Published: 8 Jan 2026

From the Previous Chapter:

As Ken Thomas arrived in his retreat, he was thankful that the week was just about over. He knew that he was going to have a very busy weekend with Phillip, but he felt it should also give him some time to relax, because there were a number of fun things that the boy had selected for them to do.

After thinking about the coming weekend, the owner of The Cove went and got ready for bed. After he’d done his usual nightly ablutions, he went and sat on the edge of his king-sized bed, and reviewed his busy week. He was now looking forward to the time away from the office and having some fun with the young Cover.

Ater turning off the lights in his bedroom and getting under the covers, it didn’t take long for the dad/foster dad to fall asleep. The Cover household was exceptionally quiet throughout the night.

When the alarm went off Friday morning, Ken Thomas was ready for the day. He was looking forward to the time away from the office and a chance to relax, while showing Phillip a good time at the Dallas Mavericks basketball game, Six Flags Over Texas, the Museum of the American Railroad and then Speed Zone.

The foster dad had been to three of the four venues the boy had chosen for them to visit on his three-day trip. And he knew that he would enjoy going back to them as it had been quite some time since he took Bill there, so he was looking forward to seeing any new improvements and of course taking the youngster on the rides at Six Flags.

Mr. Ken went out to the Kitchen Nook with some pep in his step and Momma noticed it and she smiled at him. She then brought him his first cup of hot coffee and as she placed it in front of him she mentioned that he was in a very good mood that morning.

After taking his first sip of the hot brew, Mr. Ken told her that he and Phillip would be leaving later that afternoon on the boy’s long awaited three-day trip. The man continued and told the woman where they would be going and also what they would be doing. Momma told her employer to enjoy himself and have fun, and then she went back to fixing the family’s breakfasts.

As they do every day, the three younger Cover boys came into the Kitchen Nook and both Darrin and Matthew took care of fixing Chief and Sarge’s first meal of the day. When they had placed both bowls for each resident pet on the floor, they went and washed their hands and then sat down with Phillip to enjoy a Momma Breakfast.

As they ate, ‘dad’ Ken asked Matthew and Darrin if they had decided who they were going to invite to spend one night that weekend. Mattthew told his ‘dad’ that he decided to ask Max. ‘Dad’ Ken asked the almost-teenager if there was any special reason for inviting Max. All Matthew would say was that Max had always gotten a bad rap and he wanted to give him something good to remember as he gets older. The man said that he couldn’t argue with that logic.

Mr. Ken then asked Darrin who he was inviting. The teen told his foster dad that he was going to talk to both Terran and Sam when he gets to school and tell them that he wanted to invite both, but that could only invite one, so he was going to flip a coin.

The teen told Mr. Ken that the one who doesn’t get invited this time will get to come over the next time we’re allowed to invite a friend over on a weekend. Mr. Ken told Darrin that it sounded like a diplomatic way of solving a problem by letting them both know the situation and that what one gets now the other will get it at later date.

As the three boys were getting ready to leave for school, ‘Dad’ Ken asked Phillip to bring his suitcase down and to make sure he had his toiletries in there and leave it in the Foyer. The foster dad told the boy that he’d place it in the limo when he puts his in later that morning.

While Matthew ran upstairs to put his toiletries into his suitcase and then bring it down to the Foyer, Mr. Ken grabbed Matthew and hugged him and then asked him if he was going to be OK with him being gone for three days.

The soon-to-be-teenager somewhat melted in the man’s arms and then told his fosterdad that he’s talked with Doctor Doug about what he feels when he’s gone and that he is going to try very hard not to act like a little kid any more over it.

‘Dad’ Ken hugged the boy a little harder and told him that he’ll see him Sunday night. The two smiled at one another, just as Phillip brought his suitcase to the Foyer. The three boys then exited the house and made their way up the slight rise to catch their school bus.

