The Covers and their guest all met in the Kitchen Nook the following morning. Of course, Mr. Ken was there at 8:15 and Mr. Dan by 8:35 but the boys didn't show until 9 AM, but they all did meet in the Kitchen Nook. It was about that time Mr. Chris arrived, too.
While the lads ate their breakfast, the men talked about what was happening at and around The Cove, in the coming weeks. The first item was that school would begin next Monday and that would make The Cove a very quiet place during the week. The next item of interest was the approach of the Labor Day weekend. Mr. Dan added that after that weekend he would be returning to work and he'd also be moving back to his apartment. Ken knew that was going to happen and he lamented that fact that there would be no adult there at night other than him.
With the mention of the Labor Day weekend, Mr. Ken asked the boys if they wanted to have a big end of the summer picnic. The 'brothers' talked about it and then Robert asked who they would invite. The teenager wanted to know if they'd invite all their classmates and teachers or just a few of them.
Charles then spoke up saying he only knew ten people in his class and he wasn't sure how he could invite the entire class when he didn't even know all of them.
'Dad' Ken said he understood Charles' dilemma. The man said he'd have to think about what to do but in the meantime he asked the boys to talk about it between themselves to see if they could come up with a solution.
When the boys had finished eating, they gave Momma Maria a hug and then headed to their rooms to talk about a Labor Day Picnic.
"Robert … what are 'dad's' picnics like?" asked 'brother' Charles.
"The only ones I've been at were the ones he had at the end of last school year. One picnic he had was for my entire class to celebrate the end of school, and the next one he had was for all of us who turned thirteen. He had it catered and at one he had a DJ playing music. 'Dad' also let me invite some of the teachers and he invited Ms. Mary and Ms. Judy and a guy who used to work for the company who decorated The Cove for the Holidays, Mr. Wayne. He's really a neat guy. All the kids liked him, even the girls," replied Robert.
"You had girls at these picnics?" asked an astonished Charles.
"Sure," laughed 'brother' Robert. "It was 'dad's' idea. He told me that as I get older the girls are going to want to date me and they'll want to go to the dances. At our thirteenth birthday party we learned how to do some dances and it was fun. You're going to have to face it my 'brother', the girls are going to pursue you and there isn't anything you can do about it," answered Robert.
"Yeah, I know what you mean. When Mr. Dan took us to Six Flags, a girl, I think her name was Leah, came up to Camm and wanted to know who I was. Later, after she went away, Mr. Dan told me she was cute. He also called me cute, too. I bet she looks me up on the first day," offered Charles.
"And, I bet she'll want to introduce you to all her friends. Watch out for the girls who hang together and only follow one girl. I had that problem with a big group of girls when I started last January. Lucky for me, I made friends fast and they didn't like what the girls were always trying to do. You have to ask Logan what they did to him, but let me tell you it wasn't pretty," revealed Robert.
When they looked at the time, the Cover lads figured their friends were probably already stopping by, so they headed outside to meet them at the ramps. There, Robert pulled aside his Best Friend, Eric, and told him about Mr. Ken's idea for the Labor Day weekend. Robert wanted to get Eric's take on what they could do.
Charles saw his 'brother' and Eric talking, so he went over to them, and said, "You asking Eric for his ideas for Labor Day weekend?"
"Yeah, he's been around here more than me, and he's been here for all the barbeques that I've been to, so he might have some ideas I never thought about," responded Robert.
"Yeah, OK, I guess so. So … does he have any ideas?" asked Charles.
Some of the other lads saw the three talking, so they moved over to hear what they were talking about. When the found out Mr. Ken was thinking of holding a Labor Day weekend picnic or barbeque they got excited which then brought the rest of the gang over.
"So, Mr. Ken is planning to have a barbeque sometime during the Labor Day weekend?" spoke up Cody. "I sure hope I get invited," added the lad, as he smiled real big.
"Yeah, he asked me and my 'brother' what we would like to do," replied Charles.
"So … what ARE you going to do?" asked Chuck.
"We don't know," honestly responded Charles.
The lads stood around and listened to the 'brothers' tell them what their 'dad' had suggested but also how he wanted them to make some suggestions. The boys who'd been to the end of school and birthday barbeques, told everyone how they saw the days and what, if anything, they would change. Then Robert reminded them that Charles would also be asking people to the barbeque and told his friends to consider practically doubling the number of people. That put a kibosh on the friend's plans.
It was Logan who suggested they take it one step at a time. "Did Mr. Ken decide on which day, Saturday, Sunday, or Monday? Did he limit the number of people? Did he say anything about what he'd serve? Will you have music? Are you thinking of inviting girls?"
