Create a Family! Twist!

[CherryBomb50]

Jin Park (25) is Drew’s friend about to be married. He’s the younger brother of Joon Park and despite their similar names, they’re much different. Jin is more organised with how he plans his future and he’s helped his brother learn to understand that Pepa isn’t trying to bully Wave. Still, he is close with Joon and loves seeing his family, probably wanting children of his own but not as many. Being a windsurfer and climber, he’s used to finding ways to manage around stuff and uses it outside of sports, but always thinks of it like a windsurfer manoeuvring the water or a climber finding the best way around the rocks. He’s super close with his fiancée and is excited to marry her, and Drew is definitely ready for the wedding. He doesn’t know about the matchmaking idea Riley has, but his fiancée knows about it as she and the other woman are good friends and see each other a lot.

Joon was created by me.

Pepa and Wave were created by @wandering_willow.

[I_meme_it]

Kim-Ly ’ [name_f]Kimmy[/name_f] ’ Ong (25) is Jin’s fiance, who came to bond with him initially because of her likewise interest in sports. Working as a personal trainer, Kimmy’s speciality is boxing, which she started doing at 14. It was recommended to the Ong’s after [name_f]Kimmy[/name_f] was diagnosed with ADD, with her main outlet - gymnastics - being less of a positive means of getting out her energy, as her best friend was being lauded for her exceptional talent, and [name_f]Kimmy[/name_f] admits she has a bad habit of unfairly comparing herself to others. She quit practise as she didn’t want to ruin the friendship that means the world to her, and in boxing found something she not only loves, but absolutely excels at herself.

As the eldest of 4 siblings, [name_f]Kimmy[/name_f] jokes a lot about having to prepare [name_u]Jin[/name_u] for being introduced to her whole family, who are ‘intensely welcoming’ (her way of describing their proud friendliness). She’s by-far the most subdued personality of her siblings, having quite a dry sense of humour, which she attributes to her infamously sarcastic grandma: an 89-year-old first generation Vietnamese immigrant who has an answer, and story, for everything. [name_f]Kimmy[/name_f] actually lived with her grandma for her years attending college, majoring in physiotherapy to better her understanding of clients needs, and still frequently visits to help her out - now inviting [name_u]Jin[/name_u] to enjoy a barrage of dry humour.

[wandering_willow]

[name_u]Cai[/name_u] “ [name_f]Cat[/name_f] “ Ong (18) is the youngest Ong sibling and a little sibling of [name_f]Kimmy[/name_f] Ong- her nickname is attributed to her strong affinity for cats, and the fact that it’s very close to her original name. [name_f]Cat[/name_f] just graduated high school with flying colors, and isn’t quite sure what she wants to do next- truthfully, she never really has. She’s a part of a band- her and her three friends wanted to be musicians in second grade and they followed through with that, but [name_f]Cat[/name_f] is really more scared about making money- she knows the pain being a musician in today’s world entails, and though her family endlessly encourages her to pursue her dreams, [name_f]Cat[/name_f] is really just super confused. Her band is an indie/alternative band named I.C. Underpants- they wanted to change it but [name_f]Cat[/name_f] is really a sentimental person and didn’t want to change the name they all thought of together in second grade- plus, as [name_f]Cat[/name_f] says, “it’s unique.”

The band isn’t formally recognized but they are speaking with some agents as of now, they mainly sample beats on the well-known platform SoundCloud and they get a few thousand likes every time. Some of the titles of songs are in Vietnamese, as [name_f]Cat[/name_f] is the lead singer and is also bilingual. Like her big sister [name_f]Kimmy[/name_f], [name_f]Cat[/name_f] has ADD but with less severity and she can go a day without taking her medication- though she does wish she didn’t have it so she didn’t have to deal with all the burdens it causes her. But she’s accepted it and has even come to love the added creativity. She wants to apply to Belmont, in [name_u]Tennessee[/name_u], but she’s dealing with a lot of pressure. However, all the members of I.C.Underpants, her family, and of course her infamously sarcastic grandma, are all encouraging her to go for it- and right now, [name_f]Cat[/name_f] feels like she should too.

