Jenny’s Quiet Life

Jenny Miller was twenty-nine and worked as a waitress at Rosie’s Diner, a small spot between a hardware store and a laundromat in rural Kansas. Her days resembled one another. She’d wake up before dawn, put her apron on, and went to work where she greeted every customer with a smile. However, what many didn’t know was that behind that smile there was a lonely young woman.

After her parents died when she was still a teenager, Jenny moved in a tiny one-bedroom apartment above the local pharmacy. Her aunt, who lived in Arizona, visited occasionally, but most days, Jenny was all by herself, with no one around.

The Boy in the Corner

One Tuesday in October, a young boy, not older than ten, took a sit at the furthest booth at the diner.

That first time he came in, he ordered only water and Jenny brought it with a smile.

Then, the same thing happened in the days to come. He arrived at the restaurant at 7:15 sharp, ordered a glass of water, and headed to school.

As days went by, Jenny decided to treat him with some pancakes, assuming he could be hungry. “Oh, the kitchen made an extra. Better you eat it than we throw it out,” she said as she placed the plate in front of him.

The boy hesitated at first, but then he finished the whole plate. “Thank you,” he whispered. Soon, it became their quiet routine—pancakes, eggs, toast, oatmeal. Although he never asked for any of it, Jenny made sure he left the diner full.

Questions and Warnings

Some of the regulars started asking questions about the boy. Did he have parents? If yes, where were they and why was he always all by himself. But no one knew the answer, not even Jenny.

The cook, Kathy, warned Jenny one time, “Feeding a stray like that—he might disappear.”

Many judged her, telling her it wasn’t her responsibility to feed that boy.

Paying the Price

One morning, her manager, Mark, pulled her aside. “We can’t give away free meals. Bad for business.”

“I’ll pay for them myself,” Jenny said.

“From your tips?” he asked.

“It’s my choice,” she said and continued providing hot meals for the boy every single morning.

The Empty Booth

Then one Thursday, the boy didn’t come. Jenny felt uneasy and kept looking outside, wondering where he could be.

The booth stayed empty for many days, and the boy hadn’t returned again.

Four SUVs at the Diner

On the twenty-third day, four black SUVs with government plates pulled into the lot. Soldiers stepped outside, with one of them carrying an envelope and looking for Jenny.

“Are you Jenny?” he asked.

“I’m Colonel David Reeves. The boy you’ve been feeding—Adam Thompson—his father, Master Sergeant James Thompson, served under me. Adam’s mother without anyone’s knowledge, and he was alone while his dad was deployed.”

Jenny couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

“Sergeant Thompson died in Afghanistan. In his last letter, he asked me to thank the woman who fed his son. You didn’t just feed a child—you gave him dignity.”

Jenny held the letter tightly and started crying. The guests at the diner, some of which criticized her for helping the boy previously, stood silent and a bit embarrassed.

They told her that after his father learned his son was all by himself, he contacted the boy’s grandparents who took him in.

A Community Changed

In no time, the story about Jenny and the boy spread around town. Rosie’s Diner eve placed a plaque at Adam’s booth: “Reserved for those who serve—and the families who wait.”

They also started a fund for military families. Mark and the rest of the employees matched donations, and a new sign appeared: “Whoever you are. Whatever you can pay. No one leaves hungry.”

It is true when they say that every act of kindness, no matter how small it is, it always goes a long way.

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Bored Daddy

Love and Peace