Carefully balancing his flour-sack "child" on his hip, Niles rasied his arm to knock on his brother's door. Immediately the door was opened. "Dr. Crane!" Daphne greeted him, a smile appearing on her face instantly.

"Hello, Daphne. We decided we needed some fresh air and a change of scenery," Niles replied.

"We?" Daphne asked, fighting an urge to giggle.

"I know it's silly, a grown man carrying around a bag of flour. But I must admit I'm rather attatched to it."

Daphne stepped back to allow Niles to enter. "Actually, I think it's sweet. I'm sure you'll make a wonderful father someday."

"Thank you." Niles felt his heart warm at her compliment. "I'm afraid this may be as close as I'll ever get to fatherhood, though. Maris has no interest in children. The pregnancy weight-gain alone would terrify her."

Daphne smiled sympathetically. "She might change her mind someday."

Niles sighed. "Practically no one in our set has children. Money and gossip are far more important to them."

"Me mum says I'll never be able to give her grandchildren, the rate I'm going. She says I'm wasting me life here." Daphne sighed, remembering the many long-distance phone calls with her mother.

"That's ridiculous!" Niles said immdiately. "Dad and Frasier love you, and I know they appreciate all your hard work!"

Daphne blushed. "Well, thank you. I'm not really worried, though. Me powers have told me a thing or two about me future. But I can't always be sure of what I'm seeing."

"Why not?" Niles asked. He knew that his father and brother were skeptical of Daphne's so-called psychic abilities, but he had always believed they were one of her more charming qualities.

"Well, for starters, I've always seen meself surrounded by children with blond hair. No one in my family has that color hair. I know it may not mean anything, but I like to think it's a good sign."

Daphne saw herself having blond children? Niles couldn't help feeling his heart race. But still, it could mean anything. And Daphne herself said her visions couldn't always be trusted. "Do...do you know anything about who you're going to marry?"

"No," Daphne replied. "But I'm sure I must be married if I'm having children." She looked down at the bag in Dr. Crane's arms. She knew it was ridiculous, but still...

"Would you like to hold him?" Niles asked, as if reading Daphne's mind.

"Oh...well, all right," Daphne replied, feeling a bit embarrassed at what she was about to do. She gently took the bag from his arms, all the while imagining a baby.

"Ah, Daphne, you're a natural!" Niles exclaimed, seeing the way she gently rocked back and forth, just as if this were a real infant.

"A couple of me brothers are younger than I am, so I've changed me share of diapers." Her natural desire to take care of others was the thing that had led her to choose her current profession.

"I see," Niles said. Although he desperately wanted a child of his own someday, he would still have to get over his squeamishness about some of the more unpleasant realities of parenthood. But he tried not to dwell too much on those details right now.

"I'd forgotten how nice it is to hold a baby," Daphne smiled. She laughed. "I mean, a flour sack."

"I'm sure you'll be able to hold a real baby of your own one day," Niles said. He could not imagine a woman like Daphne spending her whole life alone. As beautiful and kind as she was, she would have no trouble finding someone to settle down with. He only hoped that her marriage would be happier than his was at the moment.

Daphne saw that Dr. Crane was upset. "Would you like to take him back now?"

"Yes, thank you," Niles replied, taking the bag back from her. "I really must be going. I'm sure you have things to do, and I don't want to take up any more of your time."

The thought of Niles returning to his cold, lonely mansion with only a pretend baby for company broke Daphne's heart. "Since your father and brother are out, I was just about to make meself something to eat. Would you like to join me?"

Niles smiled immediately, touched by her offer. "All right, if it's no trouble. But I insist that you let me help you." He carefully set the flour sack down on the couch, and then followed her into the kitchen. As he did, he felt a rush of gratitude for all that Daphne unknowingly did for him. Her kindness was a much-needed bright spot in the dark loneliness he felt so often lately. But, just for the moment, he had a chance to glimpse another kind of life. One where he and the woman he loved could live together and raise a family of their own. Even if all they had right now was a simple sack of flour.

The End