Published: 2 Feb 2023

From The Previous Chapter:

The Cover boys and their friends did get to go to Six Flags Fiesta Texas over the three-day weekend in October. Even Mark and his friends were invited to go along. Mr. Ken only invited Doctor Doug, Doctor Rick and Mr. Dan to go along as chaperones that time, so with him, Mr. Wayne, Mr. Owen and Mr. Nathan the seven of them were enough to satisfy the parents.

Mr. Wayne moved into his new apartment and Mr. Ken, true to his word, had a moving company do all the work carrying the furniture and boxes up the three flights of stairs. Mr. Wayne took two days off to make that happen and lucky for The Cove, Mr. Dennis decided not to quit after what happened to him during the Labor Day Picnic.

Two weeks after Reynolds’ visit, Sylvia Parchsons came to visit with Judy Turner and the twins. One of the parents had to stay with their two children, and since Reynolds had been there already Sylvia needed to talk with CPS about the boys and their coming to live with them.

The one item Sylvia needed to clarify with Ms. Turner was the distribution of the twin’s parent’s estate. She hoped to have the support of CPS to have the courts award it to them. The woman explained they needed the extra money to help raise the boys and send them off to college.

The Director suggested they hire a lawyer, as the Parchsons’ lawyers were contesting the judge’s decision to award Kevin the remaining monies in his parent’s bank accounts, and has yet to decide on what he would do with the money from the Estate Sale and the sale of the parent’s cars and their home. Sylvia talked to Reynolds that night and they decided they’d hire a lawyer and pay him out of any money they received from the courts.

Sylvia also visited with the boys that Friday after school and before she was due to fly home. They sat in the Great Room and discussed what the boy’s new home was like, that they would share a bedroom as they do now, and when they could expect to come to live with them, which was around Thanksgiving week.

The twins told her that they weren’t interested in moving to their home, and that they wanted to remain there with Mr. Ken and their foster brothers. Sylvia only laughed and told them that they should be happy to be living with ‘family’ and their cousins, and then they could also visit with their grandparents and other aunts and uncles and other cousins.

Mr. Dan moved into his new apartment towards the end of October. He had to wait until the end of the month, as he chose an apartment that still needed a few kitchen cabinets, appliances and paint touch-ups.

The lieutenant was happy with his new apartment over his old one and told everyone who asked that the wait was well worth it. He loved the views he now had of the lake from his third-floor apartment, and the storage unit, the covered parking, and the elevator were a plus.

Mr. Ken went all out when he built those apartments. One thing he made sure of was that each one had a stackable washer and dryer. That was the one thing that both Wayne and Dan loved about their new homes. Dan knew he would use his almost every day keeping his uniforms clean and Wayne knew he would no longer have to lug his dirty clothes to the laundromat to get them clean.

The Marina Project was presented to the County Commissioners towards the end of October. Since it was an agenda item it was well published, so there was some opposition from other marina operators on the lake. Those marina operators spoke up vigorously against the new marina at the initial hearing. They argued they had empty slips and adding 400 more would saturate the market and reduce prices.

Bill Jackson countered their arguments that there were no marinas close to where the new marina was going to be located and, unlike the other marinas, it would offer a full-service scuba shop, provide a free public boat launch ramp and parking along with restrooms for the public.

The lawyer added that the marina would sell fishing supplies and licenses, as well as ice and fuel. Bill then topped that when he announced there would be a seafood restaurant also built on the site. That shut the naysayers right up. The partners got their building permit.

Mr. Wayne got the Construction/Design Group to finally stop by The Cove at the end of October to discuss the new storage building and added concrete pad to be built on the other side of the Pavilion. It took them a few weeks to return the blueprint plans to Mr. Wayne who immediately went to the original contractor to get a contract signed to get the project started. Unfortunately, the project would not begin until after the Holidays.

