Author's Note:I'm dedicating this story to Leigh Ann (leighann415), since she inadvertently gave me the idea for this. I'm pretty pleased with how it came out, considering how quickly I wrote it!
Niles slipped into the Montana, grateful that Daphne did not greet him at the door. He'd bought her a present, and he could hardly wait to see her open it.
Daphne noticed her husband in the living room and went out to greet him. "How was work?" she asked, kissing him. Niles did not give in to the kiss as he normally did. His hands were behind his back, shielding the present from view.
Niles shrugged. "The usual. My patients told me their problems, and I did my best to help them."
Daphne smiled. She wondered if all psychiatrists cared about their patients the way Niles did. But she knew that probably wasn't the case. Niles was definitely the most caring person she'd ever met.
There was an awkward moment of silence. Niles was barely able to contain his excitement over his gift. "Close your eyes," he instructed. Daphne reacted with confusion, but did as he'd asked. Niles placed a box into her hands. "Open."
Daphne didn't know what to say when she saw what he'd given her. "Christmas isn't till next week. Shouldn't you wait?"
"I saw this, and I wanted you to have it before then. Go ahead, open it up."
Daphne did. She gasped when she saw what was inside. It was a porcelain gingerbread house. The details were incredible. Candy canes outlined the windows, and snow glistened on the roof. The entire thing appeared to be made of gingerbread and white frosting. "Oh, Niles!"
Niles grinned. His heart warmed to see her reaction. "I saw this in the store, and I remembered you saying how you used to love building a gingerbread house with your Grammy Moon. I know you can't be with your family for the holidays, so I wanted to get you something that would bring a little of that back."
Daphne sighed. She barely recalled mentioning that. It had been years ago, long before they were even a couple! But of course Niles had been paying attention. She set the box on the coffee table. She kissed him deeply. "Thank you," she whispered. "I can't believe you remembered that! I haven't even thought of it in years."
Niles blushed. Ever sine they'd met, he'd paid attention to any hints she gave about her likes and dislikes. "I wanted to make you happy."
"You have," Daphne answered immediately. "I do miss me family a bit, but I have everything I need for a perfect Christmas right here. I could never ask for anything more than spending the day with you and David." She glanced over at the playpen, where David was happily amusing himself.
"I consider myself the luckiest man on earth, because I never thought anything could top finally having you as my wife. But David is the most incredible miracle I could ever ask for."
Daphne put her arms around him. Being near him like this always made her feel safe and warm as nothing else could. When she tore herself away from the embrace, she walked over to the box. Carefully she removed the gingerbread house from inside. "I think I'll put it right here," she said, placing it on the mantle. "It can stay there all year long, to remind me that I've got a husband who would do anything to make me happy."
"I guess when someone makes you as happy as you've made me, you just want to do the same for them. I would buy you a hundred gingerbread houses if that's what it took."
Daphne felt her eyes well up. "You don't have to do that. I only need one thing from you to make me happy."
Niles kissed the back of her hand. "What's that, my love?" Whatever it was, he knew he would search all over Seattle to find it.
Daphne placed a hand over his chest. The steady rhythm she felt was comforting. It let her know that she and Niles would have many more years together. "Your heart," she whispered.
Niles kissed her. "You don't have to ask for that. It already belongs to you, and it always will."
Daphne smiled. Those words might not be tangible proof of his love, but they were even more meaningful, because they'd gone straight to her heart. And she knew without a doubt that they would remain there for many years to come.
The End