The five boys woke up around 8:30 that morning. After getting up at 6 a.m. for school every morning that extra two and a half hours made them feel refreshed again. They all took their showers together and were down for breakfast by 9:20.
"We're an hour early 'dad'," said Charles, with a giggle.
Mr. Ken went over to the pre-teen and grabbed him and began tickling him. "So, you're an hour early are you? Let this be a lesson to you!" laughed 'dad' Ken, as he continued to tickle the boy.
"Stop, stop or I'll pee my pants," screamed a laughing Charles, from all the tickling he was receiving from his 'dad'.
The other four boys laughed right along with Charles. Of all the boys, Matthew, though, was very happy to see his older 'brother' get some much-deserved attention from their 'dad'.
While Mr. Ken and Charles played around, Robert got out enough of Momma's breakfast tacos for his 'brothers' and heated them up. As they heated, Mr. Ken and Charles finally stopped their foolishness.
Once the tacos were ready, the Cover boys sat down and ate while their 'dad' finished reading his morning newspaper.
"'Dad', what are we going to get Momma Maria for Christmas?" asked Matthew. "Robert and Charles told us they got her some Yankee Candles, so we can't get her those, too."
Mr. Ken sat there and thought for a few seconds and then replied, "Boys, we have two weeks to figure that out. Maybe we can talk this out later and decide on what to get her. But, you know what? Maybe you can ask your friends, to see what they are getting their moms. That might give you some real good ideas."
As the boys thought about that and decided they'd ask their friends that question, the Main Gate guard called to let Mr. Ken know that Gene and George Warren were there. The owner of The Cove told the guards to let them in and make a note that they have carte blanche to enter. The guard heard the tone of voice Mr. Thomas used and made sure he noted that order in bold block letters, so his replacements would understand their employers' desires.
"'Dad'," began Matthew and then stopped.
"Yes, 'son'" answered Mr. Ken.
"When are we going to put the train under the tree? It looks like the tree is fully decorated and that red cloth should make the train stand out," asked Matthew.
"Well ... let's see. Robert, Eric, Charles and me, along with Mr. Gene and Mr. George, are going out to audition bands today. Our last audition is at 2 p.m. That should mean we are home by four. Your friends are here until 6 p.m. on Saturdays, which means we won't have the time until tonight after dinner. Will that work for you or do you want to wait until tomorrow when your friends leave at 5 p.m.?" chuckled 'dad' Ken.
"'Daaaaad', that's not fair. You're being mean. Can we put the train up after dinner tonight?" persisted the youngest Cover.
"We'll see," was all 'dad' Ken said, with a smile.
Gene and George Warren were waiting at the Foyer Door while Matthew and Mr. Ken talked about the train under the tree. When Mr. Ken gave the youngster his answer, he got up from the table and walked to the Foyer Door to meet the security men.
As Mr. Ken walked out of the Kitchen Nook, Matthew looked at his older 'brothers' with the question that said, 'what just happened?' All Robert could tell his youngest 'brother' was that his dad was preoccupied right now with keeping them all safe and he didn't need to be bothered by small things.
Matthew didn't understand the answer, because he hadn't been around his real dad long enough to understand how dad's operated. He figured he'd find out eventually, so he dropped the question.
"Robert, Charles, Mr. Gene and Mr. George will be going along with us as we audition the bands. We're taking the Sprinter, so we'll all be comfortable. Robert, call Eric to let him know when we leave, so he'll be ready at the front door when we pull up. Do any of you have any questions?" finished 'dad' Ken.
Matthew wanted to ask him about the trains and what he meant by 'we'll see', but he figured now wasn't the time. He knew he could wait until later tonight and ask him what he meant. Since none of the boys had any questions, Mr. Ken told them to finish eating, clean up their mess and get ready for their friends.
Mr. Wayne arrived around 10:15 that morning, not knowing when the Covers were leaving to audition the bands. He was happy he did arrive early, so he could get any last minute instructions from his employer.
"Wayne, the high school students will probably arrive between eleven and twelve this morning. Do the double blind selection of the light poles as we discussed. Explain it to them first, so they understand. We'll probably be back by four, or sooner, if we're lucky.
"Gene and George are going along with us as you now have five armed guards here to protect Matthew and the twins. You have my cell phone number in case something comes up that you need to get a hold of me. Any questions?" finished Mr. Ken.
The Covers and their security detail left The Cove on time. They headed over to Eric's first before driving to their first band audition slated for 11. Robert and Charles weren't over enthused about attending the band auditions, as they would rather be at The Cove with their friends. Their attitude would change once the auditions began.
