Published: 18 Jun 2026
From the Previous Chapter:
Mr. Ken saw the playfulness in what and how the teen said what he did. So, the man pulled Darrin to him, messed up his hair and then hugged him. He then told the teen that he might have to help his other ‘brothers’ with their Christmas Lists and then laughed. Mr. Ken then told the teen to make sure he drained his dragon before going to bed, and to sleep well.
As he sat on the edge of his king-sized bed, Ken Thomas looked back on the day and was happy at the way it went. He was looking forward to tomorrow and another day with his ‘boys’. He then turned off the lights and went to sleep. Everyone in The Cove would soon be fast asleep.
Ken Thomas woke up to a very sunny Sunday. He quickly took his shower, dressed and then went out to the Kitchen Nook to place 21 breakfast tacos in the convection oven and set the timer before going outside to retrieve his Sunday newspaper.
Once back inside, the man put the newspaper at the table where he usually sat and then went back over to fill his favorite cup with coffee that was made earlier in the automatic coffee maker. He took the cup over to the table, put it down, sat down and then proceeded to take the newspaper out of the protective sleeve, separate it, as was his habit, and then Mr. Ken began reading through the large bundle beginning at Section A, World News.
The boys began filtering into the Nook close to nine o’clock and upon smelling the breakfast tacos, they first said good morning to their ‘dad’ and then they thanked him for fixing the tacos for them. Of course, Darrin and Matthew took care of fixing Chief and Sarge’s first meal of the day before they sat down to their three breakfast tacos.
As the boys ate, Phillip asked his ‘dad’ when would they begin putting the train up. The older boys smiled at their ‘brother’s’ excitement at putting Mr. Ken’s American Flyer train under the Christmas tree.
‘Dad’ Ken told the young Cover that they could start doing that as soon as they all finished eating and they had cleaned up the Kitchen. He told Robert he could find all of the parts and pieces in the closet of the extra room off the Master Bedroom.
He told the older boys that they’ve seen how the train was installed before, so they should be able to put the train under the tree with no problems. He told them to let Phillip place the track parts under the back part of the tree, as he’s small enough to be able to crawl back there. Hearing that put a smile on the youngster’s face.
After that little discussion about the installation of the train, the boys didn’t eat any faster, but they didn’t eat any slower, either. They did talk about what they had planned to do after the train was installed. Darrin did ask Mr. Ken if he could bring his friends in to show them the decorations and the train. And Phillip reminded his ‘dad that he had to be at Four Corners by five-thirty.
‘Dad’ Ken told the boys that if they do bring their friends in to see the decorations and the train for them not to trounce all over the house. Phillip then asked if they could show their friends what they got to decorate their rooms with. ‘Dad’ Ken smiled and asked if they wouldn’t want to wait until they had their rooms all decorated first. The boys had to think about that one.
Robert and Charles went to the small room, off their dad’s master retreat, and got out the track, switches, transformer and wires they would need to set up the train layout. They would go back later and get the train, rolling stock and Plasticville buildings.
Since the older boys knew what the train layout looked like, they described what was needed to be done to Darrin and Phillip. They then gave a bunch of tracks to Phillip, but first they showed him how to put the track pieces together, so when he was in the back section of the platform, he would know what he was to do.
Phillip watched how to assemble the track pieces, tried it himself and then he climbed onto the platform, making sure he didn’t disrupt the Christmas tree or knock off any of the ornaments, where he would put the track pieces together. The young Cover did what he was asked to do and he assembled track slowly and slid it forward to where his ‘brothers’ were waiting to attach more pieces.
It didn’t take too long for the six boys to assemble the train layout, including the section that used the switches. After that they had to power up the track. Robert took care of that, but he made sure to not only show Matthew and Darrin what he was doing, but he explained why it was wired the way it was. He also showed them the wiring diagram that their ‘dad’ had created for them to follow. That was in case they got the chance to do it next year.
While Robert, Matthew and Darrin wired the train layout, Charles, Billy and Phillip went up to where the ‘S’-Gauge American Flyer train, rolling stock and Plasticville buildings where stored and brought it all down to the Great Room.
