Cove

"You were a strange person in a strange place but, in that moment, you were exactly what I needed. Somebody I could talk to freely about what was happening and how it made me feel. And you listened to me, you stayed with me."

- Cove to the main character

Cove is the deuteragonist and one of the love interests in Our Life: Beginnings & Always. He became neighbors with the protagonist after moving to Sunset Bird.

Appearance
Cove has aquamarine eyes, pale green hair, distinctively wavy eyebrows and olive skin. His hairstyle and clothes will change depending on the player's choices or through the Cove creator before the start of each Step after Step 1.

For Step 1, Cove's appearance cannot be changed. He has neck-length hair. He wears dark red glasses, a white sleeveless shirt, a black belt with a gold buckle over a pair of khaki shorts, white socks and black shoes. In the Step 1 DLC, he wears a sweater with two shades of brown in "Ghost". He has a blue backpack in "Runaway". He also wears a pink cast due to a jet ski accident. From Step 2 onwards, however, his pink cast will be gone and a thin scar will be visible on his left arm. He was 4'1" tall.

Before Step 2 starts, the player can choose between a bushy or a smoother neck-length hairstyle for Cove in the custom Cove creator. For casual wear, Cove will wear either a red sleeveless shirt with lizard patterns or a navy blue shirt. For his pants, the player can choose from either one of the two striped sweatshorts, blue shorts with a green belt or brown shorts with a brown belt. He can wear an optional brown beaded necklace. He also has the option to wear a pink beaded bracelet on his left wrist and choose between two different brown bracelets for his right wrist. The player can also choose between two optional glasses for him; one with dark green rectangular frames and another with brown round ones.

For sleepwear, he will either wear a violet shirt with a compass design in the middle or a plain blue shirt. He will always wear white pants. Finally, the player can choose between a black-and-gray or a pink-and-white jacket which he wears in "Road Trip". During "Wave" and by the end of Step 2 if he is at least friends with the protagonist, he wears a black-and-blue wetsuit. If the player has the Step 2 DLC, he wears green plaid sweatshorts at the start of "Soiree" while hanging out at the beach. If the main character invites him, he will wear a black formal shirt and black pants. He was 5'4" tall.

On the Step 3 Cove creator, the player can choose between three hairstyles for Cove: long hair hanging loosely, ponytail or short hair. He can wear one of the three optional glasses and two of the optional earrings. For casual, he will wear either a black shirt with an anchor design, a denim shirt that fades into white at the bottom with folded sleeves over a white undershirt, or a striped sleeveless shirt with different shades of yellow. He will wear green pants, black pants, beige sweatshorts, white sweatshorts or denim pants with a brown belt. Cove can wear either a silver bracelet or a black watch on his left wrist, and either a black bracelet, brown bracelet, or three bangles on his right wrist. He can wear an optional necklace with an anchor design.

For his pajamas, Cove wears a 3/4 sleeve shirt with wings design around the neck and shoulders, as well as plaid pants. The player can choose between two color schemes for both. For swimwear, he will wear either blue or pink sweatshorts. For formal wear, the player has two black long sleeve shirts as options with one of them having line patterns, and black pants with a gray belt. Cove mentions that he almost always goes barefoot wherever he goes. He wears an ORCA shirt in "Hang" and "Charity". If the player has the Step 3 DLC, he is shown wearing a full-on black-and-yellow wetsuit in "Reflection". The protagonist can give him a bracelet as a gift which he wears at Step 3. He is 6'0" tall.

Cove has four hairstyles for Step 4: short hair, smooth wavy hair, bushy hair, and man bun. He has the option of wearing red, black, or brown glasses. He can wear black earrings, two silver helix piercings, or both. He can also have a blue water-themed or a greenish-gray spotted tattoo. He has two possible body types: slim and buff.

For the majority of the Step, he wears either a white tank top with a single dark blue chest pocket clumsily tucked into his pants, a maroon sleeveless shirt with a white anchor design in the middle, a yellow t-shirt with floral patterns at the top part, or a dark blue shirt with white flower designs across it. He has four pants options: khaki pants, denim pants, black slacks, and black plaid pants.

His accessories include red and blue bracelets clamped together, an assortment of various colored bracelets, and a single black bracelet on his left wrist, and a brown bracelet with a boat steering wheel in the middle, a gray bracelet, and a gold watch on his right wrists. For necklace, he has the option of wearing a round object resembling a small lifesaver tied to a black string, or a beaded choker. Lastly, he can wear shades with either a black or blue tint.

Cove wears a gold or silver ring if he is engaged to the protagonist and the players is okay with him wearing it. Before going to anniversary party with the main character's moms, he changes into a white long-sleeved shirt with gray birds printed on it and gray slacks with a brown belt. He wears blue polka dot boxers in one scene. He is 6'4" in this Step.

