Erika M Szabo: Author, Artist, Publisher
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Fake It Till You Make It:
​A thought provoking short story

Picture
I wrote this short story remembering all the seemingly perfect families I've met in my life.
They show a picture perfect family life but hide the struggles, heartache, compromises, and sacrifices they made to get there.

People are not perfect and we all come with a baggage. We can live a happy life or a create a chaotic life. It all depends on the choices we make.    
Picture
Picture
​
Nancy arrives home from a long day at work. She kicks off her high heels and walks into the kitchen. Bruce lights the candles on the dinner table and embraces her in a warm hug. Her two girls, ages five and six, are running from the playroom to greet her. Their handsome seventeen-year-old boy looks up from his computer and smiles at her.
A beautiful picture, isn’t it? The man plays the role of the happy househusband and the wife is the breadwinner. Nothing is wrong with that. But, let’s just see how they got to this ideal picture of a happy home.

​Available in:
ebook
Picture

Audiobook

Listen to a sample of the AI generated audiobook
on google

A short excerpt

Finally, Bruce could go home, but he couldn’t sleep. The picture of his daughter’s birth was haunting him. He wished he’d never had to see it, but it was done. He had to learn to deal with it. He had a daughter, a flesh and blood human being, and he couldn’t comprehend the thought that he was a father.

“What am I gonna do?” he mumbled. “My comfortable life seems to be over. What if she’s expecting me to change diapers and feed the baby? Moreover, what if she wants to stay home and is expecting me to be the breadwinner?”

He sat up in, his bed heart racing. “I hate working. I can’t stand it when I must be there on time and do what others tell me to do every minute. She makes good money, she should work, and I could be the stay at home dad. But then I’d have to deal with this screaming and pooping little monster.”

He got out of bed and stumbled towards the bathroom. After he splashed cold water on his face his racing mind calmed down enough so he could weigh his options. “Which one is better? Go to a job that I hate eight hours a day, or stay home and do what I want all day? How bad can it be? If I feed the kid and keep her clean, she will sleep most of the time and I could do whatever I want. Now, talking her into going back to work right away could be a challenging job. It must look like it was her idea and not mine.”
​
After a few hours restless sleep, he spent the better part of the day thinking when he had a few minutes between answering the congratulatory phone calls and getting the nursery ready. He washed and pressed the tiny baby clothes and organized the changing table. Doing the small chores around the house calmed him, and he realized that the activity made him happy. He read the ‘Welcome your brand-new baby’ book again and realized that he forgot to pick up a thermometer.

Thank you for reviewing this book!


victoria woten
5.0 out of 5 starsEasy read
June 24, 2019
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
It was a good short story about a man who was taught by his father to fake it in love and marriage. The marriage was a role reversal of stay at home husband and working wife. The story showed that even someone who seems like they will never change, can change for the good. Very encouraging.
Copyright author Erika M Szabo, 2012 Read the privacy policy and disclaimer HERE If you find a picture and you recognize it as your own and not a public domain photo, please let us know ​CONTACT
  • HOME
    • ART
    • PUBLISHING
    • NATURAL HEALING >
      • ASTHMA
      • BIZARRE SYMPTOMS
      • Natural Skin Care
      • Healing crystals
      • Aromatherapy
      • Pets and Fleas
      • Detox Your Body Naturally
      • HIGH CHOLESTEROL
      • Természetgyógyászat
    • Photos
    • Privacy policy
  • CONTACT
  • ABOUT ME
  • BLOG
    • My Thinking Board
    • JUST FOR FUN
    • Magyar Könyvek
  • CHILDREN'S BOOKS
    • Be Careful What You Wish For
    • Pico, the Pesky Parrot
    • The Chunky, Dumpy, Spunky Monkey
    • Look, I Can Talk With My Fingers
    • A Basketful of Kittens
    • Who Stole Terry's Music Box?
    • Terry and the Number Fairy
    • My Book-My Stories
    • Me Too
    • Creepy Hollow Adventures
    • Mira, ¡puedo hablar con los dedos!
  • FICTION NOVELS
    • 7 COZY SHORTS
    • Evil Will Out
    • The Ancestors' Secrets
    • Restless Heart
    • The Ghost of Prince Akhmose
    • Messenger
    • The Potion
    • Bittersweet Memories
    • The Worthless Painting
    • Alone
    • Unbroken Curse
    • Fake It
    • OMEN
    • Rainbows and Couds
    • The Curse
  • Libros ​españoles
  • MAGAZINES
    • VIDEOS-POSTS
  • AUDIOBOOKS
  • MAGYAR OLDAL
  • STORYTIME