As she waited rather impatiently for a taxi to arrive, tears stung her eyes. How could she have been so insensitive? He must absolutely hate her! She practically forced him to attend this ridiculous party instead of sharing a wonderful meal with the man she loved. When the taxi came to a screeching halt, she opened the door and climbed inside.

"I need to get to this address right away please." She told the driver.

He glanced at the piece of paper that she'd handed him. "L'Espaliar, huh? Fancy place! Meeting someone there?"

"Yes..." She replied, still finding it hard to breathe for wanting her husband.

"Wow, must be someone really special."

She sighed, her heart warming at the thought of him. "He's the most wonderful man in the world and I love him so much."

When the driver saw the tears in her eyes and on her cheeks he smiled sympathetically. "I'll have you there as fast as possible, ma'am."

She smiled at the driver, grateful for his kindness.

"Thank you. You have no idea how much that means to me."

They had barely arrived at L'Espaliar when Daphne unbuckled her seatbelt, prepared to scramble out of the taxi as quickly as she could.

"Enjoy your date, ma'am." The driver said as she handed him a handsome tip. "He's a lucky guy."

She blushed at the compliment. "Thank you."

The driver drove away and she stared at the restaurant in awe. If the front was this beautiful, she could only imagine how elegant the inside must be.

When she walked through the door, she found that reality far exceeded her imagination. The foyer alone had an incredibly romantic feel with pale pink walls, soft lighting and even softer music. She was greeted warmly by the host who smiled when he saw her.

"H-hello." She said with a nervous smile.

"How many in your party?" the man asked.

"Oh... no one... Actually I'm looking for me husband. Niles Crane?"

The man's smile disappeared, worrying her even further.

"He's here isn't he?"

"Yes, certainly ma'am, but..."

Her hand flew to her chest and it was nearly impossible to hold back her tears. "But what? Has something happened to him?"

"Just... follow me." The man said.

The tears lingered on her eyelashes as the man led her to a bare that was even more secluded than the restaurant.

"Are you certain that he's here?" she asked in a low, trembling voice.

The man pointed to the bartender. "Yes, ma'am. I showed him to the bar personally. He insisted on giving up his table to sit there. Hasn't ordered a thing all night...except sherry."

When she looked up she gasped lightly, the tears spilling onto her cheeks.

"Thank you... I'll let you know if we need a table."

The relief of knowing he was there was almost draining and she went to him as slowly as possible. His back was to her but she could see him clearly, sitting on the barstool, a drink in his hand. The sight both overjoyed and worried her. He never drank this much unless he was hurting. And the thought made even more tears fall.

She moved closer and gently touched his back, careful not to frighten him. And when he turned around, her heart ached at the pained expression on his face. But he smiled just the same.

"Daphne..." He said; his voice slightly slurred.

She smiled warmly. It had only been a short time since she'd last seen him, but she was struck once again by how handsome he was. Her arms went around him and she kissed his lips. He tasted of sherry, which made her smile.

"Hello Darling, are you all right?"

"I'm wonderful!" He said a little too loudly. His slurred outburst caused a few heads to turn but she kept her gaze onto her handsome husband.

"Bartender... another one of these... and one for this beautiful angel..."

His sweet words warmed her heart and she was surprised when the bartender shook his head.

"No sir, I'm sorry. I"ll get the lady a drink but I'm afraid you've had enough. I'm sorry ma'am, but you really should take him home. He shouldn't be driving in his condition."

She opened her purse and put a few dollars into the bartender's hand. "You're absolutely right. We're not driving but me husband's had a rough evening and I should get him back to the hotel. Thank you so much for taking care of him."

"My pleasure ma'am." The bartender said with a smile.

Daphne turned to Niles and kissed his cheek. "Come on, sweetheart. Let's go home."

He turned to her in surprise. "Home? But our flight's not until-."

She smiled and touched his cheek, unable to resist kissing his sweet lips once more. "Our hotel, I mean. Our home while we're in Boston."

"Oh... all right." He said, looking as though he didn't quite understand.

Keeping her arm firmly around his waist, she led him out of the bar past the host stand where the host immediately took notice of their leaving.

"Hey Pasqual!" Nile yelled, much to the man's embarrassment.

"Dr. Crane, you're leaving! Is something wrong?"

Niles stumbled near the doorway, but Daphne caught him just before he fell, causing Pasqual even more distress. "Are you all right, Dr. Crane?"

Daphne smiled. "I'm afraid me husband isn't feeling too well."

"Oh dear..." Pasqual said. "What can I do to make it up to you? What about your dinner?"

"It's not your fault." Daphne said. "He wasn't feeling well before and well... please don't think it's your fault. This is a lovely restaurant and I can't thank you enough for your kindness."

As they walked out of L'Espaliar, Daphne held tightly to her husband and hailed a cab. When it arrived, they climbed inside where she held him even closer. And she vowed that she'd never let him go again.