My name is Mila, and I have a very special relationship with my parents. I have always been very close to them, especially my mother. We talk on the phone almost every day. She is very interested in my life, particularly my personal life.

You see, I am already twenty-six and still don’t have a boyfriend, while my mother was married and pregnant with my younger sister at my age.

Due to her age, my mother started having health problems caused by stress, and the doctors recommended that she worry less. But knowing my mother, this was impossible, and my personal life was the main source of stress for her.

So, I told my mother that I had a boyfriend to reduce her stress level, and it worked.

I didn’t like lying to my mother, but at the time, it seemed like the lesser evil, and it was for her health. I also thought I would find a boyfriend soon and wouldn’t have to lie.

But one morning, a phone call with my mother put me in a difficult position.

“Hi, Mom. Everything’s fine. I’m just having breakfast and getting ready for work…” I replied routinely on the phone while making myself some coffee.

How’s Jacob? Is he okay? When will you introduce us to him?” Her voice quickly shifted to her main interest. Of course, her daughter wasn’t the priority. As always, she was interested in “Jacob,” my imaginary boyfriend.

“Mom, you know. I would love to introduce him, but you live in another city, and we are busy with work. We don’t have the time or opportunity.”

“I knew you would say that. But this time, it won’t stop me. I’ll be visiting you this weekend, and it’s not up for discussion!” Upon hearing this, I almost dropped the phone.

I immediately stopped making breakfast and focused entirely on coming up with reasons why my mother couldn’t visit this weekend.

“What are you saying, Mom?! But… We can’t, we’ll be busy…” My mother didn’t even let me finish. Her voice came through the phone in a raised tone.

“I said it’s not up for discussion. I’m your mother, and I must know my future son-in-law!” After that, the phone went silent. This was a disaster.

I didn’t know what to do. At that moment, I had only one idea.

I picked up the phone and dialed my best friend Nigel’s number.

“Hi, Nigel…”

“Hi, what’s up?”

“Something will happen this weekend. Listen, I don’t even know how to say this. I’m so embarrassed to ask…”

“Just say it, what’s going on?”

“Could you please pretend to be my boyfriend this weekend?”

There was a pause on the other end of the line. I could almost hear Nigel’s confusion, but he finally spoke.

“Wait, what? You want me to pretend to be your boyfriend? Mila, what’s going on?”

I sighed, feeling the weight of the situation bearing down on me. “My mom thinks I have a boyfriend named Jacob.

It’s a lie I told to keep her from stressing out about my personal life. But now she’s coming to visit and expects to meet him. Please, Nigel, I need your help.”

Nigel laughed softly, but there was warmth in his voice. “Alright, Mila. I’ll do it. What are friends for, right?”

Relief washed over me. “Thank you, Nigel. You’re a lifesaver. I’ll fill you in on all the details later. Just be ready to meet my parents this weekend.”

The week passed quickly. I managed to brief Nigel and prepare everything. We were driving in his car to the airport to pick up my mother, and I quizzed Nigel questions to ensure he remembered everything.

What’s your name?” I looked at him critically, ticking off my imaginary checklist.

“Jacob,” Nigel replied wearily.

“How did we meet?”

“I asked you out for coffee after work.”

“Good… What’s my favorite color?”

“Why do you need to know that? Green…

“Right, I don’t remember telling you that…” I was surprised at how well Nigel was doing with the preparation.

Finally, I saw my mother approaching the car, and my father was carrying all the luggage. We got out of the car and waved warmly to greet them.

Nigel immediately went to greet my parents, firmly shaking my father’s hand and hugging my mother, then taking their luggage to load into the car.

“He’s fitting into the role nicely,” I thought at that moment.

“Hi, honey! So good to see you! He’s such a handsome man!” My mother beamed with emotion, and it was very nice to see her so happy. At that moment, I thought that sometimes lies are for the better.

I hugged my mother, and we all went home together. On the way, my mother talked about their flight and briefly about her affairs at home. My father, as always, was very calm and quiet.

