Why Did the Waitress Slip this Guy a Note As Soon as His Wife Had Gone to the Bathroom?

By Luisa K

Every relationship has its ups and downs, even the most stable of marriages. Long-term marriages are not immune from their troubles, and raising children can put an added strain on a couple. Jackie thought she had a loving relationship with her husband, with whom she has three children. But just after they welcomed their third child, things began to get difficult.

Three children are quite a handful, especially when one of them is a newborn. What the couple really needed was some one-to-one time. A chance to be a couple again in order to rekindle their romance. Instead, they decided to take the whole family out for a meal at a restaurant. They thought it would be a good chance to enjoy a relaxing meal and catch-up with what was going on in their lives. What Jackie didn’t realize was that the waitress had a plan up her sleeve. This was not the family meal she had planned.

When His Wife’s Back Was Turned

As a mom of three, Jackie was looking forward to going out for a meal with her husband and children. It was a rare occasion when she didn’t have to cook or wash the dishes. Jackie had recently given birth to her third child, and she hadn’t had a chance to catch a break.

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While at the restaurant, Jackie visited the bathroom but what happened next between her husband and the waitress left her in tears. The waitress left a suspicious-looking note on their table, which made Jackie feel angry and tearful. You’ll never guess what the waitress had written on that note!

Holding Back the Tears

What Jackie had just witnessed made her angry and emotional. In reality, the doting mother could have just broken down in tears and confronted the waitress but she knew that wasn’t the answer. It wouldn’t be right to cause a scene in the restaurant.

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This was the first time the family had been out to a restaurant in a while, mainly because they now had a newborn in tow. Was there something going on between the waitress and her husband? Jackie tried to remain calm, but she knew she had to do something. She wasn’t going to tolerate this. So Jackie opened up the note the waitress had left, and she burst into tears.

Motherhood is an Emotional Ride

We all know that motherhood has its highs and lows. Raising children is hard work, tiring, and emotionally draining at times. Your children’s needs come first, and although you wouldn’t have it any other way, it can make parents feel very emotional at times.

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Jackie was well aware of how rewarding and challenging being a mother was. She had just become a mom for the third time. She was already feeling exhausted and emotional, so what happened at a Des Moines pizza shop, was the icing on the cake!

A Life Full of Drama

Married life with a husband and three children is never going to be quiet. Jackie understood what drama was, whether it was her children’s tantrums or fall-outs between her brood. But dealing with drama among her children, albeit frustrating at times, was not like dealing with drama in her marital life.

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It was the way the waitress boldly left the note on the table in front of her husband while Jackie was coming out of the bathroom that she had difficulties digesting. Was this the end of her marriage? What was going on? She had an even bigger shock when she picked it up and read it.

Super Mom

At first glance, Jackie is a kind and sweet mom of three kids. She’s polite, well-mannered, and sophisticated, but Jackie has a different side that many don’t know about. This wonder mom has a tough side, as she was once an army veteran before having her children.

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After completing her service, she decided to commit herself to become a mother and raising her three children. As any former veteran will be aware of, that toughness stays with you. That was something the waitress at the restaurant that night didn’t know. The question was, how would Jackie react?

Wife, Mother, War Hero

Admittedly, Jackie wasn’t sitting in uniform when she was at the restaurant, but that didn’t stop the waitress from seeming completely unfazed by her presence. It didn’t stop her from leaving that note. It was clear that the waitress didn’t have a clue that Jackie was a former army veteran.

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But whatever was in that note was enough to make Jackie burst into tears. It’s understandable, though. The contents of that note took Jackie by surprise, and it was enough to make any woman emotional – even an army veteran! Nobody expected Jackie to act the way she did and even her husband was shocked!

The Reality of Being a Full-time Mom

Being a mom is wonderful, but so many people underestimate the struggle women have when deciding whether to continue working or becoming a full-time stay-at-home mom. While being a working mother has its issues, being a stay-at-home mom means you never get a break.

