When Adriana noticed a new customer staring at her at the café where she worked, she didn’t pay much attention until he left a note for her. The message inside left her breathless, questioning everything she thought she knew about herself and her life.I’ll never forget the day my life turned upside down. I was wiping down tables at the café when a little girl with messy pigtails handed me a crumpled note. As I unfolded it, my heart raced, and chills ran down my spine.It all started a few weeks ago during my usual afternoon shift at Mad Joy Café. I’m Adriana, 35 years old, and probably not your typical café worker. Life threw me some curveballs, and here I am, saving up for a college diploma. Better late than never, right? My tiny one-bedroom apartment in the not-so-fancy part of town isn’t much, but it’s home. Or at least, I thought it was. It’s funny how one moment can make you question

everything you thought you knew.It was around 3 p.m. when the bell above the door chimed, and a man walked in with two kids in tow. The guy looked rough. Dark circles under his eyes, his beard all scruffy, wearing clothes that had seen better days. The kids weren’t much better off. The little girl’s hair was messy, and the boy’s shirt was covered in what looked like yesterday’s lunch. My co-worker, Jen, seated them at a table near the window.As I delivered a steaming latte to table 12, I felt someone was watching me. It was the same man staring at me like he was trying to solve a puzzle. I shrugged it off thinking he might be