The boys came down to breakfast all cheerful. Mr. Ken didn't know why, but he was happy to see they were in a good mood which probably meant they slept well that night.
'Dad' Ken reminded the twins that they had their appointment with Doctor Doug that evening, before they walked out the door to catch the school bus.
When Mr. Chris arrived at The Cove, he had his first cup of coffee with his boss and told him everything was set for Saturday. The Estate Manager told Mr. Ken the motor coach would be there before 9:30. He told the man the bus would like to come in and turn around inside the grounds, so it doesn't have to deal with the narrow streets of the adjoining subdivision. Mr. Ken said that shouldn't be a problem as those bus drivers knew how to turn that huge bus around on a dime.
Mr. Chris also told the owner of The Cove that he bought 50 entrance tickets to be collected at the Will Call Window once they get there. The tickets were under his and Mr. Ken's names and either one of them can pick up some or all of them. Mr. Chris said he got one extra ticket as the real good discount started at 50. When Mr. Ken asked Chris what he would do with one extra ticket, Mr. Chris said he could invite one more person, or give it to someone in line and make their day. Mr. Ken smiled at that possibility.
Mr. Chris also wondered if he talked to the lads about Halloween and if they were going to go out Trick-Or-Treating. Mr. Ken told the man the twins definitely would, but hadn't heard from Robert or Charles. Mr. Chris said there wasn't any real hurry unless the boys were going to get a costume off the racks at a store as they seemed to be going fast. Mr. Ken told his Estate Manager he hadn't even thought about buying the twins a costume and was thankful to him for mentioning it. Mr. Ken made a note to take the boys out shopping.
After his conversation with Mr. Chris, Mr. Ken called Stewart to tell him that Detective Carrier would be at his home at 3 PM on Wednesday and asked him to please make that appointment.
After the call to Stewart Russell, Mr. Ken made a few more calls to his architect group, and then to the construction trailers to talk to his on-site supervisors on the office building and the hotel. Those calls took most of the rest of the morning as Mr. Ken received detailed reports on what the storm did to the grounds and how much delay there'd be from it.
After lunch, Mr. Ken called his three amusement parks to find out what was going on with them. The managing operators told him they were already doing their Spook-Tac-U-Lairs and the number of guests attending was up from last year. All three managers tried to get their owner to come out again that coming weekend to see what they had done to the parks and to enjoy the fun.
Mr. Ken told them he now had two more foster boys and that bringing all four would be difficult.
He explained that the two new ones weren't able to travel until after Thanksgiving but that he would try to get out there soon. They then discussed their Happy Holiday plans. Mr. Ken's afternoon was taken up by talking to his three back east amusement parks.
The lads came home on time and went directly to Momma Maria for their snack. They stopped by the Study to say 'Hi' to their 'dad' and then headed up to their rooms to get their homework done.
Doug Jennings arrived at The Cove on time, 5:30. He and Kevin went to the Study to talk over things the lad needed to get off his chest. Kevin wanted to talk about the way he'd treated his brother but Doctor Doug wanted the lad to focus mainly on what his dad did to him, so he could get that out in the open so the boy could move on with his life. They compromised and used the first thirty minutes to discuss his dad and decided they'd use the time after dinner to talk about the twin's brother.
Dinner that night included a side salad with Lasagna with a Mexican flare to it. There was extra tomato sauce and buttered garlic bread. Momma Maria also made a red velvet cake with cream cheese icing for dessert. No one came away from the dinner table hungry.
After dinner Doctor Doug and Kevin spent fifteen minutes talking about the way Kevin treated his brother and at the end, the lad felt he was on the right track to make sure he and his twin were not only on the right track to be loving brothers but best friends, too. Kevin was happy after talking to the doctor.
After Kevin finished his appointment with Doctor Doug, Kyle went with the doctor into Mr. Ken's study. The doctor and younger twin talked about the lad's broken arm and then the lad's dad and lastly, they also talked about Kevin. Kyle was concerned about Kevin because of what he was made to do and how he acted recently.
