Three Finger Cove: Billy ~ Book Six

Chapter Sixty~One

Mr. Ken was up bright and early that Tuesday morning. He wanted to have a good breakfast before heading over to the Crystal Lake Amusement Park to catch up with Jason and Amy before the State investigators arrived to talk to Jason about his supposed role in the missing Rocket roller coaster inspection certificate.

Mr. Arnold Arnolds, the operations manager at Crystal Lake, met Mr. Ken as he drove up to the Operations Office. Arnold told the owner that Jason and Amy were in the conference room waiting for him. The men joined the other two and the four talked about what they thought the State inspectors would want to know about their private inspection of Edgewood Amusement Park, back in January and February, of that same year.

Amy Ozarker told her client, Mr. Ken Thomas, how impressed she was of the thoroughness of Jason’s report. She told him how important the pictures were to the report, but what she was really impressed with were the videos he had taken of his inspection of the files. She said the inspectors would be blown away, seeing Jason did not tamper with any of Edgewood’s ride files.

Mr. Ken was happy to hear that from the lawyer. He didn’t know about those videos, but hearing about them now relieved him about Jason’s involvement in the Rocket’s accident.

The Cover boys missed not having their ‘dad’ at the breakfast table that Tuesday morning. Mr. Wayne filled Momma in when she came into the Kitchen Nook, so she wouldn’t wonder where the man was. The boys still talked at the table, as they usually did, but it wasn’t as lively as it normally was. The boys got off to school on their regular time.

Even Billy was a bit subdued at the morning breakfast table, with his foster dad not being there. He and Mr. Wayne did talk some more about Kaden and the issue of him continuing to push Billy’s button’s. But Billy said he hadn’t crossed the line, and when he did he would ban him as he would then deserve it. Mr. Wayne inwardly smiled at hearing that.

When Mr. Chris arrived, Wayne let him get his first cup of coffee and a few of Momma’s sweet cakes before telling the Estate Manager that Mr. Ken had given them a challenge, while he was away. Mr. Ken being away was the first time Chris was hearing of that.

The men went to the Study to discuss the task their employer gave them. There they had more space to spread out and the light was bright compared to Chris’ cramped windowless office. Chris was curious to hear about their assignment and, when he learned he needed to purchase a number of items for the lifeguards, he knew he could do that easily.

It was when the man learned they needed to research lifeguard stands that floated, so Mr. Ken could have one out in the cove, that Mr. Chris realized they may have a bigger challenge than he ever imagined.

Wayne told Chris he’d already done a web search for them, and he couldn’t find anything like that. The Estate Master told Chris that their boss said to see if they could have one fabricated if need be. There, Wayne said, was where the challenge lay.

Chris went off to order the long list of things Mr. Ken wanted for the lifeguards to have at the ready, while Wayne said he’d go talk to the construction supervisor to get some idea of where he could go to have something like that made.

At 10 a.m. three State investigators arrived at Crystal Lake Amusement Park. Mr. Arnolds greeted them and ushered them into the conference room where light refreshments, such as coffee, cold water, orange juice, egg, ham and tuna salad sandwiches and fresh cut fruit were available for them. There was small talk between the seven adults while the investigators got settled.

When everyone was refreshed and at ease, they each took a seat at the conference table; investigators on one side and the other four across from them. The State investigators stated their reason for being there, and then they asked some simple questions about what Jason knew about the accident.

Once the investigators thought they had Jason relaxed enough to further advance their deeper questions, they pushed him and wanted to know what role Jason played during his initial inspection at Edgewood Amusement Park back in January, and then again in February.

Hearing the question and the tone in which the investigators asked their last question, Amy Ozarker quickly stepped in and reminded them that she was Jason’s lawyer and took the question.

The lawyer pulled out copies of the written report Jason compiled for Ken Thomas and she passed them out to the two men and one woman investigators. She explained what they were looking at, and then gave each of them a flash drive with the report and all the pictures and videos of the man’s inspection of Edgewood on them. She told them which page to turn to, and where to begin to read what Jason saw, as he inspected the Rocket roller coaster.

After the three investigators had time to read through the section concerning the Rocket, and before they could ask any questions, the lawyer directed them to the wall, being used as the screen, at the front of the room. There she wanted to show them the pictures that accompanied the report. After seeing the pictures and now asking some questions the investigators still had a major question.