The three boys placed all the train pieces on the floor next the platform, and Charles took the engine out of its protective box and showed Phillip how to place the American Flyer Hudson 4-6-4 Steam Engine on the tracks. The teenager also explained to his younger ‘brother’ that the 4-6-4 meant that there were four leading wheels, six power, or drive wheels and four trailing wheels.
Once the Hudson was on the tracks, Charles asked Robert if the track was ‘live’ yet; to see if the train would run. But since it wasn’t yet, Phillip asked the teen, “Charles … ahhh, what are we going to get our ‘dad’ for Christmas? I mean he’s going to be buying all of us a bunch of stuff, so shouldn’t we, you know … shouldn’t we be buying him something, too?”
The question caught Charles off guard. It wasn’t as though he didn’t want to buy his dad a Christmas present, it was that he hadn’t thought about it yet. But with it being brought up by Phillip, and with all of the boys being together, he thought that it was the perfect time to ask the questions of them all.
“Hey, everybody,” called out Charles, while looking to see if his dad was anywhere nearby, “Phillip … he just asked me if we’re going to buy our ‘dad’ a Christmas present?”
All the boys looked at Charles and then they all stared talking back-and-forth between themselves. But the teen told them to not talk so loudly, as he didn’t want their ‘dad’ to hear what they were talking about.
Robert said that they should buy him something. It was Darrin who spoke up and asked, “But what do you buy a man who can buy himself anything that he wants?”
Matthew answered his ‘brother’s’ question by saying, “You’re looking at it! We get him more train stuff. You should have seen him … you know … how he reacted when he got some of the train cars when the twins were here, and when Mr. Wayne gave him the Plasticville buildings.”
Then Robert and Charles told their ‘brothers’ what they saw when their dad received anything for his train. They told their ‘brothers’ that for a man who could buy himself anything, the American Flyer train pieces are something that he would probably love to get more of as they don’t make them anymore.
“But how do we get something that they don’t make anymore?” now asked Phillip.
Billy spoke up and told the youngest Cover that they get on the internet and see who has any of it for sale, and, if they are local, we go there buy it for him. It was Darrin who then asked how did they pay for it, as he didn’t have any money.
Robert spoke up as said that he gets money for cutting the field. Billy said that he earned money last year for pressure washing the estate walls and driveway. Charles told his ‘brothers’ that he hasn’t earned any money, but has money that his dad gave him that he hasn’t spent. Phillip then told his ‘brothers’ that he finally got his first paycheck from working at Four Corners, and that he cashed it and that he has $100.00 he can use.
“But what do we get him?” again asked the youngest Cover.
With the discussion over, Robert turned the power on to the track to see if they had wired it correctly. When he did, the train began to slowly move along the track. The teen let the train go around the entire layout and then he threw the switch to see if they had power on that part, too.
With the track fully energized, the boys added all of the rolling stock and they let the train go around the entire layout. Phillip went looking for their ‘dad’ to let him know that his train was working. The man came down to the Great Room with the youngster and he had a big smile on his face as he watched the train go around the track and go safely through the switch.
“What about the Plasticville buildings? Are you boys going to place them out on the platform, too?” now asked ‘dad’ Ken.
The boys said that they were, but they wanted to make sure the train was working perfectly before they placed the buildings on the platform. The boys then got them out of their boxes and began putting them together and then they positioned them along the track right-of-way.
When it was all finished, ‘dad’ Ken thanked all of the boys for putting the train layout together. He told them that a train under a Christmas tree makes it seem more like a home for him. The man then gave each boy a hug for doing the ‘heavy’ lifting to get the layout setup and working. He then told them to bring him their Christmas List when they come down after getting cleaned up for the day.
When the boys went up for their showers and to get ready for the day, it was already twelve-thirty. Their friends had already arrived and were waiting for them up at the Pavilion, but the Covers had text them and told them what they were doing, and that they’d be up there when they were finished.
Matthew and Darrin joined Phillip in his bathroom in order to speed up getting ready for their day. They talked about what they did to get the train layout set up and Darrin and Phillip were the most vocal as they’d never done anything like that, ever, before and they both had enjoyed the new experience. Matthew chuckled and told them to wait and see what a mess there is when all of the Christmas decoration come down.
