Published: 31 Jul 2025
From the Previous Chapter:
Wayne then asked Dennis if he had a coin to flip, so they could tell Bill which of them was taking him to visit his mother. Dennis told the Estate Master that he’d drive the teen to visit his mom. He then confessed he didn’t fathom taking Matthew to dog training schools on Saturday, so the boy could watch how they train the dogs . Wayne just smiled at what he figured would be the easiest of the two tasks.
Mr. Ken called Dr. Jennings’ office and told them that he wanted to invite the doctor to dinner Wednesday night. He told them to give him the message, and for him to let him know if he couldn’t make it. He then made future appointments for Darrin, and one for Matthew.
Before long the guard at the Main Gate called the Study to let him know that Ms. Judy was on her way.
Mr. Ken, along with Chief and Sarge, were at the Foyer Door waiting for Judy Turner to ring the doorbell. When she did, he waited a few moments before opening the door.
“Welcome, Ms. Judy, and who do we have here?” was how the owner of The Cove greeted Ms. Judy, and the thirteen-year-old she had with her.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Thomas … this is Darrin … Darrin Rossman,” replied Ms. Judy, as the two of them entered the Foyer.
Mr. Ken shook the boy’s hand, and invited the two into his Study. Chief and Sarge followed them into the Study, and when the three sat down in the leather chairs, Chief sat right next to Darrin. But Sarge, he sat right in front of the boy with a smile on his muzzle, and looked like he wanted to be on the boy’s lap. Darrin leaned forward and petted Sarge.
“Would you like to hold him on your lap, Darrin?” asked Mr. Ken.’
“Can I?” quickly replied Darrin, with a hopeful look on his face.
“Sure. His name is Sarge. Just call him up, and he’ll gladly jump up,” answered Mr. Ken.
Ms. Judy smiled at Ken Thomas for the way the introduction to The Cove was proceeding, while Darrin called Sarge up to his lap. When the resident pet jumped up on the lap, he gave the boy a few doggie kisses, and then found a comfortable place to lay in the boy’s lap. Darrin then petted him some more.
“Darrin … again, welcome to The Cove. As Ms. Judy said, I’m Ken Thomas and I’m going to be your foster father, or dad, for the foreseeable future. As you saw upon your arrival this home is nothing like what I’m sure you expected.
“This place, or estate as many people call it, was first known as Three Finger Cove, but we’ve shortened it to The Cove, for ease of identification. I believe you will be very 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, and behind that was a large Pavilion, where the boys and their friends have barbeques. There was a soccer pitch out in that big field, but it is barely visible, as it hasn’t been outlined since Mark lived here. But if you like to play soccer, I can have it relined again for you, you just have to let me know.
“Something that you can’t see right now is that there is also a very large 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.
“Darrin … you will be one of six boys who live here in the house. They range in age from eleven to sixteen. I have adopted two of the boys, and I also foster the other three boys, which you will now join. The two boys I adopted; I once fostered.
“I also want to give you the same opportunity that I essentially gave the other foster boys who came to live here, and that is … I want you to give us two weeks to decide if you want to remain here at The Cove. I think that after two weeks you’ll get to see the benefits of living here in this wonderful home, and having all of the amenities there are here for you to enjoy.
“But … if … after those two weeks, you decide you want to live in a home that was more like what you came from, and are used to, then Ms. Turner … she will then find another foster family to take you in. Does that sound fair to you so far?” finished Mr. Ken.
Darrin continued to pet Sarge and then looked at Mr. Ken, and said that it did and then he asked, “What do I call you?”
“That is a good question, Darrin. For the time being, you can call me Mr. Ken. But you are going to find that the other boys, besides Bill, will call me ‘dad’. Robert and Charles … they are my adopted sons, and thus call me dad, but Matthew and Phillip, over time, came to call me ‘dad’, as well, as it was something they felt was right for them.”
“You mentioned Mark. Why isn’t he living here anymore?” now asked Darrin.’
