A few days later….
Frasier walked into the living room, barely able to hold his eyes open, causing Martin to turn around and stare. "What's wrong with you, Fras? You look terrible!"
"I was up all night thinking about Niles and Daphne. This thing with Mel… it doesn't make sense!"
"I'm with you, but there's nothing we can do about it! Daphne's a grown woman and Niles is a grown man and we can't solve their problems for them. At least we managed to convince Daphne to postpone her trip for a few days."
"Exactly! A few days, Dad! But she can't hide in Manchester forever!"
"We'll manage without her for a while just fine, Fras. This time apart will be good for her… for both of them!"
" I just hate that she's going alone! She's in no condition to be flying across the world!"
"You're talking about her as though she has some incurable disease, Frasier! But she's not dying… physically anyway! And whatever happened between her and Niles… it must hurt like hell."
"Damn it, I wish I knew what really happened." Frasier grumbled. "And I'd like to… give Niles a piece of my mind! Damn him! He's supposed to love her! He'd better have one hell of a reason-."
"Fras, will you listen to yourself? I'm telling you that it's none of our business and until one or both of them bring it up, it's not our place to put our noses into it! All we can do is let them know that we care about them!"
"But what about Daphne?"
"Don't worry about her, Frasier! She'll come home when she's ready but until then we shouldn't pressure her."
Frasier looked at his father anxiously. "But what if she never comes back?"
Martin sighed. Neither one of them wanted to think about that possibility, Daphne leaving them forever. But it was a very real thought. One that he was sure pained Frasier's heart just as much as it pained his own. And Martin had never felt more helpless in his life.