Dinner at the Steele household was always a special time for Laura. She loved sitting down as a family and sharing everyone's events of the day. She remembered at time when she was young, her parents, Francis and her used to sit around the table discussing what happened to each of them that day. There was never a loss of topics to discuss since the Holt family seemed to have varying interests. She was snapped back into the present as Remington asked her to pass him a dish of wild rice.
Laura passed the dish and Remington smiled and thanked her. She felt her face grow warm. In all these years Laura thought, he'd never lose his ability to warm her to her toes with one smile. Laura looked across at her two children and felt her heart burst with pride. Trevor, her oldest child and only son was 15. He was an excellent student and excelled at sports. He could also charm the socks off any woman from aged 6 months to 60. He was the splitting image of his father except that he didn't have Remington's sapphire blue eyes. Trevor had green eyes that possessed the same deep dramatic hue that his father's eyes seemed to have. To see the two of them together was quite a sight. Most women took a few seconds to recover from the blatant handsomeness that her two men of Steele seemed to exude. She didn't want to begin to think what a hard time they'd have with the opposite sex once he became a man. Laura grimaced as she thought of all the young girls ringing their phone as it was.
Then Laura looked at her youngest child, her only daughter. Traci was 12 and the most serene girl she'd ever known. She was a calm as Laura had been brass as a child. Traci was as smart as a whip. She excelled at science and math and loved to be creative. She could play the piano as well as anyone Laura had ever heard and Laura never tired of Traci's ability to enthrall a room with her stories. She was the best storyteller Laura had ever heard, next to her father. Traci was a mixture of both her mother and father. She inherited her mother's long, thick brown hair and freckles. Her father had contributed his height and athletic build. Her eyes were hazel with flecks of green. She was a beautiful looking girl with looks that would rival both her parents with she got older. Laura was indeed blessed with healthy, intelligent, beautiful children and she felt that she was the luckiest woman on earth. She had a wonderful, loving husband, two children that were the center of both her and Remington's world, and a successful detective agency that she'd built from the ground up. What more could she ask for? She would soon find out. The telephone rang and interrupted one of Traci's stories about an Irish woman that had fallen in love with an English Duke and scandalized her family.
Laura excused herself and went to answer it. "Steele residence. Yes, this is she. What? I see. Uh yes, tomorrow would be just fine. Yes, we will both be there." Laura hung up the telephone and made her way back to the table. She sat down heavily.
Remington looked at his wife and was immediately alert. "Laura, who rang?"
Laura looked silently at her son and asked him who he thought that was.
"How would I know mom? Someone trying to sell something?"
Laura's mouth had gone into the thin line that Remington and her kids knew well. It was the line that told them that something was wrong and Laura was about to go "Detective" on them, as her daughter and son had dubbed the look.
"Trevor, that was Mr. Bolmeyer's office calling. It seems that you didn't turn in the evaluation report that they sent home with you three days ago. You know the one that required your parent's signature? And the one that requested a meeting with your father and I?"
Remington looked astonished as he looked from Laura to his son. "Trevor, what's this about eh? Why weren't your mother and I told about this report? Better still, why was there a NEED for the report to be sent in the first place?"
Trevor shifted uncomfortably in his chair and refused to meet his parent's gazes. "Nothing much Dad, I didn't think it was that big a deal that's all."
Remington eyed Laura and then his son. "Oh YOU didn't think it was a big deal? Well perhaps you'll let your mother and I decide what is and isn't a big deal eh? Now, kindly go get this report and bring it to us, we will be in the study,"
For a moment Trevor looked as though he might defy his father but the look Remington gave him suggested he rethink his spur of the moment decision.
Laura looked at their daughter. "Traci, would you mind clearing these dishes away for us? We need to talk to Trevor for awhile,"
Traci gave her parents a knowing look and started taking the dinner dishes to the kitchen. Once in the study Laura gave her husband a concerned look.
"What is this all about?"
Remington sat down at his desk and shrugged his shoulder's. "I don't have the slightest idea Laura but we will get to the bottom of this and right now,"
Trevor came in to the study, handed his father the report and took a seat on the couch farthest away from his father's desk. The study was usually reserved as Remington's "get away from it all" domain and the place where only serious conversation's took place. Most family meetings were in their family room. Trevor had his head down and was mentally preparing himself for what would happen next.
Remington eyed the report, his expression turning more grim by the minute. When he was done he handed the report to his wife and waited. They both felt it was important to deal with their kids together, as a united front. Most serious discussions were done by both parents unless there was a need to address a situation immediately and one parent wasn't there. If that happened the missing parent would usually agree on the course of action taking by their spouse. Laura looked at her son and went to sit on the couch across from him.
"Trevor, I can read what is on the report but I am having a hard time believing what I see. This report says that your grades are slipping and that they have been for the last two semesters. It also says that you are being disruptive in class and have gotten into a verbal disagreement with one of your teachers. Would you care to tell your father and I why you tried to hide this from us?"
Trevor immediately took the defensive. "There's nothing to tell mom. I just have had some stuff going on at school but its nothing that I can't handle,"
Remington quirked an eyebrow. "Apparently you can't handle the situation Trevor, that's why we've been notified about it. What's going on? You have always been an A student, there is no reason for your grades to start slipping and for you to be getting into arguments with your teacher's. That's not like you at all son so tell us what's wrong. We are here for you and we want to help,"
"Look Dad, I don't need you both interfering. I said I'd do better and I will, it's not like I need a Detective so butt out!"
At that Remington was on his feet and approaching his son.
"Look Trevor, I can see your upset over something. But there is no reason for you to take that tone of voice with us. We are you parents and we love you. You have never had a problem with your school work before and we don't want you to start now. If you won't talk to us about this now that is your prerogative, but make no mistake Trevor Steele, your mother and I will be at your school tomorrow to speak with the head master,"
Trevor looked at both his parents and left the room.
Laura looked at Remington with utter disbelief. "What was that all about? I can see something is upsetting him, why won't he talk about it?"
Remington went to Laura and put his arms around her. "I don't know, love. Maybe its just a phase he's going through. Some teenage crisis no doubt. But whatever it is, we can't let it start effecting his school work."
Laura nodded and let Remington hold her for awhile before they both went into the kitchen to clean up.