--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: was no one else there to comfort her…" description: "\"“was no one else there to comfort her. There was only him. The real him. She stepped forward and laid her head against his chest. Samantha: I’ll never ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbb/liane-moriarty-1135_chewing-gum_was-no-one-else-there-to-comfort-her-the_3103363.jpg" --- # was no one else there to comfort her. There was only him… ![“was no one else there to comfort her. There was only him. The real him. She stepped forward and laid her head against his chest. Samantha: I’ll never forget the moment when Perry and Celeste walked into the trivia night. There was like this ripple across the room. Everyone just stopped and stared…” quote by Liane Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbb/liane-moriarty-1135_chewing-gum_was-no-one-else-there-to-comfort-her-the_3103363.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbb/liane-moriarty-1135_chewing-gum_was-no-one-else-there-to-comfort-her-the_3103363.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbb/liane-moriarty-1135_chewing-gum_was-no-one-else-there-to-comfort-her-the_3103363.jpg) > ““was no one else there to comfort her. There was only him. The real him. She stepped forward and laid her head against his chest. Samantha: I’ll never forget the moment when Perry and Celeste walked into the trivia night. There was like this ripple across the room. Everyone just stopped and stared. 23. Isn’t this FANTASTIC!” cried Madeline to Chloe as they took their really very excellent seats in front of the giant ice rink. “You can feel the cold from the ice! Brrr! Oh! Can you hear the music? I wonder where the princesses—” Chloe had reached over and placed one hand gently over her mother’s mouth. “Shhh.” Madeline knew she was talking too much because she was feeling anxious and ever so slightly guilty. Today needed to be stupendous to make it worth the rift she’d created between herself and Renata. Eight kindergarten children, who would otherwise be attending Amabella’s party, were here watching Disney On Ice because of Madeline. Madeline looked past Chloe at Ziggy, who was nursing a giant stuffed toy on his lap. Ziggy was the reason they were here today, she reminded herself. Poor Ziggy wouldn’t have been at the party. Dear little fatherless Ziggy. Who was possibly a secret psychopathic bully . . . but still! “Are you taking care of Harry the Hippo this weekend, Ziggy?” she said brightly. Harry the Hippo was the class toy. Every weekend it went home with a different child, along with a scrapbook that had to be returned with a little story about the weekend, accompanied by photos. Ziggy nodded mutely. A child of few words. Jane leaned forward, discreetly chewing gum as always. “It’s quite stressful having Harry to stay. We have to give Harry a good time. Last weekend he went on a roller coaster— Ow!” Jane recoiled as one of the twins, who was sitting next to her and fighting his brother, elbowed her in the back of the head. “Josh!” said Celeste sharply. “Max! Just stop it!” Madeline wondered if Celeste was OK today. She looked pale and tired, with purplish shadows under her eyes, although on Celeste they looked like an artful makeup effect that everyone should try. The lights in the auditorium began to dim, and then went to black. Chloe clutched Madeline’s arm. The music began to pound, so loud that Madeline could feel the vibrations. The ice rink filled with an”” [Liane Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liane-moriarty/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A mother grapples with guilt, anxiety, and the desire to create a memorable moment for her child while managing personal turmoil and complex family dynamics. **In simple terms:** A mother tries to make a special day for her child despite personal stress. Key Takeaway Prioritize emotional honesty and self‑care. Themes family guilt anxiety parenting memory Mood tense hopeful Type narrative reflective When to use this quote - family gathering - childcare - school event - personal crisis Key Concepts empathy responsibility social pressure Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance personal anxiety with caring for a child? - What boundaries help protect your well‑being? A Different Perspective Balancing personal needs with caring for others can be overwhelming. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [“Hey, that's weird," Chloe says. "You both have the same color eyes as Emma. I've never seen that before. I always thought it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-banks/hey-that-s-weird-chloe-says-you-both-have-the-same-color-eyes-as-emma/) [Anna Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-banks/) > [“He turned my way, and I was so engrossed in my thoughts that I didn't notice for a second. Then I realized I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelley-armstrong/he-turned-my-way-and-i-was-so-engrossed-in-my-thoughts-that-i-didn-t/) [Kelley Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelley-armstrong/) > [“Chloe took a sip of her coffee. Strong as faith, sweet as love, black as sin.