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Jackie had decided to be a full-time stay-at-home mother, and quite frankly, she always felt that her appearance had suffered as a consequence. Day after day of cleaning up and changing diapers had taken its toll. She always tried to look nice for her husband, but she was aware that he was a good looking guy who all the ladies had their eyes on.

Eyes on Your Prize

Jackie had always known that other women found her man attractive. It had always been that way. Although she loved having such a handsome husband, it did make her feel insecure at times. She didn’t want to seem jealous because that wasn’t Jackie.

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Perhaps it was the normal reaction of a woman. Maybe it was because she didn’t get out much anymore and spent all of her time cleaning up after her children. But she wasn’t going to stand by and let the waitress swoop in and steal her husband from under her nose!

Feeling Insecure

As any mother can relate, Jackie was feeling tired and maybe even a little insecure, and maybe that’s why she made such a scene that night at the restaurant. Jackie didn’t want to admit it, but she had felt that her marriage had changed over the years.

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Their three children were a blessing, of course, but at the same time, she felt as though she had lost a sense of herself. She no longer felt sexy like when they were just a couple. This has a noticeable impact on their marriage, which had always been so great. Seeing the waitress hand her husband, that note was the final straw!

Testing Time

From time to time, Jackie had experienced doubts and worried that her husband might go off with another woman. Perhaps a younger model or somebody really attractive? Then together, they’d make one of those beautiful looking couples. Jackie had thought these things but never liked to admit it.

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She tried to push these negative thoughts to the back of her mind. Come on; she was being stupid! Her and her husband and had three amazing kids together; why would anybody want to ruin that? Yet, that night at the pizza place was like her worst nightmare coming true.

From Couple Time to Family Outing

Initially, their meal out was supposed to be a romantic meal for two – for Jackie and her husband. Maybe she should have pushed harder for that to happen, but it ended up being a family meal at a pizza shop.

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Jackie and her husband didn’t have endless options for childcare and having a one-month-old baby made it harder to find someone to take care of the trio. It was still lovely to go on a family outing anyway. But when Jackie saw that note, she wondered if it was a bad move to bring the kids too?!

The Challenge of Newborns

Instead of Jackie and her husband being whisked off in a cab somewhere, they had two children and a newborn with them. The evening didn’t start off well. Getting their newborn to the restaurant was hard work. The newborn was crying and screaming, which isn’t what you need at a restaurant.

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Jackie really needed to sit down and have something to eat, and then feed the baby at the table. She breastfed him at the table, in full view of the other customers, and they were not discrete while staring at her. It made her feel uncomfortable, but she had no other choice.

Where Was the Support?

It had been a long day! Jackie had finally managed to sit down and eat something herself when the baby needed feeding. Then to see everyone in the restaurant staring at her was the last thing she needed! What was their problem?

Unfortunately for Jackie, this was a familiar situation. It’s as though the minute she would go to lift her shirt, a siren goes off, telling everybody in the vicinity to stop and stare at her. Hadn’t anybody been in the same position themselves before? Where was the support?

Wonder Woman

Don’t forget, though, Jackie was one tough woman! As a woman who’d served her country, she wasn’t going to let the silly glares from strangers stop her from feeding her own children. The family was all sitting eating pizza when the baby started crying, so she stopped eating so that she could feed her newborn.

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Jackie managed to ignore the stares and carried on feeding her baby at the table. Curiously, it was the stares from the waitress that made her feel most uncomfortable! Why was she staring so much, and what was she thinking?

Being Watched

Not only were the other customers making it obvious that they were staring at her, but she could also hear them murmuring as well. It was clear to Jackie that she was being talked about by the other people in the restaurant, but she ignored them.

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Jackie carried out breastfeeding her one-month-old baby; she wasn’t going to not feed her baby! At one time, murmurs and stares from onlookers would have really bothered Jackie but not anymore. She had learned to ignore them because feeding her children was more important. Jackie thought she had learned to dismiss practically anything, but maybe not…

All Eyes on Jackie

Jackie could ignore the other customers staring at her and whispering. It wasn’t nice, but she was able to overlook their ignorance. What really bothered her was the waitress. The waitress had not stopped staring at Jackie since she started breastfeeding her newborn.