When we arrived home, we immediately started preparing dinner. My mother kept interrogating Nigel, and he held up well.

Honestly, it wasn’t hard for me to imagine Nigel as my real boyfriend. He was so caring and polite; I had never looked at him the way I did today.

Nigel chopped vegetables, answering my mother’s rapid-fire questions without missing a beat. “So, Jacob,” she said, testing him, “what are your hobbies?”

Nigel smiled. “I love hiking and photography. Mila and I often go on nature walks together.”

My mother nodded approvingly. “And how did you two meet again?”

Nigel glanced at me and then back at her. “We met at work. I asked her out for coffee after one of our projects.”

She seemed satisfied for the moment and moved on to setting the table. I watched Nigel with admiration, amazed at how seamlessly he had stepped into the role.

But at dinner, the situation became more tense. My mother had some wine and again turned to my temporary boyfriend. “Jacob! When are you going to propose to my daughter?”

“Mom!” I exclaimed in shock, nearly dropping my fork.

“What? What’s wrong? You two are together. You’re a wonderful couple, so why waste time? Your sister Madeleine is already pregnant, by the way.”

Nigel was shocked and tried to joke, “Well, Mrs. Johnson, I was hoping for your permission first!”

But my mother was serious. She suddenly grabbed his wallet sitting on the table and started looking for his ID. I knew my mother could be pushy, but not this much.

“Let’s see your last name and if it suits my daughter,” she said.

“Stop, Mom!” I yelled, but it was too late. She saw the real name on the id, it wasn’t Jacob.

“Nigel? How is this, Nigel? Who’s Jacob, then? What’s going on?” my mother said, shocked, her voice rising.

“Mom, don’t worry, I’ll explain everything now!” I said, trying to keep her calm.

But she clutched her chest and gasped, “Oh no! My heart,” visibly upset. She started gasping for air, almost suffocating.

We all rushed to her, my father searching frantically for her medication in the bag. It seemed her condition was getting worse. I was terrified and didn’t know what to do.

Then Nigel approached her, took her hand, and spoke softly but firmly. “Sorry, I really am not Jacob, and I’m not your daughter’s boyfriend, but I wasn’t lying in my actions. I truly care about your daughter.”

Suddenly, my mother began to calm down, her breathing becoming more stable. She looked at Nigel with a mix of confusion and curiosity.

“Nigel…” I said, surprised but also impressed. I wanted to hear what he would say next. Nigel continued.

“I’m ashamed of the lie, but I do love your daughter, and after today, I realized that I want to marry her.”

The room was silent, but I was actually happy to hear these words. I didn’t know why I had never seen Nigel as my husband before, but today, that changed.

My mother’s face softened. “You love her?”

Nigel nodded. “Yes, I do. I’ve always cared about her, and I realize now that I want to be with her.”

My mother sighed and looked at me. “Mila, why didn’t you just tell me the truth?”

Tears welled up in my eyes. “I was scared, Mom. I didn’t want you to worry about me being alone.”

We spent the rest of the evening talking and laughing. It felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I realized that sometimes, even lies can lead to beautiful truths.

Nigel and I had taken a step into a future I hadn’t anticipated, but I was excited to see where it would lead us.

A month later, my life had changed beyond recognition. My mother was happy and no longer called me every day, and it seemed her illness had disappeared forever.

Nigel lived with me, and although it was a bit difficult after that weekend, we started going on dates and very quickly moved in together. Now I have a ring on my finger.

I never would have thought it would all turn out this way.

Nigel and I settled into a comfortable routine. We spent evenings cooking dinner together, laughing and talking about our days. He always knew how to make me smile, even when I was stressed from work.

As we planned our future together, I felt a deep sense of contentment. The past few months had been a whirlwind, but they had led me to a place of true happiness.

Nigel was not just my best friend anymore. He was my partner, and I couldn’t wait to see what our future holds.