True to his word, when everyone was downstairs that Sunday morning, 'dad' Ken loaded the Covers into the van and left for the Four Corners Diner at 9:45. They filed into a corner table that would hold all of them, ordered their usual breakfasts and had a leisurely meal.
They talked about the past two weeks; how much fun it was to go to the new amusement parks, and be at all the parties. Matthew said in a deadpan face that he could have done without the inflight emergency. Then, the youngest Cover smiled. Everyone smiled along with him knowing exactly to what he was referring.
'Dad' Ken had his 'boys' use the restroom before heading over to the Go-Kart Track. On Sunday the Go-Kart Track didn't open until twelve noon, so Mr. Ken had made a phone call before leaving The Cove that morning. He wanted to be sure there would be someone at the track to have the karts ready for them when they arrived.
"Hey, no one is in line,' said Kevin, when the Covers arrived at the track.
"The sign says they open at twelve, Kevin. But the karts are out on the track. So 'dad' must have made a call, like he said he would, to have them ready for us," said Matthew.
Mr. Ken talked to the man who opened the track for them and told him they'd ride until twelve noon when he would normally be open. He also told the man to tell anyone who got in line that this was a private party and the track would open at noon as scheduled.
The Covers chose their favorite kart and got in. Before they got out on the track, 'dad' Ken told them they'd ride until the RED light came on in about 40 minutes. The boys smiled at hearing they could drive the entire time. 'Dad' Ken then teased the boys by adding, "Or, until their kart ran out of gas."
The boys smiled and when the track operator hit the start button that turned the Green light on, the Covers were off on their extended go-kart drive time. Robert and Charles were on the first row, so they took off and were way ahead of the rest of the Covers, even before they got out of the starting line.
Matthew stayed back at first. He wanted to get his bearings and a feel for the kart before he went any faster. He hadn't ridden the karts all that much, so he was still a bit cautious. Robert and Charles passed him and the twins weren't that far behind him that they too would soon pass him, as well.
"Come on Matthew, push that gas pedal down," encouraged Mr. Wayne. "You've driven faster than this the last time we drove the karts. Now, push that pedal down and stay tight to the turns, as you see your older 'brothers' do.
Matthew listened to the man he looked up to, and he did push his gas pedal down some more and that put some distance between him and the twins. After a few more laps, Matthew began to go faster and faster and Robert and Charles never passed him again.
As the continuous race went on, Matthew found his mettle and began to gain on his older 'brothers'. 'Dad' Ken saw the way his youngest was driving, and the determination on his face so he pulled over and wanted to watch the race. Even Mr. Wayne joined his employer to see how Matthew was doing.
The twins saw what Matthew was doing so they, too, went faster. Robert and Charles were racing and blocking one another, which essentially made them slow down some. They had no idea that Matthew was slowly sneaking up on them. The question was whether, or not, he would get close enough for the older two 'brothers' to even notice.
The twins were following Matthew, but their karts didn't seem to have the power to catch their younger 'brother'. Matthew had determination in his eyes and mind and as he raced towards his older 'brothers' he could see he was gaining on them. He was taking chances at the corners hoping he wouldn't spin out and lose his momentum and position.
"Dad' Ken and Mr. Wayne marveled at how Matthew was handling the go-kart. Mr. Wayne was more astonished at Matthew, as he knew how timid and reserved the youngster was. Both men encouraged the youngster every time he passed.
The boys had no idea how much time they had left on their clock. They were enjoying their extended drive time and didn't care. This was probably going to be the one and only time they would get to do this and they were making the best of this opportunity.
Matthew was gaining ground on the two older boys as they continued to fight one another for position. Charles had learned where Robert's weakness was on the course and he took advantage of it and passed his teenaged 'brother'.
Likewise, Robert knew where Charles' weakness was on the racetrack, so he waited until then and passed. They did that back and forth to one another and each time they did they smiled back at the other and lost ground.
Matthew was now close enough to see what his older 'brothers' were doing to one another, so he decided he'd time his passes just as they smiled and slowed down. Mr. Ken and Mr. Wayne were perplexed how Matthew could do what he was doing. On the other hand, they were pleasantly surprised at what the young Cover was doing. The race was something to behold.
The older boys still hadn't taken notice of where Matthew was on the course and before they both knew it the youngster passed Robert at the same time Charles did. It was then Charles looked back to smile at Robert that he saw Matthew was right there and he was about to pass him. Charles pushed hard down on his gas pedal, but Matthew had the speed advantage and he was pulling away.
