"Has anything happened to her?" Steve asked, worried.
"No, not that I know of, but her work is so dangerous, Steve!"
"I know, Elizabeth, I worry about her too".
"So why did you end a long-standing relationship with her? She's suffering so much, Steve!"
"She left me when she was in Afghanistan, Elizabeth. And when she came back to Kono's wedding and made me think she was going to stay here with me, she left again and told me that our relationship wasn't enough for her".
"And you were going to propose to her and you gave up", Elizabeth replied.
"Yes", Steve replied.
Elizabeth looked at him affectionately.
"Let's go in, it's cold out here. I'll order something for dinner because I'm hungry and I believe you are too", Steve told her.
Elizabeth took a crutch to get up and Steve was surprised when he saw this because he remembered her as a strong, healthy, smiling woman.
"What happened, Elizabeth?" Steve asked as he helped her up.
"I suffered a cerebral effusion a year ago".
"And does Catherine know that?" Steve asked.
"Yes, she took care of me when I left the hospital. She always takes care of everyone, but she also needs someone to take care of her", Elizabeth said as she entered.
Steve helped Elizabeth to sit on the couch and then ordered the food.
Sit down, Steve. I don't intend to be long here, my husband doesn't know that I came to Hawaii".
Steve sat down beside her. "I still don't understand the real reason for your visit, Elizabeth. What do you want from me?"
Elizabeth took a deep breath. "Catherine accepted this job so you wouldn't be taken to court for trespassing on Afghanistan on a personal mission. She did it for love, Steve. She knows the Navy is your life, you're proud to be a SEAL, and she didn't let your whole history in the Navy be destroyed because of that trip to Afghanistan. She feels guilty cause you went to help her".
Steve was speechless.
"And now my daughter is stuck in that job because of a blackmail. She's unhappy, Steve. And I can't do anything to help her".
"I'm so sorry, Elizabeth. I couldn't imagine she was blackmailed. When the CIA asked me if I was alone, I said yes".
"But they found her easily", Elizabeth said.
Steve got up, ran his hand through his hair, and walked around the room because he was nervous.
"I was so unfair to her. She could have told me everything", he said.
"She didn't even tell her father", Elizabeth said.
"But she told you, Elizabeth! Why didn't you tell me before?" Steve asked.
"She told me why I insisted. I knew something was wrong, and you also should know because you've known her for twenty years, Steve".
"You're right, Elizabeth, I should have known, but I let my wounded pride blind me".
In his thoughts Steve regretted his relationship with Lynn, regretted that he had treated Catherine badly when she came to him to save Doris, regretted having let her go again after she saved his life when Greer wanted to shoot him.
"I was so unfair to her, but she never stopped coming back, she didn't deny me help when I called her. Forgive me, Elizabeth".
"It's not for me that you have to apologize, Steve. My other daughters are married, have children, and Catherine has nothing. I'm her only true friend because people have turned their backs on her after all what happened".
Steve felt worse at every word of Elizabeth.
"I comforted her when she had to leave after Kono's wedding, I comforted her when she came here to help you save your mother, and she found another woman in your house, I conforted her every other time she cried".
"I'll fix this, Elizabeth, I promise".
"If you don't want her back, at least take the burden off her back, job is a heavy burden for her, I want her to have a normal life, I don't want her to die on some street from an unknown country, into the hands of enemies or bandits".
"I need to talk to her, Elizabeth".
"I don't know where she's now, but as soon as she calls me, I'll tell you".
"Ok", Steve replied. He was feeling an anguish that seemed to choke him.
Someone knocked on the door.
"It must be our dinner,", Steve told her.
After putting the plates on the table, Steve helped Elizabeth sit in the chair so they could both have dinner.
"You look very handsome in this suit. Were you coming back from a date?" Elizabeth asked.
"No, I was invited by the Governor for dinner, but when I got there I felt bad for seeing Catherine's chair empty, so I come back home".
"Catherine's chair? Was she invited, too?" Elizabeth asked, confused.
"No, that's not it. Everyone was with their wives or girlfriends, and I was alone. And only she could take that place cause I never stopped loving your daughter, Elizabeth".
"I'm glad to hear that, Steve".
They were having dinner when someone knocked on the door. It was Danny.
Danny came in and saw Elizabeth having dinner.
"Has something happened, Danny?" Steve asked.
"I came to see if you're okay, you left without any explanation", Danny said.
"I'm fine, Danny. I'm having dinner with Elizabeth", Steve replied.
"Okay. I'm going back to the party then", Danny said.
Danny returned to the party intrigued.
"How is he, Danny?" Lou asked.
"He's having dinner with a woman who's old enough to be his mother".