My pulse was racing with every passing second. My hands were sweating on the wheel. It was happening again: another late stop, another disappointed look from my boss, another threat of termination ringing in my ears. Time was running out; traffic felt like a conspiracy against me. The intersection loomed ahead, large and threatening. My eyes were locked on the traffic light, my heart hammering in my chest. Please, please, stay green, I kept repeating to myself, a desperate mantra. Anxiety was overwhelming me, blurring everything but that green light and the time slipping away. And then... one second, an eternity in green. My foot mashed the pedal, the engine's roar a cry of both relief and panic. The bus surged forward, a mass of metal and urgency. In that moment, I didn't see him. I just wanted to be on time
