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Daphne frowned as she heard a country song start on the CD player. Ever since Martin had dated Sherry, country music had been whatever the musical equivalent of persona non grata was for her and the Crane brothers. Mostly for Martin as well, she supposed. It probably hadn’t been difficult for the brothers to give it up and Daphne had always preferred other music. But occasionally someone would make her a playlist CD, as Donny had for her wedding preparations.
I could have missed the pain, but I’d have had to miss the dance...
Daphne knew why Donny would have chosen this song. They’d talked about their pasts, the good and the not so good, and the pain. She wasn’t thinking of Donny now, though. She was remembering Doctor Crane. No. Niles. He could at least be Niles in her thoughts.
Dance was an obvious memory, dancing that tango so long ago with him to avoid Maris and her new beau. She’d thought it was friendship and dancing partner chemistry, but knowing about Niles’ feelings? Had it been more for her even then? Thinking honestly, not then. Maybe it was the spark, though. There was probably a point where it had lit in the back of her mind, even if she’d thought nothing of it. After all, Niles was in love with his wife, or at least she’d thought that at the time. It was probably all more complicated than that for him.
But there had been times, or at least one specific time, when Daphne could have let things happen with Niles. She’d been fully prepared to sleep with him. Until she forgot her thyroid pills. Had that been an excuse? An easy way to get out of something she wasn’t sure about? Later, Niles had mentioned he could have written her a prescription. She’d taken it as not meant to be, and had gone on. She’d met Donny. Niles had married Mel.
Today, Daphne was supposed to marry Donny. He was a good man, and she cared for him.
But the question was, did she love him? Enough to spend her life with him? Would she forever regret not giving Niles a chance?
Those thoughts whirled in Daphne’s mind. She knew there had been so many preparations, everyone was here. But was that enough reason to go through with a marriage she was starting to realise she didn’t want?
It had been so hard for Niles to divorce Maris. Even though things had disintegrated, there had been caring and love between them once. It had become so bitter and petty. Would Daphne want that with Donny? That was an easy answer. No.
What wasn’t so easy was to wonder if things would work with Niles. There was Mel to consider, though Daphne didn’t consider her much. She kept getting Daphne’s name wrong and Daphne was thinking it was on purpose more than it wasn’t.
Was it worth Daphne giving up her happiness for all of these things? Or should she take that happiness in her grasp?
She had her answer. Without a second thought to anything else, Daphne walked as quickly as she could to Martin’s RV and knocked on the door. As she waited for an answer, she took a deep breath.
Now was the start of the rest of her life. She couldn’t wait.