That morning, at breakfast, the boys were overly enthusiastic about sailing on the Carnival Breeze. The five Cover lads told their 'dad' how they did their homework the previous night checking out the ship and were now looking forward to their Spring Break. That was all they talked about at the breakfast table. Mr. Ken inwardly smiled at hearing the boys' enthusiasm.
When the boys' friends arrived at noon that Saturday, they just had to tell them where they were going on their Spring Break. That brought on more discussions about where all the other boys were going.
Cody had been on the Carnival Magic last year for Spring Break and told the Covers that it was the sister ship to the Breeze. He then proceeded to tell them what he got to do on the ship. The Covers now couldn't wait until they got to do the same things.
Spring Break was only a week away and most of the 40 boys at The Cove that day could barely hold back their excitement knowing they would be doing something very interesting during that week. The boys who weren't doing anything special just listened. They just wished their parents would take them somewhere, anywhere, for Spring Break.
The boys did get into their skateboarding, as they usually did. But, some of the boys voiced their desire to look at what the contractor had done during the week. Matthew heard what their friends said, so he went inside and talked to his 'dad'. He asked him if he or Mr. Wayne could take them all up to the construction site, and let them see close up what had been done so far.
When asked the question, Mr. Ken looked to Mr. Wayne to get his input. Then, 'dad' Ken agreed he and Mr. Wayne would show the boys what was already completed. The man added he'd tell them what they knew was going to happen next, and answer any of their questions.
Matthew didn't wait to be told anything else. The youngster ran outside as fast as he could to tell everyone their 'dad' said he and Mr. Wayne would take them up to look over the construction site and answer any of their questions.
The boys all stopped what they were doing when they heard what Matthew had to say. They all waited for Mr. Ken and Mr. Wayne to come outside, and lead them up to the construction site. During their wait, they all speculated about what they'd see.
Before Mr. Ken and his Estate Master took the boys up the hill, the owner of The Cove told the boys not to touch anything. Then, he added they could take their cell phones and take pictures and he and Mr. Wayne would answer any of their questions. That put a smile on all of the teens' and pre-teens' faces.
As the forty plus people walked up to the construction site, Mr. Ken stopped the group and explained to them about the deep basin that was built down the rise from the construction site. The owner of The Cove explained the basin was designed as a temporary retaining pond built on a construction site to capture debris and eroded or disturbed soil that is washed off during rainstorms.
Mr. Wayne further explained the basin held onto the debris and soil runoff and held the excess water, to let it slowly be released into the lake without letting the debris get into the lake's waters. The Estate Master finished by telling the boys that the debris was then collected, placed into the dumpsters and disposed of properly.
Robert asked his dad if the construction would affect the Easter Egg Roll and the July 4th Picnic. All his dad could say was they'd have to cross that bridge when they got to it. The group continued to the work site.
As they walked up the slight rise, the boys could see what had been accomplished on the skate park since the last time they were there. It wasn't until the boys got above the construction area that they could begin to make out where some of the different features of the skate park would be placed. Much of the steel rebar was in place for the larger elements of the park, but none were in place for the smaller aspects.
Mr. Wayne, who was overseeing the contract, explained the company would start shooting cement onto the rebar that week, barring any rain, and the boys could then begin to see The Cove's Skate Park take shape.
The Estate Master also directed the boys' attention to what was being done for the picnic shelter. The man pointed out the deep piers and footers that had been poured for the supports of the roof, restrooms and kitchen. He told them the building would essentially be as long as that side of the skate park and should easily hold enough picnic tables and seats for their barbeques. The contract monitor also pointed out the other features being included in the entire project.
The boys came away from their tour even more enthused over their new skate park. They all couldn't wait until it was finished in about three more months. The boys finished the day burning some burgers and dogs and swimming indoors before heading home. Sunday was almost a mirror image of the day before.
The school week dragged on for the Cover boys. The closer they got to their departure date the more anxious they became. Then, Wednesday night, after dinner, their 'dad' sat down with them and told them about their trip.
"Boys, I want to tell you what to expect on this trip. We'll leave bright and early Saturday morning for the airport. There we'll board a private jet that will take us to Hobby International Airport located in South Houston. Both Robert and Eric have landed there before. After we land, a limousine service will be waiting there to drive us, and our bags, on the one-hour trip to the Port of Galveston.
