My husband, George, and I have been around long enough to know that life can surprise you when you least expect it. But nothing quite prepared us for the dinner we had the other night.

We were finally meeting Jason, our granddaughter’s boyfriend, for the first time. Eden had told us that he was quite the catch.

“He’s so smart, Gran!” she exclaimed. “And so successful and kind. His heart is just filled with kindness.”

So, we chose a sweet little restaurant downtown, known for its cozy atmosphere and excellent service.

“And Granddad will really love the food,” Eden said.

“Okay, darling,” I told her. “We’ll meet you there. Granddad and I are looking forward to this!”

We arrived early, wanting to get settled before the young folks arrived.

“This is the first grandkid that has actually wanted us to meet their boyfriend,” George chuckled.

“I know!” I said. “Which means that Eden must really be serious about him and their relationship.”

As we were shown to our table, George held my hand gently. We’ve been married for fifty years, and little gestures like that still make my heart flutter.

Our waitress, a young woman named Jessica, approached us with a smile. But it was a forced smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

George and I exchanged a look. We had been through this before; there was something about waitstaff and tending to elderly people. They just simply didn’t want to do it.

“Maybe they think we can’t read or see, or we’ll miss our mouths when we eat,” George said one day when we were leaving a coffee shop with a horrible waiter who barely tended to our table.

Now, Jessica handed us the menus and rolled her eyes as we opened them.

“We’re waiting for our granddaughter,” I said. “But we’ll order drinks in the meantime.”

She took out her notepad and nodded.

“We’ll have a cappuccino and an Earl Grey tea,” I replied, smiling back at her while George scanned the menu.

Jessica nodded again and left, not even taking down the order. Her demeanor was somewhat detached, but I didn’t think much of it initially. Maybe she was just having a rough day.

But when she returned, she brought us both iced coffees.

“Oh, sorry, but we ordered a cappuccino and an Earl Grey tea,” George reminded her gently.

Jessica’s expression didn’t change.

“Right, I’m sorry about that. I’ll fix it,” she said, but her tone lacked all warmth.

She walked away, leaving George and me exchanging puzzled glances. A few moments later, a different waiter, a young man who couldn’t have been out of school longer than a year, approached.

“Here you go!” he said with a bright smile.

We were instantly put at ease.

“I’m Ryan,” he said. “If you need anything else, just let me know.”

“Thank you, son,” George said, genuinely appreciating the change of attitude.

As we sipped our drinks, I overheard Jessica talking to another waitress near the kitchen. She sounded annoyed.

“I hate getting the old tables,” she said. “They just don’t tip well and think that they can give us advice instead. So what if you’ve lived longer? They’re just not worth my time.”

My heart sank.

I had heard stories about ageism, but experiencing it firsthand was disheartening. I glanced at my husband, who had also heard the remark.

He shook his head and squeezed my hand reassuringly, his eyes conveying a silent agreement: we wouldn’t just let this go.

George leaned closer, his voice low but firm.

“We’ll handle this, Steph,” he said. “But let’s not let it ruin our evening.”

I nodded, but a part of me was already planning how to address the situation. We’ve always believed in teaching respect by showing it, but sometimes, actions speak louder than words.

That was something we taught all our children and grandchildren.

A few minutes later, Eden arrived with Jason.

My goodness, they were a beautiful young couple, full of life and bursting with love.

Eden introduced us to Jason, and we immediately liked him. He was polite, charming, and attentive. He was everything a grandparent could hope for in a partner for their grandbaby.

“Gran, Granddad, this is Jason,” Eden said, beaming with pride. “I’m so glad you finally get to meet him!”

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you both,” Jason said, shaking our hands. “Eden talks about you all the time.”

“It’s nice to meet you too, Jason,” George replied warmly. “We’ve heard great things.”

But while we were talking to the young couple, I noticed that Jessica had clocked them too. She rushed over to our table, smiling broadly.

“Hi there!” she announced cheerfully. “I’m Jessica, and I’ll be your waitress tonight. Ryan was just helping me out for a moment. I’ll be taking care of you from now on.”

The kids ordered their drinks, which Jessica ran to get.

“A gin and tonic and a glass of wine,” she said with a flourish as she set their drinks down.

