Some Insights into My Characters--Bob

Although Bob Daily is technically one of my secondary characters--he doesn't even appear in all the books--I consider him more like one of the main characters at times. His personality is such that he tends to balance out where the twins seem to be lacking.

Robert Samuel Daily is 17 years old at the beginning of the series. He first appears as Patty's boyfriend, looking to take their relationship to a new level by giving her a promise ring. He is very much in love with her, and he wants to promise his fidelity to her while at the same time committing to a celibate relationship.

Bob is a very serious young man. He lost his mother when he was only two years old, and was raised by a single father--Sam Daily, who was a policeman, but retired from the force after his wife's death. Bob has three older sisters: Lauren, who is 12 years his senior, married to a lawyer with whom she also practices law in Florida. His next oldest sister, Barb, is married to a Protestant minister, who is the youth pastor at a church in a nearby large city. Bob's youngest sister, Susie, is three years his senior and attends college at State University. Her boyfriend is a college wrestler.

Bob is a born-again Christian who regularly attends church and youth group. He has invited Patty along for both, and he has even gotten Pat to come to some of the youth group functions. He is shy, and reticent to share his faith, but he and Patty have had some long conversations. He believes Patty gets the idea intellectually, but he doesn't feel like she has quite gotten it in her heart. His discussions with Pat have been a little more limited because he never feels that Pat takes it seriously enough. But he loves Pat like a brother more than just a friend because they were practically raised together since Sam has become such a close friend to the twins' widowed mother over the years. He has attended Catholic services with the twins.

When Bob was young, he was what would be called "chubby." It wasn't until he learned to swim at summer camp that he began to lose weight. Now he is a driven athlete who is lean and muscled. In the back of his mind, he still remembers that chubby little boy and does not want to ever return to that. He has won many swim competitions and has even broken some school records.

Bob is a team player, but he is not a leader. He tends to balance the twins by being the voice of reason when they suggest some outlandish activity, although he may sound too negative at times. He is not very adventurous, but will go along to help his friends. He says he feels like a mother hen sometimes with Pat and Patty, but he has been an invaluable asset who has helped them in some of the most difficult situations. Steady is a good word to describe him.

Bob is not sure yet what he wants to do with his future, but he knows he wants Patty to be part of it.

Watch for more of Bob Daily when the third book in the series, Lost on Black Mountain, is published.