As Dallas Jean Lee chomped into her pizza, piled high with pepperoni, salami, Canadian bacon, sausage, beef, black olives, peppers and tiny green things she couldn’t identify; she eyed her son.

“Spill,” she commanded, chunks of dough spilling on the table.

Beau sighed and leaned back, ignoring the pleading stares from Larry, Curly and Mo as they danced around the table.  “Well, here’s the thing.  I’ve been thinking about it for awhile.  Dad’s running for mayor.”

Dallas Jean scowled and tore off a chunk of pizza.  Larry, Curly and Mo, sensing her irritation, scurried off to beg from other tables at the restaurant.  Behind them, the sheriff crooned a terrible version of, “Man, I Feel Like a Woman.”

“And you are saving the petting zoo,” Beau continued.

“Saved the petting zoo!” Dallas Jean corrected, beaming as she folded an entire piece and shoved it into her mouth. “I saved the petting zoo.  For the most part, anyway.  All that’s left to be done is legal nonsense and such.  All I have to do now is observe…”  She leaned back in her chair and beamed, propping her pink kitten heels on the chair next to her son.  She wiped her greasy fingers on the hem of her duckie pajamas and tossed another piece of pizza to Larry, Curly and Mo, who greeted its arrival with gleeful snorts.

“And what are you going to do now?” her son asked, taking a leisurely bite of his pizza.

“I’m not sure,” Dallas Jean mumbled, cramming more pizza in her stuffed mouth.  “I’m thinking of baking cookies.  How about peanut butter with peanut butter chips?”

“Mom, I’m serious.”  Beau leaned forward.  “What will you do now?”

“I was serious,” Dallas Jean replied, wounded.  “I feel like baking cookies.  You can have some for breakfast.  It’s a school night, after all.”

“No, Mom,” Beau corrected.  “I mean, what are you going to do for Dad’s campaign?”

Dallas Jean’s eyes flashed.  “I didn’t do this for his campaign!” she roared, spewing pepperonis as she slapped her hand on the table.  Several customers turned to stare as she bellowed, “I wanted to save the animals!  And then he and Norman go and use it for his benefit.”  Glaring, she tore off a chunk of pizza with her teeth.  “Now he’s made it part of his campaign,” she muttered, narrowing her eyes.  “And me.  I never signed up for this.  I never wanted to be a political wife.”  Shaking her head, she bit off the crust of the slice in her hand and swallowed without chewing.  “And I’m not  going to,” she announced, narrowing her eyes.  “I’m not going to be a political wife.  I wouldn’t stand in the corner, and I’m not going to let him steal my causes.  I’m going to do something.”

“But Mom, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about,” Beau interrupted, setting down his slice of pizza.  “I don’t think you should just stay at home baking cookies or gallivanting around town with Aunt Adelaide causing chaos.  I think you should do something.”

Dallas Jean raised a perfectly manicured eyebrow and chewed.  “Explain.”

“Dad’s running for office because Norman told him too, and Dad’s just…” Beau paused.  “A nice guy,” he finished.  “He thinks everyone wants him to run, so he’ll run.  He’s good hearted, so he thinks he can do some good.”

“See, that’s exactly what I told him!” Dallas Jean whooped, flinging a half-eaten pizza in the air.  Larry, Curly and Mo gulped it down before it ever hit the floor.  “I told him he was too soft-bellied to be a politician.”

“And Clementine Jane just wants fodder for the paper,” Beau interjected before his mother could go off on a rant.  “But you, you Mom, you can do something.”

“Yes.” Dallas Jean Lee wrinkled her nose at her salad, shoving it away and reaching for another slice.  “I can bake cookies.  I’ll open up a bakery.  A bakery all about cookies.  Chocolate cookies and peanut butter cookies and coconut cookies…”

“Mom, no offense, but no one likes your cookies,” Beau said bluntly.  “Besides, you’ve got something no one else in this town has.”

Puffing out her chest, Dallas Jean beamed.  “What’s that, son?”

“Pure confidence,” Beau replied.  “Pure, unfiltered, cajones.  You don’t care what anyone thinks, says or does.  If you want something, you get it.”

“Yes I do,” Dallas Jean chirped.  “It’s a good lesson, son.  Never settle.”

“So, mom, you should do something with it,” Beau urged, desperately trying to keep his mother on track. “You should do something to help the town, something constructive.  You could help the poor, the homeless..”

“Honey, you know my theory on homeless people,” Dallas Jean interrupted.  “My mother always said”–

“Mom, the point is you should do something!” Beau roared.  “As the mayor’s wife, you’ll have influence beyond most women, even the junior league president.  You could really do something for the town, help people.  The petting zoo was great, but there’s so many other issues that need attention.”

“Old people,” Dallas Jean supplied, nodding.  “They need friends.”  She paused, pursing her lips and tapping her chin.  “I wonder if they’d like a piglet instead of a puppy…”

“What I wanted to tell you, Mom, was that as the possible future mayor’s wife, you can really do some good around here,” Beau continued, touching his mother’s hand.  “And Dad doesn’t have the confidence or charm you do.  He’s too nice, too considerate.  He won’t get things done like you can.”

Dallas Jean’s eyes brightened.  “That’s true.”

“I mean, think of all the friends you have in this town,” Beau reminded her.  “You know everybody, and everybody loves you.”

“True….” Dallas Jean’s eyes began to twinkle.

“And you and Adelaide love to go around helping people,” Beau encouraged.  “Think of all the wonderful things you could do…Mom, isn’t that a great idea?”

“It certainly is, son,” Dallas Jean purred, leaping to her feet.  Larry, Curly and Mo stared up at her, praying pizza would fall form her fingertips.  “It’s a perfect idea.  Hurry up and eat your pizza.  I’ve got a lot to do.  I’ll have to call Aunt Adelaide tomorrow and tell her the good news.”

“Wait…” Beau drawled, his eyebrows knitting together.  “What good news?”

Dallas Jean Lee beamed.  “Why, my campaign for mayor, of course.”

Stay tuned, Invisible Friends!  Tomorrow we have a new critter confessions and next week, all sorts of Thanksgiving fun!  Stay tuned!