A knock on the door brought her back to the present and she felt a split second of apprehension.
Donny...
Oh God, what would she say to him? He was bound to be angry because she'd been gone for so long-much too long. Even though their relationship wasn't everything she'd hoped for, she was still his fiancé. Quickly she tried to think of an excuse as she opened the door.
But it wasn't Donny who stood before her.
"Oh... Roz..."
"Where have you been? I've been looking all over for you!"
"Oh... well, I was talking to-."
"You told him, didn't you? How did he take it?"
She blinked in confusion. "How did who take what?"
"Niles! How did he take the news? God, I bet you're so relieved."
Daphne's insides went cold. "S-so... what happened with that man? Th-the one you pointed out earlier?"
"Don't change the subject. I want to know what happened with Ni-Oh my God..."
"What?"
"You didn't tell him? Daphne, what's wrong with you?"
"I-I just... he's with Mel and they look so happy. I can't just interfere like that!"
"The hell you can't! Just go over there and tell him that you want to talk to him! He's a shrink for God's sake! He gets paid to listen to people's problems."
Hurt, Daphne looked away.
"Dr. Crane isn't a problem! He's my-."
"I know, I know. He's your friend! Well if you want to keep him as a friend, you'd better tell him the truth."
"All right. I will. I just-."
"Now, Daphne! Do it while you have the chance. I'll distract Mel and you can just tell him and get it over with. It won't take ten minutes."
Daphne looked over at Niles, remembering how sweet and thoughtful he'd always been; showering her with compliments, being there for her whenever she needed someone to listen (something Donny rarely did) , and most of all for being a friend.
She couldn't just say what she needed to say on a whim. She had to let him down gently. It was the kindest thing to do.
So why did she feel so horrible?
Looking back at him once more, she was relieved to find that he was alone. Now was her chance.
Feeling more nervous than she'd ever felt before, she walked slowly toward him, her heart warming when he smiled at her presence.
"Daphne..."
"H-hello. Where's Mel?"
"Oh, she'll be back in a few minutes. She had a phone call to make."
Daphne nodded. "Right."
"Something on your mind?"
"A-actually-."
"What's wrong?"
She looked nervously around the room and then back at Niles. "Dr. Crane, may I have a word with you in private?"
"Of course."
He led her to the balcony and closed the door. As she looked up at the night sky, she was suddenly aware of how beautiful it was. A rare December night that was filled with stars instead of clouds. And the moon was full and round. It was a perfect setting for a romantic interlude.
But instead she'd picked this perfect night to break his heart.