The three teenagers came down together, as they seem to always do, and they greeted their ‘dad’ and Momma Maria before sitting down for one of Momma Maria’s fabulous breakfasts.

‘Dad’ Ken asked them the same question as to whom they were inviting to spend one night that weekend. Robert spoke up right away and told his dad that he was inviting Eric to spend Sunday night, so that they could cut and trim the field on Monday, so it looks really good for the wedding and reception on Saturday.

Charles told his dad that he had a difficult time deciding who he’d invite. But that he eventually decided to ask Cooper to spend Saturday night. The teen’s dad told him that he thought that he might have invited Richard.

The teen said that he had a difficult time deciding between Cooper, Richard and David, and that it came down to the one that he feels that he has more in common with now. Dad Ken told his son that it was his choice, and he was sure it was a good one.

Billy was the last of the three teens to tell his foster dad that he hadn’t chosen anyone as of yet, because his friends wouldn’t know their work schedules until they went into work last night. The teenager explained that he will ask the first one who comes to him with the work schedule that will allow him to spend whichever night over the weekend.

Mr. Ken asked Bill if he didn’t think that wasn’t a bit harsh. But Bill indicated that he didn’t think so and that he did tell all of his friends his thoughts for the way he structured the invite. The teen added that if they want to spend the night, they’ll check their schedules and let me know. If none of them are free; it’s their loss.

‘Dad’ Ken did gently remind the teens, before they left for school, to make sure the restrooms are cleaned and the Pavilion area looks presentable for the wedding reception. The boys replied that they’d take care of it and then they left to catch their school bus.

Before leaving for the office, Mr. Ken went back to his retreat to check that he had set aside everything he wanted to take with him on the trip later that afternoon. He knew that he’d be back at The Cove to finalize his packing, just before the limo picked him up, but he wanted to be sure he hadn’t forgotten anything.

Once he arrived at the high school, Robert told his friends that Mr. Wayne sat down with him last night and told him what he needed to do to get his learner’s permit. The teen Cover was all smiles that he would soon be on his way to getting his learner’s permit and eventually his driver’s license. The Cover’s friends asked him what all they needed to do as they all said that they should start doing the same thing as they were all about the same age.

Billy searched out his friends and asked them if any of them had one night off that they could spend a night at the Cove that coming weekend. But all he got was that they wouldn’t know until they got to work that night and checked the schedule because that was when the store manager set them out for the coming week. All Billy told them was that the first one to call would be the lucky guy, and he left it at that.

At Darrin’s school, he looked for Terran and Sam and pulled them aside and told them what he planned to do to decide who he was going to invite to spend one night at The Cove that weekend. The Cover then asked them if one of them had a coin he could use. They both pulled out their commemorative coins that Mr. Ken had given them.

“Whoa, where’d you’d both get the same coin?” asked Darrin.

Terran and Sam looked at one another not knowing what to say, as they both realized that Darrin probably doesn’t have one of Mr. Ken’s special commemorative coins yet, from his reaction to his first seeing the coin.

“Oh, we happen to be lucky, I guess,” replied Sam. “So, whose, coin do you want to use?”

Darrin took Sam’s coin and flipped it and while it was in the air, he announced that if it turned up tails it would be Terran and if heads it would Sam who spends one night at The Cove. The coin has been flipped quite high and on its way down Darrin caught it and then turned it over onto the back of his hand. The three boys eagerly looked to see what side of the coin would be showing when Darrin lifted his hand.

“Tails!” announced the Cover. “Terran, it looks like you get to spend either tonight, Saturday or Sunday night at The Cove. But seeing it is already Friday you might not get approval to spend tonight. And, you know, it might be easier if you come over either tomorrow or Sunday with your stuff, so choose which day you want and I’ll plan it with Mr. Wayne,” suggested the teen Cover.

Terran asked Darin who else was spending a night and the Cover told his friend that Max was spending the night, but he didn’t know which night and so was Cooper, but again he didn’t know which night and that Eric was spending Sunday night, as he and Robert were cutting and trimming the field on Monday.

