Disclaimer: This work is purely for entertainment purposes- I am not making any money out of this. The characters you recognise are the property of MTM, the ones you don’t are the property of me (so no stealing please! ? ) Thankyou to the wonderful RS writers whose episodes I have referenced in this fanfic (and for creating these wonderful characters). There are some NC-17 parts to this story so if you are under 18 or are offended by that sort of thing please do not read.
A huge thankyou once again to my ‘pre-reader’ as well whose ideas and feedback have been a great help!
Remington Steele was sitting in his office one morning when Mildred came in with the mail. "Here’s your mail boss – I left the bills on Miss Holt’s desk," she remarked with a smile.
"Well done Mildred, well done," he replied with a devilish grin as she left the room. He sat back in his chair, unable to wipe the smile off his face as his thoughts turned to Laura. A few months ago they had finally ’crossed that line’ and admitted their true feelings for each other and given into the passion that had consumed them for the past few years since he came into her life, both of them having decided what they wanted – each other. She had been all he had dreamed of and more.
Even last night, after working late to finish up a security contract, she had been more than willing to ‘trip the light fantastic’ as he liked to call it, in fact she had initiated it if he remembered correctly. As it had been well after midnight when they’d finally fallen asleep exhausted in each other’s arms, he’d left her sleeping that morning, quietly getting ready for the office whilst trying not to disturb her. She had momentarily roused when he’d planted a kiss on her lips but then fallen back to sleep. The memory of last night had started to affect him rather markedly, so he decided he’d better try and focus on work.
He sifted through the mail, one envelope marked "Confidential’ and with a hand written address on it aroused his curiosity. Oddly, it had no return address on it. He opened it and a letter and photo fell out. He picked up the letter first and began reading it.
Dear Harry (or should I say Remington?),
This is the hardest letter I’ve ever had to write. I don’t really know where to start but there’s something I should have told you in person while I was in L.A. – I did try a couple of times but there never seemed to be the right moment. And I was a bit undecided whether to tell you or not but I know you have a right to know, so here goes – I hope you’re sitting down!
We have a son. I named him Harry after you – Harry Sean O’Casey. He turned thirteen this year. I’ve enclosed a recent photo – as you can see he’s a chip off the old block. I didn’t get much of a look in!
In a state of shock Remington picked up the photo accompanying the letter. His own eyes stared back at him – the young boy in the photo looked so much like himself in his younger days, there was no denying his paternity and he knew Kate would never lie to him. He read on.
I found out I was pregnant about a month after you left. I know we always tried to be careful but I guess accidents happen sometimes, although I have never thought of Harry as an accident – he’s been the greatest blessing of my life. There was never any question that I would keep him – I couldn’t bear the thought of our child growing up like we did, shuffled around, never really knowing who he belonged to or where he came from.
I tried to find you to tell you but you had disappeared with Daniel. I never thought I’d see you again so he has no idea who his father is, only that we were very young and that we loved each other. And then when our paths crossed again I knew I owed it to you and to him to tell you. I know this must come as a huge shock and the timing is probably not great as I know you have Laura in your life now (I hope you took my advice there!). I’m not after money or anything like that from you – my career in the music industry has enabled me to provide very well for him. He goes to one of the best schools in England and although he wants for nothing material, I’ve tried to always instil in him an appreciation for all he has and to care for others less fortunate, so he understands where his parents came from. I’ve tried to give him the start to life that we never had. He’s smart, funny, cheeky & charming – a lot like his dad actually!
Anyway I’ll leave it up to you what you do with this information. If you’d like to meet him our contact details are on the bottom of this letter. Also up to you whether you tell Laura or not but I know honesty means a lot to her, especially where you’re concerned, so you may want to think about that. The last thing I want to do is to complicate things for you or for you to feel obligated to me - I want you to be happy and as I told you when I was in LA I know Laura is the woman who will do that for you if you let her, but if there is space in your life for Harry that would make us very happy too.
Love,
Kate
Remington ran a hand over his face, trying to absorb it all. A son…. if he’d only known. How different would his life have been if he had known, he wondered. Would he & Kate have stayed together, building a family and a life together in London, miles away from where he found himself now? But then he never would have met Laura, he realised, as he wondered at the strange workings of fate.
Now it all made sense – Kate’s manager Miles Walker’s cryptic comments to him that he and Kate had things to talk about and the look on Kate’s face when he’d asked her what Miles had meant. And what she’d said to him just before she went on stage at the concert, that she had to go through with it not just for her sake and that that was a conversation for another time. He realised now she had gone through with the plan to catch the would be killer in order to protect their son. He suspected as well when they were having that argument at the hotel pool that day that she had almost blurted it out then.
