Published: 23 Jul 2026

From the Previous Chapter:

The courthouse hearing was upmost on his mind, particularly for what it meant for Matthew. He was hopeful that the judge would see that what Grace had done to her son was shameful and letting them get back together would be a very bad decision on his part.

The other item on his mind was that Kate would soon be there and they could spend almost two weeks together. He was really looking forward to that time together and that he would be able to show her to all of his important contacts and for her to meet everyone that she would eventually need to know, as to who they were.

After he’d done all the thinking he wanted to do, Ken Thomas turned off the lights in his bedroom and then got under the covers and went to sleep. It wasn’t long before the entire household was fast asleep.

It was the boys first day of their Holiday break, but Ken Thomas was still up at his school day time, as he and Matthew needed to be at the courthouse by nine o’clock.

So, when the alarm went off, the owner of The Cove got right out of bed, did what he normally did to get ready for his day and then he went out to the Kitchen Nook for his first cup of coffee and to read the morning newspaper.

“Good morning, Momma,” offered the woman’s employer.

“Goods mornings Misters Kens. Iess gots yours coffees readies, sos sits downs ands Iess brings its tos youses,” replied Momma Maria.

As Mr. Ken sat down, Momma brought over his favorite cup, set it down and then filled it with freshly brewed hot coffee. The man first blew on the hot brew, then he took a sip and after that he lifted the cup to the woman, which was his normal salute to her for taking such good care of him and his ‘boys’.

Before long, Matthew arrived in the Nook along with Sarge following right behind him. The teen quickly fixed the resident pet his first meal of the day, then he washed his hands and finally sat down to a Momma breakfast.

‘Dad’ and the teen talked some about what they hope to have happen later at the courthouse. Matthew was so hopeful that his mother would lose her parental rights to him that morning, but he was also afraid that everything would go wrong today. The teen had hoped for this day ever since he saw Charles get adopted by his foster dad. Now that the day was here, he also knew that everything could go against his wishes.

The teen’s mind was so jumbled with all the thoughts that were coursing through it, that ‘dad’ Ken saw that Matthew had this confused look on his face. He figured that today was going to be one of, if not the biggest day, in the young teen’s life, and he decided to just let the boy work through his demons, and hope that Bill Jackson can pull out the ‘win’ during the hearing today.

It was still early and with the boys off from school for the Holiday break, they would normally sleep-in until close to nine o’clock, when they had to be down for breakfast. But today they were all down by eight, as they all wanted to see their ‘brother’ off before he left for the courthouse.

“What brings you all down here so early?” teased ‘dad’ Ken.

The boys looked amongst themselves and it was Billy who spoke. “Mr. Ken … we all know how important today is for our ‘brother’, so we … well, we all wanted to be here to wish him good luck at today’s court hearing.”

Matthew got tears in his eyes when he heard what Billy had to say. And with that he went over to his older ‘brother’ and hugged him. That brought on a group hug that even Chief and Sarge got involved in.

‘Dad’ Ken let the hug linger on for as long as he could, before he told Matthew that they needed to get a move on. The boys reluctantly let their ‘brother’ go and before long the man and teen were out in the garage to drive over to the courthouse.

Once at the courthouse, Ken Thomas and Matthew Turnsten met with lawyer Bill Jackson to discuss how the lawyer planned to conduct the day’s hearing. Mr. Jackson explained to Matthew that his mother, Grace, had been informed about the hearing and why she was there. The lawyer added that her lawyer will try to have the hearing postponed for a variety of reasons, but that he was well prepared for all of them, and for Matthew to just sit back and watch and only speak when the judge asks him.

Looking at the time, the three got themselves ready for the hearing. Matthew excused himself and went to the men’s restroom to get rid of some excess fluids, and to wash his face and hands to try to calm himself down, as he would be seeing his mother for the first time since her trial so many, many months ago.

Matthew met his ‘dad’ and Mr. Jackson in the courtroom and the three of them sat at the table waiting for the judge to arrive. They talked some more about what was about to happen, and before long the bailiff called out, “All rise!”

The judge walked in, ascended the court’s bench and sat down. He told everyone to be seated and then he looked over some papers, and before long he announced, “The reason for today’s hearing is to determine if the parental rights of Grace Turnsten are to be terminated for her son Matthew Turnsten.

