"Food's here!" Daphne called out as she entered the apartment. Being eight months pregnant, plus doing her daily therapy at her father-in-law's, had left her a little pressed for time, not to mention without the energy to cook. Luckily, Niles and David were more than agreeable when Daphne proposed picking up something from the nearby burger joint for dinner.
"Yes!" David said, running to take the bag from her. He quickly returned to the kitchen, obviously eager to eat. But Niles had other priorities.
"Hello," he said, kissing her. He knew that Daphne felt as big as a house right now, but Niles never saw her as anything less that beautiful, especially given that she carried their second child within her.
"There was such a bloody long line! I wish I'd used the drive-through, but I didn't want to lose me place in line. And why can't people decide what they want before it's their turn to order? Is that so hard?"
"Now, my love, don't worry about any of that," Niles said, gently leading her into the kitchen. "Let's just sit down and have a peaceful family meal."
But before either of them could sit down, David broke the silence. "Mom! I said no pickles! And you forgot my fries!"
Niles could see that David was near tears. He was very particular about what he ate, not unlike his father and uncle. "Now, David, we can take the pickles off. And I got a side of fries with my meal. You can have some of those."
"Yeah, but where's my toy? I always get a toy!"
Desperate, Niles looked over at Daphne. His heart broke as he saw her nearing tears, too. He squeezed her hand before turning back to his son. "We can get you a toy next time. Your mother was very nice to go out and get us food like this, so I think the least you can do is eat it. It's not going to kill you."
David was ready to argue. But his father showed no signs of backing down. This was not the time to test his parents' patience. "OK," he finally said, reluctantly removing the pickles from his burger.
Niles looked down, eager to eat his own meal. But he glanced over at Daphne, and saw that she was still upset. He decided instantly that his wife was far more important than any hamburger. He took her by the hand, once again leading her back out to the living room. "What's wrong?" he asked, putting his arms around her.
"Look at me, Niles! I'm as big as a house! Soon, I'll probably need me own zip code. And, on top of that, I can't even handle a simple trip to buy a meal for me own family! I can barely even raise one child, much less two of them!"
"Sh," Niles said, hugging her once more. "None of what you've just said is true. Yes, you may have put on a bit of weight recently. But it's for the best reason possible. You've got a miracle inside you. Anyone in your position would be stressed out. And as for raising a child, David could never ask for a better mother than you. He loves you very much. You're entitled to have a bad day now and then. No one's perfect. And we're certainly not expecting you to be."
Daphne pulled out of the embrace. Though tears were still evident on her face, she was smiling. "Thank you. Somehow, you always know what to say whenever I'm upset."
Niles brushed a tear from her cheek with a thumb. "That's what I'm here for. Always."
"I'm sorry I forgot what David asked for. I guess I was thinking about your father. I got cross with him today. He wouldn't do his exercises, and I said that if he kept that up, he probably wouldn't even live to meet him or her." She gestured to her stomach.
"Well, Dad's always been stubborn," Niles admitted. "And heaven knows he doesn't take care of himself like he should."
"Yes," Daphne agreed. "But I should never have spoken to him like that. I love your father. He's always been like me own father. And if it weren't for him, I wouldn't have you." She kissed Niles for a long moment.
Niles sighed. The feeling of Daphne's lips on his never got old. "Well, perhaps you should call and apologize. If I know Dad, he's probably sorry for his part in your argument, too. And, after that, why don't you go lie down? David and I can take care of ourselves for a while."
"Are you sure?" Daphne asked. She loved him more at this moment than she thought she ever had in all the time she'd known him.
"Of course. Nothing's more important to me than your well-being, or that of our baby," he said, putting a hand on her stomach. He could hardly wait to meet the child inside.
Daphne kissed her husband once again, before heading upstairs. She would need to have a very long phone conversation with her father-in-law. Because, in addition to everything else he'd done, he had raised a wonderful son, who was now the best husband and father she could have asked for.
The End