CHAPTER ONE

I was awoken suddenly by the first pounce on my right shoulder immediately followed by a second on my left shoulder. I let out a surprised "uh" as my mattress sunk then quickly sprang back to position. My eyes flashed wide open. The streaming sunlight from the window beside the bed blinded me momentarily, Stortford Castle glimmering in its background.

Two giggling, little girls nestled their heads against the sides of my neck, their soft hair grazing my cheeks. I watched closely, one eyebrow raised with a playfully inquisitive glare, as they each lifted an arm and wrapped it around themselves, although I felt no sensation of their movement or the weight of their bodies. In fact, I felt nothing below my shoulders but for 2 fingers on my right hand.

The older girl on my right, 6 years old, slipped her little fingers through mine.

I squeezed them with the fingers I could move. She lifted her head and stared in my eyes with the sweetest smile revealing a pair of dimples I couldn't help but recogize. She was a mirror image of me. I grinned and rested my cheek on her head.

From across the room I heard a panicked voice. "Girls," Clarke pleaded, "What's the rule?" There in the doorway stood a 5'2" petite-framed beauty, her long dark hair in a single braid that draped across her shoulder, a bright red and white striped long sleeved t-shirt that hugged her small but full breasts and a white, loud patterned nautical knee-length skirt with red anchors and blue fish that accentuated her size 4 waist. She always argued that if I wasn't in a wheelchair, I would have never noticed her. "One of the invisibles" she called herself. She said I would have been too busy looking at the tall, leggy blondes, the ones who could smell an expense account from forty paces. My only defense was calling myself an arse. At least I was being completely honest. And to think I lived a big life back then.

Caught! The 3 of us fell silent. We bit our lips, glancing at each other. She remained in the doorway and blinked her eyes, her mouth open, waiting for a reply. Then without hesitation we broke into a fit of laughter and in unison stated, "BE CAREFUL WITH DAD!" I kissed my girls' heads. Still laughing I offered her the solace she desired, "I'm fine, Clarke! Really." "Better be," she responded, still not believing me. In a serious tone, I reiterated, "Really. The girls did NOT jump on me." Her blueberry eyes still filled with concern staring directly at me knowing I was lying and covering for our girls because she knew me that well. Her response was totally Clarke – a pair of the most expressive eyebrows telling me I was full of it.

I waited until I heard Clarke leave the doorway, her footsteps further and further away. I whispered into my older girl's ear, "Mum's right. No more jumping on Dad to wake him up, ok? Charley?" She nodded yes. I turned my head toward my 4 year old and gently asked, " And you, Willow?" Willow raised her head and planted a kiss on my cheek. "Love you, Dad" she gently whispered back. "Ummmmm ... can ... can Charley switch places with me?" The older girl confidently said no, looking up at me with a mercurial smile that I immediately returned to her." "Why not? You always hog Dad's good hand!" Willow cried. "Because I'm the oldest!" Charley replied unyielding. "What does that have to do with anything?" the younger questioned with a tinge of absurdity. "Because I'm Dad's favorite!" flew out of Charley's mouth matter of fact. Willow, an exact replica of her mother, sat up appalled. She blinked her eyes and her mouth fell open in disbelief. I roared with laughter. The Traynor girls were competitive like this, and I'd dare anyone to accuse them of being boring. I composed myself and in a soft voice uttered, "Charlotte Grace, switch sides with your sister, please." Charley did as I asked. She was always agreeable like that, at least to me. But before she got up, she added, "Only if you sing." "Is this a negotiation, young lady?" I quipped. She giggled yes, and I couldn't help but agree to her terms. She unwillingly switched sides with her sister. And so I started: I wi-li-lished I li-lived in a Molahonkey la-la-land …"We lay snuggled for the next half hour as the smell of pancakes began to waffle through the air.

I love my life. I really love my life.

I wi-li-lished I li-li-lived in Molahonkey la-lal-land

The la-la-land where I li-li was bo-lo-lo-lo-lo-lo-lorn

So I li-li-could play-la-lay my o-lo-lold banjo-lo-lo

"Jesus Christ, Will! Wake up! What's wrong with you?" Alicia exclaimed. "You sound God-awful!"

I opened my eyes. Disoriented, I saw Alicia standing next to my bed, staring with a horrified look.

Reviews are welcome! Alternate ending to Me Before You, Chapter Three! Thanks for spending some time in my world of creativity.