Daphne awoke, surprised to find that Niles was nowhere to be seen. Usually, no matter how much of a rush he was in, he never left the house without kissing his wife. Before she could ponder the reasons for his hurried departure, Daphne noticed something on her nightstand. Right in front of the photo taken in Reno, there stood an envelope. The words To Daphne were printed on the outside, in the fanciest script Daphne had ever seen.

She smiled as she picked up the envelope. It wasn't her birthday, or their anniversary, so this was completely unexpected. But Niles Crane had never missed a chance to let Daphne know he loved her. To her surprise, the letter inside began with a quote.

"The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed." - Carl Jung

Below that, in Niles' own handwriting, the letter continued.

My Love,

I came across the above quote while doing a bit of research. You know how much I've always admired Dr. Jung and his theories, but this quote reminded me of you. After all these years, I can still vividly recall the first moment I saw you. I had never seen such a lovely vision before. And knowing that an actual angel (for I knew that was what you must be) was living with Frasier and looking after Dad, well, it was just more than I could comprehend.

From that day on, I was a different person. Sure, I seemed the same on the outside. Even Frasier didn't notice a change early on. But I sensed it. I was used to going about my day, just trying to survive. But after I met you, I had something to look forward to. My daily visits to Frasier's apartment were only partly motivated by a desire to spend time with the only family I had. What I was really hoping for was an opportunity to see you.

You know all of this already. I have told you numerous times already how grateful I am for all of the things you've given me. But I know that I often get so caught up in my work that I forget to make sure you know just how much I treasure you.

And now we have a son. I know I had a small part in his being here, but I consider David to be a nothing less than a gift from you. Fatherhood was something I never thought I would experience. And, the flour sack incident notwithstanding, I never thought much about it. After all, it was such an unlikely event that it seemed foolish to even waste time wondering what it might be like. I am glad now that I never tried to imagine it. For I know that there is no way my mind could do justice to the feeling I get when I look at David, or see you tenderly holding him. At those times, I am reminded of my earlier suspicions of you being an angel. Now I am convinced that you must have been sent from heaven. Though David is still just an infant, I know that he is grateful that you are his mother. He clearly loves you.

I have just glanced at the clock here in my study, and I see that it is nearly three am. I could easily continue this letter, making it the approximate length of War and Peace, but I would not be much good to my patients if I did not get some sleep. Besides, thinking about you as I write this has made me long to see you. Sometimes, as you lie there peacefully dreaming, I sit and watch you. I still can't believe that you're here, and you're mine, because I know how close I came to losing you forever. Perhaps that is why I feel the need to remind you how I feel so often.

Well, my sweet angel, I suppose I should end here. I am sorry for rushing out this morning, but I wanted you to be alone while you read this. I did, however, take a moment to check on our precious son. I'm sure that he will be anxious to see you when he wakes.

All my love forever,

Niles

By the time Daphne finished reading, she was in tears. It was true that she and Niles had had little time for one another lately. She knew that he was not entirely at fault, since she was usually focused on David's needs. Daphne had never been a mother before, and she was determined to do a good job. She had seen her own mother make many mistakes as she'd raised her nine children. She vowed to herself the first time she held David at the vet's office that she would not do those things.

Whens she finally put the letter down and went to take care of David, she began to wonder what she could do in return. Niles would expect nothing more from her than a simple "thank you" or perhaps a kiss. But he so often went out of his way to make her feel special, and she felt the need to reciprocate this time. Once David was contentedly having fun in his playpen, Daphne sat down with her laptop. She thought of many romantic restaurants they could go to. But Niles ate gourmet food so frequently that it could hardly be considered special. She thought about other things that he enjoyed, and it didn't take her long to come up with an idea. She began looking at wineries around the Pacific Northwest. She found one not too far outside Seattle. It was a simple drive, but even so, she booked a nearby hotel room.

Her next step was to call her father-in-law. Someone would need to take care of David while they were gone, and Martin often said that a grandparent's job was to baby-sit. Just as she had thought, Daphne had no trouble convincing him and Ronee to take the baby for the weekend. Suddenly, Daphne couldn't wait for her husband to come home.