Logan's last question brought out a lot of laughs' from the guys and then Charles spoke up and said, "Not if I can help it!!" That got all the guys to laughing and patting Charles on his back.
"I guess we know how Charles feels," laughed Logan. "So, what say we stay on that question? Robert, how do you feel about girls being invited?"
"Well, I think all of us who were at the barbeque when we danced had a good time," wise cracked Robert with a smile. "I know it was fun, but … well those girls do cramp a guy's style." That brought out a number of giggles.
"OK, then, what say Charles and Robert both invite their classmates. How many kids would be here?" proposed Logan.
"Sheesh, there'd be a ton of kids out there and what about adults? Would the parents and teachers also be invited?" inserted Brad.
"Yikes, this is getting complicated. I'm sure glad I don't have to make these decisions," reacted
Gordon.
"Do you go through this every time you have a party?" Wyatt wanted to know.
"Not really, Wyatt," answered Eric, who knew something about the way picnics and parties were handled. He decided, since he'd been coming to Three Finger Cove for about three years, he'd explain what he knew. "Mr. Ken usually knows who he wants to invite, like for the Holiday parties, the Easter Egg Roll and when he held the Schools Out and our 13th Birthday Party. It's just now, that he has two kids, my bet is he wants Charles and Robert to help decide who THEY want to attend, not him telling them who to invite. … Did I get that right Robert?"
"Yeah, I think that says what our 'dad' wants. At least, I think it is what he is saying," answered Robert.
It was about that time that Mr. Ken decided to go out and meet Charles' newest friends. When he rounded the corner, he heard what the lads were talking about and it put a smile on his face. He wanted to listen in more, to see how the lads used their friends to iron out problems, but a few of the boys saw him and called out to him.
"Afternoon boys," began The Cove's owner, "I was away when my 'son' Charles met some new friends and I wanted to come out and meet them. Okay, who do we have new here?"
Charles knew what he needed to do when his 'dad' said he wanted to meet his new friends, so he went over to Cooper and introduced him first. Charles then went over to the rest of the newbie's and introduced them one at a time.
"It is nice to meet you new lads. I hope Charles has made you feel comfortable and at home here at The Cove," offered Mr. Ken. "And David … has anyone told you that you resemble Charles somewhat? From a distance, I could mistake you for him but when I got closer I could tell the difference. You know boys, they say we all have a doppelganger out there, you know, someone who looks like us, and David may well be Charles'," now laughed Mr. Ken.
The boys all had a good laugh at what Mr. Ken just said and then they all looked at both Charles and David to see if they could tell where they looked alike. When they saw something they noticed they mentioned it to everyone and then the rest would try to see it themselves.
Then, remembering what Mr. Ken asked, David spoke up and said, "Yes, sir he has. This past week, or so, I've done more than I have all summer. This place is awesome and with all the things Charles has to do here, he sure is lucky," spoke up David.
"I agree with Dave. My parents would never allow me to cook burgers and hot dogs and not only does Charles get to do it but the other kids do it as well. I hope my parents find this out and see that kids our age can do something that simple. Maybe they'd allow me to cook them once in a while," added Jacob, and he and the rest of the boys laughed.
The other four lads also had something to say and Mr. Ken was impressed that the boys weren't tongue tied and seemed to be very outgoing. The man welcomed them to The Cove then he turned the tide on them. He asked them what they thought about him having a Labor Day Picnic and how they'd handle it. The six newbie's, along with Asher and Mason looked like deer caught in the headlights by the question.
"Mr. Ken … you … you want US … to tell you what we'd do?" offered Dylan.
"Sure, being the new guys ensures you aren't prejudiced by previous barbecues or picnics, so what you have to say should be unbiased and honest. Well … do any of you have any ideas the guys haven't discussed yet?" Mr. Ken directly put it to the newbie's.
The eight newest lads all looked to one another to see if anyone of them had something to say. It was Cooper who took the ball and said, "Well, from what I gathered … their first big question is who to invite. That discussion centers on how many people would they really want invited especially if they invite both 7th and 8th graders. It seems to me that you already had the old 7th grade here and you have to decide if that was the right number or did you want lots more." Cooper then chuckled at what he said about how many Mr. Ken wanted.
"Yeah, 'dad', the way Coop says it, it kinda makes sense. I wasn't here for the 7th grade picnic or birthday party but was that enough kids around or do you want to double that number because that's what would happen if Robert and I invited everyone in our class," blurted out Charles.
"Hmmm, I hear you are putting the number to invite back on me. I thought it was going to be your picnic," laughed 'dad' Ken.
"Well, 'dad' you were the one to suggest this Labor Day Picnic, weren't you?" said Charles.