The boys gathered together before going up to the Pavilion in order to talk a little more about what they could buy their ‘dad’ for Christmas. Billy told them that he’d done a quick check on the internet and he saw that rolling stock pieces are all in $25.00 to $60.00 range.
The oldest teen then added that engines, like diesel switchers, were in the $250.00 to $350.00 range and Plasticville buildings ranged between $25.00 and $85.00 each, but that he also saw one for $400.00.
The boys agreed to talk about it some more later, and that they were not to talk about what they were thinking about buying their ‘dad’ for Christmas with their friends. They quickly headed down to the golf carts and then up to the Pavilion.
It was a typical Sunday for the Cover boys. They skated with their friends, had the barbeque and then some of them swam. The only difference was that Phillip had to go down to the house to get ready for his gig at Four Corners before his friends left at five o’clock.
Then, while the security guard drove Phillip to the Four Corners Amusement Park, ‘dad’ Ken talked to the remaining boys to see where they wanted to go out for dinner. The boys all wanted to go the Four Corners Diner and then they wanted to go over and watch and listen to Phillp and his band.
Of course, after eating, the boys did go over to the amusement park and watch Phillip and his band play, but only for a few minutes. They then talked their ‘dad’ into letting them ride a few rides and then play some of the games. But afterwards ‘dad’ Ken, to the boy’s dismay, wouldn’t let them drive the Go-Karts. Although they did stop for ice cream at Mr. Ken’s Kreamy Kone Ice Ceram store before heading home.
On Sunday’s the band only plays until nine o’clock at the Four Corner’s Amusement Park, so Phillip was home, in time, in order for ‘dad’ Ken to hold a quick meeting. During their usual get together before bed, the man asked the boys what they had decided about visiting his amusement parks during the Holidays. They told their ‘dad’ that they wanted to visit all five during the week between Christmas and the New Year.
‘Dad’ Ken looked at the calendar and told them that they’d leave on the 26th and return sometime the afternoon of the 31st, the day of the New Year’s Eve Party. Mr. Ken hemmed and hawed as he looked at the dates and then told the boys that he has a problem with them doing all five parks in one trip.
Hearing that they might wind up having to do two trips, the boys began to moan about all the traveling they’d have to do and miss being with their friends. ‘Dad’ Ken smiled at what he was hearing, but he reminded them that there is way too much to get done and check before the largest party of the year at The Cove and that he was not going to return home the day of that party.
‘Dad’ Ken did offer the boys an alternative. He told the boys to choose which three parks they would want to visit between Christmas and the New Year and then they could stay home while he visited the remaining ones and any of them who wanted to go along with him could.
Robert asked his dad when did he need to know which parks they wanted to visit. The dad thought about that for a few moments and asked his son to let him know by Tuesday so, Mr. Chris could make the arrangements for both weeks. He then reminded the boys that Kate, Edith, Rusty and Jessy would also being going along with them on both trips.
The boy’s ‘dad’ did thank them for their Christmas Lists, before sending them up to get ready for bed.
After saying goodnight to the boys, Mr. Ken sat on his king-sized bed thinking of what was ahead of him that coming week. He hoped that the three lawsuits could be finalized and that maybe he would hear something about his offer to buy the property right next to his Four Corners Amusement Park. With that all thought through, the man turned off the lights and he went to sleep. The Covers slept soundly the whole night through.
The owner of The Cove woke up at his usual school day time, that Monday morning, in order that he would be out in the Kitchen Nook to see the boys off to school. He did his usual preparations to get ready for his being ‘dad’ before walking out to the Nook where he knew Momma Maria would have his morning newspaper and hot coffee ready.
Darrin, Matthew and Phillip were down first, since their school bus picked them up earlier than the high school boys. Darrin and Matthew took care of fixing Chief and Sarge’s first meal before sitting down to a Momma breakfast.
As the boys ate, Darrin told his foster dad that he wanted to go along with him when he went to his other amusement parks. The teen told the man that since he’d since never been to any of the parks, he wanted to see what all of his amusement parks looked like. Even Phillip told his ‘dad’ that he also wanted to go along, saying he loved all of the different rides, and he wanted to see how far along they were in building the new roller coasters.
