Matthew was wide-awake at 7 a.m. He tried to go back to sleep. He even drained his dragon hoping that would let his mind relax, and he could fall back asleep. It didn't happen.
Kevin and Kyle were also up. They talked about how their young lives had dramatically changed ever since they came to live at The Cove. They also lamented what brought them there and what would happen to their dad, and especially their mom. They both agreed they needed to ask their 'dad' if they could go see her.
Charles was up at 6:30. He drained his dragon, but he was so pumped up about Christmas he just couldn't go back to sleep. He figured his 'brothers' were up, too, so he went over to Robert's room to see if he was awake. His older 'brother' was and the teen was glad Charles came over, so they could talk.
The two oldest Covers talked for a few minutes, then they were curious if their other 'brothers' were awake as well. They decided to go over to the twins' bedroom and found them awake and talking. After a few minutes of talking, the four boys headed to Matthew's room to see if he was awake. He was as well.
The five boys gathered in Matthew's room and talked about The Cove, Mr. Ken, Christmas, and how their lives had changed. They even speculated if their 'dad' would ever become their real dad, as he had for Robert. That brought up a completely new set of questions asked and speculation of 'what ifs'.
The boys got to talking and were so into their conversation that they totally forgot about the time. It was 8:20 when Mr. Ken and Mr. Wayne wondered what happened to the boys. The two men figured they would have been down at 8:01 but here it was 8:20 and none of them were down to open their Christmas presents. Even Chief wasn't down to get her much-loved ear scratches.
The two men decided they needed to go upstairs to check on the boys and find out why they weren't downstairs waiting to open up their Christmas presents. They speculated they were so tired they just slept in as on any other vacation day. They ventured the boys ate way too much junk food yesterday, and were all sick in their beds throwing up all over the place. They both laughed over that thought.
The men saw Robert's room was vacant and Charles' was as well. At the end of the hall was the twins' bedroom and it was empty, too. Their next stop would be Matthew's bedroom, and it was there they heard the laughter coming from it. They looked at one another and smiled.
"Hey... what's going on in here?" loudly asked 'dad' Ken. "I thought you'd all be down in the Great Room jumping out of your skin wanting to see what Santa brought you. What gives?" he asked.
"What time is it, Dad?" asked Robert. "We've been talking and I guess we just lost track of the time."
"It's almost 8:30. So, are you all ready to open some Christmas presents?" said a smiling 'dad' Ken.
"Yea!" yelled at five boys at the same time.
"OK, drain your dragons, get dressed, and come right down," said 'dad' Ken. Then, he and Mr. Wayne walked out of the room and headed down to the Great Room to await the Cover boys.
Five minutes later, the boys came down the stairs like a thundering herd. They were all laughing with one another and acting like the 11 to 13-year-olds they were.
"We're here," called out Robert, laughing.
"It's about time, don't cha think?" teased 'dad' Ken.
"And, boys, I want to wish you all ... a very Merry Christmas. Come here and let me give you a big Christmas hug," said 'dad Ken, with his arms wide open.
All the boys headed for the seated man and their hug at the same time. The problem was they all couldn't fit in his lap. Laughter was heard throughout the Great Room as they all tried to get a hug, but all they got was some rib tickles that they squirmed to get away from.
"And let that be a lesson to you," teased 'dad' Ken.
"And now ... let the present opening begin. And, to begin, I want you all to open one gift at a time so your 'brothers' can see what you got. You see five piles of presents in front of you, so ... go find your pile and take a seat," laughed 'dad' Ken.
"We'll start with the oldest, Robert. Son, pick a present and let us all see what you got," encouraged the teen's dad.
Robert picked the smallest present, telling his 'brothers' he wanted to work his way up to the biggest present which is usually the best. Robert ripped the wrappings off the gift and looked it over. He found he had gotten the skateboard lights he saw when they got Matthew his skateboard. "Thanks, dad."