Terran thought about which night he should pick, from what he heard, and then decided that Saturday night would be the best for him no matter who else was spending the night. And just then the first bell rang and the boys had to go into their school.

At his office, as soon as he arrived, Mr. Ken reminded Rosemary that he would be leaving early because he was taking Phillip on his special three-day trip. He then called Ben to come to his office.

Once there, Ben Walthers and Ken Thomas discussed their travel arrangements for their trip to the IAAPA Expo on Monday and how they planned to attend as many educational sessions as they could. They also reviewed which sessions they wanted Arnie to attend because of his gaining a water park that coming spring.

The two men also decided that they needed to take as many pictures of the new rides, food and beverage offerings and anything else that they believed that could enhance their six parks in the coming years.

The two men were both looking forward to this unique experience and if afterwards they felt it was a worthwhile expenditure of funds, then they would make sure the other park operation managers attended in the coming years, as well.

After that discussion was over, Ben Walthers, the President of Three Finger Entertainment, LLC, and one of the men who would decide if the band, Pavilion, was good enough to work at the Four Corners Amusement Park broached a new topic with Ken Thomas, the owner of the park.

“Mr. Ken, Nelson and I … we talked this over and we believe that a good way to audition the band would be to have them do their tryout at the park. Now hear me out first, ok? We both feel that if they were to be successful, and knowing their young ages, they need to show they can perform in front of a large audience,” proposed Ben.

“Ben … you do know that these boys … that these boys have performed at two … at two Halloween dances already and they have been paid. That is one of the reasons that I suggested that they be given the opportunity to play at the park. That, and, well … that Phillip is my foster son,” chuckled Mr. Ken.

“But Ben … you’ve heard them play, when you brought Daisy over for her training. For their age, they are pretty good. And since we never thought about any music being played for the Holidays over at Four Corners … that was the reason why I suggested it in the first place.

“Now, I’m not saying no. When would you want the boys to do this audition?” asked Mr. Ken.

“Mr. Ken … we figured since you had offered either Saturday evening or Sunday, we’d like the boys to play Saturday night at the park. It would give the guests attending at that time a real treat to hear real live music and we’ll let their reaction be the judge. Would there be any problem doing it that way?” Ben now wanted to know.

Mr. Ken told the man that the only real problem would be that there needed to be the drums, a keyboard and of course a sound system that can handle the keyboard, four guitars and six to eight microphones. Ben told the park’s owner that Nelson had ordered everything and it would be in place by next weekend.

The question that Ben now had was what type of music would the boys be playing for the audition. Mr. Ken told him that he had the boys learning ten Christmas songs that he identified for them. He explained to Ben that he told the boys that they would probably be playing for ten to twelve minutes every half-hour and with each song lasting three to four minutes that would get them through three sets, before repeating themselves.

Ben laughed and told his boss that they would want the boys to play for at least 35 minutes with a 25-minute break before the next set. The President of TFE then added that with ten songs the band could possibly get them through two sets before repeating themselves, and that the audience wouldn’t remember anyway, since they were Christmas songs that they hear over and over anyway.

At eleven o’clock, Ken Thomas said goodbye to Rosemary and headed on home to The Cove. Then, once there, the owner of The Cove, and foster parent, began to finish packing for his trip with Phillip.

The limousine was due to pick him up at around twelve-fifteen and then they would drive over to Phillip’s school where the foster dad would sign his foster son out for the long weekend.

In the meantime, Wayne and Dennis talked to their boss about what was planned while he was gone. All Mr. Ken could remind them of, was that Bruce Price was bringing one of his pups over on Saturday, and one on Sunday, for Matthew to work his magic on. He also told the men that each boy could have one friend spend one night over the weekend and not to let them beg for another night.