Matthew was non-committal at this time and told his ‘dad’ that he would know if he wanted to go along the closer that they got to going. ‘Dad’ Ken smiled and told the boy that he would be happy to have him along.
The conversation at the breakfast table was slightly different when the high school boys came down for breakfast. After the three teenagers said good morning to their ‘dad’ and Momma Maria, they also gave Chief and Sarge some ‘lovin’ before eating their Momma breakfast.
‘Dad’ Ken told the teens that Darrin and Phillip have agreed to go with him when he travels to the other two parks after the New Year. None of the teens spoke up saying that they were interested in going along with him and their ‘brothers’. All ‘dad’ Ken said was that he’ll miss their company as he visits the last parks.
Since it was a Monday, at the office, Ken Thomas held his morning meeting which gave him an update on what was happening in in all of his local businesses. But the report that he was always more interested in was what was happening out at the Four Corners Amusement Park.
After all of the Group Managers had given their reports, Ms. Jackie, (Jacqueline Kromiere), Mr. Ken’s Projects Manager, talked about what was happening out at Four Corners. Her report included how far along the railroad station was toward completion, what the train installation company had accomplished with stabilizing what track they had already installed and that the new fence was completed to the point where it would be completed during the parks down-time after the New Year.
With the main meeting over, Mr. Ken told everyone that they could go back to their offices, but they all wanted to hear what Emilio Ramirez, the Three Finger Real Estate Group Manager had to say, since Mr. Ken asked him to wait until the very end.
“Emilio,” began Mr. Thomas, “it’s been a week since I had you write up a contract to buy that property right next to Four Corners. What have you heard, if anything, on my offer to buy the property next to the amusement park?”
Emilio looked at his employer and reported, “Mr. Thomas … my contact with the owner told me that offer was reasonable, but he wasn’t sure if the owner was ready to sell. He told me that he would know sometime this week if they would accept the contract, present a counter-offer, or reject it outright. Until then, I have nothing else to report.”
Mr. Ken was disappointed at what he heard. Then he reminded everyone in the room that what they hear in those meetings were ‘company secrets’ and not to be discussed with anyone including spouses and significant others, especially that last item.
Then, before he adjourned the meeting, he asked Ben, Nelson and the Construction/Design Group and the Architect Group Managers to meet with him in his office.
At school that morning, Darrin told his friends that Mr. Ken told them last night they would be doing two trips to visit his amusement parks, instead of just one, because he doesn’t want to return the day of his biggest party of the year, the New Year’s Eve party.
The Cover’s friends asked what that would mean for them and Darrin told them that he would be gone for at least three to four days after Christmas and two to three days after the New Year.
The Cover added that since he’s never been to any of his foster dad’s parks it could be longer and from what he also learned, when he and his ‘brothers’ were away, was that while he was gone, they wouldn’t be allowed to stop by The Cove. The boys all moaned after hearing that.
The boys then decided to change the topic and they began to talk about what they were all asking for Christmas. Darrin told his friends that he gave Mr. Ken the List they helped him complete, but after that he doesn’t know what he’ll get for Christmas. He told them that he will be happy with anything and everything that he gets, as it will be more than he has now, because he had lost it all during the fire.
The Cover then told his friends that Mr. Ken’s fiancée and her family will also be at the Cove for the Holidays and that his first trip will begin the day after Christmas and that the second trip will probably start on the second of January. Again, Darrin’s friends weren’t too happy that they wouldn’t be able to come by The Cove while he was gone.
As Mr. Ken returned to his office, he had messages from Bill Jackson and Stewart Russell. It was well after ten o’clock when he received the messages, but with the four men stopping by his office he didn’t think he had ample time to call them back and have a decent conversation, so he decided that he’d call them after his meeting.
When the four men came to his office, Mr. Ken had them all sit down to discuss the potential for a new Four Corners Operations building. He had already assigned them to come up with a plan for a two-story facility, with a possible basement, and he wanted to know how far along they were.
“Men … even though Emilio hasn’t gotten any word back on my contract to buy the adjacent 8+ acre property to Four Corners, I want us to still press forward with the operations building plans. And, if Ben hasn’t already told you, I also want to build a 5-level parking garage that covers 3, or more, of those acres that will hold upwards of 1000 to 1250 cars.
