“See?” She gestured at her son, glaring at me like I was the one starving her children. “Are you really going to make my kids suffer because you’re too stubborn to move?”
I pointed to an empty table nearby. “You can sit there and order food for your kids. I’m not stopping you.”
“Can we please just sit, Mom?” the little boy pleaded again.
“Be quiet, Timmy,” she snapped, still focused on me.
I felt sorry for the poor kid, but before I could say anything, the woman yanked the chair out from under the table, clearly losing her patience.
“Listen here, you little—”
“Is there a problem?” A deep, authoritative voice interrupted her rant.
I turned to see Uncle Tony, the café owner, standing nearby with a serious expression. Relief washed over me.
“Tony,” I said, trying to steady my nerves. “I was just explaining to this lady that I got to this table first, and Megan will be here any minute.”
Tony’s eyes softened as he looked at me, then turned back to the woman with a firm gaze. “Ma’am, I’m going to have to ask you to lower your voice. You’re disturbing the other customers.”
The woman’s jaw dropped. “But… but she won’t give up the table! My children need to sit down!”
“There are plenty of other tables available,” Tony replied calmly. “I’m sure you can find one that suits your needs.”
“Do you know who I am?” she demanded, her voice rising. “I’ll have your job for this!”
Tony chuckled softly. “Ma’am, I own this café. Now, I’m going to ask you one last time to find another table, or I’ll have to ask you to leave.”
The color drained from her face as she realized her mistake. She stammered, looking around at the other patrons who were now watching intently.
“You… you should have said something!” she snapped at me, trying to save face.
I shrugged, feeling more confident with Uncle Tony there. “You didn’t give me a chance.”
Tony cleared his throat, signaling the end of the confrontation. “Claire, why don’t you have a seat? I’ll bring out something special for you and Megan.”
As Tony walked away, whistling a tune, the woman hurriedly gathered her children and left, knocking over a chair on her way out. The café fell silent, except for a few snickers from other customers.
I finally sat down, my legs shaky but feeling oddly exhilarated. I had stood my ground. Mom would be proud.
Just then, the door jingled, and Megan rushed in, her cheeks flushed from the wind. She looked around, taking in the scene, and sat across from me.
“Okay,” she said, eyes wide with curiosity. “What did I miss?”
I couldn’t help it. The absurdity of the situation, combined with the joy of my news, bubbled up inside me. I burst into laughter.
“Oh, Megan,” I said, wiping tears from my eyes. “You’re not going to believe this…”
As I recounted the story, Megan hung on every word, and I felt a wave of gratitude. For Uncle Tony, for this little café, and for friends who are always there to share life’s unexpected moments.