It was just a month after they had their third child. Jackie and her husband finally went out for dinner the first time in months. Jackie expected a quiet night with all the noise at home, she wanted to go out for some peace and quiet but it all turned out to be the total opposite. Somewhere between leaving her seat and going to the bathroom, she notices the waitress leave her husband a note on their table.
That was just the start of what was going to be an unforgettable night out. She could feel the blood rising to her head. She just wanted to leave but she couldn’t so the unthinkable happened next…
Husband’s Secret
Instead of making a scene, Jackie Johnson-Smith took a deep breath and calmed down. After two minutes she decided she had to do something. She wanted to see the note the waitress left. Her husband couldn’t look straight into her eyes and she felt that he knew the waitress.
Had they met before? Soon, Jackie would have her answer!
Why would he keep that a secret from her? Who was she? And what was the note about?
A Regular Customer
Jackie felt that her husband Tom has met the waitress before, maybe he ate there by himself alone. The waitress might have seen Tom in the diner before and have since become a regular. This could be the reason for what happens after that dinner...
As a U.S. Army soldier veteran, Jackie had been good at confrontations. She’s trained herself to be in control of any situation. After a dedicated service in the army, she decided it was time she spent her full time being a mother to raise her children. Her husband had been there while she was still in the army.
Hardworking Mom
Now that she’s home, he spends more time with him and friends. She knew for a long time that her husband was a handsome man. This night only proved that she was correct. There’s more to the stares that they have been getting all night...
Jackie knew that whatever happened that night would change everything for their family. She’d been working 24/7, making meals, washing clothes, changing diapers.
Hope For A Beautiful Dinner
This night meant that she had a chance to unwind and take a break from everything. She finally put makeup on and a nice dress. The kids weren’t at their best behaviour but at least they weren’t as fussy as they were at home.
She finally got her husband to see her in a different light tonight. She had on a simple dress and lipstick. It was important to her that people see her as the woman he fell in love with that night.
Young Love
But, it appears that he wasn't interested to see this... Instead, what he saw on that note took him by surprise. His wife's reaction confused him!
Jackie and Adam have been married for ten years. They were high school sweethearts and were each other’s first. It was a fairytale wedding and they have dreamed about having a big family ever since they can remember.
Fairytale Love Story
Now, they’re at their third child and they never thought something would break their happy marriage apart. To their friends and family, they were the ideal couple, always finishing each other’s sentences and always watching each other’s backs. It seemed like they have always been meant for each other. However, what happened moments after proved their relationship wasn't exactly perfect...
As soon as Jackie gave birth to their third child, she vowed to stay at home with the kids until they’re all in school. She never went back to work and loved her new life at home.
Happy Wedding
She knew that she had to choose her priorities now. She had always wanted to be like her mother, taking care of the house and minding the kids. The time has come when she found her place at home, yet what happens next made her so unsure.
Tom had always loved Jackie, despite her situation at home, he tried hard to help out and make things less stressful. He realized even before that this was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, a brave and exciting woman who loved adventure. They were married on a quiet beach where they first had their kiss and where he proclaimed his love for her. He could still remember as she walked down that aisle.
Women’s Eyes
He’d always picture her this way whenever she had those rough times that she’d yell and get mad when the house was a mess. Jackie was his forever girl. The next slides would surprise you though.
Jackie’s husband was good-looking and charming. He always knew that other women found him attractive, but he always made sure to not make Jackie jealous. Women hardly made the first move when he’s around Jackie and this could just be the first time that someone does. He knew his wife never liked it when women stared but he never seemed to make a big deal out of it.
Too Distant
The weeks leading to this night had been different. She noticed some changes with her husband. He was always coming home early from work now but somehow preoccupied with his phone.
When she started snooping on a new app that her friend had introduced to her, she noticed that her own husband had unfollowed her on Instagram, presumably to hide some shady activity! Here's where to find it, if you need some help snooping too. Jackie also noticed that they haven’t talked with each other lately either. Was he being distant? She thought maybe he was just tired but he appeared to be spending more time with her two older kids than usual. Ten years have changed Jackie physically and emotionally.
Changing Love
She no longer felt like the young, smart, attractive woman she once was. Was this affecting their relationship? Jackie often felt uncertain and insecure about their marriage recently. She always pushed these thoughts to the side, but this dinner at the pizza shop only heightened her insecurity. It was all because of what happened next...