“Mr. Zimms, the owners of Edgewood … they seem to believe that you … that you somehow tampered with their ride files and, in particular, the one dealing with the steel rail roller coaster known as the Rocket.

“We can see by your extensive, independent report you were there, as they claim, and had seen and documented many numerous deficiencies on the Rocket. But … well, what is missing from their file is the state inspection certificate on that particular ride. Can you enlighten us on that ride?” asked the lead investigator.

Jason was going to answer, but Amy Ozarker put her hand on his arm to stop him. She asked the questioner for a few moments to allow her to load a video file that may answer that question for them. A minute later, Amy found the file she was looking for. She loaded it and began projecting it on the wall they were using as their screen.

What the investigators not only saw, but also heard, was Jason looking at the Rocket’s file from the time it was handed to him by the maintenance foreman to the time he opened it and began describing what he was seeing. Nowhere in his narration did Jason Zimms ever mention the inspection certificate, nor did one ever appear in the file and thus on the video.

“Mr. Zimms, did you … did you do that for each and every ride folder?” asked an investigator.

Amy loaded a video file showing Jason looking at the Hey-Day, an old timey Tilt-A-Whirl. After that she showed the investigators the video of him looking at the Swinger, which are swings, but an older version of what is at amusement parks today.

After those two, Amy showed them the Whip, Tumble Bug, the Zipper, Cages, Para-Drop and Head Over Heels and on each was a Go-Pro video showing Jason accepting the ride folder from the maintenance supervisor and opening them and reviewing them by reciting what he was looking at. Sometimes there were inspection certificates, old and current, and sometimes there weren’t.

Mr. Ken then spoke up and told the investigators that the primary reason he passed on buying the Edgewood Amusement Park was their abysmal record keeping and the condition many of their rides were in, as shown by the many pictures they saw of the Rocket and will see of the other rides when they have the time. The man referred them back to the report and the accompanying pictures.

Mr. Ken told them that he also visited the park with Jason back in February to see for himself what his inspector had found. He told the three that he was seriously considering buying the park. But he told them that after seeing for himself the terrible state the park was in, the poor record keeping and lack of available replacement parts, he gave them an offer that reflected what he would have to put into the park to bring it up to the standards of his other three parks.

The inspectors asked more questions of Jason and Mr. Ken and asked Amy not to answer for them. After almost three and a half hours of reviewing the report, looking at pictures and videos and asking questions and just talking to Jason and Mr. Ken, the State investigators were satisfied that Jason did nothing wrong.

Before they departed Crystal Lake, the investigators asked if there were hard copies of the pictures they could have. Ms. Ozarker told them there were almost 1000 pictures and 250 videos covering all the rides and infrastructure of Edgewood and were all on the flash drive they were given. She told them, they would have to cull out those they needed for their investigation and print those themselves.

They all shook hands and the State investigators thanked the two men for their open and honest answers, but in particular for their thorough report and pictures that showed the physical state of the Rocket steel rail roller coaster five months before the accident. Something they wouldn’t normally have during an investigation.

When Maya, Melanie and Becky returned home the previous day they called their friends and told them all about the Cove Skate Park, and that they got to eat with about fifty boys. What they also told their friends was that Billy told Kaden that he would ban him from the estate if he allowed them to skate.

Well, that piece of misinformation went through the rest of the class and other grades like wildfire. What the freshman girls forgot to tell their friends was that they were told they couldn’t skate unless they had their parents sign a release form and Kaden knew that.

So, when Billy arrived at the high school that Tuesday morning, he was immediately inundated by classmates wanting to know what gave him the right to ban Kaden from The Cove, as he was ONLY a foster kid living there.

Billy’s friends were just as shocked as Billy was, at the onslaught of accusations. Billy and his friends tried to answer their classmates, but they wouldn’t listen to them. Billy went looking for Maya, Melanie and Becky to find out what they told everyone that has them so up in arms about his almost banning Kaden.

When Billy saw one of the girls he went over to her and said, “Melanie, what did you tell everyone about me banning Kaden?” demanded Billy.

“I told them that you were going to ban him, if he let us skate. And THAT is what you said!” yelled back the girl. “And, DON’T DENY IT!”

“Yes, I did say that. But, you and he both knew that Mr. Ken said you needed a signed release form before you could skate. I said that too! Or, did you conveniently forget THAT?” yelled back Billy, who was thoroughly pissed.

Maya heard the two were arguing and came over to defend Melanie.

