It was a cold Monday evening when Libby pushed open the door of her favorite café. The scent of fresh coffee filled the air, and the soft hum of conversation surrounded her. She sighed, feeling the weight of the long, exhausting workday pressing down on her shoulders.
Her meetings had stretched for hours, deadlines loomed over her, and all she wanted was a quiet moment with her coffee before heading home to her usual routine—some yoga, a little meditation, and, of course, more work.
She ordered her regular coffee and settled into a seat by the window, gazing out at the busy New York City streets. The flashing lights, honking cars, and people rushing by were all part of the city’s rhythm, but tonight, she just wanted peace.
“Thank you,” she murmured to the waitress as her coffee arrived. She opened her iPad, scrolling through her planner. More meetings, more work, nothing new.
As she sipped her coffee, she glanced around the café, and that’s when she noticed them.
A baby. A messy baby.
The chubby little thing sat at the table beside her, staring directly at her with big, curious eyes. His mouth was smeared with apple puree, and his tiny hands were just as messy. Next to him sat a man, dressed in formal attire, talking on his phone while absentmindedly trying to feed the child. His office bag rested beside him, and Libby immediately assumed he was a single father.
She wrinkled her nose in disgust. “Disgusting,” she muttered under her breath, looking away.
Libby hated babies. They were loud, needy, and always demanding attention. But unfortunately, this baby seemed fascinated by her. Just as she turned back to her iPad, the child let out a wail so loud it pierced through the café’s chatter.
Libby clenched her jaw.
“Not today,” she thought, rubbing her temples as the baby’s cries only grew louder.
She turned to the father, who was still on his phone, rocking the baby absentmindedly but failing to calm him down. Her patience snapped.
“Excuse me, sir!” she called sharply. “Can you quiet your baby down? He’s crying like the world is ending!”
The man turned to her, his face apologetic. “I’m so sorry,” he said before returning to his call, bouncing the baby in his arms.
But the crying didn’t stop. If anything, it got worse.
Frustrated beyond belief, Libby waved over the waitress. “I come here all the time, and I expect some peace and quiet. Can you move them to another table? Or, better yet, ask them to leave?”
The waitress hesitated. “Ma’am, all the tables inside are full. The only available seating is on the terrace, but it might be too cold for the baby. I’ll speak with them.”
Libby watched as the waitress approached the man and whispered something. He hung up his call and sighed.
“Well, if she has a problem, she should be the one to move,” he said firmly. “It’s not my fault, but I do apologize for the inconvenience.”
Libby’s blood boiled.
She stormed over to his table. “Are you serious right now? You should be the one leaving!”
And as if on cue, the baby giggled—and then flung a handful of apple puree directly at Libby’s expensive blouse.
“Jason, buddy! No!” the man exclaimed. “That’s not nice.”
Libby gasped, horrified, looking down at the sticky mess on her clothes.
“I am DONE!” she snapped. “You and your child are ridiculous! I’m never coming back here again!”
The man reached for some napkins. “Hey, I’m really sorry. Let me make it up to you—”
“Don’t bother!” she shouted, storming out of the café.
From that moment on, Libby never stepped foot in that café again. She wanted nothing to do with that man or his messy, screaming child.
A year passed, and life took a turn Libby never saw coming.
She had fallen in love.
Trevor was charming, kind, and everything she had ever wanted in a man. Though he was just a contract employee at her father’s company, she adored him. And when she discovered she was pregnant with his child, she thought her parents would be thrilled.
They weren’t.
“We’d rather have you unmarried forever than be with that man,” her father said coldly.
“Your father is right, sweetheart,” her mother added. “He’s beneath you. If you want to keep the baby, we’ll help, but we won’t accept him.”
Libby was devastated. But she refused to abandon Trevor. That decision cost her everything—her job, her inheritance, her family.
She moved into Trevor’s tiny studio apartment, where they struggled to make ends meet. Trevor worked two jobs, and Libby, once a woman of luxury, found herself searching for work while raising their baby girl, Eve.
One day, she got an interview at an editorial company. Writing had always been her passion, and she was eager for the opportunity. But with no one to watch Eve, she had no choice but to bring her along.
When she arrived, she felt the judgmental stares of the other applicants.
“You can’t bring a baby inside,” the receptionist informed her.
“Please,” Libby begged. “If I leave her alone, she’ll cry and disturb everyone.”
After a sigh, the woman allowed her in.
Libby stepped into the interview room, and her heart stopped.
Sitting across the desk, the interviewer studied her with curiosity. He looked familiar. Too familiar.
“Do I know you?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
Libby swallowed hard. “Uh… we met at a café once. Your baby was crying.”
Recognition flickered in his eyes. “Ah,” he said, a small smile forming. “So we do know each other. Please, have a seat.”
Before Libby could say anything else, Eve started crying. Loudly.
Libby panicked. “I’m so sorry. I—”
“May I?” he asked, extending his arms.
Libby hesitated. “What?”
“May I hold her? I think I can calm her down.”
With no other option, she handed Eve over. To her shock, her daughter stopped crying the moment he started playing with her.
“She likes you,” Libby murmured. “That’s rare.”
He chuckled. “I love babies. I’m Jonathan, by the way. Besides running this company, I’m a single dad to a little boy.”
Tears welled in Libby’s eyes. “I can’t leave Eve alone. I need this job, but I don’t think I can do it if I can’t bring her with me.”
Jonathan nodded. “I understand. And you don’t have to worry. You’re hired. You can bring Eve as long as it doesn’t interfere with work.”
Libby stared at him, stunned. “Are you serious?”
“Of course. We’re all human, Mrs. Walsh. And I think having a little employee here will be a nice change.”
That day, Libby gained not just a job, but a lesson in kindness and humility. Jonathan, the man she had once scorned, had shown her the compassion she never gave him. And she realized—life has a way of turning the tables.
Lesson:
Never judge someone without knowing their story. What goes around truly does come around.
