Her heart was thundering in her chest as she arrived at Café Nervosa, but she was grateful that Taylor was there. Although on that morning she had no intention of engaging the barista in a lengthy conversation, it was nice simply knowing that someone pleasant was around. She wasn't sure if she could deal with anyone else. And Taylor wasn't simply pleasant; she was the sweetest girl that Daphne had ever had the pleasure of meeting. A student at the University of Washington, Taylor was incredibly smart and would definitely go far in life. Daphne could see why Niles and Frasier spoke of the barista often. Taylor was definitely in the same league as the Crane brothers, although not nearly as pretentious. Then again, she was still young.
Now Taylor smiled cheerfully, looking beautiful as always with her reddish-brown hair pulled back in a ponytail. The hairstyle complimented her ensemble of the traditional dark green apron emblazoned with the Café Nervosa logo, a crisp white three-quarter inch sleeve button-down shirt, and black pants.
"Hello, Ms. Moon, how are you this afternoon?"
Daphne did her best to avoid Taylor's gaze and instead feigned interest in a basket filled with tiny tins of tea that sat on the counter. She didn't want Taylor to see her in her current state. Her tear-filled eyes and worried brow, combined with the evidence of a restless night with only a few minutes of sleep, she was sure that she looked absolutely terrible. But with any luck at all, Taylor wouldn't notice. Still Daphne didn't want to take chances.
"I'm fine Taylor. Thank you." Daphne replied without meeting Taylor's eyes.
If the sweet young girl noticed anything unusual about Daphne's appearance or her demeanor, she didn't let on, much to Daphne's relief. It was hard enough being at the café under the current circumstances, and Daphne wanted to take a few minutes to compose herself before reality was due to strike yet again.
She ordered a cinnamon tea and went to find a seat. She spotted a familiar one that was tucked away in the corner, surrounded by windows on either side. Now she found it strangely romantic in a way, although she'd hardly had the pleasure of sharing the table with anyone special. But now, without giving it another thought, she sat down at the secluded table and waited rather impatiently for Taylor to bring her drink.
Minutes later it came. But as Taylor moved toward her, she stopped and Daphne felt the girl's eyes on her. "Ms. Moon, are you all right?"
Daphne feigned a smile, cursing under her breath. She'd been found out. It wasn't Taylor's fault. She was just trying to be friendly and helpful, but the cheerfulness couldn't have come at a worst time. She turned her head just as Taylor set the aromatic steaming cup of cinnamon tea on the table and muttered a polite "Thank you."
"You're welcome. Is there anything else I can get you?"
"No, no… I'm just… waiting for someone."
"All right. It's nice to see you again."
Daphne blinked, willing her tears to remain at bay. "Thank you, Taylor. It's always nice to see you too."
When the girl returned to her station at the counter, Daphne quickly brushed away tears and looked out the window. Almost instantly, memories of the conversation she'd had with Frasier earlier that day came rushing back. Telling him about what she'd done and the discovery she'd made was the hardest thing she ever had to do. She was positive that he'd be furious with her; so angry in fact that he'd fire her immediately and throw her out on the street. But he was extremely supportive and kind; more so than she deserved. And it was a relief beyond measure.
However, telling Niles, and in fact, seeing him for the first time since that fateful night (after doing her best to avoid him for two weeks), was going to be even harder. And the truth was that she missed him terribly. According to his brother, Niles seemed concerned that Daphne was conveniently scarce whenever he came over to visit but she couldn't face him. Now, she had no choice. She had to tell him the truth. There was no way around it.