"Hello Dr. Crane."
"Hello Daphne… May I come in?"
"Sure."
Niles walked inside and Frasier closed the door behind him. Frasier and Martin weren't giving them any privacy and it was certain to Niles that that is just how Daphne wanted it.
"May I sit with you to talk to you?"
"Sure." Her answers were surely short and direct.
He took a seat beside her, but not too close to her. He didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable, under the circumstances. "Daphne, I am so sorry for broadsiding you with my announcement like that."
"No more lies Doctor Crane." Her words had stopped him right where he was. She was referring to the lie about Joe that he had admitted to.
He shook his head. "No more lies Daphne."
"Fine then. You've put me in some situation, didn't you?" Her words were firm, but her eyes were soft and beautiful.
"Yes I did Daphne, and I would like to retract my statement."
"You what?" She was confused and perplexed.
"I want to take back what I said the other day about loving you."
She was beside herself. "You can't take something like that back."
"Daphne, listen to me. I have feelings for you, it's true, but I love our friendship more. I don't know what I would do without your friendship."
"I…"
"No Daphne, please let me finish. I don't want you to quit on the count of my foolishness and I surely don't want you to move out of our lives. If you would like, I will stop coming over… a week… a month… a year… I just don't want there to be any feelings of discomfort between us. I have jeopardized your feelings of being safe in your own home and work place. Please don't let me come between you and them. Frasier and Dad can come visit me or we could limit our visits elsewhere like Café Nervosa. You are a great therapist and it's surely not easy finding someone who Dad will get along with." He shot his father a look. "No offense Dad." He turned back to look into her eyes. "Eventually, I would love to repair our relationship and be friends again."
Her eyes trailed to her feet and she seemed to be looking at them for a long time. When her eyes finally shot up, the corners of her mouth curled into a smile. "Oh, I couldn't ask you not to come over. And yes, we can be friends again. Oh, come here." She gave him a hug which he embraced.
When they broke out of the hug, he leveled with her. "Daphne, I am so happy with that. I do have some news for you and I don't want it to diminish what we just agreed to."
"W-what is it?"
"I didn't do this for you and I. I did it for me."
"What?"
There was no easy way to say it. "I filed for divorce."
"Oh my." Daphne took a deep breath and shifted in her seat. Yet, it was the way she shifted. She shifted away from Niles.
"Daphne please don't shut me out. This was my decision about my marriage. It didn't have to do with what happened between us. There are absolutely no obligations between us."
She stood and started heading for her room. "I'm sorry Doctor Crane. Maybe I do need some time to think things through."
Niles stood. "Daphne."
She stopped and turned to look at him.
"I want to be your friend."
She forced a smile. "I would like that… but I'm going to need some time, Dr. Crane."