The apartment was quiet when Daphne's eyes fluttered open. For a moment she was temporarily confused by the unfamiliar surroundings, but when she felt movement beside her, it all came rushing back. She was in Roz's apartment, the place where she'd sought refuge after the terrible argument she'd had with Niles.
She never imagined that a simple misunderstanding could be so painful. But after a viewing of Disney's "The Little Mermaid" the storyline had found its way into her dreams. And it was there that he'd subconsciously uttered the name of the handsome cartoon Prince who fell in love with the mermaid-turned-human named Ariel.
Little did she know that her dreams would cause such a huge misunderstanding or the frightening argument that followed. And then with nowhere to go, she found herself at Roz's apartment, grateful that Roz was out of town. She certainly didn't want to admit that the man she loved so much had thrown her out of the house in much the same fashion that his ex-wife Maris had done to him. But the most painful feeling of all was when he forbade her to see their son. She'd cried so many tears that she was surprised she had any left. As it turned out, she had enough to fill every river in Washington State.
When he came to find her (With David in tow), the argument commenced even further, resulting in broken glass, sharp words and the bandage around her hand. But she'd never forget the way Niles apologized profusely for the misunderstanding, bringing with it tears, heartache and shame, the likes of which she'd never seen from such a strong sophisticated man. Or the way he'd tended to her injured hand so lovingly. But most of all, she would always remember the blissful lovemaking and heartfelt words of sentiment and devotion that followed.
Despite her happiness, the memory of the terrified look upon her son's face brought tears to her eyes now; tears that splashed onto her husband's bare arm, which was wrapped around her. When she sniffled, she felt Niles' lips gently kiss her shoulder and she turned to him. As expected, his beautiful blue eyes were watching her with concern.
"Sweetheart, are you all right?"
She feigned a smile. "Yes, of course. Why wouldn't I be? I'm here in the arms of a handsome and sexy man whom I love more than anyone in the world. I have a wonderful family and a son who-." The thought of David made her tears fall rapidly and she couldn't brush them away.
Niles sat up in bed, showing his concern even further. "Daphne, what is it? What's wrong?"
Her lower lip trembled and she took a deep breath, unable to believe that she was about to say the words.
"I don't think David loves me anymore."
A/N: Thank you for reading Ch 1. Reviews are appreciated.