“Yes, you told Kaden you would ban him and don’t deny it, Billy!”

“And all of you knew that Mr. Ken said you could NOT skate when you entered The Cove, UNLESS … unless you had a signed release form and don’t DENY that! And Kaden … he knew that. He was there. And he knew breaking a major Rule of Mr. Ken’s was grounds for being banned!

“He also knew that for over three weeks before the Cove Skate Park opened that it was the RULE! But you all decided to cause this controversy because you ALL wanted to be the center of attention and get your fifteen minutes of fame for being the first classmates to get to see the new Cove Skate Park.

“Well, enjoy the fame ladies! Because … because it will be a cold day in hell when you ever get invited back into The Cove. And guess what? Your chances of EVER working at The Cove, for any reason, just went out with your fame,” loudly announced Billy, who briskly walked away from the two girls.

Many students had followed Billy when they learned he was going to go looking for the three girls who were at The Cove yesterday. When the Cover found Melanie, they heard their exchange and also when Maya came to her friend’s defense.

Lonnie, Brett, Gabe and Jamie were also there and they supported Billy’s sequence of events. They told everyone who would listen, that when the girls came to The Cove, they all were at the Main Gate, including Kaden, when Billy called Mr. Ken to ask if he could invite them in.

The teenagers told the group that neither Billy, nor his ‘brothers’, were supposed to invite anyone over to The Cove, until after they returned from their trip later that month. Mr. Ken allowed the girls in, but they were NOT to skate unless they had a signed release form.

The four teens emphasized the release form and that Kaden was there and knew it, but pushed the envelope to see how far he could take it, like he usually did. The freshmen said that if one of the girls had taken the skateboard and pushed off they and Kaden would have been banned from The Cove, forever.

A few of the students said they didn’t believe them. Lonnie told them to get invited over to The Cove, break a Rule and see how fast they not only get booted out of the estate, but never get to come back, no matter what the reason.

The first bell rang just then and the students, talking amongst themselves about what they saw and heard just happen, filed into the school.

At the other Cover’s school, word had gotten out about the three girls who visited The Cove yesterday, so a few of the Covers classmates asked if they could be invited over soon, as well. All five Covers told their classmates, who asked, that they had to wait until after they returned from their trip.

When some of the boys and girls asked why they had to wait so long, they were told that yesterday was a test case and that their ‘dad’ was now out of town and only he could approve of someone being allowed in to see the Cove Skate Park, before they returned from their trip.

The Covers did tell the boys and a few of the girls they would like to invite over, that they needed a release form signed by their parents, and they would bring them one tomorrow. The kids smiled hearing that, knowing they’d get a chance to not only see the new Skate Park, but skate there as well.

Jason never felt so relieved in his life than after those State investigators departed Crystal Lake that morning. He wanted to celebrate, so Mr. Ken took them all out for a late lunch. While there, they talked about the amusement park and what was the status of the highway expansion project.

Amy Ozarker told Mr. Ken that a few county residents have stepped forward and showed some interest in running against the two Commissioners who were up for reelection. The lawyer did qualify that by saying none of them had ever run for any sort of elected office before, and they were being bullied by the Commissioners’ supporters.

Ken Thomas asked the lawyer what he could legally do to help those people to establish an election committee, an office and to hire his own bullies. Amy laughed at what he asked her to do, but when the man didn’t laugh back, she knew he wasn’t kidding.

Arnold ‘Arnie’ Arnolds told the lawyer, he would be happy to donate to the person from his district and place signs in his front yard, and even block walk his neighborhood when he could. Jason said he’d donate as well, but since he lives in an apartment he couldn’t put signs out. Mr. Ken asked Amy if she could set up a meeting for him with those who are interested in running.

Ken Thomas also wanted to talk to the three Commissioners who supported the rebuilding of the highway, so he asked Amy Ozarker to set up a meeting with them before he left the following day. He wanted to maintain a good rapport with the men and keep them abreast of what he had planned for the amusement park and lake when the road was finally rebuilt.

With lunch over, the men went back to Crystal Lake Amusement Park to discuss the park. Mr. Ken said, that way he could spend more time with his ‘boys’ when they were there in a little over two weeks. The big issues the men did discuss were the FFF (Fast, Faster, Fastest) Pass, the potential for new rides and the expansion of the park when the highway was rebuilt.

