The Day the Ice Cream Machine Broke

I work at a fast-food place, and on the hottest day of July, the soft-serve machine broke. If you've ever worked fast food, you know this is a disaster.

Customers were annoyed. A few were rude. Then a little boy of about six came up to the counter with his dad, saw the "No Ice Cream" sign and burst into tears.

My manager, a tired woman named Rhonda who had worked a double shift, looked at him, disappeared into the back and came out with a cup of whipped cream, rainbow sprinkles and three cherries. "Cloud sundae," she said. "Very rare. Only for brave customers."

He stopped crying instantly. He looked at it like it was treasure. Then the next kid in line wanted one. And the next. By the end of the day, we'd served sixty-two cloud sundaes. Rhonda added it to the secret menu. It's still there.