The high school students began arriving with their Toy Soldier creations just after eleven that morning and they were all there by 11:30. Mr. Wayne walked them down to the light poles where he explained the double-blind method Mr. Ken had devised to choose which school got which light pole to erect their Toy Soldier on.
"Teachers, students ... Mr. Ken wanted to make sure the assignment of the light poles was as fair as it could be. He understood the first light pole would be seen by the voters first, and could cause them to vote there before going inside.
"What I intend to do is pick a high school and then a light pole from each bag. But there is a twist in this selection process. Since there are three high schools and three light poles, Mr. Ken made up six chips. There are three chips with your high school names on them and three blank chips. The same goes for the light poles.
"If your school's chip is selected, but you are giving a blank light chip they both go back into the bags. Only when a high school chip and a light pole chip are picked will your team know where to install your Toy Soldier. Any questions?" asked Mr. Wayne.
The first high school chip selected was blank, so it went back into the bag. The second chip had a school name but their light pole chip was blank. This went on for four rounds before a high school was finally selected along with a light pole. Then, after three more rounds, all three high schools knew which light pole they were to use.
Mr. Wayne went up to the Main Gate and explained to the guards what they needed to do. The guard opened the gate for the high school students and their teacher as they drove pieces of their Toy Soldier into the estate and down to their designated light pole.
By that time, the Cover's friends began to arrive and the parents wanted to know what all the commotion was. The Cover boys took the questions and told them how their 'dad' created a competition amongst three local high schools. They told the parents that when they come to the Holiday Parties they would get to vote for which one they think is the best.
The parents wanted to go in and watch the students install their creations, but Mr. Wayne said they had to wait until next Friday before they could to see the finished products. The parents walked away disappointed, not realizing their sons would get the first look before they left for the day.
The boys headed directly to the ramps, not caring what all the commotion was going on around the light poles. They wanted to skate before they went swimming.
Lifeguards Russell and Jordan arrived after the high school students had begun installing their creations. It was while they walked around the house to enter the indoor pool from the patio, that students from their school noticed them.
"Hey, what are you two doing here?" asked one of the students.
"We work here," replied a proud Jordan, with a big smile
"What do you do here?" asked the same student, while the other students stopped what they were doing and came over to talk to the lifeguards.
Russell replied, "We're the lifeguards for Mr. Ken's boys and their friends. We've done this almost every weekend from just before school started."
"Wow, that has to be a plush job, for sure," offered another student.
"We're handsomely paid," smiled Russell. "And ... I may even be a chaperone for when Mr. Ken takes his foster sons and their friends to Six Flags. I understand all 40 boys are going," added Russell.
"Mr. Ken had 40 foster sons?" asked another astonished student.
"No, Mr. Ken has one son, that he recently adopted, and four foster sons," Russell started to explain. "He's taking them and all of their friends to Fiesta Texas, Monday next. I understand he took them on a similar trip back in October. He took them all to SeaWorld's Howl-O-Scream. That had to be a great trip as these kids are only ten through thirteen years old."
The students let the lifeguards go on their way and they went back to installing their creations. Mr. Wayne didn't hang around the students and their teachers. He wanted to see how the boys were faring with their two older Cover 'brothers' gone for the day.
Mr. Wayne needn't worry. The older boys had been coming to The Cove for almost eleven months now and they knew the ropes. And, as for Logan, he took his responsibility as Mr. Ken's 'enforcer' to heart. Although there wasn't much for him to do, as everyone knew if they made trouble they would be banned from The Cove and no one wanted that.
Matthew and his friends went off to a quiet corner and talked.
"Matthew, maybe I shouldn't ask you this but ... well ... my curiosity has got the better of me that I have to ask. Matthew ... can you tell us why did your mother ... why she want to talk to you so bad?" asked Ryan.
"It was your mother ... wasn't it ... who you said wanted to take you away? Right?" asked Noah.
"Guys ... you have got to promise me that ... that you will not tell anyone that you know it was me who the police were looking for last Tuesday. My mom thinks ... she thinks I know something that could be a problem for her friends and that I've talked to the police.
"The problem is ... I don't know anything. I told her that but ... well, she doesn't believe me. She wanted ... she wanted to take me away to wherever I do not know. Also, there are these men ... they know my mom and Lincoln and ... and they want to get me away from Mr. Ken and my 'brothers'," explained Matthew.
"Matthew, does ... does Mr. Ken know about all these men?' asked a surprised Brant.
