I have worked in the same café for nearly eight years. Every morning at 6:45 AM, I turn the key, and the scent of freshly ground coffee greets me like an old friend. The bell above the door rings with its familiar chime. People rush in, grab their caffeine, and rush back out again—a blur of business suits and tired faces.
Life felt repetitive. Predictable. Safe.
Until the morning a boy barely tall enough to reach the counter walked in and took a seat in the farthest corner — a seat usually chosen by people who don’t want to be seen.
He was small and thin, maybe ten or eleven. His backpack looked too heavy for his shoulders, the straps digging into his faded shirt. He kept his eyes glued to the table. When I approached to take his order, he didn’t look up.
“Just water, please,” he whispered.
There was something in his tone — not shyness, but a quiet resignation, as if he’d learned early on that the world wouldn’t give him anything more than the bare minimum.
He drank the water slowly, both hands wrapped around the glass, and left without a word.
The next morning, he returned. Same time. Same seat. Same order.
And the next. And the next.
It became impossible not to notice him.
