The Boyfriend Who Lived in the House

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Flash Fiction

When Mateo won the lottery, he didn’t scream or dance. He closed the laptop, made tea, and told no one. The secret was too big for the small town he lived in; it needed camouflage.

So he invented Daniel. Daniel who worked in finance. Daniel who lived “mostly in San Francisco” but was “thinking of moving here.” Mateo told the neighbors they’d met at a gallery. He let a shadow move through his stories—Daniel’s laugh, his taste in furniture, his intolerance for cheap olive oil.

Money poured in quietly. He bought a house “together.” At parties he’d say, “Daniel’s flying in next week,” and everyone nodded, relieved that Mateo was both loved and solvent.

He grew fond of the fiction. Daniel had patience when Mateo didn’t. Daniel handled the rude realtor. Daniel was generous with tips. And one night, as Mateo watched the desert stars from the patio of the house they “shared,” he whispered thanks—to the man who wasn’t there but had kept him company while he learned to live richly, and alone.

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WE&P by: EZorrillaMc.