Kyle told the doctor he was happy his brother told him about what he and his dad did together, but was now concerned for Kevin and what it might mean to them both for the future. Kyle came out of his session more relieved than when he went in but he wasn't as happy as Kevin was when he came out.
Before bed, 'dad' Ken reminded Robert and the twins about their appointments the following day and told them he'd be there by 2:30, if not earlier, The lads hugged the man before going up to relax some before bed.
Wednesday morning was a repeat of most of the other school days. The Cover lads came down to the Kitchen Nook, hugged their 'dad', ate breakfast and then headed up to the Bus Stop. Mr. Chris came in for his first cup of coffee and discussed things of importance with the boss.
That morning, Mr. Ken told Chris that there would be a detective stopping by to talk to the twins. He wanted Mr. Chris to know just in case he came to the Study and the door was closed. The owner of The Cove told his Estate Manager that the discussion would probably take a long time and not to wait outside.
At school, the boys who were going on the SeaWorld trip were getting excited. Some of them had never been down to San Antonio to SeaWorld and were looking forward to the experience. For the teachers, it was a distraction because the lads weren't focusing on their studies or in class.
Mr. Ken knew he needed to find a way to get Robert over to Doctor Doug's while he took the twins home. Then it came to him. He called Wayne Mitchell.
When the three Cover lads arrived at the Administration office at 2:20 to await Mr. Ken they found not only their 'dad', but Mr. Wayne there as well. As the lads walked out of the school with Mr. Ken and Mr. Wayne, 'dad' Ken told Robert that Mr. Wayne would take him to Doctor Doug's and then would bring him home when he was finished. He then told all three lads that he signed Mr. Wayne, up at the school, as an additional guardian who could take all four lads out of the school, if he wasn't available. The two adults then headed in different directions.
When Mr. Ken and the twins' arrived home, Stewart Russell was waiting for him. The owner of The Cove asked the boys to go pee and wash up in order to be ready for Detective Carrier when he arrived. The detective arrived with Lieutenant Matthias along as a calming interest since he'd met the lads already.
"Thank you for having me Mr. Thomas," said Joel Carrier as he held out his hand to shake Mr. Ken's. Mr. Ken then introduced the twins lawyer, Stewart Russell.
Mr. Ken welcomed the two detectives, took their coats and hung them up in the cloakroom. The four adults walked into the Study where Kevin and Kyle were already seated. Mr. Ken introduced the twins to Mr. Joel and reminded them they'd met Brandt Matthias once before and they already knew Stewart Russell. The twins stood up and shook the detective's hand and then sat back down.
Bandera County Sheriff's Detective Joel Carrier started off by telling the twins he was going to record their interview. Detective Carrier explained to the lads he was there to get his own first-hand accounting of what the lads had to say about their dad. He also told Kevin he wanted to hear his story of when he and his dad went to meet those other men and boys.
The twins looked back and forth to one another as if they were talking. That was the second time Brandt Matthias saw the boys do that and he wanted to know if what they were doing was real. He knew that if he began asking those types of questions that it could get the conversation on a different track, so he decided to stay quiet. Then Detective Carrier asked Kevin to tell him everything he could about him and his dad's rendezvous with the other men and boys.
Kevin was telling his story for the fourth time and each and every time he told it he seemed to remember more and more. This time he remembered more about the outsides of some of the houses they met the other people at. He also remembered some of the things the men talked about and what the boys told him about what they did with the men who brought them.
Detective Matthias was surprised at all the added detail the older twin was able to provide. He wanted so badly to ask some questions, but Joel Carrier was leading the interview and he didn't want to step on the man's toes.
Robert and Mr. Wayne came back to The Cove and after hanging up their coats, they went to find Momma Maria. Momma was surprised Mr. Wayne was there and the twins weren't. Robert told the woman that Mr. Ken and the twins were meeting with some detectives in the Study.
