Published: 7 Jul 2022

From Previous Chapter:

The boys wanted to talk about that, but the teenager told them there was nothing to discuss. Robert said if their ‘dad’ thought he needed more help, then he needed more help, and they all should support him and whomever he hires.

All the boys could sense there was something happening at The Cove, but they couldn’t figure out what it was. Right now, their ‘dad’ was taking care of Mark, and it was taking up all of his time. They all hoped that things would soon get back to normal, whatever that is.

It was quiet in The Cove that night, but the boys all slept restlessly as they dreamt about what the future might be.

Ken Thomas woke up, feeling like the world was pressing down upon him. Yes, he fought the man yesterday, and that was taking a toll on his body, but his mind was running a mile a minute with everything that was going on inside of it. He knew he needed to start delegating more and he told himself he would begin doing that today.

The owner of The Cove got out of bed, used the facility, dressed in his usual morning clothes, then headed out for his newspaper. He could tell there was a change in the air and he figured it would rain later in the day, or overnight. There was nothing he could do about it.

Momma Maria was waiting for her employer when he arrived and sat in his usual seat at the Kitchen Nook table. She quickly brought him his first cup of hot coffee. She could tell there was something going on with the man, as he looked haggard and in need of sleep, or rest, or maybe both.

The boys filtered down to the Nook for breakfast. Mark first took care of Chief’s needs, before sitting down to eat. The boys all saw the look on their ‘dad’s’ face, and knew what Robert told them last night had to be true. They were all quiet as they ate their breakfast that morning.

‘Dad’ Ken didn’t even engage the boys in conversation that morning. He just sat there reading his paper, as he ate his breakfast and drank his coffee. Even when Mr. Chris and Mr. Wayne arrived, they could tell there was something different there in the Nook. They pulled Momma aside and asked her what was going on, and all she could tell them was that Mr. Ken was not himself.

Wayne pulled Chris to the side and told him what their boss told him last night before he left. The Estate Master told Chris how their boss fought the man who invaded the Goldersons, and who was trying to kill Kaden in his hospital room.

Chris said he saw that on the news last night and early that morning. Wayne said he thought that Mr. Ken might be having a mental stress issue about the whole thing, and probably needed to talk to someone to get his head wrapped around it right.

The two men waited until their employer went to get ready for the day, before they called Doctor Doug to consult with him over the way their boss was acting. Doug recommended that when Mark comes over later today, that he talks with Mr. Ken instead. But he wanted one of the men there to help him convince the man he needed to talk things out, more than Mark did. Mr. Wayne agreed to do that.

When Mr. Ken came out of his private retreat, dressed and ready for the day, he asked his two employees into his Study. He wanted to talk to them about what was going to happen at The Cove in the coming days, weeks and months.

The men saw that Mr. Ken seemed to be his normal self. He was active and engaging and had a good grasp of what was going on at The Cove. Mr. Ken wanted them to be ready for Saturday with almost 80 people coming to The Cove. He gave Chris the names of the families who would be there, and he wanted the man to coordinate with the guards so they knew what was happening and to allow them into the estate.

The owner of The Cove told the men that with the Bandera DA wanting to start Parker Parchsons’ trial the first week of August, they needed to make other plans to visit the amusement parks. He asked Chris to see what arrangements he can make while getting the boys back a few days before school started, so he could get them all new school clothes.

Mr. Ken also reminded them that all of his business concerns would be moving into the office building the last two weeks of August, and that he was holding the fall meeting of his amusement park operators the weekend after Labor Day and that they should plan on him being gone that entire weekend, beginning Thursday after dinner.

Mr. Ken added that Mary Taylor had contracted with a friend of hers to outfit the upper floors with office furniture and that would all take place while they were visiting the amusement parks.

Mr. Ken then asked Wayne to take Mark to see Doctor Doug that afternoon, and then over to see his parents. Hearing that threw a big loop into the two men’s plans to have their employer talk to Doctor Doug instead of Mark that afternoon. Mr. Wayne had to think fast.

The Estate Master said that he could do that, but that he talked to Doctor Doug and that the doctor wanted to talk to Mr. Ken about Mark first, then he could go home and Mr. Wayne would take Mark over to the hospital. Wayne said he could talk with Billy while Mark visited with his mom and dad. It was agreed that both men would drive over there for one o’clock.

