Published: 23 Feb 2023

From The Previous Chapter:

“Boys, Ms. Judy asked us to try to decide tonight and let her know tonight or tomorrow if we accept Phillip. So, what do you say, boys? Are we ready for another foster boy?” directly asked ‘dad’ Ken.

The four boys said they were if he was. Mr. Wayne just sat back and smiled at the process and knew tomorrow afternoon there would be another Cover in the mix.

Mr. Ken called Ms. Judy about their decision to host another foster boy. She thanked him for the quick decision to take Phillip, and knowing early she could start the process as soon as she got to work in the morning. She told Mr. Ken to expect them at about four o’clock, so he could plan his day at the office and be home in time.

Thursday morning from the breakfast table, Momma Maria heard Charles and Matthew talking about a boy named Phillip, but she had no idea who that boy was. The woman then heard Bill and Robert talking about having a new ‘brother’ by the time they get home from school, and that they were looking forward to meeting him.

Momma needed to know what was going on, so she spoke up and asked her employer.

“Miesters Kens … ares wees gettings aahhs newss niños?” asked Momma straight out.

Mr. Ken looked up from his newspaper and apologized to her for not saying anything to her, so he put his newspaper down and told her what he knew about Phillip. He told Momma Maria about the phone call he got from Ms. Judy and his talk with the boys last night and they all agreed to take on another foster boy, and that he should be there at about four o’clock.

Momma Maria thanked him for telling her, so that she could now plan tonight’s dinner. As the woman walked away, she mumbled to herself about which noodle she wanted to cook. Hearing what he did, Mr. Ken knew they would be having a salad, garlic bread and spaghetti and meatballs tonight, which was what she always served when there was a new boy involved.

When Mr. Wayne came to work that day, he told Mr. Ken he would inspect the new storage building, and if it met the contract specifications, he would sign off on the project and accept the facility.

Mr. Ken told Wayne he’d walked around the building a few times during construction and it looked good to him, but he didn’t take a fine-tooth comb to it which he hoped his project manager would. The owner of The Cove told his Estate Master to make a punch list and get a completion date from the contractor before telling Chris to make the final payment. Wayne Mitchell knew what his boss meant.

The new 20’ x 18’ Cove storage building across and back from the Pavilion and the accompanying concrete pad was finished around the beginning of April. And since the Pavilion was only a year old the contractor was able to blend the new concrete pad stain color to match the Pavilion pad very well.

The storage building was made out of the same building materials used for the Pavilion so they also blended well together. There was a single-wide roll-up garage door and a walk-in door entrance into the building. There were electrical outlets and lighting installed as well as a work bench to facilitate repairs on broken patio furniture and umbrellas, when necessary.

Mr. Wayne didn’t expect there to be any problems with the structure. He’d watched it go up daily, and being a simple four walls, a few windows, a rollup garage door and an entrance door there really wasn’t much to it.

The Estate Master had already done the electrical check and unless there were cracks in the walls or windows, since yesterday, everything should go well with the inspection today. And besides, he knew there was a one-year warranty on the materials with the building, so if there were a problem the contractor would come back and make any needed repairs.

Mr. Ken always left for his office right after the high school boys walked up the rise to the Main Gate to catch the school bus. The man told Wayne he’d be back in time to greet Ms. Judy and the new boy and that he should plan to be there.

Just then Mr. Chris came into the Kitchen Nook and heard the last part of the conversation. He asked what that was all about and Wayne told the Estate Manager that they were getting a new foster boy at four that afternoon. Chris whistled and said he wondered when The Cove would get another boy. He mentioned it had been four months since the twins left and he figured Ms. Judy would soon get around to asking Mr. Ken to take on another foster boy.

At the office, Ms. Jackie, Mr. Ken’s Project Manager, reviewed the progress on the marina project with her boss. She told him the marina project had moved along nicely. She explained the main bulkhead was finished, the fueling station and public launching ramp were almost completed and the main marina building and restaurant foundations would soon be dug and formed.

The woman added that the new grocery store in the Four Corners Shopping Plaza was also on schedule and the nearby residents were anxiously awaiting its opening, so they didn’t have so far to drive to buy their groceries. She continued and told him the self-service car wash was well into construction and was on schedule to be finished around the first of July.