Momma replied that she knew one strange man, and one who'd been there before, came to the door about 3 o'clock, but she didn't know who he was. She added she hoped the lads weren't in any kind of trouble and Robert said they weren't. Then Robert asked her if she had any idea why the four of them were now living with Mr. Ken.
Momma Maria said that she knew that Collin's parents were killed and some men tried to kill him, because he saw who did it. She told the teen that Mr. Ken had never told her why the rest of the boys were living there. Robert looked to Mr. Wayne to see if he should tell her, but Mr. Wayne told him it was Mr. Ken's call, not his. Robert asked if he and Mr. Wayne could eat their after-school snacks. Momma smiled and told them to sit.
It was after Kyle told Detective Carrier about what he and Kevin did with their dad that Joel Carrier brought out some pictures. He asked Kevin to look at them and tell him if he knew any of the men. Kevin looked through all of them before he said anything to the detective.
"Mr. Joel, I don't recognize all these men, but a few I do," spoke up Kevin. The twin then shuffled through the pictures and set aside three of them.
"Mr. Joel, I know this man as Stan," said Kevin, for the first picture. For the second picture, Kevin said, "This man I know as Danny. Also, when I saw his picture, I remembered he has a mole or a small tattoo on his butt. The right side I believe it is."
Joel Carrier and Brandt Matthias both smiled at the added detail Kevin was giving the men.
"This third picture … I remember his face, but I can't think of his name. It's Mikey, or Micky, or Matty, something like that. There is another picture in the group that was the man who came to The Cove with Julian that night. But, I don't recognize any of the others," finished Kevin.
Detective Carrie brought out some more pictures. This time they were of some boys his age. Mr. Joel asked Kevin to look through them and tell him if he knew any of the boys.
Again, Kevin shuffled through the pictures. When he was done he pulled out two. He set them aside and went through the pictures one more time. He selected one more and handed the remaining pictures back to Mr. Joel.
"Sir, I remember this first one. His name was Kip, or that was what they called him. The second picture is Jerome. This third picture … I know this boy, but I don't remember his name. But he … I don't ever remember him ever being with us when we got together on Sunday," relayed Kevin.
What Kevin didn't know was that Kyle was looking through the picture along with him, just to see who the detective was looking at as being involved with his dad and brother. When Kevin looked at the boys' pictures, Kyle recognized one of the boys. He waited to say something and when Kevin didn't say he knew him Kyle spoke up.
"Kevin … that's Mel, you know Melvin. He has a twin brother, Martin," spoke up Kyle.
"Yeah, yeah, that is Mel, but … how do you know him?" Kevin asked his twin.
"Dad used to take me out for ice cream, back when he and I used to do things together. I met … I met Mel and Marty there. Dad knew their dad and as they talked we talked. They live on the opposite side of the playground, about 4 or 5 blocks from us. They go to a different school because the playground is the boundary is what they told me," explained Kyle.
"Yeah, now I remember, but I never talked to them at the same time. I had a difficult time telling them apart, but I knew there was something different because the one I talked to didn't remember what we talked about the last time," offered Kevin.
"Is there anything else you remember about the boys or their dad?" asked Joel Carrier.
Kyle looked to Kevin and all the older twin did was shrug his shoulders. Kyle, seeing his brother didn't know anything about the other twin's dad said, "The twins told me their dad worked a part-time job to help pay the bills. They told me, on the weekends, he shows houses. Does that help?"
Joel smiled at Brandt, but didn't say anything about that revelation. Joel Carrier did ask the lads if there was anything else they could remember. When the twins didn't offer anything else, Detective Carrier said he thought he got everything and was ready to leave. He asked Brandt Matthias if he had any questions for the boys. All Detective Matthias did was smile at the extra information the lad was able to remember.
Then, Detective Matthias asked, "Kevin … how was it you were able to remember all those extra details that you didn't tell me or Sergeant Roberts?"
