Parting Gifts

"Now remember boys, Santa won't come tonight if you shook any of your presents," Martin warned his boys over their Christmas Eve breakfast.

"I saw that Frasier," Hester scolded her oldest son who was "caught" stealing some of his little brother's food off his plate. The slightly chubby child, never "seemed to get enough to eat at mealtimes." Unlike his baby brother who despite their parents' attempts and encouragement's to get Niles to eat more, was mere skin and bones.

Frasier set Niles' toast back down, but not without protest. "He isn't going to eat it anyway."

"Okay Frasier, " Hester relented, " you can have it." Then to Niles. "Niles, will you at least drink some of your milk for Mommy?"

Niles shook his head.

"Just a couple swallows?"

The boy gathered the glass into his hands and drank down two sips, and no more.

Upon putting the glass down,

"Niles? What is that on your hands?" Hester gathered her five-year-olds' little hands in to hers.

"Niles Crane…were you shaking your presents under the tree again?"

"No," he sniffed.

"Are you sure? This looks like your pine rash."

The boy hung his head down and confessed to his "crime."

"Which one did you shake?"

The boy went to the tree and gathered a long, slender one in his hands. And handed it to his parents.

"This was the telescope you wanted more than anything. Do you know why Mommy is telling you what it is?"

The boy wiped his tears and then his bloody nose with his hankie and shook his head.

"Because it's going back to the store, since you disobeyed us..."

He watched the snowflakes fall from the midnight time sky.

If only the snow had fallen just a mere few hours earlier, he would have rushed outside her hospital room and caught one so he could have made a wish and perhaps, given her, and the whole family, an early Christmas present.

Sadly, the snow came too late.

And so, the Crane men would now have to celebrate Christmas, which was only a day away, without her.

He shuddered and looked down to see that his hair was standing on end and he had goose bumps. He thought it was from the draft coming in from the window, but when the goose bumps started to itch, he knew it was his pine allergy flaring up and that he was standing too close to the tree.

He stepped back a few steps from the tree and accidentally tripped over a long, narrow box that was protruding out from underneath the tree. Niles bent down to retrieve the gift so he could put it back under the tree.

He was surprised to see it wrapped in what his Mother used to call "kiddie paper." In other words, it was wrapped in the wrapping paper she used to use to wrap her boys' (his and Frasier's) gifts in when they were little. Not only was this wrapped in kiddie paper, but also yellowed, (since Santa's white beard had become yellowed), faded kiddie paper.

Niles was about to set the gift back under the tree when the to and from tag caught his attention.

To: Mommy's Little Guy

From: Love, Mommy

He choked back the tears that now threatened to drown him.

The gift was for him.

The gift was from his Mother.

He sat down by the fire to warm up and held the gift in his lap atop his now trembling knees.

Just as he had done since he was a little boy, Niles methodically and meticulously unwrapped his gift.

The choked back tears from minutes earlier now unleashed and fell down his cheeks unabated.

It was his telescope.

I lovingly run my hand over Niles' beloved telescope that he has set up in our bedroom.

"I still remember Niles sharing that story with me. It was last Christmas Eve, our first Christmas together as a married couple," I tell her and continue to run my hand over the telescope.

"Look Daphne, I know you're exhausted. I'm here if Noelle needs anything so why don't you get some sleep."

"What if Frasier calls…" I stifle the yawn that interrupts me.

"Into bed. Now." Roz orders.

I sigh heavily. She's right. I do need some sleep.

I finally relent.

"All right, but not in here. I can't sleep in our bed without Niles by my side," I explain to Roz as we and make our way downstairs.

"I think there's one more birthday gift you still haven't opened yet My Love." I hand him a small, rounded, not unlike a huge lollipop, shaped gift.

"A baby rattle? Why on earth would you buy me…" he stops and looks up at me.

"Daphne? Are you? Are we?"

"Yes, My Love. I just found out this morning."

He picks me up and twirls me around. Upon placing me back on me own two feet again, he drops to his knees, hugs my midsection, and lays his head on me belly.

"Hello in there. This is your Daddy. Oh Daphne. No one has ever given me a better gift. I love you so much."

I stroke his hair. And kiss the top of his head. "Happy birthday, My Love."

The reality has now fully hit Niles, and his nervous babbling has kicked into overdrive.

I smile and chuckle and just let Daddy prattle on and on and on…

"Wait! I just figured something out. Our baby will be due in December. What better Christmas present than our very first as a family? Oh! If we have a baby girl, that reminds me, unlike Frasier and Lilith who had to know, I don't want to find out our baby's gender, I would like to be surprised. Not unless you want to know…what was I saying? Oh! If it is a baby girl, I think we should call her Noelle, get it? The first Noelle…"

"Daphne."

I jump at the call of my name.

"I'm sorry Daphne. I didn't mean to wake you," Roz apologizes. "But that was Frasier on the phone."

"I never even heard the phone. What did he want?"

"He told me to tell you that its time for you to give Niles your gift."

I sniff and wipe my tears with his hankie.

She comes and sits by me on the fainting couch and puts a supportive arm around my shoulder.

"I just realized something Roz."

"What's that?"

"Noelle wasn't only a gift of love, or a gift from me to Niles, but it was also his last gift to me."

"Are you sure this is what you want to give Niles?" she asks.

I nod.

"This is what Niles wants, and I want to be the one to give it to him."

To be continued…