"MUM!" Jacob called loudly, "Can you come here a minute please?"
I smiled at Jacob as he looked down at me curiously. Elizabeth came in the
door then and joined us.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"John won't tell me why he wasn't in school today. He says you have to
tell me. Does this have to do with my father?" Jacob said.
Elizabeth smiled then, looked at me and said "Thank you." I smiled back at
her.
Jacob stared back and forth between the two of us and said, "Well, will
someone please tell me what's going on?"
Chuckling, Elizabeth said, "It's not really a deep, dark secret. You see,
John and I met with your father at the barrister's office today. We signed
some agreements. Basically, you'll be able to visit your father every so
often, so long as John joins you. In fact, John will be in charge of
arranging the meetings with your father from now on, so that I won't have
to speak with him any-"
Jacob couldn't hold back his enthusiasm any longer. "You're really going
to let me see Dad?" he asked incredulously.
"Yes," said Elizabeth, smiling, "but only as long as John is with you! Now
wait! There's one more thing I think you should be aware of."
Jacob looked at his mother expectantly.
Elizabeth drew in a breath and said, "Your father, John, and I have also
signed a document which says that if I die or become incapacitated in some
way, and cannot take care of you, John will become your legal guardian. He
will act as your parent. Not your father!"
A look of confusion clouded Jacob's face. He sat thinking a moment, not
saying anything. Then finally, he looked at his mother and said, "It's not
that I don't want it to be that way, because that is the way I would want
it if anything ever did happen to you, but why did you choose John over my
father?"
"Because John is a far superior parental figure compared with your father,"
Elizabeth said.
"Oh," Jacob said. Then he suddenly looked at me. I could see he was
upset. He said, "Oh John! I didn't mean to make it sound like I thought
you wouldn't be a good guardian. You ARE the one and only person I'd
choose if I couldn't have Mum!"
I chuckled and said, "Don't sweat it! I totally understood what you meant.
But thanks for saying so anyway!"
Jacob grinned then, and Elizabeth smiled as she looked at both of us.
"OK guys! I got a ton of calculus to finish, and if you don't let me get
to it, we won't have any supper tonight!" I said.
"We're leaving," Jacob said, quickly getting up, "c'mon Mum!"