Kevin looked to 'Dad Ken' to see if he should answer, and seeing Mr. Ken nod, the older twin said, "I've been seeing some of that stuff in my dreams. Not all the time but … well, after I talked to you last week, I guess my mind started looking back through what I did with my dad and those other men. In my dreams, I'd see … I'd see some of the men and I'd try to remember their faces when I woke up."
Kevin then looked to his twin. Then he looked over to Detective Carrier and said, "You do believe me, don't you? Everything I said?"
"Oh, yes, Kevin, I DO believe you. And, I think Detective Matthias does, too. You were a very convincing witness for me, not to believe you. You gave the same sort of details you did the last time and you even were able to expound on them and for that, I am extremely glad that I made the trip up here," enthusiastically said Joel Carrier.
Stewart Russell inwardly laughed remembering what Mr. Ken suspected would happen when Detective Carrier came to talk to the twins. The lawyer was glad things didn't turn out that way.
As the detectives were leaving the Study, Robert and Mr. Wayne were walking to that area. Mr. Ken introduced them to Joel Carrier who shook their offered hands. The detective said he wished he had more time to stay and talk, but he wanted to get back home before it got too late.
After the detectives left, the twins asked if they could go and get their snack. As the lads walked away, Mr. Wayne and Robert followed Mr. Ken into the Study. They sat down and then Robert asked his 'dad' if he ever told Momma Maria why they were all there. Mr. Ken asked Robert what he meant and the teen said he felt Momma Maria should have some idea why they all are there. The teenager said she told him that she sort of knew why Collin was living there, but had no idea why he and his 'brothers' are living there now.
"So, you think I should tell her all about your four," smiled 'dad' Ken.
"No, but maybe it would be nice for her to know that my parents are in prison for money laundering and Charles mom is in prison for dealing drugs and he doesn't know who his dad is. As for the twins, she could be told they were abused and it wasn't found out until after the accident," suggested Robert. "I think it would be nice for her to be brought into … well, that she knows a little about us so she doesn't have to wonder why the detectives were here today and the other day talking to the twins."
"Hmmm, I guess you do make a point there, Robert. I never thought she would care, but now that you say it that way, maybe I can tell her something that might be close to the truth, but not exactly. I feel I have your permission to tell her, but I need to talk to your three 'brothers'," said 'dad' Ken.
"Tell whom what?" asked Kyle, when the three Cover lads came back from eating their snack.
"Have a seat, you three," chuckled 'dad' Ken. "Robert, here, thinks I should tell Momma why you are here living with me. Your 'brother' … he doesn't want me to tell her the FULL truth, but just enough, so she can understand why you four are living with me. Now … I don't just want to tell her everything outright without you knowing what I would tell her, but … I first need to find out from you if it is OK for me to tell her anything,"
"What would you tell her?" asked Kevin.
"Well, for you two, Robert thinks I could tell her that it was only after the accident that we learned you both had been abused and that was why the detectives had been by to talk to you about it. Charles … Robert thinks I could tell her that your mom … that she went to prison because she got caught dealing drugs and that since we don't know who your dad is that is why you are with me. As for Robert, I can tell her his parents are also in prison … but for wire fraud and money laundering," disclosed Mr. Ken.
The four lads talked about it amongst themselves and after a few minutes, they agreed that Momma Maria should know a little bit about why they are living there, as long as she doesn't go out and tell anyone else. Mr. Ken thanked the boys for allowing him to tell Momma Maria but he said he would wait until tomorrow to give them all a chance to think it through in their dreams. Then the man sent the lads up to their rooms to get their homework started.
After the boys left, Mr. Wayne and Mr. Ken talked about what just happened. Wayne told Ken how the subject came up before he and Robert ate a snack after they came back from Robert's appointment. Wayne also asked about the methods Ken uses to make decisions about the lads. All, Ken could tell Wayne is he goes by the seat of his pants. The two then talked about some of the situations Wayne could find himself in when he fills in for him in the near future.