Mr. Ken did tell the men that the boys know to clean the restrooms and anything else up at the Pavilion that needs cleaning for the reception on Saturday. And before they left on his trip, he did ask the men to remind the boys’ friends that they could not come over next Saturday, nor Thanksgiving Day.

Then Mr., Ken remembered his earlier discussion with Ben and he told them that the bands audition will be held at the Four Corners Amusement Park on Saturday after the reception. He explained that Ben and Nelson want to hear them perform in front of a live audience and let them be the judges if they should be hired.

That surprised the two men who asked if Four Corners had the proper sound equipment to handle the band. Mr. Ken told them that Nelson Sanders was supposed to be buying everything and have it in place by next Saturday.

By then the limo had arrived and Mr. Ken went to get his suitcase, while Dennis went and retrieved Phillip’s from the Foyer and placed it in the trunk of the limo. And before long Ken Thomas was on his way to the school to sign Phillip out for their long-awaited three-day trip.

During their lunch break, Darrin sought out Matthew and asked him when he was having Max spend the night. He told him that he was inviting Terran and the boy wanted to know when everyone was staying. The soon-to-be teen told his ‘brother’ that Max was spending Saturday night at The Cove.

With that information in hand, Darrin went and told Terran that Max was spending Saturday night and that way he could decide if he wanted to spend Saturday or Sunday night with him.

After a few moments, Terran told the Cover that he was going to ask his parents if he could spend Saturday night at The Cove. He reasoned that it would be better if he was there with boys closer to his own age rather than with fifteen-year-olds. Darrin agreed and told his friend to make sure that he brought his swim suit. Terran reminded the Cover that his suit should already be there. The three boys, Sam included, laughed.

Phillip was anxious for his ‘dad’ to arrive at the school and take him on his three-day trip. He and his friend kept watch for the limousine that never seemed to come. The young Cover knew that Mr. Ken would be there after his lunch period, but he didn’t know how long afterwards it would be there. All he could do was wait and his friends along with ‘him’.

They also knew that if the man didn’t arrive very soon, they would all have to file back inside and head for their next class. And that was what happened as the after-lunch bell did ring. Phillip’s friends told him not to worry that Mr. Ken would soon be there and he’d be on his way to one of the best trips he’s ever had, as it would be just him and his foster dad and no other ‘brothers’ interrupting his fun.

It hadn’t been very long after the boys entered the school that the limo carrying Mr. Ken came into the school’s parking lot. The foster dad quickly got out of the vehicle and walked into the school and he went right to the administration office to sign Phillip out.

“Good afternoon, Ms. Dillows, I’m here to sign Phillip Girroads out of school,” gleefully offered Ken Thomas.

“Oh, hello, Mr. Thomas. This is a change. Usually, Mr. Wayne, or a Mr. Dennis, comes to take the boys out of school. Let me get the forms for you,” answered Liliana Dillows, the school’s secretary.

Mr. Ken didn’t tell the woman why he was taking Phillip out of the school, he just wanted to get the matter done and over with, as soon as he could, and have the boy out in the limo and they could be on their way.

Dan Chassen, the school’s principal, heard a familiar voice out in the office and he came out to investigate. When he saw Ken Thomas, he greeted the man and asked why it was he who was taking one of his boys this time and not one of his employees.

Mr. Ken lightly whispered to the man that he was taking Phillip on a long-awaited trip and they had to hurry over to the Austin-Bergstrom Airport to catch their plane. Dan smiled at the reason and told the man to have fun, and then he went back to his principal like duties.

In the meantime, Ms. Dillows had called Phillip to come to the office and when the youngster arrived, he smiled and went directly to the man and hugged him. Mr. Ken then filled out the form and the two quickly left the office.

It was then that Liliana looked at the form to see that Mr. Thomas had put down, as the reason for his taking his foster son out of school, that it was for a special trip he had promised the boy too many months ago. The women smiled and then filed the form with all the other forms on the boy.