It only took him a moment for him to decide – there was only one decision he could make as far as he was concerned. Due to the lack of a father in his own life he had vowed long ago that he would never (knowingly) abandon any child of his own. He would be there for them and be the type of father his own unknown father had never been. A stab of guilt ran through him as he thought of his son growing up for thirteen years without him. He had no doubt Kate had done a good job raising him but a boy needed his father, especially now that he was on the cusp of the journey from boy to man. He also felt guilty that he hadn’t been there for Kate – she’d had to go through pregnancy & childbirth on her own and raise their son as a single mother.
Just at that moment there was a knock on his office door, disturbing his thoughts. Thinking it was Mildred he called out, "Sorry Mildred I’m in the middle of something – can you give me a few minutes," his voice a little choked. But it wasn’t Mildred at the door – Laura opened it and stood there with a cheeky grin on her face, looking every bit as beautiful he thought (albeit somewhat less tousled) as she had done that morning when he had left her still sleeping in his bed.
"Not Mildred, just me." she answered. "And whatever you’re in the middle of can wait Mr Steele. I missed you this morning,’ she added in a seductive tone as she strode to the desk, leant over it and kissed him. Though he responded to her she could tell there was something wrong. Since they had bared their souls (and more) to each other a few months ago he had barely been able to keep his hands off her and she had to admit the feeling was mutual. But now he seemed distracted, ending the kiss rather than continuing it.
She drew her head back and looked at him, noticing the little line he got in his forehead when he was troubled about something. "What’s wrong?’ she asked with concern and then she looked down and saw the letter. "Bad news?".
"No not bad news, just very unexpected," Remington replied. "Ah Laura, you better sit down – there’s something I need to tell you," he stated seriously.
What more was there to tell? she thought as she did as he asked. Over the last few months, she thought he had told her pretty much everything about his past but this sounded like something big. He hesitated for a moment as he got up & paced the room, searching for the right words to tell her. The more he paced, the more she began to worry.
"Remington what’s going on? Tell me," she implored him. Her voice, soft and full of love & concern, gave him the courage he needed. "You’re pacing like an expectant father," she observed as he shook his head ruefully thinking she doesn’t know how right she is, well half right anyway. At his action and the look on his face a startling thought suddenly came to Laura as she recalled the events of a few months ago. Oh no, that couldn’t be it could it? she thought desperately as she swallowed the lump that suddenly came to her throat.
"The letter.. is that from Kate?’’ she asked as he looked at her, a little surprised at her intuition. He nodded as he tugged on his earlobe a little nervously. Laura then asked the question that had sprung to her mind but she wasn’t sure she wanted to hear the answer. "Is she pregnant?"
Remington looked at her, his blue eyed gaze intense, and paused before answering as her heart seemed to stand still. "No.." he answered as she inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. "Not now,.but apparently she was fourteen years ago when I left her," he went on as she looked at him in shock.
"What?!" she exclaimed.
"Laura... I’ve just found out I have a son," he stated, his blue eyes, which she caught the faint glimmer of tears in, searching hers, seeking her understanding & acceptance.
He handed her the letter and photo Kate had sent him. "She never said anything to you while she was here?" Laura began reading the letter and as she looked at the photo she knew it was true – it was like looking at a younger version of the man standing in front of her.
"No she didn’t," he shook his head. "As she explains in the letter she didn’t think it was the right time and she was in two minds whether to tell me or not. I guess our paths crossing again was as big a shock to her as it was to me."
Laura took a moment to absorb the news. She had to admit she felt a stab of jealousy – since meeting Remington and falling in love with him she had more than once entertained the thought of settling down and having a family with him. But she knew this was not about her, it was about him, the man that she loved, and the son he had just discovered he had. "So what are you going to do?’ she asked him gently, although she already knew what his answer would be.
"There’s only one thing I can do now that I know – I have to meet him and be a father to him," he stated determinedly as Laura nodded understandingly. "You know this doesn’t change anything between us," he reassured her with a smile as he took her into his arms.
"I know ...and I want you to know that I’m here for you and I want him to be part of your life…part of our lives," she stated sincerely.
"Thank you," he replied as he kissed her softly then hesitated for a moment. "You know that means Kate will inevitably still be part of our lives too," he reminded her as Laura nodded with a smile.
