When Niles had gotten caught up on his notes, he went upstairs to check on David. Standing in the doorway, he watched his son play. The sight made Niles remember once again how lucky he was. For so many years, fatherhood had seemed impossible. But now, he and Daphne were about to have their second child. The thought overwhelmed him. He wondered if his own father had ever felt this way when he and Frasier were growing up. Niles made a mental note to ask about it the next chance he got. With Frasier no longer in Seattle, Niles had grown much closer to his father than he'd ever been before. It seemed that now that they were both fathers, they had much more in common than they used to.
"Having fun?" Niles asked, finally breaking his silence. David looked up in surprise. He hadn't known his father was watching.
"Hi, Dad," David said excitedly. He was in the process of building a very large block tower. "Wanna play?"
Niles smiled and took a step into the room. "Sure." He knelt down and began building another tower, right next to David's. Niles couldn't remember ever doing anything like this as a kid, and certainly not with his father. But moments like this, when he could spend time getting to know his son were priceless. He knew he could never get this time back. In just a few short years, David would probably be running out the door to meet his friends. But for right now, his son seemed content to simply sit in his room and play quietly with a set of blocks.
As the two continued to build their structures, David suddenly spoke up. "Dad, do you think I'll ever get married when I grow up?"
Niles looked his son in the eye. "I hope you will someday. If you can find somebody as nice as your mommy. But that can be hard to find." David was much too young to hear the whole story, but Niles definitely knew from experience how hard it could be to find the right person.
"Oh," David replied, as he returned his attention to his blocks.
Niles waited a few more minutes, wondering if David had more on his mind. "Is there anything else you want to ask?" he finally said.
"When's Mommy coming home?" David asked.
"Tomorrow night," Niles replied. "She misses you, you know." He wondered if he should tell his son that he'd spoken to Daphne on the phone. He decided not to risk upsetting David.
"I miss her, too," David said sadly.
Niles reached over and gently touched his son's wrist. "I know that." Suddenly, he had an idea. "How about we make something for her? We could give it to her when she gets back."
David's eyes lit up. "Really?"
Niles nodded. "Sure. Go get your crayons."
"OK!" David said. He immediately got up and raced over to his toy box. Half an hour later, Niles admired his son's artwork. To most people, it would be an ordinary child's drawing, with lots of colored lines in every direction, not resembling much of anything. But when Niles asked David what he was drawing, his son's reply had been simple. "It's a flower. 'Cause Mommy loves flowers, right?"
Niles nodded, picturing the many bouquets he'd given Daphne back when they were dating, and even after they had married. There was always a card to remind Daphne just how often Niles thought of her. "Yes, son, your Mom definitely loves flowers."