The Good Life S1 EP0 [Pilot]

D = Daniel

M = Monika

S = Sayori

MA = Madisen

G = Gabriel

March 19th 2026

The Ashcraft Residence

6:32 AM Thursday

Daniel POV

A sudden jolt from my back arises me. As my eyes flutter open I can see my wonderful wife Monika in front of me, it still amazes me that I was able to be so lucky as to have a future with her, but as she would put it "I could of picked anyone, I just love you the most Danny!" Even just thinking that makes me smile. Finally a voice wakes me.

MA: "Daddy, wake up it's almost time for school"

D: "I'm up darling, just give me a minute with mommy here okay?"

MA: "Ok dad." she sighed

D: "Atta girl."

I turned back to Monika, who must've awoken while I was talking with Madisen. For a few minutes we just gazed into each other's eyes, something we used to do when we started dating because I used to be too afraid to even speak to her. After a few moments I gave her a quick kiss put my arm around her so we were both right next to each other snuggling together. Then Madisen came back.

MA: "Come on dad!" she shouted from the living room.

D: "I think she is way more like you darling, if it was me I would've been glad my parents didn't want to take me to school."

M: "Good, that means she's going to be responsible" Monika giggled.

D: "Does that mean she's also going to be successful at everything she tries? Because if she's like me she just gets lucky to be decent at anything, and will also end up marrying someone way out of her league."

M: "Daww. Danny-baby don't be so hard on yourself." She said as she pecked my cheek… God I love her.

MA: "DAAD!"
D: "I think I am in trouble." I said as I left the bed and put on some jeans and a blazer.

I walked out to our living room, a nice place that had a fireplace, a rug and a decent flat screen TV. It hurt a bit knowing it was Monika's writing that paid for most of our comfortable life, and I still haven't been able to help much.
D: "What do you want for breakfast sweetie?"
MA: "I'm not hungry."
D: "Madisen, you know breakfast is really important right?"

MA: "Dad, please don't start giving me lectures like mom does all the time."

D: "Alright fine, but you still need breakfast."

MA: "I don't care too much then."

D: "Thanks for the help sweetheart."

MA: "Your so very welcome father."
Well, she at least has my sarcasm.

I tossed Madisen a banana
D: "You didn't wake up Gabriel did you?"

MA: "No he's fast asleep still."

D: "Good, I can't deal with you both at once."

MA: "What do you mean by that?"

D: "Not without mommy at least"

MA: "You can't deal with much without mom can you?"

D: "Ouch, that stung."

Madisen just laughed as she watched the TV. Madisen isn't your everyday kid, she understands what's going on before even most adults do. So sometimes her sarcastic comments can get both personal and hurtful, I still let her have at it because in the back of my head I used to make jokes just like that, our only difference is she speaks her mind.

A good ten minutes have passed and I think I hear Gabriel awake.
D: "Well Maddie, that's our que to get the hell 'outta here and leave that to mom.
MA: "On it!"

Within a few minutes we are out in the car. I don't have anything against Gabe, I just can't take care of two people at once because it fries my brain. That and I have to get ready for work soon. While Monika hit it big time as a author and poet, I became a therapist after helping both Monika and one of our closest family friends Sayori get over their depressions respectively. When I did it at the time I didn't even consider a job as a therapist because I was so worried about the others and I hadn't noticed it until Monika pointed it out to me one day.

After dropping Madisen off at school I decided to go to the nearest coffee shop for Monika and I. Monika got me addicted to coffee back in highschool when we started dating, and since then its been tradition to have coffee every Thursday at the least. When I return home I find Gabriel sitting on the couch with Monika curled up into a ball.
D: "What's wrong buddy?"

G: "I had another bad dream"

D: "Aww, do you want to tell me about it?"

G: "I-I-it was scary dad, are you sure?"

D: "Don't worry, me and mommy are right here for you." I said sitting next to Gabriel putting the coffee on the table and putting my arm around Monika.

G: "It was about these men, and women… Even kids.. They ran around like crazy and they were biting people, and those people turned grey like the other people and ran after the others.. I was scared because you all left me behind before I woke up."

Uh-oh, he must've seen part of the movie Monika and I watched last night, it was a movie about zombie's… I just hope he didn't see anything we did after the movie, or Madisen for that matter. She didn't seem to notice anything different about the room even with the strewn clothing probably due to her innocence. Or at least I think she's innocent.

D: "Don't worry Gabriel, it was just a movie. Nothing else okay. That sort of stuff is fake, I couldn't see it happening so don't worry about it."

G: "Okay dad I trust you." Gabe sniffled.

Man that must have been one hell of a nightmare, I've had nightmares like that before when I was Gabe's age, so I guess it's fitting that he is more like me than Monika.

We all sat together like that for a hour before I had to get ready for work, as I left I gave Gabriel a hug and exchanged a passionate kiss with Monika… Nothing too rowdy though, not like we used to before we had kids.

March 19th 2026

A&C Therapy

12:45 PM Thursday

Daniel POV

A&C Therapy, the place I co-founded with our good family friend Sayori. The A&C stand for Ashcraft and Claire, which is Sayori's last name. In Latin it means bright and clear which is only slightly ironic because she's the first person I ever helped with their depression, and her depression was bad. Currently it was our lunch break and today we really didn't have much traffic anyways.
S: "Hey Danny?" Sayori said approaching my desk.

