Daphne took a deep breath before entering the Crane apartment. The last thing she wanted was for Niles to know about the awful experience she'd had. When she woke up this morning and realized it was the official start of the Christmas shopping season, she knew she had to go out. Since Niles had flown 3,000 miles yesterday just so she wouldn't be alone on Thanksgiving day, she knew she had to buy him something special. So she'd snuck out, leaving a note saying she was "running errands" and gone to the jewelery store. She knew that both Crane boys had expensive tastes, so only the best would do. She'd found a beautiful watch, one that she knew Niles would love. But when she'd attempted to pay, her credit card was declined. The cashier had told her that unless she had another means to pay for her purchase, she would need to leave. The whole experience had filled her with a deep sense of shame.
She opened the door and cautiously stepped into the apartment. Before she could even think, Niles had walked over to taking her in his arms immediately. "Daphne, thank God," he whispered.
"What's the matter?" Daphne asked. "Didn't you see me note?"
Niles nodded. "Yes. I figured you went out shopping. But I heard on the news that there was a riot down at the mall. I was so worried that's where you might've gone. I called your cellphone a dozen times!"
Daphne hugged him quickly, touched by his concern. "No...I wasn't at the mall. And I forgot to charge me phone last night. Sorry."
"That's all right," Niles replied. "I'm just glad you're here and you're safe. I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you."
Daphne was speechless. Niles loved her more than she could've imagined; certainly more than she deserved. "I'm sorry I frightened you. I just...had to do something."
Niles looked at her. "Is something wrong?" He could tell that she was upset. He hoped he hadn't done something to hurt her, even if he hadn't meant to, or didn't even know what he'd done.
"No," Daphne said, not quite making eye contact. After a moment, she forced a smile,wanting to change the subject. "Are you hungry? Just give me a minute and I'll fix you something."
"That can wait. Daphne, I hope you know how much I care about you. You can tell me anything. I meant what I said yesterday. If you have a problem, I'll do anything I can to help you. But you have to trust me enough to tell me what's on your mind."
Daphne kissed him. She remembered the look on the cashier's face as he'd asked her to step aside so he could help another customer. She could tell by his expression that he didn't have time for the likes of her. She looked at the ground, trying to fight the tear that threatened to roll down her cheek.
Niles brushed the tear off her cheek before it could fall. He gently lifted her chin, making her look him in the eye. "I hate seeing you hurting like this. It might help you to talk about it."
The kindness she saw in his eyes, and the way he clearly seemed to hurt for her, touched her a great deal. Maybe he was right. "Well, I wanted to buy you something for Christmas. I mean, you flew all the way here from Boston just to see me. That deserves a pretty special gift!"
Niles smiled. "Daphne, I'm sure whatever you picked out is wonderful. I can't wait to find out what it is. But of course, I will wait. I know the gift will be worth it."
Daphne sighed. "You're such a sweet man. Why couldn't I see that before?"
Niles kissed her quickly. "All that matters is that you see it now. But go on."
"All right," Daphne said hesitantly. "I went down to that jewelery store, the one I heard you and your brother talking about."
"You mean Ben Bridge?" Niles asked.
Daphne nodded. "They had the most beautiful watch. So I went to the counter to pay, and the cashier said he couldn't accept me credit card. It seems I went over me limit!"
When tears once again filled her eyes, Niles took her into his arms, rubbing her back. "Sh, it's OK. Oh, Daphne, no wonder you're so upset! Those cashiers can be a bit intimidating sometimes. But I can't tell you how touched I am that you would even want to get me something so expensive."
Daphne began to regain control of herself. "Well, I'm sure you spent quite a bit on those airline tickets yesterday. I couldn't let you think I don't appreciate what you did!"
"Daphne, you are one of the kindest, most selfless people I know. As for what I did, I would do it again in a heartbeat. It was worth it to see your reaction. That's all the thanks I need! Please don't feel you owe me anything, or that you have to repay me. I'm sure I would love anything you bought me, no matter the cost."
Daphne felt her heart swell with love for him. "Thank you. I love working for your brother, but sometimes I do wish I made a bit more money. Then I could buy you a better gift."
Niles smiled. "Believe me, holding you in my arms like this, and being able to tell you how much you mean to me is a gift I can't put a price on. Anything else would be overkill. As for your money troubles, well, maybe someday we can do something about it. I do have more than enough money to live comfortably on, you know. Even enough to support someone else, if I had the chance."
Daphne smiled. She knew he was talking about marriage, albeit in a roundabout sort of way. The idea of making such a huge change scared her, but she understood that he wasn't pressuring her in any way. He simply wanted her to know what his plans were. She had never considered their future before. But as she began to picture it, she found that she liked what she saw. Maybe she couldn't give him the kind of present he deserved this year, but now she knew she had a lifetime to make up for it.
The End