{"id":20343,"date":"2026-09-23T08:21:37","date_gmt":"2026-09-23T08:21:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/storyreadin.com\/?p=20343"},"modified":"2026-09-23T08:21:42","modified_gmt":"2026-09-23T08:21:42","slug":"a-cafe-owner-kicked-me-and-my-old-chihuahua-out-of-his-pet-friendly-cafe-because-i-only-ordered-coffee-then-one-stranger-walked-in-and-asked-him-a-question-that-made-him-go-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/storyreadin.com\/?p=20343","title":{"rendered":"A Cafe Owner Kicked Me and My Old Chihuahua Out of His \u2018Pet-Friendly\u2019 Cafe Because I Only Ordered Coffee \u2013 Then One Stranger Walked in and Asked Him a Question That Made Him Go Pale"},"content":{"rendered":"

I only wanted somewhere to sit until the dizziness passed, with my blind Chihuahua curled beside me.<\/strong><\/h1>\n

**Part 1**<\/p>\n

Instead, a simple cup of coffee turned into one of the most humiliating encounters I\u2019d had in years.
\nThen a stranger stepped forward and asked the caf\u00e9 owner one question.
\n\u201cChristopher, does the name Victoria mean anything to you?\u201d
\nThe man\u2019s face lost all its color.
\nAnd suddenly, everything changed.<\/p>\n

Twenty minutes earlier, Christopher hadn\u2019t cared who I was.
\nThat was the part I would remember most.<\/p>\n

My name is Carol.
\nI\u2019m seventy-four years old, recently widowed, and careful with every dollar because Social Security doesn\u2019t leave much room for mistakes.
\nThat afternoon would have been my forty-seventh wedding anniversary.
\nMy husband, Frank, had been gone for eighteen months.
\nI still visited the cemetery regularly.
\nThat afternoon, I brought flowers.<\/p>\n

Benny, my fourteen-year-old Chihuahua, stood beside my shoe while I arranged them near Frank\u2019s headstone.
\nBenny is blind, missing several teeth, and walks with the careful determination of a tiny old man who refuses to admit he\u2019s getting older.
\n\u201cDon\u2019t eat the flowers,\u201d I told him.
\nNaturally, he immediately tried.
\nI sighed.
\n\u201cYou would\u2019ve liked Frank. He would\u2019ve slipped you bacon under the table and then blamed me when you gained weight.\u201d
\nBenny\u2019s tail tapped against my ankle.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d adopted him eight months earlier from a shelter.
\nA volunteer had warned me that almost everyone passed him by.
\n\u201cPeople want puppies,\u201d she\u2019d explained. \u201cWhenever someone walks away, Benny starts crying.\u201d
\nI understood that feeling better than I wanted to.<\/p>\n

After Frank died, I learned how unbearably quiet a home could become when someone you loved never walked through the door again.
\nSo I brought Benny home.
\nHe didn\u2019t cure my grief.
\nHe simply made sure I wasn\u2019t carrying it alone.
\nHe slept against my hip every night, followed my voice from room to room, and protested loudly whenever dinner was even five minutes late.<\/p>\n

After leaving the cemetery that afternoon, I stood up too quickly beside my car.
\nThe world tilted.
\nI grabbed the door handle before I fell.
\n\u201cVery graceful, Carol,\u201d I muttered.
\nBenny immediately pressed against my shoe.
\nI\u2019d skipped lunch.
\nThat was my own fault.
\nStill, I didn\u2019t want to drive while I felt lightheaded.<\/p>\n

Across the street was a small caf\u00e9.
\nA chalkboard near the entrance read:
\nDOGS WELCOME.
\nThat was enough for me.<\/p>\n

When I stepped inside, I noticed a golden retriever sleeping beneath a table near the window.
\nA young waitress approached.
\nHer entire face brightened when she saw Benny.
\n\u201cOh, he\u2019s adorable!\u201d
\n\u201cHe\u2019d be very flattered if he could see you,\u201d I said.
\nShe laughed.
\n\u201cI\u2019m Mary. What can I get you?\u201d
\n\u201cJust a small coffee, please.\u201d
\n\u201cOf course. That\u2019s $4.25.\u201d<\/p>\n