“Mark … he … ahhh, his family … they were involved in a situation where his mom and dad were injured, and they couldn’t take care of him. So, Ms. Judy … Ms. Turner here, she asked me to foster him until they recovered from their injuries. I guess Mark lived here for about three months, before he went back to living with his parents. He does visit now and then, as he is a Cover,” chuckled Mr. Ken.
“A Cover. What’s that?” asked the new foster teen.
Mr. Ken smiled as he looked at Judy knowing the intake interview was going very well, so far, and then took the question. “A Cover … it is what we call people who live and work here at The Cove. I think it was Charles who coined the term, when he first came to live here, and the name stuck and everyone likes it. You’ll be a Cover, too, if you decide to stay here.
“Oh, and besides Mark, there were the twins, Kevin and Kyle, who had also lived here, but who now live with their aunt and uncle. That is a long story that I won’t go into telling you about them right now, but that you will probably hear about them, as time goes on.
“And, since I mentioned the twin’s story … I want to ask you not to bother your ‘brothers’ …”, but Mr. Ken was interrupted when Darring blurted out, “I don’t have any brothers’. My only brother he’s … he’s DEAD!” And Darrin had to wipe his eyes.
“Yes, I’m sorry there, Darrin … I guess I should have first mentioned that all the boys here, even though they are not related by blood, consider themselves as ‘brothers’, and they will also call you their ‘brother’, too. That is if you want them to. But that will happen over time.
“But going back to what I was going to say … just like you … all of the boys who came here are here because … well, because of something that happened in their young lives. Now, they know about the fire and the loss of your family, but that is all they know.
“And even though they know why you are now here; I’m going to ask you not to bother them about why they are living here. Give them time to get to know you. OK? Once they feel comfortable around you, they may begin to open up about their situation that brought them here. It won’t happen overnight, but I believe eventually they will let you know the main reason that brought them to The Cove.
“And even then, Darrin … once you know anything about why they are now living here at The Cove, you never, I repeat … you never talk to anyone about the reason they are here outside of The Cove. And the reason for that is … it could be very embarrassing to your ‘brother’, and maybe to The Cove as a whole. Even your ‘brothers’ closest friends don’t know the full reason why they are living here at the Cove, so please keep what you learn to yourself.”
Darrin thanked the man for telling him all that. Then he asked, “Will I … will I have to share a bedroom?”
“No, Darrin, you will have your own bedroom for now. But understand that the bedrooms are designed for two, and if Ms. Turner … if she has more boys that need an emergency placement, then you could find yourself sharing, and so could the other boys. But so far that has never happened. We’ll go upstairs in a little while, and I’ll show you the remaining bedroom that will be yours.
“Now Darrin … Ms. Turner … she’s told me a little about you, so how about telling me something about you. Do you like any kind of sport? Do you play a musical instrument? Phillip plays the guitar, and he has assembled a band, and they already have a few bookings. So, what can you tell me about yourself,” probed Mr. Ken.
“Well … well, my mom, my dad and my older brother … they … they were all killed during that house fire about … about ten days back. And I … and I was lucky enough to get out. As you can see, I got first and second-degree burns, and the second-degree burns … they are still healing.
“I did like to play outside with my friends. We played pick-up baseball, some basketball and some soccer. I lost my bike and skateboard in the fire. Basically, I lost everything in the fire. I only have the clothes they gave me in the hospital, which isn’t very much,” finished the teen, who had his head hanging low, but continued to pet Sarge.
“Darrin … after dinner tonight, you and I, and maybe a few of the boys, we’ll go out and we’ll get you a closet full of clothes,” announced Mr. Ken with a smile.
“But I don’t have any money,” blurted out the teenager.
“Don’t you worry about that young man. Ms. Judy here, she’ll reimburse me from the funds CPS has for situations like this. We’re going to get you more clothes than you ever thought you could wear.