"I know," she replied, "and I’m okay with that. She took a bullet for me after all. And she also gave me you," she added softly as she kissed him. "It would have been very easy for her, and I can’t say I would have blamed her, to use the fact that you have a child together to try and get you back, but she didn’t and that must have been very hard for her."
Remington nodded, knowing that to be true. He then ran a hand through his hair. "Laura I don’t know the first thing about being a father, seeing as I never knew my own," he admitted his fears.
Laura smiled at him as she put her hands on his shoulders. "You have all the qualities of an excellent father – you’re loyal, caring, tender, protective and with a heart of gold," she reassured him, her brown eyes shining at him. "I knew from that day I say you nursing little Joey and singing to him in that case when I found out about your history as the ‘Kilkenny Kid’ that you would make a wonderful father one day. And you’re great with my sister’s kids," she pointed out with a smile.
"Thank you Laura, that means a lot," he replied gratefully.
Laura hesitated for a moment, wondering if she should confess something to him then she thought, what the hell – in for a penny, in for a pound. "This might be somewhat premature but since then I’ve secretly dreamed that we would have a child of our own one day."
A little surprised but nevertheless touched by her honesty he smiled at her and pulled her closer to him. "I like the sound of that. I must admit I’ve had the odd dream about that myself," he confessed, remembering quite vividly a daydream he’d had while they were investigating the disappearance of the Royal Lavulite when they’d been hired to transport the gems last year. A grin crossed his face at the memory – he & Laura, parents to twin babies with Laura’s belly swollen with another child on the way, his child. Well maybe one day, he thought to himself then realised for now he needed to focus on his child that he had just learnt of the existence of.
"Now I think I have a phone call to make," he stated seriously.
Laura nodded & patted him encouragingly on the arm. "You’re doing the right thing." She kissed him and then left him to make the call. Remington took a deep breath then dialled the number Kate had provided…
*********************************************
On the other side of the world in London it was almost 6 pm. Kate was putting a roast on for dinner when she heard the phone ringing. "Harry can you get the phone please sweetheart?" she called to her son as her hands were full.
"Sure Mum," he replied as he picked it up. "Hello?" he said into the receiver.
At the other end of the line Remington felt like his heart stopped for a moment as he heard the young boy’s voice with an English accent mixed with a bit of Irish on the other end. Was that Harry? Was that his son? his mind raced wildly. He had expected Kate to answer the phone and that conversation was going to be hard enough but this had really thrown him. "Hello is anyone there?" young Harry asked when there was no response.
Remington cleared his throat. "Ah yes ...hello," Remington had to stop himself from saying ‘son’. "I’d like to speak to Kate O’Casey please. I’m... an old friend of hers," he stated simply.
"Sure I’ll go get her. May I ask who’s calling?" his son asked him politely.
"Tell her it’s Remington Steele calling from Los Angeles. Thank you," he stated, marvelling at the sound of his son’s voice.
"Okay no worries I’ll go get her," Harry replied then put the receiver down. "Mum there’s a Remington Steele on the phone for you – says he’s calling from Los Angeles," he called.
Kate almost dropped the roast as she put it in the oven. So he got the letter, she thought with a smile to herself. Although Harry was unaware the man on the other end of the phone who he had just spoken to was his father, she would have preferred that she had answered the phone instead of him. "Ah thanks sweetheart. Why don’t you go and finish up your homework before dinner? I might be a little while on the phone," she said to him as she planted a kiss on his head.
After he left the room Kate took a deep breath then picked up the phone. "Hello Harry,’ she greeted him.
"Hello Kate," he replied and she could hear the emotional catch in his voice. "That was him on the phone wasn’t it? I just spoke to our son didn’t I?" he asked as tears sprung to his eyes.
"Yes you did," she confirmed as she fought back her own tears. "So you got the letter then?" she asked a little awkwardly. not knowing what else to say.
"Yes I got your letter Kate," Remington replied. "Why didn’t you tell me when you were here?"
At that, Kate sighed. "I did try to. That night when we... well you know... I tried to tell you afterwards but you had fallen asleep," she explained.
As Remington remembered back to that night a few months ago a sudden thought struck him, given the enormity of the news she had given him. "Kate... that night – I don’t recall us well... using anything... I’m assuming you were protected?" he asked in a slightly worried voice.
"Of course I was Harry – bloody hell, what sort of a question is that? I’m not seventeen anymore – I’ve learnt my lesson, believe me," she snapped, with fourteen years of repressed emotions suddenly coming to the surface, thinking to herself I wasn’t going to risk another unplanned pregnancy again, especially not with him!