"Boys, when we are dropped off at the cruise terminal we all need to stay together. The driver will get our bags out and we all need to help him or her. A baggage porter will take our bags to the baggage drop-off point for the ship. After that we'll head to the terminal and check in. We are considered Priority Boarding because of the type of cabins I booked.
"Once we're on board, we'll be able to go directly to the three cabins I booked and drop off our carry-on bags. I booked three cabins, so we won't be too crowded. Oh, and by the way, they happened to be located right next to one another.
"After we drain our dragons, we'll explore the ship together. Then, we'll get something to eat and when they call for the lifeboat, or muster drill, we'll all head to our lifeboat stations for directions on how to use the life vest and more.
"'Dad', why do we have three cabins?" asked Matthew.
"Yea, 'dad', why do we have three cabins? There's only eight of us and don't they have cabins that hold four people?" added Charles.
Mr. Ken smiled at the questions. He hadn't told them about the accommodations and why he'd gotten three cabins, so he figured now was as good a time as any.
"Boys," smiled 'dad' Ken, "There are actually nine of us going on this cruise. I guess I forgot to tell you who else is joining us on your Spring Break trip."
"Is Ms. Judy going with us, anyway?" asked an enthused Robert.
"No, Ms. Judy has ... well, she decided to stay home and relax and enjoy the peace and quiet, while her son is away for a week," laughed Mr. Ken.
"Daaaad," said a smiling Robert.
"Then, who is going with us, 'dad'?" asked Kyle.
"Mr. Dan," replied 'dad' Ken, with a big smile.
"Mr. Dan ... he ... he's going with us? Whose staying with who?" asked an excited Kyle.
All the boys began talking at once after hearing Dan Fisher, their friend and Sheriff's Lieutenant, was going along on their Spring Break trip.
"Settle down boys," called out Mr. Ken. "When Ms. Judy made her decision not to come along, I ... well I decided to ask Mr. Dan. I felt the man was in dire need of a vacation. Although, being with you five, plus Eric, might not be much of a vacation for him," now laughed 'dad Ken.
"Anyway, since I had already booked the three cabins, so we wouldn't be too crowded on the cruise, I needed a third adult. Anyway, Mr. Dan agreed to come along, so he, Mr. Wayne and I will be the adults in the cabins. That's because the cruise lines require someone over the age of 21 be assigned to the cabin," explained Mr. Ken.
"But, which cabin will we be in?" asked Matthew.
"Hmmm. Well, I sort of have a plan in mind, but ... who do you want to be with?" asked Mr. Ken.
The boys talked between themselves some and then they told their 'dad' whom they wanted to be in the cabin with. Robert said he and Eric wanted to be with Mr. Dan. Kyle and Kevin said they wanted to be with Mr. Dan and Charles said he wanted to be with 'dad' Ken while Matthew said he wanted to be with Mr. Wayne.
Mr. Ken and Mr. Wayne laughed at the boys selections.
"Boys, I guess I'll have to put my plan into action, since too many of you all want to be with Mr. Dan and there are only three beds in each room. We are together all day every day and this vacation is to allow us to have some space from one another.
"Also, I've already signed you all up for the different camps they offer on board the ship for different age groups. Robert, Eric and Charles are signed up for Circle "C". The rest of you are signed up for Camp Ocean. The Sharks is where you'll be assigned. That group is for ages 9 to 11.
The boys almost revolted hearing they would be sent to be in camps, and probably wouldn't get to enjoy all the things there were to do on-board. Mr. Ken had to settle them down before he could explain the reason he did that.
"Boys, I want you to meet other kids your age onboard the ship, and what better way than to go to your respective camps and meet the other kids. Do you have to go there all day every day? NO! But ... it is a place you can go to if your find yourself bored and you want to see what they are doing. I'd like you all to have friends, other than your 'brothers', on board," finished 'dad' Ken.
"'Dad', where are we going?" asked Matthew.
"Good question, 'son'. The cruise will take us to Cozumel, Belize and Roatan where Carnival has its own beach called Mahogany Bay. We'll do a few excursions while on the cruise, but when we get to the Bay we'll sit back and relax in the water and just chill.
"Boys, it is getting late. Let's finish this conversation tomorrow after dinner. Now, head up to your rooms and relax before getting into bed. Mr. Wayne and I will be up soon to tuck you in," announced Mr. Ken.
At school the following day all the boys had to tell their friends that their 'dad' told them about their upcoming cruise the previous night. The Covers' friends were all surprised to hear Mr. Dan was going along. The Covers' friends also told them they couldn't wait until everyone came back from their Spring Break trips, and tell them what they all did.
