Moms Night Out Read Online Free PDF

else—not her—who’d just lost her cool. An invisible woman who’d just slipped out. Yes, that was it.
    Mattie Mae flicked the water off her fingertips and then moved toward Allyson, stepping past her toward the paper towel dispenser. With one smooth motion, Mattie Mae swiped her hand in front of the sensor. With the hum of the machine, a paper towel slipped out.
    She cast Allyson one more glance, dried her hands, and then strode out, her high heels clicking on the tile floor. The perfect church lady.
    At that moment Allyson wished more than anything that the floor would open up and swallow up her, her junk purse, and her spider eye.
    Compose yourself The Lord worketh everything together for good, she told herself. Then she stepped forward and swiped her hand one more time, fully expecting a paper towel to emerge. Instead the machine didn’t budge. Allyson half-laughed, half-moaned at the hilarity of it. Seriously?!
    Finally, she found a handy-wipe in a side pocket of her purse and cleaned the mascara off her face. She hurried to the sanctuary, and let out the quietest moan when she realized it was full. Well, almost full, except for a spot half-way up next to a large man she didn’t recognize.
    With quickened steps she hurried up the aisle and reached the spot.
    “Psalm 127 says that children are a gift from the Lord,” Pastor Ray was saying from the pulpit.
    Allyson squatted down next to the pudgy man with the receding hairline. She pointed to the empty spot next to him. “Excuse me, can I get in there?”
    Instead of scooting over, or standing to let her in, he closed his Bible, turned slightly to the side, and pulled his knees against the pew, as if expecting her to get through a two-inch gap.
    Why do people do that?
    Pastor Ray’s voice continued through the sound system. “That’s why the position of mother is a high calling and one to be honored and protected.”
    Allyson attempted to slide in, but there just wasn’t enough room. She then tried to step over the man’s legs, but her pencil skirt only allowed her to stretch her legs so far. She did her best to wobble half around, half over him, and just as she thought she was clear, Allyson lost her balance and nearly fell into his lap.
    “What are you doing? What are you doing?” the man frantically whispered under his breath, as if she meant to seduce him in church!
    Scurrying, she quickly scooted herself over him, finally falling into the pew next to him. Her hair fell in front of her face as she landed with no grace. Then, attempting to compose herself the best she could, Allyson straightened her body and brushed the hair from her face, pretending as if nearly the whole church hadn’t just seen her display.
    And it was then she realized that all wasn’t well that ended well.
    Brushing her bare foot on the low pile carpet, Allyson winced and glanced over at his reddened face. “Uh, can I have my shoe?” she whispered. With the slightest shake of his head, the man scooted it over with his shiny black shoes.
    Still staring straight ahead, trying to take in the pastor’s words, Allyson slipped her foot back into her shoe. Heads were still turned her direction—those beside her, those in front of her—but she ignored the looks, pretending Pastor’s Ray was speaking only to her.
    “Let’s be honest, I know what you’re thinking,” he said to the congregation. “Should I feel happy when my child sticks a Fruit Roll-Up in the DVD player? Or wakes up at 3:00 a.m. crying?” Pastor Ray motioned to his Bible as a ripple of soft chuckles erupts around the sanctuary.
    “But I know for some of you, Mother’s Day can be hard,” he continued. “If you’re like my wife, Mother’s Day is when you examine all your efforts and wonder whether it’s worth it when you have to sacrifice so much.”
    Pastor Ray looked to Sondra, his wife. “Or whether you’re having an impact at all when that teen rebels.” Allyson noticed Sondra and Zoe exchanging