It was a cold Monday evening when Libby walked into her favorite café, hoping to escape the chaos of her exhausting workday. Her heels clicked against the polished floor as she ordered her usual black coffee and settled into a corner seat by the window, overlooking the bright lights of New York City.
“Thank you,” she murmured as the waitress placed her cup on the table. She barely looked up, too busy checking her schedule on her iPad. More meetings. More deadlines. Nothing out of the ordinary. Work was her life, and she had no time for distractions.
She took a deep breath, sipped her coffee, and finally allowed herself to relax—until she noticed something that made her stomach turn.
At the table beside her sat a man in a formal suit, cradling a baby. The little boy, no older than a year, had apple puree smeared all over his mouth. He stared at Libby with wide, curious eyes, giggling softly as he wiggled in his father’s arms.
Libby grimaced in disgust.
“Disgusting,” she muttered under her breath, turning away quickly.
She hated babies. They were messy, loud, and always demanding attention. And now, the one sitting next to her seemed to have taken a liking to her.
Unfortunately for Libby, the baby’s curiosity quickly turned into loud, piercing cries. The child’s face scrunched up as tears rolled down his chubby cheeks, his tiny fists flailing in frustration.
Libby clenched her jaw.
“What a nightmare,” she thought.
The father, still on his phone, bounced the baby on his knee, whispering words of comfort. But nothing worked—the wails only grew louder.
Annoyed, Libby turned to the man. “Excuse me, sir! Can you do something? Your baby is screaming like the world is ending!”
The man turned to her with an apologetic look. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered before shifting the baby to his other arm, still trying to calm him while staying on his call.
But the crying didn’t stop.
Libby’s patience snapped. She waved the waitress over. “I come here every day, and this is the kind of service I get? Move them to another table! Or better yet, ask them to leave! I can’t even hear myself think!”
The waitress shifted uncomfortably. “Ma’am, I understand, but all the tables inside are full. The only open seats are on the terrace, and it’s quite cold out there for a baby. I’ll talk to him, though.”
Libby watched as the waitress approached the man. He finally hung up his phone and listened to her quietly. Then he let out a tired sigh and said, “Well, if she has a problem, maybe she should move. It’s not like I’m doing this on purpose. But I apologize.”
Libby bristled. “Unbelievable!” She stormed over to his table. “You should be the one to leave! I shouldn’t have to deal with this!”
At that moment, as if on cue, the baby flung his tiny hand forward, splattering apple puree all over Libby’s expensive white blouse.
“Jason, no!” the man gasped, holding back the baby’s hands. “That’s not right!”
Libby looked down at her ruined shirt, rage boiling inside her. “This is ridiculous! Both of you! I’m done with this place!”
Without another word, she grabbed her bag and stormed out of the café, leaving behind the crying baby, the flustered father, and the stunned waitress.
Libby never returned to that café. She wanted nothing to do with that man or his child ever again.
A year passed, and life took an unexpected turn for Libby.
She had fallen in love.
Trevor was charming, confident, and everything she had ever wanted. Though he was just a contract employee at her father’s company, he made her feel special. They quickly grew close, and before long, Libby found out she was pregnant.
When she finally announced the news to her parents, she expected happiness. Instead, she got disappointment.
Her father scowled. “We’d rather have you single for the rest of your life than see you with that man. He is not good enough for our family.”
Her mother nodded in agreement. “He has no class, Libby. As for the baby… if you choose to keep it, we’ll help raise the child. But we want nothing to do with Trevor.”
Libby was heartbroken. She had thought her parents would support her, but they cut her off instead. When she refused to leave Trevor, she was fired from the family company, and they even removed her from their will.
Months later, she was living in Trevor’s tiny studio apartment, struggling to make ends meet. He worked two jobs, while she stayed home with their baby, Eve, searching desperately for work.
One day, she got a call for an interview at a well-known editorial company. Writing had always been her passion, and this job was her chance to start over.
But there was a problem.
She had no one to watch Eve.
With no other choice, she bundled her daughter up and took her along. When she arrived at the office, other applicants gave her judgmental stares.
“I’m afraid you can’t bring her inside,” the receptionist said when Libby’s name was called.
“Please,” Libby pleaded. “If I leave her alone, she’ll disturb others. I just need a chance.”
The woman hesitated, then sighed. “Fine, but just this once.”
Libby walked into the interview room, holding her breath—only to freeze in shock.
Sitting across from her was the last person she ever expected to see.
The man from the café.
He raised an eyebrow. “Do I know you? You seem familiar.”
Libby swallowed. “Uh… we met at a café a while back. Your baby was crying. I—”
“Ah!” A slow smile spread across his face. “I remember now. Please, have a seat. But, you do know babies aren’t allowed at work, right?”
Before Libby could respond, Eve started crying.
Her face turned red with embarrassment. “I-I’m so sorry! She doesn’t usually—”
“May I?” Jonathan asked.
“What?” she blinked.
“May I hold her? I think I can calm her down.”
With no other choice, she handed Eve over. To her surprise, the baby instantly quieted, her tiny fingers gripping Jonathan’s tie as he playfully bounced her.
“She likes you,” Libby said in amazement. “That’s rare!”
Jonathan chuckled. “I love babies. I’m Jonathan, by the way. Besides running this company, I’m a single dad. My son is with my sister right now. I don’t trust strangers with him.”
Libby’s throat tightened. She had misjudged him all those months ago. Now, she was the one in a tough spot.
“I… I can’t take this job,” she whispered. “I can’t leave Eve alone, and I can’t bring her to work. I’m really sorry.”
Jonathan studied her, then smiled. “Actually, I think we can make an exception. We’d hate to lose a strong candidate. You’re hired, Ms. Walsh. Welcome aboard.”
Tears filled Libby’s eyes. She had not only found a job—she had found kindness where she least expected it.
And for the first time, she truly understood.
Life has a way of teaching us lessons.
Libby once judged Jonathan for his crying baby. A year later, she found herself in his shoes. She learned that everyone has a story, and sometimes, what goes around truly comes around.
And most importantly, she learned that kindness could change everything.