Charles went next and he found he had gotten a manicure set. 'Dad' Ken told him he needed it, and to put it in his suitcase for the trip. He also told the pre-teen to make sure he used it. Everyone laughed.
Kevin was next. He chose a medium-sized present and ripped the wrappings off. He wound up with a white rectangular box. He took the top off, pushed the tissue paper to the side, and found he had a five-pack of new boxer briefs. The boys all laughed, but little did they know they had them, too.
Kyle was up next. He took the topmost package and felt its weight. He shook it, listened to it, mimicking what some of the adults did yesterday. The twin then ripped off the wrapping paper. He, too, had a white nondescript white box the size the same size as his brothers.
"I guess I'll get boxer briefs, too," laughed the younger twin.
Kyle opened the box only to find he had two Nike t-shirts. "Thanks 'dad'!" said the smiling younger twin.
"Who me? I thought Santa Claus brought all of those gifts for you and your 'brothers'," smiled 'dad' Ken.
The five boys simultaneously said, "'Daaad'!" Everyone had a good laugh, including the adults.
Matthew took his turn. He looked at all the presents piled before him and then pulled one out from the middle. The boxes on top of it tumbled down and he laughed, and then said. "Sorry!"
Matthew hefted the box as Kyle did, and then ripped into the wrappings. His efforts were rewarded with him seeing a model airplane. He was about to rip the cellophane wrapping off when his 'dad' told him to wait until later, when he had a large table to spread the parts and pieces onto. The youngster smiled and said he understood and set the gift aside.
Robert was anxiously waiting for his turn. As soon as Matthew set his gift down, the teen took another small present and began ripping the wrappings off. He was rewarded with a small handheld electronic travel game that played five different casino games.
Charles seeing his older 'brother' was finished unwrapping his gift quickly picked up a present. The pre-teen ripped the paper off the gift and found a wallet. When he looked inside he saw there was a brand new $100.00 bill in it. The pre-teen held the bill up for his 'brothers' to see. They couldn't wait to see if they got one as well.
Kevin grabbed a wrapped gift and tore into it. He just couldn't wait to see what else his 'dad' had gotten him for Christmas. For his efforts, he found he had a watch. The oldest twin took the watch out of its plastic case and tried to put it on.
Mr. Wayne went over to him and showed him how to undo the clasp, slip it over his hand to his wrist, and snap the clasp back. Lucky for the boy the watch was already set for the correct time. The boy, showing a big smile, held up his wrist for everyone to see.
Kyle was waiting for his turn and after Kevin showed everyone his wristwatch, he grabbed a gift and shredded the wrappings to see what his 'dad' had gotten him. The original box showed a picture of what was inside. It was a toiletry bag for his toothbrush and paste, deodorant, and whatever else he used to stay clean and healthy.
Matthew went next. The youngster looked at all the gifts that had tumbled down and spilled all over his area and just selected one at random. He pulled the paper off from the present and found he had a cell phone. His eyes lit up like no other time in his life.
"You ... you got me a ... a cell phone?" said the very surprised youngest Cover.
Robert and Charles quickly went over to their 'brother' to look at the phone. They saw it was from the same company they had theirs from, but it was a newer model. It was then 'dad' Ken told the two oldest Covers they would have to help him set it up. He added, "But not now!"
While Matthew admired his new cell phone. Robert took another package and ripped the paper right off it in less than two seconds. This time the teenager found a white nondescript box and wondered aloud if it was full of boxer briefs. When he took the top off he found he had two new short-sleeved polo shirts presumably for school. The teen stood up and held one shirt up to his body to see the color and fit.
Charles was already unwrapping his next Christmas gift even before Robert had sat down. He, too, had a white nondescript box like his 'brothers' had gotten and he was just curious. He took the top off the box and looked inside. He had a smile on his face as he saw he had Under Armour shirts and shorts. His 'brothers' smiled along with him knowing they would probably get the same.