As soon as the two Covers entered the Limo, the first thing Phillip asked his ‘dad’ was if he remembered to bring his suitcase. ‘Dad’ Ken grabbed the boy and began tickling him and told him that he hadn’t forgotten his suitcase. He then reminded the boy that it was he who told him not to forget his toiletries and then said the boyhad to run up the stairs to put them in his suitcase.

Phillip was laughing and giggling the whole time that his ‘dad’ was tickling him and he was saying that he remembered he had to go up and pack those things. That’s when ‘dad’ Ken stopped his torment.

“Boy, that was fun. You hadn’t done that to me … ever,” stated the youngest Cover.

“Oh, I hadn’t? Come here than and let me do it some more, then,” replied ‘dad’ Ken, as he grabbed for the boy who moved away as quickly as he could.

“Chicken!” called out Mr. Ken. The two had a good laugh.

Their private jet wasn’t due to depart the Austin-Bergstrom General Aviation section of the airport before 2:30 so the travelers had time. Mr. Ken and Philip talked about the trip they were embarking on so they both knew what was in store for them.

‘Dad’ Ken told his foster son that they would stay at the La Quinta across from Six Flags Over Texas, while they were on their trip and would stay there two nights. The man told the boy that once they gotsettled, they would go out for something to eat and from there they would head to the Dallas Mavs game, which didn’t start until 7:30 and wouldn’t be over until around 10 P.M.

Mr. Ken told Phillip that they might stop for something to eat on the way back to the hotel, but not for something big, if they hadn’t gotten enough food at the game. That comment made Phillip laugh.

Continuing his briefing, ‘dad’ Ken told his foster son that Six Flags didn’t open until eleven o’clock on Saturday, so they could sleep in. But he also reminded the boy that the breakfast bar was taken down at nine, so if he wanted something to eat, he’d better be up, dressed and down there eating before then. The man then added that the boy could come back to the room for his shower after he ate. That put a smile on Phillip’s face.

‘Dad’ Ken then told the boy that they’d discuss what they’d do on Sunday after they got back from the amusement park. Phillip thanked his ‘dad’ for telling him what he could expect.

It wasn’t long after the two talked about their trip that they came close to the airport and Phillip began looking out the limo’s windows at the airplanes flying around the airport. It wouldn’t be long before the two would be flying up to the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

Darrin and Matthew were on the school bus going home to The Cove without their ‘brother’, Phillip, that Friday afternoon. Darrin told Matthew that it felt strange not to have him there after he’d been there each and every day, up until then.

Matthew didn’t say anything in response. What was going through his mind was the fact that his ‘dad’ was gone, again. He never liked it when Mr. Ken left The Cove and even though he was working with Doctor Doug on why he always felt that way, he still didn’t like it, when his ‘dad’ was away.

Upon getting home, the two Covers went immediately to the Kitchen Nook to have Momma’s afterschool snack. As they ate, even Momma commented that it seemed different with Phillip gone.

The two Covers talked, as they ate, about what they had planned for the weekend. Matthew told Darrin that he would spend most of Saturday and Sunday training Mr. Price’s pups. Darrin asked him what Max would be doing. Matthew explained that Max would help him on Sunday, and he left it at that.

Matthew then asked Darrin what heand Terran would do. The teen Cover explained that their other friends would also be over on Sunday and they would either skate, play the Pavilion games and then go swimming, or a mixture of all of those.

Darrin then asked Matthew if he thought they could go swimming Saturday night when Max and Terran are there. The soon-to-be-teenager thought about that for a few moments and agreed that it would be fun to do, as they hadn’t been swimming much at night. Matthew added that he’d bet that their other ‘brothers’ would join in and it could be fun if they played some games, too.

Mr. Ken and Phillip arrived at their hotel sometime after five o’clock and they just beat the rush hour traffic. They took about twenty minutes to get settled and then they went out for dinner. Game time was at 7:30, but Mr. Ken wanted them to be at the arena by 6:45, so Phillip could walk around and see what the place looked like before they want to their seats.

