When Charles woke up, he peed and then went down to the Kitchen Nook to try to convince his dad to take them out for breakfast. His dad was there waiting for him.
"Yes, son, wake up your 'brothers' and have them down here by 9:30. We can all go out for breakfast, and with your friends not coming over today, we don't have to rush back," said the smiling dad.
Charles rushed back up the stairs to make sure all of his 'brothers' were up and getting their showers. Kevin was the lone holdout, which was strange as Billy was the one who usually didn't care to go out for breakfast.
While the boys got themselves ready, Mr. Ken did the same. He took his shower and then got dressed in nice tan colored shorts and a contrasting shirt and then put on some sandals instead of his Crocks which he really loved to wear.
The big question the Covers had that morning, when they all loaded into the van, was where they would go out for breakfast. They'd eaten at Four Corner enough times that they didn't want to go there. And IHOP, their 'dad's' favorite place, was also ruled out, almost for the same reason. Denny's was taken off the list as they liked the food, but didn't like the dark décor for morning food.
It was Matthew who asked if Cracker Barrel was open for breakfast. The boys talked about the restaurant, how they liked the atmosphere and the food they'd gotten there, so they all decided to give that place a try for breakfast.
The Covers were seated right away. They took up a table for eight and when they sat down Matthew asked where Mr. Wayne was. 'Dad' Ken told the boys that the man needed a day off to take care of some personal business. The man added that he might be by later, but would definitely be at The Cove tomorrow to enjoy the Picnic, foods, rides and the fireworks later at night.
The boys looked over the menu and saw that Cracker Barrel offered just about everything else the other restaurants offered for breakfast. Pancakes, waffles, different style eggs, bacon and/or sausage, coffee, milk, orange juice, apple juice, different jellies and a few more items could all be found on the menu.
Mr. Ken got what he usually got, which was pancakes, eggs, bacon, hash browns and hot coffee. The boys all ordered differently, but essentially got some of what the restaurant had to offer.
Conversation centered on the carnival, what the boys would see and what types of food the church groups would be offering up for sale. Robert and Charles had been there last year, so they already knew what to expect.
The three younger Covers wondered if the carnival would be like 'dad's' amusement parks. Mr. Ken told them that some of the rides would be thrill rides and some would be designed for the much younger crowd.
Charles told them about some of the games of chance and how their 'dad' won the challenge against Robert's friends. That brought about another tale at the table as they all ate.
On the way back to The Cove, the boys talked about Cracker Barrel and how they liked it, as compared to the other restaurants they'd been out to for breakfast. They all liked it better than Denny's, because it was wide open with high ceilings that made it feel roomier.
The boys then compared it to Four Corners Diner and then IHOP. The reviews were mixed. Some liked Four Corners because it was close by and didn't take as long to get to as Cracker Barrel did. They also said the food wasn't any better and then asked why they should go that far away to get the same quality food.
The boys who liked IHOP said they still liked the atmosphere and they felt the food was presented better and the menu offered more combinations for them to choose from.
All the time the boys offered their take on the restaurants, Billy hadn't said anything. Mr. Ken noticed, so he brought him into the conversation by asking him what he thought.
Billy thought about it for a few moments, and then he told everyone that he just enjoyed going out to eat, and he really didn't care where he went. He said that everyone had good observations on the different restaurants, and that as long as he was a passenger, he was going wherever the driver was taking him. All the boys laughed at what he had to say.
When the Covers drove into The Cove, the boys immediately saw that many of the bigger thrill rides were already set up. The boys marveled at them and wondered if they would get to test them out. 'Dad' Ken had to remind them to wait for the owner to come to them, and for them not to go looking for him.
Robert and Charles said they were going to get their quadcopters out and video the estate as they set up the rides. Their younger 'brothers' said they wanted to watch and hoped they got to see some real good close ups of the rides. The boy's dad told his sons not to interfere with the men setting up the rides.
As Robert flew his quadcopter over the rides being set up, he noticed that there were a lot of new rides this year as compared to last year. This year there was a ride called Kamikaze. And a ride called the Zipper that he couldn't wait to ride.
