fact or fiction

Is it fact or merely fiction? Fact or Fiction explores the myths and beliefs we hold about our family dynamics, traditions, and if there's such thing as a 'perfect family.'

My Husband’s Cycling Hobby Was a Cover for His Affair. Then He Made Our Son Call Her “Godmother.”
One That bicycle was still in the hallway. A black Giant. A sweatband around the handlebars, a gel cover on the saddle. The helmet hung from the handlebars, straps dangling, coated in dust. One day the child passed by, reached for it, could not reach, and turned to ask: “Mom, is Dad still riding?”
By Jinabout 5 hours ago in Families
The Empty Seat Beside the Urn: A DNA Test, a Dead Son, and a Grandfather Who Lost the Right to Ask
The Empty Seat by the Urn At the funeral home, Huang handed Lu Yuqing a death benefit form. Sign this first, she said, then Xiaohai can go in for the cremation.
By Jinabout 5 hours ago in Families
I Never Thought I’d Pay Someone to Teach My Kid How to Jump Rope
Why do so many kids take classes to learn how to jump rope? I never imagined that one day I would pay for my child to learn how to jump rope.
By Jin4 days ago in Families
My Wife Hand-Washed Our Socks Until Her Hands Bled. I Was Too Busy Being Right to Notice.
She fished the socks out of the washing machine with two fingers, holding them as if they were a dead mouse. “You’re insane,” she said.
By Jin5 days ago in Families
I Said “None of Your Business” to the Man I Loved. Then He Moved Out.
The Door Friday, 9 p.m. Only two people were left in the office. Xiao Zhao poked his head out from his cubicle. “Sister Anning, finish this spreadsheet for me. I have plans.”
By Jin5 days ago in Families
The Night I Stopped Being the Boss of Our Marriage
The coat was dark wool, the kind that would last ten winters if you took care of it. Claire tried it on in front of the three-panel mirror, turned left, turned right, and looked at Mark over her shoulder.
By Jin12 days ago in Families
Unscalable Walls
Have you ever tried to scale a smooth, lubricated wall? The wall is immense and almost vertical, too high to grapple. You have no purchase. You try, but fail. At some point, you accept it’s there and cannot be taken down once it’s been built. There are tiny steps you can take to chip away at the wall, but no matter how much you try, you gain little ground. It might have been better never to have tried to scale it, but once you did, you couldn't undo the experience, even if you accepted that there was little you could do to reach its summit. This is how lies feel.
By Alexandra Grant16 days ago in Families
7 signs someone is falling for you that most people completely misread
The early signs of romantic feeling are subtle enough that even the person experiencing them doesn't always recognize them yet. Knowing what to look for, and understanding the psychology behind it, can make the difference between catching something real and completely missing it.
By General gyan18 days ago in Families
The 3:37 AM Call That Broke Me — And How I Finally Took My Sleep Back
The phone buzzed twice on the nightstand, the device itself shifting half an inch across the wood. I reached out, my fingertips touching the cold edge of the screen, then pressed my whole palm over it to block the glow. The third buzz was a call—a different vibration, like a fly trapped in a glass jar, battering against the walls. I picked up, didn't speak, heard a brief, faint voice on the other end. I said, "Mom, I'm sleeping." Then I hung up.
By Jin22 days ago in Families
For My Daughter
I felt as if there should be tears. I felt as if I should have grief or stronger emotions. It all felt incredibly mundane, however. It’s not that I wasn’t sad; I knew I’d miss her, but there was a strong sense of relief now that she was dead. I felt I could finally breathe. I felt like a pressure and a weight had been lifted off of me. I grieved more for the mother she never was, the one I always wanted, because now she’d never get the chance. I grieved more for the people whose lives she more positively affected, those who would be sad to see her impact on the world end. But my relationship with her, my real relationship with her, was always much darker, less loving than most people realized. There was so much about me that she made sure I knew she could not accept. That broke my heart every time I was reminded. I was sad and would miss her, but I felt I could be more myself than ever before.
By Leah Suzanne Dewey27 days ago in Families
The Summer Hangover
For most of us, summer vacations are in the past. All that planning and longing to go places, and spending quality time with our families and friends have ended.
By Elizabeth Woods29 days ago in Families
My Daughter's Best Friend Has a Mother Who Cleans Offices
My daughter first mentioned that classmate on a Thursday evening. She was holding her rice bowl, lifted her eyes from the rim, and said, "Mum, she draws really beautifully." She stressed the word she , as if the name had been sitting in her mouth for days and she'd finally decided to let it out.
By Jinabout a month ago in Families