Let's Play Pretend Novels & Stories

I asked playfully. The kids shook their heads with wide eyes. “Well, I’m telling you—it’s true. Everyone gets scared of something,” I said with a gentle smile. “And even if something doesn’t go exactly according to plan, how would he know? Just keep going like it’s all part of the show. He doesn’t know what was supposed to happen—so fake it like pros.” I leaned in a little closer, lowering my voice to a mischievous whisper, “And if that doesn’t help, just picture the Alpha… showing up without his pants on.”

His mother lifted a perfectly plucked brow as she waited for him to explain. His mother knew Emily and she had even joked about them getting married one day because of their closeness, but it had sounded absurd to him. Moreover, it still sounded absurd since he wasn't ready to get married and women like Emily were the kind he often avoided. They always wore their hearts on their sleeves and lived in a fantasy world. A world far from reality and it was the place he never had an intention to venture into. "Mamá, nothing is going on between Emily and me. We will always be friends and nothing else." He affirmed.

Kendra and I cheer on our respective partners, adding an extra layer of excitement to the already spirited atmosphere. In the final round, it's my turn to act out a phrase. I draw a slip of paper and read the words: "Baby's first steps." A knowing smile plays on my lips as I begin to pantomime the tentative steps of a toddler. The room falls into a hushed silence as my actions convey the profound journey of parenthood, a journey we are all eagerly anticipating.

"Pick a big one. Take everything with a nice color. Jewels are valuable. Take them all back and I'll buy you a big meal! We'll get rid of your mother once we're rich." Evan placed piece after piece of jewelry into his bag. The father and son chuckled with delight. Even Ivana began to speak from the other end of the call. "There's also the brown bag on the rack. Help me bring it back, Evan. What a good boy…" I pretended to be unaware of everything. … The next morning, Evan got restless. He kept fidgeting left and right as though the chair he sat on had thorns. "I miss Dad, Mom."

“Don’t baby me!” “Then what? Sweetie?” “No!” “Hmm, how about I call you mine?” “Eww~ don’t!” “How about I call you baby?” “Same difference…” "No, it’s not... I think I like babies. Let me call you baby.” “Please don’t use any of that!” “Then what should I use?” “You... wait, I asked you why you pinched me. You're avoiding the question!” “I did no such thing.” “Yes, you did.”

I would marry him for real, and we would be happy together. I picked my daughter up and hugged her close to me. “We’re playing pretend, sweetie. We’ve got to play pretend to keep Daddy safe. So, from now on, Galileo is Daddy. Uncle is your grandfather. It’s all pretend. But we’ll be safe. I promise.” Tori nodded. “Okay, Mommy.” “Are you safe?” I asked. “Did you get hurt on the way over here?” Tori shook her head. “No. We were on a big bird.”

The four words were: *Everyone is watching you.* Ava had spent the rest of lunch trying to identify the number. It wasn't saved in her contacts. It wasn't the same number Mason had used yesterday. She had typed back a single question mark and received nothing, and by the time the bell rang for fifth period the message was sitting in her phone like a splinter, small and specific and impossible to ignore.

Without looking up, Lizzy nodded as she licked her fingers, but she remained quiet. “Lizzy?” The girl looked up again. “You don’t have to say a word now, but will you talk to me one day? I would really like to play dolls with you.” The girl’s eyes widened and light danced inside her huge orbs. In excitement, Mercedes’ heart picked up a faster rhythm. “Would you like that?” Lizzy nodded faster. “I would, too, but I cannot play with you unless you talk to me.” Lizzy lowered her eyes as she gobbled down the remainder of her roll.

It sounded beautiful, and there was a nice suggestion but for some reason, it made my chest tighten. Is he hiding something? I wondered. “To live for one night?” I asked, masking my suspicion with a laugh. “And here I thought we were just going to eat and pretend nothing existed.” He smirked. “Exactly, that’s the point. Actually, I have an idea or game, if you're inclined. Let's pretend this is our first date. Two strangers meeting for the first time.” I laughed softly, shaking my head. “Andre, that's ridiculous.” “Come on, just humor me,” he said, eyes locking on mine. “We're living in the present, right? So let's do it properly.”