As Niles drove to the mall, he tried to remain calm. Daphne had said she was all right, but that could have just been her way of protecting him until he got there. He wished he'd told his father where he was going. He'd only dropped his son off, saying that he needed to run an errand. At the time, it had seemed wiser to avoid explaining, even if it meant a nosebleed.

But Niles couldn't debate about that now. His first priority had to be Daphne. If the situation warranted it, he could always call his father later. He pulled into the mall parking lot, relieved when he saw Daphne's car, with her inside it.

Daphne got out of the car when she saw her husband approach. She was embarrassed that she'd called him. The incident had been scary, but it was over now. "I'm sorry I made you come down here," she said when Niles came near her.

Niles kissed her. "Don't be. Your safety matters more than anything in the world. What happened?"

"You're going to say I was daft. I just panicked and called you. It wasn't really that bad."

"You don't have to be ashamed. Just tell me what happened." Niles took her by the hand, leading her to a bench near the mall entrance.

Daphne sat down, grateful for his support. "Well, I came out of the mall, and I went over to me car. I clicked the remote to unlock the doors. It beeped, but the door wouldn't open. I kept trying, and just as I was about to get into the passenger's side, a man walked up. He thought I was breaking into his car."

"Ah, he must've gotten his car confused with yours," Niles smiled. People got distracted easily. Mistakes like this happened all the time.

"Not quite," Daphne replied. "You see, when he used his remote, it worked. That's when I saw a Seahawks decal on the car."

"Oh. Well, I'm sure you apologized. You didn't do anything wrong."

"That's not what he thought. It seems silly now, but he was so angry. And I could tell he was in good shape. I thought he might attack me!"

"Oh, my God. Are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine. He drove away, but not before he made his feelings known in the rearview mirror. That's when I called you."

Niles hugged her tightly, rubbing her back gently. "It's all right. I don't blame you for being upset, but it's over now."

"I know. After I called you, I thought about it, and I realized I overreacted. I'm sorry I made you come down here."

"You have no reason to apologize. That man should be apologizing to you. He was rude and disrespectful. I wish you'd gotten his license plate so Dad could have his friends run a check on it!"

"That's very sweet, but it's not necessary. I just want to forget the whole thing. Let's go home."

"All right. Maybe David could stay with Dad a while longer. When I left, Dad was watching a Mariners game and trying to teach our son the players' names."

Daphne smiled. She loved the way Martin spoiled his grandson. "That sounds lovely. I'm sure that you and I can find some things to do in the meantime." She kissed him, longer this time.

Niles knew he'd never get tired of this, no matter how long he lived. He stood up. "Let's go home. I know I probably tell you this all the time, but I love you. I guess I have to make up for seven years of not saying it." He smiled, knowing he'd apologized countless times for his mistakes.

"Let's not have that conversation again," Daphne said, standing also. "I love you, too. I'm so glad you're here to comfort me, no matter what happens. I bet that horrible man has never had a tenth of what we have."

"Most people never do, my love." Niles gave his wife's hand a squeeze as the went their separate ways to their vehicles. It seemed that Daphne's experience had a wonderful silver lining.

The End