Wayne Mitchell wasn't ready to hear he would be filling in for him so soon, so he asked Ken to tell him more about it. Mr. Ken told Wayne how his amusement park operators were practically begging him to come visit them while they hosted their Spook-Tac-U-Lairs. Ken Told Wayne he had been sort of ignoring them, and he really needed to go visit them more often. The owner of The Cove told Wayne that they also want him there for their Happy Holiday theming that Christmas. Ken told Wayne that by then he should be able to take all the lads and that he could come along, if he wanted to get away.
After dinner, the lads had to go back up to their rooms to finish their homework, since they got a late start earlier before they ate. Mr. Ken told the boys he'd come up and visit with them, after Mr. Wayne left, and check their homework.
Wayne told Ken he was intrigued about taking a trip, since he hadn't had one since he graduated last spring. Ken thanked him for taking Robert to Doctor Doug's, and then used that as an example why he needed another adult around the estate to help him with those sorts of things. Wayne said he totally understood. He then went back to his apartment.
Mr. Ken did go up to visit the boys in their bedrooms. They showed him their homework and he told them he was remiss in not checking their assignments as a good parent would. The twins thanked Mr. Ken for checking their homework. They told him their mom usually checked it, but was happy when their dad did it. Now that they knew were going to lose their dad they were glad they had a 'dad' who would check their work.
When 'dad' Ken went into his pre-teen's room, Charles told the man that he was what he wished for in a 'dad' and was grateful he let him do all the things he has. Charles then hugged the man tight.
Robert was a bit teary-eyed when Mr. Ken came into his room to check on what he was working on. The lad stood up and hugged the man for all he was worth, thanking him for being the BEST 'dad' he knew. The teen then broke down and cried knowing that he would never again see his real dad until he was a grown adult. All Mr. Ken could do was comfort the lad and hope that he and Doctor Doug could get things worked out for the lad and soon.
The Cover lads were all in bed by 9 PM. They'd gotten used to the early bedtime and they appreciated they got a good night's sleep before getting up for school the next morning. Chief also went to bed when the lads did and she stayed in the twin's bedroom, this time, as she had for each last boy who came to The Cove. Mr. Ken was in bed by 10.
Thursday was the typical morning at The Cove. The Cover lads got up ten minutes early to make sure Kyle got cleaned up and dressed. They were down for breakfast and after they finished they headed up to the Bus Stop. The weather had warmed up since Monday, but the mornings were still a bit cool. The lads all wore light jackets.
Mr. Ken got his day started by getting cleaned up and dressed. He headed for a fresh cup of coffee before going to his Study to make some calls and work on the paperwork that began piling up that week.
But before the man even made his first call, the phone rang at his desk. He answered it to find Lieutenant Matthias on the other end. Brandt Matthias said he called to thank Mr. Ken for his help yesterday with the twins and congratulated him on getting the twins calmed down and engaged in the interview.
When Mr. Ken asked why he really called, Brandt said he called to ask about the way the twins seemed to talk to one another without saying anything out loud. He said he wanted to know if the twins actually did the 'twin talk' like they say twins can do. Mr. Ken laughed at the question and told the lieutenant that he can't say for sure, but he thought they did show an aptitude to communicate somehow that way. Mr. Ken told Brandt that as long as the boys can, in some way talk to one another without anyone hearing them, he wasn't going to tell them not to. Brandt thought about the answer and then said it was interesting to watch.
Lieutenant Matthias then told Mr. Ken the real reason for his call was to tell him that Detective Carrier was going to interview Parker Parchsons and depending on what he learns may arrest him today. Lt. Matthias told the owner of The Cove that the twins' consistent interviews made Joel happy he had two good witnesses, but he also wanted to try to find those two boys Kevin identified, so he could get more damning information about Parker and Julian and any other men.
Lt. Matthias went on to tell Mr. Ken that Joel Carrier had identified the other men and will be interviewing them after he talks to Mr. Parchsons. The Lieutenant said the men Kevin pointed out in the pictures only confirmed to him that those men were involved. The Lt. said Joel Carrier hoped to get the cooperation of the boys Kevin identified and that would be the start of the prosecution of the men.