“Are the petitioner’s here?” asked the judge. Bill Jackson rose up and said that they were.

“Is the biological parent present?” now asked the judge. The court appointed lawyer stood and said that she was, but he continued and added that they contested the hearing, as his client wasn’t given sufficient time in order to formulate a defense.

Bill Jackson immediately stood up and objected to what the defense lawyer had to say. He told the court that he has been in contact with Grace Turnsten ever since her incarceration talking to her about her voluntarily consenting to relinquishing her parental rights to her son, Matthew.

The judge quickly asked Grace if that was true that the lawyer had been in contact with her about her giving up her rights to her son. Grace stood and told the judge that he was only there once or twice.

Bill Jackson, who was still standing, spoke up, “Your honor … I have copies of the visitor’s log showing that I have visited Grace Turnsten a total of fourteen times over the past two years in order to try to convince her to give up her parental rights to Matthew.”

The judge asked to look at the visitors logs and after a few moments of looking over the papers, he announced to everyone that he was going to continue with the hearing.

Since the Cover boys were all up, Momma Maria began fixing them their breakfast. Darrin took care of getting Chief her first meal of the day, then he washed his hands. But Sarge was ready for a treat by then and the resident pet pestered Darrin for something and eventually the teen gave in and got one out for him.

As the boys ate their hot breakfast, they all talked about what they thought was happening at the courthouse that morning. All of them, with the exception of Phillip, had been to court at least once, and they all offered their opinions.

Momma loved it when the boys talked in front of her. It was really the only way she found out what was going on at The Cove, even though Chris and Wayne filled her in on what they knew.

The thing was that when the boys talked, they elaborated, or expounded, on what was going on around The Cove and today they were talking about what they thought their ‘brother’ Matthew might be going through at the courthouse.

Billy, being the oldest, went first saying that he figured their ‘brother’ was sitting there listening to all the adults talking, and never asking him what he thought. Darrin told his ‘brothers’ that he’d only been to court once and he didn’t like what he experienced and he wasn’t looking forward to the fifth of January when he had to go back.

Robert told his ‘brothers’ that both his mother and father had given up their parental rights before his adoption hearing and then at his adoption hearing his good-for-nothing uncle came in trying to stop it only wanting the money he thought his nephew had.

Charles, though, had been through what Matthew was going through that very morning, and he told his ‘brothers’ that. He then told them a little of what happened at his adoption hearing.

The Cover teen told his ‘brothers’ how his mother had tried to stop the hearing right from the start complaining that she wasn’t given adequate time to prepare. He told them how Mr. Jackson had these tapes of them talking about her giving up her parental right. But, again, his mom said that there were no such tapes.

Charles told his ‘brothers’ how the lawyer then brought out these tapes of their conversations. The teen told them how on the tapes his mother told Mr. Jackson that he was the cause of all of her troubles. The teen added that she said that she knew that he had called the cops on her, and then he testified against her in court and that there was no way she was going to give up my parental rights to that son of a bitch.

It was quiet for a few moments when Phillip raised his hand. Charles, seeing it, asked him what was his question. The youngest Cover quickly asked him if he really did call the cops on his mom and had he testified against her in court.

Charles smiled and defiantly said, “You’re damn right I called the cops. She was starving me and … and she was using drugs left and right. And if wasn’t for the neighbors I … I wouldn’t have anything to eat. And when it came time to testify in court, I told them all about how she and Smokey … how they were running the drugs throughout the county.”

“Mr. Jackson … are you ready to present?” asked the judge.

Bill Jackson stood up and told the judge that he was. The first thing he did was, he presented to the judge Matthew’s testimony at Grace Turnsten’s trial for multiple counts of child abuse, child endangerment, receiving stolen money, attempted kidnapping, unlawful restraint, aggravated kidnapping and indecency and sexual misconduct with a child.

The judge asked if the boy was present in the courtroom. Learning that Matthew was present, the judge told the lawyer that the boy may be asked to testify, again, later.

Bill Jackson then called his first witness, the arresting Sheriff’s Deputy from when they found Grace Turnsten in the women’s restroom closet holding Matthew with her one hand on his crotch and the other across his mouth.

The Deputy testified how they found Grace in the closet with her son and that Matthew told him that his mother told him that she was going to kill him D E A D whenever they got back together again.

