Senator Wells Stafford Character Analysis

Avery Stafford’s father. Wells’s mother, Judy Stafford, adores him—he is her pride and joy, especially after he followed in his father’s footsteps by becoming involved in politics. During the events of the story, Wells is suffering from cancer, which motivates him to call his daughter Avery back home. Avery is Wells’s favorite daughter and he wants her to follow in his footsteps and win his seat in the U.S. Senate if his fight with cancer forces him to step down. Wells relies on his assistant, Leslie, to help him prepare Avery to take on the role one day. Wells is happily married to Honeybee (the nickname he gave his wife early in their relationship; this is also what their grandchildren call her) and they have two other daughters together, Allison and Missy. When Avery tells Wells about Judy’s real birth family and secret relationship with her sisters, Wells helps arrange for Judy and her sole surviving sister (Rill Foss, renamed May Weathers Crandall) to live in the same senior care facility together; however, he and his family agree to keep the relationship secret.