With Victor Turnsten and Reynolds and Sylvia Parchsons coming into Matthew’s and the twin’s lives they weren’t interested in going out Trick-or-Treating for Halloween that year. The boys were all afraid they would be taken away from The Cove and going out ‘begging for candy’, as ‘dad’ Ken called it, wasn’t high on their list of things they wanted to do right then. They, and their ‘brothers’, just enjoyed some of the candy their ‘dad’ passed out up at the Main Gate.

At Victor Turnsten’s next court hearing the judge released him from supervised visits. This time Children’s Protective Services was there asking about Matthew’s living arrangements if and when he is released to live with his father. They told Victor that the boy, because of his age should have his own bedroom.

Victor told the court, and thus CPS, that he needed to go back to where he lived to see if he could get a 2-bedroom apartment and, if not, at least a 1-bedroom and den. He also asked if Matthew would be allowed to take all of the clothes he now has. He reasoned that if he was it would take a big initial cost burden off of him.

Victor also told the court that with Matthew, as a dependent, his take-home pay will increase, due to the reduced tax withholding, which will give him more money for food, clothes for his son and rent. The man said he’d like to visit his son one more time and then go back to his home in Colorado and make the arrangements and then come back and take custody of Matthew. The judge said he saw no reason why they should not be reunited as the mother would be in prison for at least five more years. CPS had no objections.

When Mr. Ken heard from Ms. Judy later that day that Matthew would be leaving when Victor Turnsten returned from Colorado, he was utterly devastated. He actually cried as he sat there at his desk. He was extremely glad he was at his new office, and that no one could see him cry. He asked his friend how much time he had to plan Matthew’s leaving. She told him probably two weeks, or less, but probably less. He thanked her for that.

The Cover boys lost Mark after Labor Day and now they were going to lose another one of their ‘brothers’. They didn’t like it and this time they wanted to be able to hold some sort of going away party for Matthew. ‘Dad’ Ken had no idea when Matthew would be going away, but he figured within the next ten days.

That said, the boys wanted to do something that weekend with all of his and their friends. ‘Dad’ Ken asked them what they wanted to do. They asked him if they could talk it over and tell him later. ‘Dad’ Ken told them they didn’t have much time to plan and put it together. He also told them there would be no gifts.

During the following week, ‘dad’ Ken sat down with Matthew and told him that he added $8100.00 to his Trust Fund. Matthew was surprised and asked why. ‘Dad’ Ken told him that was all the money CPS had given him to pay for his clothes and food, and he wanted his ‘son’ to have it for when he got older and went off to college. Matthew immediately burst out into tears and jumped into Mr. Ken’s arms.

After Mr. Ken got Matthew calmed down, he told the boy he had one more gift for him. The man then pulled out a new cell phone. That surprised the boy. Mr. Ken told Matthew that he would have gotten him one for Christmas, as his current phone would need minutes, texts and data added by then, and all he was doing was making sure he had a good cell phone for at least another year, so he could stay in touch with him and his ‘brothers’. Matthew hugged his ‘dad’ real hard and cried some more. After dinner that night Robert helped his ‘brother’ set up his new cell phone.

Acting Principal Dan Chassen called Ken Thomas one day during the week to tell him that Matthew’s teacher was concerned about his ‘son’. He told him his ‘son’ was distracted and wasn’t participating in class, and just didn’t care.

It was then that Dan learned that Matthew’s dad had appeared and would probably be taking him away by the end of the week. The principal was dismayed over hearing that, as he liked Matthew, and he was well liked by most of the teachers and students.

The Cover boys got Momma to get them a big sheet cake and they held a Going Away Party for Matthew that first Saturday of November. They told everyone not to bring any gifts, but a few brought gag ones, so their friend and everyone else had some laughs.

The following Friday the presiding Juvenile County Court Judge Adam Richards signed the papers releasing Matthew Turnsten to his father effective Saturday morning. That evening Momma Maria made spaghetti and meatballs for dinner and the entire Cover family enjoyed it. Afterwards, they all helped Matthew pack all of his clothes in his suitcases. Then they went downstairs to the Great Room and talked about all the fun they had together.