Mr. Jackson’s second witness was the other Sheriff’s Deputy who was there when they found Matthew in the clutches of Grace Turnsten. The deputy also testified that he saw Grace Turnsten holding her son, Matthew, by the boy’s crotch and he, too, told the court that the boy blurted out that his mother told him that she was going to kill him when they got back together.

Bill Jackson then presented copies of both Sheriff’s Deputies’ reports of their arrest of Grace Turnsten to the judge as exhibits.

Grace’s court appointed lawyer tried to trip up the two Sheriff’s Deputies during his cross examination of them, but the men were seasoned deputies, who’d been on the force for many years, and were steadfast in what they saw and what they reported.

Charles’ revelation that his mom and a man named Smokey were running drugs in the county caused Darrin and Phillip to ask loads of questions. Charles had forgot that his two younger ‘brothers’ didn’t know that part of the why he was living at The Cove, so he answered their questions as best he could without revealing too much.

Darrin and Phillip thanked Charles for telling them that part about his life, and after the boys had finished their breakfast, they all headed up to get ready for their day.

When Phillip was showered and dressed, he came down to the Study looking for Mr. Dennis to see if he was there, as the man promised to take him out shopping for Christmas presents for his mother and grandmother. A few moments later, Darrin also came down to the Study, as he had asked if he could tag along, as he wanted to see more of the area.

And before long the three Covers were headed out to The Mall, so the youngest Cover could begin shopping for those Christmas presents for his loved ones.

The judge then asked for Matthew to take the stand.

The teen Cover reluctantly walked up to the witnessed stand and sat down. And being a youngster, he wasn’t required to take the oath, but the judge reminded him that it was his duty to tell the truth. Matthew said he understood.

Bill Jackson then asked Matthew to tell the court what transpired that day in the woman’s restroom closet.

Matthew explained how he went to the Men’s restroom, after talking with Doctor Jennings, and that his mother was waiting for him and took him to a far-off Woman’s restroom to talk to him.

Grace’s lawyer immediately stood up and objected, as he wanted to know who was this Doctor Jennings and why was Matthew talking to him.

Bill Jackson stood up and explained that Doctor Douglas Jennings was a child psychologist, that the foster father had Matthew seeing, to help the boy deal with the trauma of his beatings, and the fact that he was in the foster care system.

The judge asked the lawyer if he was satisfied with the answer and getting his approval the judge asked the young teen to continue. The teen Cover then told the court that he was surprised that his mom was there, as she was supposed to be getting supervised visits, but he added that she told him that she missed him and wanted to talk to him.

Matthew told how his mother told him not to tell anyone that she was there after he told her that she would get into trouble. The teen then said that he asked his mother how she knew he was there, and it was then that his mom told him, that she had him followed.

The Cover then shared with the court the entire scenario of events that had his mother take him into the closet in the Woman’s restroom, when they heard Mr. Wayne looking for him. Matthew continued and told the court how her boyfriend, Lincoln, used to beat him and then they left him at this miniature golf course, but after a long time they hadn’t come back for him.

As the teen continued with his story, he stated how he and his mom got into an argument over why she let Lincoln beat him and then how this man and his ‘sons’ bought him a hot dog and drink, but then his mother got really mad at him for taking the food and moving from the bench where they told him to stay at.

As the Cover moved through his story, the court learned how he was taken to the hospital when Mr. Dan touched his back and learned that he had been beaten and then afterwards, he was moved to his foster home.

Grace’s lawyer, again, stopped the testimony wanting who know who this Mr. Dan was. But this time Matthew told the man that Mr. Dan was Dan Fischer, a Sheriff’s Lieutenant who was his ‘dad’s’ friend.

And then again, the lawyer stopped the testimony, as he wanted to know why the boy was in the foster care system if he was with his dad.

Here, again, Matthew took the question and told the man that he called his foster dad, Mr. Ken Thomas, ‘dad’, as all his ‘brothers’ did in the house. And the teen’s use of the word ‘brother’ got the lawyer up in another tizzy, as he wanted to know who these brothers were and where did they come from.

Bill Jackson immediately stood up and told the public defender that Mr. Ken Thomas is the foster dad who had two adopted sons and has four foster sons in his household and that all the boys call one another ‘brother’, as it was easier for them to explain it to people who ask.