“And Darrin, there is something else I failed to tell you about, and that is we go on lots of trips. You see, I own six amusement parks, and we visit them at least twice a year. And after you’ve been here a while, you and I … we’ll take a one-on-one trip together over a three-day weekend, like Phillip and I are going to finally get to do in November. And beside those trips, we’ve also been on at least two cruises, and then there is next year’s Spring Break that I’m planning right now.
“And besides all that there are the parties. Coming up are the Holiday parties, then there is the Easter Egg Roll, and after that is the Memorial Day Picnic and next is the 4th of July Picnic, with fireworks and at the end of summer is the Labor Day Picnic.
“So, you see, beside all the awesome things you’ll have to do around here and enjoy, with the friends you make and can bring here, you’ll get to travel and meet loads of people, important people, too, and be a part of the picnics and parties that we hold.
“Now, there is one more item I want to discuss with you. I see you have enjoyed having Sarge in your lap. Well, while you are here, you’re going to be responsible for taking care of our resident pet, Chief, who is resting next to your chair. All of the boys who have come to The Cove have taken care of her.
“That means she will sleep in your room, and you will make sure she has clean water and kibble each morning before Momma serves you your breakfast. You’ll get the hang of it after a day or two. Won’t he, Chief?” And with that Chief stood up and responded with a few “Woof, woofs.”
“I’ve done a lot of talking since we sat down. Do you have any questions for me?” inquired Mr. Ken.
“Well … do the boys … do they really get to go on trips. And, are you really going to buy me a bunch of new clothes later after we eat?” the new foster son wanted to know.
Ms. Judy asked Mr. Ken if she could take that question. And getting the nod, she told Darrin, “My son, Eric, he’s known Mr. Thomas ever since he had his first foster son, who is now in college. Eric, he’s traveled out to California, and he’s been to Disneyland. My son has also been on at least two cruises, and he’s gone with Mr. Ken and his ‘boys’ to visit the amusement parks on multiple occasions.
“Now as for the clothes, since when I place a boy here, I have to check up on them, and they each have told me about the abundance of clothes they’ve gotten to choose and wear. And even though Mr. Thomas has adopted two of the boys, none of the boys … none of them are treated any differently than the others. So, believe me, you will not be left out of anything that the rest of the boys get to do.”
When Ms. Judy finished explaining about the trips and clothes, Mr. Ken Spoke up, “Darrin, before I show you where your bedroom is, and the rest of the house, there are a few people who work here that I want you to meet. So, let’s go out to the MRS (Misses) Room and see if they are there.”
As everyone stood, Ms. Judy gave Ken the folder that had Darrin’s official paperwork, essentially giving him legal custody of the teenager. The Director of Children’s Protective Services then told her friend that she would talk to him later, and for him to let her know if there are any changes, or problems. Darrin then thanked Ms. Turner for bringing him there, before she left the house.
As the trio, and two dogs, went out to the MRS Room, Mr. Ken explained, “Darrin, this room has what you might consider a funny name, being called the misses room, but it actually stands for Meeting, Reading and Sitting, M-R-S, Room, pronounced misses, as in the abbreviation for Mrs. in Mr. & Mrs.”
Ms. Judy then told everyone that she’d see them later, and then left through the Foyer Door.
“OK, with that said, let me introduce you to two individuals who you will undoubtedly deal with a lot, while you are staying here. This person is Mr. Wayne Mitchell. He is the Estate Master and he is a licensed foster parent, like me, and he fills in for me when I am out of town. He also takes care of you boys when you need to go to doctor appointments, or need help with homework, or other problems when I am not available. The boys call him Mr. Wayne.
“This other person is Dennis Florkert. He works in conjunction with Mr. Wayne, and he fills in when two boys need to be in two different places, and when other activities or situations arise that another adult needs to be around. He was hired to work part time, but more often than not he finds himself working almost full time, and we are happy to have him, because with five boys there is always so much going on around here.”
Darrin then shook hands with both men and told them that he was glad to meet them.
“Let’s walk to the Kitchen Nook, so I can introduce you to the most important person who works here, Momma Maria. … Momma … I want to introduce you to Darrin, Darrin Rossman. He’s our newest foster, and he will be staying with us for the foreseeable future, we hope. The boys call her Momma or Momma Maria depending on the circumstances.
