Mildred didn’t have much money, living only on her pension, but she wanted to buy a dress for her granddaughter Clara’s prom. At a fancy store, the saleslady, Beatrice, greeted her but couldn’t hide her judgment, as Mildred didn’t look like her usual customers. She tried to push Mildred away, but someone stepped in to help.
“Grandma, I don’t care about prom! Really, I just want to stay home and watch movies with Mom,” Clara said through the phone.
Mildred had called to talk about Clara’s graduation from Strawberry Crest High School in Tampa, Florida, which was coming up, with prom just around the corner. But she was surprised when her granddaughter insisted she didn’t want to go. Clara claimed the event wasn’t important, but Mildred knew the truth.
Her daughter, Agnes, worked a low-paying job, and Mildred lived on her pension alone. They didn’t have enough money to buy Clara a nice dress for prom. The 18-year-old felt embarrassed about it.
“Are you sure you don’t want to go? You know, I went to prom with your grandpa. He asked me out of nowhere, and we got married a few months later. We loved each other until the day he passed, and I still miss him every day. Prom can change your life,” Mildred said, her voice cheerful as she tried to convince her.
“I know, Grandma. But still, I don’t want to go. Also, I don’t have a date, so it doesn’t matter. Listen, I have to go study, I still have a few finals left. Talk to you later!” Clara said and hung up the phone too quickly for Mildred’s comfort.
So, Mildred decided something. She was saving a bit of her pension every month for her funeral costs so Agnes wouldn’t have to worry about anything expensive. But something felt more important now.
She wanted to buy a dress for her granddaughter. Clara deserved it. She was a bright kid who worked hard at school. It wasn’t her fault they were poor most of the time, and Mildred would convince her to go to prom in a lovely dress.
The next day, she went to the mall and found a beautiful shop full of amazing dresses. She walked in, and her eyes widened at the sparkle. “What would Clara like?” she asked herself, touching one dress closest to her.
“Hello! My name is Beatrice. How may I help you… um… today?” a saleslady approached Mildred, but her words stumbled for some reason. The woman looked Mildred up and down, and her mouth twisted oddly.
“Hi there! I’m looking for a dress for my granddaughter. Her prom is coming up,” Mildred explained, smiling at the woman despite her strange behavior.
“I’m sorry. This is not a rental shop. You have to buy these dresses in full,” Beatrice said, linking her hands together.
But Mildred didn’t understand what she meant. “I know that. Can you show me some of the most popular dresses?”
“Well, the popular ones are pretty costly. In fact, this whole store might not be in your budget. Maybe you could go to Target for it?” Beatrice suggested, and Mildred finally understood the woman’s attitude. She didn’t think Mildred could afford anything and shouldn’t be shopping there.
She felt hurt right away but didn’t want to say anything and make a scene. She kept walking around the store, with Beatrice following. “I’m just going to look around, okay?” Mildred said, trying to get the woman to leave her alone.
“Listen, you can find nice things at Target in your budget. This is just too much,” Beatrice continued, crossing her arms. “Also, we have cameras everywhere. You won’t be able to hide anything in that old bag of yours.”
Mildred finally turned to face the rude saleslady, and her eyes widened. Beatrice smirked at her, daring her to do something. But Mildred was never one to argue, so she rushed out of the store, ashamed, with tears streaming down her face.
She was right outside the mall when she dropped her bag by accident, and for some reason, that made her break down even more. After being humiliated by the woman, she cried hard, but someone touched her shoulder.
“Ma’am, are you okay? Can I help you with anything?” a kind male voice asked. Mildred lifted her head to see a young police officer, who helped her stand up straight. He bent down to pick up her purse and gave her a warm smile.
“Oh, thank you, officer,” Mildred said, grabbing her bag and trying to calm herself.
“Well, I’m still an apprentice. I’m only 20, but I’ll be a real officer soon,” the young man said with a laugh. “Can you tell me what happened?”
“Well, it’s a bit silly…” Mildred began. Something about his kind face made her want to talk. He was frowning deeply by the time she finished.
“That’s awful! How can a salesperson treat you like that?” he said.
“What’s your name, young man?”
“Leonard Walsh,” 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!”
Mildred wanted to say no, but Leonard pulled her along toward the fancy shop. Beatrice spotted her right away.
“I thought I told you to leave… oh, officer, what’s going on?” Beatrice asked, changing her tone as soon as she saw the officer with Mildred.
“We came here for a dress, and we’re not leaving without one,” Leonard said firmly, and he waved for Mildred to keep shopping. He also complained to Beatrice’s manager while Mildred looked for a dress.
After a few minutes, she picked a beautiful dress for prom, and Leonard even paid for half of it despite Mildred’s protests. But it wasn’t too expensive because the store gave them a discount after Leonard’s complaint. They heard the manager scolding Beatrice as they left.
Leonard walked Mildred out of the mall and said goodbye. But Mildred couldn’t let such a kind young man go just like that. “Leonard, do you have any plans this weekend?” she asked, raising her eyebrows with a sly smile, and Leonard laughed.
