Rain hammered the windows of a small restaurant on a narrow street in Savannah, Georgia when Chloe Reynolds stopped beside the kitchen door with three plates balanced along her arm.
"If that table complains again, I am taking it out of your pay," her manager, Dean, said.
Chloe looked at him. It was past 10:00. Her feet ached. Only a few customers remained, and two tables still needed cleaning.
"The fries were cold," she said. "I only replaced them."
"This is a business, Chloe, not a charity."
She swallowed her answer. Rent was due, and losing the job would not make Dean kinder.
Less than 10 minutes later, the front door opened. An elderly man stepped inside carrying a closed umbrella. He looked close to 80. Rain flattened his white hair, soaked one shoulder, and dripped from his shoes. He looked neither drunk nor confused, only exhausted.
"Kitchen still open?" he asked.
"Barely. If you order quickly, I can probably convince them."
The stranger smiled. "At my age, convincing people is excitement enough."
He chose the cheapest dinner on the menu: grilled chicken, vegetables, mashed potatoes, and water. Nothing seemed unusual until he opened his wallet. There were only a few small bills inside. The man counted twice.
"I made a mistake."
"How much are you short?"
"Enough that I should probably just have coffee."
Chloe could feel Dean watching from behind the register. "The food is already being cooked."
"Then cancel it."
"The cook will hate me."
"I do not want to cause trouble for you."
Chloe knew that tired pride. Her mother had worn it whenever money was short. Chloe reached into her apron pocket. The bills were meant for her ride home and breakfast. She placed them by the register. When she returned, she set the plate in front of the old man.
"I told you I cannot afford this."
"And I told you the kitchen already made it."
"You paid the difference."
"Eat before it gets cold."
He studied her. "What if I never come back?"
"Then I made a terrible financial decision."
He laughed softly, and some weariness left his face.
Halfway through the meal, however, his hand moved briefly to his chest. Chloe immediately pulled out the chair across from him.
"Are you all right?"
"Just dizzy."
"That is not an answer."
"I am fine."
"Do you have somebody I can call?"