Kevin was up next. His box was long and quite wide and as high as it was wide. It was very different from any of the other boxes they'd already seen. The older twin scratched the wrapping paper off the package. With the paper all off, he found he had a shoebox and inside was a pair of classic Crocs. The twin quickly took one shoe out and put it on. He liked the feel and knew it would be good to walk around outside. Then, his 'dad told him they were not for skating as they could come off too easily.
Kyle was next. He looked at his still high pile of Christmas presents. His 'brothers' told him to hurry it up and pick one. Kyle then took the topmost one and ripped into the wrapping paper. For his efforts, the younger twin found he had a Bluetooth, capable speaker. The boy wondered what he'd do with it, since he didn't have anything to use it with. It was then Robert told him he probably had something in his other presents. That put a big smile on Kyle's face.
Matthew was patiently waiting for his turn. He'd been looking at his pile of gifts while Kyle opened his present, and when he could, he deliberately took a long, narrow, and not a too thick box. He held it and it felt heavy. That put a smile on his face. He had no idea what was inside, but he figured if it were heavy it would be a good present.
Matthew found the back of the wrappings and then pulled the paper from the open seam. When all of the paper was off the packages he saw a white box, and when he looked closer to it he saw it was a Samsung Tablet. When he took it out of the box he learned it was a 10-inch screen.
The young boy couldn't contain himself as he began looking at all the brochures and instruction guides. Mr. Wayne went over to the boy and told him they'd look it over together, after all the presents were unwrapped. Matthew smiled up at the man he looked up to.
Robert went again. This time he had boxer briefs.
Charles unwrapped a new cell phone exactly like Matthew's.
Kevin ripped the wrappings of his next present to find the wallet with the $100.00 bill inside. He had never held one let alone seen one up close until he saw Charles', and now he had his own. His smile was ear-to-ear.
Kyle opened his next gift to find the skateboard lights.
Matthew was next and he found the Under Armour shirts and shorts combo.
Robert went next and found he had a new cell phone like his 'brothers.
Charles got Crocs. Kevin received the toiletry bag, and Kyle found he had a NASCAR model racecar to assemble. Matthew went next and he got two new polo shirts.
While his four 'brothers' were opening their Christmas presents, Robert went up to his bedroom. When he came down he had a couple of gifts in his arms. He told Charles to go get the other ones and the pre-teen Cover hurried up the stairs to the bedrooms. He came down with more wrapped gifts.
"Dad, us boys ... we went out, and with Mr. Wayne's help, bought you some Christmas presents. You do so much for us that we ... well, we knew we had to get you something. They might not be as great as the presents we've already gotten, but ... well, we love you as much as you love us," finished the teenager.
Mr. Ken took the first present his son handed him. The man didn't know what to say. He never expected this and he had a few tears in his eyes from the thought. The boys saw the emotions in their 'dad's' eyes coming through. They knew they had done the right thing.
"Boys ... I don't know what to say. This ... this is so unexpected that I am ... I'm speechless right now, but I am sure after I open them ... I will find the words," said 'dad' Ken, as his tears leaked down his face.
The boys told him to open the gift before he got it all wet. That brought a bunch of laughs from everyone including 'dad' Ken.
As Mr. Ken opened the gift, he took his time. His eyes were cloudy from the tears he was shedding. He knew inwardly all these boys were keepers, but he didn't know if he would ever be able to do that.
Mr. Ken finally got the package unwrapped, but it was a nondescript box as he had used, so he had to open it to find out what was inside. When he pulled the gift out of the box he said, "Boys, this ... this is wonderful. I knew I needed more rolling stock for my train and ... and this boxcar does just that. Thank you, so much!"
Charles passed his 'dad another present to open. The man wanted the boys to finish opening their gifts, but they told him it was his turn to sit back, and see what Santa had brought him. The man put on a big smile and accepted the wrapped present.
