"Good morning, Robert. I trust you slept well last night?" asked Mr. Ken.
"Yes, I did. Thank you for asking. I hope you slept well too," retorted the lad.
They each looked at one another, after their verbal exchange and they immediately laughed at one another.
While laughing, Mr. Ken asked the lad what he wanted for breakfast. Every time the boy mentioned something Mr. Ken would say 'we don't have that'. Then they both had a good laugh when the lad said, "You can't cook can you?"
Laughing, Mr. Ken said, "Yes, I can cook, but I choose not to. So, that leaves you with cereal, toast and jelly or any number of frozen things in the freezer over there," pointed out the man.
"I'll take my chances with the freezer stuff," smiled Robert as he walked to the big freezer.
After rooting around some, the lad found some breakfast tacos in the freezer and asked his foster dad if he wanted some. There were a number of different types and Robert read them off. When the man heard what he wanted he asked the lad to set them aside. Robert also set aside the ones he wanted and before long there were six breakfast tacos unwrapped and set on a covered plate waiting to be placed inside the microwave oven. Since they were frozen, and there were six of them, it took over nine minutes to warm with them being turned once, for the breakfast tacos to get warm enough to eat.
While Robert was fixing the tacos, Mr. Ken fixed some coffee for himself and set a glass of OJ on the kitchen table for his foster son. Working together, they had breakfast almost ready. Then Robert remembered the one thing he was supposed to do every morning, which was easy to forget because he wasn't used to doing that yet, and that meant he fed Chief and set out fresh water for her. So, he quickly fixed the golden lab her morning kibble and then sat down to have breakfast with his new foster dad.
The two residents of the Cove talked as they ate and they continued to fill each other in about themselves. Breakfast became a relaxed time for them both. When each one finished, he took his dirty plate and cup to the sink and rinsed them and then placed them into the dishwasher.
Robert excused himself and said he would go upstairs and get ready for the day. Mr. Ken replied that he would be doing the same, shortly. They agreed to meet in the Study when they were each finished.
Upstairs in his room, Robert sat on the edge of his bed and petted Chief while he talked to her.
"Chief, I really like Mr. Ken. He's funny and he doesn't get mad at me and I know he is trying to help me get used to living here. He's bought me a bunch of new clothes and we done some fun stuff together and I can tell he really cares. I never had a dog before, Chief, and I kinda like it, but I'm sorry girl … that I almost forgot to feed you this morning. (Chief licked the lad's face after he said that last line.)
"You know … my parents made me do that sex stuff with those men my dad knew. Then those other men, you know those foster dad's, found out what I did and they made me do the same stuff with them. And then what about those teens, I thought they'd at least defend me but all they did was want me to get them off too and I know, I just know, that is what Mr. Ken wants to do to me too. He knows what I did that sent me here and … well, here it's only me and him at night so there is no one I can go to even if he does decide to do something to me."
"What am I going to do, girl? I … I told myself … that I would fight anyone who tried to do those things with me, again … but Mr. Ken … he's much younger that those other guys and I can see he is much stronger so I know I won't have any luck if I try to defend myself against him."
"Chief, I like it here. I like Ryan and Momma Maria and I've eaten real good ever since I came here and this place … this place is so awesome to live in. But, one thing I do not like is Ms. Johnston, Chief. She's a sneak and she will make my living here real hard, I just know it."
"I really want to stay, Chief … but I do not want to be made to do those things again. I'm just not sure what I should do, girl. Do I give Mr. Ken his two weeks …."
And before the lad could continue Chief voiced her answer by barking very loud three times, "Woof! Woof! … Woof!"
"Thank you girl, for answering me," spoke Robert as he scratched behind the dog's ears. "I was gonna say that I could give Mr. Ken his two weeks and then leave but I could find myself in the same sort of places I was before coming here. And, I could possibly be made to continue to do what I really do not want to do! I just don't know what I should do," a tearful Robert said out loud, not knowing what he could do so that he could stay there. He continued to scratch and pet Chief as he pondered his options.
While Robert was in his room talking to Chief, Mr. Ken finished reading his Sunday paper and headed to his en suite to get cleaned up for the day. He stopped to get clean boxer briefs and a clean towel before stepping into the large shower area and setting the water temperature for his shower. It only took a few moments for the water to reach the correct temperature, so Mr. Ken removed his shirt and sport shorts and briefs and walked under the shower head.
The man truly enjoyed this part of his home. The shower was a corner walk through design that was located behind the huge built-in raised spa bathtub. It had clear acrylic glass walls so you could see out as well and see in and offered two shower stations for both a husband and a wife. The shower water arrived via a ceiling mounted rain shower design appliance while additional shower spray heads were aligned the length of the body to provide for a more complete rinse. He also had a separate water heater for the master bedroom en suite so getting warm water fast never became a problem.
Standing under the rain water shower head felt exactly as if one was outside in the pouring rain and Mr. Ken so thoroughly loved the feeling it gave him he would just stand there for a few minutes enjoying the sensation.
Upstairs, Robert finally decided on a course of action and walked out of his bedroom with a purpose.
Down in the master bedroom en suite, the water had so engulfed Mr. Ken he could not sense what was now going on around him. It wasn't until he stepped away from the falling waters and began to lather up that he thought he heard a noise. Knowing he was the only one there and Robert was upstairs taking his own shower he paid no attention to it.
The Cove's owner then began to wash his hair when he again thought he heard a noise. This time he took a step or two away from the rain water shower head to see if he could hear it better. He again heard nothing. It wasn't until he thought he heard that same noise for the third time that he turned off the water and actually turned around to see what it was. And there, standing just back from his line of sight was not only Chief but with her was Robert, who stood there as naked as the day he was born.
