Remington opened his eyes suddenly and at first felt confused about his surroundings. It took him a couple of minutes to realize where he was and then he sighed, relieved. He had just woken up from a horrible nightmare and he needed time to recover. The nightmare had taken him to the old times when he lived in the streets without a family or friends, without an identity and without love.
He felt some movement to his right and directing his eyes there, he found his wonderful and beautiful wife sleeping soundly. She had moved during the night so now her head rested on his chest and her right arm was securely draped around his waist. He knew he would not fall asleep again so he untangled from her carefully and got off the bed. He put on his robe and saw his wife looking for the warmth he had left.
He closed the door of the master bedroom and wandered through the second floor that remained quiet. He thought about preparing some tea that could possibly relax him. Before going to the kitchen, he stopped at his youngest son's room. Little Cedric was sprawled on his back and hugging a stuffed bear as if his life depended on it. Cedric was the image of his mother with his soft brown hair and chocolate eyes. Though he was only two, he showed some temper and what a temper it was! He had certainly been a surprise, Laura and Remington hadn't thought about having another child after Eamon, but Cedric had been one of the best surprises Remington had had in his life. He covered his son with the blanket, though he knew it wouldn't be covering the child for very long, and left the room.
On his way down to the kitchen, he stepped into the other room. It was dark, so you couldn't see much but even with sunlight, you wouldn't be able to see the color of the walls. His older son had covered them all with posters of Star Wars so you couldn't see anything apart from Darth Vader, Han Solo and Chewbacca. He came near the bed and looked at his older son. If Cedric was just like Laura, Eamon was undoubtedly Remington's son. He was as tall as his father was but Remington was sure Eamon would be taller. He had the same ebony hair and blue eyes and even his character was the same. He studied at boarding school in Ireland but he came to spend the holidays with his family. Eamon liked his school and had many friends there and Remington wanted his son not to forget about his European origin.
Once in the kitchen, he prepared some tea and looked for a piece of cake in the fridge, which was useless considering Eamon was at home. That was other way in which Eamon had taken after his father, he never ate enough. With a cup of hot tea in his hands, he stepped into his study and closed the door so the sounds didn't disturb his sleeping family. He sat in his leather armchair and put the headphones on. He chose a CD from the stack by his stereo and pressed the play button. He had asked Monroe about some stereos for the house and though all of them were quite modern, the one in his study was the best of them all. No one apart from him used it, not even Laura. He leaned back in the armchair and let the music relax him.
She
Maybe the face I can't forget, a trace of pleasure or regret.
Maybe my treasure or the price I have to pay.
She
Maybe the song the summer sings, maybe the chill the autumn brings
Within the measure of the day.
She
Maybe the beauty or the beast, maybe the famine or the feast
That turns each day into a heaven or a hell.
She
Maybe the mirror of my dreams, a smile reflecting in a stream.
She may not be what she may seem inside her shell.
He listened the lyrics of the song intently and realized how accurately they showed his own feelings towards Laura. She was everything for him, his best friend, his partner, his lover, his wife . . . He was pretty sure that if he hadn't met her, he would be alone in the streets or probably dead considering the kind of people he worked with before finding her. The first time he saw her, he only seduced her in order to steal the gems of the Royal Lavulite but something about this wonderful, enigmatic woman caught his attention and so he had stayed. For the first time he could remember, he had decided to stay in one place and face whatever would come.
That's how he had become the great detective Remington Steele, now internationally famous. It was quite ironic to think about his early days in the streets of London as he sat now in his office in the Victorian house he and his wife had bought after their return from Ireland in one of the best neighborhoods of the city. How he was living this way so far away from his origin, he did not understand but he was sure it had everything to do with the woman who slept peacefully upstairs.
She
Who always seems so happy in a crowd, whose eyes can be so private and so proud.
No one is allowed to see them when they cry.
She
Maybe the love I cannot hope to last, may come to me from shadows of the past
That I remember till the day I die.
Oh how angry she got every time she was seen as only the secretary behind the big boss!. Remington had to laugh at that. If only those people knew how wrong they were every time they underestimated her! Laura, the independent modern woman who chose to break with the ever-present model of the submissive woman and take her place in a man's world. The same woman who cried in his arms afraid of not being able to be a good mother but who held her infant son so proudly that it seemed as if she had done so every day of her life.
She
Maybe the reason I survive. The why and wherefore I'm alive
The one I care for through the rough and ready years.
Me
I'll take her laughter and her tears. And make them all my souvenirs
For where she goes I've got to be. The meaning of my life is she.
Definitely, this is the song, Remington thought. And he let his mind wander to their wedding, their real wedding and not that fake thing on the fishing boat. Laura had found a small wonderful chapel where they invited all their friends and family or Laura's family to be exact. He had never been so nervous before. At last everything had turned out right and they could share their happiness with their loved ones. He was immersed in his thoughts of their wedding so much so that he didn't hear the door open and Laura come to stand at his side. She looked at him, his face was relaxed and he was sporting a goofy grin while he hummed a song. Suddenly he opened his eyes and saw his wife staring at him.
"Hey, what are you doing here? It's late and tomorrow we have to take Cedric to his first day at kindergarten."
"Oh God! Don't you think I am very old to be doing this? We can let Eamon take him so we won't suffer another tantrum from that earthquake we call Cedric."
"Come on, it won't be that bad. He likes playing with other kids and it will be good for him to be away from his parents. By the way, what are you doing here?."
"I had a horrible nightmare and thought drinking some tea would help me."
"What was the nightmare about?
"I thought I was still in the streets of London, alone and without any future. It was so horrible to relive all that. Then I woke up and found you in my arms and I felt safe again."
"Those days were very hard for you, weren't they?"
"Yes, there were Laura. Now I see Eamon and Cedric growing secure and happy and pray to God that they never know what my life was at that time."
"Our boys are pretty safe and happy. I think you spoil them, actually."
"Yeah, I guess I do. You know how important you are in my life, don't you? If it weren't for you, I would be living precariously or probably dead."
"Don't you dare say that! You were quite a resourceful man when we met. I think we would be living quite well now."
"Yeah, but I would never have enjoyed the pleasure of getting married or of having children . . ."
"Or bringing your youngest son to kindergarten."
"You had to say that, didn't you? I was thinking, perhaps there is also a kindergarten at Eamon's school so we can take Cedric there."
"In your dreams Mr. Steele. You couldn't stand to be away from him and you know it. Come on, to bed with you."
"I cannot fall asleep, Laura."
"And who says I want you to fall asleep?"
"Are you coming on to me, Mrs. Steele?"
"I certainly am, Mr. Steele."
Remington took his wife in his arms and led her to the bedroom. Elvis Costello was right with his song. Laura was everything for him and he was more than eager to show it to her.