She explained she’d left her job because her father was ill and needed full-time care. Long shifts were no longer possible. As she spoke, I realized how much of her story I had imagined to fill my own loneliness. Her kindness had been genuine, but it was never meant to replace a family.
I still visit the café, though she no longer works there. Sometimes we meet for tea; sometimes time passes between visits. What stayed with me was the lesson: loneliness doesn’t fade by forcing roles onto others. It fades when we let connections be honest and real. I didn’t find a daughter—but I found proof that meaningful connection can still grow, even late in life.