Mr. Ken thanked him for that information and asked him to let him know if Detective Carrier arrests Parker, so he could make plans to visit or not to visit the twins' parents this weekend. Mr. Ken told the Lt. that they would be gone all day Saturday in case he decided to call then. The two hung up on a pleasant but serious note.
Mr. Ken no sooner hung up the phone when it rang again. When Mr. Ken picked it up he learned it was Judge Adam Richards, the Presiding County Juvenile Court Judge. They made their usual pleasant conversation until Judge Adam told the owner of The Cove why he called.
"Mr. Ken," started the judge, "The reason I called is because of that article that appeared in last Sunday's newspaper. The court didn't care that the reporter revealed that a boy found that amount of money, but it is NOT too happy that the boy was identified as a foster lad. The court is doing its own investigation, but I wanted you to know we have involved DA Morris, too. I heard from a reliable source that the honorable DA is not all that happy with you again Ken. I think that man is his own worst enemy and will be his downfall. Be that as it may, I called to ask you what Robert thought about what was said in the newspaper."
"Well, Judge Adam, I haven't told him. His going to the house last weekend was the catalyst that brought back some thoughts about his mom and dad being in prison. He is having a difficult time knowing that the life he knew with them is over. Knowing the house will be sold to pay the bills, and the rest going into an account for him for college, he is wondering about his future," revealed Mr. Ken.
"That is unfortunate, but … well, I wanted to let you know we are going to identify the person who told the reporter that info because she undoubtedly told him the name of the boy and if she hasn't he can very well identify him by the address of the house. This does not bode well for Robert because the men who have yet to be identified could very well come for him. If that happens the person who released that information can be held accountable for whatever happens. I just hope you can keep him busy and get him to go back to focusing on his future and moving forward," counseled Judge Richards.
"Judge, the boys and I, and a bunch of their friends are going to SeaWorld this Saturday. That should take his mind off his parents for a bit, anyway. But, I don't think this will ever go completely away until the house is sold and the monies are deposited before he can move forward. I just hope this calculated slip by whoever doesn't cause more harm that he will have to deal with," clarified Mr. Ken.
Judge Adam and Mr. Ken continued their conversation about the potential for problems for Robert until the issue just fades away. Mr. Ken assured the judge he would take whatever action he deemed necessary to protect the lad and keep his mental health from deteriorating. The two said they understood each other's concern for the teen. Then they hung up.
Mr. Ken made more calls to his construction superintendents and the architect team about his current projects and what he has planned for the future. He then told his architect team he had a plan for a Christmas present for the lads and he wanted them to research the topic and get back to him with the particulars. He told them the project need not be completed for the Holidays, but at least he wanted a model, or at least the plans, to be able to present the boys on Christmas Day. The lead architect said he would do that and let him know.
Mr. Ken had a busy morning and after lunch, he had a just as busy an afternoon, full of phone calls and reviewing the papers which were on his desk.
The four Cover lads came home from school on time and headed to find Momma Maria to get their after-school snack. Momma Maria had chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter cookies, and butter cookies ready for her 'boys' when they came through the door. She also had iced cold chocolate milk and today she made vanilla milk for them.
The boys had never heard of vanilla milk, so they all had to try it. They loved it so much Momma Maria had to make more as the cold chocolate milk wasn't even touched. She decided she'd serve it for dinner that night.
After they finished their snacks, the boys stopped by the Study to say 'Hi' to Mr. Ken. He told them he had something to talk to them about after dinner and that started a whole slew of questions from the boys. Mr. Ken told them he didn't want to take them away from their studies and then sent them up to their bedrooms to start their homework.
Dinner that night, Momma Maria fixed a side salad with four different dressings. Then, for the main course, she had spaghetti and meatballs with extra meat sauce on the side and toasted garlic bread. For dessert, she offered the remaining cookies or cherry pie with vanilla ice cream on top. None of the cookies were eaten for dessert that night.