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-stuart/chloe-took-a-sip-of-her-coffee-strong-as-faith-sweet-as-love-black-as/) [Anne Stuart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-stuart/) > [How fascinating to a child are words: the shapes, sounds, textures and mysterious meanings of words; the way words link together into elastic patterns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/how-fascinating-to-a-child-are-words-the-shapes-sounds-textures-and/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [Mothers remember a child's first words, and quote them in tones usually reserved for Byron.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/letty-cottin-pogrebin/mothers-remember-a-child-s-first-words-and-quote-them-in-tones/) [Letty Cottin Pogrebin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/letty-cottin-pogrebin/) > [You might be a redneck if...your child's first words are 'Attention K-Mart shoppers!'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-foxworthy/you-might-be-a-redneck-if-your-child-s-first-words-are-attention-k/) [Jeff Foxworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-foxworthy/) > [Languages are fluffy big pillows stuffed between nations - what others say is muffled and nearly lost in them, and when we speak their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bach/languages-are-fluffy-big-pillows-stuffed-between-nations-what-others/) [Richard Bach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bach/) > [“Then I’ll hide all the scissors and chewing gum.” It made the entire room grow quiet before he looked over at me. “I know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-l-johnson/then-i-ll-hide-all-the-scissors-and-chewing-gum-it-made-the-entire/) [Amber L. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-l-johnson/) > [Teacher:Why are you chewing gum in my class?!?! Me:Dude, chill, it's gum, not cocaine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/teacher-why-are-you-chewing-gum-in-my-class-me-dude-chill-it-s-gum/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Each had his past shut in him like the leaves of a book known to him by heart; and his friends could only read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-lloyd-wright/each-had-his-past-shut-in-him-like-the-leaves-of-a-book-known-to-him/) [Frank Lloyd Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-lloyd-wright/) > [For me, the dumbest rule is that you can't chew gum in school. For some reason, chewing gum for me gets my brain going.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brie-larson/for-me-the-dumbest-rule-is-that-you-can-t-chew-gum-in-school-for-some/) [Brie Larson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brie-larson/) > [“How can men be such lummoxes, such wads of chewing gum on our ballet slippers and still feel so good?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/how-can-men-be-such-lummoxes-such-wads-of-chewing-gum-on-our-ballet/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [It is an anomaly that information, the one thing most necessary to our survival as choosers of our own way, should be a commodity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-liebling/it-is-an-anomaly-that-information-the-one-thing-most-necessary-to-our/) [A. J. Liebling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-liebling/) > [Did they practice looking suspicious in mirrors? Welcome to the United States. Don’t even think about chewing gum the wrong way.’ (Carlos)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/did-they-practice-looking-suspicious-in-mirrors-welcome-to-the-united/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [Some television programs are so much chewing gum for the eyes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mason-brown/some-television-programs-are-so-much-chewing-gum-for-the-eyes/) [John Mason Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mason-brown/) ## More by Liane Moriarty > [“It was good to remember that for every horrible memory from her marriage, there was also a happy one. She wanted to see it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liane-moriarty/it-was-good-to-remember-that-for-every-horrible-memory-from-her/) [Liane Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liane-moriarty/) > [“When you were young you talked about "falling in love" with such amusing gravity, as if it were an actual recordable event, when what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liane-moriarty/when-you-were-young-you-talked-about-falling-in-love-with-such/) [Liane Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liane-moriarty/) > [“Nathan kissed Madeline on the cheek and shook Ed's hand enthusiastically. He took an ostentatious relish in the civility of his dealings with his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liane-moriarty/nathan-kissed-madeline-on-the-cheek-and-shook-ed-s-hand/) [Liane Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liane-moriarty/) > [“The cycles of dysfunction and mental illness did not have to carry over from generation to generation. You just had to educate yourself. Erika”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liane-moriarty/the-cycles-of-dysfunction-and-mental-illness-did-not-have-to-carry/) [Liane Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liane-moriarty/) > [My real thinking and planning gets done when I'm doing something else like driving or walking or taking the shower.