I reached into my purse.
\nThen a man\u2019s voice came from behind the counter.
\n\u201cThat\u2019s all you\u2019re ordering?\u201d
\nI looked up.
\nA man in his forties was watching me.
\n\u201cYes. Just coffee.\u201d
\n\u201cAnd you\u2019re planning to sit down?\u201d
\n\u201cFor a few minutes. I\u2019m feeling a little dizzy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mary\u2019s smile disappeared.
\n\u201cWould you like some water?\u201d
\n\u201cThat would be lovely, thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n

But the man wasn\u2019t looking at me anymore.
\nHe was staring at Benny.
\n\u201cThen the dog can\u2019t stay.\u201d
\nI stopped reaching for my wallet.
\n\u201cI\u2019m sorry?\u201d
\n\u201cPet-friendly seating requires a thirty-dollar minimum purchase.\u201d<\/p>\n

I glanced toward the DOGS WELCOME sign.
\n\u201cI didn\u2019t see anything about that.\u201d
\n\u201cIt\u2019s my caf\u00e9,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m telling you the policy.\u201d<\/p>\n

My first instinct was to apologize.
\nI\u2019d developed that habit after Frank died.
\nDon\u2019t inconvenience anyone.
\nDon\u2019t make people worry.
\nDon\u2019t ask for more than you absolutely need.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right,\u201d I said quietly. \u201cWe\u2019ll leave.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then I noticed the golden retriever again.
\n\u201cBut that dog is inside.\u201d
\n\u201cTheir table ordered lunch.\u201d
\nI looked back at him.
\n\u201cSo the rule isn\u2019t actually about dogs.\u201d
\nHis expression tightened.
\n\u201cMy name is Christopher. I own this caf\u00e9. I decide what kind of environment I want here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Benny leaned against my ankle.
\nI could have walked away.
\nPerhaps I should have.<\/p>\n

Then Christopher looked down at him and said something I still can\u2019t forget.
\n\u201cYour dog is old, unattractive, and looks like he\u2019s barely hanging on. Animals like that make paying customers uncomfortable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Benny began trembling.
\nI immediately picked him up and held him against my chest.
\n\u201cHe\u2019s fourteen,\u201d I said. \u201cBeing old isn\u2019t a character flaw.\u201d<\/p>\n

The couple with the golden retriever turned toward us.
\nChristopher folded his arms.
\n\u201cSpend thirty dollars or take him somewhere else.\u201d<\/p>\n

I held Benny tighter.
\nI wasn\u2019t embarrassed by him.
\nBut somehow, standing there with only enough intention to buy a four-dollar coffee, I suddenly felt embarrassed by myself.
\nThat realization made me angry.<\/p>\n

\u201cI came inside because your sign says dogs are welcome.\u201d
\n\u201cThey are.\u201d
\n\u201cApparently only attractive dogs belonging to people who order expensive meals.\u201d
\nHis face hardened.
\n\u201cI\u2019m not arguing about this.\u201d
\n\u201cNeither am I.\u201d<\/p>\n

I turned toward the door.
\nI\u2019d barely taken two steps when the room tilted again.
\nMy knees weakened.
\nSomeone grabbed my elbow before I could fall.
\n\u201cEasy. Are you all right, ma\u2019am?\u201d<\/p>\n

An older man wearing a dark coat steadied me.
\n\u201cI\u2019m fine.\u201d
\nThe words came automatically.
\nThen I stopped.
\nFor once, I decided not to pretend.
\n\u201cNo. Actually, I\u2019m dizzy. I skipped lunch. I just need somewhere to sit for a minute.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you need medical attention?\u201d
\n\u201cI don\u2019t think so.\u201d
\n\u201cWhat\u2019s your name?\u201d
\n\u201cCarol.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mary hurried toward us carrying a glass of water.
\nBefore I could take it, Christopher called from behind the counter.
\n\u201cShe\u2019s fine. She was leaving with her ugly dog.\u201d<\/p>\n