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What was up with her? Jackie could not work out what her problem was? Nothing broke her stare, and it looked very odd. Had this woman never seen another woman breastfeeding her baby before? Why was it so interesting to her?

The Suspicious Note

After finishing what seemed like a very intense and difficult meal, Jackie’s husband asked for the bill while she went to the bathroom. Everything was quite normal up until that point, but then the waitress ran over to their table to hand Jackie’s husband a note.

The same waitress that had been staring at Jackie while she was breastfeeding had waited until she was out of the way before running over to her husband and handing him a note! What was in this suspicious note, and why did she give it to Jackie’s husband?

Written All Over His Face

Jackie’s husband picked up the note that the waitress had given him and began reading. He didn’t know that by this point, Jackie had come out of the bathroom and was watching him. She didn’t know what was in the note, but she did notice her husband’s facial expressions change!

It was like someone had hit her in the stomach. The waitress knew they were a family. She knew he was married. What did she want with Jackie’s husband? Jackie stood wondering whether this is what the start of a marriage breakdown feels like. She couldn’t move; she just stood watching.

He Did What!?

Now was the time when she’d find out whether she really knew the man she had married. Jackie was certain that her husband would rip up the letter or get rid of it somehow, but he didn’t. Jackie watched as her husband read the note and then got out his phone.

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Jackie stood observing the moment when her husband was dialling another woman’s number into his phone. Did he and the waitress know each other somehow? Jackie couldn’t take it. She just felt so low and humiliated. Their third child was just one month old and now her husband was taking another woman’s phone number.

Her Husband’s Other Woman

Phone in one hand, note in the other, Jackie watched as her husband’s eyes flickered back and forth between the two. Things had got this bad. Her husband was approaching another woman. It’s bad enough falling for another woman, but she couldn’t believe it was happening right in front of her!

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Had family life started to bore him? Was it Jackie? Had she done something wrong? Perhaps he just wanted something fun and exciting instead of all the responsibilities he had with his marriage and children? What was supposed to be a lovely family meal might end up being one of the last, Jackie thought.

Green with Envy

Jackie was distraught, but she was also angry. Her emotions were mixed and unsure, but there were plenty of them! In those situations, who should you be angrier with? The waitress or the husband? Jackie wasn’t sure, but she was certainly angry at both of them.

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Who did this waitress think she was to go up to a married guy with a family and give him her number? Jackie had only gone to the bathroom, she hadn’t left town, yet the waitress didn’t waste any time on moving in on her husband.

Jackie Demanded Answers

Jackie was enraged! Did neither of them think she wouldn’t find out what was going on? She wasn’t going to stand there and watch as her husband saved another woman’s number into his phone before their affair evolved. She ran over to their table and grabbed the note from her husband.

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Jackie was so quick to rip the note from her husband’s hands that she ripped it slightly. After reading what the waitress had written on the bill, Jackie began to cry. She couldn’t believe what was on the note. It wasn’t something she had expected to read that night.

Something Seemed Strange

The note was actually the bill for their meal. Jackie scanned the note back and front, but there wasn’t a phone number on it. What she found instead was that the waitress had given the family a discount on their meal.

The family didn’t know this waitress, or at least Jackie didn’t know her. So why did the waitress give them a discount? Jackie wondered if the waitress and her husband knew each other, or was it a way for her to flirt around him? Jackie couldn’t be sure what was going on, but she knew something wasn’t right.

The Real Reason

When Jackie examined the note again, she noticed a handwritten message in small writing at the bottom. She hadn’t seen that part before. All she could see was that it mentioned her choice to breastfeed while at the restaurant.

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This wasn’t the first time Jackie had drawn negative attention to herself for breastfeeding in public places. That said, nobody had ever taken the time to confront her about it like this waitress. Jackie wanted to know what she had to say about the matter.

