"I don't want to, Daddy," Lyla told Steve as he and Catherine talked to her about the surgery. They were sitting on the couch and Catherine held her small hands. "Honey, your little heart really needs this surgery. You won't see anything, you will sleep and when you wake up it will all be over. Daddy and I will be there the whole time."
"What about Liz?" Lyla asked.
"Liz can't stay there, the doctors won't let her," Steve replied.
"Are they going to pierce my arm, Mom?"
"I'm not going to lie to you honey. Yes, they will need to do that."
"But I don't want to, I can't stand going to the doctor anymore."
"I really wish this wasn't necessary, sweet. But we really need to do this. Please trust me and Mom, we want what's best for you," Steve urged. He was heartbroken that he needed to have that conversation with her.
Catherine stroked Lyla's hair, hugged her and kissed her cheek. "Do you trust us?"
Lyla hugged her too. "Yes, Mama."
"Thank you," Catherine kissed her once more.
"I want a kiss too, Mommy," Liz got up from the rug she was playing on and climbed into Catherine's lap. Catherine kissed her and hugged her too. "My jealousy."
Liz also hugged Lyla and kissed her, "I love you, sista."
"Is Daddy the only one who doesn't get a kiss?" Steve said to the girls. Liz and Lyla kissed his cheek and Catherine photographed them.
"That looks beautiful," Catherine showed the picture on her phone to Steve and the children.
Four days later Steve and Catherine took Lyla to have the tests needed for surgery and left Liz with Renee. Liz adored Renee and it was not difficult to convince the little girl to stay with her.
Steve waited sitting in a chair in the hospital hallway and watched Lyla come back from the blood tests with little eyes full of tears. "That hurt, Daddy."
Steve hugged her gently. "I know, honey."
"Now we'll wait for them to call her into the X-ray room," Catherine told Steve.
"X-rays don't hurt, okay?" Steve said to Lyla.
Lyla just nodded with a sad face.
It was already lunchtime when they left the hospital and Steve took them to lunch.
"Hi, Kame," Catherine said to Kamekona with a smile.
"Hello my favorite customer. What will you have today?"
"Shrimp!" Lyla soon replied.
"The usual for you?" Kamekona said to Steve.
"Exactly," Steve replied. His phone rang and it was Danny letting him know that he had picked Caroline up from school and was taking her home. "Thanks, Danny. Drop her off at home and tell her we're on our way home."
"But we're not coming home yet. We're going to have lunch and then we need to pick up Liz at Renee and Lou's," Catherine told him after Danny ended the call.
"Yeah, but she doesn't need to know that," Steve replied. He didn't want Caroline to even think about being home alone with Edward.
At night Steve was with the children in the living room and Catherine was in their bedroom. Some time later she came downstairs wearing a long black dress with some silver details. She was wearing make-up and her hair was wavy. "Where do you think you are going dressed like that and without me?" Steve said to her.
"Mom, you look beautiful!" Liz said to Catherine.
"Very beautiful," Lyla agreed with her sister.
"Thank you my loves," Catherine said to the girls and then replied to Steve. "I'm not going without you. Your clothes are on the bed. Don't be long, we have a reservation."
"We do?" Steve was confused. "What about the kids?" He asked.
"Aunt Tani and Uncle Junior will be here in a little while," Lyla said to Steve.
"So it was all planned?" Steve looked at the three who smiled.
"Go get dressed," Catherine told him.
Tani and Junior arrived a few minutes later and Catherine thanked them for going. "Steve's been having a hard time with Don's rebelliousness, Caroline's, he's also distressed about Lyla's surgery and sometimes it seems like he's not going to make it. I want him to be a little distracted."
"You do well, Catherine. Go out and have fun, everything will be fine," Tani told her.
"The girls will sleep in Caroline's room and you can sleep in the girls' room."
"Tani can sleep with the girls and I'll settle in here on the couch," Junior said.
Steve got dressed, ordered Caroline not to leave the house, and left with Catherine.
"How about we make a bunch of popcorn?" Junior said to the girls.
"Yeah!" they replied. A few minutes later Caroline joined them since she would not be able to see Edward that night.
"Where are you taking me, Mrs. McGarrett?" Steve asked Catherine who was driving.
"At a new hotel where we can have dinner and dancing, " she replied.
"The girls are right, you look beautiful," he said and put his hand on her thigh.
"I'm driving, sailor. Don't take my attention away."
"Sorry," he replied.
Fifteen minutes later...
"It's very fancy here, " Steve said as they waited for dinner to be served.
Catherine entwined her fingers in his fingers. "Forget your troubles for a little while and let's enjoy this evening together."
Steve smiled at her. "OK."
They had dinner, drank some good wine, and then went into another setting to dance. Steve put his arms around her waist as she put her arms around his neck to dance to a romantic song. Steve gave her little kisses on her neck as they danced. When the song ended, another song started. "Do you recognize that song?" Catherine asked him.
"It's the same song that was playing at the army ball on our first date. It was the song that lulled our first kiss. How could I ever forget it? I can still taste your mouth that day, the soft touch of your lips on mine," Steve told her.
"I love you," Catherine whispered to him.
"I love you too," Steve replied before their lips touched and their tongues met.
PS: Thank you for your review in the previous chapter!