The stranger slowly turned toward him.
\nSomething in his expression changed.
\n\u201cYour name is Christopher, right?\u201d
\nChristopher straightened.
\n\u201cYes. Why?\u201d<\/p>\n

The stranger glanced at Benny, then back at him.
\n\u201cTell me something, Christopher. Does the name Victoria mean anything to you?\u201d
\nChristopher went pale.
\n\u201cWhat?\u201d
\n\u201cVictoria.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n**Part 2**<\/p>\n

Christopher stared at him.
\nThe stranger waited until I was steady before letting go of my arm.
\nThen he said,
\n\u201cI\u2019m Steven.\u201d<\/p>\n

Christopher\u2019s mouth fell open.
\n\u201cVictoria\u2019s father?\u201d
\nSteven nodded.<\/p>\n

Christopher changed immediately.
\n\u201cSir, there\u2019s been a misunderstanding.\u201d
\nSteven\u2019s expression remained calm.
\n\u201cI\u2019ve been standing here.\u201d
\n\u201cYou came in at the end. You didn\u2019t hear everything.\u201d
\n\u201cI heard enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

Christopher rubbed his hand across his mouth.
\n\u201cI didn\u2019t realize who you were.\u201d
\nSteven became very still.
\n\u201cI came here for coffee,\u201d he said, \u201cand because I wanted to meet the man my daughter plans to marry.\u201d<\/p>\n

There it was.
\nVictoria was Christopher\u2019s fianc\u00e9e.<\/p>\n

Christopher looked at me again.
\nAnd suddenly I was no longer the old woman taking up valuable space with an unattractive dog.
\n\u201cPlease,\u201d he said quickly. \u201cSit down. Mary can bring your coffee, and we\u2019ll get you something to eat.\u201d
\nHe actually pulled out a chair for me.
\nTen seconds earlier, I hadn\u2019t been worth one.<\/p>\n

Mary placed the water in front of me.
\n\u201cThank you, dear.\u201d
\nThen she leaned slightly closer.
\n\u201cThere isn\u2019t a thirty-dollar rule.\u201d<\/p>\n

Christopher heard her.
\n\u201cMary.\u201d
\nShe looked directly at him.
\n\u201cThere isn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

Something settled inside me.
\nHe hadn\u2019t been enforcing a policy.
\nHe had invented one specifically for me.<\/p>\n

Christopher disappeared behind the counter and returned carrying coffee, a sandwich, and a bowl of water.
\nHe placed the bowl near Benny.
\n\u201cFor your dog.\u201d
\nThen he pushed the sandwich toward me.
\n\u201cAnd this is on the house.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t order a sandwich.\u201d
\n\u201cI\u2019d like to make things right.\u201d<\/p>\n

I looked at Steven.
\nThen back at Christopher.
\n\u201cWould you be trying to make things right if he hadn\u2019t walked through that door?\u201d<\/p>\n

Christopher\u2019s jaw tightened.
\nSteven said nothing.<\/p>\n

Finally, Christopher muttered, \u201cI shouldn\u2019t have spoken to you like that.\u201d
\n\u201cNo,\u201d I replied.
\nHe frowned.
\n\u201cYou shouldn\u2019t have thought that way in the first place.\u201d<\/p>\n

He exhaled sharply.
\n\u201cI\u2019m under pressure. People come in, order one drink, then stay for hours. Dogs take up room. I have rent, employees, inventory\u2014everything costs money.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI understand money.\u201d
\nHe looked at me.
\n\u201cMost of my Social Security check is spoken for before I\u2019ve even bought groceries. But I\u2019d been here for two minutes.\u201d
\nHe didn\u2019t respond.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou didn\u2019t ask how long I intended to stay. You looked at me, looked at Benny, and decided neither of us was worth the chair.\u201d<\/p>\n

