I’m thrilled to share my newest short story with you! “A Delicate Deception” is a dramatic take on the fake-wedding-date trope with a sharp emotional edge.
Mark is a broken man—but it’s not just because of his disability. It’s how his family treats him.
Determined to prove his worth, Mark recruits the perfect date for his cousin’s wedding: Amelia. She’s beautiful, confident, and loves weddings. She’s also married with kids, but agrees to pretend she and Mark are a couple for the day. As the reception unfolds and their ruse unravels, Amelia begins to see the truth: Mark hasn’t only tried to deceive his family—he’s deceived her, too.
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Behind the Deception
There’s something strange about American weddings. The emphasis on pairing off can be downright oppressive. I’ve read countless r/relationships threads where the “plus one” dilemma leads to intense family drama. Inspired to write my own twist on the fake-date trope, I wanted my story to cut deeper than mere social awkwardness or rom-com hijinks.
Mark isn’t hard to love because of his condition.
He’s hard to love because he’s kind of an asshole.
At first, I wanted to write a sci-fi story: a robot would be the ultimate fake date. Unfortunately, the futuristic setting didn’t quite work. The story gained more nuance and emotional weight once I reimagined Amelia as a real woman with her own life, priorities, and flaws.
Delicate Representation
The central idea I wanted to explore in “A Delicate Deception” was a disabled person experiencing conflict that had nothing to do with their disability. I wanted to present Mark’s struggles with empathy without indulging in pity.
Mark’s disability is based on a real and rare genetic disorder that causes fragile skin, frequent bruising, and painful complications. I don’t name the condition in the story because I didn’t want curious readers to put the story down to Google it. However, I did watch several documentaries to get the details right. I wrote Mark as able enough to live semi-independently, but he struggles to hold a steady job and maintain relationships.
But here’s the thing: Mark isn’t hard to love because of his condition. He’s hard to love because he’s kind of an asshole.
Some Things Take Time
This story sat on my computer for a while. I brought it to my writing group more than once, and it went through more revision rounds than I usually do.
An earlier version had Mark and Amelia as true crime podcasters, but that led readers to expect a murder. I was not about to sidetrack the entire story to include a violent crime, so I had the characters get passionate over video games instead.
The ending was especially tricky. I flip-flopped on how much fallout there should be and whether Mark would learn anything from the folly. In the end, I wrote a conclusion that felt honest for these characters—and I hope it hits you in the heart the same way it hit me.
Ready to read?
I hope you enjoy this new short story—and feel free to let me know what you think!
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