Robert and Charles forgot about their 'brotherly' feud and pressed hard to catch Matthew, pass him and leave him in their dust. Matthew had other plans, which did not include being passed. He knew he was taking chances at the turns and he almost spun out a time or two, but he learned to brake going into the turns and then to accelerate out of them.
The five Covers were the only ones out on the track and with Matthew supposedly now in the lead the four followers were trying their best to make tight turns and catch Matthew. Kevin was the first casualty as he went into the tight turn too quick, braked and spun out. As he came by the Start/Finish line 'dad' Ken motioned him in.
Charles spun out next. He over drove into the turn and when he came out he was still braking and that caused him to do a 360-degree turn. He too was motioned in as he came to the where his 'dad' and Estate Master were waiting.
Matthew still led the other two Covers. Robert was closer to him and Kyle was trying to keep up his momentum, but his kart was not all that fast right then. He knew if he wasn't careful both Matthew and Robert would pass him. It all depended on how much time was left in their track time.
Kevin and Charles cheered on their 'brothers'. They both wanted to see Matthew win the race. He was the unknown out on the course and since he was a novice at this, they thought it would be great if he had bragging rights for some time to come.
The Go-Kart Track attendant came out when there were less than three minutes to their stop time. Mr. Ken told him to give them three more laps and then turn the Yellow light on indicating they had one lap to go. The man agreed to that and went back into the starting shack to watch the rest of the race.
As the boys passed Mr. Ken, he yelled they had four laps to go. The man wasn't sure if they heard them, but at least he tried. Matthew was still ahead of Robert and he was pushing his kart hard. His desire to win at all costs was making him take more chances on the turns.
Robert saw what Matthew was doing and he tried to yell to him not to push it too hard, otherwise he'd spin out. Matthew didn't hear him and as the three Covers headed into the Yellow lap, Matthew pushed it even harder because he wanted to win.
The young boy could feel he was losing some control, but for whatever reason he didn't slow it down any. He thought Robert was on his tail and would pass him at any time. That was Matthew's fatal mistake. Coming into the last tight turn before the run out to the finish line the youngster spun out right after the turn and Robert did indeed pass him and win the race.
Matthew sat in his spun out kart crying that he made a mistake and he lost the race that was his to win. Robert took a victory lap and when he came to that last turn he saw Matthew was still sitting there in his kart. The teenager stopped his kart to make sure his 'brother' was OK.
"Matthew, Matthew," yelled Robert, as he got out of his kart and ran to the boy.
Mr. Ken and Mr. Wayne saw what Robert had done and they too ran to see what happened to Matthew and make sure he wasn't hurt. Charles, Kevin and Kyle quickly followed behind.
"Matthew are you OK?" asked the yelling teenager.
Just then 'dad' Ken and Mr. Wayne arrived and they checked Matthew out. It was then Matthew told them he was OK. That he was just mad at himself for making that stupid mistake.
"I had the race won, 'dad'. I had the race won, and I over drove into the last turn and spun out and let Robert win. I am so mad at myself," cried the youngster.
"Actually, Matthew ... we passed you early on in the race and all you had done was get back on the lead lap. You would have had to pass me once more to win. Sorry, about that, Matthew, but you did run a great race," said Robert.
The men got Matthew out of his kart and Kyle drove it back to the Finish Line. 'Dad' Ken tried to console the youngest Cover, but all Matthew could say was he should have won, but that he tried too hard.
His 'brothers' told him he'd done very well, but they did remind him that all he had had done was get on the lead lap and needed to pass Robert one more time for the win. Matthew didn't want to hear that. He felt that he would have won if he hadn't pushed the kart more than he could handle.
Matthew did thank them for telling him how good he'd done, but he was still mad at himself for making that stupid mistake at the end, as he had Robert beat even if he'd had taken his foot off the gas pedal. Robert, Charles and their 'dad' knew otherwise, but they weren't going to compound the boys hurt by telling him differently.
The Covers walked over to the miniature golf course and got their putter and ball. They had to wait their turn, and as they did, they talked some more about the just finished race. Robert told Matthew that he was very surprised when he passed him and Charles. The teen told his youngest 'brother' that he had to have figured out how to drive the kart, and found his resolve to show them he wasn't going to be last again.
Matthew thanked Robert for talking to him. The young Cover was still bummed out over his loss. But, he told the teen he was going down the next time. The two had a good laugh and those close enough to hear their conversation smiled at the laughter.