The boy's foster dad quickly opened his next gift. He found a white box the size of what he used to give the boys some clothes. So, he figured that was what was in it, but he had no idea what the boys could know he needed or would use. He was totally mistaken.
"Boys ... I love these," said 'dad' Ken. "How did you know I was looking at getting myself some new running shorts and matching shirt for lounging around the house? Thank you very much."
"Dad, there are a few more gifts, so let's get a move on," teased Robert.
Matthew presented his foster dad with the next gift. The owner of The Cove gingerly opened this one without any remarks for him to hurry it up. The man saw the package was the same size as the boxcar. So, when he finally opened the box he found he had another piece of rolling stock for his American Flyer S-gauge train. This train piece was a tank car.
The foster dad opened three more boxes and found he had received three more pieces of rolling stock for his train set. They were a caboose, a lumber carrying car, and a coal car, all from his 'boys'.
But that was not all. Mr. Wayne had gotten up, while Mr. Ken was opening his gifts, and went to his bedroom to retrieve the presents he had for his employer. The man was completely surprised when his Estate Master came back to the Great Room, carrying a few wrapped gifts for him.
"Mr. Ken, while I helped the boys get your new rolling stock, I knew you also needed some additions for your 'town'. Please accept these Christmas presents with my thanks for what you've done for me," offered Wayne Mitchell.
"Wayne ... I don't know what to say. I ... I never expected to receive any gifts from the boys let alone you. This has to be one of, if not, the best Christmas I've ever had and it isn't even over," spoke a smiling Mr. Ken.
Mr. Wayne presented three wrapped presents to his employer and asked him to open them. Mr. Ken did just that. One at a time, Mr. Ken opened his gifts, and found he had three Plasticville buildings. One was a gas station, one was a red schoolhouse, and the third one was a diner.
"I can't wait to put these together and put them on the platform under the Christmas tree. Thank you so very much, Wayne. These are generous and well thought out gifts," offered Mr. Ken.
The boys went back to opening their Christmas presents. Robert also received a watch, Crocs, Nike t-shirts, a wallet with a $100.00 bill in it, a new manicure set, a toiletry bag, Under Armour clothes, a Bluetooth speaker, and a Samsung 10-inch tablet. The boy had a great Christmas.
Charles also received from Santa, Skateboard lights, a hand-held electronic game (Solitaire), boxer briefs, a Samsung tablet, Nike t-shirts, a toiletry bag, a new watch, clothes, and a Bluetooth speaker. The pre-teen never had such a Christmas in his life and he was just so happy to live there at Three Finger Cove.
Kevin thought he'd died and gone to heaven, he received so many great Christmas gifts. He also got as gifts a hand-held electronic game (Arcade Gamer), a Bluetooth speaker, Under Armour shirts and shorts, a plastic model airplane to assemble, more school clothes, a toiletry bag, a cell phone like his 'brothers', skateboard lights, Nike- t-shirts, a manicure set, and a Samsung tablet. The oldest twin couldn't believe his luck. He'd never received half of what his foster dad gave him just then. He was so happy.
Kyle couldn't believe his good fortune. He also got boxer briefs, a manicure set, a tablet, like his 'brothers', a cell phone, a wallet with $100.00 in it, a watch, school clothes like his twin's, a hand-held electronic game (Yahtzee), Crocs, a model ship, and Under Armour shirts and shorts. Just as his twin brother, he never received so many Christmas gifts at one time. He knew he got lucky being sent to The Cove to live when he was in that traffic accident.
Matthew probably felt the luckiest of all his 'brothers'. There never was a time in his young life he'd gotten half or even a third of the Christmas gifts he'd just received. And the cost of all the presents didn't even come close to some of the ones he'd gotten today. He almost burst out into tears he was so happy.
