“Grandma, I don’t care about prom! Really. I just want to stay home and watch movies with Mom,” Kerry’s granddaughter, Anne, said through the phone.

Kerry had called her to talk about her graduation from Strawberry Crest High School in Tampa, Florida, was coming up, and prom was right around the corner. But the older woman was surprised when her granddaughter assured her that she didn’t want to go. She claimed to not care about the event, but Kerry knew the truth.

Her daughter, Lisa, worked minimum wage, and Kerry lived on her pension alone. None of them had enough money to buy Anne a proper dress for the prom. The 18-year-old felt embarrassed about it.

“Ma’am. Are you ok? Can I help you with anything?” a kind male voice asked.

“Are you sure you don’t want to go? You know I went to the prom with your grandfather. He asked me out of the blue, and we got married a few months later. We loved each other until the day he died, and I still miss him every day. The prom can change your life,” Kerry insisted, her voice cheerful as she tried to convince her to go.

“I know, Grandma. But still. I don’t want to go. Also, I don’t have a date either, so it doesn’t matter. Listen, I have to go study, I still have a few finals left. Talk to you later!” Anne said and hung up the phone too quickly for Kerry’s comfort.

Therefore, the older woman decided something. She was saving a bit of her pension every single month to cover her funeral costs so that Lisa would not have to worry about anything expensive. But there was something more pressing right now.

She wanted to buy a dress for her granddaughter. Anne deserved it. She was a brilliant kid who worked hard at school. It wasn’t her fault that they lived in poverty most of the time, and Kerry would convince her to go to the prom in a lovely dress.

The following day, she went to the mall and found a beautiful boutique full of amazing dresses. She entered, and her eyes widened at the sparkle. “What would Anne like?” she asked herself, touching one gown closest to her.

“Hello! My name is Sandra. How may I help you… ugh… today?” a saleslady approached Kerry, but she stumbled on her words for some reason. The woman looked up and down at Kerry and her mouth twisted strangely.

“Hi there! I’m looking for a dress for my granddaughter. Her prom is coming up,” Kerry explained, smiling at the woman despite her weird demeanor.

“I’m sorry. This is not a rental store. You have to buy these dresses in full,” Sandra said, linking her hands together.

But Kerry had no idea what she was talking about. “I know that. But can you show me some of the most popular models?”

“Well, the most popular are pretty pricey. In fact, the entire store might not be in your price range. Perhaps you could go to Target for it?” Sandra suggested, and Kerry finally realized the woman’s attitude. She didn’t think Kerry could afford anything and shouldn’t be shopping at that store.

She was offended immediately but didn’t want to say anything and cause a scene. She continued walking around the store, with Sandra following. “I’m just going to browse around, okay?” Kerry said, trying to get the woman off her back.

“Listen, you can really get nice things at Target in your price range. This is simply too much,” Sandra continued, crossing her arms. “Also, we have cameras everywhere. You won’t be able to stash anything in that ugly old bag of yours.”

Kerry finally turned around to face the rude saleslady, and her eyes widened. Sandra smirked cattily at her, daring her to do something. But she had never been a confrontational person, so she rushed out of the store, ashamed, and tears streamed down her face.

She was right outside the mall when she dropped her bag accidentally, and for some reason, that made her break down even more. After being humiliated by the woman, she cried heavily, but something touched her shoulder.

“Ma’am. Are you ok? Can I help you with anything?” a kind male voice asked, and Kerry lifted her head to stare at a young cop, who tried to get her to stand up straight. He leaned down to pick up her purse and gave her a dazzling smile.

“Oh, thank you, officer,” Kerry said, grabbing the bag and composing herself.

“Well, I’m still an apprentice. I’m only 20, but I’ll be an official officer soon enough,” the young man answered humorously. “Can you tell me what happened?”

“Well, it’s a bit silly…,” the older woman began. Something about his face made her want to talk about it. He was frowning heavily by the time she finished.

“That’s preposterous! How can a salesperson treat you like that?” he said.

“What’s your name, young man?”

“George Martins,” he answered and looked toward the mall doors. “Look, my mentor came here for coffee. But we have time to choose a dress. Let’s go!”

Kerry wanted to refuse, but George pulled her along towards the luxury boutique. Sandra spotted her immediately.

“I thought I told you to leave… oh, officer. What’s going on?” Sandra asked, changing her tune as soon as she saw the cop with Kerry.

“We came here for a dress, and we’re not leaving without one,” George stated, and he gestured for Kerry to continue shopping. He also complained to Sandra’s manager while the older woman looked for a dress.

After a few minutes, she finally chose something beautiful for prom, and George even paid for half of it despite Kerry’s objections. But it wasn’t that expensive because the store offered ended up offering them a discount due to the complaint George raised against them. They heard the manager scolding Sandra while leaving.

George accompanied Kerry out of the mall and bid her goodbye. But Kerry couldn’t let such a wonderful young man go just like that. “George, do you have any plans this weekend?” she asked, raising her eyebrows slyly, and George laughed.

***

On prom night, Kerry appeared at Lisa’s house to surprise her granddaughter with the dress in her hands. They told her how vital this rite of passage was for every young person, and they dressed her up.

In the end, Anne was happy and looked beautiful. But she shrugged as they took pictures of her. “It’s too bad I don’t have a date,” she said, arranging her dress shyly.

“Actually…,” Kerry stared, and the doorbell rang at that moment.

George was right outside wearing a beautiful tux, and he had a corsage in his hands. The older woman made introductions, explaining what happened at the mall and how kind George was. Anne was embarrassed, but she accepted the corsage and the date.

They had tons of fun at prom, and seven years later, she and George got married.

“I told you prom can change your life!” Kerry said while helping Anne with her wedding dress.

What can we learn from this story?

• It’s not polite to treat anyone any less because of their looks. Sandra judged Kerry because she didn’t look like her regular customers, and she got scolded because of it.
• Help out as much as you can. George saw a crying older woman and decided to help out. And in the end, he found his happiness thanks to that one moment of kindness.

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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a waitress who mocked a poorly dressed man at a restaurant, and karma hit her back.

This account is inspired by our reader’s story and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.