Charles also noticed there were new rides, as compared to what he remembered from last year. There was the Himalaya, which wasn't here last year and the Ring of Fire. He knew that ride would be intense and he wanted to test ride that one when it was ready.
Both Covers noticed the Cliff Hanger was back, as well as the ever-popular Tilt-A-Whirl. They also saw on their video screens Ghoul City, the walk-through fun house, and Crystal Lil's which featured a glass and mirror maze on the first level and funny trick mirrors on the top level.
Kevin, Kyle and Matthew asked their older 'brothers' to tell them about the rides they remembered from last year. But Robert and Charles told them to wait until they got the chance to try them out themselves, because it would be more fun that way.
Billy watched the video stream from the copters for a while, but he got bored and went over to the Park and skated. Having the entire Skate Park to himself was something he'd never experienced before. Now he didn't have to wait for someone to get out of the way so he could shove off into the larger bowl. He was truly enjoying himself.
When it was time for lunch, the boys didn't know if they should burn some burgers or ask their 'dad' if he'd take them out for something to eat. The six boys rode the golf cart down to the house and went inside to talk to their 'dad' to see what he thought about what they could do for lunch.
Mr. Ken was really busy and hadn't even thought about lunch until the boys interrupted him. He asked them what they wanted to do and they said it would be nice to go out to Mickey Ds, or any of the other fast food restaurants as long as they didn't have to dirty up the Pavilion grill to cook just a few burgers and dogs just for them.
Mr. Ken agreed with their reasoning and told them to go wash their face and hands. As the boys ran out of the Study, the man could hear them laughing as they said they had to wash their hands up to their elbows. He just shook his head as his simple reminder to wash thoroughly became a joke amongst all of the boys. But it did get the job done, he had to admit
As the Covers drove away from The Cove, the boys started to call out where they wanted to go to eat. Some wanted Arby's, some wanted Burger King, and others wanted Taco Bell. Mr. Ken just drove and when he pulled into a place they'd never eaten at before the boys all asked why there.
Mr. Ken said he'd heard the place had great burgers and onion rings and he always wanted to try it, and since he was driving, he got to choose. He asked Billy if that place was alright with him, and all Billy could say was "Yes, sir. I always love eating out, wherever you take me." The teenager then laughed.
The Covers walked into the restaurant and found themselves in a very busy place. They had to search for open tables and were lucky to find two that were close, but not together. Mr. Ken then saw they all had to go up to the counter and order what they wanted there. Then they would get their drink and then came back to their table.
'Dad' Ken told Billy to stay at one table and Robert to stay at the other as he took their 'brothers up to the counter and ordered. He told them when one of their 'brothers' came back they could join him at the counter.
While at the counter, the boys saw the sizes of the burgers coming off the grill and they couldn't believe people would order them. The counter server asked them what they'd have and Kyle asked her what the sizes of the burgers he was seeing were.
The woman told the boys they had regular sized burgers, like the fast food restaurants served, and then there was the quarter-pounder, then the third-pounder, half-pounder, three-quarter pounder and then full one-pound burgers for someone who was really hungry.
The woman then told the boys they had small and large baskets of fries and small, medium and large baskets of onion rings to go along with their burgers.
Kevin went first and asked for a quarter-pound burger with mayo lettuce, tomato, bacon and a splash of ketchup and mustard and a small basket of fries. Kyle ordered his quarter-pound burger with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, ketchup and mustard and a small basket of onion rings. Matthew asked for a quarter-pound burger with just mayo, lettuce and tomatoes and a small basket of onion rings.
Mr. Ken then sent the three boys to get their drinks and to go tell their 'brothers' to come over to the counter to order their burgers. As he waited, Mr. Ken ordered his third-pound burger with cheese, mayo, bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, onions and a large basket of onion rings.
Charles met up with his two older 'brothers' and told them what they could order. Billy and Robert were totally surprised they could have a full one-pound burger. But the three teenagers only ordered quarter-pound burgers, but loaded them up as their 'dad' had. They also ordered only one large basket of onion rings to share. They figured they could snitch off their younger 'brothers' baskets, as they figured they wouldn't all of their fries.