Remington blew out a somewhat frustrated breath. "I’m sorry Kate I didn’t mean anything by that. I guess this has all come as quite a shock," he confessed.
"Try finding out you’re pregnant and alone at seventeen for a shock Harry,’ Kate retorted a little bitterly. Remington was silent for a moment, not knowing how to respond to that, a wave of guilt and regret washing over him as he realised he had not only left her, but unknowingly he had also left their child, something he had vowed to himself long ago he would never do, as his own father had done to him.
In response to his silence Kate relented a little, realising how much of a shock this must be for him. "I’m sorry Harry – I didn’t mean to snap at you. I guess I never pictured myself having to have this conversation with you," she admitted. "I know this must come as a shock for you. I wanted to tell you face to face but I never seemed to find the right time – I almost blurted it out at the pool that day but I didn’t want to tell you like that, when we were fighting. And I guess there was another reason I didn’t tell you then," she added.
"What’s that?" he asked.
"I wanted to give you and Laura the chance to sort yourselves out without further complications," Kate stated sincerely. "As I said in the letter, I don’t want anything from you Harry, but when I got home and I was with our son again I knew I owed it to both him & you to tell you. I don’t know, but I think maybe we were meant to run into each other again so you could get to meet your son and he you – that’s assuming you want to," Kate stated a little hesitantly.
"Of course I want to Kate – how could I not? I’m his father for God’s sake – I want to meet him and get to know him and him me. I just wish I’d known before," he sighed as he rubbed a hand over his face. "I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you and him Katie - you know I would have been if I’d known," he stated, his voice raw with emotion.
"I know you would have Harry," Kate replied, her voice a choked whisper as she fought to hold back her tears over what could have been.
After he took a moment to collect himself Remington asked "Have you told him about me – that our paths crossed again?"
"No not yet. I didn’t want to get his hopes up, just in case you didn’t... well you know what I mean. It’s going to be as big a shock to him as it was to you,’ Kate replied.
"Yes I imagine it will be," Remington agreed, wondering how his son was going to react to the news. Would he be angry and resent him – the father he’d never known? he thought to himself, his fears mirroring his own feelings towards his own unknown father.
"So ah... when can I meet him?" he asked hopefully.
"Whenever you like," Kate replied. "He goes back to school next month so I guess before then would be best. How does that fit into your work schedule?"
"How about this coming weekend then?" Remington suggested, thinking to himself that he didn’t want to lose any more time with his son now that he knew about him.
"I guess that would work," Kate replied, wondering to herself how young Harry was going to react to finally meeting his father.
"I’d like to tell him I’m his father Kate – if that’s okay with you of course. It’s the least I can do," Remington stated as Kate agreed. "How did you manage on your own all these years?" he then asked, with more than a little admiration.
At that Kate laughed a little wryly. "I’ve wondered that myself sometimes. I guess I did what I had to do. Miles has been a wonderful support over the years - he’s always been there for us. I don’t know what I would have done without his help really."
Remington nodded to himself, thinking back to a couple of conversations he’d had with Miles Walker, Kate’s manager, a few months ago which had puzzled him at the time but which all made sense now, as he made a mental note to thanks Miles the next time he saw him. He hesitated for a moment then said, "I’m so sorry Katie that you’ve had to raise our son on your own, but I’d like to make up for that – if that’s what he wants."
Kate swallowed the lump in her throat. "Thanks Harry – I appreciate that," she replied, not really knowing what to say.
"So I’ll make the arrangements and be in touch with the details eh?" he stated a little awkwardly thinking to himself, it’s not every day you make arrangements to meet the son you never knew you had.
"Okay," Kate agreed, thinking something similar herself. "Well I’d better go – I’ve got dinner on and Harry will be back down soon no doubt," she then said a little hurriedly.
"Oh yes of course I’ll let you go then," Remington replied then he added, "Katie...?"
"Yes Harry?" she replied.
"Thank you for letting me know," he stated simply.
"You’re welcome. I think it was the right thing to do – for both your sakes," Kate replied sincerely as they bade each other farewell.
As they both hung up their respective phones they both took a deep breath and hurriedly wiped away a couple of tears.
Just then Harry came back down into the kitchen as Kate quickly composed herself. "Oh good you’re off the phone Mum – is dinner ready? I’m starving," Harry stated with a lopsided grin as Kate smiled at him and his ravenous teenage boy appetite. As he looked at his mother Harry thought he saw the glimmer of tears in her eyes. "Mum – have you been crying? Is everything okay?" he asked, a little concerned.
