Jess had been working as a waitress at a diner for two years. She was used to seeing her regular customers—people who became part of the rhythm of her life. There were the elderly couple who split pancakes, the group of teenagers after their soccer games, and the young mom with her toddler who came in every Wednesday.

But one customer stood out. He was quiet, older, dressed in a worn-out plaid shirt, and barely spoke more than a few words to Jess. Every Sunday, he would sit at the same booth by the window, spending hours sipping coffee, eating pie, and watching the TV above the counter.

Without fail, when he left, he would always tip Jess $100. These generous tips became something Jess looked forward to, helping her keep up with her bills and groceries. She didn’t understand why he was so generous, but over time, she began to wonder. Was he just a lonely old man, or was there something deeper behind his regular visits?

One day, Jess decided to post a photo of the man on social media, thanking him for his kindness. Little did she know that this one action would turn her world upside down.

Not long after posting the picture, her phone rang. It was her mother, her voice shaking with emotion. “Jess, do you know who that man is?” she asked. Confused, Jess replied that he was just a customer from the diner. Her mother then revealed the truth that shattered Jess’s reality—the man in the photo was her father.

The same father who had walked out on Jess and her mother when Jess was just a baby. Jess had never known him, not even seen a photo of him since her mother had thrown everything out after he left. He had been gone for so long that he was nothing more than a ghost in her mind.

Her mother explained that her father had recently returned to town. He was sick, possibly dying, and had asked to see Jess. Her mother, trying to protect her from being hurt again, had told him to stay away. But apparently, she had also mentioned where Jess worked, leading him to start showing up at the diner every Sunday.

It took a moment for Jess to process what she had just heard. The man who had been sitting quietly at the diner, tipping her $100 every week, was her father. He had been watching her for months, staying close but keeping his distance, and Jess had never even known.

The next Sunday, when he arrived at the diner as usual, Jess confronted him. “Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked. He explained that he hadn’t thought she would want to see him and didn’t want to hurt her. His only way of being near her was through those quiet Sundays, leaving tips as a way of apologizing for the years he had missed.

Jess was torn. She didn’t know what to feel—anger, sadness, or even a flicker of forgiveness. When her shift ended, her father was gone, and instead of his usual $100 tip, there was a folded napkin on the table with one word: “Sorry.”

Jess’s world had changed in an instant, and she was left wondering what to do with the pain and regret her father had brought back into her life.