‘It came from the heart’: Rosa’s Cafe employee purchased condolence card after learning customer’s mother died earlier in the day

WACO, Texas (KWTX) - An employee at a local fast-food restaurant brought a customer to tears after walking next door to a Family Dollar to purchase a condolence card in which he put $20 inside after learning the customer’s mom had just died hours before during a heart procedure at the hospital.

Chris Williams, of Hewitt, enjoys taking his family to Taco Tuesday at Rosa’s Cafe and Tortilla Factory on Hewitt Drive, and it’s where they decided to gather as a family after Chris’ mom, Patsy Williams, of Waco, unexpectedly died during a heart procedure earlier in the day.

When Chris approached the register of Rosa’s Assistant Manager AJ Durham, AJ, who didn’t know Chris, noticed the customer looked distraught.

“I saw a man come in and he had a disturbed look on his face,” AJ said. " I could tell something was wrong. He had something major on his mind. He was sad.”

AJ asked Chris is he was okay.

“He could tell I was down,” Chris said. “I told him that my mom had passed away and he gave me his condolences.”

But that’s not where the employee left it.

AJ first delivered a piece of free cake to the family’s table.

Chris said that gesture was plenty kind but what happened next no one could have guessed.

AJ ditched his apron and walked next door to the Family Dollar to purchase a condolence card.

“I thought about it and said, ‘let me go to Family Dollar,” AJ said. “I didn’t even know his name or anything to write on the front. I just signed it and gave it to him. It came from the heart.”

Included in the card was a $20 bill AJ had in his car.

“That was for them for anything,” AJ said. “In times like this, it might be a meal for the children or a plant or something for his mother’s funeral.”

Chris’ family says they haven’t decided yet how to use that money, but they’re leaning toward a donation to Fuzzy Friends Animal Rescue in his mom’s name, since his mom was a huge cat lover.

AJ says he’s just happy he could brighten someone’s otherwise sad day.

“I know how that feels to lose a parent and I just wanted to try and make his day, make him happy as a group,” AJ said.

“For them to even try to get out on the same day she passed and come to our restaurant, we wanted to make them feel welcome. Make them feel at home, like family.”

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