HIS HOME WAS EMPTY
Frasier swallowed. This was it.
Roz answered the door, gesturing at him to come in. He did so, handing Jess' leash to Roz's teenaged, gum-chewing babysitter. Alice came running full-speed ahead at him for her hug, which he willingly gave to her. He kissed her lightly on the top of her head, then sat her back down. "Look what I drew!" Alice prompted, grabbing his hand and taking him over to a crayon-drawn picture. "It's you, and me, and Mommy!" she exclaimed.
"It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," whispered Frasier, a lump in his throat. In his voice, there was not a trace of the humoring note adults often had while speaking to children about their artwork. Instead, the words were full of sincerity. As Frasier stared down at the crayon picture of him and Roz holding little Alice's hand, he knew that there was not one Van Gogh or Picasso that could fill him with such intense feelings. Nothing could match this simplistic drawing. Nothing.
Little Alice beamed with pride before running over to play with Jess.
"Bye, honey," Roz said, kissing her daughter. Though he hadn't noticed, she had heard what Frasier had said, and her heart was fluttering in his chest. The words had rang so true...
Both of them hardly remembered the trip over to Frasier's apartment. It seemed to them that they were just suddenly there.
Roz smiled at Frasier's choice of slow romantic music, thinking it typical of him. They sat down and ate, making small talk that neither would remember afterwards.
And suddenly, they were staring into each other's eyes, their hands linked together on the table.
"Roz," Frasier said in a hoarse voice. "I know we told each other this wouldn't work long ago...But Roz, I think it can work." Before she could say anything, he cut her off. "Roz. I know you may not believe me, but I love you...I've always loved you, and I always will..." He swallowed hard. "Even if you can never return my feelings." He felt as if his heart were on the table, and she could either take it or stab a knife through it. Either way, he would be glad he had confessed his feelings at last.
Roz's eyes glistened. "Oh, Frasier. A week ago, I would've said this could never work...Now...Now, I think I'm ready for this step." Roz took in a haggard breath. "Frasier, I love you, too."
They both half-rose awkwardly, meeting in a sweet kiss that promised of things to come.
Elsewhere, a little girl laughed as a little dog yelped playfully. Both suddenly tilted their heads thoughtfully, as if they'd been given a notion of something very important happening.
In Frasier's apartment, two kissing adults slowly broke away from each other, a hesitant and almost shy smile on each of their faces.
Frasier felt his smile growing as he imagined his home one day being filled with the pitter-patter of Alice's and Jess's feet, as well as the much more dignified steps of the beautiful and radiant Roz Doyle. His peace would be gone, and he cared not a bit.
His grin soon rivaled that of the Cheshire Cat's.
Well, his home was empty...