Jenny stayed quiet. She had learned long ago that defending kindness rarely softened bitter hearts.
One morning, Mark, the manager, called her into his office.
“I’ve been watching you with that kid,” he said sternly. “We can’t hand out free meals. Bad for business.”
“I’ll pay for them,” Jenny replied quickly.
“From your tips? Those barely cover your rent.”
“It’s my choice,” she said firmly.
Mark studied her, then sighed. “Fine. But if it affects your work, it ends.”
From then on, Jenny slipped part of her tips into the register each morning to cover the boy’s meal.