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liane-moriarty/my-real-thinking-and-planning-gets-done-when-i-m-doing-something-else/) [Liane Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liane-moriarty/) > [“She wondered if it was similar to how people felt when they first took antidepressants and they lost their pain, but everything else felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liane-moriarty/she-wondered-if-it-was-similar-to-how-people-felt-when-they-first/) [Liane Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liane-moriarty/) > [It's always the paragraphs I loved most, the ones I tenderly polished and re-read with pride, that my editor will suggest cutting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liane-moriarty/it-s-always-the-paragraphs-i-loved-most-the-ones-i-tenderly-polished/) [Liane Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liane-moriarty/) > [“Recently, she’d noticed something strange happening when she talked to people in groups. She couldn’t quite remember how to be. She’d find herself thinking:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liane-moriarty/recently-she-d-noticed-something-strange-happening-when-she-talked-to/) [Liane Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liane-moriarty/) > [“I won’t get involved in any school politics,” she’d said, and someone up there had overheard and hadn’t liked her attitude. Far too confident.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liane-moriarty/i-won-t-get-involved-in-any-school-politics-she-d-said-and-someone-up/) [Liane Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liane-moriarty/) > [Early love is exciting and exhilarating. It's light and bubbly. Anyone can love like that. But after three children, after a separation and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liane-moriarty/early-love-is-exciting-and-exhilarating-it-s-light-and-bubbly-anyone/) [Liane Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liane-moriarty/) > [“Did you know that some people wish the Berlin Wall had never come down?” said Esther. “That’s weird, isn’t it? Why would you want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liane-moriarty/did-you-know-that-some-people-wish-the-berlin-wall-had-never-come/) [Liane Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liane-moriarty/) > [“The weather wasn’t helping. It was far too lovely, mocking her pain.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liane-moriarty/the-weather-wasn-t-helping-it-was-far-too-lovely-mocking-her-pain/) [Liane Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liane-moriarty/) > [“Harper: Who said it was a feminist issue? What the heck? I’ll tell you what started it: the incident at the kindergarten orientation day.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liane-moriarty/harper-who-said-it-was-a-feminist-issue-what-the-heck-i-ll-tell-you/) [Liane Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liane-moriarty/) > [“Why weren’t they just overcome with joy every time they looked at those kids? Why in the world were they divorcing?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liane-moriarty/why-weren-t-they-just-overcome-with-joy-every-time-they-looked-at/) [Liane Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liane-moriarty/) > [“(Why did she think tall people couldn’t be crazy? Because they looked like they ruled the world?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liane-moriarty/why-did-she-think-tall-people-couldn-t-be-crazy-because-they-looked/) [Liane Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liane-moriarty/) [Explore all 281 Liane Moriarty quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liane-moriarty/) ## More Chewing gum quotes > [Some television programs are so much chewing gum for the eyes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mason-brown/some-television-programs-are-so-much-chewing-gum-for-the-eyes/) [John Mason Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mason-brown/) > [Did they practice looking suspicious in mirrors? Welcome to the United States. Don’t even think about chewing gum the wrong way.’ (Carlos)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/did-they-practice-looking-suspicious-in-mirrors-welcome-to-the-united/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [It is an anomaly that information, the one thing most necessary to our survival as choosers of our own way, should be a commodity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-liebling/it-is-an-anomaly-that-information-the-one-thing-most-necessary-to-our/) [A. J. Liebling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-liebling/) > [“How can men be such lummoxes, such wads of chewing gum on our ballet slippers and still feel so good?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/how-can-men-be-such-lummoxes-such-wads-of-chewing-gum-on-our-ballet/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [For me, the dumbest rule is that you can't chew gum in school. For some reason, chewing gum for me gets my brain going.