She added that the special project she was working on for him would soon be ready. That special project stemmed from when Mr. Chris inspected the three high schools that cried foul over not being invited to participate in the First Three Finger Cove Christmas Display Competition when Mr. Chris said to Mr. Ken “…oh what a few dollars could do for them”, in regards to Blessed Waters Academy High School.

Mr. Ken then asked Chris about what he meant and Mr. Chris made mention to what Mr. Ken did for charitable contributions and that got the owner of The Cove to thinking.

Mr. Ken took to heart what Mr. Chris said about Blessed Waters Academy’s vocational training facilities. So, he used that as a way to focus on vocational training and decided he would make a donation to the Academy in the form of a new building, and that was what Ms. Jackie had been working on.

The Catholic high school’s principal and each trade’s instructor were consulted during the process to determine what was needed for each construction trade taught at the high school. In the end, Mr. Ken decided to build a 21,000 square foot building that would also house central restroom facilities and offices for the instructors as well as lockers for the students to place their books and jackets, etc. in when they went out to the facility.

But word got out as to what he was doing and that attracted local companies who didn’t want to be left out and they made promises to donate certain items to outfit the new building. One local lumber company promised to donate 2x4s, 2x6s, plywood, stringers, and other types of wood products for the students to use in their construction projects.

A plumbing company promised to donate all sorts of PVC pipe and connectors as well as a number of the cutting tools and other plumbing supplies. And an electrical company promised to donate volt meters, wire nuts, breakers, wire stripping tools and loads of rolls of different sizes of wire for the students to use.

One manufacturer of woodworking tools and machines would donate table saws, miter saws, band saws, lathes, sanders, jointers, planers, dust collectors, drill presses, mortisers, shapers, planers and more. Other companies joined in and supplied safety helmets, goggles, gloves along with work benches and chairs and loads of other needed items when the building was ready to receive them.

Mr. Ken was overwhelmed with how his simple charitable gesture had morphed into a major resource for Blessed Waters Academy Catholic High School. And all because his employee said something about, ‘what a few dollars could do for the high school’.

With his consolidation of all of his business concerns at his new office building, Mr. Ken found himself very busy. But he was the busiest with the attention he placed on his amusement parks. He wanted to make them all destination places and to do that he needed to not only develop the parks, but he also needed hotels and motels where people could stay and where he could create vacation packages with them for his guests.

Ken Thomas and Ben Walthers were working on those long-range plans as well as Ben’s plans to create his Three Finger Entertainment (TFE) Operations Team. The new President of TFE needed to hire key people who would ultimately be responsible for marketing, sales, budgeting and revenue, employment, park promotions, public, community and public relations, park safety, entertainment (games and prizes and the rides including replacement parts), as well as purchasing food and beverages and merchandise for all of the parks. This was a daunting task for the two men to tackle during the first year of its formation.

Ken Thomas left the office early that Thursday afternoon to make sure he was home to meet his new foster son. When he arrived home and was settled in his Study, Mr. Wayne and Mr. Dennis met with him. His Estate Master then told him the new storage building passed his inspection and they were now ready to buy the patio furniture for the Cove Skate Park and Pavilion areas as they had discussed last year around Labor Day.

Mr. Ken told Wayne and Dennis that they should take some time and go out and look at what the stores offered and to see if what they had matched what they had already bought. The three men discussed the quantity of individual chairs, corner tables and cantilever umbrellas they should purchase and if another conversation area should also be bought for the new concrete pad on the other side of the Pavilion.

As the three men were talking, Mr. Wayne’s cell phone rang. It was the Main Gate guard telling him Ms. Judy had arrived and was coming down the rise to the front door. Wayne informed his employer, so Mr. Ken went to the Foyer Door to meet the Director of CPS and his new foster son. He asked the two men to wait out in the MRS Room until he had a chance to talk to the boy.

“Welcome to The Cove, Phillip,” said Mr. Ken to the boy, after Ms. Judy introduced him to his new foster son.