"I’m fine sweetheart – just my eyes watering from cutting up the onions for dinner," she came up with a quick excuse.
"So who was that Remington Steele guy on the phone?’ he asked curiously as Kate thought to herself, your father my boy.
"Ah he’s that old friend I told you I bumped into while I was in LA a few months back," she replied. "Actually he’s coming to London this weekend – I’d like you to meet him," she added, trying to sound casual.
"Sure thing Mum – a friend of yours is a friend of mine hey?" he laughed with a twinkle in his blue eyes that reminded Kate so much of his father that she found herself fighting back the tears again that suddenly sprang to her eyes.
"Let’s hope so Harry," she replied with a smile as she hugged him to her, taking him quite by surprise.
"What was that for Mum?" he laughed. "No reason – just because I love you," Kate replied as she affectionately ruffled his jet black hair, hoping that she was doing the right thing bringing his father into his life…
***************************************
While Remington made one of the most important phone calls of his life, Laura went into her adjoining office to give him some privacy and also to collect her own thoughts. A son…he has a son. Just when we’re finally working ourselves out, life throws another curveball at us, she thought to herself, realising that if the time they had spent together over the years and now this development were any indication, their life together was never going to be boring!
As she thought about Kate’s revelation the more it all made sense and she found herself wondering how her keen detective’s mind had not put the clues together. The comment Kate had made, "You don’t know the half of it," when Laura had remarked that Remington/Harry leaving her must have been hard, and the fact that she had dropped out of the music scene somewhat & stopped touring some years back, which based on her son’s age she figured must have been when he started school, and Kate’s comment that "she needed to focus on other things in her life.".
She also remembered Nat, Kate’s back-singer responding to Laura’s question about why Kate had broken up with Rick Ramirez, saying that she guessed she was thinking of Harry. Laura now realised that she had been talking about her son, rather than her first love, the man Laura called Remington Steele. She also remembered how when Nat had been looking at the photos of Remington and Kate in the newspaper she had commented to Kate in reference to Remington, just how old a friend he was, obviously recognising the resemblance between him and his son. Laura also remembered the warning look Kate had shot Nat after her comment and how it had puzzled her at the time. And then there had been the line in the song Kate had sang for her encore at the concert - "A part of you will always be with me." It all fit now.
She rubbed her forehead as she pondered the revelation, realising just how much Kate had given up for her – not just the man she had loved, but the father of her son. And while Remington had assured her that this didn’t change anything between them, she couldn’t help the little niggle of doubt that was starting to form – if he had known, would he have still chosen her rather than Kate?
***********************************************************
After finishing the call Remington took a minute or two to compose himself then went into Laura’s adjoining office. She looked up a little worriedly as he stood in the doorway as she tried to read the expression on his face. "How did it go?" she asked as she got up and walked over to him, putting a supportive hand on his arm, her eyes full of love and concern for him.
"Good I think," he stated as he nodded, his gaze on the floor. Then he looked at her, tears brimming in his blue eyes. "I spoke to him Laura…I spoke to my son. He answered the phone," he stated, his voice trembling a bit as his emotions overwhelmed him.
Not knowing what to say, Laura just hugged him to her as he clung to her, needing her strength. They were silent for a few moments, just holding each other as the enormity of the situation washed over both of them. "What did he sound like?" Laura eventually broke the silence.
At that, a proud smile crossed Remington’s face. "He kind of sounded like a younger version of me," Laura smiled back at him. "Like father, like son hey?" she replied warmly as he nodded and his smile got a bit wider, "I guess so," he agreed, liking the sound of that.
"I arranged with Kate to go to London this weekend to meet him, so I guess we better tell Mildred eh so she can book our flights," Remington stated as Laura looked at him.
"Our flights?" she asked with some surprise.
"Yes our," he confirmed with a smile. "I want you to meet him Laura and he you and ... I need you with me," he confessed, his vulnerability touching her as she nodded.
"Of course I’ll come with you," she said softly as they kissed tenderly. "Let’s go book those tickets shall we?" she said with a dimpled smile when they finally drew apart as he nodded and she followed him out the door of her office.
************************************************************
"Mildred can I ask you something?" Laura asked once they were alone in the office later that morning.
"Sure Miss Holt – what’s up?"
"I noticed you didn’t seem that surprised when Mr Steele told you about finding out he has a son. Did you somehow know about it?" Laura queried.