At lunchtime Kaden came over to Billy and said he’d heard about what happened that morning. Billy asked him where he was as he could have set the students straight and there wouldn’t have been any controversy. Kaden said he had to talk to someone and before he knew it the first bell rang.

While Billy ate lunch, Sawyer, and a few of his soon to be senior friends, came over to him and asked him to tell them what really happened at The Cove yesterday. Billy looked to Kaden to answer for him.

Reluctantly, Kaden told the senior, and his friends, exactly what Billy told everyone that morning, that Becky, Maya and Melanie didn’t tell the whole story when they called their friends late yesterday. Billy nudged him to say more, and Kaden said that he was only kidding when he asked the girls if they wanted to skate.

Kaden told everyone he knew if he allowed the girls to skate he’d be banned, and not just by Billy, but by Mr. Ken, himself. He added that the guards would delete him from the database and make sure he never entered the estate again. The teen said he didn’t ever want that to happen as, next to Disneyland, The Cove was the best place on earth. Everyone laughed.

With it being the last full day of school, the boys had no homework, so when they came home from school, they all went up to the Skate Park to skate while they waited for Billy to come home from his school. An hour later, when Billy came through the Main Gate, he saw his ‘brothers’ skating, so he went over to greet them. That was a big mistake.

When the boys didn’t appear in the Kitchen Nook for their after-school snack, Momma, knowing where the boys were, got the keys to one of the golf carts and headed up to the Skate Park to get them.

“Uh oh,” said Kevin, “we’re in trouble! Here comes Momma and she doesn’t look happy!”

“At least she doesn’t have the ‘spoon’,” kiddingly said Robert. All the boys laughed.

When Momma Maria got to the Pavilion and parked the golf cart she began to call out to the boys in Spanish. The Covers didn’t know what she was saying, but they knew she was pissed because they hadn’t showed up as they were supposed to.

The six boys loaded into the six-seat golf cart and headed down to the garage and then went into the Kitchen Nook. Momma Maria wasn’t too far behind them. The boys sat at the table and waited for Momma to enter the Nook. When she did, she still looked pissed.

Momma told the boys because it was late they couldn’t have too much to eat, as it would ruin their dinner. She then asked them what they wanted to drink. After that, it was as if nothing had ever happened. The boys thanked the woman for their snack and then headed to the Study.

‘Boys, I’m glad you stopped by. Tomorrow is a half day of school, so after you get home, we’re going out to buy some summer clothes. Mr. Ken had planned to do that but, as you all know, this nasty accident at Edgewood has him back east supporting Jason. I haven’t heard from him, yet, but I do expect him to call after dinner.

“So, Bill, were the girls the center of attention at school today, since they got invited to see the new Cove Skate Park yesterday?” innocently asked Mr. Wayne.

Billy just sat there not sure how he wanted to answer. Eventually, he decided to tell the man, and his ‘brothers’, exactly what happened. As Billy told his story his ‘brothers’ couldn’t believe the girls would say what they did, while leaving out a crucial piece of information.

Billy also told Mr. Wayne how Kaden wasn’t there with him that morning and then at lunchtime, when Sawyer and a few of next year’s seniors came by, he had Kaden tell the whole story. He made Kaden tell that the girls knew they had to have a signed release form before they could skate and Kaden knew that, and that he’d be banned if he allowed the girls to skate.

Billy said that, thankfully, the truth did get around the school during lunch. The teen Cover said that Sawyer and the new seniors went around and told their friends and asked them to tell everyone else that the girls didn’t tell the whole truth about what happened yesterday, and they were not to be trusted with anything they ever say.

That was the second time in two days that Mr. Wayne was proud that Bill had stood up for himself against Kaden. The Estate Master wondered why the teen still wanted that jerk to be his friend, but it was Bill’s choice and he had to let it work itself out.

Billy’s ‘brothers’ were happy for their ‘brother’ that things worked out for him. They were there yesterday when that incident happened and knew the truth. The younger boys wondered why the girls would do that sort of thing. Robert said that as they get older they’ll see how the girls want to be the center of attention, and will do or say almost anything to be just that.

The Cover teen then gave Kevin, Kyle and Matthew some examples of what he experienced when he started going to school. Charles then added a few of his run-ins with the girls in his class. Matthew asked if what the girls did to him when he first arrived was that. Robert told him that was more like bullying, and he and Charles had their share of that, too.

