Faking it Till They Make It

Ava's mother, with unintentionally good intentions, trickled in the first crack through the nicely made-up walls of their strategy of concealment. Eleanor had some instinct about the truth-some fraction of it or so, being evasive on a declaratory basis. The phone conversation had thrown Ava into a turmoil with a mixture of exasperated sighs and knowing smiles.

Her mother had not attacked her directly. In a manner befitting an amiable yet pointed observer, she had launched into a string of questions which wandered near the borders of her conjecture: devastatingly cunning in their evasiveness toward the exact truth. "So, Ethan," Eleanor had said, with an implication, "he's... quite the charmer, isn't he? He seems genuinely fond of you, dear. Unlike, say, certain ex-boyfriends who shall remain nameless." The thinly veiled reference to Liam, the ex-boyfriend who had left Ava with a broken heart and a profound distrust of men, was a slight sting. It was not only that she had spoken of Liam but that she meant to say he was different, better, and indeed, much more deserve of her affection.

The tension of the unfounded but heavily expected validation from Ava's mother smothered her. Ava told Ethan about the encounter with her mother that same evening, quaking in voice and steeling herself against what could only be characterized as disapproving notions. Ethan listened patiently, with a hand protectively placed over hers. He understood the old family obligations, the small pullings to get married, and what it meant when a man and woman committed to each other. His family, while not as perniciously meddlesome as Ava's was artlessly in their own gentle hinting on the topic of being settled down and looking for "the one."

"It's... complicated," Ava admitted, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. It feels like we're walking a tightrope; one wrong step could result in everything crashing down. "I won't let go of your hand. I shall be with you." Ethan squeezed her hand, locking eyes with hers. "We have always handled every problem together," he assured her gently and firmly.

They made it work without a doubt. Hence began a few days in which they constructed a new story, one that was a bit more truthful; they acknowledged the initial pretense but tried to focus on the real feelings that had emerged afterward. They practiced various dialogues together while predicting all sorts of queries from their mothers, preparing for an eventual confrontation. It was the strangest sort of intimacy, this collaborative deception, adding layers upon layers to the friendship between them.

It was during a family dinner-a well-planned event meant to showcase their supposedly new romance- that the storm was to be unleashed. The atmosphere was laden with uncomfortable tension, an almost silent power struggle between Ava and Ethan on one side and their fierce mothers on the other. Eleanor came armed with a plethora of subtle questions and knowing looks to get to the bottom of their purportedly polished narrative. Ethan's mother was a more subtle manipulator; she made her comments under the guise of parental concern, framed as though they were good advice. And the dinner went on like a well-choreographed performance; it was their time to shine and take a bow and recognize they functioned very well in a situation where pressure was applied. They all answered questions with rehearsed lines while exchanging glances that required no words. 

The irony of trusting one another completely through this common knowledge, however, was shown by their mothers. Though formidable women in their own rights, they turned out to be surprisingly good at reading the slight movements of the girls' body language and the nuances in their tones. Yet, they remained curiously ambivalent, perhaps sensing the real love that their carefully crafted portrayals carried.

Acceptance by their mothers was not their only hurdle, however. Ava's moody ex, Liam, had come back on the scene; a chance encounter sparked up his interest in her. During his persistent and annoying attempts to rekindle their romance, he became a reminder of the past, a threat to the fragile equilibrium of their present. Oblivious to Ava's love for Ethan, he coldly misread her every action, as if refusing to acknowledge the change of heart. And Marcus, Ethan's rival, a man of ambition, harbored resentment toward Ethan's success behind his outright professionalism.

The sophisticated peer had long found subtle differences in witnessing behaviour patterns from Ethan; whereby he suspected that some recalibration of interests was in play and that it might fall beyond the scope of superficiality. A shrewd and calculating opponent, Marcus referred to this as a potential bread crumb to take Ethan down professionally. And as the venue showed, so the pressures increased. Ava and Ethan had a lot to deal with-exes and rivals-when it came to a faux relationship, yet, ironically, it only served to bond them closer together. Their shared struggle, their recurring reliance on each other, became the foundation of their very close connection, a bond transcending the neatly constructed facade they had commenced.

They spent an inordinate amount of time discussing strategies, analyzing the moves of other players, and considering possible next steps. Some of these conversations, far from just a strategic discussion, became intense and added to their becoming vulnerable to one another while learning to trust each other. They learned how to read each other's needs, offer unspoken support, and give each other solid encouragement. One night, after particularly grueling engagement with Liam, Ava broke down in Ethan's arms.

She was exhausted, emotionally drained and laden with the weight of their deception. He held her, murmuring words of comfort and reassurance. In that moment, the charade dropped, the facade of carefully constructed pretense turning into the raw, unfiltered feeling of their connection. "It's not a game anymore, is it?" Ethan's voice came thick with emotion. Ava shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks. "No," she sniffed. "It isn't." Their relationship had grown, turning from mere pretentiousness into something thicker, weightier.

It was not merely submitting to their families anymore, but facing challenges together, baring their vulnerabilities, and building futures together. The first lie might have been regrettable for them; it allowed for an authentic and real union. Marcus's confrontation was unanticipated, a carefully orchestrated ambush during a high-class business meeting. Armed with carefully collected evidence and a smug sense of self-satisfaction, Marcus attempted to expose presents his belief of distraction, using Ethan's personal space as leverage upon him to suppress his accomplishment. Never had he anticipated this bond so strong, this unwaving support and loyalty they gave each other.

Ava zipped up right in, not just defending Ethan but also exposing the nature of Marcus's manipulative plans. The quick tongue of hers, the unwavering loyalty, and an unexpected presence stunned Marcus into silence. It was a show of their strength, with unrelenting showbiz public admiration, of a bond formed from a deceitful mess. Their chequered relationship had turned out a real deal, defying all that masquerade work. The shadows of Liam and Marcus were still displayed, yet they felt less menacing now than before, for the love between Ava and Ethan was garnering real strength. They conquered their troubled waters, their bond strengthened thus by each obstacle they survived, by every deception unveiled, by every truth told.

Their story was still far from over, but that day they were ready for whatever lay ahead – the future that once loomed black and full of uncertainty began to reveal a fairytale of a love that was truly theirs – a romance born of deceit but, finally, refined with trust and unyielding devotion.