"Yes, but if I remember it right, I asked you and your 'brother' if YOU wanted to have one. So, to me, that puts to onus on you two to decide who comes, what we have and when to have it. You get to make all the decisions and then I get to pay for it," laughed Mr. Ken, who was then joined in by the other lads.
"OK, I get it now," responded Charles. "I only have ten friends my age so for me all I would want to invite would be them and maybe their moms and dads and their brothers and sisters, if they have any. That way, I get to meet them all and hopefully get to know them better. If I invite lots of kids in my class, I won't know who they really are, just yet, and it might make it difficult to have fun. Does that make sense?"
"I sort of agree with my 'brother', 'dad'," piped up Robert. "I have ten good friends from my class but what about Sam and Terran? Sure, they aren't Covers but they've been a part of our group ever since I came to live here. I figured out that if we invite them and their friends that will add at least four but they've had two other friends over and adding it all up we could have 26 or so kids and if we invite families I bet we'd get to 75 or 80 people, easy."
"That is good thinking, 'son'. So, what am I hearing is you only want to invite your immediate friends? Is that what you want?" directly asked 'dad' Ken.
Charles looked to Robert for some help with the question. The teen could tell this was a big decision that needed to be made, so he asked his 'dad' if they could talk it over some more. 'Dad' Ken said they had all the time they needed as long as they told him their decision before twelve noon tomorrow, Friday. The man then laughed and walked away and as he did he welcomed the newcomers, again.
Robert pulled Charles aside, and without any of the friends, began to discuss what their 'dad' said. Robert told his 'brother' he liked the idea of only inviting their immediate friends and their families. The teen explained how busy 75 to 80 people would be and if they make that over 200 plus families it would feel like a zoo. Also, if they only invited their classmates it would leave off Sam and Terran's friends.
Charles didn't understand that last part until Robert reminded his 'brother' that their brothers and families would be there so would they but there wouldn't be any kids their age here for them. It was then Charles understood what Robert meant, so he agreed that only inviting their friends and their families would work out better.
The two Covers went back over to their friends at the ramps and told them what their decision was going to be and they were going inside to tell their 'dad'. But before they could walk away, Eric asked if they were going to invite Ms. Mary, Mr. Chris, Mr. Dan, Mr. Wayne, and any of the teachers' like, Mr. Chassen. That stopped Charles and Robert in their tracks.
Mr. Dan was curious as to why there was no noise coming from the ramps so he took a stroll outside to see what was going on. He saw the Cover boys walking towards the main entrance and then stop in their tracks and then go back to their friends. He continued over to the group of lads to find out what that was all about.
When Mr. Dan arrived, the guys all greeted the man and again congratulated him on his new promotion. That surprise welcome took him off the reason he was going out there and he totally forgot to ask why the boys were headed inside. When the boys went back to talking about the Labor Day Picnic, he remembered why he was there. He stood back and listened to them and when the question got around to talking about which other adults they should invite, Mr. Dan said they might want to invite those adults who've made a difference in their lives, or who mean something special to them.
It was then Todd rode up on his bike to again thank Mr. Dan for taking him driving yesterday. Mr. Dan then asked the teenager if he was ready to do some more driving but this time using the traffic cones to practice parallel parking and backing up. Todd was all smiles as he answered with an enthusiastic 'Yes'. He then wanted to know when and where. Mr. Dan had Todd put his bike up and then help him take the cones out of the garage and set them up. Todd's driving lesson was about to begin.
The group of lads watched Todd drive some but before long they all decided to go swimming. It was while they swam that Hunter asked if Todd would be invited to the picnic. That just added another person to the invitee list as both Charles and Robert agreed the teenager was a part of The Cove, as much as Sam and Terran, and should be at least asked if he wanted to be there.
Charles was beginning to now understand how complicated arranging things could be at The Cove and the number of decisions that had to be made before something as big as this Labor Day Picnic could get off the ground.
Later that night, the boys met up with their 'dad' in his Study where he and Mr. Dan were talking about the hiring of another person for The Cove.
"'Dad', you're, you're going to hire someone else to work here?" asked Robert. "What for, what would they do?" the now anxious teenager wanted to know.
'Dad' Ken smiled at Dan and answered his teen 'son', saying that he needed another adult around the place to take care of his ratty boys when he can't be there. When the lads heard what their 'dad' said they both got looks of surprise and then Robert got a look of horror at getting another Mildred Johnston.
'Dad' Ken saw the look on Robert's face and the concern on Charles' so he told the lads to have a seat and he'd explain.