Before they went off on a different tangent, Momma Maria came to the Study to tell the Covers it was time for Dinner. Mr. Wayne told the boys to go wash their hands and hurry to the table so they don’t upset Momma, again. The boys all snickered as they left the Study to get washed up to eat.

Dinner was lively considering Mr. Ken was AWOL from The Cove. The boys talked about tomorrow being the last day of school. Matthew was pumped that he would soon be taking sailing lessons. Charles added he would be, too. Billy said he was looking forward to getting a few new duds to wear when they went on their trip. Kevin was just happy he could sleep in all summer long.

After dinner, the Covers headed to the Study as they usually did. Tonight, since the boys didn’t have any homework, they had much more time to talk. Mr. Wayne asked Billy to tell them more about what happened at school that morning.

Billy told them how his classmates came to him as soon as he got off the bus and wanted to know how a foster kid could ban someone from where he lived. The teen’s younger ‘brothers’ were amazed at what they were hearing, not understanding how kids change as they get older.

That was when the phone rang at the desk. Mr. Wayne answered it, and learning it was Mr. Ken asked if he could put it on the speaker. ‘Dad’ Ken told him it was OK and then the man said hello to the boys. The boys all smiled at hearing their ‘dad’s’ voice and that he had called as Mr. Wayne said he would.

Mr. Ken told everyone what happened at the investigators interview with Jason and himself. He told the boys that the State investigators left with their questions answered and had exonerated Jason from doing anything wrong with the Rocket’s files, when he visited Edgewood Amusement Park back in January.

Mr. Ken told them he gave them a copy of Jason’s report and a flash drive with the details, and all the pictures and videos he’d taken. The man said he expected them to make a statement in the next day or two telling what they found from their interview.

Mr. Ken then changed the subject and asked Mr. Wayne about the equipment he asked him to get with Mr. Chris about. As the men talked about the additional lifeguard equipment, the boys decided to go up to their rooms. Mr. Wayne did tell his employer that Chris ordered the swimsuits, t-shirts and hats along with the safety equipment and expected it to be there by Friday.

Mr. Wayne asked when he wanted the lifeguards to start working full days. Mr. Ken told him to have Chris call the boys and have them start Thursday and work through the following Wednesday. Mr. Ken reminded Wayne that they would be gone for ten days beginning the following Thursday and for Chris to tell them to start again on the 21st he believed it was.

Mr. Wayne told his boss that he and Chris researched the floating lifeguard stands and there aren’t any. He then told the man he talked to the construction supervisor about who he could talk to about fabricating one.

The Estate Master said the supervisor told him they usually use a floating platform and placed something like that on it. Mr. Ken told the Estate Master to find a floating platform, buy it and buy a lifeguard stand for it.

Mr. Wayne then told Mr. Ken a short version of what happened at Billy’s school and if he called him to act like he was hearing it for the first time. Wayne said he was proud of the way Bill was beginning to stand up to Kaden, and that he saw the two eventually parting company.

Mr. Wayne also told his employer that he and Chris kicked around what the lifeguards could use instead of the WaveRunners. He said that paddle boards, or something similar, might work after they get used to using them.

Mr. Ken asked Wayne to have some pictures of what they recommend and that maybe the lifeguards could use that ten days they’re gone, to learn to use them. The owner of The Cove then added, if they went in that direction he would give the guards two day’s pay to learn how to use them and get used to diving off the floating lifeguard platform.

The boys anticipated their ‘dad’ calling them and when he did they had smiles from ear to ear on their faces. The boys told him about getting Momma Maria mad at them for skating and not coming down for their after school snack. Their ‘dad’ told them they probably wouldn’t make that mistake again. The boys all agreed.

Each Cover boy had their own take on what happened, but in the end the story was all the same and the outcome never changed. They all knew they messed up and should have watched the time. The younger boys said they didn’t have their watches on because they were afraid they’d fall and break them. The older three didn’t give an excuse. Billy did ask for a big enough clock at the Pavilion, so they could see it from the far end of the Park.

When Mr. Ken did call his oldest foster son, Billy was right up front about what happened at school that morning. Billy said he would have never figured the girls would have done what they did, but he hopes he got it nipped in the bud. Billy told his foster dad that Sawyer, and some of next year’s seniors, heard the story directly from Kaden during lunchtime and then spread the truth around the school.

