His smile disappeared.
He stared.
Not dramatically.
He genuinely looked like he was trying to place my face.
Finally, he looked at Ellie.
“You’re Ellie’s mom?”
“Yes.”
He nodded a couple of times.
Then he said my first name.
“Sarah?”
My stomach dropped.
I hadn’t told him.
Ellie had said she hadn’t either.
“Do I know you?”
He gave a nervous little laugh.
“Probably not anymore.”
That answer annoyed me more than anything.
“What does that mean?”
The man glanced at the children waiting behind us.
“Maybe this isn’t the best time.”
“No. I think now is a great time.”
Ellie looked between us.
“Mom?”
I rested my hand on her shoulder.
“How do you know my name?”
The driver removed his glasses and wiped them on his shirt.
Then he looked directly at me.
“You really don’t recognize me?”
“No.”
Something passed across his face.
Disappointment, maybe.
Or sadness.