The boy didn’t know what to say, but Chief came up to him and nudged his hand to get him to pet her. As she did, Mr. Ken introduced Phillip to Chief and told him she would be his responsibility, while he was a resident there at The Cove. The man then suggested they go inside to his Study and get to know one another better.

“Phillip … as Ms. Turner said, I am Ken Thomas and you can call me Mr. Ken at first. That is until you decide on a better name you want to call me. Just ask me first to see if it will be OK with me. Alright?

“This estate was first known as Three Finger Cove, but we’ve shortened it to The Cove. I know you will be happy here, as we have lots of things to keep you occupied. You probably saw as you came into the estate the Cove Skate Park on your left. There is also a soccer pitch out in that big field.

“What you can’t see is we also have an indoor pool, and out back there is a cove, or an inlet, with water toys, sailboats, personal watercraft and a cabin cruiser. So, you can see there is a lot to do here. And, on top of all that, you will be allowed to have your school friends join you here. But more about that after we get you settled.

“Phillip … you will be one of five boys here in the house. I have adopted two boys and I also foster two other boys. The two boys I adopted; I once fostered. I also want to give you two weeks to decide if you want to remain here at The Cove. It is something that I’ve given all the boys whom I’ve fostered. Do you have any questions, so far?” asked Mr. Ken.

Phillip looked around some and then asked, “Did any of the boys … did any of them ever want to … ever want to leave?”

Mr. Ken smiled and answered, “Actually, no, Phillip. None of the boys who ever came to The Cove ever asked to leave.”

“Did any of the boys …did they ever leave?” quickly asked Phillip.

“Yes, Phillip … a few of them did … leave,” replied the owner of The Cove.

“Why?” quickly asked the boy.

Ms. Judy saw the hurt immediately rise in her friend’s eyes, but she knew he would get through the answer and hopefully without shedding a tear.

“Well … my first foster son … the courts took him away from me. It’s a long story, but suffice to say that his grandmother … she petitioned the courts and because of an unscrupulous lawyer … well, she won and Collin was made to go live with her. He’s in college now and he still comes to visit, by the way. You might meet him while you’re here.

“Mark … well, he was living with me while his mom and dad were recovering from some, ahh … ahhh some injuries they received. He stayed with me, well, us, the boys and I, for about eight weeks before his parents were well enough to go home and take care of themselves and their son.

“Then there were the twins, Kevin and Kyle. Their parents … they had gotten themselves, well … no need to go into that. But they were all in a terrible accident and after about fifteen months their uncle and aunt decided they would raise the boys for their parents. So, last Thanksgiving they went to live with them.

“There was one other boy, Matthew. His dad petitioned the courts for custody and subsequently took him out to Colorado to live. But once out there, they didn’t get along very well and … well, I eventually went out there and brought him back. You’ll get to meet him later.

“So, there you have it. A few boys have left, but not because they wanted to,” now laughed Mr. Ken.

“Do you have any other questions, Phillip?” asked Mr. Ken.

“Well … you always call me … you call me Phillip, when everyone else calls me Phil. Can I ask you why? When my mom yells Phillip, it means I’m in trouble for some reason. So, will it … will it mean that here, too?” asked the new foster boy.

“Oh, no Phillip. I always call my foster sons by their true first name. When you meet your ‘brothers’,” began Mr. Ken, but was stopped when the boy broke in.

“My brothers? I don’t have any brothers!” matter-of-factly stated Phillip.

“Oh, yes, well, the boys here … they call one another their ‘brother’. They find it easier than telling everyone that they are foster boys. After they talk to you, you’ll understand.

“Now, as I was saying …I always call my foster sons by their first name. That’s because by them coming here they have the chance to start a new life. And, I want them to decide what they want their classmates and friends to call them.

“This way if you had a name, you didn’t like, you could rid yourself of it by not revealing it to anyone and whatever name you introduce yourself with, they will begin calling you that,” explained Mr. Ken.

“I don’t know what you mean,” said the boy.

“Well, Robert … he used to be called Bobby, and Charles used to be called Charlie. William used to be called Billy. But when I began calling him William, he didn’t like that name, so we agreed I’d call him Bill, but he still likes being called Billy, which is what he asked his friends to call him.