[CherryBomb50]

Jaka “ Jack “ Ong (24) is the second Ong sibling and the only other one to have a very strong bond with Jin. He, Jin, and Drew are all buddies since middle school and do windsurfing and climbing together. Jack is also a proud photojournalist. Jin has made Jack and Drew groomsmen but hasn’t yet decided who is going to be the best man of the two. One of them says to choose randomly because it’s more fair while the other decides against Jin choosing randomly because it’s for a very important day but both agree to accept the result and enjoy the wedding regardless of who is picked. Deep down, Jack feels weird knowing he’s about to be Jin’s brother-in-law and the two joke nonstop about it. He also likes to playfully mock the “I.C. Underpants” band name Cat made but supports the music the band has. His mockery is just another trait his 89-year-old infamously sarcastic grandma brought down to him. Jack does not have ADD but does have Asperger’s syndrome and has related and contrasted to his siblings but loves them all. Jack is currently a co-worker of Vittorio and despite Jack being much younger, he and Vittorio have a good inter-generational friendship. Vittorio has a 6-year-old daughter with ASD and a 6-year-old niece Pepa who has ADHD (although undiagnosed) and being around Jack’s cool vibe has made it easier for Vittorio to have open and frank conversations on the matter.

Pepa was created by @wandering_willow.

[wandering_willow]

tw: cheating

[name_u]Thanh[/name_u] “ [name_f]Lucy[/name_f] “ Ong (54) is the mother of [name_f]Kimmy[/name_f], [name_u]Jack[/name_u], [name_f]Cat[/name_f] and another kid. She’s a second generation immigrant and a nail technician, who runs her own salon downtown. She takes the subway train to the city every day and loves her job, despite how tiring and strenuous it is. Despite being a simple mother in the surface, [name_f]Lucy[/name_f] has two secrets she’s hiding from her kids. 1. Her husband is cheating on her with a much younger woman, and it’s destroying [name_f]Lucy[/name_f] inside but she’s trying to keep it from her children for their own sake as she doesn’t want to ruin the life they have. 2. She’s in love with her best friend, another woman who works at the salon and has Vietnamese immigrant parents. She hasn’t made a move on her because she doesn’t want to cheat and ruin her relationship with her family. She knows it’s not the younger woman involved with her husband’s fault- he is an [name_f]English[/name_f] professor and he forced her to do it or get an F in [name_f]English[/name_f], and she wishes her husband would just stop but she doesn’t have the courage to leave him. She loves her childrens’ creativity and thinks I.C.Underpants is the best band name. She knows they’ll be successful in life no matter what happens, though she is a bit scared for them, it’s only a matter of time before they learn about the cheating situation….

[CherryBomb50]

Uncensored Warning that he is Lucy’s cheating husband. Unlikable character.

Professor [name_u]Bao[/name_u] “ [name_u]Bo[/name_u] “ Ong (54) is the cheating husband of [name_f]Lucy[/name_f], unaware [name_f]Lucy[/name_f] is catching on. He believes she truly has no idea but in actuality, she’s just hiding her knowledge for the sake of their four children. However there are some things even [name_f]Lucy[/name_f] doesn’t know. One of the surprising things contrary to Lucy’s possible belief is that his relationship with his student isn’t sexual. He would not go that far as he was from a conservative Vietnamese family and because he knew being such would expose him easier as a cheater. Also truthfully, he doesn’t feel any attraction to her. He just wants to use her for power since learning she is from a rich family. It’s actually his student’s mother that he is attracted to as she is the one making all the money but he’s considered just “settling” with a relationship with his student since she is somewhat rich by inheritance. Lucy’s best friend and secret love interest from the salon has tried to convince her to leave him but [name_f]Lucy[/name_f] is too timid at the time. [name_u]Bo[/name_u] is a greedy, money-hungry and power-hungry individual and he had insulted [name_f]Lucy[/name_f] for having a small business, despite the fact [name_f]Lucy[/name_f] is a business owner and her salon is running smoothly. However at the end of the day, he always kisses [name_f]Lucy[/name_f] and acts like she’s the love of his life.