Jackie never thought things would come to an end. Could her husband fall out of love for her? Has he noticed that there are lots of available women out there? Did he finally have enough?
The Waitress’ Note
With three kids, Jackie gets so worked up that at times she never noticed how frustrated and irritable she became. She loved her husband but she could never just become the calm patient woman with wild children running all over the house every single day. She’s been fearing the worse. This could be the night that would finally answer the question that’s been looming on her mind for months. But she didn't expect to get a different answer, one that may redefine her relationship with Tom!
Jackie knew that motherhood wasn’t going to be a walk in the park. Despite all that she had been through, nothing could have prepared her for what happened that night at the pizza shop from Des Moines, Iowa.
That evening, the waitress did quite a bold move. How could she write a note for Jackie’s husband and leave it on the table?
Beginning Of A Disaster
To Jackie’s surprise, she caught her husband just in time as he was reading it. She demanded an explanation but didn't expect to see that message on the note...
Their waitress was a middle-aged woman, quite stocky but with a friendly face. She greeted them when they were seated and asked them their orders. Throughout their meal, people around them kept looking. Jackie’s youngest child just happened to stir from his slip and Jackie forgot to bring his bottle as she had been looking forward for this night in weeks. Jackie did the most unexpected thing inside that room filled with onlookers. There was a question at the back of their heads.
Getting Out
Why would she do such a thing? Has she lost her mind? In the middle of the diner, she did this? The diners had the same thought in mind because of what they saw next.
Jackie and Tom finally had a chance to get out of the house. The kids were given a treat for being extra nice that evening. The waitress made sure they had all their pies and attended to them nicely.
Bold Move
For one moment she crossed the line, slipping a note for her husband to see. Who does she think she is? Jackie leaves their table for a second and now she was making a move on her husband. This woman had the nerve to do this!
Despite being the father of three kids, her husband was still good-looking and would still make women turn to glance whenever he was around. She knew he was charming but this was a particularly unusual night as it was the first time someone was bold enough to make the first move. They ordered pizza among other things, had a quiet evening and just as she was coming from the bathroom, she saw that brief moment where her husband was reading a note slipped under the glass of water.
A Piece of Paper
It was the check from the waitress. She probably snuck it there while Jackie was away along with what she never expected she would receive.
Jackie immediately noticed the piece of paper when she got back from the bathroom. Her husband just put it down after he read it.
Teary Eyes
Jackie picked it up and couldn’t believe what she was reading. She never thought how the words on that tiny note had so much power. She felt her face turning hot and tears started welling up in her eyes.
She was taken aback, speechless for several seconds. When she realized how quiet she was, she felt her eyes were welling up and she couldn’t see the note in front of her clearly anymore.
Observant Woman
But she remembered the words in that note that struck a chord, you have to see it next.
Their waitress had been watching them from afar. The baby had just cried and that table seemed to have drawn a spotlight onto them. She had a smile in her face when suddenly it turned quiet. You could notice that her face was pretty and she must have been prettier when she was younger.
Pretty Face
After a long shift, she still had her lipstick on and her gentle eyes would light up her face. She was pretty for a middle-aged woman who seemed put together and had everything under control in a sea of strangers all calling out for her. She looked like he can handle any situation. She looked like she could have done better than her...
Jackie never forgets her gear whenever she goes out. She has a systematic calendar on her head. For her to forget her baby’s nursing bag was one of the firsts. Maybe she wasn’t thinking straight.
Sudden Silence
Maybe the stress of the whole week got to her. She was worried that her baby would not stop crying that night who woke up after they had dessert. She had to do something. She knew what it meant but she already made her choice. What could that be?
It was odd that people kept looking at Jackie’s direction when everything turned quiet in that restaurant. They probably thought the baby choked or something. They were amazed at how it suddenly turned quiet. People would stare as to why.
Mom’s Instinct
It seemed Jackie was the only mom inside the diner with a baby on tow. She was sure that everyone else was zooming in on her crying baby and nobody else’s. They only saw this on the next slide.
There’s no reason why she should be publicly shamed. What Jackie did in that restaurant is something that any mother would do at that situation. She only did the right thing. People can judge her for all they want it didn’t matter.
The Crying Toddler
It only mattered that she kept her baby calm and okay. She finally understood why people kept staring at her. They probably haven’t seen a woman feed her baby in public. It’s been her choice to give her baby only her milk as it’s the healthiest food he can have at that age, but still, the next slide proved otherwise.
