Daphne made the drive to the Montana, her heart beating wildly the entire time. She kept trying to think of what she could say to him, but no words came. Her only hope was that something would come to her in the moment. Briefly she thought of Donny. They were, after all, still engaged. But she wasn't about to tell Donny any of this until she was sure of what it meant.
Dr. Crane loves Mel, she thought. Maybe he'd had a crush on her once upon a time, but he had apparently moved on, or why would Mel even be in the picture right now at all? "No matter what happens," Daphne said to herself. "I've got to get this mess straightened out before I completely lose me mind. And me nerve." She got out of her car and walked into the building. She got in the elevator and pressed his floor automatically. She hadn't come here that many times, and she usually accompanied Dr. Crane or his father. Why did coming here feel so familiar?
Way before she was ready, the elevator doors opened up, and she saw his front door. She had a sudden impulse to get back into the car and drive back to Elliott Bay. She couldn't have this conversation that might change everything. Not now.
No, she thought. I can't do that. I have to face this, no matter how hard it might be. Daphne knocked on the younger Dr. Crane's door. It was a timid half-knock, but still, the door was opened almost immediately. "Dr. Crane."
Niles smiled at the sight of her. "Daphne. Lovely to see you. Come in."
"Were you...expecting me?" she asked.
"Frasier called me," Niles explained. "He said you had something on your mind and you needed to talk to me. Not to steal my brother's slogan, but, well, I'm listening."
His smile warmed Daphne's heart. "This might be awkward. Are you sure you want to hear it?"
"Yes," Niles said, a bit more eagerly than he'd intended. "Please, make yourself comfortable." He gestured to the fainting couch.
Daphne sat, still feeling a bit awkward, and not sure what to say. "A few weeks back, your brother had those back pains, remember?"
"Who could forget?" Niles asked. "Frasier acted as if no one in history had ever had a bad back before."
A small smile came on Daphne's face. Dr. Crane was never afraid to poke fun at his older brother's foibles. "That's true. But he took some painkillers, and while I gave him a massage, something came out."
Niles saw that this was hard for her. She was staring at her lap. He took a seat beside her, putting an arm around her. "You can tell me anything. You know that, right?"
Wordlessly, she nodded. "You're so kind. But now everything's mixed up. I have to tell you something, but I'm not sure what you'll say."
He squeezed her tighter. "Daphne, I'm a trained psychiatrist. I give you my word that anything you say will stay just between us, OK?"
"All right. Your brother told me you were crazy about me. At first I thought it was those silly pills, but I can see it now. You always notice me. You compliment me. Why, even now, you're being kinder than I could ever hope for."
Suddenly, Niles felt the floor beneath the couch disappear. He had to glance down to make sure he'd only imagined it. "Frasier told you….that?"
Daphne nodded. "I tried to ignore you. You've obviously moved on. But today, I snapped at your father, and your brother, well, he just had to stick his nose in."
"Daphne, are you saying what I think you're saying? Do you have feelings...for me?"
"I don't know!" She'd asked herself that same question a dozen times, and that was the only answer she'd been able to come up with.
"OK….," Niles said hesitantly. "Emotions are sometimes difficult to unravel. But I want you know that my feelings for you have been clear since the moment I saw you."
"But what about Mel? And Donny….I haven't even told him about any of this yet."
"Oh, I think Mel and I are over. I made the mistake of telling her what everyone said at brunch, and her reaction wasn't pretty. I was never over you. I just wanted someone so I wouldn't be alone."
"That's what your brother said. I know what you want me to say, but I just can't. Not yet. Me feelings are all jumbled up inside. I need time, to decide where I belong."
"That's fair. All I want is for you to be happy. If you choose Donny, then so be it. But at least I've had a chance."
"Thank you," Daphne said, standing up. "I have a feeling I still have a few more sleepless nights ahead of me."
"I'll tell Frasier to give you all the time and space you need."
Even though her heart was sending her in a dozen directions at once, one thing was abundantly clear: Both Dr. Cranes cared about her a great deal, and she felt the same about them. Making this choice wouldn't be easy, but it would be worth it, because, somehow, she knew it would lead her to the place where she belonged.
The End