Young Lady Hugs Old Man Sitting Alone in Cafe Every Day, Gets Key to New Home in Gratitude — Story of the Day

Anna saw an older man at a café and heard what he told a waitress, which prompted her to hug him and give him some encouraging words. The next day, she received a set of keys and couldn't believe what the older man had told her.

"My friend died a few days ago. That's why I'm not here with him today. Now, I'm all alone in the world," Anna overheard the older man say. He was sitting at the table next to her and he was talking to the waitress of the local café she often visited in her hometown in Ohio.

Anna's mouth dropped open, and she thought back to when she spotted that man with his friend at the coffee shop. Although she didn't know them at all, her heart broke on his behalf. It only reminded her that life was so fleeting you had to take advantage of it when you can.

The waitress offered the man her condolences and quickly returned to work. Anna looked back at the man and saw him exhale in defeat, and she couldn't take anymore. Her chair squeaked against the floor as she pulled it back, stood up, and went directly to the man's table.

"Mr. Lockton, what is this? What about our coffee?" Anna called out when she got out of her car.

"Sir, I don't know you, and you don't know me, but I just heard what you told the waitress. And I had noticed you with your friend at this spot several times before, so I wanted to offer my condolences for your loss too," Anna said, her eyes almost watering for this strange man, and suddenly, she hugged him.

She had no idea why the impulse had come over her, but she couldn't regret it because the man's arms came up to hug her back. "Thank you, young lady. That means a lot, especially to this old man who has lost everyone else in his life. Would you like to have coffee with me?" he asked, his face showing how much the gesture had meant to him.

"Of course," she stated and sat down with him.

The man introduced himself as Adam Lockton, who had lived in the area since retirement. He had no family or friends left at his age and losing his last buddy was taking a toll on him, although it had only been a day since the funeral.

"You know what? I'm your new friend. I'm Anna Miller, and we can meet here whenever you want. In fact, you can come to my house too. My husband and kids don't have grandparents anymore, and I bet they would love you," Anna decided with a bright, tearful smile. Her hands went into her purse and pulled out a pen and a piece of paper. "I'll write my phone number down."

Mr. Lockton laughed and accepted the piece of paper. "I'll make sure to do that, young lady. I mean, Anna," he said, his crooked smile revealing his gratefulness and puzzlement that this younger woman was offering her friendship just like that. Not many people would do so as freely as she did. He valued it immensely.

The following day, Anna went to the coffee shop for an afternoon cup of joe with Mr. Lockton, but the waitress came up to her.

"Mr. Lockton told me to give you these keys and this address. He said to go there as soon as you can," she revealed with a perplexed grin.

Anna took the keys, just as confused, and got up to drive to the address. She was baffled to see Mr. Lockton sitting on a swing on the front porch of a big, beautiful house.

"Mr. Lockton, what is this? What about our coffee?" Anna called out when she got out of her car and went up the steps to sit next to the older man.

"This was my friend's new home, and he didn't get to enjoy it at all. Like me, he didn't have anyone left, so it's mine now," Mr. Lockton revealed, but his lips twisted in chagrin. "I misspoke. It's now yours. Those are the keys in your hand."

Anna was shocked and started to refuse, explaining that she and her husband made good money. They already owned their house, so they didn't need a new one. But Mr. Lockton shook his head.

"I don't need it either, but I know that someone as kind and as wonderful as you will know exactly what to do with it. Please, accept this as my thank you for what you did yesterday."

"But I didn't do anything."

"Yes, you did."

Finally, Anna accepted, and a few months later, she turned the house into a shelter for women and children in need. And she went to coffee with Mr. Lockton every single day.

What can we learn from this story?

• You never know what can happen when you offer people some kindness. Anna only wanted to comfort a stranger for his loss, and she got something unique in return.
• Friendships can develop from the oddest circumstances. Mr. Lockton wasn't expecting to make a new friend at the coffee shop after losing his best friend, so Anna was a surprise to him – one he cherished.

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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about an older man who lived alone all his life until he discovered he had children.

This account is inspired by our reader's story and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone's life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.