Whatever Happens - Chapter 1

Danny Wheeler was not who'd you call a morning person. Sure he'd gotten use to waking up early for hockey practice or help with his niece Emma, but still that did not a morning person make. But this morning, actually a lot of mornings this past month, he'd woken up with a smile. As he stretched his arms up above his head, a slender arm found it's way around his torso with a noticeably sparkling jewel on the fourth finger of the equally slender hand that when the sunlight hit it just right, made it look like the hand of an angel. Although to him, it already was. He turned his head to see the same smile that was on his face, smiling back at him. And then the angel spoke.

"Good morning Mr. Wheeler."

"Good morning Mrs. Wheeler."

As he gave Riley her usual morning kiss he asked,

"How'd you sleep?"

"Like a baby, like I have ever since we got married."

"Well we didn't get much sleep for the first two weeks." Danny winked at her.

She just smiled and blushed as she gave his arm a little punch.

"Not that you were complaining Wheeler."

"Neither were you, Wheeler." Danny was never going to let her forget that she was a Wheeler too now. Not that Riley would ever want to.

So the newlyweds got up, showered, and dressed for their days. Then they headed across the hall for another daily ritual, having coffee with Ben and Tucker. Also sometimes Mrs. Wheeler or Bonnie as she was otherwise known. To Danny she'd always be mom, although she still hadn't insisted that Riley start calling her the same. To Riley she would always be Mrs. Wheeler. Sure enough as Danny opened the door to his old apartment there they all were, all three in the kitchen with baby Emma in her high chair. Tucker was the first to speak.

"well if it isn't Mr. and Mrs. Riley. You know it's amazing, neither of you two live here and yet you're still here every morning to drink my coffee. It's astounding really." Bonnie then chimed in,

"Well at least they didn't steal your wedding." Danny and Riley knew they were going to hear about that one for a while.

"C'mon mom," Danny pleaded.

"It's been like a month, cant you just let it go and act like a normal mother whose happy for her son."

"I could," she replied.

"But what fun is that."

Danny rolled his eyes and waked over to Riley who was holding Emma in her arms and making silly faces.

"Hey Emma, how's my favorite girl?" He said as he took Emma from Riley, while also getting a not so subtle eyebrow raise from his wife.

"Aside from you, of course."

"Mhmm nice save." She said as she patted his shoulder and walked over to Ben, who was sitting at the counter, and to everyone's shock reading a book.

"Whoa Bens reading, should I call a doctor?" Everyone chuckled at Riley's joke, including Emma.

"Ha ha Riley. If you must know it's a parenting book on the terrible twos."

"But isn't Emma only like 1 ½?"

"1 year and 3 months but, hey I've seen enough movies and TV to know that they're not called the terrible twos for nothing, and besides … she's already started showing the signs."

"It was hysterical." Tucker joined in the conversation.

"She drew all over the walls in Bens room with crayons and then turned this hot girls phone number into a spitball. That was even funnier than the crayon cave drawings."

"I refuse to let my sweet little girl turn into one of those misbehaving little gremlins, so I'm reading up on how to make her, not that" His train of thought was interrupted by Emma using her smashed carrots as face paint. Ben rushed over with the baby wipes and started cleaning her up. As Bonnie got up to leave, she left Ben with some unsettling words.

"Okay Benji, whatever you say. Just know that they say your kids are five times worse then you were at that age and you're terrible twos weren't just terrible. They were troublesome, terrifying, and all around traumatizing."

"I still have nightmares." Danny chimed in.

"Stop it both of you, now if you'll excuse me I have to drop Emma off at daycare and go to work."

After that all Danny remembered was seeing Emma holding a pair of scissors before being rushed out of the apartment by a crowd that consisted of Riley and Tucker making a break for the door. He joined in the chorus of goodbyes and good lucks and then walked with Riley downstairs, hand in hand, until they had to part ways once they got out of the lobby. With a kiss goodbye Danny turned one way, Riley the other, and proceeded to go to work. Unaware of what was coming their way, just around the bend.