better to live and be able to provide for their baby. "Don't worry, honey. I'll find a solution," he kissed her forehead.

***

"Keith! Where the hell have you been, man?" his friend, Mark, greeted as soon as he walked through the door of their favorite bar the following night. Mark was a regular customer, but Keith had pulled back from nights out since he moved in with Laura.

"How's your girl?" Mark asked.

"She's good," he nodded. "Actually, that's what I wanted to talk about. Is there any way I can start working with you?"

Mark pulled back, his eyebrows almost reaching his hairline. "Seriously?"

"Yeah," Keith answered reluctantly. "Laura's pregnant. I need to make real money now."

Mark clicked his tongue and started scratching his chin. "Well, we do need more people. The boss is… expanding. I could put in a good word for you. But Keith, this is serious business. Scary people are at the top. It's not for the faint-hearted," he warned.

"I'm ready for anything, and you know I've always been good with cars," Keith insisted. He knew the stakes were high, so he had never joined Mark despite seeing his good clothes, nice car, and the girls.

"Cool," Mark finally smiled and patted his shoulder. "I'll make some calls. Be ready."

***

Despite his reluctance, Keith took to the job better than most people, although most would balk at stealing and dismantling a car to sell parts. Still, he could hotwire one in less than a minute and get each important piece out efficiently. The boss was impressed, and the money started rolling in.

He and Laura moved to a new place only a month after he started his job, and a few months later, they were doing exceptionally. She was delighted because they had enough room for a nursery, and Keith was already buying baby things. One night, he arrived home with many new clothes and expected Laura to greet him with hugs and kisses.

However, Keith found her on the couch, crying her eyes out and holding her big belly protectively. "Laura! Laura! Oh, God! What's happening? Is it the baby? I'll call 911!" he ran to her side, kneeling to look at her face.

"No," she shook her head, wailing. "It's not the baby! Keith, the cops were just here, asking questions. They were angry and terrifying. They asked about Mark and some Mr. Salieri. Who is that?"

Keith sat back, sighing. "Don't worry about that, honey. You just have to tell them you don't know anything and let them."

"What are you doing to be on the cops' radar, Keith?"

"It's better if you don't know," he replied calmly but seriously.

"God!" she exclaimed, fresh tears falling from her eyes. "Are you working in a gang? Are you with...mobsters?"

Keith laughed humorlessly. "Laura, you don't have to worry about that. Just calm down. The baby could come any day now, and the doctors told you to take it easy."

"I can't take it easy, not knowing what you're doing, Keith!" she sobbed. "What if you get arrested? What's gonna happen to me if you go down for...whatever!?"

"Nothing's gonna happen to you or me," he assured. "I have everything under control."

Laura's eyes went to his and her concerns, but most of all, her condemnation was right there. "Famous last words," she mumbled, shaking her head and wiping the wet streaks from her face.

"Damn it, Laura! Can't you see that I had to do this? I had to bring more money. I have paid in cash for everything we have. For doctor's appointments. I'm doing this for our family. I thought you would understand!" Keith finally stood, frustrated.

"You didn't have to become a criminal."

"No other job in town was enough. You stopped working months ago. We would've drowned without this gig," he hissed.

"Fine, but it's time to get out. We have enough. I'll have the baby, find some work, and we can continue as if nothing happened. The cops are looking for you and Mark. It's serious now," Laura begged.

"It was always serious," Keith laughed without humor. "I can't get out. Who's gonna watch the baby when you work? We have no family, and nanny would be too expensive if I didn't have this job."

"We can't raise this baby with the threat of cops and worse coming to our house for retribution, Keith," she continued, rubbing her belly. "All I wanted was for us to have a nice home to raise a good family."

"YOU NEED MONEY FOR THAT!" he screamed.

"YOU CAN MAKE MONEY SOMEWHERE ELSE!" she shot back, starting to rise but sitting back down, squinting her eyes. "Ow!"

"What?" Keith lowered his voice and crouched again.

"Nothing. He just kicked me hard," Laura breathed, using her Lamaze method.

