The date was going perfectly until the moment the server returned with a quiet apology and told me my card had been declined. I tried another card with the same result, and as embarrassment started to take over, I walked outside convinced the night had just fallen apart, therefore
Moments later, the server followed me out, pressed a folded receipt into my hand, and whispered, “I lied.” When I opened it, I discovered the bill had already been paid by someone who wanted to remain anonymous—and the reason for the strange deception left me thinking about kindness in a completely different way, but