Back at The Cove, Mr. Ken pulled Chris aside and asked him to create nine folders with everyone's boarding pass, passport and Public Health Questionnaire. The owner of The Cove asked Mr. Chris to place the person's name on each folder. He told the Estate Manager that was so when they are flying to Hobby airport he could pass them out and have everyone fill out their Health Questionnaire. He also asked his Estate Manager to get him one thousand dollars in denominations of tens and twenties, so he can give everyone some 'mad' money to spend at their ports of call.
After talking to Chris, Mr. Ken called Dan Fischer. He wanted to tell the lieutenant about the conversation he had with the boys last night about which adult they would be staying with during the cruise. Dan had to laugh at how many of the boys wanted to stay with him.
Dan Fischer told his friend Ken that he felt flattered that so many of the boys wanted to be with him. Before their conversation ended, Mr. Ken told Dan to plan to spend Friday night at The Cove, so they would all be there for when they left for the airport in the morning.
After dinner that Thursday night, 'dad' Ken had all the boys go up to their rooms and begin setting aside the clothes they wanted to take along with them. The man reminded them to pack their swimsuits, crocks, enough underwear and socks for eight days, their good school clothes and to include their suits and shoes.
Hearing they were taking their suits the boys were not happy and they told their 'dad that. Mr. Ken told them he wanted to get some good formal pictures of them while on board the ship, and that was the end of the conversation. The boys grumbled some, but did as they were asked and they set their suits alongside their hanging shorts and polo shirts in their closets.
The breakfast table was loud and boisterous the next morning. The boys all talked over one another saying how they couldn't wait to get home so they could pack and get ready to head out on their adventure.
All "dad' Ken could do was inwardly smile at the enthusiasm all the lads had. He also knew this trip was going to be a challenge to him. He knew what the Carnival Breeze offered for the boys to keep themselves entertained. He also knew he had to make sure the excursions they were going on would be entertaining and educational at the same time. The owner of The Cove knew the six growing boys were so different from one another that he just hoped they wouldn't begin to wear on one another.
The boys ran through their home looking for their 'dad as they returned from school that Friday afternoon. They wanted to talk more about their upcoming cruise, but Mr. Ken made them all go back to the Kitchen Nook for Momma Maria's after school snack.
Since the boys didn't have any homework during their Spring Break, they didn't have to go to their rooms to work on it as they usually did. So, after their snack they all headed to the Study to talk to their ''dad'.
"'Dad', what are we going to do at our stops?" asked Matthew. "Robert told us what he and Eric did when they were on their Disney cruise. Will we be doing anything like that?"
Hearing the question, Mr. Ken pulled out some papers that explained the excursions they would be doing at their stops in Cozumel and Belize. He paraphrased from the information.
"Yes, we are all doing excursions at our first two ports of call. In Cozumel we're doing what's called, let me see, oh yes, the Deluxe Beach, Catamaran Sail and Snorkel.
"A catamaran will meet our ship at the pier and will take us out into the blue Caribbean. They'll take us to Paradise Reef, one of Cozumel's top snorkeling reefs. After a safety briefing from the crew we'll strap on snorkel gear and descend the boat's stairway to float above some beautiful colorful fish, brain coral, blue tang and butterfly fish.
"According to the brochure, we'll then sail to Fury Beach where we can round up some people for a spirited game of beach volleyball, or we can do some water activities such as the Aquaglide, the water trampoline, and sea kayaking. Or, we can just chill out on a beach float or rest and relax in a hammock. If we get hungry I'll have money so we can buy something to eat."
"What about the other ports?" quickly asked Kyle.
"Our next stop is Belize. There we'll do what's called the Exclusive Crystal Cave Tubing and Zipline. It includes lunch. That'll save me a few bucks, although I probably paid for it in the cost of the excursion," laughed 'dad' Ken. "We'll all do a zipline, then snorkel again, if you want, and enjoy the beach. Let me read from the informational packet.
"We'll embark on an exciting combo adventure that gives us cave exploration, cave tubing and zip-lining all in one ultimate fun experience that can only be found at the Jaguar Paw Adventure Outpost.
"After a scenic countryside tour of Belize, we'll hike a short trail and we will be dwarfed by towering cohune palms as we make our way to a limestone cliff that is our launching pad for our zip-line adventure.