The Cover boys gathered together after they got ready for their day. They met in Robert’s room to discuss how their ‘dad’ looked at breakfast that morning. The older teen mentioned to them that at times their ‘dad’ gets overwhelmed with things, and right now with Mark, and going to the hospital every day and the fight yesterday he felt they were all having an effect on him.

Mark didn’t understand how he was causing Mr. Ken to act the way he was. It was Charles who told the newest Cover that their ‘dad’ was busy with so many projects that when one of the boys has problems it affects what he has planned, and it takes a toll on him physically and mentally.

Robert said that the fight yesterday was a ‘live or die’ confrontation, and it might be what is causing their ‘dad’ to act as he had that morning. The teenager asked all of his ‘brothers’ to try not to cause any problems for their ‘dad’, and to go to Mr. Wayne if they had anything that needed attention.

The boys then headed up to the Pavilion to await their friends. Mark took his skateboard, ball and glove, and his soccer ball, to see if he could fit everything inside his locker. His ‘brothers’ laughed at their new ‘brother’, but told him to try anyway.

When the Covers’ friends arrived, they wanted to know more about what Mr. Ken did to save Kaden from being killed. And since Mark and Matthew witnessed the altercation, they were front and center in the Pavilion and they told the boys what they saw.

They told how the man, known as Bennett, picked up anything he could find and threw it at Mr. Ken in order to hurt him enough that he could then get away. The Covers told their friends that Mr. Ken fought the man, hand-to-hand, wouldn’t give up and kept the man from escaping.

The two boys then told how Mr. Ken had to go to the emergency room to get some stitches for the cuts he received during the fight. They added that later when they visited Billy, he told the man he knew how he felt. Mark said that Billy laughed, but it hurt him as his cracked ribs were still healing. Matthew added that their ‘dad’ looked terrible this morning at breakfast.

Robert then asked if anyone played soccer. He told them that Mark liked to play and needed to get into shape and hoped that he could get some of them to play. Wyatt said that he, Dominic, Nathan, Grant and Blake liked to play, but they needed a net and some out-of-bounds markers.

Mark told the group that many of his friends would be there that Saturday, and maybe they could get a game going. The Cover also said he’d asked Mr. Ken about a net, and the out-of-bounds markers.

After the discussion was over, the barbeque team started to get things ready for when they cooked later. Mark watched as they brought out a couple of coolers and cases of canned sodas and then iced them down. He asked why they did that and the only response he got was that was the way they always did it.

Mark then saw Chief going over to some ice on the concrete floor and begin to eat it. And then when she got a bigger piece she got down and chewed it. Mark could tell the resident pet was really enjoying the cold treat.

Mr. Ken called Robert and asked him to bring Mark down for lunch. The new Cover told everyone he’d see them all later, and then got into the golf cart with Robert and headed down for lunch. When Mark entered the Kitchen Nook, he asked Momma Maria for some ice. When she gave it to him, he placed it into Chief’s water bowl. Chief saw what her new boy had done, and she went for a cold drink. Chief then went to Mark and gave him some cool doggie kisses.

As the Cover’s ate lunch, Mark asked Mr. Ken if he could get a water bowl for Chief for up at the Pavilion. He said he didn’t notice one up there and it would be good for her to have fresh water up there as well. Mr. Ken looked over to Mr. Chris, who knew to get one the first chance he got.

Mark then asked why they iced down the sodas. Mr. Ken was curious as to the question, so he asked Mark to explain what he meant. Mark asked his foster dad why they didn’t have a soda vending machine to fill every night, so the sodas would be cold the next day. That question caused everyone to stop eating.

The conversation then began in earnest about why they hadn’t thought about that before now and how soon could they get one. Mr. Ken remembered back when he first thought about building the Pavilion that he had planned something like that, but with everything that went on he just plain forgot. He then asked Mr. Chris to research buying one, and to get the biggest available and with a good repair warranty.

Mark then mentioned that he would like to get into shape for soccer and said that some of the boys would like to play, but they needed a goal and some out-of-bounds markers. The new Cover also said that his friends, who were coming over Saturday, will probably want to play and with those items they could have a good game.

