I have just realised that in the last few chapters I have changed Evie's age from 12 to 10. Also this story is based on both Cath and Steve being younger than they are.

Chapter 9

When Steve pulled up outside Cath's house, he was nervous. He didn't know why, they had spent so much time together before this happened. It took him a few seconds to compose himself. He grabbed a bunch of flowers from the seat next to his and got out.

He rang the door bell, his heart was racing. As the door bell rang Cath took one last look in the mirror said goodbye to her kids and opened the door.

"Hi" he said passing her the flowers.

"Hi, thank you," she said taking the flowers. "Do you want to come in while I put these in water?" She said pointing to the flowers.

"Sure," Steve said following her in.

She looked around quickly checking her kids had gone upstairs. She didn't mind Steve meeting her kids but it just seemed too soon. She was relieved when she saw that they must have gone upstairs.

She placed got a vase out of the cupboard and filled it with water before putting the flowers in. She could Steve out of the corner of her eye looking around the kitchen.

"Are you ready?" Steve asked when Cath had finished putting the flowers in the vase.

"Yeah let's go" Cath said walking towards the door.

"I forgot to say, how beautiful you look tonight. If I am not mistaken that is the same dress you wore on our first date." Steve said opening the car door for Cath.

"Thank you, and you have a good memory." Cath said, she was going to tell him it was a different dress but she didn't want him to think that she had gone out and brought a new dress for this occasion.

The car journey was quite. Neither of them knew what to say. Before it was easy to talk but now something had changed. Steve wanted to ask her why she never told him. Cath knew all about Evie and his relationship with her mom, why had she never told him that?

"I booked a table at a little Sushi bar down town, Chin took Malia there a few days weeks ago and said the food was amazing" Steve said, breaking the silence.

"That sounds great. I haven't had Sushi since I was last in Japan." She said.

They fell into silence again. Steve focused on driving. Cath wanted the journey to end fast. She was starting to think that Steve had chosen the furthest away restaurant.

After about 10 minutes later they arrived at the restraunt. Steve got out and opened the door for Cath again. They walked into the restraunt and waited to be seated.

When they were seated they looked at the menu choosing what to have. After they had ordered Steve broke the silence. They had to talk about the changes in their relationship before they thought about the future and if they could move on.

"Why didn't you tell me about your kids?" Steve asked.

"I thought about it so many times. When we first met and you were talking about Evie I thought it would be a good time to tell you. But then months past and I didn't think I could tell you because you I hadn't told you from the beginning. Then as we got closer it was harder for me to tell you. My kids got older and I didn't see them for long periods of time and I was a terrible mum, and if I told you I would have to face up to being a bad mum. I am trying to make this sound like a good enough reason but it isn't. I know I should and I don't have a logical reason for why I did it. " Cath tried to explain but she couldn't, she knew she was wrong but having to explain it made her harder.

"Cath, I wouldn't have matter how old your kids are, or how long it took for you to tell me, but you still could have told me." Steve told her. "But we can't change that now."

"So where does that leave us?" Cath asked. She waited a few seconds for an answer but instead he lent across the table and kissed her. They were disturbed a few seconds later by the waiter bringing their drinks over.

"Thanks," Steve said, he was trying not to sound sarcastic like Danny but it was their first kiss in a long time and he had interrupted it. Cath smiled at the waiter as he walked off.

"There was no need to be sarcastic." Cath said.

"It's been a long time since we have kissed and he disturbed us." Steve said. It made Cath smile; they were quickly moving back to safe territory between them.

Steve tried to resist asking about her kids and their dad but he had to know. "Cath, I know we are trying to move on but, do you want to tell me about your kids?"

Cath nodded. It took her about a minute to think of what to say. "I was 16. I had just enlisted to join the Navy. I thought I was in love with my boyfriend. I fell pregnant. I didn't know what to do. I wanted to join the Navy; it had been my plan for years since my mum died. I wanted to get away from my dad. I thought if I pretended that I wasn't pregnant then it would go away. But it didn't, and by the time my mother in law made me face up to what had happened, but it was too late to have an abortion. Now I am older I do not regret having them. But back then I wasn't sure what I wanted. My boyfriend had got in with the wrong crowd. He used to drink, started to take drugs. When I told him, he promised to change. I didn't believe him, I started to look into adoption, but he changed. He came to scan and found out we were having twins. He wanted to keep them. I postponed me joining the Navy, we got married, he wanted us to be together for our kids sake. I agreed, but I told him I was still joining the Navy, once they were born I went away and joined the army and him and the kids stayed with his mum and I saw them when I was back from leave." Cath was stopped when their dinner was brought to the table.

Steve understood what had happened. He started to eat his dinner. He waited for Cath to continue. He wanted to know more, but he thought he should wait until she had finished her dinner. They ate their dinner, changing the subject to the food they were eating.