Personality
Some aspects of Cove's personality change depending on the player's choices and Cove creator, ranging from warm to cold and studious to sporty. However, the game states that Cove will always remain introverted and sentimental. He is also easily flustered and described as a crybaby; he cries a lot regardless if he is sad or happy.

As a kid, Cove is blunt. He will say anything on his mind even if it leads to an argument. As a result, he always goes toe to toe with Elizabeth whenever they interact. He is also not afraid to ask questions when he wants to know something. Although his intent is harmless, his tactless curiosity has once caused Shiloh to snap at him.

However, his honesty means that he also gives out sincere compliments. This is shown when he visited the protagonist's room after their first meeting, praising them for a drawing that they made. He also shows politeness when he looks at one of the protagonist's seashells, displaying genuine interest for it before proceeding to reject their offer of giving it to him, saying he doesn't want to take it from them. He often verbally expresses his gratitude to people who he thought helped him, no matter their intent.

He was also a bit cold. Unless if he is friends with them, the protagonist mentions how Cove is either always sad or disinterested and will rarely smile. He also answers as briefly as possible, especially towards his father. Nevertheless, Step 1 Cove still had a mature side. He chose to understand why Shiloh got angry at him regardless of what the protagonist says about Shiloh's reason. As he grows up, he develops a somewhat laid-back personality. In addition, Cove either becomes more talkative or will start to keep things to himself depending on the player's choices or through the Cove creator by the warm-to-cold scale.

Cove was also showed as somewhat of a slob. There are several instances in each Step where Cove would be shown wiping his hands on his pants after eating or mentioned to be doing so by his father. At Step 3, he also flicks salt residue from his fingers to the protagonist if the they tease him about behaving like a kid.

Background
During Cove's first summer in Sunset Bird, he would often say that he wants to go back to his old home. Though not much is revealed about Cove's life before he meets the protagonist, he mentions that his parents used to have a lot of arguments. According to him, they would stay in the same room only long enough to have lunch. He claims that they might have liked each other, but that their relationship was already bad when he was old enough to remember anything.

He becomes the protagonist's neighbor after his parents' divorce and will go to the same school as them. The rest of his childhood and adolescence is spent on Sunset Bird. The first time the protagonist meets him, he tells them that he used to own a hill back in his old home.

He would occasionally visit his mother in Nevada, usually during summer and winter breaks. He would stay in her apartment for a few weeks. She once stayed in Sunset Bird during the Step 2 summer break. Afterwards, it is implied that she had been visiting Cove every now and then while he does the same.

He mentions during "Sleepover" that prior to the one he had with the main character, he has never been to a sleepover before. It was also hinted that he had friends before meeting the main character, but claims that they are the first person he considers as his best friend if they are not indifferent towards him.

Main Character
Cove first meets the protagonist when the latter approaches him on the hill behind the protagonist's house. Their relationship is highly dependent on the player's choices and the how they feel for Cove in each step.

If the protagonist is indifferent towards Cove, he sees them as just a neighbor and interacts with them only if needed. He does wants to get close to them, but respects their decision of not getting close with him. There are a couple of things he will not do with them if he does not like them like letting them accompany him on "Sleepover" on the way back to his house or outright telling them he does not want their balloon if they offer to give it to him in "Shopping". Although both of their parents do their best to let the two of them become close with each other, they will eventually understand that Cove and the player are merely acquaintances by Step 3. There will still be opportunities to hang out with Cove; although his appearance will be limited compared to if the player is interested in him. Most of his responses towards them will be brief and cold.

If the main character is fond of Cove, they become friends. Some of his interests shift towards the protagonist's, like him picking the same sport that they would pick in "Grown Up". Otherwise, he would automatically choose volleyball. He will also let them win in "Fireflies" during their impromptu race with Elizabeth and Shiloh. If the protagonist develops a crush for Cove or is in love with him (only available in Step 3 and 4), it is possible for them to confess to each other as early as the end of Step 2. Depending on the player's choices, Cove will overcome his nervousness and confess to the player by the end of Step 3. If they show interest with or date each other, the player can control some of Cove's forwardness when it comes to their relationship. At times, Cove flirts with them; showering them with compliments or even showing physical affection depending on the level of initiative that the player picked. He is thoughtful towards them, often remembering the things that they like.

No matter how close they are, Cove always respects the protagonist. He considers them an important part of his life.

Although usually on friendly terms with each other, there are instances that Cove will get angry at the protagonist. This is shown when he storms out of the protagonist's house in "Talks" if they have a disagreement on how to handle Miranda and Terry's argument. He also becomes temporarily infuriated with them if they ask Kyra about the reason she divorced Cliff which dissolves after she maturely handles the question.