After dinner, Mr. Ken asked the lads to meet him in his Study. When everyone was seated, 'Dad Ken' told the boys about the conversation he had with Lieutenant Matthias. The boys were attentive and after 'Dad Ken' finished talking the boys asked their questions. Mr. Ken tried to answer their questions as best he could, but he told them that until the Lieutenant called him he would only be speculating.
Then, Mr. Ken changed the topic by asking the twins about Trick-Or-Treating. He asked them what they wanted to go as. The twins hemmed and hawed since they had no idea what there was available for them to wear. Mr. Ken then asked Robert and Charles if they'd talked to their friends and if they were going to go out begging for candy. The twins laughed at what 'Dad Ken' asked their older 'brothers'.
Robert said he thought that maybe he was too old to do that, but maybe he could walk with the twins while they go through the neighborhood. Mr. Ken said that sounded like a good idea to him as he then could stay home and give out candy himself. Charles said he'd like to go out 'begging for candy', but he hasn't mentioned it to his friends. The pre-teen asked his 'dad' if he did go out could he get a costume when the twins did. 'Dad' Ken laughed at Charles and said that might be one thing they needed to do that weekend
When they finished talking, the boys went upstairs to finish their homework. Mr. Ken decided he needed to be more involved with the boys and their assignments, so he walked up to the lads' rooms to check on them and to see if any of them had questions for him.
When Mr. Ken got to Robert's room, he asked his dad if he thought if they could go back to having their Tuesday night talks, again. That question caused 'dad' Ken to pause and realize he had forgone the Tuesday night talks almost since after Charles came to live there. Mr. Ken told the teenager he would have to make that happen and then asked the teen if he just wanted to it be the two of them or all four lads.
Robert said he liked it when it was just the two of them, but he didn't know how his 'dad' could have four different talks because of all the things that have happened as of late. Robert said it might be good to have all four of them in the talks as they seem to be talking about the same things anyway and this way Mr. Ken wouldn't be spread too thin.
'Dad' Ken thanked Robert for reminding him and bringing that issue to the forefront. Mr. Ken did tell the teen that it might not happen right away, and, if it did, they might miss a week every once in awhile, but he'd try his best to get those Tuesday night talks back on schedule. He did tell Robert that the twins had their appointments with Doctor Doug on Tuesdays and that he'll either have to change them or change the night they have their talks.
Robert thanked his 'dad' for at least agreeing to resurrect the talks and he said he didn't care when they had them, but the teen said Tuesday did seem to be the best night of the week. Mr. Ken hugged the lad and went to Charles' room to talk to him.
Charles only wanted to talk to his 'dad' about the Halloween costume. 'Dad' Ken asked Charles to talk to his buddies tomorrow and let him know by the time they get on the bus on Saturday. The pre-teen hugged his dad and then showed him what he was doing in school and what his homework assignments were for today.
'Dad Ken' then went to the twins' room. Both boys were checking over their work when Mr. Ken walked in and they both tried to show him what they were doing. Even though they were in different classrooms, they were both studying the same lessons and their homework was very similar. Mr. Ken didn't let on so he checked Kevin's first and then Kyle's. He told the boys he liked the way they each attacked their assignments because they were different individuals even though they were twins. They both smiled at hearing that.
Then Kevin told 'Dad Ken' that his grades were much better now than when he lived with his parents. The older twin said he felt it was because he had more structure here and could feel he was cared for and loved. The twin then hugged Mr. Ken.
Kyle told 'Dad Ken' that he loved his teacher and he felt more relaxed now that Kevin wasn't reporting on what he did when they went home every day. Kyle said the school was great and he was happy he now had friends he could play with and bring home. The younger twin then jumped onto Mr. Ken and hugged him tight being careful he didn't hurt Mr. Ken with his cast.
Mr. Ken stayed upstairs with the lads until it was time for them to go to bed. He hugged them all through their covers and then kissed them on their forehead before going to his own en-suite.
Another silent and nightmare free night was had by all.
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