In order to do that, the foster dad asked Phillip if it was okay if they stopped at a fast-food restaurant for dinner, so that it wouldn’t take too long to get their food and then, they wouldn’t then be rushed to eat in order for them to be able to get to the game, so they could check out the place.

Phillip was all for that, telling his ‘dad’ that he didn’t want a big sit-down meal anyway and eating at the golden arches, or where the burger was king, or even where they say they have the ‘meat’ was OK with him, if he got to spend some time walking around seeing what the Americana Airlines Center looked like from the inside. So, that’s what the Cover’s did.

Dinner at The Cove was a simple one that Friday evening with Mr. Ken and Phillip gone. Momma Maria fixed the ‘family’ a cheesy Mexican lasagna made with a seasoned beef mixture layered between corn tortillas and a blend of jack and cheddar cheese.

Momma also served them a salad with their favorite dressings as well as a few Mexican side dishes of refried beans and Mexican rice mixed with onions, fresh tomatoes, peas and corn. There were also chips and salsa on the table before hand, as if they were at a restaurant. This was another night that the Covers had a wonderful Mexican meal that their ‘dad’ missed.

After dinner, Mr. Wayne, along with Mr. Dennis, so he got another example of how the evening went, in case he ever was asked to fill in, held the usual meeting in the Study. The Estate Master went over who had an appointment next week, Darrin with Doctor Doug, and what was planned for The Cove for the next few weeks, which was quite a bit.

Mr. Wayne reminded the boys that Robert and Eric would be cutting and trimming the field on Monday and that Matthew would be training Mr. Price’s two pups from Chief’s litter on Saturday and Sunday, from 10 o’clock until whenever. He added that their ‘dad’ requested that they clean the restrooms before everyone leaves on Monday.

Mr. Wayne then covered that Mr. Ken and Phillip would return late Sunday night with Mr. Ken then leaving for his IAAPA Expo Monday afternoon and returning Thursday evening. He reminded the boys that Ms. Kate and her family would arrive Friday afternoon and that the wedding was Saturday morning around eleven with the reception at one o’clock. He added that the band was supposed to arrive at twelve, noon, to set up and be ready as the guests begin arriving around one o’clock.

The Estate Master told the boys to be flexible during the week, as he did not know if their ‘dad’ was going to want to take Ms. Kate and the boys to either Six Flags, or SeaWorld. But he told them that he’d bet on the latter, as they’d been to Six Flags not too long ago. The man also reminded the boys to ask their friends not to come to The Cove on Saturday nor on Thanksgiving Day, as that would be considered a ‘Family Day’.

After Mr. Ken and Phillip had eaten, their driver took them to the American Airlines Center, where the night’s game between the Dallas Mavs and the Houston Rockets was being held and dropped them off. The driver told Mr. Thomas to call him when the game was over and he’d pick them up at the same place.

As the two Covers walked towards the arena Phillip was in awe at the size of the facility and everything that was happening outside the building. The boy looked right and then left and then back and forth to each side taking it all in. He couldn’t believe everything that he saw.

Then when they walked into the building, Mr. Ken had them walk over to the Will Call Window to pick up their tickets. It took the foster dad a few minutes to verify who he was and for then to print the tickets and hand them over. Mr. Ken then handed Phillip his ticket for when they went through the turnstile in order to enter the arena.

Phillip looked at the ticket and saw they were seated in Section 216 and he couldn’t believe the price he saw – $419.00. He told himself that he was keeping that ticket as a memento of that night’s game. And when he went through the turnstile, the boy put the ticket in his pocket and patted to make sure it stayed there.

As the Covers walked around the Plaza Concourse level, Phillip remarked to his ‘dad’ that they could have come there for dinner. There were multiple Pizza Huts, and they could have gotten hot dogs or hamburgers and there was a Tex-Mex place as well, along with several other eateries they could have gotten something for dinner

After fully walking around the lowermostlevel, Mr. Ken decided he wanted to see where their seats were located. So, the two made their way up to the Platinum Level where their seats were and they located Section 216. Mr. Ken also took notice that the restrooms weren’t too far away.

