The silence, as Daphne found herself alone with her husband, was deafening. She had no idea what to say, nor could she even begin to comprehend what she'd done to get them to this terrible place. The only thing of which she was certain was that her marriage was in jeopardy. But it was her son's rejection that she simply couldn't take. When her eyes met Niles' beautiful blue ones, she suppressed a sob and hurried to the kitchen.
It was there, hidden behind the wall that the tears resurfaced and she knelt on the floor, hurting to pick up the broken pieces of glass. In her hast to clean up the mess she'd made, she flinched, crying out in pain that was so intense, her hand began to throb. Her cries sent Niles rushing to the kitchen where he stopped short at the door.
"Daphne, what-Dear God!"
She sat on the floor, trembling as the blood ran down her arm. In a daze she felt him lift her to her feet. "Niles…" She cried, feeling sick to her stomach. He took her free hand and led her to the sink, turning on the faucet. She knew that the sight of her blood was making him uncomfortable and the fact that he was tending to her without giving his fear another thought touched her deeply. But she couldn't bring herself to thank him.
When the wound was clean, he examined it thoroughly. "I don't see any glass in your skin, thank God. Where does Roz keep the-."
"O-over there." She winced, pointing to the cabinet.
Niles rushed to open the door, removing the first aid kit. In no time at all he had found the antiseptic, gauze and a bandage. He gently took her bleeding hand and when his eyes met hers, she saw the worry there. "I don't want to hurt…" His voice trailed away, leaving a haunting silence in its wake.
"It's all right." Daphne said hoarsely, her eyes rising to meet his.
As gently as possible, he cleaned the wound and dressed it, taking great care to wrap the tape around her hand. But he didn't let go, holding her fingers lightly in his hand. Their eyes locked but for a moment until Daphne quickly averted her gaze. She couldn't look at her husband, no matter how handsome he was.
Tears filled her eyes and she reluctantly moved her hand away from his.
"Daphne-."
"I-I'm not feeling well. I need to lie down. I-." A sob escaped and she covered her mouth with her unbandaged hand, moving away from his grasp. She turned the corner and walked into Roz's bedroom sinking onto the bed.
Despite what had happened between them, somehow she knew that Niles still loved her. She felt it in her heart. And it was the strongest feeling she could have ever imagined. Strong enough to act on it. But she refused to think about it now. For the first time in her life, the love she felt for her husband was unbearable and it simply hurt too much.