“You see, Phillip, I also want the boys to choose a name that will follow them into their adult life. Personally, I think Bobby, Charlie, Billy and names like that are not conducive to having good business contacts when you are out in the big world making a living. Does that make any sense to you?” finished the foster dad.

“Well … I like being called Phil. Can I … can I tell my friends to call me that?” asked Phillip.

“Yes, I think that will be OK.

“Now, there is one other important item I want to talk to you about. And that is … each boy or girl is usually in the foster care system because of something … because of something that their parents have done. Like in this case … what your mom has done. And, it is because of that I … that I ask you not to ask your ‘brothers’ why they are living here. They in turn won’t ask you why you are now living here.

“Over time, as you get to know them, and they get to know you, you might share the reasons why you are living here, but even then, you never talk about it to anyone else. You see … it might be embarrassing to your ‘brothers’, or even you, if the reason as to why they, or you, are living here gets out. So, please … keep that information to yourself. Can you do that for me? And for your ‘brothers’?” directly asked Mr. Ken.

Phillip said he understood and that he would try to do that.

“Well, I hope you will, as if you ever get to know the reason your ‘brothers’ are living here you will truly understand. Now … I was speaking of friends, and I have two people I want you to meet. Let me go and get them,” spoke up the foster dad, as he got up and went out to get Mr. Wayne and Mr. Dennis

“Phillip … I want you to meet two men that you will see a lot of here at The Cove. This is Mr. Wayne. He is the Estate Master and he is responsible for you boys. He is also a licensed foster parent and fills in for me when I am away.

“And this is Mr. Dennis. He helps take you boys to your doctor appointments and helps do other odd jobs around The Cove. Mr. Dennis works only part-time for about four or five hours a day, or as I need him. You’ll figure it out, or your ‘brothers’ will explain it to you.

“Men … this is our newest Cover … Phillip Alan Girroads. He’s ten, but will soon be eleven. He’s in the fifth grade and I’ll take him to school tomorrow and get him enrolled,” was how the owner of The Cove introduced the boy to his employees, and the three shook hands.

As Mr. Ken was introducing the men and boy to one another, Mr. Chris came to the Study.

“Ahh, Mr. Chris, I’m glad you stopped by. I want you to meet Phillip Girroads, our newest Cover. Phillip, this is Mr. Chris. He is the Estate Manager and he takes care of scheduling all of the functions around The Cove, our trips and he also pays the bills for me. You’ll see him around here a lot, too.

“And speaking of introducing you to people, what say I take you out to meet Momma Maria and two of your ‘brothers’. Do you have any questions before we go out to the Kitchen Nook?” asked Mr. Ken.

“What will I do for clothes? We came here straight from my school. And what about school? I guess … I guess … I guess I won’t be going back there, will I?” now said a teary-eyed Phillip.

Mr. Ken went to the boy and pulled him into a hug and told the boy to let it all out. And the boy did. He cried and cried hard.

Mr. Ken asked Dennis and Chris to let them have the Study, while they, he, Ms. Judy and Mr. Wayne, talked to the boy. He told Dennis he’d see him tomorrow, and man begrudgingly left.

The assistant Estate Master still didn’t know the full reason why the boys were in the foster care system. He caught some tidbits as the boys and their friends talked at the Pavilion, and then he researched their last names over the internet and learned more about the parents, that way. But he really would like to know the true reason for the boys being at The Cove. He was sorely disappointed he would still be kept in the dark.

When the boy had calmed down, Mr. Ken sat opposite him in the leather chairs and asked, “Phillip … do you know why … why you were taken away from your mom?”

The boy sat there and nodded his head.

“Will you tell me … in your own words … what you understand about it? That way … we are all thinking and talking about the same thing,” suggested the boys foster dad.

“Well … my mom … she is always, well most of the time, she is gone, especially at night, and I … and I never know if she will be there in the morning when, you know, when I get up to get to school in the morning.

“And … and when she isn’t there, I have to make my own breakfast and sometimes … and sometimes there isn’t any milk, so I have to eat the cereal out of the box, or make toast and jelly. But when there’s no milk it is hard to swallow it down.

