Unfortunately for Niles, the weekend came quickly for once. It seemed as if he'd blinked, and suddenly Daphne had dropped the two of them off at the home of Martin's friend. "Goodbye, my love," Niles said as David raced to get into the small tent.

Daphne kissed him. "I'm sure it won't be that bad. It's just for one night."

Niles nodded. "But I hate thought of being away from you at all, in this condition." He placed a hand on her stomach.

"I think we can do without your for a night," Daphne laughed. "Just keep an eye on David, all right? And your father, too, because I know he'll try to push himself to please David."

"All right, my love. But I'll miss waking up to your sweet face in the morning."

Daphne melted at that and kissed him once again. She walked over to the tent to say goodbye to her son.

"Bye, Mom!" Unlike his father, David seemed to have no problem with being away from her.

Daphne kissed the top of his head. "Have fun. I love you."

"Love you, too." He hugged her quickly. "Come on, Dad, get in the tent!" He called to his father over Daphne's shoulder.

Daphne couldn't help laughing as she walked back toward her car. On her way, she met Ronee and Martin. "If you don't want to do this, you don't have to, Marty. David's a big boy. He'll understand."

Martin shook his head. "No, Ronee. I want to do this. I always wanted to do it with Frase and Niles when they were kids, but they wouldn't go for it. And I'm not going to miss my chance to do this with David!" He picked up his pace a bit, wanting to end the discussion.

Ronee looked at Daphne, rolling her eyes in defeat.

Daphne laughed. "Don't worry. I told Niles to make sure he doesn't push himself for David's sake. I'm sure he'll be fine."

Ronee seemed relieved. "Well, at least I can watch something on TV tonight other than ESPN for once!"

Daphne nodded, remembering all too well how Martin liked to watch sports every chance he got. She headed home, grateful for the quiet. She was able to get a lot of housework done since there were no distractions. When she went to bed, it felt good to not think about all the things she didn't get done.

Still, as she drifted off to sleep, Daphne couldn't help noticing the empty space on the other side of the bed. She hadn't expected to miss Niles this much. She prayed that Niles was at least enjoying the chance to spend time with his son.

The next morning, Daphne awoke to sunlight coming in the windows. Despite Seattle's typically rainy weather, the sky was blue, and there wasn't a single cloud. She looked at the clock on her nightstand and saw that it was still very early. She wondered if Niles was up yet. Suddenly, she got an idea.

Half an hour later, Daphne arrived at Nervosa. She was practically their first customer of the day. She placed a quick to-go order. She smiled to herself as she got back into her car.

Minutes later, Daphne arrived at the campsite. The tent was still sealed shut, indicating that no one was up yet. Cautiously she walked toward it. She slowly lifted the zipper. The sound woke David and Niles immediately.

"Daphne." Niles couldn't help smiling at the sight of her.

She returned the smile as she held out the package she'd picked up. Inside was a cup containing one of Nervosa's famous lattes, complete with the "whisper of cinnamon" that he always requested. And for David, she'd gotten him a chocolate doughnut, his favorite.

Niles sipped the drink, feeling the warmth of it at once. It made him forget about how hard it was to sleep out here. The hard ground had been nothing like his bed at home. But the smile he'd seen on his son's face had made the whole experience worth it.

"Oh, cool, a doughnut!" David exclaimed. "Mom, you're the best!"

"What's going on?" Martin groaned.

"Are you OK, Grandpa?" David asked, eying him nervously.

Somehow, Martin managed to pull himself to a sitting position. Daphne could tell it wasn't easy for him. She knew he'd done much more last night than he should have. She reached into the container from Nervosa, handing her father-in-law the cup of black coffee she'd picked up for him. For a moment, Daphne watched the two men enjoying their breakfast in silence. When they had finished their coffees, and David had eaten the his doughnut, Daphne turned to her son. "So, are you ready to go go home now?"

David thought for a moment. Being out here had been fun. His grandfather had told stories of nights he'd spent on stakeouts, and his father had taught him all about the stars in the night sky. But David knew his dad didn't really like this outdoor stuff. And besides, there was only so much he could do out here. He couldn't play his computer games, or talk to his friends on the phone. "Yeah. I'm ready."

"Good," Daphne said. "Because I missed my two favorite guys last night!"

Niles looked at her, touched by her words. He realized then that it might have been lonely for her, sleeping in their bed all by herself. He reached out to caress her cheek before kissing her.

Daphne gave into the kiss. She could taste the latte on his lips as they held on for a long moment. There was no denying that he had gone far outside his comfort zone, just so that his son would be able to have an unforgettable experience. She felt a rush of love for him. When she drew back from the kiss, she looked deep into his eyes. All at once, she realized something. Her husband might never be a great outdoors man. But she loved him with all her heart, and she could never get tired of letting him know that.

The End