"Yes, that's why ... that's why he added guards. There are now five and there used to be only three. My 'dad', he's ... he's afraid the men will kidnap my 'brothers' to get to me, so he's also hired these two huge men who will be with us until those men are arrested for something," now cried Matthew.
Brant wanted to go get Robert or Charles, but he knew they were both gone with Mr. Ken. So, he went to get the next best thing, his older brother, Brad. When Brad came over he found Matthew was crying and looked really upset, so he went to find Mr. Wayne.
"Matthew ... what has you crying so hard?" asked Wayne Mitchell, as he held the crying boy in his arms.
"It's ... it's ... it's those men who want me. I ... I don't know why they want me but ... but my mom ... she said they do because they think I know something and I will tell," cried Matthew.
Brad listened to what Matthew said and was astonished at what he heard. The teen was going to tell the others, but his younger brother, Brant, saw he was leaving and was going to tell the other boys, so he told him to wait. He needed to explain what that was all about. After a quick explanation, Brad said he would not tell anyone.
Mr. Wayne got Matthew settled and told him and his friends to go over and watch the high school students finish installing their Toy Soldiers. The Estate Master wanted to get Matthew away from the large crowd of boys while he still looked forlorn.
When Brad went back to his friends, they asked him what the problem was. The teen said the boy had hurt himself, and Robert and Charles weren't there to get him calmed down. The large group accepted that explanation and went back to skating.
Mr. Wayne saw the students were now testing their Toy Soldiers, so he knew he needed to go and get the New Year's Eve Garage Party invitations. When he returned, the students were almost ready to leave.
"If you will wait a few minutes. I have something Mr. Ken wants to give all of you, including the teachers," announced Mr. Wayne.
"But the schools, they've already said Mr. Ken can't give us anything of value," replied a teacher.
"Well, I'm not sure an invitation to a party can be considered something of value," chuckled Mr. Wayne.
"Let me explain. Mr. Ken wants to announce the winner of the Toy Soldier competition at his New Year's Eve Party. He holds two parties that night. One is for the movers and shakers of the County and State. The second, held out in his garage, is for boys and girls, teens and kids. The first time he did that was when Collin lived here. Since then, he's done it for whom he considers his 'brothers'.
"This year, now that he has a son and four foster sons, he will have that party again, but I think the focus this year is going to be on all of you. I have an invitation to his New Year's Eve Garage Party for each of you and a guest or significant other.
"Right now, Mr. Ken is out auditioning bands for that party. He takes this very seriously which is why he is out there personally making sure he finds the best band for that New Year's Eve celebration.
"As for how the voting will go, Mr. Ken had you build a voting box. The guests next weekend, at his Friday and Saturday Holiday Parties, will be given a chip to vote with. Everyone will vote and then at the New Year's Eve parties guests will vote, as well. Even you will get to vote," laughed Mr. Wayne.
"At about 10 p.m., at the New Year's Eve parties, Mr. Ken will stop the music to announce the winners. If you are there, you will receive the accolades of the guests as well as your prize," explained Wayne Mitchell.
"Do you know what the prize will be?" asked a student.
"Yes, I actually do," replied Mr. Wayne. "But, I am bound to secrecy. I hope you will all accept the invitation and be here for when the winner is announced. The particulars for the Party, like arrival time, what to wear and parking are on the invitation."
"If this competition is as successful, as Mr. Thomas hopes it will be, then he plans to repeat this next Christmas, too. He'd like to make this friendly competition an annual event and each year change the image to be built."
"You said there will be kids there. What will their ages be?" asked another student.
"Well, for now, it will be his son and four foster sons, ages eleven to thirteen and at least one guest each, so that's at least ten to twelve. But since his 'sons' are also a part of The Cove, I don't expect them to be out there the whole time and Mr. Ken will want to brag about them and introduce them to his guests."
"Twelve? I thought he has only five boys? How does that equate to twelve?" asked a teacher.
"Well, the short story is ... Mr. Ken has another teen he considers his 'little bro'. When Collin lived here, Eric Turner was a constant here. Collin took him under his wing as a 'little brother' and Mr. Ken did as well. So, Eric will more than likely be here as well. As a matter of fact, Mr. Ken hosted Eric's entire class last year at the New Year's Eve Garage Party.
"My bet is ... that if you all attend and word gets out that you had a good time then ... Mr. Ken might very well make this as an annual benefit to the competition. But, it will be up to you to define what this New Year's Eve Garage Party is and how it turns out," finished up Mr. Wayne.