Christopher sighed.
\n\u201cCan we just move past this?\u201d
\n\u201cI don\u2019t think I can.\u201d
\n\u201cI apologized.\u201d
\n\u201cYou apologized after discovering who Steven was.\u201d<\/p>\n

His face tightened.
\n\u201cWe don\u2019t need to make one unpleasant interaction into something larger.\u201d<\/p>\n

I pushed the sandwich away.
\n\u201cYou changed the rules because you didn\u2019t like the customer standing in front of you. That\u2019s already larger than one unpleasant interaction.\u201d<\/p>\n

Christopher looked toward Mary.
\n\u201cMary, please.\u201d
\nShe calmly set down the cups she was carrying.
\n\u201cShe\u2019s right. You made up the rule.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before Christopher could answer, the bell above the caf\u00e9 door rang.
\nA woman stepped inside while checking her phone.
\n\u201cChris? Sorry. Parking was awful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then she looked up.
\n\u201cDad?\u201d<\/p>\n

Steven smiled.
\nThe woman hurried toward him and hugged him.
\n\u201cWhat are you doing here?\u201d
\n\u201cI thought I\u2019d surprise you.\u201d
\nShe laughed.
\n\u201cYou certainly did.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then she noticed Christopher\u2019s expression.
\nHer smile faded.
\n\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n

Christopher immediately stepped toward her.
\n\u201cVictoria, it\u2019s been a difficult afternoon.\u201d<\/p>\n

I knew right then that wasn\u2019t how this story was going to be told.<\/p>\n

Victoria looked between them.
\n\u201cWhat\u2019s going on?\u201d
\nSteven glanced toward me.
\n\u201cYou should probably hear it from Carol.\u201d<\/p>\n

Victoria followed his gaze and noticed Benny.
\nHer expression softened.
\n\u201cOh, sweetheart.\u201d
\nShe crouched slightly.<\/p>\n

I lifted a hand.
\n\u201cHe\u2019s blind. His name is Benny.\u201d
\nHer hand stopped.
\n\u201cCan I pet him?\u201d
\n\u201cLet him smell your fingers first.\u201d<\/p>\n

She held out her hand.
\nBenny sniffed her fingers and then leaned his head against her palm.
\n\u201cHello, Benny,\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n

Christopher shifted beside her.
\n\u201cVic, we\u2019re already resolving this. You don\u2019t need to get involved.\u201d
\nShe stood.
\n\u201cThen tell me what happened.\u201d<\/p>\n

The old instinct rose inside me again.
\nMake it smaller.
\nDon\u2019t cause trouble.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s really\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

I stopped.
\nNo.
\n\u201cActually, it isn\u2019t nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Christopher\u2019s jaw tightened.
\nI looked at Victoria.
\n\u201cI came inside because I felt faint. I ordered coffee. Christopher told me Benny could only remain inside if I spent at least thirty dollars.\u201d<\/p>\n

Victoria closed her eyes.
\n\u201cChristopher.\u201d
\n\u201cIt was a business decision.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her expression changed.
\n\u201cYou promised me you were done making those kinds of decisions about people.\u201d<\/p>\n

The room became very quiet.
\nChristopher stared at her.
\n\u201cThis isn\u2019t the same.\u201d
\n\u201cIt sounds exactly the same.\u201d<\/p>\n

She turned toward me.
\n\u201cPlease continue.\u201d
\n\u201cI pointed out that another dog was allowed inside. Christopher told me Benny was old and unattractive and didn\u2019t fit the atmosphere.\u201d<\/p>\n

Victoria stared at him.
\n\u201cYou actually said that?\u201d
\n\u201cI was frustrated.\u201d
\n\u201cYou were warned about this months ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

Christopher\u2019s face tightened.
\n\u201cI told you I was working on it.\u201d
\n\u201cYou told me you would stop judging people\u2019s worth by what they wear, how much they spend, or what they can do for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

