Daphne turned off the TV, trying not to think about what she'd just heard. A prisoner had escaped from Seattle's maximum-security prison. The man was believed to be armed and dangerous. She looked over at David, quietly playing on the floor, oblivious to the fear on his mother's face. As she walked over and picked her son up, Daphne wished Niles hadn't chosen tonight to stay at the office and catch up on paperwork. He'd spent quite a bit of time at home lately, helping take care of David. Though Daphne appreciated the way he looked after his family, she knew he hated not being able to give his work the time it deserved.
Daphne looked at David's face, falling in love with him all over again. She could tell he was tired, which was a good thing. She figured that if they were going to be home alone for the next few hours, the bedroom would be safer than being down here. She began to walk upstairs with him. "Let's get you changed and ready for bed while we wait for Daddy to come home. I'm sure he's missed us both." She took David into the nursery to change him. The baby was sound asleep by the time she was done. He looked so peaceful, lying there in his crib. Daphne stood there for a few moments, just watching him sleep. She could hardly believe he was hers. Though his hair had been dark at birth, he now looked more like his father. Daphne was grateful for that, because Niles was the handsomest man she'd ever seen.
After standing there in the nursery for a few minutes, Daphne realized she couldn't spend the whole night in here. She had to get ready for bed herself. Reluctantly, she turned and walked back to the bedroom she and Niles shared. She smiled to herself as she changed into her nightgown. It was nearly see-through, and Niles loved to see her in it. Daphne always got a thrill from the fact that Niles still found her as attractive today as he had the very first time he saw her.
Once she'd brushed her teeth, she took out her favorite romance novel, eager to read a bit before bed. The love scenes in these books could never take the place of being in Niles' arms, but at least she could pretend that she wasn't alone right now. Before she'd even read a full paragraph, Daphne looked around in alarm. She could swear she'd just heard a noise from downstairs. Her heart began to pound. She and David were here all alone. Practically defenseless. Unsure what to do, she simply stayed frozen where she was, praying that the thief would take whatever he wanted and leave. Possessions could always be replaced. Her real fear was for David. What if someone saw him there and decided for whatever reason, he might be a threat? The thought of her son being harmed was more than she could bear. Finally she decided she couldn't just sit here, waiting for something to happen. She went back into the nursery and wheeled David's crib down the hall, back into her room. She knew Niles wouldn't be happy about this, but she was too busy worrying about her son's safety to think about that now.
Daphne breathed a sigh of relief, knowing she could at least keep an eye on David. But still, she remained on edge. Her attempts to read her novel failed. Too many awful scenarios were playing in her mind. Several times, she picked up the phone to dial Niles' office. But she knew he was probably hard at work right now. She couldn't expect him to drop everything just because she was scared. After all, nothing had actually happened yet. Instead, she just sat there listening. Even the silence seemed eerie for some reason. Looking at the clock, she noticed it was almost time for her husband to come home. She hoped the traffic would be light. She knew she would not be able to fully relax until the two people she loved most were here, safe and sound.
In order to not go completely crazy with worry, Daphne forced herself to focus on her son. He hadn't even budged an inch when his crib was moved. She was grateful for that. David was such an angel. Sometimes she would look at him and be almost overwhelmed with love for him. As much as she loved her life with Niles, having this lovely apartment and all their many material posessions, Daphne knew David meant more to her than any of them.
Daphne nearly jumped out of her skin when she suddenly heard the bedroom door open. When she turned and saw Niles standing there, she felt tears running down her cheeks. She immediately hugged him, resting her head on his shoulder.
"Daphne..." Niles said, immediately putting his arms around her. "What's the matter?" He hadn't expected this at all. What on earth could have upset her this much? He continued to hold her, rubbing her back until she could calm down. "Shhhh...it's all right. I'm here," he said soothingly.
Gradually Daphne's tears stopped. Being in Niles' arms this way always made her feel safe. "I was watching the news. They said a man escaped from a maximum-security prison. And here David and I were, all by ourselves. I kept thinking I heard noises!"
Niles' heart broke seeing his wife like this. "Oh, yes, I heard about that. I was listening to KACL on the way home. The man was captured all the way across town. Daphne, he was nowhere near here."
"Oh," Daphne said sheepishly. Suddenly she was embarrassed at the way she'd let herself get carried away.
Niles carefully led her over to the bed and sat her down. "If you were afraid, why didn't you just call Dad? I'm sure he would've let you know if he thought you were in any danger."
Daphne felt another wave of shame. How could she have forgotten that her father-in-law was a veteran cop? Though he wasn't able to work anymore, due to the bullet in his hip, he still had friends on the force who often gave him inside information. She sighed, now realizing how silly she'd been. "I guess I just let meself get a bit carried away."
Niles laughed. He was relieved to see that Daphne had come to her senses. "Just remember, I love you, so if you're ever afraid, you can always call me. I may not be as tough as Dad used to be, but I'll do anything in my power to protect you." He pulled Daphne close, kissing her tear-stained cheek.
Daphne kissed him back. This time it was not a gentle kiss, but a deeper one, the kind that meant they would not be going to sleep for a while yet. When she drew back, Niles smiled. "Why don't I go and put David back in his room? Then we can go to bed."
Daphne nodded, and Niles got up and moved the crib. He returned a moment later, grinning mischievously. He saw that Daphne was now lying in bed, clearly waiting for him to join her. He went into the bathroom and quickly took off his suit. Once he was ready, he came out. Daphne's excitement seemed to have increased in the few minutes he'd been in there. He crawled into bed, taking her in his arms once again. Looking into her eyes, he saw that her fears from earlier were utterly forgotten. He gently caressed her cheek, amazed as always by its softness. "Now, where were we..."
The End