“Darrin, again, this is Momma Maria. Momma fixes us all our meals Monday through Friday, and sometimes when we have special company, or occasions that we need her special cooking. This other gentleman, who just joined us, is Chris Dominions. He is the Estate Manager.
Mr. Chris takes care of paying all the bills, as well as keeping the calendar and making appointments, and taking care of a slew of other odds and ends. His office is down in the lower level, and you’ll see it when I show you around the house. The boys call him Mr. Chris.”
Again, Darrin shook hands with Momma and Mr. Chris and told them he was happy to meet them, both.
“Are you ready to see your bedroom?” now asked the foster dad.
The two walked up the backstairs to the bedroom area, with the two resident dogs following along. Mr. Ken explained about there being two ways to ascend and descend from the second floor, and that the boys usually used the front stairs.
The owner of The Cove then showed his new foster son the two bathrooms first, and explained that Phillip mainly used the one with the separate shower stalls, while the rest of the boys used the one with the four shower heads, or gang shower.
The foster dad explained to Darrin that when Phillip came to him, he was a very young ten-year-old, and had never showered with other boys before, so he allowed him to use that bathroom. The man told Darrin he could choose to use that bathroom with Phillip, or he could use the other one with the older boys.
Mr. Ken told him that it was up to him as to which bathroom he wanted to use to get cleaned up in. The man added that some boys are embarrassed to be seen naked by other boys, especially if they are older. He told Darrin he could get his shower at night if he wanted to, but that he needed to be clean and ready for school the next morning.
Darrin told Mr. Ken that he and his older brother shared the one bathroom on their floor, so they often saw one another either in their underwear, or without their clothes on. The teen added that it probably won’t bother him whichever bathroom he uses.
Mr. Ken did ask him to be mindful that if he uses the bathroom that Phillip uses that the boy was only eleven, and he wasn’t sure if he was used to being seen without his clothes on, as of yet. The foster dad told Darrin that he doesn’t make it a habit to be up there when the boys are taking their showers, so he doesn’t know how Phillip will react to him in the bathroom. The teen said he understood what he was saying.
When Mr. Ken showed Darrin his bedroom the teenager was amazed at its size. The boy couldn’t believe that the entire room was all for him. The man did remind the teen that if push came to shove, and they needed to house other fosters, he could be sharing in the future. Darrin said, “With all this room, bring them on!”, then the teen smiled a happy smile, which made Mr. Ken feel good that the boy was beginning to accept living at The Cove.
Mr. Ken then told Darrin that the cleaning company came on Fridays, and that he was to strip his bed before he went to school. The man added not to worry, that the cleaning people will have the bed made for him when he returns home from school. Darrin smiled after hearing that, too.
The owner of The Cove continued showing his newest foster son around the top floor of the house. He showed the teen the two guest en suites, and explained to him who usually used them. He showed the teen the main stairs and then they used the elevator, which Mr. Ken explained that they don’t use, unless they are injured enough that they can’t walk the stairs. Darrin immediately understood what his foster dad meant by that remark.
They went all the way down in the elevator to the bottom floor, and they got out at the Great Room. Mr. Ken had the boy turn to the right and he showed him the bar area, then the wine cellar, the Theater, the half-bath and finally Mr. Chris’ office. He also pointed out the long hallway, which was the fire exit and explained that opening the door would activate the fire alarm.
Coming out of that area, Mr. Ken pointed out the Party Restrooms, and then he had the teen walk into both the Men’s and Women’s areas. When they came out, after viewing both restrooms, the foster dad asked the teen if he noticed anything strange about the rooms.
Darrin didn’t understand what the man meant, so Mr. Ken had him go back in and look once more. When the teen came out, he still didn’t know what he was supposed to have seen. So, Mr. Ken told him to look to see how much space there was under the MRS Room and then to recognize how deep the restrooms went in.