The Covers sat apart but close enough that they could see one another and call across to them and ask how they were enjoying their burger. Eventually, the table next to Mr. Ken became empty, so he had the three oldest moved over there.
They all loved their burgers. They were so juicy and tasteful. And the fries were good, but the onion rings were something out of this world according to all of them. The boys all thanked their 'dad' for taking them to that wonderful place. They all said that when they asked to go out for burgers the next time, this was where they wanted to go.
More of the rides were in place when the Covers returned to The Cove. This time the Family and Kids rides were in place and the church groups had begun to place their booths around the estate where they had been assigned.
When they got out of the van, the carnival operator came over to them and asked the boys if they were ready to test out the rides for him. The boys all smiled and asked their 'dad' if they could. Mr. Ken told them to have fun, but to also listen to the man's instructions, as they were his test subjects and he didn't want them to get hurt in any way.
Robert asked if they could try out the Kamikaze or Zipper first. Charles said the Kamikaze looked a lot like the Tomahawk at Fantasy Fun Park, the Hatchet at Mountain Top and the Axe at Discovery Kingdom, that their 'dad' bought for his amusement parks.
The carnival owner asked the boys how many amusement parks Mr. Thomas owned. It was when he heard four and he was looking at a fifth one, the man started thinking how he could get involved in adding his carnival to them for a portion of the year as an added attraction.
The other boys all agreed with Charles, so they opted for the Zipper. The carnival operator had the ride operator put two boys into one cab. In order to balance the ride, the operator moved the ride so that the boys filled every third cab. Then when all six boys were safely in their cabs the ride operator started the ride for 'testing'.
The ride itself is a series of cabs or cars being pulled along a cable around an oblong framework. It rotated like a Ferris wheel, with free-flipping cars suspended on off-center axis that move around the sides of the boom via a pulley system. The weight inside the cab/car helped determine how much spinning the boys would go around on the axis.
When the ride was over, Matthew and Kyle said that was one ride they would not be doing again. Matthew didn't like being tossed upside down so often and Kyle said it reminded him of one of the rides he rode where all they did was turn and turn and turn.
To help settle their stomachs Robert suggested they try out Ghoul City. He said it was a ride through a fun house with lots of 'scary' creatures, along with some funny noises and seeing a few more ghouls and creepy spirits. The younger boys said it was probably like the one they walked through at Mountain Top called Ghoul World.
The ride then took them to the first floor and there they saw more ghosts, strange characters, and a few more scary monsters. When the ride was over, the lads gathered together and laughed at the corny characters and the ride itself. Kevin and Kyle said it wasn't anything like Ghoul World and they liked it and it was fun.
The Carnival operator walked the boys over to Cliff Hanger. But the boys said it looked a lot like the ride their dad installed at his amusement parks. They asked if they could try something different and come back to it if they had time.
Charles asked if they could try out The Ring of Fire. He said he never remembered seeing a ride like that one, and he wanted to feel how it felt. Billy and Robert were all for it, but the other three Covers didn't want to go upside down. Charles said they needed the six of them to all go so the operator got good feedback. Reluctantly Kevin, Kyle and Matthew joined their older 'brother on the ride.
Again, the ride operator separated them for weight distribution. Matthew rode with Billy. Kyle rode with Robert and Kevin rode with Charles. The six Covers were strapped into their seats with over the shoulder harnesses and lap restraints to hold them in place.
As the ride started, it began going back and forth on the circular rail. It went further and further up the circle until it eventually went completely around. The older boys were heard hollering they loved it so much. The three younger boys were OK with the ride until the operator stopped it at the top. That's when Matthew started to scream. And it was not because he loved the ride, it was because he didn't want to be upside down.
"I won't ride that ride again. At least not until I am older," said Matthew, to no one in particular.
The Himalaya was the boys' next ride. They remembered something like that at Crystal Lake, but they all liked it so they got onto the ride. The ride operator separated them again to balance the weight and when the boys were ready the ride was started.