The Covers then decided to check out the uppermost levels to see what else there was to see. They saw that the Flagship and Admiral Levels had only access to seating, but when they arrived at the Terrace Level, they saw there were more places where they could have gotten something to eat.

“‘Dad’, there’s more Pizza Huts up here and hot dog and burger places, too. And they also sell soft pretzels, up here, too. Geeze, I wish we knew that, as I would have liked to have eaten here instead of what we had,” offered the youngster, with a big smile on his face.

At the end of their meeting, Darrin told Mr. Wayne that his friend, Terran, would be spending Saturday night and then Matthew also told the man that his friend, Max, would also be spending the same night at The Cove. Charles then spoke up and told the Estate Master that his friend, Cooper, would be spending Sunday night.

Billy then told Mr. Wayne that he hadn’t heard from any of his friends, as they all had part-time jobs and tonight was when they got their next week’s schedules. The oldest teenager continued and remarked that the first one who called would be the one he would ask to spend either Saturday or Sunday night. The two men chuckled at the way the older teen was handling the situation.

When the meeting was over, Darrin asked his ‘brothers’ if they would swim with them tomorrow night when Terran and Max are there. The teen reasoned that they don’t seem to use the indoor pool very much and with their friends over it would be nice to do something like that with all of them together. Billy said that it sounded like fun and that he would join them. Robert and Charles agreed with what the older Cover boy said, and stated that they would like to do that, too.

Mr. Wayne did stop and talk with Matthew about his being ready for tomorrow and training Mr. Price’s puppy. Matthew said that he wasn’t going to do anything different than he’s been doing with training the other pups and that he was going to ask the man not to be there for the first few hours, as he didn’t want the pup to be distracted by his presence.

Mr. Wayne asked the almost teenager what he would do if Mr. Price insists that he watch. Matthew then told the man that he would politely ask the owner not to hover over him or interrupt him in his training methods, as he has developed his own way to get the pups to listen to him.

Mr. Wayne then reminded the boy that Bruce Price was supposed to be there at around ten o’clock and that he should be ready with his leash and treats. Matthew smiled and said that he would be.

The basketball game between the Mavs and the Rockets was something new and exciting for Phillip. The seats they had looked straight down onto the court at one end’s basket, which gave them a good view of the action.

Also, being at the game, gave Phillip a better perspective of the intensity of the fan interaction during the game and even he got involved with yelling at good plays. Ken Thomas, the foster dad watched his foster son become a different person as he screamed and yelled along with the crowd. He saw the smile on the boy’s face and saw the enthusiasm the boy showed and he knew that the cost of three-day trip was worth all the money in the world to him.

When the game was over, it took the limo driver almost forty minutes to get through all the traffic in order to pick the Covers up where he said that he would. Then Mr. Ken asked Phillip if he wanted to get something to eat.

The youngster told his ‘dad’ that he thought that he had enough to eat during the game and that if he ate anything else, that he would burst. The boy then slid over to the man and hugged him for taking him to the game and as he did, he began to cry.

Mr. Ken hugged the boy and let him cry. Then when Phillip had stopped his crying, the man asked the boy why he was crying. Phillip told him that he never knew what it was like to have a ‘dad’, a real dad, that is, and tonight he felt like he had one and he realized that when he goes back to living with his mother again, he will miss everything that he has there with him and his ‘brothers’ at The Cove.

“Phillip,” began Mr. Ken, “you are a Cover. And just like Mark … you will be involved with the things that we do. So, please don’t fret too much at your leaving The Cove and your ‘brothers’ and going back to living with your mom, again.”

Then Mr. Ken pulled the boy closer to him and hugged him to let him know that he was loved and will be loved wherever he is.

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

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