Katie suddenly became fascinated with her nails, murmuring about budgeting for upcoming plans. Mark mentioned financial constraints, and Uncle Joe shrugged, saying, “Jade, you have a great job—you’ve got this, right? We appreciate you.”
Then came the final nudge: “It’s for Grandma. Let’s make this special for her.”
I took a deep breath and excused myself from the table, saying, “Let me take care of something real quick.” My family exchanged knowing glances, assuming they had won.
Instead, I went straight to the restaurant manager.
Fifteen minutes later, I returned to find Grandma sitting alone, holding her purse tightly. “They left,” she whispered, looking worried. “Do we need to pay? I have a little saved…”
Seeing her concern broke my heart. I hugged her gently and reassured her, “It’s all taken care of, Grandma. Don’t worry.”
Thankfully, Eric, the restaurant manager, had been understanding. I settled the bill for just Grandma and myself. As for the rest? The restaurant collected their details and would be following up directly.
The next morning, my phone buzzed nonstop.
Aunt Linda was frustrated, saying, “The restaurant keeps calling me about the bill—this has your name all over it!”
Katie left a voicemail insisting they were “just getting the car.”
Mark’s messages went from irritation to concern as follow-ups from the restaurant continued. Uncle Joe demanded that I “fix this.”
I simply sat back, knowing they had learned an important lesson.
Later that evening, Grandma called, her voice warm and full of gratitude. “Thank you for a lovely birthday, sweetheart,” she said. “Though it’s a shame your cousins had to leave so quickly.”
I chuckled and replied, “Don’t worry, Grandma. I don’t think they’ll try anything like that again.”
As for next year? It’ll be just Grandma and me, enjoying a peaceful dinner—no distractions, no surprises, and certainly no unexpected bills.
Because one thing is certain: I’ll always look out for Grandma.