"Robert … what are you doing down here? Is there something wrong with your shower?" asked a befuddled Mr. Ken.
"Ah … ah … no, sir," stuttered Robert.
"Then why are you down here in my shower?" challenged Mr. Ken.
Robert just stood there 'frozen' as he didn't expect Mr. Ken to act the way he was.
"Well, Robert … can you tell me why you are … are standing there … naked and watching me shower?" now demanded Mr. Ken.
The forcefulness of the demand that was just made on him almost caused the lad to have second thoughts about why he was there. But, he knew he had to do what he set out to do and get it over with so he tried to speak.
"Ah … ah … ah," stammered Robert, "I … I thought that I … that I wou … would come down … down here and … and ge get i it … it over with," vacillated the pre-teen.
"What do YOU mean, get it over with? Get over with what?" protested Mr. Ken.
Robert knew he had to follow through with the decision he made up in his bedroom. He knew the sooner he got the sex stuff over with the easier it would be on him to make the decision to remain at Three Finger Cove, even if it meant he would have to continue to do what he despised the most. Thinking that was what he had to do, he began to tell Mr. Ken why he was there.
"I'm here to … to get the se … the sex stuff over with," began Robert, as tears ran down his face. "I … I know that if I … I want to continue to live here I will have to … to do the sex stuff with you. I … I really like living here with you Mr. Ken and … I've had real good food to eat and we've had fun doing things and I finally have a dog I can call my own. You've really made it nice here for me but … but I know that … that you won't let me stay unless I do for you what those other men made me do."
Ken Thomas just stood dumbfounded, not believing what Robert had just told him. He couldn't fathom that a boy would want to offer his body up just so he could continue to have a nice place to live. He didn't know what he could say to the boy to get the lad to understand that nothing of the sort would ever happen there at Three Finger Cove and especially with him, Mr. Ken. He took a few steps toward the lad before he began to speak.
"Robert … oh, Robert, how can I make you understand that that is NOT … what I want from you. … I … I had hoped that by my simple talks with you, and telling you that you would never have to do any sexual things with anybody here, that you would come to know it and believe it. I want you to know that I have never … ever touched Collin or Ryan or even Eric, for that matter, at any time that they were with me here or on one of our trips. I hope you can and will believe that, Robert."
"I think now I know where you are coming from … and why you think you had to do something sexual with me. I remember you asking me why I wasn't married and something about me being single and my bet is you thought Ms. Judy brought you here just so that I could continue to do what you had done to you already. Oh Robert, I wish I knew what I could say or do, so that you would come to believe me."
"You know … if you think back to the times we were alone, especially in your bedroom, that I had ample time to do something to you if I wanted but … well, you know nothing of the sort has ever happened. You also know that even when I held you while you were crying, I never touched you anywhere I shouldn't. … Robert … look at us now. Don't you think that if I was going to do something with you I would already have brought you into the shower and started something?"
"I feel so bad that you have even thought that was what you had to do to stay here. Ms. Turner turned to me, hoping that I would be able to get through to you, to get you looking forward to your future and get your life back on track while helping you gain your own self-respect back. Robert … after that judge took Collin away from me, I promised myself that I would get myself trained so that one day, if ever given the opportunity again, I'd be ready to help another youngster in as dire need as Collin was," finished Mr. Ken.
Robert had stood there listening to the man talk and was trying to figure out what his angle was. He reviewed in his mind everything the man just said and he knew it all to be true. He also knew that the man had never tried to touch him anywhere he wasn't supposed to, and had never acted as if he was going to. He thought to himself the only way he could find out if what Mr. Ken said about not ever touching the other boys was he'd have to talk to the other boys to find out if it was true or not.
Ken Thomas could tell Robert was thinking about what he had said. It was an awkward moment for them both; not only because of what the subject was, but that both the man and boy were completely naked.
"Robert, I don't know what I can say or do to get you to trust me. I know that Trust … is going to be a big issue between us, especially if you will still give me those two weeks. All I can ask of you is to give me a chance to earn that trust," offered Mr. Ken.
Mr. Ken saw Robert take two tentative steps towards him when he finished talking. The man had no earthly idea what was on the lad's mind but he hoped the boy would agree to give him that time to earn his trust.
Then the lad ran to him and jumped into his arms.
"Mr. Ken I'm so sorry th … that I thought that of you. I should have known by your actions that nothing would ever happen but I … I just couldn't believe it wouldn't happen again after it had happened to me over and over again. Please forgive me!" tearfully cried Robert, as he hugged the man tight.
"Oh, Robert … I wish I could have been your first foster dad instead of now. I also wish I had known that you were always thinking that you'd have to have sex with me. I'm sure I could have said or done something to arrest those fears. But, I want you to know … that I still want to earn that trust from you. I hope you'll give me that chance," spoke Mr. Ken, while still holding the naked 12 ½ year old boy.
It was then that Robert pulled back and looked into Mr. Ken's eyes and said, "Mr. Ken … you won't have to do that. Everything that you said and everything you did with me are proof enough for me that I can trust you. Look at us now. You're holding a naked 12 year old boy and you're not even hard," now laughed the boy.
It was then that Mr. Ken quickly put the boy down on the shower room floor at which time he joined in Robert's laugh. It then became a bit awkward, for a few moments, when Mr. Ken realized that he too was indeed naked in the shower, with a too young of a child. This caused him to ask the lad to go back up to his own shower and finish up there.