The next day, Steve woke up tickled his feet. He laughed and opened his eyes to see Joe and Debby by the bedside.

"Hey, I see you two there."

"Good morning, Daddy," Debby told him and Joe imitated her.

"Good morning, Debby. Good morning, Joe."

Steve looked at Catherine in the other bed. She was lying with her body facing the other side. Steve recognized that he didn't treat her right. She was happy to have found him, traveled thousands of miles with the kids, and he wasn't even affectionate to her. He got up and went to the other bed thinking she was still asleep, but she was awake

"Good morning, Cath. I thought you were still sleeping."

She looked at him with her eyes down. "I couldn't sleep."

"I'm sorry. I got some sleep until the kids decided to tickle my feet," he told her.

They tickled me, too," Catherine said.

Steve sat on the bed and she moved away a little to make room for him.

"If you want to try to sleep, I can take them downstairs to play," Steve told her.

"No. I'll get up and order breakfast, the kids must be hungry," Catherine answered him.

"I'm hungry, too. At the monastery we had breakfast early in the morning," Steve told her.

"Are you missing the monastery?" Catherine asked him.

"Yes, because it's the only home I remember, but I'm happy to be with you and the kids."

"Really?" Catherine asked.

"Really," he answered. He leaned over and kissed her forehead as the children ran around the room. Catherine was happy because that was the first voluntary gesture of affection he made.

Catherine got up, got dressed and ordered breakfast. Steve called the children to sit at the small table with him and Catherine and served them.

"Thank you, Daddy," Debby told him and Steve kissed her cheek. "You're welcome, Debby."

Joe was eating with enthusiasm and Catherine laughed. "Is that nice, my boy?"

Joe just nodded and kept eating.

"Mommy, can you bake some cake?" Debby asked Catherine.

"Not here, Debby. Not until we get home."

"I can make cake, too, Debby," Steve said to the girl.

"Yummy!" Debby said and smiled.

After breakfast, Steve and Catherine left the hotel to walk around town with the kids. They sat on a bench in a square to watch them play.

"I'm glad we found this little square. It's not easy to keep two children in a hotel room. Children need space," Catherine told him.

Steve smiled and agreed. He asked questions about his family, and Catherine thought it wasn't time to give details about the deaths of John and Doris. "Your parents are dead, but you have a sister and a niece. Their names are Mary and Joan, respectively."

"Do they also live in Hawaii?" he asked.

"No, they live in Los Angeles, but for sure she will go to Hawaii when she knows you will be there. We can call her later, she will be very happy to see you".

Steve was thoughtful for a few moments. "Not yet, Catherine."

Catherine didn't understand. "Not yet what, Steve?"

"I don't want to find anyone who's been a part of my past for now. I'm not ready. I'm fine with you and the kids, please respect my time."

"But Steve... I can't hide from your sister and your friends the fact that you're alive. They're people who love you."

"Catherine... give me a break. Okay?" Steve stood up and sat in the middle of the square to play with the kids.

"Mary and the team will hate me if I do this. What do I do, my God?" Catherine thought.

Two days later they boarded the plane toward Hawaii. The children were Steve's safe haven. He knew that by staying close to them, Catherine wouldn't fight him or force a conversation that he didn't want to have. He did not understand that he was putting her in a difficult situation: "They did not say that you were crazy when you thought I was alive? So, what's the difference? I don't want to see anyone," he had told her when she tried to insist on calling Mary.

Catherine hadn't slept properly since she left Hawaii to pick up Steve. She was napping sitting in the plane seat with Joe on her lap.

"Catherine?" Steve woke her up.

"Huh?" She looked at him with her eyes almost closing again.

"Give me Joe so you can rest."

Catherine gave Joe to him and got some sleep.

"Mommy's so tired," Debby, who was sitting in the middle seat, whispered to Steve.

"And why are you talking like that?" Steve whispered, too, and Debby and Joe laughed.

Steve caught a man who was in the seat across the hall looking at Catherine as she slept and he realized how insecure and jealously he felt about her.

"Didn't this guy realize that she's married and has two kids?" Steve thought and was very upset.

The next day they landed in Hawaii and went straight home. Steve got out of the cab and looked at his house as if it was the first time. Catherine had a hope that he would remember something when he got home, but it was in vain.

"Come, Daddy. I'll show you my favorite flower from the garden," Debby told him.

"Wait a minute, Debby. I need to help your mom with the suitcases," Steve answered. He entered the house with Catherine and looked around.

"So, what did you think?" She asked.

"The house is beautiful. The sea is in the back and it looks good," he answered.

Catherine went up the first three steps of the stairs and called him up. "Come on. and put our bags away."

Steve went up after her and they went first to the children's room and then to theirs. "This is our room," Catherine said to him.

"Cozy," he answered.

Debby went upstairs and took Joe with her.

"Mommy!"

"What is it, daughter?" Catherine asked Debby.

"Go get Eddie," Debby asked.

"Not today, Debby. I'm very tired, my love. I'll pick up Eddie tomorrow morning, I promise."

"Daddy, come see my favorite flower from the garden," Debby extended her hand to him.

"Of course, daughter. Come on," Steve held Debby's hand and went to the garden with her.

Joe stayed in the room with Catherine.

"And then, my boy? Mama will give you a bath and put some light clothes on you to make you comfortable." Catherine picked him up and took him to the shower.

Steve was in the garden on the side of the house when he heard footsteps on the porche. "Stay here and be quiet, Debby," Steve whispered.

He slowly approached the side of the house and saw a man trying to look into the house through the window. When the man came toward the side of the house, Steve picked him up and immobilized him hard. The man was trying to say something, but Steve would not let him say nothing.

Debby came out of the middle of the bushes and called Steve. "Daddy! Why are you doing this to Uncle Danny?"

"Is he your uncle?" Steve asked Debby.

"Yes," the girl answered and Steve let Danny go.

"Sorry about that, man. I didn't know Catherine had a brother."

"What?" Danny asked.

PS: Thank you for your review on the previous chapter. It made me very happy.