Darrin went back into the Men’s restroom once more and when he came out, he had a big smile on his face. “Those rooms … they go further out than the house, don’t they?”
“Yes, Darrin … when I had the house built, I had them build the restroom further out into the ground to give me the opportunity to have such large restrooms for when I hold overflowing parties. And you’ll see why I need them during the Holidays. Just you wait and see.
The tour went next to the indoor pool area, where Darrin’s eyes almost popped out of his head.
“You mean I … that I get to swim in this?” asked the dumbfounded teenager.
“Yes, Darrin you will. But only after you pass the swim test. You do know how to swim?” now asked the smiling foster dad.
“Oh, yes, I know how to swim. But I guess I won’t be able to swim until my burns heal, huh?” commented the foster teen.
Mr. Ken told the teen that he’d have to check on that, and with that they moved onto looking at the lockers outside the locker rooms, and then the locker rooms themselves. Going back onto the pool deck, the owner of The Cove then explained about the swim test, the rock ledge and then he took the teen back to where the industrial washer and dryer were. Once there, he explained why he had them.
When they walked back out into the Great Room, Mr. Ken showed the teen the Rumford fireplace, and then had him look upwards towards the MRS Room. He wanted the teen to see that the banisters were all glass, and that from up there you could see everything down there and vice versa. They then walked up the spiral staircase.
At the top of the staircase, Mr. Ken pointed out the half-bath and the Hat-Check closet that gets used during the Holiday parties. He then directed the teen to look down the hallway. He told Darrin that was where his private retreat was, and that he wasn’t to ever go there unless it was a dire emergency.
The foster dad told his foster son that the nickel tour was over and then he asked the teen if he had any questions.
Darrin looked at the man and then down at his feet, not knowing if he should ask the question that he had on his mind for the longest time. Mr. Ken saw the indecision in the teen, and told him to ask away. The man further explained that if he had a question that didn’t get answered, he would always wonder about it, and it would eat at him and cause problems between them.
So, Darrin thought about what his foster dad just said and asked, “You’re… you’re not married are you; so, there’s no Mrs. Thomas is there?”
And without hesitation, Mr. Ken answered, “You are correct, Darrin. I am not married. One day there will be a Mrs. Thomas, and I hope that day will be soon, but for now I am single. Do you have a problem with that? If so, I can have Ms. Turner find you another place to live before the night is over.”
“The other boys … they don’t find it … they don’t find it strange that they are living with a … a single man?” now asked Darrin.
“No, they don’t. Remember … I did adopt two of them and Ms. Turner … she has brought all of them here for me to foster, because she knows … she knows that this is the best place for them because of what has happened in their young lives. Just…like…you!” finished Mr. Ken.
Darrin looked at the man for a few moments thinking. Then he apologized for what he said and for what he was thinking. Then Mr. Ken saw the tears begin to fall from the teen’s eyes and he felt that the teen figured he messed up.
Mr. Ken pulled the boy to him and hugged him, and when he did the teenager burst out into an all-out robust cry. Mr. Wayne and Mr. Dennis were still in the MRS Room talking and heard what was said and heard the teen apologize, and then burst out crying.
Dennis wanted to go over to see what they could do, but Wayne told him that they needed to let their boss handle this one, as he was ultimately responsible, and the connection that they make right now will set the tone for how they act towards one another going forward.
The two men continued to watch the foster dad and teen and eventually the two pulled apart. The teen then thanked his foster dad for holding him and letting him cry saying that was the first time that anyone had ever known what he was feeling, and that what he needed was to cry. Hearing that made Mr. Ken hug the teen some more and Darrin just melted into the man.
After a few moments, Mr. Ken broke the hug and told Darrin that he wasn’t the first foster boy to cry with him, and he won’t be the last. He added that crying helps wash away the hurt that people feel inside of them.
The foster dad suggested to the teen that anytime he feels the need to cry, to not let time nor place stop him. The man added to find him, or Mr. Wayne, or even Mr. Dennis, or his ‘brothers’ knowing that they’ve been there themselves, and they will help him get through whatever is hurting him at the time.