Their wait wasn't too long, and when the Covers got out on the course, Robert and Charles wanted Mr. Wayne to play with them. The Estate Master agreed and then told the older boys he wasn't going to have any mercy on them. Robert and Charles looked at one another and almost simultaneously said, "You're going down!" The three had a good laugh.
Mr. Ken played with the three younger Covers. They didn't hurry their play. They were there to have fun as a 'family', and this was going to be one of those 'family' type things. Matthew was still thinking about what he'd done at the Go-Kart Track, so he wasn't focused on his putting.
"Matthew ... 'son', you have to let it go. There will be another time you can race Robert. And, when we come back you make sure you get an upfront kart and not have to work your way up from the back. Will you do that for me?" counseled 'dad' Ken. The man then hugged the boy.
After that talk, the boys putting got better. He got competitive against the twins and after a few more holes he had buckled down enough that he caught up to their lower scores. 'Dad' Ken just watched as the three youngest Covers played against one another. He didn't want to beat them, although they were getting good at that game.
Mr. Wayne gave as good as he got. Robert and Charles' putting was slow, but deliberate, and in doing so they kept their scores down. The Estate Master wasn't more than one or two strokes behind them, but knew he needed to win the next few holes, so he could go last. He felt in doing so it would give him the edge when they came to the last green where they could win a FREE game.
The group of three were in front of the other Covers and they had to putt first to try to win the FREE game or get a score of a '2' or a '3'. Charles had the highest score, so he went first. He scored a '2' as his golf ball didn't even get close to the FREE Game cup. Mr. Wayne was tied with Robert, but because of Robert winning the last hole the Estate Master had to go first.
Mr. Wayne lined up his golf ball, struck it squarely and the ball went directly into the FREE Game hole. The bells went off and the people around the starter shack applauded the FREE Game. When Robert putted, his ball went close to the FREE Game opening, but he still got a '3' when it fell back into that slot. Mr. Wayne was the winner.
The other four Covers just played. They weren't really playing for the win. They just enjoyed doing something together. When it came time to putt at the 18th hole, Mr. Ken went first because he was the oldest, not necessarily because he was the lowest score. Kevin went next followed by Kyle and then Matthew.
'Dad' Ken won a FREE Game. The boys teased him that he really didn't need it because he owned the place. Kevin got a well-earned three, and Kyle got a two. Matthew putted last and he got serious when he did. He aligned the golf ball up as Mr. Wayne showed him the first time they played. The boy took his stance, kept his head down and struck the ball squarely. The ball went straight and it went directly into the cup winning him a FREE Game. All the boys, and men, congratulated him.
It was 2 p.m. when the Covers finished their miniature golf game. The boys wanted to go to The Mall to see a movie. Mr. Ken looked at Mr. Wayne to get his take, and the Estate Master said it wouldn't hurt, and then they could get dinner there afterwards. They drove over to The Mall to see a movie.
The Covers had to choose from eight different movies. Some of the boys wanted to see one movie while the others wanted to watch a different one. The men decided to split them up and go with whichever group was viewing the movie they wanted to see.
It was close to 6 p.m. when the seven Covers finally met up after their movie. Their movies didn't start at the same time, so one group had to wait on the other. After getting back together, they decided to eat there at The Mall. As they walked to the Food Court, Robert teased Charles about not getting a soda poured over his head. All the boys had a good laugh over that.
The boys had a large number of food choices. They walked around looking at them all. The twins and Matthew hadn't eaten at many of them, so they were seriously considering which one they wanted to try.
One fast food restaurant offered chicken, one had burgers, another offered fish, one had Tex-Mex and one was Chinese. They all offered a number of sides to go along with their main menu offerings, plus soft drinks.
"'Dad'... can I get a Subway?" asked Kyle. "I don't ever remember going there and they offer a lot of different sandwiches. So, can I?"
"What about you, Kevin?" asked 'dad' Ken.
"Well, I think I'd like to try the Chinese place," replied Kevin.
"And Matthew ... have you decided, yet?" asked Mr. Ken.
"I want to try that Arby's place. They have lots of different sliced beef sandwiches instead of burgers. We always have burgers, and these look pretty good," said Matthew.
Robert and Charles said they wanted fish and chips. So, Mr. Wayne went with the two older boys and all three ordered some sort of fish platter that included fries and Coleslaw along with their fish. They also got a soda to help wash it all down.
Kyle did get his Subway. He also got a bag of chips and a soda to go along with his B.M.T that had pepperoni, salami and ham. He also had them add tomatoes, lettuce, and green peppers and squeeze Italian vinaigrette on it, as well.