The judge asked the lawyer if he was satisfied with the answer he was given. The public defender said that he was and then the judge told the public defender to stop interrupting the witness and for him to hold his questions until the time Matthew was finished with his testimony.

The lawyer apologized for all of the interruptions and said that he would withhold his questions until the end.

The three Covers walked into The Mall and Phillip asked Mr. Dennis where he should start looking for something to buy for his mother and grandmother. The older man suggested that they begin at the larger department stores, and if he knows what he is looking for they would talk to the sales ladies for some specific help. And that was they did.

Phillip’s first stop was where they sold the broaches. He looked at what they offered, but he wasn’t too sure if they were what he wanted. His next stop was down in the perfume section.

The sales lady talked to Mr. Dennis, thinking he was the one searching for the right perfume for his lady. But the man told the woman that it was Phillip who was looking for something for his mother and grandmother and that she should talk to him.

The woman smiled and then she began to spray some different perfumes onto pieces of card stock, so the youngster could smell them. But after the boy smelled four different ones he was totally confused and told her that he couldn’t remember what the first one now smelled like.

The three Covers then headed to a different department store, where Phillip looked not only at broaches and perfumes, but he also looked at scarfs. It was the scarfs that he really liked and he bought one each for his mother and grandmother.

But the young Cover still wanted to buy them one more present. He did go back to the perfumes and he asked Darrin to help him, as he knew what his mother liked, so he was hoping the older teen could help him. The two boys smelled the perfumes once more and Phillip selected one that they both liked.

Now all the youngster needed to buy was a present for his grandmother. He talked with Mr. Dennis and he asked the man what his wife liked. The man was surprised at the question, but he quickly recovered and said that he’d bet that his grandmother would love to be pampered and that a spa certificate would be a nice touch.

The Cover’s next stop was the Spa there in The Mall. The lady at the Spa explained to Phillip about the many different types of Spa treatments that they offered, which only confused the eleven-year-old. So, the youngster asked her what would a grandmother enjoy having done. Thirty minutes later, Phillip’s Christmas present shopping was done.

Once he was given the go ahead by the judge, Matthew explained that his mother didn’t want to hear that he called the other boys in the foster home his ‘brothers’ and they argued some more over the simple term of the boys calling one another ‘brother’.

The teen explained that his mother got really mad at him and then she wanted to know what he told the police about Lincoln and when he told her that he didn’t have to tell them anything because once they saw his back they knew he’d been beaten. And then they got into another argument.

Matthew said that after that argument, his mother began to yell at him some more and that he began to cry from the way he was being treated by his mom. And then his mother demanded to know how they got her picture. The teen told how Mr. Ken had video cameras at the miniature golf course where she dropped him off, and that they must have gotten it from there.

The Cover then told the court how they then argued over what he had in his pocket and that she wanted to know if he had a phone. He explained how he told his mom that all he had was his school I.D. and that he had no money, and a coin that his ‘dad’ gave him, which started another argument, with his mother telling him that he had NO dad and that he had run away from them. But Matthew said he told his mom that his dad didn’t run away from him, but that he ran away from her, and that what he said, earned him another smack across his face.

The teen said that after that he tried to run away, but that his mom had him blocked in the restroom closet and that was the only door. He said it was then that his mother demanded that he give her the coin because she thought it was worth a lot of money, but he said he wouldn’t give it to her and it was then that they both heard the Estate Master, Wayne Mitchell, calling for him.

Matthew said that was when she held her hand over his mouth, because she didn’t want him to reveal where they were and then a few moments later they both heard different voices, which he said were the Sheriff’s Deputies, who were brought in to help in the search for him.

The Cover went on to say that his mother was now frantic and demanded that he tell her how they knew they were in the building and then she told him that she would strangle him right there if he didn’t tell her. He said he told her that they knew that he was still there, as he had no way to go home.

Matthew then told the court how his mother told him that when they stop looking for him on that floor, that they we’re going to go down the fire escape and get into her car. He added that she threatened him that if he yelled that when they finally get together again, he was DEAD and then she spelled the word out, D-E-A-D, to him.

The teen said that as they waited for the searchers to leave, they heard Mr. Wayne open the Woman’s restroom door and call out that if he was in there, and if he was hurt to call out, or bang on something.

