Not every happy ever after starts with a carriage - sometimes, it’s a public bus. I was on my way home from school when we happened to get off at the same stop. He asked for my number, and I gave it, fully planning to ignore him later (oops). But a few chats turned into a first date… and, well, that bus stop turned out to be my stop to happily ever after.

I still remember that morning like it was yesterday. I had just left my sister’s house near the Island, heading back home, lost in thought about life, the kind of quiet reflection that only Lagos traffic allows. I boarded one of those worn-out buses, squeezed myself into the back seat, and drifted into my thoughts, imagining what the future might hold. Then she walked in. She wore a short pink dress and a face cap, simple yet effortlessly captivating. I noticed her the moment she stepped in, though I pretended not to. She took the seat beside me, and before I could even say a word, she reached out, grabbed the cash from my hand, and handed me my change, the unspoken Lagos commuter language for “Let’s avoid the conductor’s drama.” I smiled quietly. She didn’t know it then, but that small act would be the first spark of something extraordinary. Moments later, she leaned against the window and fell asleep - peacefully, beautifully, as if the chaos of Lagos didn’t exist. She slept through the traffic, the shouts, and the endless jolts of the road. And somehow, just a few minutes before her stop, she woke up - A skill you must harness and nurture if you commute in Lagos regularly. Fate, it seemed, had one more surprise waiting. We both got down at the same stop. For the first time, I got a proper look at her — her clear skin glowing under the morning sun, her long legs moving with a natural grace, and that calm confidence that made her stand out in the middle of the noisy street. Something inside me refused to let the moment pass. I walked up to her, gently tapped her shoulder, and when she turned around, she gave me the brightest, most unforgettable smile I had ever seen. We talked briefly, she spoke softly and warmly, and before she left, she shared her phone number. I watched her walk away, my heart racing. I didn’t know what the future held, but I knew one thing for certain — I struck gold. And today, every time I look at her, I still remember that pink dress, that sleepy smile, and that Lagos bus ride that started our forever.