And before Mr. Ken could tell Mr. Chris to research them, the Estate Manager said he’d add it to the list. Everyone laughed. Even Momma Maria joined in the laughter, with Chief adding a few happy “Woofs”.

As they ate, Mr. Ken told everyone that Mr. Wayne would be taking Mark to visit his parents today after the three of them visited Doctor Doug. ‘Dad’ Ken said he’d be back in order to work on some ongoing projects he had that needed his attention.

At 12:30, Mr. Ken took his truck, while Mr. Wayne and Mark took the van over to Doctor Doug’s office.

On the way over to Doctor Doug’s, the Estate Master had explained to Mark what he intended to do once they arrived at the doctor’s office. Mr. Wayne explained that the boy’s foster dad needed to talk out the fight yesterday, and what it all meant, as that was the second time the man had saved a young boy’s life. Mark asked who the first one was, and so, on the drive over to the hospital, Mr. Wayne explained what he knew about Collin.

When the three Covers arrived, Doctor Doug invited Mr. Ken into his office under the guise of wanting to talk to him about Mark, first. Mr. Wayne and Mark then quickly left and went over to the hospital to visit the boy’s parents and Billy

At the hospital, Mr. Wayne was able to meet and talk with Levi and Miriam Golderson. The nurses saw Mark arrive, and they knew he could only be there with a guardian, so they allowed the new man to go with the boy to visit his parents.

Levi was happy to meet the man who Billy had thought so highly of. Mr. Wayne asked him to explain what he meant. So, Levi told him what Billy had told them, about how the man was more like a mentor and big brother to him than an employee of Mr. Ken’s.

Levi told Wayne that Billy appreciated that he took an honest interest in what he thought and that he never talked down to him, but actually had encouraged him. Wayne Mitchell was taken aback at hearing that. He never had any feedback on what he did for the boys and had never known if he ever made a difference for them. But here was Billy telling his new foster parents that he did matter, to at least one boy. Wayne was flattered.

Miriam was also happy to meet Wayne Mitchell. She, too, told him that Billy thought highly of him and that he should be proud that the boys he helps Mr. Ken with really do appreciate what he does for them when Mr. Ken is away.

Twice now, Mr. Wayne heard how he did make a difference at The Cove. It made him feel good inside that the boys welcomed what he did for them, and knowing that, encouraged him to continue doing what he’d been doing for them ever since he was hired as the Estate Master.

Mr. Wayne finally got to talk with Billy. As they talked, Billy asked about what changes had happened at The Cove since he left. Mr. Wayne told the teen that the only visible change was that Brett still hadn’t been back, and nobody knew why. The Estate Master added that Lonnie had asked to fill in for him and that Matthew liked having an older person to help.

The Estate Master told the teenager that Robert had some of the boys help finish setting up the double elimination competition he had started for the four different games. The Estate Master told the teen that the boys were playing the games and keeping track and were looking forward to the Labor Day Picnic and finding out who were the four game champions and then the overall champion. Billy was happy the boys followed through with the competitions.

It was while the two Covers talked that the nurse came to tell Billy he was scheduled for his MRI and that they would be up for him in about fifteen minutes. Billy then explained to Mr. Wayne that if they didn’t find any indication that he had any internal bleeding that he could then be released tomorrow. Mr. Wayne made sure he had the nurse’s station phone number, so someone could call to learn whether or not Billy would be released sometime on Friday.

While the two Covers were driving back to The Cove, Mark saw a field full of boys and girls playing organized soccer. He asked if they could stop. The young Cover wanted to know if he could join them, or was it a private group.

The Covers stopped and Mr. Wayne talked to a few of the adults there and he was directed to one of the coaches. The Estate Master learned that it was a local organized soccer group and that all Mark needed to do was to be living in their area, pay the registration fees and then he’d be assigned to a team according to his age and area where he resides. Mr. Wayne thanked the man after getting the organization’s contact numbers. The two Covers headed on home.

Mr. Wayne and Mark arrived back at The Cove well before dinner time. Mr. Wayne searched out his boss to tell him what he learned from Levi and Miriam, and that Billy had his MRI today and someone needed to call to find out if their teen was coming home tomorrow.