“They’ve talked to me, the ladies from social services, about my mom and … and I know they’ve talked to her a few times and … and they told her that if she doesn’t start taking better care of me that … that she could lose me.

“So, I guess … I guess that when she gets home this time I … I won’t be there and she won’t … she won’t know where I am, will she?” finished Phillip, with a few tears still falling down his cheeks.

Ms. Turner gave the boy a tissue and then spoke up this time. She told the boy that she left a notice on his mom’s front door explaining that since she didn’t comply with the court’s directives, that her son had been placed into the Children’s Protective Services. Ms. Turner told the boy that his mother had to meet the requirements set down by the courts in order for her to gain back custody of him.

Ms. Judy went on to tell Phillip that since she didn’t have permission to enter his home, she couldn’t get any of his clothes and she didn’t want to take a chance of encountering his mom there with him after school and then have to involve the Sheriff’s department and get his mom in further trouble.

Mr. Ken added that, after dinner, he would take him out and buy him all the clothes he would need, for the time he would be staying there at The Cove. The boy thanked him for that. Mr. Ken then suggested they continue out to the Kitchen Nook to meet Momma Maria, and two of his ‘brothers’

“Momma Maria … I want you to meet our newest Cover, Phillip,” announced Mr. Ken, as he, the boy, Mr. Wayne and Ms. Judy walked into the Kitchen Nook.

“Iss welcomes youse toss these Coves, Phillips,” said Momma, who went over to the boy and hugged him.

“Phillip, I want you to meet my son, Charles, and Matthew, my foster son,” was how he introduced the two Cover boys to the newest Cover.

“Phillip, when you come home from school, Momma … she always has an after-school snack ready for you and either regular, chocolate or vanilla milk for you to wash it all down with. Why don’t you sit down and have some of today’s snack and some milk and talk with your new ‘brothers’, while Ms. Judy, Mr. Wayne and I talk for a bit. OK?” announced Mr. Ken.

Charles went over and shook Phillip’s hand and welcomed him to The Cove. Matthew did the same. They told him to have a seat and then they asked him which type of milk he wanted. He told them he never heard of vanilla milk, so Charles asked Momma if she could bring their new ‘brother’ some frothy vanilla milk.

When Phillip tasted the sweet vanilla flavored milk, he got a big smile on his face. He thanked Momma for the milk and then he tasted the day’s after-school snack and then smiled some more.

The boys talked in generalities until Phillip told them he wasn’t supposed to ask them why they were living there. Charles and Matthew smiled and they told him that was Rule Number One, but after they get to know one another, they do talk about the why some.

Phillip then said that Mr. Ken told him that Matthew’s dad had gotten custody of him, but that they didn’t get along, so he went and brought him back. Charles and Matthew both chuckled at the telling. Phillip saw that and figured there was more to the story, so he figured that Charles knew because they were ‘brothers’.

Mr. Ken talked with Ms. Judy about how long he should expect to have Phillip remain with him. The Director told him that it appeared the boy’s mom was partying through her ‘second high school years’, and it could be a long time, or until she wised-up and got her act together.

The foster dad then asked Ms. Judy if the boy’s mother would have visitation rights, and if so, when should he expect her to come to The Cove. Ms. Judy told Mr. Ken that the woman would not have visitation rights at first. That is until she fulfills the requirements set down by the courts and she completes the parenting training and gets a full-time job and keeps it. Judy told Ken that if she does all that and gets her son back, but quits her job, she will lose Phillip and for a longer period. Mr. Ken raised his eyebrows at hearing that.

While the three boys were having their snack and talking, Billy and Robert came home from school. That’s when Phillip met his other two big ‘brothers’. The five boys talked some, but Charles and Matthew said they needed to start their homework, and they told Phillip they’d help him with his bags and let him pick which bedroom he wanted.

That was when the boys learned Phillip had no clothes. Phillip explained that the lady picked him up right after school got out and brought him right over there. All five boys quickly walked over to the Study and the four older boys wanted to ask their ‘dad’ about what he was going to do about clothes for Phillip.

