Over at the Montana, Daphne also breathed a sigh of relief. So her vision had been right, after all. She knew Martin hadn't meant any harm by not calling her right away. Besides her and Niles, no one loved David more than Martin. She was certain of that. Of course, she wanted to be near her son when he was ill, but she trusted Martin and Ronee to take care of him for the night.
"So, what did Dad say?" Niles asked when he saw his wife was finally off the phone.
"Well, it seems me vision was right. They had to leave the game early. David wasn't feeling well."
"Oh," Niles said. He hoped this wouldn't spoil their night. He could hardly believe he and Daphne were finally enjoying a night to themselves. He adored being a father, but he missed having moments like this with Daphne. It reminded him of when they were first married.
Daphne could see that Niles was thinking their night was about to be interrupted. "Well, there's good news, too," she said with a knowing smile. "Your father said he and Ronee would take care of him for the night."
Niles put his arms around her. "Remind me to thank him for that," he said as he kissed her.
Daphne smiled. "I'm sure he won't let us forget." After a moment, she added, "I think we should call your brother now."
Niles looked at her, thoroughly confused. "Now? I thought we agreed it could wait till morning."
"I know we did. But your father said it was important. And I have a feeling I know what it's about." She couldn't help smiling.
Niles still had no idea what his wife was talking about. What news could Frasier possibly have that couldn't wait till morning? Unless... "Do you think it's about him and Charlotte?"
Daphne just kept smiling. "Why don't we call him and find out?"
The two raced to the phone to call Frasier. They turned on the speakerphone so they could both talk to him at the same time. As they heard the phone ring, Daphne tried her best to contain her excitement. But no matter how many deep breaths she took, she couldn't keep the smile off her face. She just knew this announcement had something to do with Frasier and Charlotte's unexpectedly long engagement.
Niles loved seeing his wife so excited. He knew that she cared about his family as if they were her own. It was one of the reasons he'd fallen so hard for her in the first place. He could not imagine sharing a moment like this with anyone else. And now it seemed, at long last, Frasier had finally found someone who made him feel the same way.
After what seemed to Niles and Daphne to be a very long few minutes, Frasier finally answered the phone. "Hi, guys. I didn't think you'd be calling me until tomorrow," he said with a knowing laugh.
"Well, we decided we wanted to hear your news now instead of waiting until tomorrow," Daphne replied, barely able to contain her excitement.
"Did Dad tell you what this was about?" Frasier asked. He could tell from his sister-in-law's tone that something was up.
"No," Niles said. "But you know Daphne and her sixth sense."
Frasier laughed. He was well acquainted with Daphne's ability to predict things, although her accuracy sometimes left something to be desired. "Actually, Daphne, I was hoping I could ask you something," he said.
"I'm listening," Daphne couldn't help replying.
Frasier chuckled at her use of his catchphrase from his KACL days. He was now doing basically the same kind of work at a Chicago station that he'd done in Seattle. A couple of times a week, he made time to see patients on the side as well. But of course, these days, his focus was more on Charlotte than his work. "I was hoping you could do me a favor sometime next week," Frasier explained. "Charlotte and I are coming out for a visit, and she needs a little help with something. It's kind of a girl thing."
Niles and Daphne could tell that Frasier was leading up to something. By now they were familiar with his habit of making things more dramatic than they needed to be. As much as they were both dying to know if their suspicions were correct, they knew they had to play along. "Well, I don't know if I'll be able to help," Daphne said innocently. "What with taking care of David, not to mention looking after your father, I'm quite busy these days."
"Oh, it would only take an afternoon or so. You could spare that, couldn't you?" Frasier asked. "And I bet Roz could lend a hand, too."
Would you just bloody well tell us already? Daphne thought. She loved Frasier dearly, but this waiting was killing her. But she figured even Frasier couldn't keep this charade going for much longer. "I suppose I could arrange that. If it was something important," she hinted.
"Well, that depends. How would you feel about helping your future sister-in-law pick out a wedding dress? Would that be worth rearranging your schedule?" Frasier asked. He knew he had kept them in suspense long enough.
"Oh, I just knew it!" Daphne said, glad to finally be able to show her excitement. "I'm so happy for you two!"
"Yes, Frasier, congratulations." Niles said. "You know, five years is a long time to take before deciding whether or not to marry someone!" he teased.
Frasier laughed.. "I don't think a man who waited seven years just to tell a woman he loved her should really be talking."
"True," Niles replied. "I guess this is another argument you and I will never settle."
"Oh, you two," Daphne said, pretending to be annoyed. "Will you ever outgrow this adolescent bickering?"
"Probably not," Niles replied. "But you knew that when you married me." He grinned at her.
Daphne smiled back. "I think I might have had a clue."
Even through the phone, and several thousands of miles away, Frasier could tell how thrilled Niles and Daphne were at his news. He remembered how he had felt when they announced they were finally tying the knot. He knew that he probably would not even be contemplating a third marriage right now if he hadn't seen how well things had worked out for Niles in his third marriage. After so many years of Niles attempting to live up to Frasier's example, it seemed the tables had finally turned.