D: "Yeah 'Rory?" 'Rory was a stupid pet name I came up for Sayori because I like to come up with pet names for everyone such as Monika being Monti… I'll be honest I don't remember how I came up with that one.

S: "I just wanted to ask you what it's like… Raising a kid."

D: "Have you already done it, or are you thinking of doing it."

S: "It was just a thought I had. You, Monika, Gabriel and Madisen all ways look so happy, its really wholesome."

D: "Well, if you and Bryan are serious about it. I would say that you need to make time for not only you and the child, but you and him. It's why me and Monika are still both madly in love just like we were almost a decade ago."

S: "~Ehehe, are you two still as... Rowdy, as you used to be?"

D: "... I think it may have only increased. But that's only when the kids aren't around, so when we send Gabe off to kindergarten next year things should only ramp up."

S: "I love how honest you are, you take no shame in embarrassing questions." Sayori giggled

D: "And I love how you still seem to be giggling during your sentences like we are all still 12." I said jokingly

S: "Meanie!" Sayori lightly punched my arm

D: "I didn't say there was a problem with it 'Rory. I just kind of love the nostalgia it brings, ya' know?"

S: "I suppose your right."

Just then the door buzzed, it was time for Sayori to see a patient. Which meant I could start my lunch break for real this time.

March 19th 2026

A&C Therapy

5:53 PM Thursday

Daniel POV

D: "It's closing time 'Rory!" I shouted to the other side of the room

S: "Okay, I have some emails to finnish up so I'll lock up."

D: "Alright take care then, see you tomorrow Say-roy!" Say-roy was another name I called Sayori after one of our clients accidentally said it a few years ago, I just found it too funny to let go of, though I feel bad for the guy who messed it up because his mess-up has become somewhat of a joke.

I walked out of the door into my car, it was a nice 9 seat van, so if we ever needed to haul a lot of stuff or people we had room, I like to keep it relatively clean because black cars get dirty within a day. And also, even if I don't bring in as much money as Monika, I am more handy around the house than she is. While she may have bought most everything in the house, I was the one who actually got it all working. I knew there was a couple of things Monika could have done but I think she liked me doing the work, I wonder if it was a turn on for her or something.

When I got home I found both Gabe and Madisen awaiting me at the door, so I scooped them both up for a big hug as I normally do when I get home. I carried them to the dinning table where Monika was waiting with her hair in a nice little bun that she used to wear whenever she got tired of the big poofy bow she had in High School. After setting the kids down I gave Monika a big kiss and only stopped when Madisen reminded me that I wasn't alone. That happens from time to time, it still feels like we haven't dropped a step in our love, in fact we may have had to make new steps just so we could continue our love. Tonight for dinner we had pizza because Monika didn't feel like cooking, it was vegetarian pizza of course because Monika wants to cut down on global warming, and the meat industry is a big part of it. I never complain though because I know it's good for the environment and every little bit helps, though I do eat some meat rarely because I can't help myself but Monika doesn't mind.

March 19th 2026

The Ashcraft Residence

11:39 PM Thursday

Daniel POV

D: "Alright kids, bedtime. You've both already stayed up past it so I don't want to hear any complaints."

After a big of groaning the kids finally got into bed, as in we had to forcefully put them in there beds.

MA: "Why do you have to ruin all the fun daddy?"

D: "Because mom doesn't like playing the bad girl anymore, so I do it for her."

MA: "What do you mean bad girl?"

D: "Well um… Story for a different time."
MA: "..."

MA: "Does it have anything to do with what you two did last night?"

D: "Um… No. Besides, all me and mom did was watch a movie."

MA: "I didn't know watching a movie required so much exercise."

D: "And what would you know about that said exercise?"

Madisen gulped.
D: "You've been duped! Now seriously, goodnight."

I return to my and Monika's bedroom, the only time we are actually alone.

M: "Finally, some time alone… With just you." Monika says lying in bed, twiddling her hair in one hand with her fingers, and beckoning me to the bed with the other.

D: "At least I hope, I think Maddie might have figured out what we did last night."

M: "You didn't tell her did you?"

D: "No, I just asked her how she would know… She shut up like a clam and said nothing"

M: "I hope she doesn't know, I don't need her getting to that stage of love just yet"
D: "Quite right, making love is good… I just don't need to see my daughter getting into that kind of stuff just yet."

M: "As for us though, I think we can get into that stuff."

Just as I went to lie on the bed with Monika. I heard screams… Not the normal kind of screams I hear when I lie on the bed with Monika but screams nonetheless.

D: "What the hell?" I yanked the window curtain open and saw nothing out there.

M: "DANIEL, COME TO THE TV!" Monika shouted, I rushed down the hallway to the TV in the house.

D: "What's happe-" I stopped dead, the only thing I heard was the EAS and the words "Contagious Outbreak of new Pandemic. THIS IS NOT A DRILL, everyone in the following areas are in the zone of effect" My jaw hit the floor. Without knowing Monika and I were clinging to each other for dear life. But we had only seconds to act…. END OF PILOT EPISODE!