“The remaining space will be devoted to parking large vehicles and disabled parking which could possibly hold upwards of another 300 to 350 cars, giving us space, plus or minus, for around 1,250 to 1700 cars total that we will need if the demand continues to grow for the park, which I believe it will, with the additional rides Ben and I are planning. So, you all have your work cut out for you for when we get that land,” explained Ken Thomas.
So, with that offered, the five men got down to discussing what they had already begun to plan for the new building. The new wrinkle was the parking garage, but the Construction/Design and the Architect Groups knew that Mr. Thomas would want to use precast concrete forms which meant that the garage could be built more quickly than if the concrete was poured, set, and cured on-site. The five men spent the remaining morning deciding on where each major park operations section would be placed in the new building.
After lunch and a long phone call with Kate, who told him that she would FAX the boys Christmas List to his office, Ken Thomas decided to call Bill Jackson to find out what he had on his mind. The man learned that his lawyer was going to be meeting with Matthew’s mother, Grace Turnsten and her court appointed lawyer tomorrow, to inform her that they were going to ask the courts to terminate her parental rights.
Ken Thomas was happy to hear that. What he wasn’t happy to hear was that there would be a court hearing next week to formalize the termination and that Matthew would need to be present.
The foster dad learned that Grace’s lawyer would be given the chance to cross-examine her son and the two Sheriff Deputies, as to what happened in the bathroom that day. Bill told Mr. Ken that he’d call to let him know what day the court hearing would be.
Also, during their phone call, Bill Jackson told his client that the two television companies would have the paperwork ready on Wednesday for him to sign and that he would have their checks for him on Friday. That put a smile on Mr. Ken’s face.
Mr. Ken then called Stewart Russell to find out what he had on his mind. The lawyer told Mr. Ken that the construction company’s insurance carrier would be stopping by tomorrow afternoon with their checks and he would need to be there to sign the acceptance paperwork.
Mr. Russell then asked if he could deliver their final checks along with the television station ones at the same time on Friday. Mr. Ken had no problem with that.
With Monday just about over, Ken Thomas asked Rosemary if she was able to FAX that Christmas List over to Chris, whom knew to get it to his wife, Sandra, who would begin buying those additional gifts. Learning that she had, he sat back in his comfortable chair behind his big chairman’s type desk feeling that the day had been a productive one.
The man had his team on point for designing the operations building for the Four Corners Amusement Park, and three of the four items that he mulled around in his mind last night before going to bed were completed. He only wished that the owner of that property would relent and just sell the acreage to him.
It was then the phone on his desk rang. It was his secretary Rosemary telling him that Emilio was on the line for him.
“Emilio … I hope you have good news for me,” was how Ken Thomas answer the phone.
The two men talked and Mr. Ken learned that his offer for the adjacent property was being countered for a much higher price. Ken Thomas thought that the man was being ridiculous by asking such a high price for his property. So, he countered back with a lower price, but higher than what he had originally offered, because he really wanted, no he really needed that property. Emilio told his employer that he’d try to get back with him as soon as he could.
When the three younger Covers returned home from school, Phillip and Darrin went looking to see what new decorations had been put up. They really couldn’t tell what was new, only that there seem to be more of them.
It was while they were eating their afterschool snack and talking about them not being able to tell what new decorations had been put up that Momma told them when they finished their snack, they need to look in the Dining Room, the Study and the two guest restrooms off the Great Room. All three boys smiled at the telling.
When the older boys returned, they weren’t concerned about how many more Christmas decorations had been put up around The Clove. They had their afterschool snack and then Robert went to Mr. Wayne and asked if he could take the Kia out so he could practice driving backwards.
What the teenager didn’t know was that while he was getting permission to get the Kia out, Billy was getting the traffic cones out, so he could set up the back-up course Mr. Ken had him do.
Robert was totally surprised when he drove the Kia out of the Parking Corral only to see a dozen red traffic cones set up in a line and Billy motioning him, with his wiggling hands, to try the shalom course. Robert knew that Billy had to that with his dad and that he would eventually have do it, too.