He glanced toward Steven.
\n\u201cI\u2019m trying to run a business.\u201d
\n\u201cAnd I was trying not to faint,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n

Victoria looked toward Mary.
\n\u201cHas he done this before?\u201d
\nMary hesitated.
\nChristopher quickly interrupted.
\n\u201cDon\u2019t involve my employees.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mary set down the cup she was holding.
\n\u201cI\u2019ve watched you pressure people to leave if they only order coffee. I\u2019ve never heard you invent a rule about someone\u2019s dog before.\u201d<\/p>\n

Victoria looked devastated.
\nChristopher turned toward her.
\n\u201cYou know how much I\u2019ve put into this place.\u201d
\n\u201cI do,\u201d she replied quietly. \u201cThat\u2019s why I\u2019ve kept asking you to change.\u201d<\/p>\n

He rubbed his forehead.
\n\u201cCan we discuss this privately?\u201d
\n\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

Victoria looked toward me.
\n\u201cCarol shouldn\u2019t have to disappear from a conversation about something that happened to her.\u201d<\/p>\n

Steven finally spoke.
\n\u201cI came here because Victoria told me how proud you were of this caf\u00e9.\u201d
\nChristopher faced him.
\n\u201cYou understand what it\u2019s like trying to build something.\u201d
\n\u201cI do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Steven looked around the room.
\n\u201cIn fact, Victoria and I had discussed your plans to expand.\u201d<\/p>\n

Victoria frowned.
\n\u201cDad?\u201d
\n\u201cI hadn\u2019t told either of you yet. I was considering helping after the wedding.\u201d<\/p>\n

Christopher stared at him.
\n\u201cYou were going to invest?\u201d
\nVictoria looked equally surprised.
\n\u201cYou were?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was considering it,\u201d Steven said. \u201cThat\u2019s one reason I wanted to see the business myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Christopher\u2019s eyes flicked toward me.
\nI followed his gaze to the sandwich he\u2019d suddenly offered and the water he\u2019d brought for Benny.
\nHe hadn\u2019t known about Steven\u2019s possible investment.
\nBut he\u2019d known exactly who Steven was.<\/p>\n

I looked at Christopher.
\n\u201cYou didn\u2019t know he might invest, did you?\u201d
\n\u201cNo.\u201d
\n\u201cBut you recognized him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Christopher hesitated.
\n\u201cI\u2019d seen pictures. We\u2019d spoken on the phone.\u201d<\/p>\n

I nodded toward the food.
\n\u201cAnd that was enough to suddenly make me worth treating politely.\u201d<\/p>\n

Christopher didn\u2019t answer.
\nTen minutes earlier, I\u2019d been an inconvenient old woman buying a four-dollar coffee.
\nThen someone important walked into the room.
\nAnd suddenly Christopher cared about how his behavior looked.<\/p>\n


\n**Part 3**<\/p>\n

Victoria remained silent for several seconds.
\nThen she slowly removed her engagement ring.<\/p>\n

Christopher stared at her hand.
\n\u201cYou\u2019re ending our engagement because of some stranger?\u201d
\n\u201cNo.\u201d
\nHer voice was calm.
\n\u201cI\u2019m ending it because I\u2019ve already warned you about this. I told you I couldn\u2019t build a life with someone who decides how much respect people deserve based on their money, appearance, or usefulness.\u201d<\/p>\n

She placed the ring on the counter.<\/p>\n

Christopher looked toward Steven.
\n\u201cAnd now you\u2019re saying you won\u2019t invest?\u201d
\nSteven\u2019s answer was immediate.
\n\u201cI won\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

Christopher turned toward me.
\n\u201cYou\u2019ve cost me everything!\u201d<\/p>\n

I stood carefully, holding Benny against my side.
\n\u201cNo.\u201d
\nHe stared at me.
\n\u201cI ordered coffee.\u201d<\/p>\n

The caf\u00e9 went completely silent.
\n\u201cYou made every choice that came afterward.\u201d<\/p>\n