Kevin had a wide choice of different Chinese foods. Most of them were chicken, but they also had a number of beef entrees, too. He looked at all the different foods presented in the hot food case before selecting his platter. He decided on the honey sesame chicken, fried rice and an egg roll. A soda completed his order.
Mr. Ken led Matthew over to Arby's as he decided he'd try Arby's as well. He'd eaten them before and he liked the texture and flavor of the sliced beef. Matthew had a difficult time in deciding, because they offered about a dozen different sandwiches.
'Dad' Ken suggested to Matthew to try their regular roast beef sandwich and get their curly fries and a soda to help wash it down. The man told the boy if he was still hungry he could get another sandwich. That was what they both got.
After getting their sandwich, Mr. Ken showed the youngster the horsey and Arby sauces he could use to spice up the beef. Matthew was afraid to pour it on, so Mr. Ken had him put some in those little paper cups, and then dip his sandwich. Matthew loved both sauces. But he did refill his soda cup a few times.
On the way home they did stop at their favorite ice cream store. The boys all got banana splits and before they left Kevin was chosen to get Chief her cup of vanilla ice cream. When Kevin was chosen, his 'brothers' laughed at him because he'd have to fend off Chief.
"Matthew didn't yesterday, why would she attack me like she has Charles? You're all afraid of our dog. She is a kind and sweet loveable dog, so I'm not afraid to get her what she loves, ice cream," said a defensive Kevin.
When the Covers arrived home, Chief was waiting patiently at the Kitchen Nook/Garage Door entrance for her ice cream. Kevin told her to get down, but she wouldn't. Kevin then asked her while using the word 'please' in the sentence, and the resident pet got down off Kevin.
"Good dog, Chief. Sit!" said Kevin.
When Chief sat in front of the boy, who had her ice cream, Kevin brought it from behind his back and presented it to her. She licked her lips and the older twin put it down in front of her. Chief had it lapped up in less than a minute. Everyone laughed.
Chief got up and put her front paws on Kevin's front and gave the twin a few doggie kisses. Kevin then scratched behind her ears and she almost purred there in the Kitchen Nook. That was the second time Chief acted as a pure 'lady' and it amazed everyone.
"Dad' Ken asked everyone to meet him in the Study. He wanted to talk to everyone about the coming week and fill in any gaps from the past two weeks. All the boys stopped by the half bath to wash their hands after the long day they just had. They all then gathered in the Study.
"Boys, Wayne ... I want to let you all know what is planned for next week," began Mr. Ken.
"Is this our Tuesday Meeting night on a Sunday, 'dad'?" asked a cheeky Kyle, with a smile on his face. The other boys giggled at his question.
"You know boys; maybe we should move the Tuesday Meeting to Sunday. It is the least busy time for all of us, and we all seem to be in here at this time and we aren't so engaged with other things then. Let's think about that.
"OK, as for next week. Each of you have an appointment with Doctor Doug next week. Matthew's is on Monday and don't forget to talk to him about the inflight emergency. Kyle, your appointment is on Tuesday. Kevin, you'll see Doctor Doug on Wednesday. Charles you're scheduled for Thursday and Robert, you'll talk with Doctor Jennings on Friday. Any questions? Good.
"Now, on Tuesday, after you boys leave for school, I will be heading off to meet Collin at his college. There, we'll look at houses for him to consider buying. If he finds one, I told him I want him to move in and live there. I suggested to him that if it is big enough he should rent out the other bedrooms to other students, who have studying in mind and not partying," added 'dad' Ken.
"When will you be back, 'dad'?" asked Matthew.
"I hope to be back by the time you all are here after school on ... Friday," answered 'dad' Ken.
"Ahhhhhh," replied Matthew.
"Boys, the reason I hired Mr. Wayne, here, was so I could get away and get back into the things I was involved in before any of you, including Collin, arrived. You are all somewhat settled in here at The Cove and have your friends, so ... I think I can now take some time away. This will be a short getaway for me. But, as time moves on, I could be gone longer.
"Ask Robert how I was gone for a whole week. That time Ms. Mary and Ryan stayed with him. He survived, so I know you all can survive, too. And the best part of my coming home is ... I get all the love," laughed 'dad' Ken.
The boys jumped up and attacked their 'dad' with hugs. They then went back to their chairs they just had occupied.
"Boys, tomorrow at school, there is going to be a big reveal with all of your friends showing up with their coins and Three Finger Cove keychains. The rest of the school ... well, I suspect are going to ask them a ton of questions about how they got them. Then, on top of all that, the students will hear about the skate park and then they'll descend on you five. My bet will be the boys and girls who weren't your friends are going to want to be," revealed a smiling Mr. Ken.
