"Are you sure that you have to go?" he asked her as she stood on the curb, her luggage slung over her shoulder.
In response to his question, she simply smiled. "Darling, you know that I do. We discussed this last night!"
His heart felt empty with loss, even though she was still standing in front of him. "But I'll miss you." He blurted out.
"Now don't be ridiculous. I've gone to conferences before and Atlanta's not that far. I won't be gone long; it's just for a week. You can deal with that, can't you?"
He lowered his head. "O-of course, Sweetheart, but…"
"Niles, you're a grown man!" She scolded, breaking the magical spell.
He felt his chest constrict and he tried to ignore his feelings of inadequacy brought on by the way she was speaking to him as though he was a child. But he couldn't find it in his heart to be angry with her; not when she'd agreed to marry him and make him so happy. He knew that he needed to say something in response. But when he finally summoned the courage, he chose his words carefully.
"I know that, Mel. But things are different now. We're-."
"We're what, Niles? Engaged? Of course we are. And we'll still be engaged when I return. But when I return we're going to have a lot of things to discuss, such as where we'll live-."
His eyebrows rose. "Live? But-."
She rolled her eyes; a sign that she wasn't happy with the turn their conversation had taken. "Oh Niles, the Montana is such a dreadful place, don't you think? We deserve something so much better! Something that fits our high-profile lifestyles. We need a place that leaves no doubt in society's mind about what kind of people we really are. We need the best, Niles. And the Montana is far from what I'd consider adequate. I refuse to live in a home that is associated with such horrible people! And that doorman, what's his name?"
"George." Niles answered obediently.
"Right, George. Oh my, where do I begin? H-he's atrocious! He's rude, inattentive, and just disrespectful! I should call the building manager and have him fired immediately! I'll make that a top priority once I get settled and then-."
"No!" Niles shouted, instantly aware that he'd broken a cardinal rule. Mel hated unwanted attention and now it seemed that every head was turned in their direction.
"Niles, how could you?" She hissed, her eyes filled with inevitable rage.
He held up his hand to stop any venomous words that might have left her mouth. He'd heard it all before. "Look, having George fired is not necessary. I'll talk to him, all right? And I'll talk to the building manager."
She sighed, clearly irritated with his compromise. "Well, all right. Oh Niles, I don't know what made you want to pick a building like the Montana! It's even worse than Frasier's place and that's saying a lot! You agree with me, don't you?"
His smile disappeared and the unwanted feelings of anger and insecurity settled in his chest. It was the first time that she'd ever mentioned her disapproval of his home, and he couldn't help but wonder what else she disapproved of. He sighed, once again at a loss for what to say. "I-."
She smiled and grabbed his chin, holding it firmly as though she was speaking to a child. It seemed that she was always making him feel that way. But even when he was a young boy his mother never treated him in such a manner. And yet he still loved Mel. He loved her very much. What was it about her that made his heart flutter?
"Of course you do." Mel interrupted. "You're just too shy to say it. But we'll take care of that shyness as soon as possible, and definitely before we're married. You need to be more assertive, Niles, especially after we're married!"
"Right… You… mentioned that already."
"Well, it needs mentioning several times, don't you think? I can't believe you've gone your whole life with this shy disposition. Oh Niles, we really need to work on that. What will people think when they see us together?"
He nodded, grateful when he thought of a way to change the subject. "It will be fine, Mel. Don't worry."
"All right I won't. But where was I? Oh, right, the wedding. Well, first and foremost we have to decide how and when we're going to make the announcement of our engagement. And Niles I want this done right!"
"Of course, darling, but-."
"No buts." She snapped. "And as for the other arrangements, I can take care of them from Atlanta or on the plane. I'll have five hours to kill so I might has well do something constructive, right?"
"Of course, Mel, but-."
"But you-." She pressed her index finger into his chest a bit too forcefully, the way she had done many times before, most often when she was adamant about getting her point across or insistent that Niles do something for her. And it was extremely bothersome to say the least. But since he was unwilling to risk an argument, he simply tolerated it; the way he tolerated everything else.