A/N: When I read the short but incredibly sweet "Sorting Table" by SJ Smith, I couldn't resist writing a continuation and my sincere thanks to such a great writer for the blessing to write this story. Sorry for the short chapters.
Niles sat at the table across from his brother, staring at the array of candy coated chocolates that he'd meticulously lined in a row. Each one was exactly a half inch from the other, making his effort far superior to that of his older brother's.
Frasier, in an attempt to outdo Niles yet again, grinned smugly at his own row of candy, which consisted of three orange, two blue, six brown, five yellow and twelve green. What the significance was, Niles had no idea but it burned him to the core. Frasier was forever trying to make himself look better.
It was disgusting. The man already had a successful radio show. What more did he want?
The question would have aggravated Niles even more were it not for the fact that his shoulder still tingled from where she'd touched him. She being Daphne Moon, the goddess who shared Frasier's inhabitance day after day. Granted, Frasier's relationship with Daphne was purely platonic-a business relationship as it were. But what must it be like, waking up every morning knowing that an angel was only a few feet away?
Just imagining it made Niles' anger toward his brother melt away and once again he was aware of his shoulder. The way Daphne had touched him before turning to walk into the kitchen just moments before. The touch of her hand had left a warmth on his shoulder that was indescribable. But one thing was certain…. Daphne was truly wonderful in every sense of the word.
His mind went back to the argument he'd had with Frasier when Daphne had expressed her curiosity about what they were doing. It was plainly obvious to anyone, they were sorting candies, something he assumed that everyone did. It would have been so easy to come back with such a sarcastic comment in reply to her question. But he couldn't do it. His love for her was much too deep to risk hurting her feelings.
He loved her so much, even if she had no idea.