
He was always there before me.
Same table. Same hoodie. Same silence wrapped around him like armor. Table Nine had become his home—claimed not with a reservation, but with presence. The kind of quiet that made you look twice, even if he never once looked back.
I didn’t notice him at first. Not really.195Please respect copyright.PENANAwOgLm8rDxE
But I noticed the routine.
He’d arrive at 7:42 AM. Never earlier. Never later. Order a black coffee with two sugars, even though he never stirred them in. Headphones in. Laptop open. Typing, pausing, typing again. Like he was writing the world into existence—then deleting it just as quickly.
I convinced myself he was probably a songwriter. Or a coder. Or one of those people who only speak to screens and not humans.
But then one morning, he looked up.195Please respect copyright.PENANACaIpTl7c6Y
And everything shifted.
It wasn’t a long glance—barely two seconds—but his eyes met mine like they’d been waiting for the chance. Calm. Focused. The kind of look that makes you forget how to breathe for a moment too long.
He didn’t smile.195Please respect copyright.PENANABKbpCsUsul
I didn’t either.
But I kept watching.195Please respect copyright.PENANAN6hRuoT8Rv
And I started arriving earlier.
Not for the coffee.195Please respect copyright.PENANAEFjolHyY9G
Not for the seat by the window.195Please respect copyright.PENANAB5MYO4hkhO
But for the stranger who made silence feel like a language I wanted to learn.
I didn’t know his name.195Please respect copyright.PENANACXd1ynfG18
I didn’t know his story.
All I knew was that he was always there…195Please respect copyright.PENANAmB5JB7yowu
and now, I didn’t want him to leave.