Niles and Daphne stood for a moment in the doorway to the coffeeshop. It had changed a lot over the years. There had been several owners, and even some name changes. But no matter what the sign outside said, to them, it would always be Cafe Nervosa. "Shall we have a cup of coffee while we wait, my love?" Niles asked. It was a rhetorical question.
"Of course," Daphne answered, kissing him. His blond hair might have a bit more gray in it than it used to, but he was still as handsome as ever.
They walked over to a table. They both angled their chairs so that they could see the door. Daphne felt a rush of excitement. "I hope he won't be late."
"He won't." Niles reached across the table to take her hand. "I know you miss him." He motioned for a barista and signaled her to bring over two of their usuals.
Daphne nodded. There were tears in her eyes. Niles brushed one of the tears from her cheek. "You know he would've visited sooner, but he's been so busy."
"I know," she replied. She was about to say something more, but she heard the sound of the cafe door opening. In the time it took to turn her head to see who had entered, she was out of her seat. "David!"
David wasn't even able to say "Hello" before having the wind knocked out of him by a forceful hug. Daphne let him go after a long moment. "Hi, Mom." He smiled.
Niles stood beside them, patiently waiting his turn. He knew without a doubt that their son's absence had been far harder on his wife than on him. Of course, that didn't mean he hadn't missed David. "Son," he said, offering a hand. But at the last moment, Niles did something unexpected: he hugged his only child.
"I'm sorry I haven't called or visited more. But, you know, school's tough. I really wanted to hit the books as much as possible, because I can't wait to graduate. I've just got a few more classes left, and then I'll be a police officer."
"We're so proud of you," Daphne replied. "Come, sit with us," she said, taking them over to their table.
David did not hesitate. "I missed you guys like crazy. But this is important to me. I want to be a cop more than anything."
Niles nodded. "I know. Your grandfather would be so proud of you, following in his footsteps."
"Yeah," David replied, grinning. "You know, some of the guys at the academy actually knew Grandpa?!"
"Really?" Daphne replied in disbelief. Martin had been gone for several years now. His loss had hit all of them, but there was some comfort in knowing that David would honor his grandfather's memory by carrying on his work.
David nodded. "Yup. More than once I've been asked if I'm related to Marty Crane. Seems like everybody's got a story about him. Sometimes people tell me about all the amazing things he did on the force. But mostly I hear about how people loved to hang out with him. I even think there's a few guys who are mad that he's gone 'cause Grandpa owes them money!" He grinned.
"That was your grandfather, all right," Daphne said smiling. "So, tell us, how's school?"
David shrugged. "It's a lot of work, but I like it. My professors tell me I'm doing well."
"That's nice," Daphne replied. "But...have you met anyone?" She tried to ask the question casually, but her son wasn't fooled.
"Mom!" David rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to school for that! But, if you must know, I've met a few girls. I'm not serious about any of them, though. I don't want to rush into anything. I know what you guys went through, and how much you love each other. That's why I want to wait, to see if I have real feelings for somebody."
Daphne smiled. "I'm so proud of you," she repeated. Suddenly, she saw him as she had that day in the vet's office. She'd loved him from that moment, when she realized he had grabbed a strand of hair in his tiny fist. Back then, she never would've imagined she'd be here, talking to her now-grown son about his future.
"Yes, David, I'm proud of you, too. But I hope you remember, if you find a woman a special as this one, don't let her get away," Niles said, taking his wife's hand. "You don't want to make the same mistake I did."
"But I didn't get away," Daphne said, looking to his eyes.
Niles said nothing, only leaning forward to kiss her for a long moment.
When David was younger, such displays made him uncomfortable. He used to cringe every time his parents kissed. But now that he was older, and he knew about their love story, it didn't bother him anymore. In fact, it made him want what they had. Someday. He knew guys who wanted nothing more than to "score" with as many girls as they could. But David wanted none of it. Real love is rare, and anything else isn't worth it. He watched his parents until their kiss ended. "Thanks."
"What for?" Niles asked.
"Everything! I know I wasn't always perfect, but you guys were always there for me. And you taught me right from wrong, which is why I want to become a cop."
Just then, the cafe door opened, and a distraught-looking woman stood there. "Someone help! I was just mugged! He took my purse, my keys, everything!"
David got up immediately. "Which way did the suspect go?"
The woman pointed down the road. David took off running in that direction. Only then did the woman notice there were other people in the coffeshop. "Do you two know that man?" she asked.
Daphne smiled. "He's our son. He's going to be a police officer very soon."
"Wow, that's amazing. I was thinking there was no way I could get to the police in time for them catch this guy. I guess it's a miracle that your son was here!"
A deep sense of motherly pride washed over Daphne. "Me husband and I have been saying that since he was born," she said.
The End