— Chapter 2 —
His eyes were already open before the alarm went off. Cory sat up in his bed in his new room at the Ranch, sniffing something in the air that was unfamiliar. Was that bacon? Eggs and pancakes? It couldn’t be.
Stumbling out of bed to put his clothes on, Cory rushed out of his room into the kitchen—his jaw dropped. There they were, these new people who were to be his Houseparents, preparing a massive breakfast for the house filled with six other boys.
“Is this for us?” Cory asked, apprehensive.
“Of course it is,” said his Housemom, Di. “You’re going to need a good breakfast if we are planning to be at Six Flags all day!”
Overwhelmed with excitement, Cory joined his housemates for a breakfast fit for a king. Soon after, they headed to Six Flags.
Pulling back into the driveway after a 10-hour day of roller coasters, water rides and the blazing Georgia sun, Cory let out a big sigh—exhausted, but content. Happy, even.
“Maybe this place won’t be so bad,” Cory thought as he walked inside.
“Okay boys,” said his Housedad, Allen. “Bedtime.”
Bedtime? What was that? Cory let out a laugh and plopped down on the couch, turning on the TV.
“Cory, it’s time to go to bed,” said Di, her head tilted slightly as she looked at him.
“You’re joking, right?” asked Cory, bewildered at the statement. “I don’t have a bedtime.”
“You do here,” said Allen, locking the front door and turning out the porch lights. Cory watched as the other boys headed to their rooms, their feet shuffling in unison. His roommate peered back at Cory over his shoulder, a smirk on his face.
Cory paused, his eyes narrowing, “Was this guy for real?” he thought. “I’ll humor him—just for tonight.” With a shrug, Cory jumped up from the couch and headed toward his room.
“I’ll show him,” Cory said to his roommate, crawling under the covers. “Tomorrow night, I’ll stay up as late as I want.”
His roommate laughed, “It’s easier if you just follow the rules. If you don’t, there’s always a consequence. They’re just trying to help us learn how to…” His voice trailed off and ended with a snore.
Cory rolled his eyes. Consequences didn’t faze him. “Rules?” he thought. “I’ll figure out a way around them.” Head on the pillow, fighting sleep, Cory replayed the day over and over in his mind. It was one of the best days of his life—only to be ruined by a silly thing called “bedtime.”
The Homelife aspect of our program is crucial to the overall success of our children and families. Learn more about Homelife at Eagle Ranch on our website by clicking here.
Curious for more? Watch a short video from Cory himself about him as a child at Eagle Ranch.