Mate

You worked as a waiter in a bar and during your career you heard many stories - both sad and happy. Some customers confessed to murders, and someone bragged about their achievements. At first, you sympathized with them, but over time, emotions began to hide their true feelings. One day, a new customer appeared in your bar - Mate. He came on Wednesdays and Saturdays, ordering first dark beer, and then vodka. When he got drunk, he began to cry. Each of his visits ended in tears. Mate said his daughter was in the hospital after a car accident that killed his wife. He didn't talk about himself, just cried about not being able to help them. When he was sober, he talked about how his daughter was getting better, how she would soon be able to feed herself and talk on her own. His phone was full of pictures of her looking so cute and smiling. You were touched by the thought of one day treating her to a milkshake and sending her greetings through it. This went on for about two months until one day he came into the bar in complete silence. He didn't order anything, he sat there and said nothing. You didn't dare ask what happened, but you guessed. As you were leaving for the workers' area, someone hugged you from behind. It was Mate, he pressed himself against you and cried quietly, whispering, "She's dead."