The youngest Cover also received Under Armour clothes, a Bluetooth speaker, a hand-held electronic game (Sudoku), a watch, a toiletry bag, school clothes, Crocs, Nike t-shirts, a wallet with a $100.00 dollar bill in it, a manicure set, boxer briefs, and he too received skateboard lights. He was a very happy camper that day.
"Geez, look at the time. I didn't think it would take us this long to open all these gifts. The limo will be here in about forty minutes. We all need to hurry and get cleaned up, dressed and down here in time for us to go out to eat," said a concerned 'dad' Ken.
"Dad, do we have to go out for a big dinner? We got so many great gifts we want to look through them some more. We can search through the freezer or pantry and find something to eat there. We can always burn some burgers and dogs if we have too. But we really don't want to have to wear a suit and tie and waste most of the day," argued Robert.
"So, boys ... do you all feel the same way?" asked 'dad' Ken.
After getting a unanimous vote from his 'boys', he asked Mr. Wayne his thoughts. The Estate Master said he agreed with the boys. The decision was made. Mr. Ken called the restaurant and canceled his reservation. His next call was to cancel the limo.
"Before we decide what to eat, I want all of your boys to go upstairs, brush your teeth, and take your showers and then get dressed in nice play clothes. Then, come down here and then we'll decide what to eat. While you five are getting cleaned up, Mr. Wayne and I will do the same. Now, get a move on," said a smiling 'dad' Ken.
The five Cover boys shared the four showerheads in the shower room after brushing their teeth. Their conversation centered on all the great gifts they all got.
"Did you notice we all got the same things?" asked Kevin.
"Yes, we did except you three," said Charles, pointing at Kevin, Kyle, and Matthew. "You three all got plastic models to build. I like building them. I never got to do that very much living with my mom," lamented Charles.
"Well, you can help me build mine," said Matthew.
Charles smiled back at his youngest 'brother.
"Will you help me set up my new cell phone?" asked Kyle.
"Yea, mine, too," piped up Kevin.
"Hey, what about me?" said Matthew.
"OK, Charles, and I will help you set your phones up as we activate our new phones later on," said Robert.
The three youngest Covers smiled at hearing that.
"I can't believe we all got phones, tablets and Bluetooth speakers," said Matthew.
"Yea, but we each got a new wallet and money inside," chuckled Kyle.
"But most of our gifts were practical, too," spoke up Robert. "Take the clothes, the Nike shirt and Under Armour shorts and shirts and the boxer briefs. Then, dad also got all of us new manicure sets, and toiletry bags for our trip tomorrow."
"I'm going to like the hand-held games. They will come in handy on the trip and they aren't that big, so we can pack them easily," spoke up Charles.
"When we go back downstairs, I'm going to put my Crocs on. What better time to break them in," said Kevin.
The boys finished their showers and headed to their rooms to get dressed for the rest of the day. When they went downstairs, they all went to their pile of Christmas presents and took out their Crocs and put them on. Kyle asked for help putting his watch on, so all the boys helped one another putting them on.
"Boys ... you down there?" called out Mr. Ken.
"Yes, sir, we're down here. We just put our watches and Crocs on," spoke up Charles.
"Come up here when you're ready," called back 'dad' Ken.
The seven Covers met in the Kitchen Nook where they discussed what they were going to eat. Robert suggested he and Charles look through the freezers and his dad and Mr. Wayne should look through the Pantry.
When they met up, Robert told the adults there were lots of frozen breakfast tacos, and roasts and other meats. Mr. Ken said there was loads of canned veggies and four or five different spaghetti noodles and sauces. He asked if that was what they wanted to eat.
Charles asked his 'dad' if knew if IHOP or Denny's were open. The pre-teen said if they were they could drive over there, eat and be back in no time and there would be no mess to clean up and Momma Maria won't get mad at them. The boys laughed at that.
Mr. Wayne heard the question, so he pulled out his cell phone and looked up both restaurants serving hours. He saw they were both open, so he told his boss what he knew.