Cliff
Cliff is the father of Cove. After Cliff and Kyra's divorce, they have a strained relationship. Although Cliff does his best for Cove to adjust comfortably to their new home, his son is usually cold towards him at the start of the game. There are instances where Cove would express his annoyance to his father showing physical affection towards him like patting his head and hugging him. On the other hand, there are times where Cove knows he is wrong and would apologize to his father, such as when he tried to run away from Sunset Bird in "Runaway". During "Ghost", Cove mentions that his father is never happy with what he does. Cliff, however, always extends his patience when dealing with Cove and chooses not to punish him if he runs away.

Depending on which Step the protagonist admits about the incident when Cove's dad gives twenty dollars to them so they can be friends with Cove, Cove will react differently. He would be angry at his father during Step 1 and 2, but would laugh about it in Step 3. It is also shown in Step 3 that he loves teasing his father and that he would use the twenty-dollar-bill incident to make fun of him occasionally.

Throughout the years, both of them became closer. Cove has decided to open up more to his father in attempt to remedy Cliff's impulsiveness when it comes to making other people happy. He claims that Cliff would stop doing things he thinks are good for other people when he actually knows what will make them happy. He even offers to wait for Baxter's arrival so that he can tell his father about their new neighbor. Cove also appreciates some of the things his father does for him like giving him pet fishes or warning him in "Errands" about the plans made by the main character's moms.

Kyra
Kyra is Cove's mother. Even though they spend little time together, he still loves and misses her. If the player has the Step 1 DLC, Cove even goes as far as to try to visit her in "Runaway" because he is afraid that she will forget him. Eventually, however, he learns to accept the decision of his parents and makes an effort to bond with both of them instead of being angry.

At the start of Step 2, he was frustrated with his mother's surprise visit instigated by his father because it feels different to him than when he visits her in Nevada. She offers to go back and let him visit her instead, but he ultimately decides that he wants her to be there because he likes hanging out with her. Cove claims that the memories he makes with his mother are unforgettable. He makes a guess that this is because she feels like she should make an effort to hang out with her son while she still can before she returns to Nevada or Cove returns to Sunset Bird.

Elizabeth
Even though Cove does not consider Elizabeth as a friend as he declares in "Sleepover", they do have some instances where they get along; though usually short-lived. He finds her to be very assertive and too competitive for his laid-back personality. Whenever she does things that he does not approve of or her just being bossy in general, Cove is vocal about his objection and is ready to argue with her. There are times where they may show concern for one another, but they do not get along for the most part.

Cove is easily flustered by Elizabeth's teasing, especially when he has a crush on the main character. He responds to her by showing his annoyance. If he does not have a crush on the protagonist, he makes his own comeback against her as shown in "Roadtrip", effectively turning Elizabeth's teasing against her. However, they have even less interactions with each other during Step 3.

Derek
Derek is one of Cove's close friends. They had the chance to interact due to both of their fathers being business partners. Both of them hang out in "Mall" along with the protagonist and Lee.

Despite being friends, their interests do not necessarily align all the time like when Cove said that he liked the scuba diving part in their parents' business among other things while Derek preferred the business part itself. They still highly respect each other, though, with Cove appreciating Derek's positive responses during their interactions.

If Cove has a crush on the protagonist, Cove becomes flustered of some of Derek's unintentionally playful remarks like how he is always in the main character's house.

It is unclear whether or not they still talk to each other during the events of Step 3.

Terry
Terry belongs to Cove's circle of friends during Step 3. They bond over their mutual love for the ocean. It is shown how comfortable Terry is with Cove by the way he envelopes him in a bone-crushing hug. Later on, they hang out in "Hang" along with the protagonist and Miranda. Although he does not feel comfortable with Baxter during "Hang", Cove will still hang out with Terry unless the protagonist gives him an excuse to go back with him to their neighborhood.

He also worries a lot for Terry. When both Miranda and Terry fought, he showed concerned for Terry by texting him to know what happened between the two of them. He becomes agitated when Terry does not immediately respond and would constantly check his phone to see if he contacted him back. While waiting, Cove would try to think of how he and the protagonist can help Terry and Miranda make up.

Miranda
If the player has the Step 2 DLC, the protagonist and Cove will become close to Miranda after attending her birthday party. Otherwise, they will still be friends with her during Step 3 after Cove becomes close with Terry.

Both the protagonist and Cove get invited to Miranda's birthday party in "Birthday". If they attend, completing the said moment will let them slowly improve their relationship and become friends between the events of Step 2 and the start of Step 3. By Step 3, Miranda, along with Terry, greets Cove after he gets back to Sunset Bird. They continue to hang out in "Hang" with Terry and the protagonist as friends. During "Talk", Miranda calls the protagonist and Cove where they both try their best to reconcile Miranda and Terry after their fight.

