 Waitress refuses to give mom to go box, until mom sees what she's staring at. She couldn't believe this. It wasn't as if she was about to dine in dash. She had the money in her hand. Then, she realized what the waitress was looking at. Her face burned red with embarrassment. Enough was enough. All she wanted was a nice family meal. It had been months since she got to eat out. But things were looking bleak. Everyone was staring at them. The whispers were getting louder and louder as she waited patiently for the to-go box. What was taking so long? When the woman finally returned, she was at a loss for words. Motherhood was always on the cards for Courtney. She was always in awe of her little nieces, nephews, and cousins. But that best thing about babies was handing them back to their mothers when they began a tantrum. She loved them, but she wasn't ready to give up her freedom just yet. Courtney was young. The whole world was waiting for her. Once she finished high school, she did as much traveling as she possibly could. She loved meeting new people. She didn't know what she was going to do the rest of her life, but she wanted to have fun for the time being. She made sure to make some memories. Courtney met Nick in a nightclub when she was 21 years old in her hometown of North Carolina. He was a few years older, but he was mature and sweet. He promised her the world. They went on extravagant dates, and it was the first time she had ever been swept off her feet. After a few months, he told her that she was the one woman for him. Courtney thought she was the luckiest girl in the world. But her bubble was about to be torn apart. At 22, Courtney discovered that she was pregnant. She was afraid, but she was also happy. She knew that Nick was the man for her. She couldn't see herself settling down with anyone else. She arranged a candle at dinner for them in his apartment. When he returned home, she told him the big news. But she didn't expect this reaction. Nick was a different person the moment Courtney told him she was pregnant. He turned cold and cruel. He didn't want anything to do with her. Finally, he encouraged her to get an abortion before storming off. Her stomach turned. What was she going to do? How could she raise a baby by herself? She wasn't going to let him get away that easily. Over the next few days, Courtney called and texted Nick constantly. Maybe he just needed some time to process the news. He would never do this to her. He was one of the good ones. But when his number finally disconnected, she had to come to terms with reality. They were done, and he wanted nothing to do with her or the baby. Now, she had some decisions to make on her own. Courtney didn't get a chance to dwell on her own self-pity for too long. She realized that she wasn't alone. She had her baby. And all she needed was a few close friends and her family. So, against Nick's advice, she kept the baby. Sure, it wasn't an ideal situation. But when was the right time to have a baby anyway? Harlan was born 8 pounds and 8 ounces. From the moment Courtney laid eyes on her little girl, but when was the right time to have a baby anyway? She knew that she was destined to be a mother. She knew that no matter what life would throw at her, she would be just fine. She didn't need a prince. All she needed was her little girl. The first few months were harder than expected. Courtney was anxious anytime Harlan was out of her sight. But as time went on, she began to realize that she needed time to herself. Courtney wanted to get dressed up and go out. Harlan's stepfather had just proposed, and they wanted to celebrate as a family. That meant that 18-month-old Harlan had to be on her best behavior. She never expected their quiet night out to cause such a ruckus. And she definitely didn't think she would have this run in with an employee. When they sat at their table, Harlan was having none of it. She began to fool around in a bid to get everyone's attention. And when she was told to stop, tears began to fall. She had me so overwhelmed from letting all of Olive Garden know she was in the house and trying her best to wiggle her way down me to run the restaurant, Courtney explained. She only had one option. Courtney quickly flagged down her server, 22-year-old Niani Rudder, to ask for a to-go box. She really said, no, Courtney later shared. She was horrified. As if the experience wasn't embarrassing enough, now the server was being completely unhelpful. All she wanted was a box to bring their meals to the car. But as the waitress made her way to Harlan, Courtney's heart stopped. You're going to go sit down and enjoy your dinner and I will be there to sit with her. Niani told the frazzled mother. Courtney was speechless. Harlan wouldn't sit for her mother, she was hardly going to do it for a complete stranger. Courtney wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. She was sick of people staring and whispering. But Harlan was smitten. She sat giggling away with Niani. Courtney couldn't believe what she was seeing. Girl, you will never truly know how appreciative I am for tonight, Courtney later shared online. I seriously admire you. Unfortunately, that wasn't the first time Harlan has been grouchy. Usually, Courtney and her partner took turns bringing her for a walk outside so she wouldn't scream the building down. They never thought a waitress would come to their rescue. I just didn't want her to leave, Niani later explained. She came out to enjoy a meal with her family, and she should be able to do that. I didn't think she had to leave or go sit in the car to eat the food because her baby was fussy. And although many of the customers weren't impressed with the noise level, Nani didn't think it was an issue. Their little kids, Niani added, that's just what they do. Although Niani's gesture was just to help a mother in need eat a hot meal, Courtney is still in awe of what happened. Never in her life had someone been so understanding of their situation. Kids were kids. Most of the time, adults didn't understand, but Niani did. And Courtney couldn't express her thanks. Niani is just an awesome person, Courtney said. I was just in complete shock because nothing has ever happened to me like that. I just wanted to shine some light on the person she is. How could someone who is already under so much stress from rush hour take the time to sit with her baby girl? Niani is no stranger to the mood swings of young children. Her niece has just graduated from the terrible twos and has now been accepted to the terrifying threes. She knows how irritable children can get when they're hungry, tired, grumpy, sad, happy, afraid, or confused. Her shift was nearly over anyway. And there was plenty of other staff on to help bustle tables. But what would her manager think of her taking a break? My managers are great, Niani explained. Her motto at Olive Garden is, when you're here, you're family. If that's all I had to do was sit down and take a couple moments to help this young lady with her baby, I'd do it every day if I could. And Niani's efforts haven't gone unnoticed. Courtney's post on Facebook has gained thousands of likes and comments. The online community has raved about Niani's kind gesture. Mothers, sisters, and aunts have shared their appreciation for understanding a mother's plight. But was everyone in the restaurant that night as understanding?