Nora Allridge sat on the stone steps of her son’s overpriced preschool and burst into tears.

Her Chanel mascara running in streams down her perfectly exofoillated and made up cheeks, she leaned her head against the doorway and sobbed.  She was so steeped in her own misery she didn’t notice the petite woman creeping up to her until her plump shadow fell over the doorway.

“Are you all right, dear?”

Wiping her snotty nose across the sleeve of her designer dress, the woman peered up at her through red eyes.  A pleasantly rotund woman wearing a red button down shirt and tailored black capris peered down at her, her greying chestnut hair swinging around her concerned face in a soft bob.  Blinking warm brown eyes, the woman’s soft red lips stretched in a comforting smile as she handed Nora a tissue. “What’s wrong?”

Nora blew her nose and huffed into the tissue.  “Everything.”

“Now surely  that’s not the case.  Something must be right in your world.”

Prickling at the woman’s soothing tone, Nora glared up at her. “No, everything is wrong.  My life is ruined.  It’s horrible.  It’s terrible.”  With every word, she jammed her elbow into the doorframe she was crumpled against.  Welling up with tears again, she wailed, “You don’t understand!  Everything is wrong!”  Heaving with sobs, she wrapped her arms around herself and pressed her forehead into her knees.

The woman studied her for a moment.  Whipping out her cellphone, she pressed a button and held it up to her ear.  “Mabel?  I got one for you.  Yup.  Doorway of”–  She leaned back and peered up at the sign over the doorway.  “Helping Hands PreSchool.  Off of Perdenales Street.  Right.  Designer suit, blond hair.  You’ll know her when you see her.  Got it.  Bye.”  Dropping the phone in her bag, she offered Nora another tissue.

“Who did you just call?” Nora demanded, hiccuping between sobs.  “Who’s Mabel?”

“Someone to make your world right again, dear.”

Nora batted away the tissue the woman extended and glared up at her.  “I don’t need help from you.  I don’t know you.  What business do you have getting involved in my life?”

The woman hid a smile as she placed the tissues back in her bag.  “I don’t.  But M.O.O.M. does.”

“What?” Nora snapped, her reddened snot encrusted nostrils flaring.  “What is M.O.O.M?  Who is Mabel?”

With a roaring engine and squealing of tires, a silver minivan screeched to a stop in front of the preschool.  A older woman wearing dark shades and a purple mumu rolled down the window.  “Nora Allridge?”

“Who wants to know?” Nora snarled.

“If you want to know, you’ll have to come with me.” The woman tapped her fingers against the steering wheel as Nora stared at her.  She turned to the matronly woman, who shrugged.  “It’s your choice.”

Narrowing her eyes, Nora grabbed her Kate Spade purse.  “Fine.  I’ll go.  Simply because I want to know what’s going on.”  Not bothering to brush off her designer dress or thank the woman, she marched toward the van and climbed in.  The woman in the driver’s seat handed her a diet coke and a small pink bag.  “Courtesy of M.O.O.M.”

“Who’s M.O.O.M.?” Nora snapped, tearing open the bag.  “And how do you know my name?”  Sucking in her breath, she repressed the unladylike urge to squeal.  The bag was stuffed with lipstick, a chocolate bar, a glittery pen and tiny notepad and a rhinestone ring she immediately slid on her pinkie.

“You’ll see.”  With a mysterious smile, the woman floored it out of the parking lot and raced down the highway.  Barreling past several shopping centers and office complexes, she pulled off a side road flanked by tall trees and sprawling green brush. Nora was so busy inhaling her chocolate bars she didn’t notice as the minivan pulled into the driveway of a small cottage. Bordered by cheerful rows of bright flowers and colorful plants, a shadowed face peeked around a white eyelet lace curtain through the window as the minivan stopped.

“M.O.O.M. is waiting for you inside,” the woman said, her eyes hidden by the dark sunglasses.

Nora’s head jerked up and she glanced at the cottage in surprise.  Licking the chocolate from her fingers, she brushed at the black greasy smears staining her cheeks.  “Who’s M.O.O.M.?”