When the Estate Master went to the Study, he found Chris sitting in there, waiting. Mr. Ken saw him at the Study door and invited him in. As the man entered, he was asked to close the door when he came in.

“Guys … Doctor Doug and I … we had a good talk this afternoon. And I want to thank you both for setting up that meeting. Even if I did take Mark’s appointment away from him. All I’ll tell you is that it was a very productive meeting, and now I know why the boys like Doug Jennings so much. Oh, by the way, I did make another appointment for Mark for next week.

“Continuing, Chris, I hope you have that ad for a part-time person ready to go. I need to hire that person and the sooner the better. And while you were gone, Wayne, I called Bill Jackson and we are now going to search for someone to manage all of my projects. He, or she, will work for, and report directly to, me.

“I had talked about doing this with Bill back in the spring, but now, with everything that I have going on, I need someone to work and manage all the minuscule things that come up after I set things in motion.

“I am also going to move my home office to the office building. That will mean that every day I will actually go to work, and I will stop working from home. We will have to work out how we will interact, but the phones work, and so do text messages and emails.

“Men … this is something that needed to be done, and now, with how busy I’ve become with the addition of Mark, and will probably be when Bill returns, I can’t be juggling every little issue associated with my projects.

“This will be implemented over time, but I hope to have it all in place by the first of October. You both have been great assets to me, and I want you to know that without you … I couldn’t keep fostering the boys.

“I find myself spread way too thin now, and although I love having the boys here, and they’ve definitely brought life to The Cove, I can’t allow everything I do to overwhelm me and make me physically and mentally unstable at my young age.

“What I just told you is just for us. It is to give you some background as to why things will be changing here at The Cove. I hope the changes don’t affect you too much, and if you feel they do, then we can sit down and talk it over. I need you men now, more than ever before.

“Let what I just told you sink in, some. Talk it over between yourselves and I’d ask you to wait and see how what I am attempting to do works. It will take time and I hope to implement it slowly. But if you feel it is disruptive to the boys, let me know immediately. OK?” finished Mr. Ken.

Mr. Chris then showed his boss a few examples of the types of soda vending machines he found that would work up at the pavilion. One was a clear front that held 405 cans or 360 bottles, or a mix, and had an automated arm that went to the selected item and brought it over to the dispensing door.

The second type of vending machine was the standard type found at many outside areas that also vended 540 cans or 280 bottles, or a mix, and when the person pushed a button the item was dispensed at the bottom door.

The three men looked at the pictures and Mr. Wayne said he liked the clear one. He said that way you knew what you were getting. Mr. Chris said he liked that one as well, but with all the electronics and the mechanical arm he was afraid the repair costs might be prohibitive.

The Estate Manager added that the standard mechanical vending machine has electronics, too, but not as many mechanical parts to break down. The man then added that they could get a service contract for either machine.

But before Mr. Ken made his decision, Mr. Chris brought out some pictures of soccer nets and out-of-bounds markers. The man said they were in stock at the local sporting goods store and he could pick them up on his way to work in the morning, or on his way home that night. Mr. Ken told him to do that.

Mr. Ken then asked Mr. Chris about the soda vending machines. He wanted to know if they too were in stock and how soon could they be delivered.

The Estate Manager told the two men that they were available, and they could be delivered and installed by one o’clock tomorrow, if there was a dedicated electrical outlet available. Mr. Ken told the men that he’d like to talk to the boys about the vending machines, and then go up to the Pavilion later, and see where would be a good place to locate one, and if an outlet was available.

After dinner that evening, in the Study, Mr. Ken again reviewed with the boys what was going to happen at The Cove over the next few days. The main thing was Saturday’s picnic with the Golderson family’s friends.

The man also reminded Kevin, Kyle and Robert that the Bandera DA would be there at ten in the morning, and they needed to be ready. ‘Dad’ Ken added that with Parker Parchsons’ trial scheduled for the first week of August, he now has Mr. Chris looking at moving their amusement park trip. The man told his ‘boys’ that they had to be back in time to buy their new school clothes, so the boys should stay tuned for further developments.