That night, at bedtime, ‘dad’ Ken spent more time in Matthew’s room than in any of the other boy’s rooms. The two cried together over Matthew’s leaving, and ‘dad’ Ken assured his foster son that he was always a phone call away.

“Dad’ Ken then asked the boy what had he done with the $500.00 he’d given him from the airport settlement. When Matthew showed him, it was in his wallet, the man took all but $50.00 of it and told him he would put it in an envelope and place it in his carry-on bag when he went looking for it. He told him to hide it from his dad when he had the chance.

Saturday morning, at 10 a.m., Victor Turnsten arrived at The Cove to pick up his son. The Covers, with tears in their eyes, hugged their ‘brother’ after they helped him load his suitcases into the car. Matthew then hugged Mr. Wayne, then Ms. Judy and then bent down and scratched Chief behind her ears. The boy then hugged ‘dad’ Ken one last time and then they both burst out into tears.

Victor Turnsten called out for Matthew to get into the car, as they had a long drive ahead of them. Then, before the Covers knew it, their ‘brother’ was driven out the Main Gate for the last time. In the group hug that immediately followed, there wasn’t a dry eye to be found.

The boys went up to the Cove Skate Park to await their friends, while Ms. Judy and Mr. Wayne accompanied Mr. Ken into the Study. There they talked about Matthew and what they hoped would be in store for the boy, who really didn’t know the man who just took him away.

Neither of them had any say in the decision of the courts to give custody to Victor Turnsten. But they all knew that the charge of the juvenile courts and Children’s Protective Services was to reunite the families when they can and, in this instance, they were able to put the father and son back together, now that the mother was in prison.

They also talked about Kevin and Kyle eventually going to live with Reynolds and Sylvia Parchsons, Parker’s brother and sister-in-law and their two children. Ms. Judy explained that the aunt and uncle were waiting for the courts to award them the proceeds from the Estate Sale and the sale of the house, before they took custody of the twins.

The Director explained the Parchsons said they will need the additional funds to cover the added expenses they will incur as they add the two, almost teenaged boys, to their family and then finally send them off to college.

Mr. Ken wondered if they learned of Kevin’s award from the courts of what was left in his parent’s bank accounts. He said it was widely covered in the newspaper down in Bandera as was the courts decree that there was to be an Estate Sale of what the Parchsons’ owned before they sold the house. He further wondered what they would do if they never got any of the money. The big question the adults had was when would the Parchsons ask to take custody of the twins.

The Cover boys were not in any real mood to do anything that Saturday, and all of their friends knew that the loss of Matthew was the reason. They also knew the Cover boys were afraid that Kevin and Kyle were next, and then there would only be Robert, Charles and Billy left, which meant that all of Matthew’s, Kevin’s and Kyle’s friends would no longer be allowed to come to the Cove.

The boy’s friends told one another it was as if they were at a funeral wake that afternoon. Lonnie, Gus, Gabe, Logan, Brad and Cooper got the rest of the boys to get out on the Cove Skate Park and skate and they made sure the barbeque would come off without the Covers help.

Later that day, Mr. Ken called Ms. Kate. He told her about Matthew’s departure from The Cove that morning and how his ‘brothers’ were taking it. He also told her that Kevin and Kyle might also be taken away, and he was just waiting for their aunt and uncle to make up their minds as to when they wanted custody.

Kate could also tell by the tone in Ken’s voice that he too was not taking the loss of one of his ‘boys’ very well, and that he might lose two more of his ‘boys’. They talked about what he had done for the boy before he left and Kate was impressed with how the man not only looked after the boys, but loved them as if they were actually his own.

The Covers got through their day and then went out to dinner. The boys drove the Go-Karts and then they went out for ice cream, but it wasn’t the same. Even Chief didn’t attack the person who had her treat, nor did she try to lap it up in 45 seconds, as she normally did.