"Guys … I apologize for my choice of words to convey something I have just begun to realize and understand and that is … I need someone, an adult, around the house when I can't be here. Just look at what Mr. Dan's presence has allowed me to do. If it weren't for him I couldn't have taken you on either of your trips. The bad thing about not having another adult here also means that I could not make any more business trips.
"Robert, I see by your reaction that you are not a fan of having another person working in the house. I want you both to know this is something I just came aware of and I do not have anyone in mind, well, other than Dan here but he already has a job," smiled 'dad' Ken, as he looked over to Dan.
"But why can't he just stay those nights when you have to be gone, 'dad'?" an almost teary eyed Robert blurted out.
"Robert …'son' … Dan already has a position … it makes him work different hours so I couldn't rely on him 24/7. But, let me reassure you … I am not going to hire anyone who remotely resembles or even mimics Mildred Johnston. And speaking of Mildred Johnston … Robert … I guess this as good a time as any to tell you that … well, we heard from Mr. Ed Higgins, Mildred Johnson's lawyer.
"Robert … Mr. Higgins wanted me to essentially pay his client off and give Mr. Chris's job back to her. I told him to stuff it where the sun didn't shine. That now means we'll probably go to trial around the middle of September. If we do that, 'son', you will be called to testify. I'm sorry to have to tell you this but … well, better now than just before the trial," fully revealed 'dad' Ken.
Robert sat there taking it all in. Initially, the teen wanted to run to his 'dad' and cry but he decided that if he did that then Mildred wins. He decided that with the experience of having to testify at his real dad's trial, he could do this for the man who has given him the best life he's ever known.
"'Dad' … I understand," started Robert, "and I want to do whatever I can to make sure that Mildred doesn't win. She never liked me from the very beginning and then she attacked me and got away with it. I won't let her to continue to win and get away with what she did."
'Dad' Ken smiled at the way his teenaged 'son' was accepting this revelation and was proud of the way he wouldn't allow the potential of a trial to upset him and disrupt his life.
"You going to be okay with his, Robert?" asked Mr. Ken.
"Yes, 'dad', I am. Ms. Johnston did me wrong and paybacks are going to be hell for her," replied Robert with a great big smile.
'Dad' Ken got up and out from behind his desk and went to the teen and hugged him. It was then that Robert let the dam break. Charles heard the sniffles coming from his 'brother, so he got up, went to his 'brother' and 'dad' and joined in and made it a group hug. Dan Fischer sat there taking it all in, learning firsthand what he missed by not having kids.
When the hug was over and things settled down, 'dad' Ken asked the lads what they came in to the Study to talk to him about. Charles took the question seeing Robert was still a bit emotional over the old housekeeper and the trial potential.
"'Dad', we finally decided that we only want our close friends and their families to be invited to the Labor Day Picnic. We also want to have it on that Saturday. That way the families can do something together on the other two days. We also want to invite Sam and Terran's friends as they've been here and rode their boards and swam with us. It will also give them kids their age to be with.
"We also thought about a few adults we want to invite. We want to invite Ms. Mary, Mr. Dan, Mr. Chris and his family, Bill Jackson and Stewart Russell and their families and also Doctor Doug. I don't know this man, Mr. Wayne, but Robert and the guys say he is real good with kids and they enjoy having him around. We also would like you to invite Todd and his mom. Todd is a part of The Cove in every sense of the word," said Charles, as he fully categorized their desires for the proposed Labor Day picnic.
'Dad' Ken was happy the boys made the decision and he couldn't be prouder that they did it on their own, even if they called on their friends for ideas. He knew this exercise was a way to get them to think things through and not fall back on someone else to decide for them.
'Dad' and 'son's' said their "Good Nights" but 'dad' Ken brought them both into another big hug and as the man did that he told them how proud he was of them and that he loved them. Both lads, upon hearing their foster dad tell them he loved them, hugged the man even tighter and let a few more tears fall. Even Mr. Ken let a few tears fall as he let his emotions show for the first time.
Up in Robert's room, Charles asked, "Has 'dad' ever, you know, ever told you he loved you?"
Robert told his 'brother' that it was the first time he could ever remember their 'dad' saying that. He then told Charles how good it felt to have someone say that to him after all this time in the foster care system. Charles saw happy tears falling from Robert's eyes and pulled him into a hug and then let his tears join his 'brother's.
"Good Morning boys," said 'dad' Ken, as Charles and Robert entered the Kitchen Nook.
"Good Morning, 'dad'," called back Charles and Robert in unison.
"So, boys, what have you planned for today?" asked 'dad' Ken, as Mr. Chris entered the Kitchen Nook and got his first cup of coffee.