He also told Mark that he was going to ask Mr. Wayne to take him to visit his parents tomorrow and they might be bringing Billy home with them. He then remembered they needed to take some clothes for the teenager to wear home. All the boys snickered.

‘Dad’ Ken then told the boys that he was hiring another person to work around The Cove. He told them he had Mr. Chris, and Mr. Wayne, working on an ad to place in the newspaper and on the web. He added that he hoped to begin interviews next week and that the person would be onboard within a few weeks.

‘Dad’ Ken further explained the need for the addition of a part-time employee. He also told the boys that when the new office building was finished, he would be moving his Study office there and he would begin to work out of there. That revelation took the boys by surprise.

Mr. Ken also told the boys that he was hiring a person to do the follow through on all of his projects. The man told the boys that after he starts his projects, there are way too many little things that need to be followed up on and, with everything he is involved in, he doesn’t have the time anymore.

Robert asked his dad if that would mean that they wouldn’t see him as much and they wouldn’t have their meetings in the Study anymore. ‘Dad’ Ken assured the boys that he would try to keep any changes to the minimum, and that if the changes affected them, they would sit down and talk about it and see how he could fix the change.

‘Dad’ Ken then told Mark that he was having Mr. Chris buy a portable soccer net and some boundary markers and he would have them tomorrow when he arrives for work. Mark smiled big time upon hearing that, as he looked all around at his ‘brothers’.

“And boys … there is one more surprise I have for you. At lunch today, Mark asked about soda vending machines. It was something I had planned to do up at the Pavilion, but it just never got added. Anyway, I had Mr. Chris research them and there are two types he recommends. Here are the pictures.

“The first one you can see is clear and you can see-through it. It can hold 405 cans, or 306 bottles or a mix of both. The second is one with which you are probably familiar. It can hold 540 cans or 280 bottles, or a mix.

“The clear one has more electronics and mechanical workings and could break down more than the standard operating one. Either one also needs a dedicated electrical outlet. So, before we select which machine we’ll get. Let’s all head up to the Pavilion and see where we can locate this monster,” explained ‘dad’ Ken.

The boys excitedly ran to the golf carts, talking about getting vending machines to take care of icing down the sodas every morning. But as they were all enthusiastic about that, Robert told them that someone would still have to fill the machine every night, so the sodas would be cold the next day. That caused the boys to think about that aspect of the new vending machine.

Up at the Pavilion, everyone looked around for a good place for the machine to be placed. Some suggested they put it out at the counter, so their soda would be right there when they got their cup and ice. Mr. Wayne told the boys it would be out of place there.

One Cover boy suggested they put it at the end of the Pavilion. But again, Mr. Wayne told them it would detract from the view from the Pavilion

Robert and Charles suggested either behind the Pavilion and right next to the lockers, or on the wall facing the Skate Park. The teens said both places would give the machine some overhead protection, but neither had a dedicated outlet.

‘Dad’ Ken and Mr. Wayne looked at both spaces and agreed either one would work. The question was which one was the better location. The men talked about it and then they asked the boys which one they thought would be best.

The boys talked about the pros and cons of both locations. But it was Matthew who mentioned that the sun wasn’t on the wall facing the Skate Park. He suggested that it might be the better location during the summer as the sun wouldn’t make the machine work harder to keep the sodas cold. Mr. Ken decided that was where the machine would go.

Now the question was which vending machine should they get. The boys all voiced their preference and why. But it was Robert who told everyone that for as nice as the clear, see-through one was, it also didn’t keep the heat out as well as the insulated solid door one would.

The teen argued that the clear machine, for as nice as it was to see what you were getting, would have to work harder, during the summer, to keep the sodas cold, and would probably break down sooner than the standard vending machine would. He voted for the standard vending machine.

‘Dad’ Ken listened to everyone’s argument for which machine they wanted, the majority wanting the clear, see-through vending machine. But ‘dad’ Ken decided that his son had the right idea and that when something breaks down, it wasn’t any fun waiting for someone to come out and fix it.

The owner of The Cove then decided that the standard soda vending machine would be the one he’d have Mr. Chris order and have installed, after they got an electrician out to install a dedicated outlet.