So, the teen went and drove to the top of the driveway and began trying to back the Kia up through the traffic cones. He wasn’t any more successful than Billy was when he tried it, but this time he was doing it by himself. He eventually got to the bottom and then went back to the top and tried it again. The teen was still doing it when his dad came home from the office.
After dinner, dad Ken had his usual meeting in his Study. He did the review of what was going to happen at The Cove in the coming weeks and who had appointments, while the boys just smiled already knowing all that. Then, when the meeting was all over and the boys were heading up to their rooms to relax before bed, ‘dad’ Ken asked Matthew to stay back, as he wanted to talk to him.
The boys did what they usually do and they all began to filter back into the study.
“Boys … maybe Matthew … maybe he doesn’t want you to know why I want to talk to him. Did you ever consider that?” teased ‘dad’ Ken.
The boys looked at one another trying to decide what they should do, while Matthew sat down in his usual chair in the Study. ‘Dad’ Ken then asked Matthew if he wanted this ‘brothers’ to hear what he was going to talk to him about.
The new teen asked his ‘dad’ what it was about and when he heard it was about his mother, he told his ‘dad’ that it would be OK for his ‘brothers’ to hear what he had to say, as he would probably tell them about it later, anyway.
Once everyone was seated and settled, ‘dad’ Ken sat opposite Matthew and said, “Matthew,’ ‘son’ … I talked to Bill Jackson today. You know, my lawyer. Anyway, I told you he’s been working on trying to get your mother’s parental rights taken away.
“Well … tomorrow … he is going to the prison where she is housed and … well, he is going to serve her with the papers telling her that we are going to do that. (Matthew got a big smile on his face after hearing that.)
“And how are we going to do that, you may ask? You remember that day when she tried to kidnap you from Doctor Jennings office building? Well, Mr. Jackson … he talked to the Sheriff’s Deputies and they remembered what they saw, and heard what you said, when they found you and they have it in their report.
“Now … that is not all. His serving your mother with the papers tomorrow, is only the first step. Next week … next week there will be a court hearing where she will be and so … and so will you. I don’t have the date, as of yet, but I will let you know; when I know. Do you have any questions?”
Matthew’s smile had turned into tears falling from his eyes, which were also running down his cheeks. All of his ‘brothers’ saw them, but especially so did Darrin. The teen saw them, but he wasn’t sure what was making his ‘brother’ cry. He wondered if it was because his mom was in prison, or was it because they were going to take her parental rights away from her.
He knew the story about his ‘brothers’ biological dad, but he couldn’t remember if he heard the part that his mother tried to kidnap him, while he visited Doctor Doug. The teen was confused over it all, so he just decided to sit back and listen and hear what else he could gather.
Through his tears, Matthew asked his ‘dad’, “‘Dad’, does this mean that you … that you can now … can now adopt me?”
The question surprised Darrin, and he now knew he needed to listen more closely.
“Well, Matthew … this is only a first step. We do have to get past the court hearing, which should be no problem. Then there is all the paperwork and then there is that hard-nosed judge. Let’s see what’s his name? Oh, yea, Adam Richards.”
Hearing Adam Richards being called a hard-nosed judge made Robert and Charles laugh because that was the judge who made them sons of their dad.
Darrin remembered hearing the name Judge Adam Richards. That was the judge who Mr. Ken told him would be the one who would decide if he would go and live with his uncle, or not. He was concerned when he heard his foster dad called him hard-nosed. But what he didn’t hear was the way he said it, nor did he understand the laughter that was coming from Robert and Charles.
‘Dad’ Ken pulled Matthew to him and then hugged the new teenager. He told the teen that he will have to wait and see what happens in the days and months to come, but he would try to make it happen as soon as he could.
Hearing that ‘dad’ Ken was going to do what he could to eventually adopt him, made Matthew cry even more because this was the happiest, he has ever been. His ‘brothers’ saw him burst out crying, but it was only Robert and Charles who truly understood why.
The two teenagers then told Billy, Darrin and Phillip that their ‘brother’ was crying because, being adopted by their dad, was the thing that he wanted the most, out of anything in the world. They told their ‘brothers’ that they knew what his biological father did to him and what they might not know was that his mother told him that she would kill him when they got back together, because of what he told the police about her boyfriend who used to beat him mercilessly.