"It says here we'll fly 500-feet across the jungle for a bird's eye view of the mysterious limestone archway opening to the Crystal Cave. The second zip-line will take us on an unrivalled, 700-foot jaunt across the Jungle. Boys, make sure you look down into the dense flora to see what you can spot. The area used to be the Mayan hunting ground, and source of almost all their everyday needs.
"Our next adventure has us wearing life vests as the second leg of our quest begins. This adventure puts us up close and personal with the unique phenomenon of crystal caves as we descend several feet underground to the Maya's sacred underworld. Our guide will lead us through one of the large Maya chambers while plying us with interesting facts of Maya history and practices.
"We'll float on our tubes through a chamber where high ceilings and a stalactite lined wall give the feeling of a Cathedral and its mighty pipe organ welcoming you into a sacred place. We then disembark our tubes for more cave exploring of the Crystal chamber where our guide will reveal hidden pottery dating back to 300-900 AD used by the Maya in ancient sacrificial ceremonies. Since this excursion does include lunch I won't need to carry a ton of money to feed you hungry boys.
"I think I already told you that when we arrive at Mahogany Bay we'll sit back and relax in the water and just chill. And to do that ... we will have the Ultimate Beach Package," laughed 'dad' Ken.
"I thought you said we weren't doing an excursion when we arrive at Mahogany Bay," spoke up the usually quiet Kevin.
"I did, but the package is a simple one designed to be at the Bay itself. The package includes a scenic chairlift ride aboard the Magical Flying Beach Chair from the Mahogany Bay Cruise Center to Mahogany Beach. There we can use two-person kayaks, or other items and paddle from the shore through the crystal blue waters.
"Then, we can do more snorkeling to see the marine life there, up close. After that we'll relax on our beach floats in the water. We'll have three clamshell enclosures to relax in and to protect us from getting too much sun on our trip.
"How does that all sound for our adventures on our cruise?" asked a smiling 'dad' Ken.
The boys talked amongst themselves about what their 'dad' just told them. Then, Charles spoke up. "'Dad' ... where's Mr. Wayne and Mr. Dan? Why aren't they here to hear all this?" asked Charles.
"Boys, Mr. Wayne is at his apartment, right now, packing. He and Mr. Dan will be here later for dinner, and they will be spending the night. Also, Ms. Judy and Eric will be here for dinner, and Eric is staying as well. That way we are all here for when the limo picks us up tomorrow morning.
"Now enough talking. I want you all to go up to your rooms and get your luggage out and start pulling out your underwear, socks, manicure sets and toiletries. And don't forget your sleeping shorts and t-shirts. Mr. Wayne and Mr. Dan aren't used to seeing young boys running around in their underwear. Later, Mr. Wayne, Mr. Dan and I will help you pack your clothes. That way your suits won't be too wrinkled. Now git!" smiled 'dad' Ken.
Upstairs the boys did what they were asked. But, as soon as they had those things 'dad' Ken asked them to get out, they all congregated in Robert's room to talk about their excursions and what they thought about them. The teenager was the only one who had any experience with excursions.
All Robert could tell his 'brothers' was for them to go with the flow, and enjoy everything their 'dad' set up for them. The teen told them he was looking forward to the zipline, as he had never done that before.
Dinner that evening was a lively affair. Everyone gave their opinion about what they thought the cruise would be like. Robert and Eric told their 'brothers' how they liked the freedom their 'dad' gave them to roam the ship. The teens told everyone how much fun it was to meet Colt and Jerry, and have them to pal around with.
Hearing that, the younger boys realized what their 'dad' meant by having on board friends verses hanging with their 'brothers'. The four adults, Mr. Ken, Dan, Wayne and Judy, inwardly smiled at the boy's enthusiasm.
After dinner, they all retired to Mr. Ken's Study. But, because there were only eight new leather chairs, and even with Mr. Ken's desk chair, they were one seat short. Hearing that Matthew smiled and went to sit on Mr. Wayne's lap. The adults all smiled at the forwardness of the young Cover.
Mr. Ken recounted his conversation about which adult the boys wanted to be paired with in their cabins. After a few chuckles and laughs, Mr. Ken finally revealed where each boy would be staying.
"Boys, for this cruise Robert and Eric will be staying with me," got out the man before being interrupted by Robert.
"But dad, we were with you last time. Why can't we be with Mr. Dan instead?" seriously asked the teenager.