Since they were up there, the boys asked if they could turn the lights on and skate some. ‘Dad’ Ken said that was OK with him. Mr. Wayne said he was going to head on home, so he and Mr. Ken took the four-seater golf cart down to the house. Mr. Ken told the boys to be down at the house by nine o’clock.

On the way down to the house, Mr. Wayne told his employer what the Goldersons told him, that Billy told them about him. Mr. Ken was pleasantly surprised at what he was hearing. He told his Estate Master that there was no way to determine that sort of thing, other than with that type of feedback, and he was glad that Wayne was making a difference there at The Cove.

It was quiet for a few moments, when Wayne asked, “Mr. Ken … will the boys … do you really think they will be onboard with all these changes … that you’re going to implement?”

Mr. Ken stood there a few moments thinking, and then he said, “Yes … I think they will be. They’ve seen changes here at The Cove all the time. It happens every time I get a new boy. They may moan at the change, but over a few days they accept it and move on.”

“What about all these new people that you’re introducing to The Cove? How do you think the boys will accept them?” now asked Wayne Mitchell.

“Well, if you and Chris are any indication, then they won’t have a problem with it,” chuckled Mr. Ken. “But really … they’ll stand back and observe the new hires to see what type of person they are and how they act around them. The boys … they are good judges of character and they’ll see right through them if they are phony, and will tell me if they believe there is something wrong.”

“What about you, Wayne? Do you feel your job might be in jeopardy … by me hiring someone to help me and, of course, by default you, out? … I sure hope not! Looking back … you spend almost as much time here as I do, and that is grossly not fair to you, Wayne.

“You are a young, handsome, eligible bachelor and I feel I am keeping you from spreading your wings and enjoying life. Wayne … hiring you was the best thing I ever did. The boys love you and they respect you! I rely on you way too much and I feel like … now don’t get me wrong here, but … I feel like I am being selfish by keeping you from maybe looking to start your own family one day,” finished the man’s employer.

Wayne didn’t know what to say. He was flabbergasted, somewhat embarrassed at the accolades and also confused all at the same time. He thought he knew what his boss meant, but he also knew he needed to sit down and have an open talk with the man.

“Mr. Ken … thank you for what you said. But … can we sit down and talk about what you just said? Maybe … maybe we both have different goals for me and … well, it would be best if we agreed with what I am looking to accomplish. Do you … do you think we can do that one day, and soon?” seriously asked the Estate Master.

Mr. Ken took a few moments to process what he just heard. He came to realize that Wayne might have different goals that he thought he should have, so he decided they did need to talk and get on the same page.

“Wayne, yes, that is a good idea. Let’s set a time and a place where we can talk, without being interrupted. What about early next week? Monday? Tuesday? But you are right. We need to be on the same page,” responded the man’s boss.

Wayne thanked the man for agreeing to do that. He said goodnight to Mr. Ken, headed over to his car and then drove off to his apartment.

The boys had a good time skating under the lights. Mark especially enjoyed doing something he’d never ever had the opportunity to do. Even though he’d only been at The Cove for four days, he was beginning to understand what his ‘big brother’ meant about why he loved living here.

The boys were down at the house at nine. They went to the Study to talk to their ‘dad’ before heading up to their rooms. Mark thanked him for letting all of them skate so late, saying he never did anything like that before. Mr. Ken smiled then sent the boys up to their rooms.

A little while later, the boys’ ‘dad’ headed up to talk to all of the boys before they went to bed. He started at Robert’s room.

“Dad … do you really need to hire those extra people?” immediately asked the teen.

“Yes, son, I do. Mr. Wayne … he spends almost as much time here as I do, and it is not fair to him. So, I am going to hire a part-time Mr. Wayne,” laughed the teen’s dad. “Plus, I have so many projects going on right now that I can’t keep up with them all. So, I need a Projects Manager to do all the follow up for everything I have working.”

“Dad … will you be home when we … when we get home from school?” then asked the man’s son.

“Well, Robert …probably not. I am consolidating all of my business concerns at the new office building. I am also going to create leaders for all of the major groups and I will lead them all from my main office at the new office building.