The teens added that Matthew hadn’t talked to the police, because they were there when Mr. Dan touched his back the night that they found their ‘brother’ at the old miniature golf course concession stand. The Cover teens told their three ‘brothers’ that they took him to the hospital to be treated.
Darrin now heard more of Matthew’s story, and so did Phillip. They were taken aback by what they heard about Matthew’s mother saying that she would kill her son when they got back together, because he supposedly talked to the police about what her boyfriend did to him. But what she didn’t know was that he really hadn’t, because it was the hospital who called the police to report the physical abuse.
The boys finally went up to their rooms, while Mr. Ken and Mr. Wayne talked before ‘dad’ Ken went up to say good night to the boys. The two men talked about the newest wrinkle of Matthew’s mother having her parental rights being taken away next week, and Matthew having to be in the courtroom.
Mr. Wayne then asked Mr. Ken how soon he would start the paperwork to adopt the new teen. The owner of The Cove and foster dad told the Estate Master that it would have to be sometime well after the Holidays as he would need to coordinate everything with Judy and then get a court date.
Wayne told his boss, tongue in cheek, that there was always something new and exciting happening at The Cove. The two had a good chuckle and then Wayne left to go to his apartment as ‘dad’ Ken went up to say good night to the boys.
‘Dad’ Ken started in Billy’s room as he usually did. What he told the teenager was that the three lawsuits that he told him about would be signed off that week and that he’ll have three checks to deposit on Saturday. Hearing that he’ll have more money to put away for a rainy day made the teenager smile. He then thanked his foster dad for doing all of that for him. The two hugged and the man went to talk to his two sons.
After talking to his sons, ‘dad’ Ken went to Matthew’s room next. There he assured the teen that he had been working behind the scenes all along, but he didn’t want to give him any false hopes if what Bill Jackson is doing tomorrow wouldn’t happen. Matthew thanked his ‘dad’ for now telling him that his mother will have her parental rights taken away, and there was the opportunity for him to be adopted by him.
‘Dad’ Ken told the teen that he still had to be patient, as the Holidays will delay any of that happening and that afterwards, he has to coordinate with Ms. Judy and go through a process, as he did with Robert and Charles before any adoption can proceed.
Matthew told his ‘dad’ that he didn’t care how long it took, as long as there was still the chance that he could be adopted by him and be his son. The two hugged and Mr. Ken then headed over to Phillip’s room.
In Phillip’s room, ‘dad’ Ken told the young Cover that the lawsuit with the construction company will be finalized that week and that on he will take him to the bank where they will eventually establish a Trust Fund Account for him.
Phillip asked his ‘dad’ if he could have some of that money to buy Christmas presents. The question caught the man off guard, but he quickly recovered and he told the boy that they would talk about how much he would need when they got to the bank. The two hugged before the foster dad went to visit with Darrin.
Darrin was waiting for his foster dad. He knew he would soon be there, as he heard him stopping at each of his ‘brothers’ rooms along the way. When the man entered his room, Darrin had a number of questions and they all had to do with his ‘brother’ Matthew.
He asked Mr. Ken the questions and the man told him that he really couldn’t go into the background of what he heard in the Study earlier. The man explained that it was up to the boy to reveal any of the specifics, as to what he heard, and that he had to go to Matthew and hope that he would answer those questions for him.
Darrin did ask Mr. Ken about Judge Richards and he wanted to know if the man really was hard-nosed. The question made the foster dad laugh, and he told the teen that Judge Adam Richards was an easy-going man and that he was the judge who did Robert and Charles’ adoptions.
Mr. Ken told Darrin that he was only joking when he called the man hard-nosed, and had said it for the boys who knew the man. The two shared a hug and the man headed down to his own retreat.
Ken Thomas got himself ready for bed and then sat on the edge of his bed before turning the lights off. He thought back to what happened that day and his only failure, as he looked at it, was that the property next to the Four Corners Amusement Park still wasn’t his. The good news there was that the owner had at least looked at his offer.
Mr. Ken soon decided to get to bed, so he turned off the lights and got under the covers. Before long everyone inside The Cove was fast asleep.
The saga of Three Finger Cove continues. Let Chowhound know you are reading his story: Chowhnd at Gmail dot Com
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