"My love, I have a surprise for you. Dad and Ronee have agreed to watch David for the night and that gives us the whole night to ourselves. I've already dropped him off. So what would you like to do? Go to Paris? Go to Nordstrom's? Rent The Vow or any other movie you've been wanting to see?
Daphne looked at him tearfully. "You really think I'm a terrible mother don't you?"
Unprepared for such an attack, Niles looked at his wife. "My love you are the best mother I know. No one could do for my child what you do. I just wanted to spend some alone time with you. Is that a crime?"
She looked at him and felt so badly. "No Niles. I think I just want to go to bed. "
"It's only seven...:"
But it was too late. Daphne had entered her fortress and from past experience Niles knew that a woman did not want to be followed there. He tried everything he could and nothing was working. His marriage, what meant more to him than life itself, was falling apart, and he was helpless to stop it.
He sat down on the couch and turned on the t.v. Some mindless show was on, he wasn't paying attention. All of his thoughts were on his beloved Daphne and how he as a professional and as a husband was failing her. This was obviously out of his league, and Frasier would be of no help. He didn't know what to do.
"Dad? Can I talk to you for a minute?"
"Sure son. David's with Ronee, teasing her by calling her granny. You should see it. It's the funniest thing."
No laughter came. "What's wrong son? Is it Daphne?"
"Dad, I don't know how to tell you this but she was pregnant..."
"What do you mean was?" Martin asked.
"She lost the baby. We had a miscarriage. Dad I'm lost. Ever since that happened she's been pushing me away and I feel like I'm losing the love of my life. I've never been so scared in my life."
Martin sighed. "Niles, I'm going to tell you something that I've never told anyone. If your mother were here she'd scalp me alive for telling you this. But this happened to your mother and myself before."
Niles was genuinely shocked. He'd never heard this before. "Mom lost a baby?"
"Yes and it took a toll on her. She was the toughest lady I knew, that's why I loved her so much, but it devestated her. It took some time before things got back to normal if you know what I mean."
"When did this happen?"
"About four months after Frasier was born. So much for breastfeeding being the best birth control."
No laughter.
"Anyways son it's something that a woman has to work out for herself. She needs to know you don't blame her and that you love her anyways. She needs to feel like a woman."
"I don't blame her. I could never blame her for something that was never her fault."
"Does she know that?"
"I don't know..."
"Well you damn well better make sure that she does. Otherwise she may never get over this."
"Thank you Dad. It sounds like you're speaking from experience."
"Don't make the mistakes I did Niles. She doesn't need flowers or perfume or long baths. She needs you to be there to let her cry it out as long as she needs to. Now get off the phone and get your butt in your room with your wife and let her know you're not disappointed in her."
Niles hung up, absorbing way more information than he thought he could. But his dad was right. Daphne needed him and it was up to him to be the husband she needed him to be.