Her transformation was almost comical. She took our orders with newfound enthusiasm. She even cracked a few jokes.

We ordered our meals, and she noted them carefully, repeating the steak orders three times.

“I’ll be surprised if she gets them wrong,” Eden laughed while she nibbled on the breadsticks.

During dinner, Jessica’s service was flawless, but it was clear she was putting on a show.

I knew she was expecting a generous tip from Jason, especially as her eyes lit up when she saw his Rolex.

As the evening progressed, we enjoyed a lovely meal and delighted in the conversation. Jason impressed us. I could see it on George’s face, too. We were thrilled to see Eden so happy.

“So, Jason, tell us more about your work,” George asked, genuinely interested.

“I work in finance, mainly focusing on investments. It’s challenging but rewarding,” Jason smiled.

“He’s being modest. Jason has done really well for himself,” Eden chimed in, her eyes shining with pride.

George and I exchanged approving glances, feeling reassured about Eden’s choice.

Cheesecake ended the evening, and we were finally satisfied with the meeting.

When the bill arrived, Jessica handed it to Jason with a bright smile.

“I hope everything was to your satisfaction,” she said, her voice sugary sweet.

Jason nodded, reaching for his wallet.

“No, no,” George said, gently stopping him. “We’ve got this. We want to spoil the two of you.”

George glanced at me, and I nodded in agreement. It was time to teach Jessica a lesson in respect.

George picked up the pen and scribbled a big “0%” in the tip section.

Jessica’s face fell when she saw the receipt.

“Was there something wrong with the service?” she asked, her voice tight with confusion.

“No, the service was excellent,” I said. “But we’re old, and apparently we have a reputation for not tipping well.”

Jessica’s face went pale, her eyes wide with shock. Before she could respond, I called Ryan over.

“Ryan, you’ve been wonderful to us tonight,” I said, pulling out a generous amount of cash and handing it to him. “This is for you. Thank you for your kindness; the beverages were wonderful.”

When we left the restaurant, Eden asked us to explain what had happened.

“I’m so sorry you had to go through that, Gran. It’s not right,” she said.

“It’s okay, sweetheart,” I reassured her. “It’s just a reminder that respect and kindness are values we should all hold dear.”

“Do you want me to go back and speak to the manager?” Jason asked.

“No, son,” George said. “That was the lesson Jessica needed to learn.”

We left the restaurant with our granddaughter and her boyfriend, knowing that respect and kindness are the real measures of a person’s character.

What would you have done?

If you enjoyed this story, here’s another one for you |

My Entitled SIL Kicked Me out of the Family Potluck Because I Couldn’t Bring Delicacies – Karma Taught Her a Better Lesson Than I Ever Could

When Emily’s sister-in-law plans an elaborate potluck, she feels nothing but dread at the things that Jessica insists she takes along. Trying to keep her budget in mind, Emily makes a casserole to take with, but Jessica dismisses it, and her. It’s only when karma steps in, that Jessica has no choice but to eat humble pie.

I never imagined that a family potluck would turn into such a dramatic affair. I had always had a strained relationship with my sister-in-law, Jessica.

Despite how hard I tried to make things work with her, she just had a knack for making me feel small, always flaunting her luxurious lifestyle and expensive tastes.

And of course, it didn’t help that my husband, Mark, and I had been struggling financially for the past year after he lost his job.

“I can’t make any apologies for my sister,” Mark said one day when I was complaining about something that Jessica said. “I know how frustrated you get, and I wish that I could help make it better.”

“No, I know,” I said to him. “I don’t want you to do anything and strain your relationship with the family. I’ll just ignore her as much as I can.”

When Mark lost his job, it was due to the company wanting younger blood in.

“I don’t understand why Steven would want younger people with basically no experience to come in and take over,” Mark said, talking about his boss.

The burden was crushing on our lifestyle. We had no choice but to cut back on everything just to make ends meet. I was working two part-time jobs, and Mark was picking up any odd jobs he could find.

Recently, he was working with a mechanic, learning more about the trade as he went.

Our evenings were spent poring over bills and bank statements, trying to stretch our budget as much as we could.

Read the full story here.

This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.