The mom club

John and Rose were friends all through junior high and high school. They first met during gym class in 8th grade. John had a rare genetic disorder the prevented him from growing body hair. Embarrassed by this, his doctor (who was a family friend) issued a note saying he had asthma and could not participate. Rose had a broken arm and couldn’t do much. However, state law required them to still attend, so thru simply sat on the bleachers.

They became fast friends and soon were inseparable, doing everything together. People always assumed they were a couple. They weren’t. After school, as things often go, they went their separate ways.

After he graduated, John had trouble getting work and started drinking. Within a year he had a sizable gut and man boobs. Even though he quit drinking, his gut had only reduced slightly. He resorted to wearing baggy clothes to hide his ample frame.

5 years later, a chance encounter in a grocery store reunited the friends. John was simply shopping for a few necessities when Rose spotted him.

Despite the fact that John had let his hair grow down to his shoulders, was pushing a baby in a stroller and carrying a pink diaper bag, Rose immediately recognized him as he pushed the stroller down the aisle. Looking around to make sure her husband wasn’t near, she made a bee line for John.

“Oh my god! John,” Rose said as she embraced him in a tight hug. “How have you been, and who is this precious little one?”

“This is my daughter Alison!” John beamed.

“She is so cute! And where is the proud mama?”

A dark cloud seemed to pass over John’s face. “She abandoned both of us 6 months ago,” he replied sadly.

“I’m so sorry to hear that! So you’re raising her on your own?”

“Yes I am!”

“Let me see your phone,” Rose asked. “I’ll give you my number in case you need anything.”

Before John could answer, she took his phone and d dialed her own number. “There! Now I have yours too.” She handed John back his phone and took her own out. She quickly added John to her contact list as only “J”.

“I must show you pictures of my daughter!”

As the two friends stood looking at pictures, Rose’s husband Derick, turned down the aisle. He saw his wife talking to what he thought another woman who had a baby.

By the time he reached the two of them, John had already started walking away. Derick casually looked the woman over and noticed the faint printing on the back of her sweat pants that said “PINK”.

Unfortunately for John, he had accidentally found and put on a pair of his exes sweats.

“Who was she,” Derick asked.

Not wanting to upset her jealous husband, Rose simply played on the mistaken impression.

“Just an old friend from high school. Single mom struggling to make it on her own.”

Being generous with his money, especially when it came to the ladies, Derick reached for his wallet and pulled out 50 dollars. “Here, give this to her. Hate to see a woman struggling.”

Rose, not wanting to cause a scene, took the money and chased after John. Once she caught him she quickly said, “here, take this and don’t ask any questions. I’ll explain it to you later!” Forcing the bill into John’s hands she returned to her husband before a stunned John could react.

The next morning Rose called John after her husband left for work.

“I’m sorry about yesterday! I’m sure it seemed a bit odd that I just gave you 50 dollars,” Rose said before John even finished saying “hello.”

“Odd is an understatement,” John laughed.

“It was from Derick, my husband.”

“And why would your husband simply give some guy he doesn’t know 50 bucks?”

“He didn’t,” Rose replied. “He gave 50 dollars to a struggling, single mom.”

“What?”

“Listen, Derick is a very jealous man. If he thought I was talking to another man he’d go crazy. He wrongly assumed you were a woman and I didn’t say anything different.”

“Why would he have assumed I was a woman in the first place,” John asked.

“Look, I’d rather not do this on the phone. It seems to impersonal. Derick is at work, so why don’t you come over for coffee and we’ll talk about it.”

“I would, but I can’t get a babysitter on such short notice.”

“Bring your daughter with!” Rose responded.

Thinking that he really hasn’t had a real adult conversation in a while, he reluctantly agreed.

An hour later, John was at Rose’s front door, with his daughter on his hip. Rose answered with her baby in the same position. A quick side hug, and Rose invited him inside.

“Follow me into the kitchen,” she said, leading the way.

As they sat down, John immediately asked, “So, why exactly does your husband think I’m a single mom?”

“Well, let’s see.” Rose stirred her coffee. “Your long hair, the pink bag slung over your shoulder and the fact that you were wearing Victoria Secret swear pants might have been contributing factors. Plus, when he assumed that you were a woman, I didn’t tell him different. He would have started a fight in the store that would have gotten WAY worse once we got home. And who knows what he would have done to you. It was just easier.”

John shuddered. “I haven’t been beaten in a long time, and I don’t fancy that anytime soon either. Maybe I should just leave and that’ll be the end of it.”

Rose let out a little laugh. “Yeah, you could, but he’s not here, and as long as he believes you’re a single mom you’re safe. Besides, I’ve got time to kill before my nail appointment. Let’s catch up!”

————————————

Meanwhile, in his office, Derick was watching the two friends chatting in his kitchen. He had received a notice from his doorbell camera when John first arrived. Rose rarely had visitors, so he was curious as to why the woman was there.

Switching on the audio to the extensive security system he had installed in his home, he began eavesdropping on the two.

When he realized that the struggling, single mom was in fact a man, he was furious. His first instinct was to drive home and beat the guys ass.

Then he had a stunning idea. If this guy wanted to pass himself off as a poor, struggling single mother, Derick would do everything in his power to make sure it came true.