Matthew now mentioned that it was then that he decided he had to fight his mom and hope Mr. Wayne would help him get away. He stated that he pushed himself against his mom in that small closet where they were hiding and that made a loud noise, but it unfortunately also caused his mom to start to beat on him.

But with her hand now off his mouth, the teen said that he began to yell for Mr. Wayne to help him, but the man didn’t come. Matthew continued and said that a few moments later there was a different voice that yelled something like, “Sheriff’s Deputy, come out with your hands up!”

The teen said that he yelled, “Help me!”, but his mother hit him as hard as she could in that small enclosure, and it was then that the closet door was pulled open and all he saw were two Sheriff Deputies with their guns pointed at him and his mother. Matthew said that his mom had her hand across his mouth and her other hand on his crotch squeezing his ‘boy parts’, in order to keep him quiet.

By the time Matthew Turnsten finished his tale, he was in tears. He had just told his story of what happened to him in that small closet and, as he told it, he relived it step-by-step and he was now a mess.

‘Dad’ Ken wanted to go to his ‘son’, but Bill Jackson made him stay where he was. He told his client that he wanted the judge to see the effect Matthew’s testimony had on the boy, so he’d understand that what the teen just told the court was the truth.

The judge was going to call for a recess, because he saw what Matthew’s testimony had done to him, and he wanted to allow the boy time to rest and relax and compose himself. But the public defender objected, as he had questions that he wanted to ask the witness, and he didn’t want the teen to have time to talk to anyone in order to get his story straight if he said something wrong.

The judge looked at Matthew and then decided to give the teen ten minutes to compose himself, to the chagrin of the public defender, who continued to object, as the judge walked out of the court.

‘Dad’ Ken ran to Matthew and hugged him and told the teen that he’d done very well in telling his story, and that he was proud of him. Grace Turnsten was still in the courtroom and she yelled to Mr. Ken that he did a good job teaching her son what to say.

Ken Thomas turned around and stared at the sorry-for-an-excuse woman, who called herself a mother, and told her that her son’s testimony mirrored what he said at her trial, and that when the judge compares them, he’ll be fully convinced that Matthew was telling the truth.

The remaining Cover boys, after getting their showers, wondered what they were going to do as their friends weren’t allowed to come over that day, because their ‘dad’ was holding the staff Christmas Party, when he and Matthew returned from the courthouse.

When he went downstairs, Robert sought out Mr. Wayne to asked him if he’d take him out driving for a little while, so he could get more of his required 32 hours of driving time in.

Charles decided to go down to the Christmas tree, but more importantly, to the train that he began running the locomotive around the track. After running it forwards and backwards, he decided to use the switches.

The teen started his own idea of bringing some train cars to the switched area, dropping them off and then picking up the others. Thus, he was doing what train masters all over the United States were doing. He sat there smiling at what he was doing.

Billy, on the other hand, decided to sit at his computer and write his mom. He hadn’t done that, as he had promised, so he sat there telling his mom everything that went on with him and at The Cove, since he last saw her more than six weeks ago.

The oldest Cover teen sat at his PC and typed and typed and before he knew it almost an hour had passed. The teenager looked at what he had and figured it would print out as four pages, front and back, as his letter to his mother. He quickly printed it and then he went looking for Mr. Wayne for an envelope.

Unfortunately, the Estate Master had taken his ‘brother’, Robert, out driving, so his next stop was to find Mr. Chris, not only for an envelope and stamp, but also for his mother’s prison address.

After getting all three, Billy had his letter ready for the mailman when he dropped off The Cove’s large bundle of daily mail. The teenager was proud of himself of what he’d done, even though it took him more than six weeks to finally get a letter off to his mom.

Those ten minutes to rest, relax and compose himself, went too fast for the just turned teenager, as the bailiff came out and announced, “All rise!”

The judge came out, took his seat behind the court’s bench and then called the court to order. He then asked the public defender if he was ready to ask the witness his questions.

The lawyer acknowledged that he was and he quickly stood and went over to the witness stand where he stood in a position, so that Matthew and Mr. Ken could not see one another without leaning to one side, or the other, in order to do so.

“Matthew … that sure was a fantastical story you told the court. Wasn’t it?” asked the lawyer.

Matthew quickly answered, emphatically, “That was no fantasy! Everything that I said … it happened! Of course, you don’t want to believe it as you have to defend my mother!”