The ride went very fast forwards and backwards and had loud music playing the entire time. The lights were flashing and the boys knew that if it were later in the night, it would be a great sensory overload.
The boys' next ride was called the Wipe out. This ride design consisted of a giant wheel, which tilts at a steep angle, fluctuated in a wavelike manner, and spins at various speeds. It looked similar to the Himalaya but with its going up and down as it spun around it gave the rider a whole new experience.
The boys did try out the Kamikaze to see if it was anything like the Tomahawk, Hatchet and the Axe their dad installed at his three parks. When their ride was over, they all decided it felt like their 'dad's' rides, but the cage enclosure changed the view as they turned upside down.
Matthew rode the Kamikaze knowing it would go upside down and even stop at the top. But after riding his 'dad's' rides, at the three amusement parks, he felt safe in doing so. He couldn't explain why he didn't like The Ring of Fire, which did the same thing, it was just something inside of him that told him he didn't like being upside down at certain times on certain rides.
The boys tried out the Paratrooper, next. On this ride the seats are suspended below a wheel which rotates at an oblique angle. The seats rock sideways and swing out under centrifugal force as the wheel rotates. The seats go from high to low and the rider sees the ground coming up at them as they come down off the top of the rotation.
Their next ride was something they've all experienced. It is called different names at different parks. Here it was called Sizzler, but they all remember riding the Scrambler at Fantasy Fun Park.
When the ride testing was done, the carnival operator asked the boys if they wanted to try some of the games he had on the Midway.
Of course, the boys couldn't resist trying out the games. The first one was the Balloon Pop. The boys would throw darts, to pop balloons, to determine the prize they would win. Of course, they wouldn't win anything as it was a 'test' and not a real try.
The next sets of games were Alien Shootout, where they tried shooting a cork gun to knock down aliens to win prizes; Aaron's Fishin' Hole, where they grabbed a net and went fishing for prizes; Lucky Ducky, where they plucked a duck from the pond to win; Gold Fishing, where they tossed a ball into in colored holes, and Ballapalooza, where they tossed ping pong balls into moving bowls to determine their prize were all games designed for small kids and it wasn't something they said they would want to play at their ages.
They tried their hands at Basketball. There they would shoot baskets to try to win, but found it wasn't as easy as if they were out on a basketball court. They stopped at Blockbuster next to try to knock all 3 blocks off the table to win. There they found it was easy to knock the blocks down, but not necessarily off the table.
The next game, all the boys loved. It was called the Shooting Star Machine Gun. With this game you had this air powered machine BB gun and you tried to shoot the star completely out of the paper target. None of the boys were able to shoot the star completely out, even after trying it multiple times.
The Pirates Ladder Climb was hard for all the boys even the smallest. Here they had to walk the ladder plank to the top and ring the bell to win. When you fell off, and all the boys fell off, they landed on a soft air cushion.
The last thing the boys did was the Bungee Jump. Just like the Shooting Star Machine Gun, the Bungee Jump was the boy's favorite Midway game. There they were harnessed up and got to jump up and down on a trampoline while attached to bungees. That was something they wished their 'dad' would buy for them.
The boys spent over three hours out on the rides, after riding some of them multiple times and playing the Midway games. The church groups had all set up their booths and many watched as the boys rode the rides for the carnival operator and played the games.
Before Mr. Ken went looking for his boys, he watched them from the Patio as they went from ride to ride and then played the games. He knew they were having fun and he didn't want to stop them, but they needed to go out to dinner and give the carnival operator and his men the chance to button up their rides, and such, until tomorrow morning when they would reset and test them all over again.
"Boy that was fun," said Kevin, as the Covers sat at the Four Corner's Restaurant for dinner.
"Did you have as much fun as you had when you rode the rides at my amusement parks," teased 'dad' Ken.
"Well, no, but it was still fun," replied Kevin, with a smile.
The other boys chimed in with their take on their 'testing' of the rides and their playing of the Midway games. Billy said what he did that afternoon was something he never in a million years would ever think he would get the chance to do. The teen said that just about everything he's done since he was moved to The Cove was a 'first' for him.
