d to gasp between fits of laughter. “Priceless!

”“Classic,” another chimed in, wiping tears of mirth from her eyes.

“That’ll teach her to mess with the queen.

” Grandma chuckled softly, shaking her head as she began to straighten the counter as if this was all just another day at the shop. “Well,” she said, her voice warm with amusement, “I suppose that’s one way to end a shift.

” I was still chuckling as I leaned against the counter, watching through the window as the woman marched across the street. It seemed like she was going to take her vitriol straight into the pizza shop where she’d actually bought the pizza, but she stopped just outside their door.

I moved closer to the window and immediately realized why she was hesitating.

The staff at our rival shop across the street must’ve been watching the whole thing because they’d gathered near the window and were laughing just as hard as we were.

Then, one of them noticed the woman hovering just outside their entrance. The manager broke away from the group and waved to her as he approached the door.

But the woman looked away so fast I swear she could’ve given herself whiplash. She looked panicked as she glanced around.

It seemed like all her desire for confrontation had evaporated.

“Looks like she’s in a bit of a pickle,” I said, unable to keep the amusement out of my voice.

Grandma didn’t look up from her task of wiping down the counter. “Life has a funny way of serving up what we deserve,” she said, her tone as even and calm as always.

“Sometimes it’s a slice of humble pie. ” I snorted at that, watching as the woman tried and failed to casually stroll past the rival pizza place.

She was walking so fast it was almost a jog, but there was no escaping the fact that she still had that telltale pizza box in her hands.

The manager, not one to miss a good opportunity, called after her, his voice loud enough that I could hear it through the glass.

“Hey, ma’am, don’t you want to return the pizza you snatched off our counter earlier? Your order is still in the warmer.

” That sent another round of laughter through both shops and the woman, if it were even possible, turned an even brighter shade of red. She sped up, practically sprinting now, but the damage was done.

She wasn’t going to live this down anytime soon.

As the laughter finally started to die down, I untied my apron and hung it on the hook by the door.

The day was over, and what a way to end it. “Another day, another lesson,” Grandma said softly, coming to stand beside me.

She gave my arm a gentle pat, her eyes twinkling with that timeless wisdom she always seemed to have. “Remember, Francine, it’s not about what happens to you, it’s about how you handle it.

” She was right, as always.

Life was full of these little moments, these small slices of karma that reminded us of our place in the world.

And today, it had been served up extra hot.