It Made Jackie Cry

Jackie read the little message from the waitress carefully. As she read through it, she found herself getting emotional. Jackie couldn’t help it. She burst into tears in front of the entire restaurant and all of her family. What the waitress had written had brought her to tears.

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Why did the waitress say that to her? They must have been strong words to make a strong-headed mom of three, and former army veteran burst into tears like that. Jackie was tired and frustrated. All she wanted was for someone at least once not to judge her!

The Contents of the Note

Jackie reread the note again and again. She hovered over every word. The true meaning of the note sunk in more and more every time she read it. Jackie sank into her chair, tears flowing down her face. She couldn’t stop the tears.

Jackie appeared to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown. What she read in the note came as a shock. It was not the way she expected to end her evening at the pizza shop. However, she soon began to find the brighter side in what she read.

It Even Went Viral

The note went viral. How could it not? The note that the waitress had left that night made Jackie so emotional that she decided to post it on social media. Breastfeeding in public was still such a controversial topic that she wanted to bring awareness to the topic.

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Jackie wasn’t sure what response she would get from posting the contents of the note online but was surprised by the overwhelming reactions from people. She hadn’t imagined this kind of response. So what did the note actually say?

What the Note Said

Jackie began her social media post with the caption: “I have breastfed three children… I have breastfed them in countless places, both pleasant and unpleasant, discreetly and out in the open. I have gotten many looks and stares, but tonight erases any negativity I have ever received.”

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As it turns out, the note wasn’t really anything to do with Jackie’s husband at all. What a relief! It was actually aimed towards her and mentioned the fact that she had chosen to breastfeed her child in public.

The Waitress Had Seen this Before

The waitress that had written the note on their bill that night had seen women breastfeed in public before. She completely understood how difficult it could be for mothers and how uncomfortable it was because of the attitude of other customers.

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The waitress, whose name is Bodi, actually wanted to support Jackie. In her time, Bodi had witnessed some very uncomfortable situations, including people pointing at young moms with babies. She sympathized with moms having to breastfeed their babies in public spaces.

Sharing the Note Online

Bodi’s note had such an impact on Jackie that she felt she had to share it online. It’s not every day that a mom receives such kind support for breastfeeding her baby in public. It’s a rare occurrence to receive such support and encouragement.

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In Jackie’s social media post she continued to say that “…I ate at Fong’s for the first time tonight. Having a fussy baby, I nursed him for a while in the booth and eventually left the table early as to not disrupt the restaurant. The waitress gave this receipt to my husband. I was speechless and emotional.”

It Had Nothing to Do with Jackie’s Husband

To Jackie’s relief, the note was nothing to do with her husband. Nothing was going on between him and the waitress, and it wasn’t anything negative about her choice to breastfeed either. Instead, it was a note of encouragement, and Bodi wanted to demonstrate her support with a kind gesture.

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Bodi didn’t have any children of her own, so she had never had to breastfeed in public and endure stares and murmurs from those around her. It made Bodi sad that women felt they couldn’t breastfeed their children when it’s such a natural and beneficial thing. To show her support for Jackie, she wrote on their bill, “I bought one of your pizzas… Please thank your wife for breastfeeding!!”

She Expected the Worst

When Jackie first saw the waitress leaving the note, and then her husband picking up his phone, she expected the worst. She was sure that he was taking her number, but it wasn’t anything like that. What began as a nightmare actually turned into a lovely experience.

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Watching her husband with the waitress that night made her feel sick with worry. Jackie really believed that her family would be torn apart and that it might have been their last meal as a happy union. She was overwhelmed with relief when it turned out not to be the case at all!

Surprised by Such Kindness

The real reason why Jackie’s husband took out his phone while looking at the receipt was to take a photo of the note the waitress had left. He too was truly touched by the waitress’s actions and wanted to share it with his family and friends.

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But when Jackie had spotted this, she angrily snatched the phone from her husband’s hands! The response from Facebook fans was a positive one. People were quick to comment on how great it was to see women supporting other women in this way.