In the Study, they all talked about Matthew and how much they already missed him. Kyle wanted to call him, but ‘dad’ Ken told him they better let their ‘brother’ get to where he will be living first, and then give him a day or two to get settled. He then suggested to let Mathew call them, which would mean he was doing well. The boys didn’t like hearing that, but they understood what their ‘dad’ was saying and agreed to wait.

It was a difficult night for everyone. Both Mr. Wayne and Mr. Ken spent more time talking with each of the boys before they went to bed. They all had the same concerns about their ‘brother’ and they were anxious to know where he was and how he was doing. It took ‘dad’ Ken to convince them again to not call Matthew and to give him some time to get to know his dad and to get settled.

What surprised Mr. Ken the most was the way Billy was taking Matthew’s departure. The older teen never had a real functional family, or siblings, and he was experiencing these emotional feelings he never had before. The two talked about it and in the end, Mr. Ken told the teenager that the protector trait of a ‘big brother’ was coming out, and that was what he was now feeling with the loss of his little ‘brother’.

Billy cried hard on Mr. Ken’s shoulder over the loss of Matthew and asked if it gotany easier. Mr. Ken, with tears in his own eyes, told the teen that it didn’t. With the two crying so hard, it caused the other boys to check it out and when they decided it was coming from Billy’s room they came into the room, without knocking. And, learning why Billy and their ‘dad’ were crying, joined in with a group hug, and cried right along with their ‘dad’ and big ‘brother’.

Later Sunday afternoon, Kate called Ken. She told him that she and her mom had talked and that it was only going to be them and the boys for Thanksgiving, so she asked if he would extend his Fiesta Texas invitation to them to come there for Thanksgiving. Hearing that turned Ken Thomas’ gloom totally around. From then on, they talked about the how, when and what of Thanksgiving week. When Mr. Ken hung up, he had a smile on his face that wouldn’t quit.

Robert was happy for his dad that Kate would be joining them for Thanksgiving. She, her mom and the boys would be arriving that Sunday before Thanksgiving and leaving the Saturday after, which meant that was only a week away. The teen got the rest of the Cover boys to understand they needed to help keep Rusty and Jessy entertained, while their ‘dad’ and Kate could have some time alone.

During that third week of November, the judge presiding down in Bandera County over the distribution of the Parchsons’ assets held a hearing. After the Estate Sale, including the sale of the parent’s vehicles, the house sold, and the taxes and sundry bills were then paid off, the judge had to decide what to do with the remaining funds. But there was a new wrinkle before him. Reynolds and Sylvia Parchsons were petitioning the court to award the outstanding funds to them in order for them to be used to help raise Parker and Vivian Parchsons’ soon to be teenaged twin sons.

The Parchsons lawyer argued that with them accepting guardianship of the identical twelve-year-old Parchsons’ twin boys, they would incur added expenses, as they continue to raise them for their parents. The lawyer further argued that the money should be used to help feed, clothe and then send the boys through college.

Parker and Vivian’s Parchsons’ lawyers stood up and argued they were still owed their fees for defending the father and mother. Bill Jackson and Stewart Russell argued that all the money should be divide equally between the twin boys as compensation for what their parents have put them through for the last three years and placed in their Trust Funds. That suggestion immediately caused the other lawyers to vigorously argue against such division.

The judge then sarcastically asked Bill and Stewart if their fees would be taken out of the money before it was put into the boy’s Trust Funds. Bill Jackson quickly told the judge that the boy’s present guardian was paying for them to be there to argue for the remaining funds be fully distributed to the boys, and that the entire amount would go into the boys Trust Funds for their college and future endeavors.

After hearing more arguments from all the lawyers and the judge taking some time in his chambers to think the issue through, he came back with his decision.

“After the real estate fees, state and federal taxes and sundry bills were paid from the Estate Sale and the sale of the Parchsons home, belongings and vehicles, I have total of $289,357.72 to distribute. Therefore, I am giving each boy $50,000.00 for their Trust Funds to be used for their college education. I trust the money I assigned from Kevin’s parents bank accounts made it to his Trust Fund, counselor,” the judge asked Bill Jackson directly.

