It was a Friday night after work, I was sitting in my apartment. Being a Friday night, I did not want to stay home. I worked all week and was looking forward to the weekend. This night however was different. It was cold and had snow and sleeted all day. The driving was bad so I figured no one would be going out tonight.

Calling my friends and asking what they were doing, they told me they were going to stay in for the night, that their girlfriends or wives did not want to go out.

I was divorced and had custody of my youngest child who was visiting his mother. I sure as hell did not want to stay home and be alone all night. Grabbing my coat and putting it on, I grabbed my keys and headed out the door.

Driving down the lonely snow-covered streets, I drove until I saw and open tavern. Parking my car, I walked in and took a seat at the bar. Ordering a beer, I looked around and saw there was just a couple of people in the tavern. One older couple sitting at a table, and a middle age gentleman sitting at a table in the corner drinking his beer.

I was drinking my second beer when a young guy walked in and took a seat next to me at the bar. He was cold and looked like he had been crying. I offered to buy him a drink, he looked at me and said, thank you, I will just have what you are drinking.

After drinking his beer, I ordered him another beer and asked, if he were all right. Turning to me with tears in his eyes, he told me that his girlfriend had kicked him out of the house after they had gotten into a fight, and that he had no place to go.

Ordering a third beer, I asked, what his name was? He told me his name was Darren and thanked me for the drinks. I asked, what was he going to do for a place to stay? The tavern was going to be closing has the weather got worse outside, and that he could not sleep outside. He would freeze to death if he attempted to. He told me he had no place to go.

Giving it, some thought I offered him to come to my place for the night.