Billy told his 'brothers', and Mr. Ken, that he wasn't about to do anything that would mess up what he had there, at The Cove, for anything. He said his life was dull and mundane until Ms. Judy brought him to live with Mr. Ken. He mentioned some of the things he'd gotten to do ever since he began living at The Cove and he hoped those types of things would never stop.
When Billy finished his little speech, he sniffled some and then wiped his nose. All the boys knew he had a few tears in his eyes, because it was something very emotional in the way he said it.
Mr. Ken knew Billy was a fragile unknown at times, and maybe he needed to call Doctor Doug to get him involved again for a few more weeks to make sure Billy was emotionally stable and had truly moved on from his former life.
The Covers talked about the carnival, the rides and how everything will go tomorrow. Robert and Charles gave their 'brothers' their perspective on what they saw and experienced last year and they figured it would be almost the same except for the new rides and the Skate Park.
When the Covers finished dinner, they headed over to the Go-Kart Track to drive at least one race. While in line, the boys talked to some of their friends who asked about the Cove Skate Park. The Covers told their friends, they could try the Skate Park out tomorrow between noon and six, but would have to contend with the rest of the kids who know about the Cove Skate Park being open skating for six hours tomorrow.
Mr. Ken spoke up and told the boys and girls that they would need a parent to sign a release form and they would have to wear a helmet and safety pads or they could not skate. He also told them that, depending on the number of boys and girls who show up will determine how long they get to skate and he had managers, or 'referees' that will control the time on the Park.
The parents who were in line with their kids asked Mr. Ken why he was being so strict on the skating. The owner of The Cove told them that he had to have Rules with which to control his Skate Park, because it is something new and untested by the majority of the boys and girls in his 'son's' classes. He said the release form is what his insurance company is requiring. But the time on the Cove Skate Park will be limited by the number of skaters who show up. The smaller the number, the longer the kids will get to skate.
The Covers did stop for ice cream on their way home. Mr. Ken's Kreamy Kone was busy, with it being a Saturday night, and the Covers stood in line, like the other people did as they too, waited to get their cold concoctions.
"'Dad', are you going to add soft serve?" asked Kevin.
Some people in line smiled at Kevin's question to the man who was in line with a bunch of boys whose ages ranged from what looked like eleven to fifteen or sixteen. They couldn't fathom how the man of about twenty-four could be the dad of any of them.
"No, Kevin, I'm not. I'm going to leave the soft serve ice cream to those franchisees who deal in that. As long as they don't deal in hand-dipped ice cream; I won't deal in soft serve. I think that is fair," replied 'dad' Ken.
"And why do we have to stand in line, 'dad'? You own the store. We shouldn't have to wait so long," complained Kevin.
"Kevin … we wait … because that is the right thing to do. These people … they support my store by coming here to buy my ice cream. If they see us going ahead of them, they … they may go somewhere else to spend their money and then my store might not succeed. So … we wait," calmly replied 'dad' Ken.
The line moved but slowly. There were only two counter servers inside and for a Saturday night Mr. Ken felt there should have been at least three if not four. So, as he waited in line, he called Ed Henry,
Mr. Henry was working at the Four Corners restaurant that night, and he was surprised to hear from the owner after he'd already been there for dinner. He was even more surprised that the ice cream store only had two people working and the store manager he hired wasn't even there.
Mr. Ken told Ed to call his new manager to find out where he was and why he wasn't at work and to call him back. Ten minutes later Mr. Ken's cell phone rang. The man listened to what his restaurant manager had to say. At the end of the conversation, Mr. Ken told Ed Henry to fire the man and look for someone who was more responsible. He also told Ed he was going inside and would take control. Ed told him he would be right over.
Five minutes later Ed Henry's car screeched to a halt and he ran to the store, hoping to keep Mr. Ken from breaking any number of sanitation regulations and licensing rules. He was happy to see the man was still outside with his 'boys'.
