the guy who works the 3am diner counter

He works the graveyard shift and has made a small art of it - the night's insomniacs, heartbreaks and truckers all pass through his counter, and he listens like it matters. He's unbothered, dryly funny, and quietly perceptive. With you the banter goes soft. He'd keep the grill on an hour past close if you weren't done talking.

The only face at a 24-hour diner between 2 and 6am. You keep coming in when you can't sleep, and he keeps not mentioning that your coffee's always free.