When the elevator doors slid open, the tears I'd fought to hide from the Crane men and Mel broke loose. So, this was what came of my resolution go outside of my comfort zone and tell Niles Crane that I loved him.

Heartbreak.

Frasier had whisked Martin out of the apartment after Niles had stopped at the apartment, home from his weekend with Mel. I'd been out of the room or I would have taken him aside right away. I heard a muffled conversation between him and his father as I made my way to the living room but thought nothing of it.

Just when we were alone and I was ready to bare my entire heart to Niles, Frasier came barreling in with Martin in his wake, preventing me from doing the very thing he'd encouraged me to do. There was something strange going on and for once my psychic powers offered no help. My protests went unheeded, especially when Niles told Frasier he needed to talk to him.

Giving up, I stalked off to my room. I would try again later, even if I had to take Niles away by force. The more I thought about Frasier's strange behavior, the angrier I got. It was time to try again and I wasn't going to let him keep me away from Niles this time.

The Crane men were gathered in the living room, but there was a new personage this time—Mel. Niles was talking to her as I made my way to the group. Great. How would I get Niles away from Mel? "Excuse me, Mel, could I please see your boyfriend in private? I need to tell him something." Yeah, right. So I stood there wondering what my next step was.

"Darling... oh, darling, it occurred to me that perhaps we should keep this quiet from Daphne" I heard Niles saying.

"Keep what quiet?"

I hadn't mean to ask, but it didn't matter. In typical Mel fashion, she ignored what Niles wanted and did what SHE wanted.

"We can't keep something like this secret. We got married!"

Feeling as if I was in a dream (or, more appropriately, a nightmare), I managed to congratulate them. Then I made a hasty excuse about having to drop a check at the caterer's. I had no intention on going into a full-on breakdown there.

At least I knew the reason for Frasier's odd behavior.

Thus, I found myself stumbling onto the elevator in tears, only to find that there was another occupant—Mrs. Richman, who seemed to know all the goings-on at Elliot Bay Towers. She dropped her basket of laundry and gave me a comforting hug.

The kind gesture soothed me for a few minutes, but when we parted at the lobby floor, the pain came more sharply than before. I hurried past the new doorman with my eyes cast down and rushed into the parking garage. There, in the privacy of my car, I was finally able to let my feelings out freely and I sobbed until I was weak. At one point I thought I would never stop.

It was then that a new feeling surfaced—guilt. I should have felt happy for Niles. After all, I was engaged and to all the world I looked like the happy bride-to-be. Why shouldn't he move on?

When I finally composed myself and got back to the apartment, Niles and Mel were gone and Martin was watching the Seahawks game. Frasier was on the sofa but was sitting idly—as if waiting for me. He told me he'd ordered in from my favorite restaurant and that I was supposed to take it easy the rest of the night. I appreciated the gesture and even managed to enjoy the evening.

It was in the darkness of my bedroom that the tears started to fall again. Ever since I'd realized how much I cared for Niles Crane, I had fantasized of falling asleep in his arms—I no longer even reproached myself for these thoughts, despite being engaged to another man. But that night, I was sure that it would always be nothing more than a fantasy.

I wept for the love I'd realized too late.

The memory stayed with me until I was back at apartment 1901. I was greeted by Martin, who had just come back from the movies. He chattered away about Houston Blue while I sorted and folded Frasier's laundry. The movie was what Martin called a 'cop flick' and he humorously pointed out all the silly inaccuracies that most movies had when it came to law enforcement. He had an insider's perspective, as it were.

"Can I please have my shirt, or do I have to ask AGAIN?"

So amused was I by Martin's impromptu movie review that I hadn't noticed that Frasier had come to me.

"Oh, here," I said hastily, handing over the requested article.

"Thank you," Frasier said sarcastically. "Oh, by the way, do be careful with my cashmere socks. I keep finding that you've disturbed the nap,"

With that, he walked loftily away, humming the tune of some aria.

"Picky old sod," I muttered to Eddie, who had curled up in the empty laundry basket.

He turned around and cocked his head. Anyone would call me daft, but I swore he was looking accusingly at me.

"I know, boy. He's a good chap. He's just particular."

Martin chuckled.

"Helps to talk to Eddie, doesn't it? He's right, you know. Frasier can be as strange as a walking fish sometimes, but he has a good heart. You and Niles owe him a lot."

Martin shuffled to the kitchen to get himself a beer. My mood turned pensive as I thought about my future father-in-law's words. My mind travelled back to the morning after the incredible 'first date' Frasier and Martin had set up for me and Niles on the roof of the building.

"How did you know Niles is still in love with me?" I asked as we ate breakfast. Martin did not join in the conversation at first; he was sulking because I had served him bran cereal.

"It's simple," Frasier said as casually as if he'd been talking about the weather and not a complicated love story. "If you could have seen the look in his eyes when he was dancing with you at the rehearsal dinner, you would have known. The longing…he'd never looked at ANY woman like that—except for you."

There was a catch in his voice as he finished.

"And how did you—," I started to ask.

Frasier smiled.

"Know you still cared for him?" he said, leaving me amazed that he knew what I was going to ask. "Don't think I didn't see that you were looking at him that same way. And the two of were nearly melting into each other…it broke my heart. That's when I knew had to do something."

"It was that obvious?" I said.

"Obvious? Even Dad noticed!"

Martin laughed as he joined the conversation.

"Oh, I noticed you two making sheep's eyes at each other."

"Such a poetic way of putting it," Frasier dryly.

Martin continued to speak.

"There was no denying how you two felt about each other, but I thought it was too late. I was never one for taking risks, so I told Frasier he should think before opening his big bazoo. Of course, he didn't listen. For once, I'm glad he didn't take my advice."

We all laughed. Who knew Frasier's habit of interfering with everything could lead to something so wonderful?