Mr. Ken then told the teen to go and use the half-bath to wash his face and maybe use the facility, and when he came out, they would go down to the Four Corners grocery store and get him some of the essentials he needs. The man added that he’d meet him there in the MRS Room. The boy went to use the half-bath, while Mr. Ken went back to his retreat to use his own facilities.
A few minutes later the two met out in the MRS Room, where Mr. Wayne and Mr. Dennis were still sitting and talking. The men’s boss teased them about having nothing else to do, and they both said they were doing what they were being paid to do, “Nothing.” They both then laughed.
Darrin thought that was funny, and he laughed right along with them. “Don’t encourage them, Darrin. They’ll do more of it later, then,” laughed Mr. Ken.
“Guys … we’re going down to Four Corners to get some things Darrin will undoubtedly need. Then after dinner, I’ll take him to The Mall, and get him a whole bunch of new clothes. You’re welcome to come along and do your ‘nothing’ there, too,” laughed Mr. Ken, with Darrin chuckling right along.
Neither man decided to go along with the two to Four Corners. Wayne told Dennis that Mr. Ken needed the alone time with his new foster son, so the bonding could continue. Dennis told Wayne that this was his first time ever seeing what goes on when a new foster boy comes to The Cove, and that it was an interesting observation for sure.
When the two arrived at the grocery store, Mr. Ken had Darrin get a shopping cart and the two went down the personal care aisles, where the teen could get the grooming items he would need. And just as he did with Phillip, Mr. Ken asked Darrin which toothbrush and toothpaste he liked, and to put it into the cart.
When the teenager selected the cheapest of both, Mr. Ken had him put it back, and he then explained to Darrin that he could afford better, and that the boy should select a brand that he would like to have versus what he was taught by his parents. Darrin smiled and chose uncannily what his ‘brothers’ used.
Then, when it came to choosing his deodorant, the teen smelled the different brands, and instead of selecting what his mom always bought him; he took what he always wanted and put that into the cart. Mr. Ken smiled. The comb was next and that was a no-brainer, as was the floss and he chose a waxed one.
The two then went looking for an alarm clock. The ones the store had were all small travel types and Mr. Ken told the teenager that they would just have to find a better one with an AM/FM radio in it at a different store either tonight or tomorrow.
The teen then asked about cologne. That surprised the foster dad, as it wasn’t on the Checklist. The man told the teen to lead the way, and the two found themselves looking at an array of different men’s cologne, many of which Mr. Ken never heard of. The man suggested they look for some tonight, or tomorrow, as well.
When the man and teen finished in the grocery store, Mr. Ken looked at the time and wondered if they had enough time to stop by Mr. Ken’s Kreamy Kone for an ice cream.
“Hey … do you want to spoil your dinner?” cheekily asked the foster dad.
“What do you mean?” replied a surprised Darrin.
“Let’s stop in Mr. Ken’s Kreamy Kone for an ice cream cone. What do you say?” encouraged the teen’s foster dad.
“Mr. Ken … is this a trick or something? My parents … they would never let us do anything like this. Especially knowing that we’d be eating in a few hours, or so,” countered Darrin.
“No, Darrin, this isn’t a trick. I just thought that I would treat you to an ice cream cone before dinner. I’ve done something like this with the other boys after an appointment, but maybe you’re right. Let’s pack up and go back to The Cove.
Once there, I’ll register you into the database so the guards know who you are. I forgot to do that for Bill, when he first arrived, and he had a difficult time getting them to let him in. You’ll have to ask him about that,” now chuckled Mr. Ken.
When the two arrived back at The Cove, Mr. Ken did what he said he would and he entered Darrin into the database. He also introduced the teenager to the guards who were on duty at the time, and he asked them to tell their relief about there being a new teenager at The Cove.
Once they were down at the house, Mr. Ken asked Darrin to take his things up to his room and to come right back down, and he’d introduce him to Matthew and Phillip, who he knew were out in the Kitchen Nook having their afterschool snack.