“Matthew … how long did it take you to learn, you know, the story that you told us this morning?” now asked the lawyer.

Matthew was already mad from the previous question and now he was asked about how long it took him to learn the story he told. Since he was not too happy that he had to be there and to testify, he was going to blow off steam, at the guy. But then he realized the guy was trying to piss him off to make him look foolish. So, now he knew how to respond.

“Well, sir, I didn’t have to learn what I told everyone earlier, because … because I LIVED IT! I WAS THERE, WITH HER, IN THAT CLOSET! Does that answer your question?” replied an upset Matthew, who had a smile on his face.

The lawyer wasn’t prepared for the teenager to yell, as he did, when he told him that, “He LIVED IT!” So, the man had to come up with a better way to get the teen to lose his composure.

“Come, come now, Matthew … I can believe that someone … that they would put their hand over your mouth to keep you from calling out. But … but to put their other hand … to put their other hand on your … your ‘boy parts’? That is truly unbelievable, especially … especially when you say that your own mother … that she would do that to you,” now asked as much as stated the lawyer.

Matthew smiled at what the lawyer had to say. He wondered how he should respond, so he asked the man, “What is it that you are asking?”, and then let it hang like that.

‘Dad’ Ken inwardly laughed at how Matthew took the supposed question. Even Bill Jackson had to smile at the way Matthew handled the statement more than a question.

The lawyer wasn’t ready for the teenager to come back to him like that. So, he had to rephrase what he wanted Matthew to answer. “Matthew … so, you’re telling the court that your mother … that your own mother had her hands on your privates?”

Matthew smiled and replied, “Yes.”

Again, the lawyer wasn’t prepared for a one-word answer.

“Matthew … let me ask you … do you love your mother?” was the lawyer’s next question.

Matthew thought about the question, then he answered, “I used to … but after she let Lincoln beat me over and over, I … I knew that she didn’t love me. So … so why should I love her?”

“Matthew … how can you say that about your own mother, when she … when she is sitting right there … right there in front of you?” asked a stunned public defender.

“It’s easy. She loved her boyfriend more than she loved me, and she let him … she let him beat me over and over for the littlest of things. So, tell me why … why I should love her? Huh? Tell Me, why I should love her when she didn’t care about me? Why?” asked the teenager, as more tears fell from his eyes.

The lawyer thought he had won, and replied, “Because … she … is … your … Mother.”

And through his tears, Matthew offered, “Yea, right.”

When then lawyer didn’t ask another question, the judge asked him if he had any more questions for the witness. Upon learning that the lawyer had no more questions for Matthew, the judge excused the teen from the stand.

“Do you have any witnesses you are going to call?” asked the judge of the lawyer.

To the surprise of everyone in the courtroom, the public defender called Grace Turnsten to the stand, who was sworn in to tell the truth.

Mr. Dennis, Phillip and Darrin returned to The Cove well before Robert and Mr. Wayne, or his ‘dad’ and Matthew had returned. Phillip went quickly inside the house looking for boxes and Christmas wrapping paper in order to get his mother and grandmother’s Christmas presents wrapped before it got too late

Billy wondered why his younger ‘brother’ was rushing around looking for boxes and wrapping paper, so he stopped Phillip and asked him what he was doing. Then, when he understood, what Phillip was trying to do, the teenager offered to help. So, the two went looking for what Phillip needed.

By then Mr. Wayne had returned from taking Robert out driving, and they went and asked him to get the Christmas wrapping paper from Mr. Ken’s closet. After learning why they needed the wrapping paper, the Estate Master happily retrieved it and the three went out to the Kitchen Nook to wrap the four presents that the younger Cover had bought for his loved ones.

Momma Maria saw the three and asked what they were doing. And after learning the what and why, she jumped in and not only helped with the wrapping, but she made sure there were nice colorful bows on all four packages.

After the four Christmas presents were wrapped and Phillip gave Momma a great big hug, the young Cover looked at Mr. Wayne and asked, “Mr. Wayne … when do you think I’ll be able to get these presents to my mom and grandmother?”

The Estate Master didn’t have an answer for the young Cover. The man did tell Phillip that he needed to ask his ‘dad’ when he saw him later. The boy was disappointed, but knew that Christmas was only a few days away and then they were going on a trip. He hoped that he could get his mother and grandmother their presents before he left.

