For The Love of Daphne by Patrick Councilor
Daphne wheeled Niles in his wheelchair into their apartment with David in Niles' arms. "Oh Daphne… Home, sweet, sweet home." The place was lined with the bouquets of flowers that friends and family had sent to the hospital for him.
"The flowers smell wonderful, don't they?" She said as she stopped his wheelchair by the fainting couch.
"Yes they do."
"Here." She took David. "Let me put him down for his nap." She carried him away.
The doorbell rang. "Oh, who could that be now." Niles called to Daphne, "I'll get it!" He went to move his wheelchair, but then realized that Daphne had put the brakes on. "Daphne dear, you've got me locked into place here."
She came hurrying downstairs. "Sorry Niles. I'll get it." She opened the door to find not one, but two flower delivery men out in the hall with more flowers. "Oh, good heavens! Not more flowers." She signed for them as they brought in six vases with two dozen roses in each. "Just how many friends do you have Niles?"
The delivery men left and Daphne closed the door about the time Niles was able to unlock his wheelchair. He turned himself to face her. "They're not my friends. I ordered these flowers for you."
She lit up. "For me?"
"I know I've put you through a lot and almost losing the chance to be with you. I want to show you just how much I love you, but it's going to take about the next 60 years."
"You are an adorable man." She went over and hugged and brushed her lips softly to his and caressed his lips with hers. "I love you too Niles."
"Oh my," Niles thought. "If I were one of these flowers, I'd be wilting right now."
Daphne helped him from the wheelchair to the fainting couch. Then she pulled his wheelchair around to the side of the couch, out of the way, but in his reach if he needed it.
"Daphne… there's something I want to talk to you about," he said in a serious tone.
"We've got plenty of time for talking later. Right now, you need to rest." She placed a bed pillow under his head and a couch pillow under his cast. "Are we comfy?"
"Oh yes."
She leaned over him and brought her lips to his, more that welcoming, lips. He must have been exhausted because that kiss was the last thing he remembered before waking up.
When he woke, there was a table set up with white table cloth right in front of the fainting couch. There were candles set out and lit and plates with silver covers. Niles recognized the smell. "Daphne, is this Coulibiac of Salmon? It's my favorite!"
"Why yes, it is." She came out of the kitchen wearing that Royal Blue Maxi dress with the left leg showing. Stunning! She was carrying a bottle of chilled white wine and a bottle opener.
Niles couldn't take his eyes off of her. "WOW, dessert."
"This isn't a dessert wine," Daphne replied.
Niles gave her a cheesy smile. "I know."
She handed him the wine and the bottle opener, then she lifted the plate covers.
Niles opened the wine. "Daphne, this dinner looks delicious. How did you manage this?"
"I got a little help from a few of me friends from down the hall. Kristen and Andrea picked it up from Guy Savoy."
"I just want you to know…"
"Yes Niles?" She took the seat across from him.
"I approve of your friends and they are welcome over at any time."
His response made her smile.
They shared a wonderful meal and delightful conversation. Daphne started to clear the table. "I'll start dessert."
"Oh, is it a secret?"
"No, it's my Moon Brownie Lava dessert."
Niles wasn't in the mood for Moon Brownie Lava: a brownie set in hot chocolate pudding, but then again, he didn't want to disappoint her. "Sounds yummy," he sounded enthusiastic.
She disappeared into the kitchen.
"Daphne, I still think we need to discuss something. I didn't want to bring it up during dinner," he called to her in the kitchen.
"What's that dear?"
"I didn't want to talk through a door." He pulled his wheelchair around and managed to get into it. He wheeled himself over to the kitchen, but he couldn't manage to open the door and get his chair through it at the same time. He stood up and hobbled himself into the kitchen on his good leg.
"What are you doing?" Daphne scolded him.
"I think we should talk," he insisted.
"Not until you get back to the couch."
"No, I have to address this. I'm sensing some suppressed feelings here and I think you need to let them out."
"Niles, stop being a psychologist and be my husband."
"I dropped my cell phone in my office before I left that night, I'm sure I would have called you to let you know where I was, but I didn't have my phone."
"I know Niles."
"I don't recall what happened that night…"
"Niles, we don't need to talk about this."
"My actions almost cost me my life. I almost left you and David."
"Niles," she started to get tempered. "I don't want to talk about this!"
"Don't deny your feelings on this," he insisted.
"You psychologists always have to talk through everything!" She stepped across the room and slapped him hard across the face and at that very instant, she grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him toward her to kiss him hard on the mouth.
She pulled away and wiped the tears from her face.
Okay, Niles wasn't expecting that.
"I want you out Niles."
"Wh- what?" He held the side of his face that she slapped.
"I want you to go. I want you out of here."
His heart sank to a spot he didn't even know existed. "Daphne… I"
"Go Niles." She wiped more tears from her eyes.
"I… I'm sorry Daphne… I'll call Dad for a ride."
"Niles. I meant out of the kitchen. Go back to the couch. I'll bring your dessert to you."
Niles took a breath in and let it out just as fast. "Oh!" He hesitated. "I love you."
"I love you too, just go."
As he left the kitchen and eased himself back into his wheelchair, he was so grateful that that wasn't as bad as it appeared. Yet, did he push it too far or was it truly something Daphne had to deal with. When he got himself back on the couch, he hadn't realized just how exhausted that had made him. He felt as if he was on a small raft drifting to the center of a calm lake. How mad had he made his English goddess? Even though this thought disturbed him so, he couldn't fight climbing into the arms of Morpheus: the Greek God of Sleep.
Niles opened his eyes in the middle of the night. He found himself in the darkness with a heavy weight of guilt in his heart. Then something happened. The greatest thing that could possibly happen, happened like it was a true gift from the heavens. The scent of cherry bark and almonds was in the air. Then he felt her head resting on his chest. Daphne was sleeping on the couch with him. True love will find a way. She was damned if she was going to sleep without him again. His heart filled with warmth as if he was drinking a great vintage of brandy on a cold winter night. Some things in life you may never find the answers to. He didn't know if he would ever remember the evening that was lost in his memory, but he did know that he was so deeply in love with the right person and every second with her was like being touched by the warmth of heaven. And he held her for the rest of the night.