"Dad, what do you want us to do, then?" asked Robert.
"Boys, the only thing that has got to remain a secret are the coins. So, steer their questions to the skate park. Show them the picture on your phones. Tell them about all the elements and then the pavilion I'm also building," suggested 'dad' Ken.
"What if they ask if they can try out the skate park?" asked Matthew.
"Well, you tell them that it probably won't be ready until after school is out for the year. Then, tell them that anyone who wants to use the skate park will have to have their parents sign a waiver before they do," answered Mr. Ken.
"But, do we want the entire school coming over to skate, 'dad'?" asked Charles.
"That answer is NO!" quickly answered 'dad' Ken.
"Boys, we're going to have to play that one by ear. But, on the surface, I do not want 80 or 90 boys and girls over here trying to use the park. We'll have to see how you and your friends populate the park and then decide how many more it could hold without crowding everyone.
"But, for now, we won't know until it is built and you and your friends try it out. And remember, I do not want you, or your friends, up at the construction site, unless ... unless Mr. Wayne, or I, take you up there when the workers aren't around," cautioned 'dad' Ken.
"'Dad', when can you take me and Kev on our trip?" asked Kyle, unexpectedly.
"That is a good question, Kyle. And to answer your question I think I have a plan for you and your twin. And, Matthew I have a plan for your trip, too," replied Mr. Ken.
"Where, 'dad' where?" shot back Kyle.
"OK, since the twins got here first, I will offer you a trip to either Houston or Dallas to see a professional basketball game. You can decide to go watch the Houston Rockets, or the Dallas Mavericks. There are two three-day weekends coming up. There is one each in January and February that we can use. Think about it and let me know when I get back from my trip. That is unless you can tell me tomorrow, so I can start making plans," explained 'dad' Ken.
"'Dad'...," slowly began Kevin, "ahhh, could you ahh ... take us ... to see ... our mom?"
That was something Mr. Ken didn't want to hear. But he knew it was coming, he just didn't know when. The man told the older twin he would look into it tomorrow and hopefully he'd have an answer when they got home from school.
Robert then asked the same question. Dad Ken and his son had talked about doing that back at Thanksgiving and dad Ken asked his son to wait until things settled down after the Holidays. He told the teenager that he'd try to look into it tomorrow, as well, but he may have to wait another week or two. The teen said he understood.
Robert asked another question. This one dealt with when his dad could take him and his gun to the shooting range. Dad Ken said he'd ask Mr. Dan if he had any time next weekend and if that would be OK with him. Robert said he didn't' care, and it would probably be best if Mr. Dan took him since that was what he does for a living. Mr. Ken was happy with that answer.
Charles had been quiet the entire time they had been in the Study. When he heard the twins and Robert ask about their moms, he wondered if it would be in his best interests to talk to his. He wasn't too sure if that was what he wanted to do, but he wanted to know if she would sign over her custody of him so maybe he could be adopted.
"'Dad', what about my mom? Do you think ... do you think it would be good for me to talk to her?" asked Charles, with no emotion.
"Charles, I may not have enough time tomorrow to get to your question, but I might be able to get Bill or Stew to check that idea out. Maybe we can ask her, on the side, if she even wanted to talk to you. Then, depending on what she says may determine what our next step should be. Will that be OK with you, 'son'?" answered 'dad' Ken.
Charles was OK with that. He just figured he'd try to see the possibilities and then he'd know. Mr. Ken was happy with the boy's answer. What Charles didn't know was Mr. Ken was already looking in that direction and he and Bill Jackson had planned to go see what they could do to get Charles mom to relinquish her claim on the boy.
Another thing Charles wasn't aware of was that Mr. Ken and Judge Adam talked about Charles' mom having her custody yanked away from her. The woman was going to be in prison for at least another ten years, and would not be out before her son would be around 22. Mr. Ken wanted Judge Adam to be aware of what his and Bill's plans were and hoped he would be amenable to helping him out.
Since all the boys were speaking up, Mr. Wayne asked his boss, kiddingly, if he could help him find his mom. Everyone thought the man was joking, but Mr. Wayne said he was serious. He reasoned if Mr. Ken could help them see their moms that maybe his employer could help him find his mom after all these years. That was when the boys learned their Estate Master had also been in the system.
