At the end of the afternoon, Don picked up his backpack to leave.

Where are you going?" Steve asked him.

"Your room is just as you left it, Don. We've only moved the furniture and a couple of things to the room down here, but the position of the furniture and the décor remain the same. There's no need for you to go to a hotel," Catherine told Don gently.

"I'm going to see my grandparents and I should spend the night there with them. I'll be back tomorrow," Don replied.

"That's fine. Your grandmother will be happy, and so will your grandfather," Catherine replied and Steve lent him the car to drive to his grandparents' house. Catherine was curious to know why Don was at home, but she wouldn't ask Steve if he didn't take the initiative to tell her.

After dinner, Catherine put the girls to bed while Caroline chatted with her boyfriend in the back yard. Steve was sitting on the front porch and reached out to pull Catherine by the waist when she approached him. Steve placed her on his lap and Catherine wrapped her arms around his neck and they sat in silence for a while, just enjoying each other's company.

"I'm a lucky man, aren't I?" Steve said to her as he gave her small kisses on the cheek.

"You sure are. You've got me," Catherine replied without modesty.

Steve smiled and tightened his embrace. Then he told Catherine what had happened between Don and his wife.

"I'm sorry, Steve. I liked her and I thought they would be happy even though they got married so young."

"Lidia and her husband were also disappointed. It was very bad when Lidia told me that my former daughter-in-law is already living with another guy. On Monday, I'm going with Don to see a lawyer so that he can start divorce proceedings."

"Well, if he's sure about it, you should support him," Catherine said as she kissed Steve affectionately on the forehead.

"He said he's sure. He's been betrayed, Cath..." Steve was thoughtful for a few seconds. "I was betrayed too and I know how he feels. I went over my pride because there were three children involved, but they don't have children yet, so I think he's right."

"I've never cheated on you, you know that right?" Catherine whispered in his ear.

"I know." Steve replied and then made an angry face. "I just went crazy when I saw you passing through the corridors of the base and I heard the sailors sighing for you."

Catherine patted him on the shoulder. "They didn't do that, Steve."

"Of course they did," Steve retorted.

"And when you insisted on playing soccer shirtless in your spare time? All those girls did everything they could to make you notice them," Catherine confronted him.

Steve smiled. "They were so silly. How could they not see that I only had eyes for you? And what about those guys? I wanted to say something to them if I met them today."

"And what would that be?" Catherine asked.

"I was going to say: 'Can you see that? I married her, she's mine and she gave me a daughter who's a princess. She wakes up next to me every day, so die of envy!"

Catherine smiled and stroked his cheek. Steve kissed her gently and without haste.

"We're going to be together until we're very old, aren't we?" Steve asked as he looked her in the eye.

"We will. Some people spend their whole lives waiting for love. Life gave me you and all I wanted was eternity, because just one life is too little to enjoy your company. You know, when we were young, and we were just friends, I wondered what your response would be if I asked you to date me."

"I would have said yes," Steve told her.

"Really? If I'd known that, I would have asked. You were too slow," Catherine complained.

"I was afraid of getting dumped," Steve retorted.

"You lacked self-confidence," Catherine said and he nodded.

"But we're together now, that's what matters." Steve kissed her once more and whispered "I love you" in her ear.

PS: Thank you for your review in the previous chapter!