When they had finished, they looked at the dessert menu, they chose one to share. Once they ordered Steve looked over at Cath, she knew he wanted her to carry on.

"Do you want me to carry on?" Cath asked. She knew it was her turn, over the last 10 years he had shared everything about his daughter and his ex girl-friend. Steve just nodded.

"When they were 2, Tom, my ex husband, wanted to move out with the kids. He wanted to get a flat to look after the kids properly. His mum wouldn't help him pay for a flat, he got angry and wanted to annoy his mum. He never got on with his mother, he blamed her for the death of his dad, so he started to drink again, to get back at her, but when that wasn't enough he turned to drugs. A year later he had an accidental overdose and died." Cath said. She thought back to that time, she should have been there for her kids then. Not 11 years later.

"Cath I'm sorry." Steve said, he was genuinely sorry, she had never told him this before.

"Don't be, we were never married for love. We married for our kids." Cath replied.

"Now I am thinking we forget dessert. I cancel the order, I pay the bill and we go home and end our dates the way we normally start them?" Steve asked.

"We can't. Evie is at your house and my kids are at my house, and we are not exactly quite." Cath replied.

"I am sure your house is big enough for us to be over the other side of the house to your kids." Steve said, he really wanted to get her into bed, and he was not going to give up without a fight.

"I was waiting for you to bring that up."

"Bring what up?" Steve replied, giving a guilty smile.

"I saw you looking around the house when you came in."

"It is not what I would imagine for you. It is big, and very not you." Steve replied, looking around her house it didn't seem what she would go for.

"It was my mother in laws house. When she died she left it for me. Her and Chelsea would not have it any other way. Everything has to match, the colour scheme has to be perfect everything that goes in to that room has to fit in with the scheme."

"Okay, but you still didn't answer my question."

"No we are not going back to my house for sex, because my kids are there and might still be awake. We said we would start again, with our kids being part of the relationship."

"You are no fun." Steve said.

After they finished dessert Steve paid and they went to leave.

"Cath this is your last chance. We can go back to yours for the night. Mary is babysitting Evie." Steve said getting in the car. He really wanted Cath tonight. He was going to try until they got home.

"I told you my kids are home and I can't just bring you home. If they hear I will scare them for life, and I don't want them to meet you for the first time, like I met your sister."

"Fair point. How about I book us into a hotel room?" Steve was not going to give up easily. He would try all the way home.

"I am not leaving my kids for the night. You need to control yourself. We are not having sex tonight. End of Steve" Cath said, as much as she wanted to sleep with Steve tonight they had to think about their kids.

"Fine your no fun anymore." Steve said, pouting like a child when they didn't get their own way. "Anyway, I was thinking how about me, you and the kids meet up tomorrow. You could come over, I could put the BBQ on?" Steve asked. He had only known about her kids for a couple of days but he wanted to be with Cath.

"You have known about my kids for a couple of days and you already want to meet them. Steve, I am back permanently. All we have talked about is my kids, me not telling you. We haven't talked about where our relationship is going." Cath said. They had a nice dinner, but she kept on thinking about their relationship. They hadn't talked about it. Steve pulled over on the side of the road. He unbuckled his seat belt and turned to face her.

"Catherine, I love you. I want to be with you. If we could, I would make us move in together. I know we have to take things slower because we have kids but I want to be with you." Steve said. His eyes were locked to hers.

"I love you to Steve." Cath replied before kissing him. They were kissing for about 5 minutes but she stopped him, because she knew that in a couple of minutes they would be having sex. "Now you need to drop me home." She said breaking the kiss and smiling at him.

"Fine. You never answered my question. Do you want to meet up tomorrow?"

"Yeah sure. However, you can come to my house." Cath said.

"Is there something wrong with my house?" Steve asked

"No but like you said before it is bigger." Cath teased.

"Fine. What time?" Steve asked.

"11 o'clock?"

"Yeah sure." Steve replied just as they pulled up outside her house.

They sat outside for a couple of minutes. Talking, until they eventually kissed goodbye and she went in to the house.

When Cath got in, she walked into the living room to see if anyone was still up. When no one was still awake she went upstairs. She first went to Chelsea's room. She saw both of her kids. Chelsea was sleep on the bed while Jay had fell asleep on the sofa. They must have been watching a film before they both fell asleep. Cath went over to kiss Chelsea, before getting a blanket from Chelsea's cupboard and putting it over Jay. She kissed him goodnight. And went to her own room.

She got undressed and ready for bed. When she finally lay down all she could think about was Steve and how amazing he was. She went to sleep dreaming about him.

The next chapter will be coming soon. Hope you are enjoying this story. Please review.