When a homeless man tries to buy a birthday cake but runs out of money, the café owner kicks him out. When the latter briefly leaves his store, he quickly realizes he made a mistake, and he does something that brings tears to the homeless man’s eyes. Zach collapsed onto a curb, unable to walk any further. Every day was a struggle for him as a homeless man, but that day had been especially exhausting because he was looking for a new place to live.

He’d been sleeping in an alley until the cops patrolling the neighborhood kicked him out that morning. Zach was sitting on the curb, wondering what other problems awaited him that day, when he heard the faint sound of someone sobbing. He turned around to see a little girl with pigtails crying not far away. “It appears that I am not the only one who is having a bad day,” Zach sighed as he looked at the girl.

“Hello there, little miss!” he called from afar. “Are you having a bad day as well? Why are you crying?” The girl gave him a brief glance before turning away. “Don’t talk to me,” she sniffed back. “Mommy tells me not to talk to strangers.” “Oh well, my mother said the same thing! She’s in heaven now! “He stated. “She also stated that talking about your concerns can help you feel better!”What if you’re a bad guy?” she asked, her gaze fixed on him. “You can cause me harm!”

Zach burst out laughing. “That’s not true,” he said, pouting. “I should be afraid of little girls with pigtails. When they cry, they appear so frightening! Oh no! I believe I should depart!” The little girl smiled as she heard that remark. “You’re such a moron! You’re so big, and you’re afraid? You’re a terrified cat!” “I’m Zach,” he introduced himself. “What is your given name? Please don’t cry any more! It frightens me!”

“My name is Milly,” the girl replied as she approached Zach. “Zach, I am not frightening! You’re such a showoff!” “Ok, ok… So, what made you cry?” “I got lost,” Milly lamented. “I was playing with my friends when they all ran after a puppy; I didn’t join them because I’m afraid of dogs, and now I’m stuck—I don’t know how to get home… We only moved into our new home two weeks ago… And today is my birthday. My mother will be concerned if I do not return home soon.”

Tears gathered around her eyes once more. “Don’t be concerned. I’ll assist you in getting home… Do you remember any landmarks near your house? I’m familiar with the neighborhood.” Milly shrugged her shoulders. “My house has a lovely garden, and our neighbors are wonderful. And we have a large tree in our yard!” Zach sighed, knowing that the information he possessed would not assist him in locating Milly’s residence.

He could, however, request assistance from the cops, so he decided to take Milly to the police station. “Milly, pay attention. Okay, we’ll call the cops. They will assist you. Don’t be depressed.” Milly gave a nod. “Thank you very much, Zach.” “Shall we?” he asked, extending his hand to the girl, who quickly grabbed it. On the way, Milly expressed her excitement for her birthday to Zach. Her mom had promised to bake her favorite cake for a party that afternoon.

Her father had promised to return home early from his shop. Fortunately, it was a Saturday and there was no school. “Will the cops be able to assist us, Zach?” Milly inquired.
“They will, Milly,” he assured her. “Let’s not give up, okay?” Zach spotted a cafe while Milly and Zach were still a few minutes away from the police station. He was sorry Milly was upset, so he decided to surprise her with a cake and told her to wait for him outside.

Zach’s gaze darted across the various desserts displayed in a glass case inside the cafe before settling on a chocolate cake. “Good day, sir,” he said to the man behind the counter. “Please bring me that chocolate cake.” Zach took all the money out of his rag, knowing that if he got that cake, he’d go hungry because he’d spent his last dollar on it. But he also knew that seeing Milly smile would be priceless to him. Zach reasoned that no child deserved to be sad on their birthday.

His face fell as he counted his money. Even the cake was out of his price range. “I apologize. I’m afraid I don’t have enough for the cake, sir. Could you possibly offer me a discount? “He inquired of the vendor. “This cake is not for me, but for someone special who is having a difficult day today. Could you please get me a slice instead? I—I have three dollars… Will that suffice?” The seller felt sorry for Zach as he looked at the sticky dollar bills and coins in his hands.

“With that, you can’t even afford the slice! But, uh, I hope my boss doesn’t notice… Just a second, I’ll get the slice.” But Zach’s fortunes were not in his favor. When the store owner overheard the conversation, he yelled at his employee. “If you want to do charity, do it somewhere else!” he exclaimed to the seller. “When did we start entertaining beggars in here?”

Before Zach could say anything, the owner yelled, “OUT!” “I’ve had beggars come into my store before, asking for free food! Out! Don’t squander my time!” Zach wanted to request the piece of cake again, but after being disrespected like that, he didn’t bother. He left the cafe with a heavy heart. “I’m sorry, Milly,” he apologized. “I really wanted to get you a cake, but I didn’t have enough money.”

“Oh no!” Milly placed her right hand over her head in a cup. “But don’t worry, Zach! You’re a wonderful person… At least you tried!” She requested that he bend down so she could hug him, and he did so. “When we arrive at my house, I’ll ask my mother to give you the LARGEST piece of my cake. You don’t have to be depressed.” “Thank you very much, Milly,” Zach said. “Come on, let’s get you home.”

When the man who yelled at Zach stepped out of the cafe and noticed Zach and Milly, they were about to leave. “You! Beggar! What exactly are you attempting to accomplish? MILLY! “He yelled, and Zach turned to see the man furious. “Daddy?” Milly approached him and hugged him. “Daddy! Zach aided me! Don’t be angry with him!” “What?” The man was taken aback. “Do you recognize him?” Milly told him everything, and Steven burst into tears. “Jesus! I was completely wrong!

“He apologized profusely. “Please forgive me, Zach. I had no idea you were assisting Milly. I’m so embarrassed about what I did right now… We’re still working on this cafe, which is an extension of my business.” “It’s fine, sir,” Zach said. “I’m glad I could assist Milly…” But Steven still felt guilty. He wanted to make things right, so he invited Zach to the cafe and fed him. While eating, Zach told Steven about his struggle to find a place to sleep, which sparked an idea in Steven.

He had rented out an old apartment that he was no longer using and given it to Zach. “You are welcome to stay as long as you want—” “But, sir, that is excessive. I can’t pay the rent, and—””Zach, I never asked you for the rent. I’ll look after it. This is nothing compared to what you went through for Milly. Please, I beg you. You can start using it right away. I’ll finish the cleaning early tomorrow, and you’re welcome to stay with us until then. We have an extra room.”

“Yes, Zach,” Milly responded. “You assisted me, so allow us to assist you as well! And, yes, you must attend my party for the largest slice of cake!” The generosity of the family moved Zach to tears. He couldn’t believe he’d met people who not only fed and housed him, but also treated him like family. He was grateful for their love and company, which he hadn’t felt in years.