Ms. Judy smiled and told Ken she would talk to him later and left the Study to the man, Mr. Wayne, and his ‘boys’.

“Well, I guess you didn’t ask Phillip what I told him we would do, after dinner, did you?” smiled ‘dad’ Ken.

“What are you going to do after dinner dad?’ asked Charles.

“After dinner, Phillip and I … we are going over to The Mall and I am going to buy him … all the clothes he will need while he is living here. At least, I hope he’ll have enough and if he doesn’t … then I’ll buy him some more. And, if any of you want to go along … you all better have your homework done,” laughed ‘dad’ Ken.

Charles and Matthew quickly ran out of the Study and up the stairs to start on their homework. Billy and Robert went back to the Kitchen Nook to finish their snack, so they didn’t get on Momma’s bad side. Mr. Ken then took Phillip up to the bedrooms, so the boy could pick which room he wanted to be his.

“Phillip … there are only two vacant bedrooms remaining, and you get to pick between them. Unfortunately, both rooms face the front of the house, so you get to decide if you want to be at the top of the front stairs, or the middle of the hallway. Let’s take a look,” advised Mr. Ken.

The boy looked at both rooms and he couldn’t believe how big they were. He asked if he had to share the room with someone, and his foster dad told him only if he got another ten- or eleven-year-old foster son, and the other room was filled. The boy smiled at hearing that. Then he picked the room next to the stairs.

Mr. Ken then showed Phillip the two bathrooms. He explained to his newest Cover that he could use either one, but if he used the bigger one, he would be showering with all the boys. It was then Matthew came out of his room, because he heard them talking. He told his ‘dad’ he’d explain it to his new ‘brother’.

‘Dad’ Ken thanked Matthew for doing that. He then told Phillip that when the soon to be ten-year-old Mark came to The Cove, Matthew helped him with learning his way around the shower rooms, and that it made the transition much easier for the younger boy. So, he asked Phillip to listen to what Matthew had to say.

Dinner that night was spaghetti and meatballs, and, of course, all the boys loved it. Phillip was also happy with the choice of dinner. Not because it was spaghetti and meatballs, but because it was a hot home cooked meal. Something that he hadn’t had in a long time.

When dinner was over, the newest Cover saw the boys help clear the table and then after dessert they all gave the woman, whom they called Momma Maria, a hug. Mr. Ken explained to him that was the only way they could thank her for making them a good dinner, or any meal, was to give her a hug, which they had plenty of. He told the boy he didn’t have to do that, but he should try to find a way to thank her, even though it is her job.

When dinner was over, Mr. Ken, Phillip, Charles and Matthew all got into the van and headed over to The Mall. Mr. Wayne decided to go home instead of going out shopping with the boys. When the Covers entered the building there were two boys waiting for them.

“Bryson, Preston, thank you for being here,” started out Mr. Ken. “Phillip … these two boys … they will be in your class tomorrow, and I wanted you to meet them before you got to school in the morning. I asked them to meet you here tonight, and to help you pick out some clothes and to talk and get to know you at the same time.

“They were Mark’s friends and they know their way round The Cove and I hope they can become your friends, too. Charles, Matthew, you know the way, so why don’t you lead the way and take the boys to the boy’s section and let Phillip get started, while I talk to the Walshton’s and Divardly’s,” suggested Mr. Ken.

Mr. Ken thanked Naomi and Porter and Laura and Warren for taking the time and bringing their boys over to The Mall, so they could meet his newest foster son. He explained that he told both boys that he’d call them if he ever got another ten- or eleven-year-old and hoped that they could befriend Phillip and show him around the school, and then come over to The Cove on Saturday.

Mr. Ken told the parents that when Mark came to live with him the boy didn’t have any friends his age, until he went to school, and by then he was almost ready to move home. He also explained he did the same thing with Bill, and he’s seen how the foster boys were lost not knowing someone before they went to school that first day, so he really appreciated them helping him out.

Warren Divardly told Ken Thomas that he had to return the favor. The man explained that at his Labor Day Picnic he talked to Jasper Bentson, the heavy construction equipment owner, and builder, and he offered him a job at better pay and benefits. Warren said that if they hadn’t gone to that Picnic, he wouldn’t have the job he now has and he owed it all to him. Ken Thomas said that if Warren didn’t have the experience and abilities then Jasper wouldn’t have hired him, but he thanked him for the compliment anyway.