Keith saw her pained face and sweaty forehead and realized she was right. "Look, honey. I have this huge job coming up. The kind that could set us up for life. I can't give up like this when I finally can provide for my family. Our son will have everything we never had," he said quietly.

Laura looked at him, disappointed. "He doesn't need everything you're getting. But most importantly, he doesn't need to be involved with the kind of people you're dealing with. I've heard stories. These men are dangerous. My baby needs to be safe. I need to be safe. Please."

"You're watching too many movies. You don't need to worry," he shook his head.

"No, you're not worried enough. If you step out of line, we could get killed. If you don't pull back from this job now, it'll only get worse and worse. Whatever they're asking now, it'll be even more serious later. You'll never get out."

"Laura, this is my chance! I won't go back to stupid minimum-wage jobs when I can give our kids financial security. I can save for his college education. I can buy us a huge house. We can have a big family," he emphasized. "Also, people respect me now. I was no one before. I get to wear suits, and I get admired by others. I'm a real man now. This is beyond now. I used to feel small. Everyone made me small, and I'm a big deal to Mark, to Mr. Salieri. It'll only get better."

"I can't have a big family with you this way. You're not the man I loved," she continued, looking down.

Keith yelled a few expletives. "You can't have been this naive. Do you think a construction job got all of this? You liked it. You've taken advantage of this money. I'm gonna keep doing this whether you like it or not."

"You either quit and choose your family, or I'm leaving and raising this baby on my own," she said, looking into his eyes with her mouth closed tightly.

"I'm not walking away from this, and you aren't going anywhere," Keith said, his voice low and bordering on menacing. He then looked at his watch. "I have to go. Don't answer the door to cops!"

"Come back! We're not done discussing this!" Laura demanded, rising awkwardly from the couch.

"We're done. We won't discuss this anymore!" Keith said, not looking back as he opened the front door and slammed it behind him.

***

Last night's work was tough, and Keith was in a terrible mood after he argued with Laura. But hopefully, she had rested and had time to think things through. She had to see how his job was helping them and would provide for their son's future.

"Honey," he called out when he arrived home. It was still early, but Laura was a morning person. "I'm home. I want to talk, baby. Things got heated last night, but I want us to be good."

No response came, so he walked to their bedroom, wondering if she was sick and still sleeping, only to discover it empty. Nothing was particularly awry except for a tiny crack on their closet door. Inconsequential as it may seem, Keith noted it open and went to investigate.

Most of her new clothes were still there, wrapped in their garments. He had not only bought baby things. Laura deserved some spoiling too. But after opening a drawer in the closet, Keith realized that her underwear was gone.

He turned to the room and went to the bedside table. It was empty. Her private things were gone. His gym bag was gone. The nursery was seemingly spotless, just as they were preparing, but several onesies were missing.

"Laura!" he called, panicking as he rushed to the living room. No answer again.

She was gone.

"No, no, no, no, no…" he repeated incessantly while pacing around their immaculate and quiet apartment.

They didn't have many friends that could help, but maybe Mark or the rest of the team could find her, but he didn't have time to call them.

KNOCK KNOCK!

"Police! Open the door, Mr. Ryan. We know you're in there!" a man screamed and kept knocking. "We have a warrant for your arrest. There's no use resisting."

"Argh!" Keith exclaimed, knowing there was no escape for him.

***

After his arrest, the district attorney threw the book at him and charged him with crimes he didn't even commit. However, he was involved with the people who did it, and the judge didn't believe it. He was sentenced to 20 years.

However, he was released on parole after only 15 for good behavior. He didn't go back to Mark or Mr. Salieri afterward. All he wanted was to find Laura, who had not visited or contacted him in years. Keith needed to know how she and their son was doing.

Finally, he found their address and followed the directions he had written down on a piece of paper. It led him to a suburban area. The beautiful houses and the picturesque scene of moms watering their yards and kids riding bikes were shocking but pleasing. This is precisely what he wanted to provide for them.

He was glad that despite his troubles, Laura had managed to get that kind of life for her and their son. Finally, he got closer and closer to the house where they apparently lived, and Keith started sweating in excitement at finally reuniting with his family.