“Yes, your honor. The check arrived two weeks after your decision and Kevin and his guardian both took it to the bank and added it to the boy’s Trust Fund,” replied Bill Jackson.

“I am then awarding Reynolds and Sylvia Parchsons $120,000.00 for the care of the twins. I have taken care of the boy’s college fund by placing money into their Trust Funds. The remaining funds I am awarding to the Parchsons lawyers,” finished the judge.

The judge then told the would-be caretakers’ lawyer that he would withhold his client’s funds until they had taken custody of the twins. He added that since the Parchsons were taking the boys out of the State of Texas, they would have to submit affidavits of guardianship through their state before he would release the money.

Parker and Vivian’s lawyers were finally being paid. The lawyers again complained to the judge that they rightfully earned what Parker Parchsons had in his bank account and that he should rescind his initial order awarding the Parchsons’ bank account money to the son.

The judge told them they were lucky they were paid what they were before he froze the accounts and what he just released to them. He warned them not to refile or he would have what they were paid reclaimed and given to the boy who was proven to have earned the money his father had stolen from him and used on himself and his wife.

The question Ken Thomas had yet to have answered was when would Reynolds and Sylvia Parchsons ask that Kevin and Kyle be released to them. The following week was Thanksgiving and he had already made plans, but they could be changed as they were only driving down to Collin’s for the turkey dinner.

Mr. Ken called Ms. Judy and asked her to call the Parchsons to get a date that they had intended to take custody of the twins, so he and they could make plans. He told her he had planned to take all the boys out and get measured for new suits, but he needed to know if he should now get them for the twins.

The Director of Children’s Protective Services told her friend, and the twin’s foster dad, she would make contact with Reynolds and Sylvia, but if anything, she gathered from their initial conversations, she would bet they would want to take custody next Monday of Thanksgiving week.

Hearing that gave Mr. Ken less than a week to get the boys ready to move. It also only gave himself and the other boys the same time to get used to the fact that the twins were leaving them for good, and if they were going to have a going away party for them, they had to have it that Saturday, as Ms. Kate and her family would be arriving on Sunday.

‘Dad’ Ken sat down with the twins that night after dinner and told them that they would probably be leaving by Monday. The boys broke down and cried. They knew when their Uncle Reynolds and Aunt Sylvia had come to talk to them, and told them about raising them for their parents, they would be leaving just like Matthew did. Robert knocked on the Study door when he heard his ‘brothers’ crying and when his dad opened it, he, Charles and Billy joined their ‘brothers’ in a group cry.

After the boys settled down, ‘Dad’ Ken, told the boys that he would also put an additional $10,125.00 into each of their Trust Funds. He explained that was the amount of money that CPS paid him to feed and clothe them since they began living with him fifteen months ago, and he wanted them to have it. He told them that he gave Matthew the money that CPS had given him for the same reason. The boys thanked him for the added money and hugged him with tears in their eyes.

‘Dad’ Ken also had a new cell phone for each of them. He told them they would have gotten one for Christmas, and he wanted to make sure they could stay in contact with their ‘brothers’. He told them he did that same thing with Matthew. He told them the phone would be good through Christmas of next year and that Robert could help them set it up. The boys thanked him for the gift and hugged him some more.

That week, Mr. Ken only took Robert, Charles and Billy out to get new suits for the Holidays as they’d all grown since last Christmas, and since Billy never had a suit, this was a new experience for him.

Matthew had already left The Cove and with Kevin and Kyle probably leaving within a week there was no need to buy them new suits, as they probably would not be there to get them, let alone wear them. The suits would be ready for the teenagers when they returned from their Thanksgiving trip.

It was also learned that the four men who tried to rob the armored truck last Christmas were all convicted and would be sentenced the week after Thanksgiving. It was reported they each could get 25 to 40 years in prison.

