Leo rode the bus that Tuesday morning with an uncertain and uneasy feeling in his heart. The bus had filled up already, and yet he saw no sign of her. The rest of the day went by drearily. He was so eager to return the bracelet to her and make small talk at the same time.

But on Wednesday morning, it was lucky for him. He got up on the bus and sat at his usual place near the window. From the crowds who got up the bus, she was one of them, and chose to sit again next to him. To his pleasant surprise, the girl nodded her head at him and smiled. It was the first time she did that, and Leo could only nod and smile in return. That small gesture gave him the courage to take out the bracelet from his pocket. Holding it tight in his fist, he gestured towards her as the bus drove on.

"Miss?"

The girl looked to his direction. "Yes?" she asked softly.

"Um... I believe this is yours," Leo said, taking out his hand and showing her the broken bracelet.

The girl gasped in astonishment. "Oh my! It's my bracelet!" she exclaimed in delight. Leo handed it to her and she stared at it in her own hands, smiling. "I've been looking for this since Monday. I never thought I would have it again," she said.

"You must have broken it unknowingly. I found it at the floor by your seat," Leo told her.

"Thank you so much for keeping it and returning it to me." The girl smiled at him. "Now I have to get it repaired," she mused. She opened her handbag and placed the broken bracelet inside. Then she looked at Leo and smiled again. "Thank you sir."

"You're welcome." Leo could only smile back in return as the cat got his tongue. Silence fell again between them.

No Leo, this is not the time to be quiet, he berated himself. You better speak up and---

"Do you ride here every morning?" the girl suddenly asked.

Leo turned to her. "Yes," he replied. "It's the bus on my way to work." He felt awkward about himself, but decided to keep the conversation going. "What about you?" he asked back.

"Same here," she answered. "It's my university bus. I have classes on Mondays, then Wednesday up to Friday. Tuesday is my work day, so that means I don't ride here," she explained.

So that's why I didn't saw her yesterday, Leo thought. And he was right about her being a college student.

"I remember being here in this same seat last Monday," the girl said. "I think I sat next to you, am I right?"

She remembered! "Yes," Leo replied. "I found that bracelet of yours on the floor and I just have to give it back to you. I'm glad I saw you again," he said smilingly.

"It's our lucky day together," she said, smiling back. Her smile was the kind that could make your heart melt. "I got that bracelet as a high school graduation gift from my aunt," she narrated. "She gave it to me before I went off here to this city for college."

"How's your aunt faring without you?" Leo asked.

"She's doing fine in our little farm ranch in Elkgrove, California, along with my uncle. In case you're wondering, my parents both died from an accident when I was a baby, so I really don't have memories of my real parents. My aunt adopted me and treated me as their real daughter."

How sad. Leo felt his heart break a little. But in spite of that, the girl never showed in her face that she was an orphan. I think her aunt and uncle treated her pretty well.

Leo noticed that the girl looked a little distraught. She bit her lip, like trying not to cry. "Sorry, I shouldn't be telling this to a total stranger. I only miss them back home, and I'm still new in this place." She forced a smile on her lips, as if trying to be amicable.

"No, it's okay," Leo assured her. "You don't look like the definition of stranger-danger," he said smilingly.

"So do you." She smiled back.

The bus halted in front of the university bus terminal. The student passengers went down the bus, as well as the girl who sat beside Leo. Before she went off, she said, "Thanks for being so nice sir. By the way, I'm Dana." She extended her hand to him.

"My name's Leo," he said, reaching out his hand to her and shaking it. Dana took it firmly and shook back before she let go and went down the bus to her university.

The bus drove on, and Leo felt glad of his conversation with her earlier.

Dana. Now he can put a name to her face. Never mind that they didn't gave each other's surnames except for their names.

Dana. He rolled the name over and over in his head. A college student who lived in a farm, an orphan with her aunt and uncle. A girl with a broken gold bracelet that he found in that same spot. A girl who got her bracelet back. A girl who rode the bus with him.

That broken gold string completed him and connected him to her. Leo hoped this will not be the first and last time he will talk to her.

Dana. I hope we meet again.

(To be continued)