Daphne stood in the hallway and smiled at her fiancé.
"Thanks again for dinner, Donny. It was lovely."
He grinned boyishly and kissed her. "Aw, Daph you're just saying that."
Daphne smiled in an attempt to hide her annoyance. The man could never take a compliment; unless, of course it had something to do with his job.
"You're much too modest. Of course I'm not just saying that. I loved it, really."
To show that she was sincere, she wrapped her arms around him and stared into his eyes, trying to ignore the fact that she was so much taller than he.
Finally he smiled... a real smile.
"Well, I'm glad. And believe me, there's more where that came from."
After a few more kisses, she lost interest and had to pull herself away. "It's late. I should probably get inside."
"Mind if I join you?"
"Um... actually yes. I have a very busy day tomorrow."
When he frowned, she was surprised to find that she felt no guilt at all. And before he could protest, she quietly opened the door to the condo and slipped inside.
"Goodnight, Donny."
As the door closed behind her she leaned against it, breathing a sigh of relief.
Thank God that was over.
She loved Donny but she wasn't sure how much more she could take. The man was becoming such a nuisance.
The thought startled her and she wondered where it had come from.
She did love Donny and she couldn't wait to marry him. But lately she found herself annoyed by the little things that he did-or rather, things he didn't do.
Perhaps in time she'd learn to deal with the insecurities. After all, didn't every married couple experience ups and downs in the beginning?
But she couldn't doubt her love for him. He was the only man who loved her, so why ruin it? She knew that in time she'd grow to love him even more than she thought possible.
For now though, she wanted nothing more than to relax in a hot bubble bath and then sit in front of the television in her robe and pajamas.
No distractions, no wedding plans, and most of all... No Donny.
Fully contented and ready for a night of rest and relaxation, Daphne dried herself off with luxurious cotton towel (nothing but the best for Frasier Crane) and then slipped on her favorite nightshirt; a soft grayish blue satin that fell just below her knees.
And finally the best part of all, her plush robe adorned with coffee cups. She'd had the ratty thing forever and despite Frasier's best interests in insisting on buying her a nicer one, she simply couldn't part with it.
It was like being wrapped in a warm hug; something that she'd missed experiencing lately.
Once more she pushed all thoughts of Donny aside. She truly loved him and she hated the negativity she was feeling about him.
A night alone would surely do the trick. After all, planning her wedding was the most stressful thing she'd ever done. If she'd known that it would have been this much work, she might not have agreed to marry him.
The thought hit her like a punch in the stomach. How could she even think such a thing?
She loved Donny and wanted nothing more than to marry him. Surely this was her stress talking and not some sort of sign.
But either way, she chose to ignore it.
Cinching the belt on her robe, she shoved her feet into her worn but comfortable slippers and padded into the living room.
She looked around the dimly lit room, grateful to be alone. All she wanted was to get lost in a tearful romantic movie, and worry about other people's problems instead of her own.
Popping the DVD into the player, she settled back against the sofa and sighed contentedly.
The opening credits had barely started when she noticed a figure standing in the darkness. Panic rose within her but she willed it away.
Suddenly feeling brave, she paused the movie and rose to her feet. As slowly as possible she crossed to the dining room table, fully prepared to call Martin if necessary.
He was such a good man, always making sure that she knew what to do when faced with a scary situation.
"Hello?" She called into the darkness. "Is anyone there?"
The figure stepped out of the shadows and as the light from the moon illuminated his blonde hair, she sighed with relief.
"Dr Crane..."