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brie-larson/for-me-the-dumbest-rule-is-that-you-can-t-chew-gum-in-school-for-some/) [Brie Larson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brie-larson/) > [Each had his past shut in him like the leaves of a book known to him by heart; and his friends could only read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-lloyd-wright/each-had-his-past-shut-in-him-like-the-leaves-of-a-book-known-to-him/) [Frank Lloyd Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-lloyd-wright/) > [Teacher:Why are you chewing gum in my class?!?! Me:Dude, chill, it's gum, not cocaine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/teacher-why-are-you-chewing-gum-in-my-class-me-dude-chill-it-s-gum/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Then I’ll hide all the scissors and chewing gum.” It made the entire room grow quiet before he looked over at me. “I know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-l-johnson/then-i-ll-hide-all-the-scissors-and-chewing-gum-it-made-the-entire/) [Amber L. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-l-johnson/) > [“(When chlorophyll chewing gum came into fashion two decades later, it was that colour.)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/when-chlorophyll-chewing-gum-came-into-fashion-two-decades-later-it/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [I must always, always have a box of Extra chewing gum in my bag because I have developed a terrible cheek-chewing compulsion. It's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-jewell/i-must-always-always-have-a-box-of-extra-chewing-gum-in-my-bag/) [Lisa Jewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-jewell/) > [My parents sent me from Venezuela to the Convent of Our Lady, a boarding school in Hastings, which was horrible - like Harry Potter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carmen-busquets/my-parents-sent-me-from-venezuela-to-the-convent-of-our-lady-a/) [Carmen Busquets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carmen-busquets/) > [So much of TV seems to be chewing gum for the eyes… TV desperately needs more self-reliance and pride in the medium.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mason-brown/so-much-of-tv-seems-to-be-chewing-gum-for-the-eyes-tv-desperately/) [John Mason Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mason-brown/) > [“Great. Darcy is the ruler of our school. Prety soon, Julius is going to be like Singapore - you'll get a $500 fine for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flynn-meaney/great-darcy-is-the-ruler-of-our-school-prety-soon-julius-is-going-to/) [Flynn Meaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flynn-meaney/) > [“Do you know where bad breath comes from? Do you know where body odor comes from? Bad breath and body odor come from a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-jacoby/do-you-know-where-bad-breath-comes-from-do-you-know-where-body-odor/) [Jesse Jacoby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-jacoby/) > [“It sounded old. Deserve. Old and tired and beaten to death. Deserve. Now it seemed to him that he was always saying or thinking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/it-sounded-old-deserve-old-and-tired-and-beaten-to-death-deserve-now/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) Browse all 135 Chewing gum quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“was no one else there to comfort her. There was only him. The real him. She stepped forward and laid her head against his chest. Samantha: I’ll never forget the moment when Perry and Celeste walked into the trivia night. There was like this ripple across the room. Everyone just stopped and stared. 23. Isn’t this FANTASTIC!” cried Madeline to Chloe as they took their really very excellent seats in front of the giant ice rink. “You can feel the cold from the ice! Brrr! Oh! Can you hear the music? I wonder where the princesses—” Chloe had reached over and placed one hand gently over her mother’s mouth. “Shhh.” Madeline knew she was talking too much because she was feeling anxious and ever so slightly guilty. Today needed to be stupendous to make it worth the rift she’d created between herself and Renata. Eight kindergarten children, who would otherwise be attending Amabella’s party, were here watching Disney On Ice because of Madeline. Madeline looked past Chloe at Ziggy, who was nursing a giant stuffed toy on his lap. Ziggy was the reason they were here today, she reminded herself. Poor Ziggy wouldn’t have been at the party. Dear little fatherless Ziggy. Who was possibly a secret psychopathic bully . . . but still! “Are you taking care of Harry the Hippo this weekend, Ziggy?” she said brightly. Harry the Hippo was the class toy. Every weekend it went home with a different child, along with a scrapbook that had to be returned with a little story about the weekend, accompanied by photos. Ziggy nodded mutely. A child of few words. Jane leaned forward, discreetly chewing gum as always. “It’s quite stressful having Harry to stay. We have to give Harry a good time. Last weekend he went on a roller coaster— Ow!” Jane recoiled as one of the twins, who was sitting next to her and fighting his brother, elbowed her in the back of the head. “Josh!” said Celeste sharply. “Max! Just stop it!” Madeline wondered if Celeste was OK today. She looked pale and tired, with purplish shadows under her eyes, although on Celeste they looked like an artful makeup effect that everyone should try. The lights in the auditorium began to dim, and then went to black. Chloe clutched Madeline’s arm. The music began to pound, so loud that Madeline could feel the vibrations. 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