Author's Note: I've taken a tiny bit of liberty with the timeline here, but I know other authors have done the same, so I'm sure nobody minds! ;)

Niles made the drive home as quickly as he could, while still obeying traffic laws. He let himself back into the apartment, and was surprised to find the living room empty. She must have gone upstairs to check on David. Suddenly, an idea struck him. A peace offering might help smooth things over. He went into the kitchen. It took him mere seconds to locate Daphne's favorite tea and make a cup. When it was ready, he put it on a tray and made his way upstairs. A quick glance in the nursery told him his son was sound asleep.

He carefully balanced the tray in one hand while knocking on the bedroom door with the other. "Daphne, my love? I've come back to tell you I'm sorry. Please let me in." There was no answer. For a moment, Niles wondered if she'd left. But he knew she would never go anywhere without taking their son. He took a deep breath and opened the door. Much to his relief, he saw Daphne in bed. She'd obviously not changed her clothes. That thought was painful enough, but Niles' heart truly broke when he walked closer to the bed, and saw how red her face was. She'd been crying.

"Oh, my angel," he whispered, putting the tray on the nightstand and caressing her cheek. The gesture woke her. The smile fell from her face almost instantly as she remembered their argument.

"Daphne, please forgive me. I'm so sorry."

His wife didn't respond. She merely continued to glare at him, obviously waiting for him to continue.

"I went to the cafe. All I could think about as I sat there with my drink was you. How many times I stopped by there just hoping I'd run into you. I could tell you all the moments I remember being there with you, but it'd take all night. Please, just read this. It's everything I wanted to say. I love you, and I'm so sorry."

Daphne sighed. How could she really stay angry? She took the note from him. It wasn't long before tears had formed in her eyes. By the time she got to where he'd signed his name, the words were blurry. She looked up at him. "You really feel this way about me?"

Niles nodded. "Every word. I don't know how our fight got so out of control. I guess even a man as educated as I am can sometimes say the wrong thing. I know I'm not perfect, so I can't promise I won't hurt you again. But I can promise you that I'll always be sorry. You've given me so much. Including a son that I couldn't love more. I know you're not really interested in fancy jewelry or anything else I could buy you. But there is one thing I'd like to give you, if you'll accept it."

"What's that?" Daphne asked. She wondered where this was going.

"My heart. It's been yours since the first time I saw you. It always will be. I know it's nothing special, but -"

Daphne kissed him before he could finish the sentence. "It's all right. We've both made mistakes tonight. This letter is the loveliest thing you've ever given me. I mean it."

Niles could hardly breathe as he leaned in for another kiss. One kiss quickly became several more.

When she finally had to come up for air, Daphne smiled. "I think we should call Roz before it gets too late."

Niles looked at her in confusion. "Now? Why?"

"To ask her if she minds doing a bit of last-minute babysitting."

Niles glanced in the direction of the nursery. He loved David more than anything. But even so, the idea of having Daphne all to himself far outweighed everything else. "Tell her I don't care if she's on a date. She's not the only person in Seattle who wants to get lucky tonight." He grinned, letting her know what his intentions were.

"I have a feeling she won't mind," Daphne answered as she dialed the phone. This fight might actually have been the best thing that had happened to her in a while.

The End