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Once upon a time, there was a young boy who loved to put on plays in his old house. He would dress up in his cape, jump on the old couch, and rehearse his lines for hours on end. He dreamed of the day when he could show his parents his play and make them proud.

One day, he decided that it was time to put on his play for his parents. He went to the basement of the old house and started putting up lights, even though it was cold outside. He wanted everything to be perfect for his parents.

Finally, the day of the play arrived. The boy's parents came to see him perform, and both seats were sold out. The boy was nervous, but he took a deep breath and started his performance.

As he acted out his play, he looked out into the audience and saw his parents' smiling faces. He was so happy that he had made them proud. But after the play was over, he couldn't tell if they had really enjoyed it or if they were just pretending.

The boy started to wonder if his parents had outgrown each other, and if their smiles had been fake. He didn't know if he should start looking for a new lover if love dies or if he should keep trying to make his parents proud.

Despite his doubts, the boy continued to go on dates, bringing flowers and trying to be great for an hour. But he knew that he wanted to show his play to his parents again. He had worked so hard on it, and he didn't want to do it twice because it wouldn't be the same.

One day, the boy realized that he had to show his play again, even if it was going to get really bad before it got okay. He wanted to make his parents proud, and he didn't want to be a coward.

So he put on his play in the basement again, and his parents came to watch. The boy performed his play, and this time, he saw tears in his parents' eyes. He knew that they had truly enjoyed it and that he had made them proud.

After the play, the boy's parents hugged him and told him how proud they were of him. They had never faked their smiles, and they had always loved him. The boy realized that he didn't have to worry about outgrowing anyone or finding a new lover. He had his parents' love, and that was all he needed.