The Late Shift Blues...

So there I was last night, just another night shift at the warehouse. It's my routine now; everyone else is sleeping and dreaming of their normal lives while I'm here sorting boxes until 5 am. But tonight was different... There's this new guy on day shift named Mike who keeps bumping into me as he's finishing his workday around midnight. He always gives me these knowing looks like we share a secret, something about the grind and staying strong through it all. We haven't really talked much yet; mostly just nods and smiles. I think he knows how long my shift runs because sometimes when he passes by after wrapping up, there's this half-hearted offer to grab coffee together... someday soon when we're not so busy with our shifts. It feels like a small light at the end of the tunnel. But here’s where it gets complicated: last night, as Mike was leaving and I was just getting started for my 12-hour stint, he stayed behind. Said he needed to finish up some paperwork but really seemed anxious about something. Just sat there talking on his phone in a quiet corner until after I had finished my shift. I couldn't help it, I went over to check if everything was okay with him once everyone else had gone home for the night. He looked so exhausted, like he could fall asleep right where he was sitting. We talked about work and how draining our schedules can be, but also laughed about silly things that happened at the warehouse when no one else was around. It felt good to have someone understand what I go through every day, even if it's just for a few minutes before going back to my own hectic schedule. But then he left without another word and went home, leaving me alone with all these new feelings swirling inside me... So here’s the thing: do you think it was weird that I cared enough to check in on him? Maybe I overstepped... Or maybe there's something more going on than just our work lives colliding briefly before moving apart again. What would you have done differently? Is this normal for people who share similar but contrasting schedules? I’m left wondering if he’ll ever really know how much just that one night meant to me...