As the Covers loaded into the Sprinter van, Matthew asked if they needed Mr. Gene and Mr. George to go along with them. Mr. Ken thanked Matthew for asking that question, so he called the Warren twins up. They told him that with all four men in custody, they shouldn't be needed unless he was willing to invite them to a late lunch/early dinner. Mr. Ken told them where to meet them.
The restaurant of choice was IHOP. Mr. Ken liked the open and bright atmosphere there. Also, he never had a bad meal there, so he was inclined to eat where he felt good and the food was good, too.
When they arrived, Mr. Ken told the server they needed a table for nine. The woman asked his party to stand by while they set up a table for them. It was while they were waiting to be seated the Warren twins arrived.
"Merry Christmas Gene, George," offered Mr. Ken.
That greeting started a round of Merry Christmases amongst all nine people. It all stopped when the server came to seat them.
The boys had to tell Mr. Gene and Mr. George all about their Christmas presents. The security men inwardly smiled at the enthusiasm the boys had over their take. Matthew even showed them his new Crocs and watch. That made Kyle do the same.
The nine friends had a good meal and great conversation during it. They shared many stories, some of which included what happened at Halloween and when the security twins watched over Collin and Ryan. The Cover boys enjoyed hearing their stories, and Matthew especially did, because he got a better perspective on what happened when his 'brothers' were almost kidnapped.
While the group ate, people who knew Mr. Ken came over to him and wished him a Merry Christmas and shook his hand. They also asked him if he was the source of the information that led to catching the armored truck robbers the night before.
Mr. Ken told them he wasn't and then silently kicked himself for not listening to the morning news or thoroughly perusing his morning newspaper. He now needed to know how his name got involved with that attempted robbery. He looked over to Matthew and put his finger to his lips to tell him to keep quiet.
The large group took their time eating, but all the time they spent there concerned Mr. Ken. He didn't want to hurry them up, but he couldn't wait until he got home and checked the television and radio news stations. He knew he should have called Dan early that morning, but he was too preoccupied about watching the boys open their Christmas presents.
It was after 3:30 p.m. when the Covers returned home. Mr. Ken told them he wanted to watch the TV news and get the latest on the attempted armored truck robbery. Robert told his dad they were all going to get their cell phones and take them to the Kitchen Nook where they had the space to spread out. The teen then told his dad there were going to activated them at the same time.
Mr. Ken went and turned the television on.
This is Rene Vaughn from KBLY-TV reporting that there has been no additional release of information after last night's attempted robbery of an armored truck carrying upwards of more than twenty million dollars. We were told four men were arrested after a brief struggle outside the armored truck.This reporter learned from a confidential informant that initial information concerning the potential for the robbery of the armored truck came from someone at Three Finger Cove. Phone calls to Three Fringe Cove to determine if that information was true went unanswered, as of the beginning of this newscast.It seems unlikely that someone at The Cove, as it is communally now called, would have that sort of information to provide, as none of the men arrested are to be known associated in any way with The Cove.The four men Carter Dunlapman, Lonny Charles Acheterts, Benjamin Bateterson and Lincoln Redwingger are supposedly very close friends who are also being investigated for involvement in a series of robberies all over Texas this past summer.The men face charges ranging from attempted robbery to possession of automatic weapons not available to the general public. Some of which include an RPG rocket launcher and a sub-machine gun. The four men also had handguns with their serial numbers filed off which is another chargeable offense.The big question tonight is was it someone at Three Finger Cove, and Mr. Ken Thomas as its owner, responsible for the information that lead the Sheriff's office to plan for a possible robbery of an armored truck that was very full of cash receipts and much more. This all happened just outside Dillard's Department store right after closing yesterday?We hope to contact Mr. Thomas later tonight to get his reaction to the allegation, and put the speculation to an end. This is Rene Vaughn reporting for KBLY.
Mr. Ken was livid. He immediately called Dan to ask him 'what the hell happened'.