As the students each took an invitation and walked to the Main Gate, the students who got to try the skateboard ramps asked if they could try them again. That brought all thirty students and three teachers over to where all the Cover friends were skating.
"Hey, kids," called out one high school senior, "can we try the ramps again?"
Logan asked the boys to let the older students have a try at the ramps. The high school students asked to borrow the larger skateboards from the boys and with that the show was on. The boys couldn't believe the level of expertise the high school students had, and wished they could do some of the things they saw.
"Can you show us how to do some of those tricks?" asked Greg.
That said, the older teens started to show the younger boys what to do to get started on learning the tricks. The high school students also recommended to the boys they needed a few more ramps. Matthew spoke up and said his 'dad' promised to add a few more at the bottom of the driveway after the Holidays.
That announcement brought about a discussion on which ramps Mr. Ken should consider making. The high school students who didn't get to try the ramps when they first visited The Cove were amazed at how well they'd stood up to the elements.
It was going on 2 p.m. when the high school students and teachers departed The Cove.
The boys skated for about another hour before they decided to swim. Lucky for Matthew, Brad and Logan knew where the dry swimsuits were and they went and got all forty. They had Matthew and his friends follow along, so they knew for the next time.
Matthew and his friends changed in the Women's Locker Room again. But this time, they just changed in front of one another without regard to whether their friends saw their dangly parts or not. A few of the boys even danced around in a circle in attempting to recreate what the teens did so many years ago in front of the younger boys.
"So, are you ladies ever going to change with us men?" teased Asher, with a smile, while some of the other older boys laughed right along.
"Why? So, you can 'perve' on our young, trim, better-looking bodies than your own!" Brant shot back, with his friends laughing right along.
"OK, enough of that," spoke up Logan, the enforcer. "Matthew and his friends will change with us when they are ready. And besides, with six more changing in the Men's Locker Room, it will only make it more crowded in there.
"Maybe some of you who want to 'perve' on their bodies should join them," now laughed Logan, who was joined in by most of the older boys and Matthew and his friends.
The boys then proceeded to swim, but in their own groups, at first. Soon, though, they came together to play some of their games. It was then Kevin and Kyle lamented to their friends they didn't have anything to dive for. Suddenly, a thought went through the twins and they rushed off. They went to their lockers and got out their coins.
"Here, let's dive for these," called out Kevin. "We'll throw them further and further away to see who can get them both in one breath."
Matthew then went and got his coin and added it to the competition. The game was now on.
The older boys had much more lung capacity than the younger boys, but Russell and Jordan tried to keep the contest even. They played that game and then they saw who could make the biggest splash off the rock ledge in their age groups. Russell and Jordan were the judges.
The Cover boys arrived back at The Cove around 4 p.m. They saw their friends were swimming, but knowing they would soon want to eat, Robert, Charles and Eric began getting the grill ready and got out some of the extras needed. Other boys saw what the Cover boys were doing, so they quickly changed to help.
Matthew and his friends jumped into helping and again changed in front of one another without any embarrassment whatsoever.
Mr. Ken and Mr. Wayne came down to the indoor pool and were surprised to see the boys diving for their coins. At first Mr. Ken was upset the boys were using their coins in such a manner, but then he quickly realized this was as good a water test as any. Mr. Ken just watched until the boys all got out of the water to get ready to eat.
As everyone ate, Mr. Wayne told his employer about what happened with Matthew. That surprised the foster dad, some, but Mr. Ken decided he needed to talk to the youngster some more after their friends left.
Mr. Wayne also told Mr. Ken about the students and their questions concerning the invitations to the Garage Party. The Estate Master explained how he tried to entice them into attending by telling them it was his employers hope to have the competitions as an annual event with the invitation as part of the contest.
Mr. Ken told Mr. Wayne that he agreed with what he told the students. The owner of The Cove said he would have told them the same thing, so he was glad his Estate Master took the initiative.
The Cover boys' friends left around 6 p.m., as they normally did on Saturday, and as soon as they were off the estate grounds, Mr. Ken loaded his crew into the Sprinter van and they all headed out to dinner. Mr. Gene and Mr. George caravanned in their vehicles. One was out in front and the other one guarded the rear. They headed to Four Corners.
At dinner, the boys again asked about having a sleepover during the Holidays. 'Dad' Ken reminded them of all that was going on during the Holidays and they needed to figure out a date that would work for all of them. That put a smile on their faces. All but Matthew's that is.