Matthew heard the seriousness in the man's voice, so he went over to him and hugged him. He told his mentor that even though his mom was in jail, and would probably be going to prison for her involvement with her four male friends, he thought it would be awesome if Mr. Wayne could find his mom. And, that was what he told him.
The other four Cover boys also went over to their Estate Master and told him they hoped he could one day find his mom. Mr. Ken took that all in. He never knew that was the man's desire, and wished he had known, so he could have been working on that already. Mr. Ken made a mental note to call Jules Diamond and put him on that task.
Mr. Ken looked at the time and told the boys to head up to their bedrooms and begin to wind down before getting to bed. 'Dad' Ken told his 'boys' they'd been going strong ever since their Holiday vacation began and their bodies aren't going to like getting up at 6 a.m. to get ready for school.
The boys reluctantly got out of their seats, went over to 'dad' Ken and hugged him and thanked him again for their Christmas gifts, especially for the Cove Skate Park. 'Dad Ken hugged them back and thanked them for being such great boys to have living with him. The boys smiled at the complement, and then headed up to their rooms.
After the boys had gone, Mr. Ken asked Wayne why he never said anything before to him about his mom. Wayne said he never thought about it and had hoped, as he got into working with CPS, he'd be able to locate her through them. Mr. Ken told him he was going to call Jules and ask him to start some background investigation, and for Wayne to be ready to answer their questions. Mr. Wayne thanked his boss for doing that for him.
Upstairs the five Cover lads talked about what they hoped they would learn by talking to their moms. Robert said he wanted his mom to know he'd been adopted by the man she met before she was sent to prison. His 'brothers' asked him if he was interested in talking to his dad. All the teen could say was that maybe, when he was much older, he might be able to talk to him then.
Kevin said he wanted to talk to his mom to find out if she knew what his dad was doing with him and how he was getting all their money. Kevin wasn't happy his mom was being considered as someone of interest, but he wanted to know what was in his future. Kyle said he hoped she wasn't involved, but if she was, he hoped she wouldn't be put into jail for a long time.
The boys then focused on Charles. The pre-teen told his 'brothers' he didn't care if he ever talked to his mom, again. He told his 'brothers' that all he cared about was his mom giving up her claim to him, so he could be put up for adoption.
Hearing that opened the twins' and Matthew's eyes as to what they might need to look into in the future. The twins knew that nothing would happen to them until there was a final determination on their parents. Matthew figured nothing would happen to him until he knew what they were going to do with his mom. Then, there was the possibility that his dad could be found and he'd go live with him. For now, the three boys were in limbo.
"Robert ... do you think 'dad' ... do you think he will ever let us shoot your gun?" asked Charles.
"To be honest, I don't think he will. He told me that even I couldn't shoot it unless either he or Mr. Dan takes me. I'm only thirteen and owning a gun, a handgun at that, at my age, is not normal. I bet that because it was my birth dad's that is why dad got it for me. I think it will be fun to shoot, but I also bet I don't get to do it all that often," replied the teenager.
Mr. Ken and Mr. Wayne came up to tell the boys Goodnight. They heard what Charles asked about the gun, but Mr. Ken didn't want to get into that question right now. He was pleased with his son's reply, though.
"You boys ready for bed?" asked 'dad' Ken, as he came around the corner to the open bedroom door.
"I know I am ready, 'dad'," said Matthew. "I'm glad you sent us up here when you did. I can tell just relaxing and talking has let my body begin to tell me to go to bed."
Matthew told his 'dad' and Mr. Wayne goodnight and hugged them both before heading to the bathroom to drain his dragon and head off to bed. The twins said they were good to go as well. They said Goodnight to both men and they too hugged their 'dad' and Mr. Wayne and headed to the bathroom. They passed Matthew as he came out.
"Boys, how about you two? You both ready for bed?" asked a smiling 'dad' Ken.
Charles said he was ready and after he hugged his 'dad' and Mr. Wayne he went to visit the porcelain god in the bathroom before heading off to his bedroom and bed. Since they were in Robert's room, the teen told his dad and the Estate Master he knew he was tired and hoped he'd get to sleep as soon as he put his head on his pillow.
As the two men walked away from the bedrooms, they saw Chief come up the stairs and head off towards Matthew's bedroom. They watched her open the door and then push it closed. Mr. Wayne said Goodnight to his employer and the headed off to his bedroom.
Even though it was still quite early, it was only 9:15, Mr. Ken decided he'd had a long two weeks, too, and his body could probably use the rest, if not all of the sleep he could capture before he got up to send the boys off to school.
That was another quiet night in The Cove.
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