I'd been having a particularly bad day. The weather . Sheet-rain and loud thunderclaps did not help my pounding headache. Work was miserable, with the boss yelling at my whole team. I'm not sure if my headache started before or after his lunatic rant.

I was so ready to go home and jump into bed once I'd filled my belly and treated my head with a pill or two. But on my way home, something delayed me. I felt crummy, but getting out of the subway car, I passed that seemingly homeless girl with the beanie hat. Part of me felt soothed. She had become a fixture and had an alluring look in her eyes. She'd probably had tier days than I'd just had. Whatever it was about my -day, my headache and her presence, combined to lead me to a nearby coffee shop. I thought a caffeinated brew might alleviate the pain without a pill. Coffee usually did the trick for me.

Once I was at the counter, I decided I had no energy to prepare dinner, so I bought myself a sandwich to-go. I added a second coffee to my order as well as a large chocolate chip cookie. I returned to the subway station and walked straight up to the girl in the beanie. She stared up at me from her cross-legged position on the tiled floor.

"Hi," I said. I don't normally walk up to strangers, but I felt like I knew her after seeing her nearly every day for the last few months. I hesitated after my initial greeting, but then continued, "I don't know if you like coffee or sweets but..."

I handed her the cup of coffee and a paper bag containing the cookie. She stared quizzically up at me, then at the treats and then back up at me. I shook the bag as if to say 'Take it'. Gingerly, she reached for it, put it on her lap and then took the cup from my grasp. Opening the lid of the disposable cup, she inhaled the scent of the fresh coffee. With her eyes closed, she took a tentative sip, but put the cup on the floor next to her knee.

"You're not a fan of coffee?" I asked.

She shook her head, and I immediately felt lame for making the assumption. But then she clarified, "No, I love coffee. It's just very hot."

"Oh! Well, good. Enjoy it!" I smiled and turned to be on my way.

"Hey!" the girl called after me. When I spun back to see what was up, she smiled at me. For a moment, neither of us spoke. Finally she said, "Thanks." I nodded a silent approval, waved and walked home feeling ten times better than when I'd first got out of work.

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The next time I saw her, she had her head down, so I studied her for a moment and then kept walking. I don't know why, but I wanted to buy her coffee every day. I'm sure she'd appreciate it but I'd probably efficiently weird her out too.

She sometimes stood leaning on a nearby security railing, looking down at the staircase below. Because she couldn't see me, I sometimes dumbly stood still for a moment, letting people rush by me from all sides. A few curses were usually thrown at me for stopping in the middle of human traffic, but it somehow amused me.

Once, there were less people on the ride home from work. It was a holiday weekend, so only office-drones like me didn't get to take the day off. Because of the scarceness of travelers, when I passed the Beanie-girl's usual hang-out, I was able to stand watching her without annoying too many people rushing to get home. Maybe because she liked people-watching too, she noticed me. Who wouldn't with me standing there like the last tree in a de-foresting clearing.

Since she'd already seen me, I risked getting a bit closer. I wasn't even sure if she remembered me, but her gaze traveled with me as I approached. When I got close enough for her to hear me, I said, "Hi." She smiled weakly and said hi back. I wasn't entirely sure what I wanted to say but I knew she liked coffee.

"Can I get you something to eat or drink?" She looked flustered and didn't respond. "I'll be back!" I announced and didn't wait for her reaction. I hurried off to that same coffee shop and ordered two coffees and two large chocolate chip cookies. I would have bought her a sandwich but I didn't know if she had any food aversions or allergies.

Happily, I returned inside the subway station and found her leaning on that same railing looking down at the stairs. When I was a few feet away, she turned to look at the cardboard drink tray in my hands and then met my eyes with what I could only imagine was an expression of surprise. Standing near her I noticed she was very tall even though she slouched. Then again, I was a half-pint myself, so the contrast in our heights probably stood out more.

"Here," I pushed the tray closer to her. Cautiously, she took one cup and stared at me.

"Thank you so much. You didn't have to," she said, her sad eyes suddenly a bit more spirited.

"It's my pleasure," I said, and took a sip of my own coffee. Because we were standing closer than we'd been the first time I brought her a snack, I noticed her cheeks were a bit dirty. I wondered if she was actually destitute or if she just had nowhere nice to go. I figured she'd panhandle much more if she was really homeless and starving. If she was homeless, she definitely didn't smell bad. Absent were the common scents of perfumes, shampoos and facial cleansers that most girls had. But she didn't reek of dirt either. The bits of hair that peeked out of her hat seemed relatively clean and other than the dusty cheeks, she didn't seem particularly unwashed.

She drank her coffee with her eyes closed. She appeared to do this to take in the aroma after removing the cup's take-out lid. After indulging in a few gulps, she opened her big eyes and looked at me. "Thanks. I do really adore coffee. I wasn't kidding last time," she said.

"Ah, so you do remember me," I nodded my head.

"Yes. Why wouldn't I?" she asked.

"Well, you probably see so many people. I don't know why I'd stand out in particular," I shrugged.

"You do," she affirmed. I let a crooked grin creep onto my face. "It's not just anyone who stops to buy me a snack. Twice," she smiled, baring gorgeous teeth. This couldn't be the smile of a street urchin. I now urgently wanted to know more about her. Why did she spend her time here and why didn't she look like a complete bum?

I held onto my questions for another time. I had a feeling it was safe for me to leave her and find her in the same spot again on another day. I didn't want to hound the poor girl. Maybe she didn't want to talk. I might be intruding. Maybe it would be weird that a stranger should ask 'So why don't you smell bad if you're homeless?' It was none of my business. I'd gotten her the snack; I figured I shouldn't overstay my welcome, so I made an excuse about having to get going. She didn't hold me back, but subtly, the vague sadness in her eyes returned.