I received a package in the mail from Amazon.com one day, not too long
after Grandma and the twins had gone home. In it were 3 books for 'the
father to be'! Grandma had sent them to me. Laughing, I called her and
thanked her.
"I know you're Austin's brother and not his father, but with your dad
gone now, well... you're going to be the only father the boy knows, so I
want you to do the best job you can. I know you're the best big brother
around, but I thought maybe these books would help just a little, since
it's different being a dad!" Grandma said.
I told her I loved her and thanked her for the books. I began reading
them right away.
Elizabeth had given me a couple books on pregnancy, and the first year of
a baby's life, both of which I'd already read. By the time I was
finished reading all the books, I felt much more knowledgable, and ready
to become a 'surrogate father' for Austin.
* * *
Elizabeth's pregnancy was progressing just fine. She had a raft of
tests, which I took her to, and the results were all good for both she
and Austin.
Jacob was enamored with Elizabeth's growing belly, and made sure that
each day he gently rubbed it, and talked to Austin for a minute or two.
He was really getting into the idea of being a big brother and helping to
raise the baby.
One evening I went to look something up in one of my pregnancy and baby
books, and found that a couple of them were missing from my desk. I
asked Andy if he'd seen them. He sheepishly told me that he'd borrowed
one and was reading it. I chuckled and told him that was great. Then he
said he thought Jacob had another. I went to see Jacob and see if that
was true, and sure enough, I found him with his nose buried in "How to be
the Best Dad". He looked embarrassed when he looked up and saw me. I
grinned and told him I thought it was great he was reading my books,
because it really showed how much he cared, and how mature he was. He
smiled then and went back to his reading.
Later on, Jacob accused me of using one or two of the tactics he'd read
about in the books, on him. I looked at Jacob and said "and the problem
with that is?"
Jacob thought a minute, then finally he said, "uh, well, I guess there
isn't one really." He smiled sheepishly then, as I chuckled at him.
* * *
Two days before Andy's father's trial was to begin, we met with the
prosecuting barristers at the Crown Prosecution Services (CPS). They
