"Mommy!"
Daphne awoke immediately, listening for the voice of her son. In seconds, she heard the word a second time. She was out of bed in a flash, being careful not to disturb Niles. She quickly made her way down the hall to David's room. Upon opening the door, she saw her son awake and crying.
She went into the room, her heart breaking for the three-year-old. "Sh, it was just a bad dream," she said softly. But David was still unconvinced. His cries continued. Daphne sat next to him on the bed. "You're safe now, go back to sleep." She positioned herself on the bed so that David's head was on her lap. Gradually, he began to relax, and was soon asleep.
As she watched David sleep, Daphne could hardly believe how much she loved this little boy. Sure, spending every day with him was a challenge. But she wouldn't trade it for anything. He truly was a little miracle. If she had to sit here all night to let him know he was safe, that's exactly what Daphne would do. Never mind what Niles or all his parenting books said on the subject.
Suddenly, the dim light of the room changed as the door opened a second time. Daphne could make out the silhouette of her husband standing there. "I woke up, and you were gone," he whispered.
"I'm sorry if I worried you. But David had a bad dream, and I just couldn't leave him in here."
Niles looked down at his son, peacefully asleep in Daphne's lap. Many times lately, he'd told Daphne that David needed to learn that his nightmares weren't real, and he couldn't expect someone to come running every time he screamed. But seeing his little boy like this made Niles feel differently. Instead of yelling at his wife yet again, Niles gently took hold of the boy's shoulders. He was able to move David back onto his pillow, never even disturbing his sleep. "It looks like he's fine now. You need your rest, too," he said, taking Daphne by the hand.
Daphne began to follow him, but she couldn't help looking uncertainly back at her son. He seemed so helpless.
"Don't worry, my love. We're just down the hall if he needs us." Niles led her back out in the hallway and to the master bedroom.
Even though she loved David so much, Daphne was relieved to be away from him once again. She felt a twinge of guilt for giving in to his cries for the umpteenth time. "Thank you," she said to her husband.
Niles smiled. "I feel like such a bad father," he said with a sigh.
"What?" Daphne asked in shock.
"Well, here I've been, trying to toughen David up, so that he won't turn out like Frasier and I did. That's what Dad tried to do with us. He wanted us to be men, not weak little boys. Obviously, it didn't work. I should know better than to do the same with my son."
Daphne kissed Niles for a long moment. "You're a wonderful father."
Niles scoffed. "I don't spend time with him the way I should. He probably doesn't even know me."
"Don't be so hard on yourself," Daphne replied. "David knows exactly who you are. Every time he asks where you went, I tell him that you're helping people. He knows you love him."
"How did I get so lucky?" Niles asked as he took Daphne's chin in his hands.
Daphne eyed the bed, knowing where this conversation was leading. "Because you fell in love with a poor girl who thought she'd never be good enough for you."
"That's not how I remember it," Niles said, leading her by the hand toward the bed. "I just know that I walked into Frasier's one night, and saw an angel standing there. I only hoped that one day, when I was free, that angel might agree to go out with me. It took some time, but a miracle happened. I thank God every day that she agreed to marry me and gave me the most wonderful son."
A familiar sigh escaped from Daphne at the way Niles recalled their first meeting. It was never so romantic in her memory. But she loved Niles for seeing something in her that obviously no one else had. "Thank you," she said, pulling Niles toward her on the bed. "Even though sometimes it's overwhelming to take care of a little boy all day, I love me life. I wouldn't be able to do it without you."
Niles knew he couldn't think clearly enough to respond to her comment verbally. The desire he felt for her outweighed everything else. All he could do was hold her close and kiss her, hoping those gestures would communicate how he felt about her.
The End