Mildred sighed – she should have known Miss Holt’s keen detective eye would have picked up on her reaction. "Well not exactly – I had a hunch that’s all," she replied.
"How?" Laura asked curiously.
"When Miss Kelly... I mean Kate, came to the agency that day after that newspaper article & photos came out of her and Mr Steele, when she came out of the boss’s office we accidentally bumped into each other. She dropped her handbag and her purse fell out and I noticed she had a photo of a young boy inside. I took one look at that photo and saw how much he looked like the boss that I put two and two together. I guessed it was a photo of her son and that Mr Steele was his father."
Laura looked at her incredulously. "I guess I better tell you the rest of it huh?" Mildred went on a little sheepishly.
"There’s more?" Laura as Mildred nodded. "The day Kate was leaving the hospital I went to visit her. For two reasons really – after she took that bullet for you I realised I’d misjudged her and I felt bad about the way I’d treated her and I wanted to apologise. And I also wanted to ask her about the photo."
"And what did she say?" Laura asked.
"She politely told me it was none of my business and that if I cared about you and Mr Steele that I should drop it. But I could tell I’d guessed the truth by the way she reacted. When I asked her did she have something she needed to tell Mr Steele I noticed she had tears in her eyes. I think she didn’t want to say anything at that point that may have potentially stopped the two of you from finally getting together," Mildred stated perceptively. "So that’s’ why I never said anything to either of you and also because it wasn’t my secret to tell," Mildred stated sincerely as Laura nodded, deep in thought.
*******************************************
Later on that afternoon Mildred knocked on the door of Mr Steele’s office, When there was no response she cautiously opened the door to find him sitting with his feet up on the desk, staring out the window, deep in thought. "You okay Boss?" she asked, as broken out of his reverie, he turned to look at her with a half-smile on his face.
"Well as good as can be expected I guess Mildred - it’s not every day you become a father is it?’ he replied a little wryly as she nodded understandingly and came and sat down opposite him.
"Some mixed emotions huh chief?" she asked perceptively as he nodded.
"Yes indeed Mildred – I mean I’m happy of course but I just wish I’d had known earlier, well years ago really."
"But if you had known your life would have been very different I would imagine?" Mildred pointed out as he nodded.
"True, true," he nodded as he ran a hand over his face.
"And you wouldn’t have met Miss Holt," Mildred pointed out with a smile. "Take it from me boss, life doesn’t always work out the way we planned but that’s not always a bad thing. I guess it’s the little twists and turns that make it interesting hey?"
"Hmm indeed," he agreed with a smile, thinking about the strange workings of fate.
"And now that you do know, what does that mean for you and Miss Holt?’ Mildred asked the question, knowing it really wasn’t any of her business, but loving them both as she did, she didn’t want to see either of them hurt.
Remington looked at her somewhat surprised. "It doesn’t change anything between us Mildred – certainly not from my perspective anyway", he stated adamantly then asked a little worriedly, "Why? Did Laura say something to you?"
"No, no boss... relax," Mildred reassured him with a warm smile. She hesitated for a moment then said, "Boss there’s something I guess I should tell you. Before Miss Kelly... I mean Kate, went back to London, I visited her in the hospital. You see that day when the article in the newspaper about the two of you came out and she came here, she bumped into me when she came out your office door and she dropped her purse. I saw a photo of your son in her purse – well I didn’t know for sure, but his resemblance to you and the way she reacted gave me a pretty good idea. So I went to the hospital to see if my hunch was right."
"And what did she say?" Remington asked curiously.
"Not much – she told me basically it was none of my business and that if I cared about you and Miss Holt that I should keep my suspicions to myself. But the look in her eyes told me all I needed to know." When Remington fell into a thoughtful silence Mildred added seriously, "That woman cares a great deal about you chief - and she gave up a lot for you and Miss Holt to be happy. A lesser woman would have tried to use the fact that you have a child together to get you back."
Remington nodded, his gaze focused on the floor. "I know Mildred," he sighed.
"This isn’t gonna be easy chief but I’m sure it’ll be worth it. You’ve been given a gift you know," Mildred stated in a non-nonsense fashion as a smile crossed her face. Remington nodded with a smile of his own.
"And that boy of yours couldn’t ask for a better father, I know that for sure," she added fondly as she stood up and gave him a hug.
"Thanks Mildred," he replied with a smile as he gave her an affectionate peck on the cheek and she left him to his thoughts.
To Part 1-2