"Dad' Ken saw that Matthew wasn't too engaging at dinner, so he knew when they returned to The Cove he needed to talk to the boy. Mr. Ken was afraid that those men, who may be after him, were causing the boy to shut down internally. He felt bad for the boy, and he needed to find a way to get the boy out of his funk before he shut down totally.
After dinner, the Covers didn't go out to their normal stop, DQ. Mr. Ken wanted to get home and talk to Matthew. He also wanted to get started on installing his American Flyer train under the tree.
Chief was totally devastated, on their return, that no one brought her a cup of ice cream. She checked each boy behind their backs to see if they were hiding it from her. They weren't. Chief wasn't happy, so she walked away from all of them. To where, no one knew.
'Dad' Ken asked Matthew to go with him to his Study to talk. He asked the other boys to settle down and watch TV or play a game as he and their youngest 'brother' talked. Mr. Wayne followed his boss to the Study.
When the three Covers entered Mr. Ken's Study, 'dad' Ken sat in one of those soft leather chairs and had Matthew sit in his lap. Mr. Wayne sat in a soft leather chair opposite the other two Coves.
"Matthew ... I understand ... that you are still focused on your mom's friends. Can you tell me what it is that has you so upset over these men?" gently asked 'dad' Ken.
"I don't know," replied Matthew, with a shrug.
"'Son', there has got to be something ... that has you so worried about these men. So, please, think hard about this and tell me what you are thinking about. If you don't let me know what's on your mind, I ... well, I can't figure out a way to help you," again softly asked 'dad' Ken.
Matthew just sat there leaning on Mr. Ken's shoulder. He wasn't crying, but he was close to it. He was focused on what his mom thought he knew and would tell, but he just couldn't remember what they all talked about in front of him. The young Cover then decided to tell 'dad' Ken just that.
"Well, Matthew, I can't make you NOT mull over what your mom thinks you know. You either know it, or you don't. I just wish I knew how to get you to settle down and let this all go. I bet that if you could relax and just have some fun that maybe, that JUST maybe it will all come back to you.
"I'll bet that everything that is going on with you, right now, is causing some turmoil inside of you. I'm sure you are trying to understand it all and figure out what it could be your mom thinks you know. Trying to understand it all by yourself will be difficult because you don't have the training or experience. That is why I want you and your 'brothers' to talk to Doctor Doug
"I understand that after you got away from your mom last Tuesday, and you talked with Doctor Doug, you came out of his office laughing. That is a good sign. It says you can begin to put this all behind you, but realize it will take time.
"You're going to see Doctor Jennings next Tuesday, but I can change it to Monday and then make another appointment for you for Thursday. That way you and he can start working this out to get to the bottom of all this and hopefully let you relax and move on.
"Would you be OK with me making those changes for you, so you can talk to Doctor Doug sooner and again before the Holidays? You know ... it might be just the thing you need, you know, to help you deal with all that turmoil going on inside of you. It also may help you to open up your mind to what your mom thinks you know. So ... what do you say? Can I make those changes for you to help you?" finished 'dad' Ken
Matthew started to cry as he hugged his foster dad tight. He didn't cry hard and Mr. Ken had no idea why the boy would cry, but he was happy the boy was letting some of what was hurting him inside, out. The boy cried for about two minutes and when he stopped he told his 'dad' that it would be good to talk to Doctor Doug, as he was easy to talk with and helped him see things differently.
It was then Robert came to the Study to ask if they could start putting the train up. Matthew smiled at hearing that, so he joined in asking if they could do that. Mr. Ken said they could and for them and their 'brothers' to wait at the tree.
But then Mr. Ken had another idea. He asked Mr. Wayne to gather up the other three boys and head to the Christmas tree. He then asked Matthew and Robert to go with him to get the tracks they would need to install the train.
When the three Covers got to a storage room, that even Robert didn't remember seeing before, Mr. Ken gave a box of train tracks to Robert to carry. He then gave Matthew the American Flyer train and the few pieces of rolling stock he had bought the past few years. Matthew had a big smile on his face that he was carrying the train.
The Covers gathered at the now fully lit up Christmas tree. Mr. Ken had Robert pulled some of the train track out of the box he'd brought. Taking two pieces, the owner of The Cove explained to his 'boys' how the pieces fit together. He then gave five pieces to each boy and asked them put them together. Then the man gave the boys five more pieces to put together.
"Matthew, you're the smallest, so I want you to climb up on the platform and slowly crawl your way to the back. When you're there, we'll pass you the tracks we've put together and you put them all together. Can you do this for me?" asked a smiling 'dad' Ken.