“Ms. Turnsten … please tell the court what actually happened that day in the office building,” began the public defender.

From that point on, Grace Turnsten turned the story around to make it seem that it was Matthew who wanted her to be at that office building, and it was he who had them go into the woman’s restroom because they wouldn’t look for him there.

Grace told the court that she did have her hand over her son’s mouth, but her other hand was hanging free and it just happen to be there in front of her son’s zipper area that made it look as if she was grabbing his private parts.

Then it was Bill Jackson’s turn to cross-examine the witness and he destroyed Grace Turnsten.

The lawyer asked her how her son communicated with her to ensure she would be at that office building. She had no answer. He asked Grace why she allowed Lincoln to beat on her son.

But the public defender objected to the question as something not entered in evidence. But Bill Jackson offered that Lincoln was indeed Grace’s boyfriend who Matthew brought up in his testimony, which made the question admissible. The judge agreed and overruled the objection.

Grace was embarrassed that she had to answer the question, as to why she allowed her boyfriend to beat on her son, Matthew. She told the court that she was afraid of the man and that he paid for everything, and that she didn’t know what she would do if she left him.

Bill asked her why she told her son that she would kill him, when they finally got together once she was out of prison. Grace replied that she didn’t mean what she had said, as many people say those words to others, and never follow through.

Bill persisted and asked about why it was so important that Matthew never tell what Lincoln did to him, and that she would support her boyfriend more than her own flesh and blood. All Grace would say was that she was afraid of the man, and had no other way to get money.

Bill Jackson continued and then asked her why she kept her son out of school, and why they moved so often and never bought Matthew new clothes. He kept at her and asked what her boyfriend did to earn money, and why did they try to kidnap Matthew from the hospital.

Grace was taken back through the last three years of her life and she realized that if she hadn’t dropped Matthew off at that miniature golf course, none of that would be happening right now.

After Grace made a fool of herself while trying to answer all the questions Bill Jackson asked, he said that he had no more questions. And with that the judge looked at the time and announced that he would review all of the evidence and that he would make his ruling after the lunchtime break. He told everyone to back at one o’clock. And with the banging of his gavel the morning hearing was over.

After lunch, Ken Thomas, Bill Jackson and Matthew Turnsten were back at the courthouse waiting for the judge to rule on their request to terminate Grace Turnsten’s parental rights to Matthew.

At one o’clock, the bailiff called everyone in the courtroom to, “All rise!”, and the afternoon session of the parental rights hearing was about to begin.

The judge ruffled some papers in front of him and then he looked over the people in the courtroom. He then sighed and got down to doing what he was there to do.

“As I listened to Matthew’s testimony, I said to myself … ‘Grace Turnsten … you have a lot going against you if what your son says is true’. Then I first listened to Matthew’s responses to the questions given to him by the defense counsel. After that, I heard what his mother had to say for herself.

“People … this court’s main consideration … has to consider … what is in the best interest of the child. I intently listened to Matthew’s testimony this morning and during the lunchtime break … I reviewed what he said during his mother trail. And you know what … they were almost word for word.

“I also learned that Ms. Turnsten … that she still has a number of years to go on her present prison sentence. That means that her son … that Matthew would be sixteen, going on seventeen, when she would be eligible for parole. And even if she makes parole, this court has to consider how would she be able to take care of herself before she could ever be united with her son.

“Therefore, it appears to this court that Grace Turnsten … that she will not have a reasonable possibility, or likelihood, to be reunited with her son before he turns eighteen, when he would be able to make his own decisions, to decide if he ever wants to be reunited with his mother after what he says he went through, while living with her and this man called Lincoln.

“So, this court … it rules that the parental rights of Grace Turnsten to her son, Matthew Turnsten, are hereby terminated, as of this date, and that Matthew Turnsten be made a ward of the State of Texas.

“And, as this court understands that the boy’s biological father had already given up his parental rights to his son, this court also rules that Matthew Turnsten is to be made immediately available for adoption, at the earliest date. This hearing is adjourned!” announced the judge.

Matthew jumped into his ‘dads’ arms and the two hugged. Grace Turnsten had some choice words for her son and told him that she would look him up when she gets out of prison, and that she would make good on her words, as the guard took her back to the holding cell until the state prison sent a vehicle to retrieve her.

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

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