Niles sat on his son's bed for their usual bedtime routine. "Well, are you ready for tomorrow?" he asked.
David nervously shook his head. "Dad, I don't think I should have this surgery." The boy's voice was uncharacteristically small.
"David, we've talked about this already," Niles said, showing a bit of impatience. "You know you keep having those sore throats. If we just take your tonsils out, you'll feel much better. Plus, you'll get all the ice cream you want! Provided you share with your grandfather." Niles laughed, picturing his father making sure he got a share of his grandson's treat.
"I know," David admitted. "But I was talking to some kids at school. They said they're going to cut my throat open! And if they make one tiny slip with their knife, it's -" David made a slashing motion across his neck.
"David, those children are just lying. They wanted to scare you. But your mother and I love you, and we would never put you in harm's way. You know that, right?"
"Yeah. But I'm scared. I mean, it's still risky, isn't it?"
"Doctors do this procedure countless times a day. It's perfectly safe. But it's also OK to be scared. I had an operation once myself, and I was pretty scared, too."
"You did?" David asked.
"Yes." Niles loosened his tie and unbuttoned his shirt. He revealed his chest, where a thin white line ran down the middle of it. "They had to cut open my chest to work on my heart. That's a scary operation."
Mesmerized, David reached out, tracing the line on his father's chest. "Wow!"
"This happened before you were born, just after your mom and I got married. If the surgery hadn't worked, there's a good chance you wouldn't be here," Niles said, now buttoning his shirt again.
Daphne was about to say goodnight to her son, but stopped when she heard Niles talking to him. When she realized they were discussing Niles' heart operation, she entered the room. "I remember that day like it was yesterday," she said.
Niles saw the look on her face. It was clear she was picturing the hospital waiting room in her mind. He gently slipped his hand into hers, hoping it would remind her that he was, in fact, still here.
"I was a nervous wreck in that waiting room. We all were. Even Frasier. But of course he tried to hide it with diagrams and a point-by-point description of the operation. If I hadn't had Frasier and Martin there with me, there's no telling what I would've done," Daphne said. "As it was, I destroyed a vending machine, just because it took Martin's money."
"Wow, Mom! You must've been really upset!" David had never see his mom that angry.
"I was. And the worst part was, me husband wasn't there to tell me it would all be OK. We had just gotten married. I couldn't stand the thought of losing him just when we'd finally started our life together."
"But you didn't lose me, Daphne. I'm right here," Niles pointed out.
"Yes. And I'm so grateful for that," Daphne said, caressing his cheek.
After taking a moment to enjoy Daphne's touch, Niles once again turned his attention to his son. "Has any of this helped? Do you feel better about your surgery?"
"Well, a little..." David said reluctantly. "I guess your surgery was a bigger deal than mine, but you got through it. So I probably will, too."
"That's the spirit," Daphne said, now finally smiling. "Now, you'd better get some sleep, because we have to be at the hospital first thing in the morning."
"OK, Mom." David's face showed he didn't really want to go to bed, but he would.
"Goodnight, son," Niles said, kissing David's forehead. "We'll be there when they take you into the operating room, and we'll be right there when you wake up."
That thought made David smile. Both Niles and Daphne breathed a sigh of relief. David's worries were gone, or at least had subsided enough.
"Let's let him sleep," Daphne whispered. Niles nodded his agreement, and the two quietly slipped out of their son's room.
When they'd reached their own room, Niles turned to his wife. "I'm sorry if that talk brought back painful memories," he said, putting his arms around her.
Daphne hugged him tightly. She usually tried hard not to think of Niles' surgery and the days after it. But, after a few moments, she let go. "I was so scared when we were in that bloody waiting room. But the important thing is, you're just fine. Your surgery was a success, and now we have all of this. And we have the best son ever."
Niles kissed her, amazed as always at the way her lips felt. It literally never got old. "Sometimes I look at David, and I think what we would've missed out on if things had gone differently. We've really been lucky."
"Yes," Daphne said, nodding her agreement. "It was just fate that I wound up on your brother's doorstep that day. I could never have imagined we'd end up here. I feel like I got an ending even better than a fairytale!" She laughed, suddenly feeling lighter than she had just moments ago.
Once again, Niles enveloped her in an embrace, touching his forehead to hers. "But you know what the best part is, my love? It isn't an ending at all. We'll have so many more wonderful moments to look forward to."
For a moment, Daphne's imagination ran wild, picturing her son graduating, marrying, and having a family of his own. But she knew, if she thought like that, she'd miss the present. And being here, with Niles, was something she definitely couldn't miss. They both silently made their way toward the bed, but it was clear neither wanted to sleep. Even the darkest parts of their life together made them appreciate all that they had now. And that, Daphne thought, was maybe the greatest gift of all.
The End