Dad Ken looked to Dan to see what he thought. The Sheriff's Lieutenant said it didn't matter to him, which boys stayed in his cabin. He added he was going to enjoy every minute of the cruise, and wasn't going to allow two crumb crunchers to ruin it for him. After a short pause. Mr. Dan laughed and said he'd take the teenagers if it wouldn't cause any problems.
Mr. Ken told everyone he'd have to change the room assignments with Guest Services once they were on the ship. Then, he told Charles and Kyle they were supposed to be with Mr. Dan and Matthew and Kevin would be with Mr. Wayne. He told all the boys they would have to work out the room assignments as they flew down to Houston tomorrow.
Charles quickly spoke up and told his 'dad' that he was OK with being moved in with him. Matthew said he was good with being in the same cabin as Mr. Wayne. It was Kyle who was the most put out, and he told everyone that.
Kyle argued he should be with Mr. Dan not Robert and Eric. That started another round of bickering between the boys. Mr. Ken had a problem on his hands; some of that by his own doing.
"Boys, I made the room assignments on what I thought would be acceptable to all of you. Now ... after hearing all of this bickering I wonder ... I wonder now why I even booked this cruise. Now ... if you'll excuse me, I want to be somewhere else right now!" announced Mr. Ken, as he got up and stormed out of his own Study.
Everyone in the Study was shocked by what Mr. Ken just told all of them. No one could ever remember the man being so upset over anything. The adults just looked back and forth at one another. The boys, though, began to talk amongst themselves.
"I didn't mean to cause such a ruckus by agreeing to help Mr. Ken out," stated Mr. Dan.
"NO! ... It wasn't you Mr. Dan. It was ... it was us!" matter-of-factly stated Robert.
"It is all our fault. If we hadn't thought only about ourselves this ... this would never have happened. We take our dad for granted and ... and we never think about what he does for all of us, and we never really thank him.
"He put this entire Spring Break trip together for us, without us ever knowing and ... and he planned this cruise for us and everything we would do at our ports of call. We, my 'brothers' and I ... we all need to make this right," finished Robert.
The teen then walked out of the Study with tears running down his cheeks. His 'brothers' followed right behind him, with tears also marking their cheeks. Robert first went back to his dad's bedroom to see if he had gone there. The man wasn't in his private retreat.
The teen looked over the glass bannister hoping to find his dad sitting down there. The man wasn't. The teen's search took him to the Kitchen Nook and not finding his dad there the teen looked in the garage and he didn't find the man out there either. Then, it came to him where his dad might be.
The adults back in the Study talked about the falling out they just saw happen in front of them. None of the grownups had a plausible explanation for Mr. Ken's actions, but figured he finally saw the boys as being self-centered, and only caring about themselves.
Ms. Judy had a different take on what she saw. She told the men how Charles told her about being the middle child, and not getting the attention the other boys were always getting. She added that she felt the boys were possibly trying to get some personal attention by either bunking in with Mr. Dan or Mr. Wayne, or, in Charles' case, with their 'dad'.
Mr. Wayne then spoke up and explained how he saw it. He told the others he saw it as more like a competition between the boys. He told the two adults that Matthew favored him and Kyle favored Dan, but Charles was always looking for the opportunity to be with Mr. Ken.
The Estate Master went on to explain that he felt the boys hadn't had much adult male time as of late and were looking at this as a chance they'd been waiting for to be with someone they gravitated to and admired.
Eric joined his Best Friend, Robert, in trying to find their 'dad'. Robert said the last place he could think to look inside the house was the Theater. Eric asked Robert what he intended to say to his dad when he found him.
The Cover teen told Eric he intended to apologize to him and ask him to forgive him and his 'brothers' for acting like spoiled brats and not thinking of how much work went into booking the cruise for the six boys.
When the teens walked into the darkened Theater, Robert whispered, "Dad ...are ... are you in here?"
What came back was silence. The teen called out again, "Dad?" but a little louder this time.
"Yes, Robert ... I'm in here," replied Mr. Ken, in a somber voice.
"Dad, we're ... we're so sorry ... for ... for arguing as we did. We ... we never appreciate what you've done for us and this time ... and this time we totally messed up what you tried to do for us. I wish ... I wish I could take it all back, and go with what you originally planned for us," a subdued Robert got out.
The rest of the Cover boys had been following close behind the two teenagers, but they stayed back because they knew Robert was on a mission, and they didn't want to make things any worse than they already had up in the Study.