The woman simply raised a hand toward the cottage.  Scowling, Nora grabbed her tiny pink bag and her purse and leaped out of the minivan.  The second she slammed the car door hard enough to let the woman know how displeased she was at all this secrecy, the minivan roared to life and shot out of the driveway.  Gravel spewed from the tires as it barreled down the road.  Gulping, Nora turned to the cottage.  For all she knew, aliens or weird government officals could be behind the white door with the cheerful welcome mat.

“Who cares?” she muttered to herself, her heels clicking decisively on the cobblestones.  “It’s not like your life isn’t wrecked enough already.”  Fighting back tears as the pent up emotion welled up, she stabbed a manicured fingernail into the doorbell.  Pleasant chimes rang out around her and she heard a quiet shuffling behind the door.  With a tiny click, the door opened and the smell of warm chocolate chip cookies enveloped her like a soft hug.

“Come inside, come inside.”  A woman wearing a lacy white apron over a flowered blouse and baby blue capris beamed, beckoning her inside.  Her short highlighted hair gleamed in the soft glow of the lambs around her cozy cottage, her warm green eyes smiling behind her glasses.  “Nora, I’m so glad you could come on such short notice.”

“Are those chocolate chip cookies?” Nora set her purse on the side table, her mouth watering.  Normally she’d wax on about the fine antiques, the soft pale yellow walls with white wainscoting and the elegant silver filigree mirror hanging beside and old fashioned coat rack.  But right now, she didn’t care about decorating or propriety.  The only thing she could think about was cold milk and warm cookies.

“Of course.  Your favorite.”  Draping an arm around her shoulders, the woman steered her into a sunlit kitchen.  Sliding into a chair, Nora drooled as the woman slid a plate of fresh chocolate chip cookies and a cold mug of milk in front of her.   Biting into the soft cookie, Nora closed her eyes and moaned.

“Would you like to tell me about your day?” The woman asked as Nora bit into her second cookie, chewing around the buttery, sugary chocolate bliss.  The melted chips danced on her tongue; the sugar tickled her soul.

“It’s not my day, it’s my past ten years.”  Nora sighed and lifted the mug to her lips.  “There’s my ex-husband who is demanding alimony because I make more, my boyfriend who just dumped me for my 20-year old nanny, my kids that hate me, my boss that harasses me, my crappy job, my friends that aren’t really my friends at all….the fact that I turned 40 today and not even my mother called or sent me a gift…And I found a grey hair and a new wrinkle.”  Tears filled her eyes and she quickly bit into another cookie, turning her head.  “I just feel like everything is a mess and nothing will be right again.”

A warm hand slid over and covered hers.  “I can help you.”

Nora raised teary eyes to the kind woman with the cozy cottage and delicious cookies.  “How?”

“Because I’m M.O.O.M.”  The woman smiled.  “Mother Of Other Mothers.”  She stood, patting Nora’s hand.  “Now you just finish cookies and tell M.O.O.M. all about it.  I’m going to get started on dinner.  And after dinner, we’ll watch Father of the Bride and give ourselves a pedicure.”

Nora sniffled, drawing her arm across her nose.  “I love Father of the Bride. It’s my favorite.” She raised her eyebrows as M.O.O.M. opened the fridge and began gathering ingredients.  “What’s for dinner?”

“Chicken fettucini Alfredo.” M.O.O.M’s eyes twinkled behind her glasses.

“My favorite!”  Nora gasped, raising another cookie to her lips.  “How do you know all this?  How do you know about me?  How do you know how to help me?”

M.O.O.M simply smiled.  “Because I’m the Mother of Other Moms.  And like any mom, I know how to make you feel better and make everything be all right.”

And for the first time in ten years, Nora really did feel like everything might be all right.

Stay tuned, Invisible Friends!  We have a new bit of fun tomorrow, a new Pemberely Pet Shop Wednesday and a delightful recipe Thursday!  Stay tuned!

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