The new Wild Mouse roller coasters Mr. Ken bought for three of his amusement parks had also begun construction during the fall. And this time, the parks started construction early and welcomed their guests to look though the portals in the construction walls to watch the progress.

On a positive note, the two incumbent commissioners, where Crystal Lake Amusement Park was located, lost their reelection to the two new challengers. That meant that the new five-lane divided highway, that would pass by the amusement park, would indeed be built.

Upon learning the incumbent commissioners were defeated, Mr. Ken directed his Real Estate Group to release the contingencies on the properties around the lake and the sales and purchases on those properties had begun.

Kate Partlunds, the woman Mr. Ken met at Crystal Lake Amusement Park and assigned to administer the contracts he had just outside the park and along the lake, became a very busy real estate agent for the time being.

Ms. Judy learned that Reynolds and Sylvia Parchsons would be flying in that Sunday before Thanksgiving and would stop by CPS first thing Monday morning to sign the transfer papers and take guardianship of the twins.

The Director of CPS told Mr. Ken they then wanted to stop by The Cove and pick up the boys right after that, load their bags and then head to the airport and fly home. Ms. Judy said they asked that anything the boys can’t take with them be shipped to them after Thanksgiving. Judy told Ken he’ll have to decide if he wants the boys to have their computers, or not.

What Ms. Judy did not tell her friend Ken Thomas was that she now had a boy she would have liked to have placed with him. But with all the turmoil going on at The Cove with the transfer of Matthew out to Colorado to live with his dad, and the imminent loss of the twins, Ms. Judy didn’t want to burden her friend with the added disruption that a new foster boy adds to the household during the initial first weeks.

Judy Turner knew she would have to bide her time and hope that there would eventually be a good time she could move him to The Cove. Or, if not, another boy would ultimately come into the system and would need what The Cove could do for them, and she would ask Mr. Ken then if he had room for him then.

That Saturday, after Matthew’s departure, since none of the Covers had heard from the boy, Mr. Ken decided he’d call the boy to see how he was doing. Matthew answered on the third ring, only because the phone was in his pants pocket. He smiled big when he saw on the screen who it was.

The two Covers had a good conversation. Matthew told his former foster dad that he and his dad were getting to know one another, and he was telling him about his life with his mom and Lincoln and how he came to be living at The Cove and the things he got to do while living there.

Matthew told Mr. Ken about his new home and that he had his own bedroom that was about half the size of what he had there at The Cove. The boy told the man about his new school and friends and explained to him that he was outside riding his skateboard with them right now. Mr. Ken then told the former Cover how hard Kyle and Bill took his leaving, which meant he had made a big impact on at least two of his ‘brothers’.

Mr. Ken then told Matthew that Ms. Kate, her mom and the boys were joining them for Thanksgiving and they would all be going down to Collin’s with them. That totally surprised Matthew, but he was happy for Mr. Ken.

But before they hung up, Mr. Ken then told the boy that Kevin and Kyle’s uncle and aunt would be taking guardianship of them on Monday and they too would be moving away. Hearing that shocked Matthew, as he figured they would always be there until they graduated from high school.

Mr. Ken explained to the former Cover everything that led up to their departure and then told him that his ‘brothers’ and their friends were having a Going Away Party for the twins up at the Pavilion right then. The man told Matthew that they would love to hear from him, and he asked the boy to call his ‘brothers’.

Matthew called Kyle’s cell phone and when the boy answered the two talked about the turn of events that had the younger twin and his brother being whisked away to their aunt and uncle’s home. Kyle called Kevin over and they went behind the Pavilion so the three of them could talk, without all the noise, about Matthew’s move, and what the twins would be doing come Monday. They agreed to stay in touch after the twins moved.

Kyle then took his phone out to the party and told everyone that Matthew had called and they came over to him and he put the call on speaker. Everyone yelled out their “Hello’s”, to the former Cover.

Matthew then told them about his new home and friends and essentially what he told Mr. Ken. The Cover boys were all happy that their ‘brother’ had called, and all the boys at the Pavilion now knew Matthew was doing well and was fairly happy with his new surroundings and living with his dad.