Mr. Ken told Bill he was proud of him and the way he handled the problem. The man asked him if he was still going to invite some more young girls over to skate. Bill said, “Hell yea!” then immediately apologized for cursing. Mr. Ken laughed at the teen and said to be careful of which young ladies he wanted to invite to skate with him.

Billy came away from that phone call with more respect for his foster dad than he ever felt before. After his first encounter with the man, who didn’t retaliate for his over-the-top, in-your-face actions, Billy saw the man was not someone who reacted, but acted.

Billy thought about that and told himself that the man didn’t get angry or mad. His foster dad did get upset and raised his voice, but even at that he never saw it as being in a mean way. He saw that Mr. Ken tried to show the boys the correct way to act and treat people, and when he corrected them, he never did it in public; he took them aside and talked to them.

Billy also saw the man was fair, and in some cases, more than fair. Mr. Ken had Rules, but they were for the good of everyone and were applied equally to all the boys. Billy never saw his ‘foster’ treat Robert and/or Charles, his adopted sons, better than the four foster boys and give them special privileges above and beyond the others.

Billy saw firsthand how the man went to bat for him when the high school principal tried to railroad him for a fight he didn’t start. Here he was, a foster kid, who was a nobody, who had nothing, and here was this rich man protecting him as if he was his actual son. Billy began to tear up at just the thought.

Billy was playing through his mind the whole time he’s been there at The Cove and never once did he ever wish he’d never been brought there. He found the place to be a home in every respect. But what really surprised him the most was the fact that Mr. Ken called his bunch of ‘boys’ his family.

For the first time in his life, Billy finally felt what it was like to live in a real family setting. He lived in a broken home after his real dad left and his mom married that loser ‘Greaser’. His step-dad never did anything special with him. Billy was never allowed to have friends inside the house, for fear they would learn about the drug running and dealing the boy’s parents were doing.

When Billy came to The Cove and was told he could have friends come over he was astonished, but was a bit dismayed he could only have them come over after his foster dad knew who they were, and even then only two at a time. Billy thought he was being singled out until his ‘brothers’ told him they had to do the same thing.

After Billy began to invite some friends over, he was glad it was only two at a time. He didn’t fully know his way around The Cove, nor did he know the history. He realized if there had been more than two, he also would have been distracted by them asking questions he didn’t have the answers to, and wouldn’t have known how to keep them entertained.

Billy had only been living at The Cove for nine weeks, now, but to him it felt like he always lived there. He felt at home at The Cove. He was relaxed and comfortable there because he wasn’t just a ‘foster kid’, he was part of a ‘family’, Mr. Ken’s family.

Just thinking that made the teenager smile. And then a few tears came to his eyes, he was so happy to be living in such a wonderful place.

Mr. Wayne came up to the boys’ rooms to say Goodnight, as he and their ‘dad’ always have. He started with Matthew, the youngest, and worked his way through to the oldest, Billy.

When Mr. Wayne knocked on Billy’s bedroom door, and the teenager opened the door, the man saw those few tears the boy had just shed because of what he was thinking, but he also saw a big smile on the teenager’s face.

“A penny for your thoughts, Bill?” said Mr. Wayne, with a question in his face.

“Oh,” said Billy, as he wiped the tears off of his face, “I was … I was thinking of how lucky I was to have been brought here, you know, to The Cove, to live. After Mr. Ken’s phone call, I got … I got to thinking, you know, about all the good things that have happened to me ever since I arrived and it made me so … so happy.

“Mr. Ken … he has done so much for me in the short time I’ve lived here that I … well, I just couldn’t believe it. I was going through my mind all the positives that have happened to me and they … well, they brought a smile and some happy tears to my face. I know I was the luckiest teen ever to have Mr. Ken as my foster dad,” finished Billy, with a few tears still slipping down his cheeks.

Mr. Wayne opened his arms to see if the teen would like a hug. Billy saw the opened arms and jumped into them and hugged the man back and let the tears flow. The two stayed that way for about a minute and then they released one another.

“I’m sorry for crying like that Mr. Wayne. But my emotions they… they got the best of me and the hug was what I needed just then,” explained Billy.

“Bill, never be ashamed of your emotions. Being a foster boy is hard enough, so when something positive happens to you and it affects you in a positive way, as Mr. Ken’s phone call caused it to occur, just go with it,” counseled the Estate Master.

The two Covers shared one last, quick hug before Mr. Wayne retired to his guest suite. The Cove was quiet the entire night.


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