"Dr. Crane, I'm so sorry!"
"The fault is mine, Daphne. I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention, I-." he paused and looked at her in concern. "Dear God… Are you… all right?"
"Yes, I'm-." But when she looked into his eyes, she saw something that she'd never seen before. And only a few seconds passed before she burst into tears.
He held her close, clearly stunned by her outburst of emotion, but she couldn't release her hold on him. She just stood there, clinging to him, taking comfort in the feeling of his arms as they held her. She pressed her face into his suit, aware of the soft material (what had Frasier called it? Italian silk?) that rubbed against her skin. Her eyes were closed and she cried softly, not sure if she'd ever be able to stop.
"Daphne, what is it? What's wrong?"
She could hear his voice, the familiar voice of the man who had dumped her without warning; the man that she used to think of as sweet. It echoed loudly, making her cry even harder. She didn't dare turn around; she simply pulled out of Niles arms, mumbling a faint "I'm sorry" before continuing with her original plan, running as far out of the café as possible.
But as soon as she reached the patio, she caught a glimpse of the table, their table. And that made her cry even more. Wearily she walked over to the wrought iron chair and sank into it, crying into her hands. It wasn't long before she was joined by someone else; someone who wasn't Eric. His hand was on her back and she looked up in surprise.
"Dr. Crane…"
She began to sob, prompting him sit down beside her and pull her close. "Shhh… It's all right. You're safe now. Whatever it is…"
She looked up, his handsome face blurred by her tears. "Oh Dr. Crane, it's terrible!" When she held out her hand the ring; the reminder of how much he'd loved her (or at least said he loved her) glared back at her. And she saw his expression change when he noticed the ring on her hand.
"Oh, I see.. I-I'm sorry Daphne. I didn't know. But I suppose that congratulations are in order."
She looked at the ring on her finger. "We weren't engaged. Not really. It's just a gift."
"I see… Well, perhaps-."
"No, it will never happen."
"Don't say that. Um…"
"Oh, Dr. Crane, Eric broke up with me!"
Niles expression turned to one of concern. "He did? Oh dear God, no wonder you were so upset. But are you hurt? Physically?"
She shook her head. "No, I'm…"
"Oh no…"
This caught her attention. "What is it?"
"Dear God, how could I have done this?"
"Done what?"
"Your forehead, it's turned red! Daphne, I am so sorry!"
"What? I-."
"Stay here, all right? I'll be right back."
"I'm fine, really. You didn't do anything and you don't have to-."
"I'll be right back. Don't move!"
She stood where she was, having no idea what was happening. But she didn't need to worry. For she trusted Niles with her life. She trusted him more than she trusted anyone. And for the first time since that fateful conversation with Eric, she smiled.