At dinner that night, the Covers talked about Matthew’s call and they were all upbeat about it and with Kate and her family’s arrival tomorrow everyone was looking forward to their visit and their trip down to Collin’s for the big feast.

But there was also a somber mood amongst the Covers, as the following day would also find Kevin and Kyle packing their clothes for their trip on Monday to their aunt and uncle’s home. It was like a WIN – LOSE situation for the Covers.

Sunday morning, Mr. Ken rode in the limo over to the Austin-Bergtraum Airport to meet Kate, her mom, Edith, and the boys. He wanted as much time as he could get with her over the next week. He also wanted to use the drive time back to The Cove to cover the schedule of events for the next seven days.

While ‘dad’ Ken was on his way to pick up Kate and her family and bring them back to The Cove, Mr. Wayne was at The Cove helping the twins pack for their trip to their new home. The Estate Master had them try on any clothes they hadn’t worn for a while to make sure they still fit. If they didn’t, he had them set them aside, so they could be donated to a worthy cause. Mr. Wayne also washed anything the boys needed cleaned, so they would have everything clean for tomorrow.

Rusty and Jessy couldn’t believe the number of boys who were at The Cove when they arrived late Sunday afternoon. Their mom had to explain that they were their ‘big brother’s’ friends. Mr. Ken had Bill and Robert take the boys down to the garage and get them Cove Skate Park helmets and gear. Kate told him they wouldn’t need them, as they didn’t bring their skateboards and didn’t ride them very well, anyway. Mr. Ken said he would remedy that tomorrow.

The whole group went out to dinner at Four Corners that evening. Mr. Ed knew there would be a large group and he was prepared. He had the adults at one table and the boys at another. Rusty and Jessy sat between Billy and Robert who helped them with their meal. Afterwards, they went over to Mr. Ken’s Kreamy Kone, before heading home to talk to the twins.

The Covers and their guests sat in the Great Room and talked to Kevin and Kyle knowing that tomorrow their aunt and uncle would be there to pick them up and take them to their home to live. The boys sat on either side of ‘dad’ Ken on one of the sofas and hugged him as everyone talked about the fun things, they’d done together over the past fifteen months.

The boys talked about their first Labor Day Picnic, their trips to SeaWorld Spooktacular and Six Flags Holiday in the Park, the Christmas and the New Year’s Eve Party, their Christmas gifts, the building of the Cove Skate Park and Pavilion, the Memorial Day Picnic and 4^th of July Carnival, along with the sleepovers, the barbeques, the cruise, and everything else in between.

‘Dad’ Ken promised the boys he’d create, for each of them, a memory stick of all the pictures of the things they did together as a ‘family’ and send it to them. He said he wanted them to have those memories, so they could look back on them when they got older and had families of their own. He also told them he’d digitize all of those pictures he had them take from their parent’s house so they would have them as well, as they would want them when they got older, too.

The travelers were extremely tired after their long day, but instead of putting his guests upstairs in the main house guest suites and the boys in the vacant bedrooms, Mr. Ken put Ms. Kate, her mom, Edith, and the boys out in the Guest House, where there were two bedrooms and the loft bed area, as well as a full kitchen and an open family/living room.

Billy and Robert carried Rusty and Jessy into the Guest House, got the boys to use the bathroom and then carried them up to the loft for the women. Mr. Ken had told them that Momma Maria would be there in the morning to fix everyone breakfast and it was something they wanted to experience and he asked them to be there by 9 a.m.

That night Mr. Ken spent most of his time talking with Kevin and Kyle. The three of them hugged and cried together as that would be their last night together and they knew they would miss one another. They talked some more about the things they did as a ‘family’ and how much the boys had wished ‘dad’ Ken could have adopted them as he did Robert and Charles. It was a very rough night for the three of them. None of them slept well at all that night.

The saga of Three Finger Cove continues. Let Chowhound know you are reading his story: Chowhnd at Gmail dot Com

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