A few hours later...
Catherine and Steve were talking in low voices while Kevin slept.
"She didn't even call me to see how he was doing, Steve."
Steve held her hand and they intertwined their fingers. "And that makes you sad, doesn't it?"
"Yes." Catherine sighed and then looked Steve in the eye as she spoke. "When I was on the plane coming back here, I was thinking about the two of us. I thought it was time to throw away the heater."
"Are you saying you would definitely go to Hawaii?" Steve asked her.
"Yes, but that happened with Kevin. Catherine paused and then continued. "I can't leave him, Steve. He only has me now."
Steve kissed her hand affectionately. "You wouldn't be you if you abandoned him."
Catherine looked at him with a look of gratitude for understanding her.
Steve hugged her and kissed her forehead.
"I got him provisional custody, but I need to fight for permanent custody. I can't take him to Hawaii until I get final custody."
"I understand, Cath."
"Catherine rested her head on his shoulder. "Alice fired me. I don't have a job anymore."
"Well, if it's any consolation, I don't have a job anymore either," Steve replied.
Catherine took her head off his shoulder quickly so she could look at him. "What?"
"I've asked for my retirement. I think you and I have done a lot for other people and it's time to do something for both of us. If you need to stay here because of Kevin, I will stay here with you because life is unbearable without you. My bags are at a hotel nearby."
"You did that for me, Steve? Thank you. My life sucks without you, too."
"I did it for both of us. And we can live one year in your city and another year in Hawaii, and we'll take turns."
They hugged again and got emotional. "I love you, Steve."
"I love you, Cath."
Some time later, the doctor went to see Kevin and was pleased with the boy's improvement. "I have news for you: tomorrow you are going home," the doctor told Kevin, and the boy was afraid to go home. He looked frightened at Catherine. "I want to go home with you, Aunt Cath."
"OK, honey. We're going to my house," Catherine reassured him as the doctor finished examining him.
"We're going home and we're going fishing in that lake, right?" Steve said to Kevin.
"Right," Kevin answered him.
Steve left Catherine with Kevin at the hospital and went to spend the night at the hotel. He wanted to stay with Kevin at the hospital so that Catherine could go to the hotel and rest, but she didn't accept. "I promised him I wouldn't leave him, Steve."
"All right," he replied knowing that it would be impossible to change her mind.
The next day Kevin was descharged from the hospital and Catherine and Steve decided to stay at the hotel and go home only the next day. In the evening Steve was talking to Joan when Catherine sat down next to him. "Hi, Joan!" She said seeing Joan on the phone screen.
"Hi, Catherine. How are you?"
"Everything's great, Joan. I don't think I can ever thank you enough for bringing your uncle and me back together," Catherine replied.
"You don't need to thank me. It was Uncle Steve's desire to see you again that brought you two together. And I am very happy to know that you are happy."
"Thank you, dear. Come visit us, spend a few days in the mountains with us," Catherine told her.
"In the mountains? What about the house in Hawaii?" Joan asked.
"The house is closed, Joan, but Junior and Danny will go up there from time to time to take care of the house for me and water the garden," Steve replied.
"I wanted to spend the vacations there, Uncle Steve..." Joan complained.
"You can go there for the vacations, just get the keys from Junior or Danny."
"But without you? You are the heart of that house, Uncle Steve."
Steve was speechless. He didn't want to disappoint Joan, but he needed to think a little about himself too. And at that moment all he wanted was to stay with Catherine.
"I'm sorry, Uncle. I'm being selfish. If you're happy, that's all that matters. I can come visit you in the mountains."
"Thanks for understanding me, Joan."
"We'll be looking forward to seeing you, Joan," Catherine told her.
"Thank you, Catherine. Show me around your house," Joan asked.
"We're not at home, we're in a hotel. We'll go home tomorrow," Catherine replied.
Kevin woke up startled, got out of bed and ran into Catherine's lap. "Aunt Cath!"
Catherine picked him up and tried to calm him down. "Calm down honey. Did you have a bad dream?"
Kevin said nothing and hugged her.
"It's okay, you don't have to be afraid of anything," Catherine hugged him too and kissed his head.
"Who is he?" Joan asked.
"That's our boy," Steve answered Joan and made Catherine happy.
PS: Thank you for your review in the previous chapter.