"Ed, thanks for coming. Please help those two harried workers in there, and either work the register, or let them do that and you dip the ice cream. And, I want you to give everyone in line up to the person wearing those red shorts a twenty-five percent discount for having to wait so long in line," said Ken Thomas, owner, of Mr. Ken's Kreamy Kone.
When the people in line heard what was said and saw a man named Ed go inside and begin helping, they all applauded. They thanked the man for making the call that got someone else to help inside the store, so they could eventually get their ice cream. They also thanked him for the discount, but couldn't understand how he could do that.
It was Matthew who told them he was Mr. Ken, and he owned the store. The younger Cover also told them he was his foster dad as well as three of the other boys there with them, and that he had adopted the two other boys. The people in line applauded again for learning something about the man who was in line with the six boys.
That caused the people close by him to talk to Ken Thomas, while others Googled his name to learn more about him. As they read about the man, they realized who he really was. They began telling him that what he did after the storm, helped their family in one form or another. They asked him how he was doing after being shot and taking that bullet for his foster son so many years ago.
Talking with Mr. Ken, the owner of Mr. Ken's Kreamy Kone, helped the time go by faster for those in line. And other people who came to get ice cream also learned who the man was and they stayed to listen to what was being said.
Kevin was so happy to finally get his ice cream. He savored it like it was the last thing he would ever eat. Billy laughed at the way Kevin was acting and went to him to see if he could get his younger 'brother' to chill out some and just enjoy his Sundae, as his twin was.
As the Covers ate their ice cream, Mr. Ken asked Ed if he needed workers. Ed said he did, but it was difficult finding them after school was out and the kids had already found jobs for the summer. Mr. Ken said he knew of a sixteen maybe a seventeen-year-old who didn't have a job who he would send over to see him. Ed Henry said he could start him right away.
The Covers had Chief's ice cream ready for her when they entered the house. The resident pet was wagging her tail a mile a minute, waiting for her cold treat. The trouble was she didn't know which Cover had it as they'd been changing who gave it to her almost every time they came home.
Tonight, Billy had her treat. The teen told Chief to please sit, and she did. Billy placed the double-scoop cup of vanilla ice cream down in front of her and then told her to enjoy. Chief went at it like she hadn't had any ice cream in a long time. All the boys laughed at their pet.
Charles asked Kevin if that was the way he attacked his ice cream at the store earlier. Then, he laughed at what he said. Kyle and Matthew also laughed as they knew how Kevin had been focused on food as of late and not wanting to have to wait for anything.
Chief finished her ice cream and went right to Billy to thank him. She started to play with the teen and the two wound up on the floor as they used to once do. The rest of the Covers watched as the pet and the teen played on the floor. After about two minutes, Mr. Ken put a stop to it.
The Covers headed to the Study to talk as they did the vast majority of nights. Billy and Chief playfully tussled with one another as they walked to the room where Mr. Ken could be found almost all of the time.
"Well, boys … the Picnic is now upon us. Tomorrow, when we wake up, it will be the 4th of July and the Picnic we've all been waiting for will be here. The gates open at twelve noon and the throngs of people will come through the Main Gate. Well, the throngs of kids mainly will come through," now laughed Mr. Ken.
The boys talked some more about the Cove Skate Park and what they should expect with all the kids who will want to skate there tomorrow. Mr. Ken asked Billy, Robert and Charles to use good judgement in controlling the number of kids who are out on the Park. He also reminded them they had to collect the release forms before they let the kids skate.
That caused some discussion as to how the boys were to do that if they also had to monitor the skaters. Mr. Ken thought about that for a bit and then said he'd ask the Police Explorers to stand in and collect them. The boy's 'dad' said they aren't all that busy, until later in the evening, when the families begin to arrive and the estate gets crowded. Robert told his dad he'd remind him at breakfast.
Mr. Ken then told the boys that after the Picnic, the few things that were on his calendar were the office building completion, his consolidation of all of his business groups and moving them there, him taking the boys back to visit the amusement parks, that he was planning a Labor Day weekend picnic and that he was hosting a Three Finger Entertainment, LLC meeting at the Lakeside Hotel, the week after Labor Day.
