"Fras!" Dad bellowed from his spot in that God-awful chair of his.

"Fras! Phone!"

"Where IS Daphne?!" I yelled back over the din of the football game on tv. Oven gloves on hands, preparing dinner."

*Brrriiiring! *

"She went grocery shopping!"

"Well, can't you answer it?" I questioned as I threw off my oven gloves and entered the living room."

*Brrrriiiiiiing! *

"I'm watchin' the game." Dad replied, his eyes never leaving he screen.

"Hello?"

"Frasier? It's Lilith."

Lilith. Lilith hadn't called me in almost 2 weeks. I was beginning to think there was something wrong.

"Just a second, I'll take this in my room." I replied, leaving the blare of the tv and Dad's cheering and scolding, behind me.

"How are you, Honey?" I asked cheerily. "I haven't heard from you in a while, I was beginning to think I'd done something wrong."

"Oh, no, Frasier you haven't done anything. I've just been busy, that's all."

She sounded distant and slightly nervous. "Lilith, are you okay? You sound a little distressed?"

She sighed. "I'm fine. Well, actually, I'm…Well, that's what I had to talk to you about….But, I'm not sure this is a conversation to be had over the phone."

Now she was scaring me. "Lilith, what is it? What's wrong?"

"Um, maybe this wasn't such a good idea…"

"Lilith." I cut her off sternly. "You can't go worrying my like that and then deciding to not to tell me. What is it?"

There was a silence. "I'm pregnant." She rushed.

More silence. I didn't know what to say. Lilith and I had become so close lately. I was beginning to allow myself to believe I was falling for her again, and she seemed to feel the same, we were talking like old times again, and then. The past few weeks she's seemed distant, and now this. There was no way she felt anything more than friendship for me.

"Frasier. Say something." She pleaded.

"Uh..I…I don't know what to say Lilith. Congratulations? You and Brian must be very happy."

"Well, he is." She replied listlessly.

I imagined she'd just called me as she was calling all of her friends to tell them to good news. But if this was such good news, why did she seem so unhappy?

"Lilith, what do you mean? Do you not want another child?"

"Oh, Frasier I don't know." She opened up. "I just…. I always thought if I was ever to have another child it would be with you."

"I know." I replied, barely audible through my thoughts.

"Brian's ecstatic. I know he'll make a wonderful father. I mean, you know how great he is with Frederick?"

A pang of jealousy shot through me. "I know."

"Oh, Frasier, you know Frederick loves you more than anyone in the world. Brian could never take your place."

"I know." I agreed. "So. Enough about how Brian feels about this. What about you? You don't seem too happy about it."

"I don't know how to feel. I'm not sure I'm ready to go through all that again. It breaks my heart to think that I'm feeling like this and Brian is so blissfully unaware." She replied close to tears.

"Oh, sweetheart. You're going to have to talk to him about this. You know that?"

"Yes. You're right. It's just…I need a bit of reassurance."

"Well, you know I'm always here."

"I know." I could hear her smile through the receiver.

"Frasier?"

"Yes, Honey-Bee."

"I need to see you. Would I be imposing if I flew over there this weekend?"

"Well, Um, of course you wouldn't be imposing. But, what about Brian?"

"I feel terrible about it, but I'll have to tell him I'm visiting a friend to tell them our news in person. He'll want to come with me of course. But I'll find a way to talk him out of it. I just…. I need to see you."

It all seemed a little too secretive for my liking. But Lilith meant more to me than anything ever did. I couldn't let her down. What on earth did she need to talk to me about that she couldn't do over the phone?

"Okay darling. Dad's going on a fishing trip this weekend anyway, and I'm sure Daphne won't mind making herself scarce for a while."

"Oh, I don't want to put anyone out, Frasier."

"Lilith, listen to me. It's fine."

"Okay." She gave in. "I have to go now."

"Okay, see you this weekend Angel."

"Thank you, Frasier."

"Who was that?" Dad asked during the commercial as I returned to the living room.

"It was Lilith." I answered through my deep state of thought.

"Oh, what did she want?"

"She needed to tell me something."

"What?" Dad asked innocently.

Well, I suppose it couldn't hurt to tell him. After all it's not like it's my news, to hold back. And according to Lilith Brian's telling everyone he comes across. "Uh…. She's pregnant."

Countdown to blow-out…One…Two…Three….

"Oh, well that's wonderful. Tell her I said congratulations!"

"What? No shocked expression? No wise-crack about the spawn of Satin?"

Dad looked at me sympathetically. "She's a good woman, Fras. I don't know why I didn't realise that before."

I smiled at the thought of Dad finally accepting Lilith. Then my smile faded at the realisation that it was too late.

I positioned myself on the arm of the couch.

Dad continued. "We got to talking when she was staying here. I clear out when you were at work, but on day before she left we had a little talk."

"A little talk?" I chuckled.

"Well, we got a few things out there, y'know?"

"Like what?" I questioned.

"Things about you…"

"Me?"

"I know she loves you Frasier. I never doubted that."

"I know." I hung my head.

"Anyway, we just swapped stories and I told her I was wrong to have treated her the way I did."

"You did?" I replied in slight shock.

"Yeah, I did." He smiled, then…. "What's that smell?"

"Oh! My Casserole!"