The boys were having a good time looking through the clothes for Phillip to get. With it being April, the spring and the early summer clothes were on the racks, so there were loads of current styles for the boy to get.

Charles had his new ‘brother’ try on a few pairs of shorts and shirts to make sure they were looking at the correct sizes, and from there they began mixing and matching the combinations.

Preston and Bryson helped their hopeful new friend with color selection and Charles knew how many of each they could get, knowing his dad would also buy them all new clothes for the summer before they went on their trip to the amusement parks.

After selecting six polo shirts, four t-shirts, five pairs of shorts, two gym type shorts, pajamas and two swimsuits the boys headed over to the underwear section. Phillip went directly to the tighty-whitey section, but Matthew told him he should consider boxer briefs.

Phillip, Preston and Bryson all had questions on their faces. Charles took an opened package and showed them what the boxer briefs looked like and explained that they hugged their boy parts (The three boys giggled at hearing that reference.) like the tighty-whities did, but they also felt better on them, because the briefs also went down the leg some. The teenager told Phillip he should take three packages of five boxer briefs and try them and if he didn’t like them his dad would exchange them over the weekend.

By then, Mr. Ken and the other boys’ parents had caught up with the shoppers. They heard the boy’s conversation over the choice of underwear and Mr. Ken told his newest Cover that all of his ‘boys’ wear the boxer briefs, so there must be something about them that they liked. He told Phillip to take the three packages and if he didn’t like them, he’d exchanged them as Charles said.

The boy’s next stop was the shoes section where Phillip picked up two pairs of sneakers. The boy told Mr. Ken he already had a pair and didn’t need two more, but Mr. Ken told the boy that one pair was for school and the other one was for trips and going out to dinner. Matthew told Phillip to just get them.

As the group was getting ready to leave, the boys said they would see one another at school tomorrow. But Mr. Ken told Bryson and Preston that Phillip wouldn’t be there until later in the morning as he had to register him, but they could show him how the lunch line works and then around the school and introduce him to the other students.

The owner of The Cove then reminded the two boys that they could stop by The Cove at twelve noon on Saturday, and for them not to forget their skateboards, swimsuits and towels. The two boys smiled upon hearing that.

When the Covers returned back to The Cove, Mr. Ken stopped at the Main Gate and made sure he entered Phillip into the database. He didn’t want to make the same mistake he did when Billy arrived.

When they entered the house, Chief was there waiting for her ‘men’ and looking for her ice cream. But unfortunately, Mr. Ken didn’t stop at DQ that evening. Charles got down and explained to the resident pet that they only went out to buy Phillip new clothes and they needed to get them clean, so they came straight home to wash them, so he had clean clothes to wear tomorrow to school.

Phillip watched that interaction and wondered why Charles talked to Chief that way. Mr. Ken saw it and told his new foster son that he should never underestimate Chief. The man added that she had an uncanny ability to understand what is being said. The foster dad told his foster son that if he tells Chief to do something, like in an emergency, that she will do it. But if he teases her to do something unnecessarily, she will ignore him.

The owner of The Cove told the boy to play with Chief and get to know the resident pet. He also reminded Phillip that she was now his responsibility, that she would sleep in his room and every morning before breakfast he was to change out her water and food bowls and he should check it when he came home from school.

Mr. Ken then told Phillip to go up to his room and try on all of his clothes and if they fit to take off all the tags and bring everything down and they will wash everything, and that way he would have clean clothes to wear tomorrow to school. Phillip took all of his new clothes up to his room and did what he was asked. Twenty minutes later the boy came downstairs with all of his new clothes.

Mr. Ken took them down to the laundry room and Phillip followed along. This was the first time the boy got to see that part of the house and he was amazed at what he was seeing. He watched as Mr. Ken separated dark and light clothes and started two HE(High Efficiency) washing machines.