They saw their teen 'brother' and Eric go into the Theater, and so they snuck their heads in to listen if their 'dad' was in there. The ambient light from outside the Theater lightly shown on the three Covers.
Ms. Judy wanted to go look for Mr. Ken, and was about to get out of her chair when Mr. Wayne asked her to let the boys handle their problem in their own way. The man told the woman that if they interfered on their behalf, the boys would learn nothing. The Estate Master reasoned the boys got themselves into their predicament, and they needed to find a way out and apologize to their 'dad'.
"I told the boys some time back that ... that in big families, like this, somebody will feel left out, or ignored. Charles for example. That there will be misunderstandings between them, and they would need to work out their differences themselves, or their 'brotherhood', as they call it, would be lost forever.
"It was they who told us they were the ones who messed up. So, I believe we need to let them figure out a way to resolve this with their 'dad'. If we don't ... it will more than likely change the whole dynamic here at The Cove," counseled Mr. Wayne.
"Dad ... what ... what can we do to ... to fix this? We acted ... we acted like stupid little kids up in the Study instead of agreeing with what you had planned. You planned this entire Spring Break trip for us, and ... and we won't blame you if you canceled it," Robert said, in trying to reason with his dad.
Kyle wanted to go and talk to their 'dad, but his 'brothers' held him back. That didn't stop him, and as he broke free, anyway, and headed into the Theater.
"NO!" yelled out Kyle, as he rushed into the still dark Theater. "My 'brothers' ... they shouldn't be punished because of me! It was I ... I was the one who loudly complained about not being with Mr. Dan. Everyone else ... they were satisfied with what you planned. I ... it was me who acted as a little kid and threw a temper tantrum because ... because I wasn't going to get what I wanted.
"'Dad', don't blame my 'brothers'," called out Kyle, who was losing the battle to hold back his tears, and burst out crying.
"I'm ... I'm the one who caused you to get angry and ... and wonder why you even booked the cruise for us. If anyone shouldn't be allowed to go it with you it ... it should be me," suggested Kyle through his crying tears.
"I can call around to all my friends," sniffed Kyle, "who aren't going anywhere, to see if one of them could watch me," sniff, sniff, "while you all go on the cruise," offered Kyle, who then totally broke down and cried loudly.
When Kyle broke down and cried from what he felt he made his 'dad' do, Mr. Ken came up to the young twin and pulled him into a big hug. Kyle melted into the hug and cried even harder.
Someone turned the lights on in the Theater, when they heard Kyle cry out harder. When the lights turned on all the boys gasped at what they saw. And, seeing their 'dad' had Kyle in a loving hug all the Covers ran to their 'dad', and joined in and created a group hug.
All the boys began to apologize to their 'dad' for acting like spoiled brats, and not being thankful for what their 'dad' was doing for them. They all had tears in their eyes, as did 'dad' Ken. He felt relieved they all searched him out, which told him the boys were still keepers.
What the Covers didn't know was Chief had gone up to the Study and brought the adults down to the Theater. When they arrived, they saw the group hug and heard the light sobbing from all the boys. They even noticed some tears streaming down their host's cheeks.
When Mr. Ken noticed his friends standing there at the entrance to the Theater, he invited them over to join in the group hug. They couldn't get there fast enough. When the boys felt the adults join them, they melted back into their open arms.
When the group hug was over, Mr. Ken asked them all to head back to the Study. Upon arriving there, Mr. Ken noticed the time and told the twins to get Chief's things and put them into Ms. Judy's car. The rest he told to head upstairs so he, Mr. Dan and Mr. Wayne could help them pack. Ms. Judy hugged her son before the young teen followed his Best Friend up to his room.
After the twins placed Chief's kibble, bed and play toys into the vehicle, Mr. Ken thanked Ms. Judy for watching Chief for him, again. As they shared a hug, Chief got into the act and gave Mr. Ken a hug and a few doggie kisses before leaving for her own vacation with Ms. Judy.
The twins hurried up to their shared bedroom to get their things packed. Mr. Dan was waiting for them and they hugged him for waiting for them. Before long all the Cover boys had their clothes packed, including their suits and shined shoes. The boys took their luggage down to the Foyer and set it by the door. That way the limo driver wouldn't have to carry them a long distance.
The boys wanted to go swimming, but 'dad' Ken nixed the idea, as it was getting late, and he wanted them to have a light snack, and then head up to relax before going to bed.
All three adults tucked the six Cover boys into their beds, and then headed to their own beds as o'dark thirty came early enough.
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