Let's Play Pretend Novels & Stories

The sun streamed through the windows, a warm glow over the living room. The air was filled with laughter. Lily had set up a pretend tea party in the middle of the floor, her stuffed animals arranged in a circle with Fiona and Carmen sitting beside her. “Here’s your tea, Mr. Bear,” Lily said, pouring imaginary tea into a tiny plastic cup. “And some cookies for you, Miss Bunny.” Fiona watched Lily with a gentle smile, her eyes following every move as she helped pour more imaginary tea. Watching them play, I felt a sense of peace. Fiona seemed to be adjusting well, and Lily was overjoyed to have her mom close.

They laugh as they mimic the sound of crashing waves and engage in a pretend sword fight, their young minds filled with wonder and imagination. Nothing is new here; after taking an afternoon nap and completing their homework, kids play together. It must be another usual day for them, but they don't know that havoc is waiting for them. Today is the day when the devil promised to ruin everything. As it is Sunday, Liam is also here. I have been spending time with kids to distract my mind and forget what he said, but it seems impossible to me.

His focus swung to her. I returned to the room and looked blankly into the mirror. I just kept telling myself, over and over, that I'd soon be done with all of this for good. As I got to my feet, voices carried in from the next room. "It's a good thing you found it. Ashley, don't leave your bracelet on the bathroom sink again." "Okay. It's so pretty. I really hope it's a girl." "Boy or girl, I'll love them the same. Come here. Let me have a little heart-to-heart with my baby."

“If we’re going to fool Grandpa, we have to think like actors, live like the story is already real. Starting now.” Elena opened the small email app on her phone. The backstory he had sent was meticulous—almost obsessive. It outlined their pretend timeline: first meeting, the pretense of a romantic connection, staged encounters, subtle gestures, and carefully curated narratives to make their eventual public appearances credible. Each line of text was precise like a chess move in a game.

Creed's POV They pulled out a board game. Something ridiculous. I didn't know how to play, and I didn't care to learn. It was enough to just watch. Yu-yu and Lily cheated brazenly, insulted each other with sugar-coated words, and passed the wine back and forth between them like they were having a teen slumber party. And me?

“Come on! Let’s drink and pretend nothing ever happened!” Pretend nothing happened?

"Well, let's say ... you can pretend to have a dementia." "W-what?"

Let’s play. Let loose the wolves of war.

“I don’t want either of us to go anywhere.” When Lucia smiled at him, relief shot through Avon’s bloodstream. She lay back down on the towel, and Avon lay down next to her, facing her. They moved the conversation away from the big topics of jobs and weddings and ex-girlfriends. Instead, they made up pretend conversations for the people around them, fed leftover tortilla chips to a friendly puppy who came by with his owner, and tried not to laugh when a teenage skateboarder attempted to fly down the church steps across the way and fell. “Shhhh,” he said when she couldn’t hold it in anymore. “You’ll hurt his pride.”