They could have gotten a sitter for that night, but Tom and Jackie decided to take their entire family out instead for a bite to eat. Jackie had never been confident leaving their newborn with family or a babysitter, he was only 1 month old. When they arrived at the restaurant, the baby had just taken a nap. Things turned to worse when it began crying and screaming. Jackie knew he needed to eat so she fed him at the table.
No Options
She already felt eyes staring at her as she exposed her breast to him. The moment her screaming baby fed, the cries stopped. She knew there was no turning back now. She had to nurse him until he was done. Would they stop her?
While this was happening in their corner, the waitress was looking at her and her husband differently. There was something about the couple that the waitress had to say. She wanted to tell them the truth about that night. She had to wait for the perfect time.
Caught Red-handed
It was the most unexpected feeling, but she decided to wait until Jackie disappeared into the bathroom to write something to her husband. When Jackie rose up towards the bathroom, she finally found her chance. She brought back the family’s check with a note in it and gave her husband a look. She would never forget what was on the next slide.
Jackie felt betrayed. She never felt that Tom could actually entertain another woman’s attraction to him. She got even more petrified when she saw him taking a photo of the note on his phone. He wanted to keep a souvenir. There’s no excuse for his behaviour.
Calming Down
If only she was there the moment the waitress handed that note she would have done something. She knew that the waitress had to wait for her to leave to take advantage of her absence. The shame of that woman! She succeeded to draw his attention when she did this thing...
Jackie took her seat and thought about how she could get back at Tom for the humiliation. She had to calm down. She wanted to find out what he was reading. Tom noticed Jackie’s mood suddenly changed. He thought she was slightly aloof. He wanted to make her feel better right away.
Nice Woman
She handed her the note. As she read silently, tears streamed from her eyes. She was smiling as she looked at him. She held his hand and pressed it against hers. She never thought that she would be happy when she found out what was on that note. She decided that there was no point of getting mad, instead she said this...
Her best smile. Jackie felt embarrassed. She had thought Tom was on the brink of considering seeing other women.
Other Way Around
She took his hand and kissed him and mouthed, “I’m sorry” and “Thank you.” She looked for the waitress who was standing behind the counter and gave her the biggest smile while mouthing the words, “Thank you!” Her kids were tired and so they weren’t as fussy as they were at home. They were full of pies. She felt the date was going to end bad but then the waitress saved the day!
The note said that the waitress paid for their other pizza and complemented Jackie’s bravery for breastfeeding in public. You would think that all employees are after tips and rewards, this time it wasn’t the case.
Mother’s Bravery
The tables have turned as their waitress rewarded them with a compliment and a free pizza. She was so amazed by Jackie’s bravery that she felt them tipping her wasn’t fair. She should return them a compliment on behalf of all mothers and women who were struggling to conform with society’s prying eyes.
Jackie wasn’t the first person to every breastfeed in public. There have been others, but society has judged women who’ve breastfed their babies in public that they had to hide an item of clothing over their baby while doing so.
Time To Normalize
Thinking about it the other way around, it’s totally uncomfortable for anyone to be eating under a blanket. A child would feel the same way. It's finally time for people to refrain from these stares and appreciate this sight as this is the most natural thing a mother could ever perform to her child.
People tend to judge mothers who breastfeed in public. They feel it makes them uncomfortable. Some people never stop and think about how uncomfortable it would be for mothers and their babies when they have to hide breastfeeding in public.
Full Of Love
She’s been perceived as a shameless woman just because she put out her breast for her baby to suck. There are actually more shameful things a woman could do in public but this didn’t have to be one of them.
As they packed up their stuff to head out, Jackie never felt more in love with her husband. He never said a word while their little one was having a fit. He just sat there and minded their two other kids.
One Of The Best Nights
She finally understood that this was the best he could do, supporting her while she was doing her thing. She could see how he really loved her. The night turned out to be what she had always wanted. It was a chance for their family to spend time outside the house with Jackie finally accepting her flaws and insecurities.
The night ended peacefully with Jackie and Tom’s kids tucked in their beds. It’s been a long time since they had the chance to go out. They never expected a night out could bring out so many realizations for them.
Small Acts of Kindness
The kind gesture by the waitress might be small but it was enough to ensure Jackie that she was the woman she had always wanted to be and that she doesn’t need to mind other people’s opinions.
What matters is how her husband looks at her because to him, she will always be his world. No matter what struggles they go through, they still have each other to come home to.