Normalizing Breastfeeding

It was just a small, single act of kindness, but it had a big impact! After Jackie shared the note online, it went viral and prompted a conversation around breastfeeding and associated stigmas. Besides other moms joining the discussion, it was good to get support from women like Bodi, who didn’t have any children of her own but empathized with breastfeeding mothers.

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Bodi, for one felt that it was important to raise awareness around the issue because it’s such an important topic. So many women around the world, Jackie included, were tired of being criticized and mocked over their choice to breastfeed in public. They wanted to normalize breastfeeding because it wasn’t wrong; it is the most natural thing in the world.

Support is Out There

Meeting Bodi made Jackie feel less alone in her situation. Bodi informed Jackie that she wasn’t the only one to be stared at for breastfeeding her baby in a restaurant. Breastfeeding is still a controversial topic for some reason, but they wanted to normalize it within society because it shouldn’t be stigmatized.

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Breastfeeding is healthy for babies and one of the most natural things in the world. New mothers shouldn’t feel criminalized for feeding their babies in the most natural way possible – even in public areas. Bodi’s note really helped to ignite this discussion on a broad scale.

Uniting a Supportive Community

When Jackie first posted Bodi’s note online, she expected to keep her guard up. She thought it might provoke her tough girl side to appear, but that wasn’t the case. Jackie, or any woman for that matter, shouldn’t have to put up a fight, but sadly, some people still have a problem with seeing women breastfeeding in public spaces.

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Jackie was surprised by the positive response she received from posting the note. She received an overwhelming amount of support from both men and women, who also believed that breastfeeding in public was a good thing! Bodi was thrilled to see Jackie breastfeeding that night at the pizza shop. 

The Not-So-Evil Stares

If you remember from earlier on, Jackie had noticed the waitress staring at her too. So what was that about if she claimed to support Jackie? Jackie thought that Bodi had a problem with her breastfeeding and expected her to say something or complain.

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Actually, Bodi was staring at Jackie for an entirely different reason. Bodi explained: “…I tried not to stare because I didn’t want to seem creepy or make her feel uncomfortable, but I felt like doing jumping jacks!” So her stares weren’t a bad thing, after all!

Women Helping Other Women

It can come as a bit of a surprise when a complete stranger does something nice and kind for you. It’s also wonderful to see women supporting other women because, unfortunately, there are too many people out there who would prefer to tear each other down.

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If only the world had more people like Bodi. Bodi’s actions were very kind and ended up becoming more significant and meaningful than she had initially imagined. There’s often some sort of subtle rivalry between women who don’t have children and those who are mothers, so it’s fantastic to see women coming together in this way like Bodi and Jackie have done!

What Happened Next?

Bodi’s note was a huge turning point for Jackie. The first thing Jackie did was that she returned to the pizza shop to thank Bodi for her note. Bodi’s kind and supportive message meant a lot to Jackie. It also marked a new chapter for her.

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Jackie wrote:  “Although I don’t need a pat on the back for feeding my child, it sure felt amazing. It is amazing how we women can make each other feel when we empower each other.” For once, Jackie felt as though she wasn’t being judged but congratulated and supported, which was just the encouragement she needed.

Jackie’s Happy Family

Of course, there was another positive outcome to this story – Jackie had nothing to worry about with her husband and the waitress! In fact, Bodi’s intervention that evening at the pizza shop indirectly helped strengthen Jackie’s relationship with her husband.

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Bodi’s note had reassured Jackie that she wasn’t doing everything wrong and instilled a newfound confidence in the mother of three. This experience has also given Jackie a new purpose: to be more active on social media and raise awareness about breastfeeding issues. Jackie can still be a stay-at-home mom while using her voice too!

A Small Gesture with Big Impact

Bodi left that note for Jackie purely because she wanted to share a little positivity. She had no idea that her scribbled note on a pizza receipt was going to become such a big deal or change a woman’s life in the way it did!

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But that’s what happened. It completely changed Jackie’s life. For the first time in a long time, she felt supported again and through the note’s popularity on social media, she also found a new role for herself in helping to normalize breastfeeding for all women! The moral of the story is to never underestimate even the smallest acts of kindness!