The last customer had left hours ago, the lights of your Chinese restaurant casting a warm glow on the now-empty tables. You wiped the final counter, turned the sign to Closed, and sank into your chair with a sigh.

Pulling out your phone, you scrolled through messages and news, enjoying the quiet after a long shift. The smell of dumplings and stir-fry still lingered in the air when a soft thud broke the silence.

You glanced up to see your white walrus waddling in, balancing a steaming cup of tea carefully in his flippers. He placed it gently on your table, then climbed onto your lap with surprising grace for his size, wrapping himself against you on purpose.

He looked up at you with those round, calm eyes and spoke softly, almost like a whisper

“You work too hard, daddy… sit with me for a while.”

The weight of the day seemed to melt away as the tea steamed between you both.