"Don't cry, my love." He whispered. "Don't cry."
But the sweet words only made her cry even more. "I'm sorry." She said brokenly. "I just... I don't understand. I thought you loved me. I thought..."
His hands cupped her face; his thumbs gently brushing away the tears that slid down her cheeks.
"Oh Daphne, of course I love you. You can't imagine how much. How long I've waited for this moment when I'd see you again. From the first time I saw you on the street in New York, I've loved you with my whole heart.
"Then why, Niles?" she yelled, startling them both with her outburst. "Why didn't you ever contact me? Six months... six... long months and not a word! Not even a letter or a phone call! It tore me apart! And-and Jerry and his friends... they had a field day with it! Oh, I never talked to them directly of course, but I'm not stupid. I could hear what they were saying. I know what they think about me, laughing and carrying on as though I'm some sort of joke! To them I'm just Marla the Virgin; a pushover for men who pretend they love me and then when it's convenient, throw me out on the streets!"
"Daphne, no..."
"I thought... I thought you loved me and when you left, I-."
He silenced her with a kiss that left her breathless and try as she might, it was impossible to resist him. And suddenly there was no doubt in her mind that his love for her was real. The idea that someone truly loved her made her cry even more. She moved even closer to him in an attempt to deepen the kiss, but when he resisted slightly, she felt a twinge of hurt and fought the new tears that threatened to join the others.
"Daphne, I wanted to contact you... God knows I did. Not a day or an hour or even a minute has gone by when you haven't been on my mind. You have to believe me. If I could have, the minute my plane landed in Seattle, I would have boarded another one to come back to you. But my divorce... Maris and my lawyers were making my life a living hell and they watched my every move; even in my personal life. If I had contacted you..."
She ran her fingertips across his smooth cheek. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry I yelled at you, Niles... I-I didn't know..."
He kissed her hand, letting his sweet lips linger on her skin. "It was wrong, Daphne. And you know what? To hell with Maris and her lawyers! I'm so sorry for hurting you this way and I'll do everything in my power to make it up to you."
"Niles, I..."
"For so long I've been dreaming of the moment when I could hold you again, feel your lips on mine..."
Her fingertips went to his lips to silence him. "Don't talk." She whispered. "Just... kiss me... I've missed you so much."
He didn't hesitate to fill her desire to kiss him once more and she wrapped her arms around him. It was like the most wonderful dream from which she hated to wake up.
"I love you, Daphne... You can't imagine..."
The kisses became even sweeter and she pressed her lips against his. "I love you, Niles."
They were without a doubt the sweetest words ever spoken.