"It's your fault! You were always to blame! You made my daughter hate me, you gave her no limits, you were always a bad mother. Lindsay is reaping what she planted, she committed a crime. I am a law enforcement officer and I can't protect anyone, "Steve told Mariah after being slapped in the face.

"My dad is going to pay the best lawyer to get his granddaughter out of here," Mariah told Steve.

"I don't think he's going to be able to get her out of prison, but of course she has a right to a defense. I'm going to help pay the lawyer, and most of all, I hope Lindsay changes and learns to live. I love my daughter, no matter what she has done, I just can't get her away with it," Steve walked away from Mariah and went to talk to the police chief. Then he tried to talk to Lindsay who didn't want to talk to him.

Lindsay's boyfriend put all the blame on her by saying that she had planned everything, but Steve wouldn't let him get away with it.

Johnny questioned Steve when he returned home and Steve explained to him everything that had happened. "Son, I would never accept someone to take you out of our home, your family, and take you to a horrible place and keep you locked up in the dark hungry and thirsty. So I can't accept what your sister did to Juju. Your sister almost killed Juju for money. You, your mom and your sister can hate me for it, but I will not fail to do the right thing. "

Johhny hugged Steve. "I don't hate you, dad. I love you."

Steve was thrilled. "Thank you, son. You don't know how important it is for me to hear that from you. I love you too, and when all of this is over, we will spend more time together. I promise."

"It will be great, dad."

"I'm going to go to the hospital and see how Juju is doing, and then I'm going to come home, okay?"

"Okay, dad. Tell Juju I said hello," Johnny replied to Steve.

"Thank you for being so understanding and for being my best friend, son."

"You are my hero, dad."

Steve returned to the hospital and Juju was already asleep. "She tried to wait for you but she couldn't, sleep beat her," Catherine told him.

Steve kissed Juju's forehead and stroked her hair. "She's sweating, Cath."

"She had a fever and the doctor detected pneumonia, Steve. She will be in the hospital for a week," Catherine replied to him.

"I'm sorry," Steve was very saddened by everything that had happened to Juju and Lindsay. He also felt sorry for his son for living in a dysfunctional family.

Catherine came over and hugged him. "My heart is broken into three pieces, Cath. It is broken by Juju, by Lindsay, by Johnny."

"I'm sorry about that, Steve. But you did it right. She couldn't have done what she did to Juju. If it worked, she would do it again, and again, and no one knows when she would stop."

"You must be hating my daughter," Steve told her.

"No. I'm so worried about Juju that I can't even feel angry at anyone."

"Cath, I know this is not the best time or the best place, but I want to know if you're willing to share your life with me. I know we've been apart for years and it's my fault, but I want you to know that I never stopped loving you. "

"I also never stopped loving you, Steve."

"So come and live with me. We are going to be a family. Me, you, Johnny and Juju. I managed to get Mariah out of my house and now there is nothing else to stop us from living our love. Please say yes"

Catherine smiled and stroked his hair. "Yea."

Steve hugged her tighter. "I could give you a voracious kiss now, but we are in a hospital."

Juju woke up and heard Steve's voice. "Daddy, you came!"

Steve approached "Hi, honey. I said I would come. How are you?"

" I'm sick, Daddy. "

Steve stroked Juju's head for a few minutes. "Are you better now?"

"I think so, Daddy."

Catherine smiled when she saw them. "You are spoiling her, Steve."

Six months later...

Julia and George were at the airport waiting for Steve, Catherine, Johnny and Juju. The family had taken a ten-day vacation on the mainland and Julia and George were missing them a lot. Catherine had retired from the Navy and was dedicating herself to her new family and Johnny and Juju visited Julia and George every day so that they would not feel alone. Johnny was even calling them grandma and grandpa.

"Look, George. They arrived," Julia waved at them and Juju ran to her grandparents. "Grandpa, Grandma, I went to a lot of nice places and I went to Aunt Mary's house too!"

"How great, dear!" Julia exclaimed as she took her granddaughter on her lap.

"Do you know who's been missing you? Toby," Julia said to her granddaughter.

"I missed Toby too," Juju replied to her grandmother and then wanted to go to her grandfather's lap. "Hi Grandpa!"

Johnny came over and hugged Julia too. "Hi Grandma!"

"Hi, honey. I'm happy to see you back," Julia returned the boy's hug.

Then Johnny hugged George and Steve and Catherine also hugged Julia and George.

"We miss you so much!" Julia said and dropped a few tears. Catherine hugged her again and kissed her mother's cheek. "Oh, Mom! It's only been ten days," Catherine spoke fondly. "Did you do what I asked you to do?" Catherine asked her mother.

"Yes, it's all in the car," Julia replied.

Some time later, Lindsay was in her cell. She was sad and despondent when the guard announced visiting hours. Lindsay walked to the prison yard very slowly. Her mother had found a boyfriend and went to live on the mainland with him and had not visited her in four months. She approached the table and sighed. "You again?"

"Me again. You thought I wouldn't come back? I even brought you a chocolate cake. I know it's your favorite because your father told me. By the way, happy birthday!" Catherine said smiling.

PS: Thanks to you who took a minute of your time to comment in the previous chapter.