Bob Forbes

Bob Forbes is the father of Emily and Mark Forbes. When Emily suddenly begs to avoid a dental appointment she had eagerly anticipated, Bob and his wife cannot understand the change. They pray for their frightened daughter and take her concern seriously, even though she has promised not to reveal what Mark told her. The real problem emerges at Dr. Graves's office: Mark has filled Emily's imagination with stories about giant needles, pliers, and losing all her teeth. Bob's family then watches the dentist give Mark a harmless taste of his own scare tactics. Bob's role is quiet but caring. He supports Emily through a fear he cannot yet explain and helps provide the safe family setting in which honesty, apology, and forgiveness finally replace panic.