It was indeed, and we moved into the second phase of our plan. I went to the counter and ordered two lunches, and Tabitha, in what came across as an entirely aimless way, wandered over to the table where Ariella was sitting.

“Why, hello there!” Tabitha cried out. “It’s you, isn’t it? Miss Ariella from the bank?”

Ariella looked up from her phone. “Uh, yeah?” Then she narrowed her eyes. “You and your niece talked to me the other day. About your water bill from last winter.”

A smiling Tabitha took the acknowledgment as an invitation and pulled out a chair for herself. “That’s right. How clever you are to remember all that! I’m lucky if I can remember my own phone number and I’ve had it for years. Look, honey,” she said, waving me over. “Look who I found! It’s Miss Ariella.”

I gave Ariella an apologetic look. “Um, seems like my aunt is settled in here. Now that it’s noon, she’s probably getting tired, so is it okay if we eat with you? Were you expecting anyone?”

Tabitha smiled and managed to look old, weak, and winsome.

“Well, no,” Ariella said.

“Great. Thanks.” I sat down before she could say anything else. “They’ll bring our food out,” I said to Tabitha. “Should only take a few minutes.”

“They bring it right to our table?” Her eyes went wide. “Oh my goodness, I hope you give them a big tip.”

I shot her a “ramp it down a little” glance. She, of course, completely ignored my warning, almost certainly to pay me back for the “getting tired” comment.

“How are things going at the bank?” Tabitha asked. “I bet they’re grooming you for assistant manager.”

Ariella, who was scrolling through her phone, shrugged and made a face. “Not really. Anyway, I’m not sure how much longer I’ll stay there. It doesn’t seem to be a good fit.”

“Then you should move on,” Tabitha said. “Doesn’t do anyone any good to stay in a place where you’re not happy. Not good for the organization and not good for you.”

Sound advice, but Ariella bristled. “What do you mean, it’s not good for them? I work my hours. I work harder than any of them, but no one sees it.”

“Exactly,” Tabitha said, nodding briskly. “You’re showing them up, see? That makes people unhappy. Unhappy people can’t provide good customer service, and that’s where you shine.”

“Oh, I get it.” Ariella smiled, a simple act that transformed her from a sullen millennial into a friendly young woman.

“But you can’t make everyone happy, can you?” Tabitha oozed sympathy. “No matter what, there’s going to be someone who refuses to be pleased.”