However, a car drove beside him and parked on the driveway. It was a well-dressed man with a briefcase and everything. Keith frowned and looked back down to the piece of paper. Did I write it wrong? he wondered, but their mailbox showed that same number.

"Dad!" the shout startled him, and Keith looked up, his heart beating quickly and a smile starting to appear.

But no one was calling him. A teenager ran from the front door to the man's car and opened the trunk, grabbing a few grocery bags. The man came to help, and they smiled at each other, talking about something Keith couldn't hear.

And Laura emerged from the doorway before he could do something or alert them of his presence. "Guys, hurry! I have to start making dinner," she demanded playfully.

"Let's go, Dad! Mom's making lasagna tonight!" the boy urged, and the man smiled. "We have to be quick to catch the game."

"You're right, Daniel. Let's hurry," the man laughed, and they both ran inside and made several trips back to the car before finally closing the door.

Neither noticed Keith or his frozen contemplation of the scene. Despite how she left him, he never imagined that Laura would find another man. He didn't know his son's name until that moment when his new father said it.

Daniel looked happy, healthy, and thriving. Although he only caught a brief glimpse of Laura before she went back inside, he was also just as beautiful.

Soon, the sound of a game on television came from their home, and through the window, he saw the kid and his dad cheering for some team. It was an intimate and lovely family moment that didn't include him.

Soon, the lights on the street turned on, and Keith realized how late it had gotten. Finally, with his heart broken into tiny pieces, he turned and walked away. They were happy. They didn't need him. Perhaps, they never did.

***

Keith quietly finished his route for the night, reeling from the painful memories. Approximately seven years had passed since that moment in front of their house, and thinking about it only broke his heart again.

But things were different. His son had a family and was in a wheelchair, despite seeing him perfectly healthy years ago. What happened to him? Keith wondered, knowing he had no right to care.

He should've tried to make contact, but the sting of seeing another man being called "Dad" had been too much. Afterward, Keith could only think about rebuilding his life, although there weren't many jobs for ex-cons. The bus-driving job was good enough, and he had an apartment.

But the emptiness of his life was glaringly evident since he had no idea his son somehow got sick or hurt. Saying that he regretted walking away and never reaching out was an understatement. He hated himself for it every day. He was also too much of a coward to do anything since then.

Would Keith let things go again now? Or would he finally find the courage to meet his son and discover what happened? After a few days, he knew the answer and drove to the same address, hoping that Laura was still in that house.

He sat in his car way too long, giving himself a pep talk. Finally, someone got worried. A knock on his side window startled him.

"Hey! Who are you? If you don't leave, I'll call the cops!" an older woman barked when Keith rolled down the window.

Keith put his hands up. "No, please, ma'am. I'm sorry. I'm just afraid to ring that doorbell."

"What doorbell?" she continued, putting her hands on her waist.

"Over there. I need to speak to Laura, and I haven't seen her in years," he explained.

"Oh," the woman lost her angry expression and pulled her hands together. "You're here for Laura?"

"Yes?" Keith frowned.

"Dear, that means you don't know," she said, her tone softening.

"Know what?"

"Laura and her husband died last year," the older woman continued, rubbing her hands together worriedly. "Their son and his wife and baby live there now."

Keith's eyes bulged out of their sockets. "What? NO! What happened?" he breathed urgently.

"Car accident. Daniel luckily survived because he was in the back, but he's in a wheelchair now," the old woman added. "It's so sad. I saw that boy grow up. They were such a beautiful family, and that baby won't know his wonderful grandparents now."

Keith looked away from her and finally exited the car. "Thanks for telling me," he muttered to the woman, walking straight to the front door. After hearing how much his son had lost, he knew it was time to step up, even if he was afraid.

He squared himself and breathed hard before raising his fist to knock. A few seconds later, the door opened, and Daniel smiled, rolling his wheelchair closer. "Yes?"

What can we learn from this story?

• The choices you make will dictate your life. Keith should've listened to Laura and quit before it was too late. His actions led him to lose his family and prison.
• It's never too late to fix your mistakes. You can't change the past, but you can look to the future and be better for the people you love.

Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.

If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a bus driver who kicked out an old lady unable to pay for a ticket, then realized who she was.

This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone's life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.