“You’ve already met Ben Walthers. He will be the President of Three Finger Entertainment, LLC, and will be responsible for all of the amusement parks and minor arcades and amusements, like Four Corners.

“I will eventually hire presidents for Hospitality, Real Estate, Design, Construction, Travel and Dining. They will all report to me, but will be responsible for their own areas with my input to each.

“I am growing my fortune, son, and I can’t do that sitting at home behind my desk in my Study. It was always my plan to expand, and now that things are beginning to fall into place, I need to take advantage of that opportunity.

“You’ll be a freshman in the fall, and Bill will be a sophomore and … and you both are mature enough to handle the changes that are coming. You two can also help your ‘brothers’ understand that change happens and it is good. We all change. It is a part of life; just as The Cove changes as it gains and loses boys,” counseled the teen’s dad.

Just then the two heard a noise at the doorway and when they looked over the other five boys were standing there listening.

“We wondered what was taking you so long, so we came looking for you,” said Kyle.

“I’m glad we did, dad,” started Charles, “it kind of answers a lot of my questions to the questions I didn’t know I had, if you know what I mean.”

“Yes, son, I think I know what you mean. And boys … we all have to deal with change. It happened when Bill left us, when Mark joined us, and there will be changes again when Bill returns and when Mark eventually leaves us, when his parents are well enough to take care of him again.

“I have a need to change and move my activities forward and in doing so it will affect you in some way or another. I don’t know what all you heard, but eventually I won’t be here when you come home from school. But you are all getting older, and I know you can deal with it and make use of that time, so when I am here, we can still have our time together.

“Now … get to your rooms, and I will be right there. Charles will be my next visit,” finished ‘dad’ Ken.

Mr. Ken did stop at Charles’ room first. He qualified with his son what the teen heard him tell his brother. The two hugged and Mr. Ken moved onto the twin’s room.

The twins were concerned that everything will change for them now that their ‘dad’ Ken wouldn’t be there when they get home from school. Mr. Ken assured them that things wouldn’t be all that different.

The man told them that instead of them stopping by the Study to talk to him after they have their after-school snack, they would go straight up to their room and start their homework, and they would all be together for dinner, later. Through some tears and hugs they said they hoped it would be that easy.

Matthew was just as concerned about the coming changes as the twins were. ‘Dad’ Ken assured him, as he had the twins, that it wouldn’t mean that big of a change, and that it would give him more time to get his homework done, and thus more time at night to relax and talk with him and his ‘brothers’. Matthew said he’d have to wait and see. The two hugged and Mr. Ken moved onto Mark’s room.

Mark was unlike the other Cover boys. But he did ask why they were so scared of the changes Mr. Ken was going to make at The Cove. Mark said that when his dad was named a bank branch manager, last year, that things changed at his house, and he just went along with whatever happened.

Mr. Ken tried to explain to Mark that the twins and Matthew were foster boys, and that they didn’t have a forever home like he did. The man explained that they were always worried that one day they would be moved to someplace else, other than The Cove, and that change isn’t something that they are looking forward to.

Mark asked about his ‘brothers’ parents and would they ever go back to living with them. Mr. Ken wanted to tell the new Cover about his ‘brothers’, but knew he couldn’t ignore his own rule about telling anyone about why the boys are living with him.

So, all Mr. Ken could tell his newest foster son was that the chance of that happening was not very good at all. The man then told Mark that it was up to the boys to tell him about the reason why they were living at The Cove.

Mark asked Mr. Ken if Billy was the same as Kevin, Kyle and Matthew. The man said he was, in a sense, but because of his age he would probably stay there until he ages out of the system.

Mark said he didn’t understand, but that maybe the boys will explain it to him before he goes back living with his mom and dad. The boy then broke down and cried.

It took Mr. Ken more than ten minutes to calm Mark down. He learned the boy was not only crying because of his parents being injured and not being with him, but because his new ‘brothers’ didn’t have any parents that wanted them.

All the foster dad could tell the new boy was that his new ‘brothers’ parents were in trouble and until their situation was settled, they and their boy couldn’t ever get back together. Mark finally understood so he went, drained his dragon and went to bed.

The saga of Three Finger Cove continues. Let Chowhound know you are reading his story: Chowhound at CastleRoland dot Net

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