Charles looked at Robert with a smile and answered, "Well, 'dad' … we're going to wait for all the guys to arrive and then … then we're going to plan robbing the bank down at Four Corners. We talked about this yesterday and since school begins next week we've all agreed we need the money in order to afford to buy our lunches at school for the coming year.
"We figured there would be enough from the robbery to buy all of us a year's worth of lunches, new skateboards, and a make down payment on our first cars when we all turn 16. After the robbery we'll come back here and act like nothing ever happened." Then, Charles looked at his 'brother' and then both of them burst out laughing. Even Mr. Chris joined in and almost snorted out coffee through his nose which brought about another round of laughter, and this time Mr. Ken joined in.
All the time Charles was talking, Mr. Dan, the new Sheriff's Deputy Lieutenant, heard what the preteen said and when the laughing had died down, spoke up and said, "So … you're going to rob the bank. Can I ask at what time? That way I can have my deputies ready to nab you as you leave the front door. Then, we'll take you in for booking, call your parents, and then give you all a hearing in front of Judge Adam, and THEN we'll let you all come back here and act like nothing happened."
The boys looked at one another and began giggling. Hearing what L T Dan had said got Mr. Chris and 'dad' Ken joining in. And, of course, since it was all a big joke the five males in the Kitchen Nook all were laughing at what just happened. Their laughter kept them from eating their breakfast or drinking their coffee.
"So, Charles, I take it you and your 'brother's' friends plan on riding the ramps until you've had enough, then go swimming and finish up burning some burgers and dogs," surmised 'dad' Ken.
"Yep, just like yesterday and the day before and the day before that," teased Charles,
Mr. Dan then spoke up and said, "Well, the day before that we were at SeaWorld, so you did have something different to do in place of your daily routine."
That brought about another round of laughter in the Kitchen Nook. All along Momma Maria stood back and listened in to all the laughter and it brought a huge smile to her face. She felt so happy and at peace being in what she considered the happiest house in the world.
"Boys, I already bought your lunch passes for the first half of the school year," advised 'dad' Ken. 'I'll give them to you first thing Monday morning, but don't let me forget. I also added a couple of extra dollars to the cards so if you get extra hungry or one of your buddies needs an extra milk or short beer, you'll have the money."
The short beer remark brought about some more laughter and chuckles.
"Oh, 'dad' … did you think any more about hiring that other person to work here at The Cove?" asked Robert. "I hope you'll at least only look at guys and not girls," added the teen.
"Mr. Ken … are you looking to replace me? I thought you were happy with my work," asked a surprised and somewhat upset Mr. Chris.
"Oh, no, Chris … nothing of the sort; please believe me. The way this came about is that when Dan here joined us his presence allowed me to take the boys on their trips. … That unselfish gesture, by Dan, made it apparent to me that I need another adult here at The Cove. Now, if I want to take business trips, I'll wind up going through the same problem I had before Dan volunteered. Chris … Dan and I talked about me needing to hire another adult to be available to watch over the boys when I have to be away. Maybe someone I can have on-call, or who can rearrange their evening schedules, like a teacher." quickly answered Mr. Ken.
"That is why Robert said what he said because he doesn't want another Mildred Johnston and I don't blame him. Oh, and another thing; I'm not sure if I told you, or not, but Bill Jackson, my lawyer, called and we talked and afterward it was decided that we'll be going to court sometime the middle of September. Mildred is suing me for her job back and for about ten million dollars.
"Chris … you'll need to be ready to produce all the damning information you've amassed on Mildred and be able to discuss it in court. We'll also need the videos of Mildred attacking Robert and how she treated Chief over her length of employment. You have about three weeks. I hope this is enough advance notice for you."
When Mr. Ken finished talking it got awfully quiet in the Kitchen Nook. Then everyone burst out laughing. Even Chief got into the act that time and barked up a storm as she joined in all the laughter she was hearing. The boys were holding their sides from all the laughing they'd done and could hardly catch their breath. It took a few minutes for the group in the Nook to settle down.
The boys caught their breath and went over to Momma Maria and hugged her for making breakfast for them. They then told the men they could be found out at the ramps. As they left the Nook, their 'dad' told them to keep the hiring of another adult for The Cove to themselves and they should refrain from talking about the pending court date, for now. The boys agreed and then exited the Kitchen Nook.
That day was just like many of the other days at The Cove. The boys' friends showed up, they rode their skateboards, they swam, they ate burgers and dogs and around 6 the parents came for the boys who hadn't ridden their bikes over. Then, Momma Maria had a wonderful dinner all ready for Mr. Ken, Mr. Dan and the boys. The only difference that day was the men swam with the boys for a couple of hours before they all went off to bed.