Ben Bruce decided to take immediate action after noticing an abrupt increase in his daughter Emily’s tardiness notices. He called Emily’s class teacher, Mrs. Flynn, since he was concerned about the shift in her punctuality.
Mrs. Flynn informed Ben of Emily’s five tardy notices in a single week, which worried her. Perplexed by this information, Ben reassured Mrs. Flynn that Emily should be arriving on time with the school bus and that everything was good at home.

Mrs. Flynn made an important observation: one day, she saw Emily get off the bus later than usual. Ben thought the bus driver could know something, so he decided to look into it more.
Ben was determined to solve the riddle, so he surreptitiously followed Emily the next day when she got on the school bus. As Mrs. Flynn had said, he saw everyone get off the boat when they arrived at the school grounds, with Emily being the exception.
Ben unexpectedly burst onto the bus to discover Emily seated by herself and lost in a book. Emily admitted, startled by her father’s unexpected arrival, “Dad, I lost track of time.” I was engrossed in this book to the point where I was unaware that everyone had departed.”

Ben couldn’t help but laugh at the situation, relieved that the cause wasn’t more serious. He gently reminded Emily of the significance of showing up to class and the necessity of improving her time management.
As they made their way to the school, Ben thought back on what had happened and was grateful for Emily’s passion for reading. The tale served as a poignant reminder that, on occasion, the most straightforward explanations can shed light on the most enigmatic circumstances, strengthening the relationship between a worried father and his bookish daughter.