The boys all had surprised looks on their faces after their 'dad' told them all the things he had on his calendar. Robert asked him about the Three Finger Entertainment, LLC. Charles asked when he planned to take them all back to visit his amusement parks. Billy asked how many business groups he had.
Mr. Ken told the boys he was just telling them about all of the things that he had on his mind and that the only thing that would affect them right now, was their going back to visit the amusement parks around the first week of August. Until then, they should enjoy the rest of July.
He added that, over time, he will tell them more about everything, but for now, they needed to get up to their rooms to relax and he'd be up there in a few minutes.
Mr. Ken started at Billy's room that evening. He asked him about what he said at dinner and the way he said it. Billy told his foster dad that he was emotional because he never had anything like he has there, and every time he thinks about what he used to have and what he now has, he knows he was brought to the best place in the world for him.
Billy told Mr. Ken that he sees a future for himself living there at The Cove, whereas if he had remained living with his mom and 'Greaser' he probably would have wound up as a drug dealer like them. The teen told the man he never would do anything to jeopardize his staying with him at The Cove.
Mr. Ken then visited Robert's, Charles', and Mathew's room before stopping at the twins' shared room. 'Dad' Ken talked to Kyle first and then asked him to go talk to one of his 'brothers' as he needed to talk to Kevin alone.
Kyle didn't want to leave, as he felt whatever was going to be said to his twin, he should be allowed to hear it, too. But Mr. Ken told him this time it was between him and his brother and if his brother wanted him to know what was said he'd have to tell him afterwards. Kyle reluctantly left and closed the door behind him.
"Kevin … something is going on with you and … and I just realized it tonight. I've seen it … but I guess I've been repressing it. But now … but now we need to get it out front and attack whatever is bothering you. So … tell me. Kevin … what … what has been bothering you as of late that you've been selfish … self-centered … outspoken … irritable … and impatient?" calmly asked 'dad' Ken.
Kevin just sat there not knowing what to say. Everything the man just mentioned, Kevin knew he was. But he didn't know why himself, so how could he tell him. So, Kevin just sat there not saying anything.
"Kevin … this didn't just happen overnight. What do you think may have happened that may have caused you to act this way? Huh? Have your 'brothers' been picking on you? Have any of the other boys been picking on you? Did anyone threaten you in some way?
"Did … did any of the boys say something to you about … oh, oh, Kevin. The trial. This all began … right after the trial. Is this … is that what's going on with you? Does the trial … was something said at the trial about your dad and mom that … has you so shaken that made you become the person you are right now?" asked 'dad' Ken.
Kevin jumped into Mr. Ken's arms and cried hard. He cried hard enough that all the boys heard him. Kyle wasn't going to stay in Matthew's room after hearing Kevin cry as he had. He ran out of the bedroom as fast as he could.
"Kev, Kev," called out Kyle, as he ran into the room and began hugging his twin who was already hugging Mr. Ken and crying.
The other boys came to the bedroom door and looked in to see what it was all about.
"Why did he do that to us 'dad'?" cried Kevin. "Why? Why?" asked Kevin again and again, as he continued to cry.
It took 'dad' Ken about fifteen minutes to settle the older twin down enough to get him to release his hold on him. It took him another ten minutes to get him into his bed and understand that they would get Doctor Doug involved next week, but for now Kevin had to focus on having fun tomorrow at the Picnic with all of his friends.
Kyle was going to sleep with his twin, but Mr. Ken asked him to allow his brother to try to fall asleep on his own. Kyle reluctantly agreed to do that, but said if his twin began crying, he was going to him. 'Dad' Ken smiled knowing that would happen.
'Dad' Ken told the rest of the boys that it appeared that Kevin was still internalizing what was said at the trial, and that he might be worrying about his dad's trial that would probably happen one day soon. He asked the boys to not treat Kevin any differently than they had and that he'd try to get Doctor Doug involved as soon as he could.
After the unexpected disruption caused by Kevin's crying, from his extended angst over what was said about his dad at the recent trial, the Covers finally went to bed. All but two slept well that night.
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