For the first time that afternoon, Christopher seemed smaller than the room he owned.<\/p>\n

A few minutes passed.
\nThen he approached me again.
\nHis voice was quieter this time.
\n\u201cI shouldn\u2019t have treated you that way.\u201d<\/p>\n

This time, he wasn\u2019t looking at Steven.
\nHe wasn\u2019t looking at Victoria either.<\/p>\n

I nodded.
\n\u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Steven pulled out the chair across from me.
\n\u201cWould you allow me to buy you lunch?\u201d<\/p>\n

The answer I\u2019d been giving people for eighteen months rose automatically.
\nI\u2019m fine.<\/p>\n

Instead, I caught myself.
\n\u201cNo. Actually, I\u2019m hungry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Steven smiled.
\n\u201cThen let\u2019s eat.\u201d<\/p>\n

Victoria sat beside her father.
\nMary brought me a fresh sandwich.
\n\u201cThis one really is on the house,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

I glanced toward Christopher.
\nHe gave a small nod.
\n\u201cAll right,\u201d I said. \u201cI\u2019ll accept it.\u201d<\/p>\n

We didn\u2019t talk about Christopher.
\nWe didn\u2019t talk about the broken engagement or the investment Steven had decided against.<\/p>\n

Victoria asked how Benny had come into my life.
\nSteven asked how long Frank and I had been married.<\/p>\n

For once, accepting someone\u2019s kindness didn\u2019t make me feel as though I owed them something.<\/p>\n

Before leaving, I stopped beside the chalkboard.
\nDOGS WELCOME.<\/p>\n

I turned toward Christopher.
\n\u201cIf you\u2019re going to keep that sign outside, mean it.\u201d
\nHe held my gaze.
\n\u201cI will.\u201d
\n\u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n

The following morning, Benny and I returned to the cemetery.
\nI placed fresh flowers beside Frank\u2019s grave and carefully lowered myself onto the nearby bench.
\nBenny settled against my shoe.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou missed quite a day yesterday,\u201d I said.
\nThe breeze moved softly through the grass.
\n\u201cI nearly got thrown out of a caf\u00e9. I met a decent man. I watched an engagement fall apart. And somehow I still ended up getting lunch.\u201d<\/p>\n

I smiled.
\n\u201cYou would\u2019ve hated the part where I almost fainted.\u201d<\/p>\n

Benny nudged my ankle.
\nI looked down at him.
\n\u201cAnd you would\u2019ve absolutely loved this little troublemaker.\u201d<\/p>\n

For eighteen months, I\u2019d visited Frank\u2019s grave and told him how much I missed him.
\nThat morning, I told him something different.<\/p>\n

\u201cI stood up for myself yesterday.\u201d
\nBenny pressed closer to my leg.
\n\u201cNot especially gracefully, but I did it.\u201d<\/p>\n

I rested my hand against his back.
\n\u201cI think you would\u2019ve been proud of me.\u201d<\/p>\n

The silence around me didn\u2019t feel empty that morning.
\nIt felt peaceful.
\nFamiliar.<\/p>\n

I looked once more at Frank\u2019s name engraved in the stone, then down at the old blind dog waiting beside me.
\n\u201cCome on, Benny.\u201d
\nI stood carefully.
\n\u201cLet\u2019s go home.\u201d<\/p>\n

THE END<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I only wanted somewhere to sit until the dizziness passed, with my blind Chihuahua curled beside me. **Part 1** Instead, a simple cup of coffee turned into one of the … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":20341,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15,16,6,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20343","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-family","category-inspiration","category-news","category-real-life-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/storyreadin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20343","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/storyreadin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/storyreadin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/storyreadin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/storyreadin.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=20343"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/storyreadin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20343\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20344,"href":"https:\/\/storyreadin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20343\/revisions\/20344"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/storyreadin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/20341"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/storyreadin.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=20343"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/storyreadin.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=20343"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/storyreadin.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=20343"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}