The past few months hadn't been easy. True to his word, Niles had stayed by Daphne's side through the whole thing. Donny was shocked when he found out that Daphne was pregnant. But he was even more surprised that Niles was willing to take care of a baby that wasn't his. Both he and Daphne knew that even a baby wouldn't be enough to make their relationship work. Donny promised to support the child financially, and he would see him or her occasionally. This was the perfect arrangement, because Donny's law firm seemed to never run out of clients.
The day of the birth arrived, and the Cranes sat in the waiting room. All three men were excited. No matter the biology of the situation, this child would be raised as a Crane. "Dr. Crane?" A nurse emerged from the delivery room. "Daphne would like to see you."
Niles turned to his father and brother. "Well, I guess this is it."
"We're proud of you, son," Martin said, beaming. "We can't wait to meet the kid."
Niles knew there was no way he'd ever get through this day without his family's support. He followed the nurse back into the delivery room, where Daphne was mid-contraction. A second later, a cry could be heard.
All at once, Niles couldn't breathe. The next thing he knew, he was looking at the most beautiful baby girl he'd ever seen. The doctor pronounced her healthy, and she was quickly placed into her mother's arms. A few times in the past several months, Niles had wondered what it would be like to see this baby, knowing he or she would carry Donny's physical traits. But there was no doubt now as to what he felt. It was love. Whatever features of Donny there were, he overlooked them. He kissed Daphne's forehead, amazed at how strong she was. "I love you."
Daphne looked up at him and smiled. "I love you, too," she whispered. She couldn't believe he was really here. Never once had he been scared off by any of this. He said that he'd always wanted to make a family with Daphne, and even if this wasn't the ideal, he didn't mind. Daphne knew her daughter couldn't ask for a better father than Niles. Someday, they would tell baby Emma the truth. Hopefully, she would understand how much Niles loved her.
But right now, none of that mattered. Whatever setbacks they'd had along the way, Niles and Daphne were here. They were together and happy. As they looked at their daughter, neither of them could stop smiling.
"Oh, Dr. Crane, you must be so happy. I think your little girl has her daddy's smile," one of the nurses said.
Daphne kissed Emma's forehead. "Yes. She does." She and Niles exchanged a glance. There was no need to correct the nurse's mistake.
The End