Darrin raced up the stairs, with Chief and Sarge following quickly behind him, and not more than thirty seconds later the three were back at the bottom of the stairs.
“That didn’t take long,” laughed Mr. Ken. “Now let’s go to the Kitchen Nook, and meet two of your new ‘brothers’. And I bet Momma … I bet she’ll give you a snack, which will be better than that ice cream I was going to get you, so it was probably best that we didn’t have that ice cream, huh?”
“Boys,” called ‘dad’ Ken, as he and Darrin entered the Kitchen Nook, “I want you to meet your new ‘brother’, Darrin, Darrin Rossman.”
“Hello, I’m Matthew,” spoke up the pre-teen, who had stood and quickly held out his hand to shake.
“And, I’m Phillip. It’s good to finally meet you!” offered the youngest Cover, who had also stood up to greet the new teenager.
“Sits, sits and haves theses snackse witches theses boys,” spoke up Momma, as she pointed to the chair that she wanted Darrin to take. Then, as the teen sat down, Momma Maria brought him a glass of vanilla milk and some cupcakes, that she had make for the occasion of the new foster boy coming to the Cove.
As the three boys talked, ‘dad’ Ken heard Matthew ask Darrin where his ‘dad’ took him. Mr. Ken had to remind the teen that some of the boys call him ‘dad’ and not Mr. Ken, as he would be doing for the time being. So, that made Phillip speak up and tell his new ‘brother’ that he just started calling Mr. Ken, ‘dad’, so not to fret over the name.
The youngest Cover then asked Darrin if he got his toiletries yet. The teen told the Cover that they just came from the grocery store, where he got his toothbrush and toothpaste, comb and floss, but they didn’t have the right alarm clock, or cologne, and that they would be getting them either tonight, or tomorrow.
‘Dad’ Ken then told the boys that he and Darrin would be going out clothes shopping after dinner, and that they could come along, if they had their homework done. Hearing that the two boys quickly finished their snack, and then thanked Momma for fixing it for them, and then they both headed up to their rooms to start on their homework.
It wasn’t too long after that that the three Cover teenagers came into the Kitchen Nook. And since ‘dad’ Ken and the new foster teen were still there talking with Momma, ‘dad’ Ken made the introductions.
“Boys, let me introduce you to Darrin Rossman, your new ‘brother’,” spoke up ‘dad’ Ken.
The man made the introductions, and then the Cover teens sat down to their afterschool snack. The four boys began some small talk, which got around to that was the first time Darrin ever could remember having vanilla milk.
The teens quickly told their new ‘brother’ that Momma made a mean chocolate milk, as well, and that if he isn’t careful, he’ll put on weight. They then talked about all the skating they do up at the skate park that will help him burn off the calories.
Darrin told them that he’d only seen the skate park from Ms. Turner’s car, so he doesn’t really know what it looks like close up. He then told them that his skateboard was burned up in the fire, so that he’ll have to borrow someone’s.
After hearing that, Robert said, “Come on guys. Let’s take a golf cart up there and show him what he’s going to get to use.”
“Hold on boys. Look at the time. Dinner is at 5:30 tonight, so I can take Darrin out clothes shopping. And if you want to go along, you need to have your homework done by then,” announced ‘dad’ Ken. “Darrin can see the Cove Skate Park tomorrow, as it isn’t going anywhere.”
Charles quickly finished his milk and cupcake, and then thanked Momma for the snack. He told his dad that he wanted to go along with him when he takes his ‘brother’ clothes shopping. He added that he wants to make sure he gets what he needs, not what his dad thinks he should have. That made both Robert and Billy laugh. Darrin thought there was a joke in there somewhere, so he only smiled.
‘Dad’ Ken told the boys to talk and to get to know one another, while he made a few phone calls, and that he’ll see them at dinner.
The saga of Three Finger Cove continues. Let Chowhound know you are reading his story: Chowhnd at Gmail dot Com
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