Baxter
Cove is shown to be uncomfortable with the way Baxter talks. When Cove first met Baxter, the latter would unintentionally say things that sound flirty which the former does not appreciate. Cove can then choose to either be civil or cautious towards him depending on his warm-to-cold scale, though he voices out his discomfort with the compliments regardless. Although he does not dislike him, Cove makes an effort to avoid interacting with Baxter. He does not greet him in "Hang" unless forced to do so by the main character. If the protagonist and Cove are dating, he takes the opportunity to mention it to Baxter as soon as possible in an attempt to limit him from giving misleading praises to Cove and the main character.

Noelani & Pamela
The protagonist's moms care for Cove. At the start of Step 1, they help Cliff in finding Cove after he runs away to the hill behind their house. They also search for him in "Runaway", with Pamela being the one to find him. They understand that Cove is going through a lot after the divorce and assist Cliff in trying to find ways to make Cove adjust to his new life in Sunset Bird. They also make an effort to make their children befriend Cove like inviting him in "Sleepover" and being worried when he tells them he does not consider Elizabeth as a friend. When Cove and Elizabeth have a disagreement in "Grown Up" and the protagonist tells the truth about what happened, they make her apologize to him through the phone.

In future Steps, they have developed a sense of familiarity towards Cove if the player is at least friends with him since he will always hang around in their house. They even make playful remarks to tease him in certain circumstances, like if the protagonist is dating him and they comment about how clingy he is towards them in "Errands". Despite having a cordial relationship with them, however, he is not afraid to call them out whenever they do something that he does not appreciate as shown when they abandoned him and the protagonist in the farmers' market.

Shiloh
Shiloh feels fidgety around Cove. Although he tries his best to interact with him, Cove is indifferent towards him. They do not interact much since Shiloh is usually attached to Elizabeth. However, Cove once unintentionally made Shiloh angry by not giving him a chance to talk and saying that it's weird whenever he turns red. In return, Shiloh snapped at him and started throwing remarks of his own. Shiloh was also shown to be suspiciously happy if Cove gets left out during "Sandcastle" when he builds a castle while Shiloh and the protagonist build houses. However, he almost always shows a polite side towards Cove; often waving at him as a greeting. Cove does communicate willingly with him sometimes and even praises his attention to detail in "Sandcastle".

Jeremy
Jeremy and Cove are hostile towards each other due to the former's personality. The first time they met, Jeremy insults Cove's eyebrows after complaining about his parents. He continuously finds ways to berate Cove and the protagonist whenever he shows up in the game. Cove and the protagonist turn him into their inside joke with the former imitating his personality to make fun of him to which the protagonist can play along.

The two meet again during "Serendipity". Although unfriendly to each other during Step 2, Cove's view on Jeremy changes due to the latter's major personality change. He becomes curious of what Jeremy thinks of him despite Jeremy saying that getting his opinion would be pointless. After Jeremy gives his opinion on Cove, the latter thinks that the former is not that bad after all and that he would not mind if they talked again.

Lee
Lee interacts with Cove occasionally. Though they do not talk as much, they still hang out with each other during "Mall" along with Derek and the protagonist. They do get into an argument during the said moment if the protagonist forgets their money and wants a smoothie, with both offering to pay for them, but it's mostly harmless and temporary.

Trivia

 * Cove's birthday is on November 2, 1997.
 * Cove is canonically a person on the autism spectrum.
 * When Cove visits the main character in their house at the start of Step 1, he mentions that his favorite colors are green, blue, and yellow which are also the colors of the choices whenever the player hovers over them.
 * Cove is demisexual and panromantic. He tells the main character about this during "Talks" after Miranda and Terry continue their conversation.
 * He does not seem to be impressed by magic tricks. During "Shopping", Cove mentions that his uncle does card tricks every time he sees him.
 * During Step 2's "Road Trip", Cove mentions that he thinks anklets make people more attractive. There are also several possible instances where this is brought up or hinted at; namely at the end of Step 2, at the start of Step 3, during Step 3's "Charity", and during Step 3's "Drive".
 * Cove's voice actors for Step 1, 2, 3, and 4 are Yu Wang, Caleb Yen, Jonathan Flores, and Brandon Acosta respectively.
 * The developers hinted at Cove's cameo in their future games.
 * There is at least four different versions of Cove's "yeah" at the start of Step 2 when he greets the protagonist.
 * His greeting sounds cold if he and the main character are indifferent towards each other.
 * His greeting is relaxed if they are fond of him for both Step 1 and 2 or if they are indifferent to him during Step 1 and becomes fond of him during Step 2.
 * His greeting is cheerful if the protagonist has a crush on him or if they are indifferent to him during Step 1 and develops a crush on him for Step 2.
 * His greeting is shy if the protagonist is fond of him for Step 1 and develops a crush on him for Step 2.