It was another early June morning in the suburban outskirts of Boise Idaho.
Carl Fischel was trying his best not to grunt as the suitcases full of his wife's clothing threatened to slip from his grip. Jen was beside him, chittering off a list of all the things she expected to do, and for Carl to pay for, while they were in Vegas. She carried only a small purse and her smartphone, flicking through her DVR app and making sure her almost countless reality TV shows were set to record over the next week.
"And you made sure to check our reservations this morning at the Belagio, right? If we get there and there's no reservation I absolutely REFUSE to stay in a Motel 8! And there's several shows I want to see so I hope you were listening when I told you to order those tickets! And would it kill you to have as much fun as me on this trip, sweetie? I don't want to spend the whole thing dealing with Norma while you and Carl sneak off to the casinos!"
"I did, dear. That won't happen, dear. I will, dear." Came his canned and memorized responses. Carl loved Jennifer, or at least he was pretty sure he did. She was demanding, controlling, but when was the last time that a math nerd like him ended up with a girl that had been prom queen, cheerleading captain and a sorority babe? Not outside of Hollywood, he guessed. And he did enjoy making Jennifer happy, but there were times when she just drove him up a wall. Not that he'd ever say that, of course. That's where all the fishing trips with Randy came in, when Carl could just hang out, drink beer and just enjoy the company of his friend that honestly did not care about domestic problems at all.
"You always say that! Why can't you-" Jennifer started as they cleared the pavement and stepped up onto the sidewalk in front of the Veltman residence. Carl was such a twerp sometimes. Sure, he was good at what he did and kept her very well pampered, but sometimes she just could not stand the amount of useless he was. She had to remind him to do everything, including to have fun! She was fond of him though, much in the way a animal is fond of the hand that feeds it, and stopped herself short of saying something truly hurtful. She was trying to get better about lashing out after she had made a bit of a scene the last time that they and the Veltmans had gone out on a double date and EVERYONE discovered just how poorly she handled her drinks. But sometimes...she just wished she could get a do-over and marry someone with money AND a spine.
"You know, I'm sor-" Jennifer's apology cut short as the garage door began groaning open, revealing a waving Norma and a overly cheerful smile on her face. Jennifer fought the urge to roll her eyes, she could already tell the day was off to a great start with her neighbor. She took a quick breath and pushed the annoyance she felt towards her useless husband away.
"Hey girl!" Jennifer called out, opening her arms and giving her neighbor a quick hug. "Thanks again for letting me and Carl tag along, we're just so excited to finally be going back to Vegas! Right babe?"
"Yes dear" Came Carl's response as began the slow process of setting the four suitcases down, wiping the sweat that was beading on his forehead away before once more lifting a suitcase and moving towards the back of the Veltman's SUV.
"Oh Carl, do you want me to get Randy to load those for you?" Norma's voice called out, full of concern.
"Oh no, I can manage" Carl replied as he pulled the SUV's back hatch open, peering through his glasses at the best place to stack his wife's three suitcases and his own small one.
"Make sure you're gentle, Carl. I don't want to end up with another bunch of broken cosmetics because you didn't stack them right! Otherwise we'll have to restock when we get to Vegas!" Jennifer called out before turning back to Norma "Now tell me ALL about the room you guys picked out! We're staying in one of the Belagio suites, you know, close to where all the high rollers in the casino stay..."
Carl let loose a low grunt as he loaded the luggage, just trying to keep his mind off how much money he had shelled out for this trip, that maybe he could have married someone a little less high maintenance, or that maybe it'd be nice to be the one in the driver seat of the relationship, giving out orders for once. And then it happened, the entire world changed around him as a unheard wish made by his best friend's daughter invited in a powerful force that would change his life forever.
'Magic', insomuch as the force could be called, filled the entirety of the Veltman property, leeching into the very essence of the home as it absorbed every moment that had taken place within it's walls. During it's relentless exploration of the Veltman home it surged into the garage and across every individual within it, including Jennifer and Carl Fischel. The wish that had brought it into this reality had been intended for everyone with the last name of 'Veltman' but it had not been specifically stated that 'Magic' couldn't help out another struggling couple whose emotional turmoil it sampled as well.
In an instant, 'Magic' knew what to do.
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