Mr. Ken saw the boy looking all around as they walked down to the laundry room, so he took the time to show him around the rest of the downstairs. They started in the Great Room and from there Mr. Ken showed the boy the party restrooms. Phillip couldn’t believe how big they were and Mr. Ken told him they were built not only under the MRS Room upstairs, but also out into the ground outside. The boy smiled at hearing that.

The foster dad took the boy past the bar area, the wine cellar and then showed the boy the Theater. Phillip couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He sat down in one of the special chairs and then Mr. Ken showed him his special lounger. He then explained he would watch the movies from there and the boys would lie with him and many times they would all fall asleep it was so comfortable. Phillip quickly jumped over to try it out.

Mr. Ken then showed the boy where Mr. Chris’ office was and the half-bath and then he pointed out the emergency exit hallway that led out to the outside patio. Mr. Ken did not show the boy the hidey-hole he had Collin hide in when the men came to kill him, or Charles, when Smokey was on the loose, nor where the computer servers or the CCTV connections were.

It was getting late, so the two walked up the stairs to Phillip’s room. There, Mr. Ken told the boy that every night he, and when Mr. Wayne is there, they come upstairs and talk to each boy privately. He told him that it gives the boys the time to talk to him about anything that is bothering them that they don’t want their ‘brothers’ to know about.

Mr. Ken told Phillip that over time he might get to enjoy the one-on-one time with him and Mr. Wayne and what they talk about will only be between them. Mr. Ken also told his newest foster son that next week he will schedule a medical physical for him with Doctor Powers. He explained he needed a base line medical history, so he knew what medical problems the boy might have and what he would be responsible for while the boy lived with him.

Mr. Ken then told Phillip that he would also make an appointment for him with Doctor Doug, a Child Psychologist. The man told the boy that all of his ‘boys’ get to talk to Doctor Doug, but that everything they talk to him about will never be told to him.

Mr. Ken told Phillip that he wanted to assure his foster son that he could talk to the doctor about everything and anything and he would never know about it. The man told the boy to ask his ‘brothers’ about their talks with Doctor Doug and to see if anything they talked about ever got back to him, or Mr. Wayne.

Mr. Ken asked the boy to sleep in his underwear for the night, as everything was being washed. He also told him Matthew would get him fresh towels and if he hadn’t explained how to use the showers he would in the morning. Chief was there and was right beside the boy who was beginning to cry as everything was beginning to catch up with him.

Mr. Ken pulled the boy into a hug and told him to let it all out. And that is what the boy did. He cried so loud that it brought his four other ‘brothers’ to his room, to see what was the problem.

It was Billy who joined in the hug and he told Phillip, “I know what you are feeling, Phil. I have no one … except for Mr. Ken and my ‘brothers’ now. You have been brought to the best place to wait until your family is ready to take you back.”

Phillip looked up to the oldest teenager and saw he had tears in his eyes and he turned away from Mr. Ken and hugged him. Billy then motioned his ‘brothers’ into the hug. The teen then told his newest ‘brother’ that when one of them is hurting they all try to help one another get through their pain. Phillip then hugged Billy harder and cried some more as the teenager hugged the boy back.

Mr. Ken stepped back and watched the boys take care of their newest ‘brother’. After a few moments, Phillip stopped crying and let go of Billy and when he did the rest of the boys let go. Phillip thanked Billy for saying what he did. The boy said he never knew his dad, and he didn’t have any brothers, or sisters, and it felt good to have four older ‘brothers’ to take care of him.

Billy ruffled the boy’s hair and told him his room was at the other end of the hall on the left if he needed him during the night. The teen then reminded Phillip that Chief was staying in his room and she would also be there for him if he needed a hug.

Mr. Ken told all the boys to head to their rooms and that he would be right there. He then told Phillip to try to settle down some and to use either bathroom to drain his dragon before going to bed. The boy laughed and then Mr. Ken had to explain what ‘drain his dragon’ meant.

Mr. Ken made sure he put all of Phillip’s clothes in the dryers before he went to bed himself. He made a note to himself to get the clothes out of the dryers in the morning and put them on hangers so the boys could take them up to his room in order for Phillip to have something clean to wear to school.

After a long day, The Cove was quiet the whole 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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