Let's Play Pretend Mga Nobela at Kwento

I paused, the lie sticking in my throat. "Because you're pretending to marry him," Emilia finished, her directness both refreshing and uncomfortable. "Yes," I admitted. "But even though it's not a real engagement, we do need to seem like we care about each other. So tonight is about getting to know each other better, including meeting each other's families." Emilia considered this, her small brow furrowed in concentration. "Does that mean I have to pretend to like him too?" I smoothed her hair back, love for this fierce, complicated child overwhelming me. "No, sweetheart. You never have to pretend about your feelings. But I do need you to be polite. Can you do that? For me?"

Amelia's POV "We did," I said, unable to help the smile tugging at my lips. "We were quite the terrors." "The best kind of terror," Blaire added, bumping my shoulder playfully. A comfortable silence settled between us, each lost in their own thoughts. "Mom," I said gently, "how about we play a little game?" My mother's brow furrowed in curiosity. "What kind of game?" "Let's pretend we're children again," I explained. "Just for a little while. Let's chase butterflies and make up stories about the clouds."

We duck behind the slide like spies so the girl on the bench can’t see us. “Here’s the deal! I need you to play along with me!” I lay it out straight, and the kids perk up, looking at me with sharp interest. “What do we have to do?” Egor, our most business-minded one, gets straight to the point. “See that girl on the bench?” We peek out of hiding, and I point at the one who caught my eye. The kids nod knowingly. “I need you to pretend I’m your dad!” “That’s kinda lame,” Andry blurts out, and my jaw drops.

He sank into a chair as they all turned their focus back to the NBA playoffs basketball game. With the kids all in the redesigned playroom. The girls are playing pretend beauty shop with their dolls, giving them full glam makeovers with makeup and nails. Justice is doing karate jumps, imitating Goku in his full costume in the extended matted area, and Marco Jr. is gaming online playing some new game similar to Fortnite.

They laughed, they danced, and they let their imaginations run wild. Time seemed to stand still in their little cocoon of creativity. Hazel and Theo built towering towers with colorful blocks, their laughter filling the air as they watched their creations teeter and tumble. They played make-believe, taking on the roles of superheroes and princesses, saving the world from imaginary villains and attending grand royal balls.

Both of us pretending we felt nothing. So why did it feel like I'd just made the biggest mistake of my life?

But I am having a feeling that she is going to suggest some children's play now! "You want me to play with you?" "Not just us! We can go out and play with appatha(grandma), thatha(grandpa), anna,anni, perippa, dad, Dakshu and Shanu! We can play ‘snake and ladders’. It will be fun!"

“I like the chocolate one. Very nutty.” “What about me?” I said. “I’m not letting my parents come. It wouldn’t be right.” “Of course not,” he said. “That’s what the actors are for.” “Actors?” I said. “Mm, this strawberry’s nice.” “You know, actors?” said Alex. “They pretend to be other people.” “In movies, or TV, Alex. Not in real life.” “This isn’t real-life,” he said. “It’s make-believe.”

Evelyn laughs a little and Victor joins in. “I guess we’ll just have to keep each other warm,” he murmurs. Evelyn casts her eyes at him, surprising him by blushing again. He smiles at this. She’s not usually so coy. The family has a very cozy time that evening, staying warm by the fire. The boys use their imaginations to think up interesting situations that embrace the cold. When imaginary Igloo gets boring, they pretend they are pioneers in the American West, living in a log cabin at the first frost. When they get bored with that, they pretend they are a family of bears, preparing their cave for their long winter hibernation.