"I thought I'd hear from you before this," was how Dan Fischer answered his phone, while seated at his Sheriff's office desk, when he saw his friend Ken Thomas called.
"Dan, what the hell happened? How did Three Finger Cove ever get mentioned in all this? I thought ... I thought you were keeping a lid on the dissemination of information. At least, for now, Matthew's name hasn't been leaked, but if it is, there will be hell to pay and the first casualty will be Barnes. I'm so pissed!" said Ken Thomas, in a very loud voice that Dan had to pull the phone away from his ear.
"Ken ... please calm down. Matthias and Roberts are doing an investigation as to how and who told the reporters anything about last night's arrests. And to let you know, Sheriff Barnes is just as pissed as you are that the information got out. He told me he plans to fire whoever is responsible and make an example of them," replied Lt. Fischer.
"Dan that does not help Matthew one iota if anyone, especially the news reporters, finds out it was his dream and that he also knew the men. What kind of life will the boy have? You tell me!" demanded Ken Thomas.
"Ken, right now we are doing everything possible to contain the information. Sheriff Barnes has issued an order that only he and I will answer any questions about last night's attempted robbery and where the information came from that made us plan for it," said a calm Dan Fischer, hoping to calm his friend.
Dan then changed the subject and asked his friend how the boys loved opening all their presents and in particular the one he has planned to build for them. That reminded Mr. Ken that he still had those last two Christmas gifts to reveal to his 'boys'.
Ken told Dan how the morning went and the boys talking and forgetting what time it was. Dan had a good laugh over that. Then, he told his friend how the opening of presents went and what the boys sprung on him. The Cove's owner continued about how Wayne bought a few more pieces for his train platform and presented them to him, as well.
Dan wanted to know why his friend hadn't shown the boys their big present yet. Ken told him they took so much time opening gifts that they were running late and were supposed to go down to San Antonio to eat. The Cove's owner explained how the boys mutinied and they went out to IHOP to eat instead, and how he learned from people there that Three Finger Cove was mentioned in the newscasts.
Sheriff's Lieutenant Fischer again apologized for the leak of information, and said he would keep his friend informed when he had further information to tell him. Mr. Ken had calmed down some by then and he thanked Dan for his understanding.
But, before they completed their conversation, Mr. Ken told Dan he wanted the person who leaked anything to be hung up by their thumbs and beaten within an inch of their life. Dan laughed knowing his friend was just letting off steam. Before they hung up, Mr. Ken told Dan to stop by before going home for the night.
Mr. Ken took a deep breath to try to let the anger out of his system before searching out the boys to see what trouble they were into. He found them, with Mr. Wayne watching, in the Kitchen Nook as Robert told him they would be. He heard Robert telling his 'brothers' they now had to wait until they received an activation ring on their phones, so they could finalize the setup process.
"Oh, hi dad," said Robert, when he noticed his dad had come into the Nook. "We're just waiting for the company to ring our phones before we can make our first call to make sure the phone was set up correctly."
Just then Matthew's phone rang and it startled the youngster. Robert told him to answer it by sliding the green button on the screen. Then, he had his 'brother' hang the phone up and call The Cove's phone number. Matthew did that and ten seconds late the phone rang there in the kitchen. 'Dad' Ken answered it to find Matthew was smiling ear-to-ear that his phone was working.
Over the next ten minutes, the rest of the Cover boy's phones were activated and working. It was then Kevin, Kyle, and Matthew had to get all of their friend's phone numbers loaded into their brand new cell phones. That took another thirty minutes. The last phone number that Matthew needed was in his 'dads' Study. The two walked over there so 'dad' Ken could give Matthew Max's phone number.
"Hey, 'dad', what's behind that cloth on the easel?" asked Matthew.
"That my boy ... is you and your 'brothers' last Christmas present," replied a smiling 'dad' Ken.
"Why don't you go and get them and bring them, and Mr. Wayne, back here."
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