Matthew took off his shoes, got up on the platform and crawled his way to the back. His 'brothers' then began passing their track sections to him. Matthew slowly and deliberately slid the track sections together. As the youngest Cover put the track together, he worked his way to the front. There, Mr. Ken asked Kyle to take over putting the last pieces together.
Once all the track pieces were put together, 'dad' Ken explained how they needed to hook the electricity to the tracks to allow the train to ride on them. The boys 'dad' took the transformer from the box Matthew had brought and explained what it was and how it worked to the boys.
'Dad' Ken then asked Robert to see if he could figure out how to connect the wires to the track clip that would provide the power to the tracks. After a few moments of looking at the problem, Robert told his dad that it looked easy and went about putting the wires on the power clip.
With the power clip connected to the transformer, 'dad' Ken asked Charles to see if he could figure out how the clip connected to the track. Charles looked at the clip and then took a spare track piece and tried to clip it to that. After a few seconds, the pre-teen Cover figured how the two mated and asked if he could put the clip on the track under the tree.
The next thing that needed to be accomplished was to connect the transformer to the house current. Mr. Ken gave Kevin that task. He gave the twin a flashlight and explained to him to take the transformer cord, crawl under the platform and connect it to an outlet. When the older twin came from under the platform, it was time to test the train on the newly installed track.
But before that could happen, Mr. Ken gave each boy a piece of the train to place on the track. Robert got the American Flyer Hudson 4-6-4 Steam Engine to put on the tracks. Charles got a tank car, while the twins each got a boxcar. Matthew got the caboose to set on the track.
Mr. Ken showed the boys how to open the couplers and then had Robert try to drive the train. When the teenager rotated the transformers handle to provide electrical current to the track, nothing happened. Mr. Ken checked the connections and then found the fuse on the transformer had tripped. The man explained what the problem was, showed the boys where it was and then had his son push the fuse button in to reset it.
Robert then rotated the power handle on the transformer and the train began to go slowly forward. Dad Ken had his son push the reverse button on the transformer and the train began to go in reverse. Dad Ken told Robert to go very slow as he coupled the four pieces of rolling stock.
Once the train was fully connected, Mr. Ken had his son drive the engine forward slowly. He told the teen, and his 'brothers', he wanted to make sure none of the tree's branches interfered with the rain's safe and unhindered travel.
The train made its slow, inaugural trip under the tree unimpeded. Mr. Ken asked his son to increase the speed, but not to go full out. Matthew asked his 'dad' why Robert shouldn't go fast. 'Dad' Ken told him if Robert went too fast the train would fall off the track. It was just then that the train did fall off the track with a thump. Everyone laughed at Robert's train driving ability.
Mr. Ken let each boy drive the train for a few minutes before sending them off to bed.
When 'dad' Ken went upstairs to say goodnight to the boys, he started with Robert and worked his way to Matthew. The first four boys thanked him for letting them put the train up. When it came to Matthew, he thanked his foster dad and hugged him while a few more tears fell.
The young Cover was overwhelmed with emotions from everything Mr. Ken had done for him ever since letting him live there. The youngster openly thanked the man for trying to make his life so much better than it was with his mom.
But in the same vain he told his foster dad he couldn't get over why his mom acted the way she did. He had a difficult time understanding why his mom let Lincoln beat him so much, and why she tried to take him away from Mr. Ken and his 'brothers', and wanted to kill him.
Matthew continued to tell Mr. Ken how dismayed he was over how his mom told him how she could take good care of him, but at the same time hurt him while she tried to keep him quiet so they wouldn't be found. It was then the boy burst out crying.
All Mr. Ken could do was try his best to calm the boy and reassure him that things would work out eventually. The man held onto the boy and he could feel Matthew melt into his hug. The man knew the boy didn't have a dad in his life, but only hurt and pain from Lincoln.
After the young Cover settled down enough to go to bed, Matthew excused himself to go pee. While Matthew was out of the bedroom, Mr. Ken called Chief over and told her to keep an eye on her boy and come get him if he had a bad dream as he had the other night.
Chief barked a few "Woofs" and then gave Mr. Ken a few doggie Kisses. That's when Matthew came through the door and climbed into bed. The two hugged again and then Chief got into the act and gave Matthew a few doggie kisses before going to her bed in the room.
"Goodnight, 'son' and please don't worry. Just get a good night's sleep," said 'dad' Ken, as he walked out of the bedroom.
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