Amelia knew the struggles of working as a single mom, and all she wanted to do one night was come home from work and relax on the couch with a movie. However, fate had other plans for her...
Endless Shifts
Amelia was working long hours at her restaurant jobs to cover the costs of her recent divorce. She had a daughter at home to take care of and she was having trouble making ends meet. After one particular 11-hour shift, all she wanted to do was go home and relax...
A Customer Favorite
Though Amelia didn't love her job, she gave it her all, and in return, the customers loved her. But no matter how good she was at serving, it still wasn't enough to cover all of her bills. She knew how lucky she was to even have a job at all, though...
Finally The Weekend
After a particularly long Friday night shift, she figured the best way to unwind after work would be to kick back and watch a movie. Her daughter went to sleep early and she could watch whatever she wanted. She left her shift and headed to the drugstore before going home...
Choosing a Rental
Amelia was a huge fan of the Redbox DVD rentals—for $1, she could get any movie she wanted. That was an incredible deal and she and her daughter used the machine often. It was the perfect option for their budget...
Rotating Options
The choices had changed since Amelia had stopped by last week and chosen a movie to watch with her daughter. This time she was in the market for something a little more suspenseful. She made her choice carefully...
An Unsuspected Surprise
She couldn't beat the price of a $1 rental, and she'd finally made her choice. She drove home imagining the relaxing evening she had in store. Little did she know she was in for some excitement...
A Classic Suspense Film
She'd chosen "Deepwater Horizon," mostly because she'd spotted Mark Wahlberg on the cover. It was based on a true story, which she knew she'd find interesting. She was looking forward to kicking back with something dramatic...
An Explosive Film
Even though the film itself was full of plot twists and turns, Amelia was in for another surprise before she even put the film on. She'd just arrived home and was getting ready to kick off her relaxing evening. Little did she know what exactly was about to happen...
A Stacked Cast
Two of her favorite actors, Gina Rodriguez and Mark Wahlberg, were in the film, and she'd heard great things about it. She just put her daughter to sleep when she was about to get the night started...
A Twist
There was no way Amelia had any idea what was about to happen to her. She was preparing her night: fun snacks, relaxing pajamas, a face mask. She really thought she was just going to chill with a fun movie and that was all...
Relaxation Part 1
As soon as her daughter was asleep, she lit some candles and filled her bathtub for a relaxing soak. Her feet and legs were killing her after running a busy 11-hour shift. She'd been daydreaming about this moment all day...
Snack Time
After her much-neeeded spa treatment, she went back downstairs to whip up her favorite movie snack. Just like at the theaters, she mixed together popcorn, chocolate, and gummy candies. Now she was ready to pop in the film...
Roll Film
She grabbed the DVD from her purse and got the DVD player ready to go. She couldn't wait. She'd been excited for this relaxing night all day and now it was finally here...
She Couldn't Believe Her Eyes
When she popped open the case, her jaw dropped. She had to open and close it a few times just to make sure what was in front of her was actually real. She couldn't believe what she was seeing...
A Mysterious Note
Inside the DVD case, there was a carefully folded note. It was handwritten with a very precise message. Amelia couldn't believe how lucky she'd gotten...
She Couldn't Open It Fast Enough
She practically tore the note in half trying to get it out of the case so she could read it. Based on the rest of the contents of the DVD case, she knew it would say something exciting. It read...
A Kind Stranger
The note was written by a man named Marcos. He wrote that he sets aside a monthly $100 and leaves it in places a stranger in need will find it. Somehow he'd known that she was down on her luck and tight for cash...
A Strategic Location
Marcos explained that he'd chosen the Redbox rental because many people who were watching movies on a budget used the machine. He hoped this would help them out in the future. However, there was also a request in his note...
Her Prize
She stared at the $100 in cash in front of her. This was what she'd needed to pay off the rest of her monthly bills. She was so grateful she could cry...
Pay It Forward
Marcos had one request in exchange for her finding the money. It was a simple act, but he needed to know that someone who'd found the prize really needed it. His words were clear...
The Request
Marcos wrote: “I just ask that you put the money to good use. If you don’t need it, give it away. If you need it, keep it.” Amelia paused. She did need the money, but then she thought of something better...
Sharing With Twitter
At this moment, her older daughter had just gotten home. Amelia told Liz what had happened, so she shared it with the Twitter world. She was so excited for her mom, but she didn't know Amelia had another idea for the money...
An Idea
Amelia went back upstairs to get dressed and hurried to grab her car keys off the counter. She forgot all about her relaxing night. Even though she knew things for her and her daughters weren't great at the moment, she had an idea of where the money could be used...
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Back To Work
She pulled in to the restaurant and quickly rushed inside. Her coworkers looked confused, but seated her when she asked for a table for one. She had the perfect plan in store...
A Confused Hostess
Her friend was confused. "You're back? I thought you just left?" Amelia didn't have time to explain. "Can you seat me in Kelly's section?" she asked, and followed the hostess to an empty table...
Kelly Was Just As Confused
Kelly saw that she had a new customer, and when she realized it was Amelia she was just as confused. "What are you doing here?" she asked. "I just couldn't stay away," Amelia replied. "I'll take an order of fries and the check, please."
Kelly Was Pregnant
Kelly was only 22 years old and was 8 months pregnant. She was a single mother, just like Amelia. She knew she struggles of raising children alone all too well and wanted to do something kind for Kelly...
The Check Arrived
When she got the check, she quickly signed her name and left an enormous tip. Rather than keeping the $100 as she'd liked to before, she left it as Kelly's tip. Amelia knew that Kelly needed the money much more than she did...
Extremely Grateful
Kelly saw the check and began to cry. "From one single mother to one single mother-to-be, take care of yourself sweet girl," the check said. After all, the note in her DVD had said to pay it forward, and Amelia had done just that.