She lit up a room simply by entering it. She was an absolute angel and the most beautiful woman that Niles had ever seen. Her presence radiated warmth and love. And he hoped and prayed that one day she would love him as much as he loved her. But now he realized that his one chance at love was about to be taken from him forever.
Just minutes earlier, his father and brother had lied to him (lied!), telling him that Daphne's mother was dying. Niles had never met the woman Daphne so fondly referred to as "Mum" but he was devastated for her. He knew all too well what it was like to lose the woman who had given him life and simply hearing the words Daphne's mother is dying brought back the emotional tidal wave. When she entered the living room, looking radiant as always in a ¾ sleeve length lilac shirt and grey slacks, he saw the tears in her eyes.
"Did you hear the news?" She asked, rushing into his outstretched arms.
Content to hold her as close as possible, he sighed deeply. "I just did, what can I say?"
When she hugged him again, it didn't take long for her to tell him the truth. That Donny was going to ask her to marry him. At once his heart shattered, and he realized why Frasier and his dad had lied to him. They were merely trying to protect him from heartbreak and grief, but it was already happening.
It began the moment that she said the word marry. Nothing was more devastating than the realization that Daphne was going to give her heart to another man.
After sharing the news and giving each Crane man a kiss and hug (her lips… those soft, full lips burned against Niles' cheek), Daphne excitedly announced that she was going to change into something "more suitable". When she was gone, Niles received sympathetic smiles and apologetic hugs from his father and brother, but minutes later, just as he feared, Daphne returned to the living room looking absolutely radiant in a maroon velvet dress. She looked like an angel that had fallen from heaven. And for the first time in his life, the sight of her made his heart ache like nothing he could have ever imagined.
"How do I look?" she asked, smiling and twirling around like a ballerina.
Frasier and Martin responded at the same time;
"Fine. You look nice."
"Lovely, Daphne. Just lovely."
But Niles could only stare at her. He rose to his feet and went to her, taking her hand in his. It was a bold move if ever there was one, and had he been even bolder, he would have chosen that moment to tell her what he'd held in his heart for oh so long. His dry lips moistened by his tongue as he stared into her warm chocolate brown eyes, and did his best to keep his tears at bay. But instead of saying what he'd always wanted to say to her, he found himself saying something else.
"Y-you look absolutely beautiful, Daphne."
She smiled even brighter, and engulfed him into a painfully warm (and oh so wonderful) hug. "Thank you Dr. Crane. I'm so happy! Donny's going to ask me to marry him!"
Hearing the words again were like a knife to his heart, but he managed to smile, accepting yet another hug. "Congratulations, Daphne." He managed to say in a somewhat wobbly voice and his heart launched its journey to unbearable pain. But he knew that the ache he felt was only the beginning. It was going to become much, much worse.
