“God. That bachelorette party!” moaned the waitress, looking back at the girls. “Those girls! Good thing it’s not ‘Drink free if you’re glad,’ ’cause those girls are wicked glad.” The waitress laughed and looked off toward the dance floor and marveled at all that gladness those girls were feeling. And she turned to Jimmy and cheered, “Good for them, huh?! Everybody oughta be glad like that, right?”

And Jimmy and the waitress watched the revelers swaying to the song about the guy who has friends in low places, and they both wondered if they’d ever be glad like that again in their lives.

And then the waitress smiled and turned back to Jimmy and got back to work. “Anyway—sorry if I forgot about ya for a second. Hoo—wee! I had to fight my way through to find ya again, way back here! But I did it! I found ya! So, what do you need? What can I do ya for?” She clapped her hands together once and put them on her hips, ready for whatever Jimmy might need her to get or do for him.

But Jimmy wasn’t listening to her. He was watching Sandrine, the happy bride-to-be, and her girls, dancing and singing about having friends in low places.

He was happy for her. Happy she had found someone.

But also so sad. Because he was wondering if he’d ever find someone.

There weren’t many single women his age in Almost.

Maybe he’d just wait till the first wave of divorces hit his age group.

It’d be comin’ up soon, he thought.

And then he scolded himself for getting so sour.

And then his face just looked like pain as he gazed at Sandrine on the dance floor.

And his eyes started to look like tears were about to fall out of them.

And the waitress followed Jimmy’s gaze. And saw all the girls dancing around Sandrine.

And she saw one of them put a tiara on her head.

And the waitress put two and two together and started to realize that the woman who she thought at first was Jimmy’s date wasn’t Jimmy’s date at all.

She was the bachelorette.

And Jimmy wasn’t her guy.

The waitress inhaled sharply as she understood what was going on and didn’t breathe for a second as she tried to figure out what to do. “Oh, pal…” She finally exhaled. “Um … Oh, God. I am so sorry.”

She desperately tried to figure out how to help Jimmy, because he needed help. Bad. “Oh, boy.” She sat in the chair that Sandrine had been sitting in and tried to make the best of the terrible situation. “Um … Well, remember, like I said, Moose Paddy special: Drinks are free if you’re sad. Okay? Just tell me you’re sad, and you’ll drink free.”

Jimmy may have heard the offer. But he didn’t respond. He just continued to let all the joy from the bachelorette party up front wash over him and turn into sorrow.