Steele Destined

“Harry…” Felicia whispered as she tried to deepen the kiss.

“No,” Remington said, pulling away as though he had been burnt. 

Felicia lowered her eyes and cursed.  How foolish of her to try something so soon? 

“I’m sorry,” she said quickly hiding the hurt she felt from his rejection.   “Michael, I just wanted to comfort you in your time of need.”

Remington stared at her trying to read her expression.

“Darling, you know how we lick...our wounds,” Felicia looked him up and down in a very provocative way. 

“I’m a changed man, Felicia.”  He turned to look out of the balcony again.  “My wife just died, for Heaven's sake.”

Felicia heard the disgust in his voice.

“A wife I loved more than life,” he swallowed.  “I am glad you are here, Felicia, but I can’t offer you anything other than friendship.”  He turned back to face her.  “I won’t offer you anything other than that.”

“Of course.” 

Remington watched as she stepped closer and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek then turned to walk out of his bedroom.

 

* * * * * * *

 

?   London    

 

Felicia walked into the room carrying an energetic Tracy.  When Tracy saw Remington on the couch, she started to wiggle in Felicia’s arm.

 “Wait a minute, Cheri.   You must learn to play hard to get.  Like you don’t have an interest.”  Felicia winked at Remington as he gladly took Tracy from her.

 “Felicia, don’t you think she is too young to learn how to play the games of love.  My God.”   He kissed Tracy on her forehead.  “I can’t believe she is one already.” 

 Tracy was looking more and more like Laura every day.  Remington smiled looking at her button nose and freckled face.  It seemed like she gained another freckle each day.  Her thick brown hair was losing its curly nature with each day too.  And, he was sure by the time she was a preschooler it would be totally straight.

 “Harry,”  Felicia said, getting his attention.  “She is truly your daughter.” 

 Tracy sat in her father’s lap and watched the movie he had been watching before they came in.

 “I think she is truly her Mummy’s daughter,” he commented, turning his attention back to the movie now.

 “Please, Darling.”  Felicia said in her thick accent.  “She is curious, restless, charming, out going...”

 “She’s independent and intelligent like her Mummy.”  He touched Tracy’s hair and caught her attention.  Tracy looked back and up at him.  “She looks so much like Laura.”

 “Lau.  Lau.”  Tracy said, then giggled when Remington smiled.

 Felicia watched as he looked at the baby.  She knew he was thinking of Laura.  She knew he had dreams about her, too.  She heard him call her name many of nights in his sleep.  She had heard the one-sided conversations he had with her; whenever he thought no one was listening.

 ‘Great!’ she said to herself.  She couldn’t believe she was jealous of a dead woman.  It had been months since Laura’s death, and she was no closer to Harry than when she asked him for a chance three years ago.  How long would it take for the man to give her a chance?  Them a chance.

 “Yes.  Doesn’t my little princess look just like her Mummy.  I wish she were here to see her big girl’s first birthday.”  Remington said to Tracy as he lifted her up to face him.  “Your Nana Millie is here.  Your Granpa Daniel is here…”

 “Mum,”  Tracy said pointing to Felicia.

Remington froze in his tracks and registered what Tracy had said and whom she was referring to.  The child thought Felicia was her Mummy.  He looked at Felicia and realized she missed the scene because she was in her own daze.

 “Felicia?”

 “Huh?”  Felicia snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Remington who was now standing with Tracy in his arms.  

 Felicia looked him over and noticed a change in his attitude.

 “I’m going to take Tracy upstairs for her nap so she won’t be testy during her party.”  Remington looked Felicia over again.  He couldn’t believe Tracy thought she was her Mummy.

 “Once I get her settled, I’m going to help Mildred.”

 “I’ll take her and you can go help...”  Felicia stood and extended her hands.  Tracy reached out her arms to go to her, but Remington pulled Tracy back.

 “NO!”  Remington said, and realized he had a little more emotion in his word than need be.  “I have something special to share with her,” he said in more of a normal tone.

 “Okay.  I’ll just come tag.” 

 “Felicia, I want to share this moment alone with Tracy…and Laura,”  Remington said, looking heavenward. 

 Felicia looked into his eyes. 

 “Sure.”  Felicia reached out to touch Tracy’s cheeks.  “I’ll see you when you wake up Ch¾ri.”

 Felicia watched as they left and wondered why his attitude had changed. 

 

 * * * * * * * *

 ?   North Carolina   

 

“Tony!”  Laura said hitting her husband who sat beside her on the couch.  “We are not going to name our child Tito.”  

Tony leaned over and kissed Laura on the lips then looked down at her slightly swollen stomach.

“You said you wanted a good Italian name for our boy.”

“Tito.  Tito Micelli.”  She laughed putting down the Italian Baby Name book she was looking through.  “He will be tortured in school.  We could always use your name.”

Tony looked into Laura’s coffee brown eyes.  He smiled weakly, then said, “I don’t want my son to be nicknamed Junior.  Besides, he should have his own identity.”

“Okay. Okay.”  Laura said, watching him.  “I do have a suggestion though.  It’s not Italian, but I like it.”

“Shoot,”  Tony said, rubbing her stomach.

“Remington.  We can call him Remy for short.”  Laura smiled at him, but her smile quickly faded when she saw the color drain from his face.

“Remington?”  Tony stood and walked over to the fireplace never taking his eyes off her.  “Remington, why Remington?”

 “I...I...I got the name from...”  Laura looked around as to jolt her memory.  “From a character from “All My Children”.  John “Remy” Remington.”  She walked over to her husband.  “Are you okay?”

 “Yea,”  Tony said, laughing with relief.  “I just...I just...”  He looked into her coffee eyes again.

 “You just what?”  Laura asked, starting to plant soft kisses on his face.

 “Nothing.  I have another migraine.  I’m going to get a beer and go rest.  Do you want something to drink?”  He asked stepping away from her.

 “No,”  She said, watching him curiously.  “We’re fine.”

 “Okay.”

 “So, what do you think about Remington as a name?”  She asked, grabbing his arm and watching his face.

 “Nope.  Richard.  I like Richard.”

 For some reason Laura felt she should leave it alone.  It wasn’t often but every now and then Tony got weird and distance on her. 

  

* * * * * * * *

 ?   London   

 “Well, Darling,”  Felicia said, approaching Remington as he stood on the patio looking out at Mildred, Daniel, and Tracy. 

 Tracy was sitting Indian-style on the ground holding the new kitten Remington had brought her earlier while Daniel and Mildred where sitting in patio chairs beside her.

 “I believe I have everything.”

 Remington simply nodded.

 “So, has Cheri picked out a name for the little kitten?”

 “Buddy.”

 “Buddy?”  Felicia repeated.

 “It was the first thing out of her mouth.”  Remington smiled as he watched Tracy lift the kitten above her head.

 “I see.” 

 Remington looked over at Felicia and watched her for a moment as she stared out at Tracy and Buddy.  His daughter had really captured her heart.  He had noticed the positive changes in Felicia since they returned to London.

 Felicia had turned into a very caring and unselfish person.  He saw her molding into a woman who would be a wonderful Mother one day.

 ‘A wonderful Mother.’  a voice inside him said, ‘To any child except yours and Laura’s.’

 Remington tried to deny it, but couldn’t.  He allowed the events of last week to play back in his mind.

 Remington couldn’t bring himself to tell Felicia that he didn’t like the time she and Tracy were spending together, so he decided to move back to California.

 “Back to Los Angeles.”  Felicia asked pacing.

 “No.  Santa Monica.”  Remington watched as Felicia stopped pacing and looked at him with teary eyes.

 “Why?”

 “Well,”  he started searching for words. 

 Remington still couldn’t bring himself to tell her the truth.  Felicia had helped him in so many ways after Laura’s death.   And even though he appreciated Felicia’s help, he couldn’t allow Tracy to think of her as her Mummy, but he couldn’t bring himself to hurt her feelings either.

 “Abigail moved there a few months ago,”  he lied.  “She’s throwing a big guilt trip on me about living so far away with her youngest grandchild.”

 “Is that the only reason?”  Felicia asked walking up to him searching his eyes.

 “Yes,”  Remington answered flatly, and he knew she knew he was lying.

 “I will be gone in a week.” 

 Remington watched as Felicia started toward the stairs.  He knew what he was doing was right, but he couldn’t help but feel bad because of the temporary pain he was causing Felicia.

 “Felicia…”

 “Don’t.” 

Felicia turned around when she reached the first step.

“This is all about you finding a nice way to get me out of your life.  I know you don’t return my feelings…you feel you are betraying your beloved wife…and how dare me to even think about playing Mummy to little Lisa’s daughter.” 

Remington could hear the emotions in Felicia’s voice now.  She started up the stairs again and stopped mid way.  With her back to him still, she said, “Thanks, Darling.   I was getting bored.”

Remington watched as Felicia finished the stairs.

Since that night Felicia made sure she limited the time she spent with him and Tracy. 

Now,  she was on the patio with him as if she had just popped in for a week and her vacation was now over.

“Do you want to walk down and say goodbye?”  he asked, knowing she had lied when she said she was getting bored.

Felicia turned to face the patio doors and leaned against the rail.  Remington knew not to argue with her.

“No.  She won’t even notice I’m gone.”

“Felicia, how can you say that?”  Remington turned to face her.  “She noticed you haven’t been around the house.”

Felicia shrugged.

“Felicia…”

“Harry, you wanted me to leave.  I’m leaving.”  Felicia straightened and took one final look at Tracy.  “You know I hate goodbyes.”

Remington nodded.

“Tell her I love her okay, please.”

“Okay.”

Without saying another word, Felicia walked off.                                                          

* * * * * * * *

?   North Carolina   

 

Tony watched as Laura screamed while another contraction attacked.

 “Please!  Please!”   Laura begged.  “I need something.  Anything for the pain.”

 Tony looked at the nurse who was checking her clipboard again.

 “Mrs. Micelli, you have only dilated 3 centimeters.  Before we can administer anything, we need you to be 4.”

 As the contraction came to an end, Laura watched the nurse as she looked at the machine monitoring the strength on her contraction.

 “Please lets just say I am.”  Laura relaxed.  “I won’t tell anyone.” 

 The nurse smiled.  She has heard that from many women. 

 “It’ll be over soon.”

 Tony wiped Laura’s face with a wet washcloth.

 “I am going to the nurse’s station.  If you need me, just buzz.”

 

Tony watched as the nurse left.  Laura was trying to get as comfortable as possible on the hospital bed.  He looked at the monitor and knew Laura was about to have another contraction. 

“Okay, Baby, let’s get ready.”  He watched and allowed Laura to squeeze his hand as she went through another contraction. 

“Oh, God.  They get worst and worst.”

“That just means you are closer to bringing our little one home,”  Tony tried to encourage Laura.

“I can’t wait till he gets here.”

“So, what are we going to name our little slugger?”

Laura smiled.

“Richard.  Richard Eric.”