[wandering_willow]

Amparo Maydelis Cisneros (19) is the student that Bo Ong is involved with, and is very unintentionally contributing to a cheating scandal. Amparo doesn’t even know Lucy Ong exists, outside of being a regular customer at her salon- she isn’t aware that she’s married to Bo, though, and doesn’t know Bo has a wife- Bo is very touchy about his personal life, and all his students believe he’s a perpetually single middle aged man. Amparo, who’s shy and very intelligent, would be at the top of her class anyway if it weren’t for Bo. Her parents know Bo is manipulative and want to take Amparo out of Bo’s advanced English class, even if it means missing opportunities. Her parents live in a penthouse apartment in downtown Toronto, having emigrated from Havana, Cuba before she was born with her big brother and sister- who are all spaced two years apart. Both of the Cisneros parents are entrepreneurs, promoting a unique product known as the heat coat- inside the coat are thin little wires that can heat or even cool the wearer of the coat. Promoting the product made both of them millionaires, and while Amparo was a bit spoiled as a child, being taken to Paris at the age of 6, she’s never been at all greedy- she’s been good at appreciating it as have her siblings as they know the circumstances their parents grew up in- extreme poverty, and they’d often go days or even weeks without food on the table. Amparo’s parents love her and she loves them too, but she sometimes wishes less people would take advantage of them- because of their poor upbringing, they’ll often give handfuls of money away to people manipulating them and exploiting their kindness.

At first, Amparo liked Bo- he was smart, funny and charming, and he was only hard in the students who deserved punishment, which Amparo admired. He also had a special “birthday chair-“ Amparo, who’s turning 20 in a month, still longs to sit on that birthday chair. She loved his strict but fun teaching style- until he started threatening her. She was shy, quiet and did not know what to do when Bo threatened to plant answer keys to tests in her backpack if she didn’t do him “favors.” She didn’t tell anyone- not even her best friends, as she feels they’d dismiss her. Well, she only told one person. Her girlfriend, who she’s been dating since the age of 12. Amparo doesn’t use labels to define her romantic attraction, she just “loves who she loves,” but feels she likes girls a bit more than boys. Her girlfriend was enraged- she told her to stand up for herself, but Amparo has been formally diagnosed with anxiety ever since she was five. Standing up for herself is a challenge.

Amparo’s parents have caught onto something- she doesn’t want to go to school and they’ll often have to quite literally drag her out the door, she’s hating the English classes she once loved, and when her parents attend teacher conference meets they’ll notice Professor Ong staring at Mrs. Cisneros in an odd way and even making subtly lewd comments in between talking about Amparo. Mrs. Cisneros, who’s a smart woman, has asked Bo to stop but he just won’t and everyone in the family is growing increasingly uncomfortable with the professor’s behaviors…

[CherryBomb50]

Dean Rupert Mitch Karlton (50) is the university dean at Amparo’s university. After Amparo’s mother could not get her concerns to Bo, she reached out to the Dean Karlton. Bo was fired immediately by Rupert for inappropriate harassment and threats. Bo insisted that he didn’t sleep with Amparo, which he didn’t, but his subtly lewd comments he made towards Amparo and her mother had already crossed the line. Rupert had not only fired Bo but banned Bo from stepping on campus and would report him to authorities if he did. Rupert has always been quick to action whenever something wrong happened at the university and the main reason for that was when he fathered his son Colby. Colby was bullied a lot in high school for being the son of teen parents and Rupert felt horrible about it since he and his wife were 18 when he was born. Colby reassured his parents that it wasn’t their fault and they were wonderful parents. Colby specifically told Rupert that if he wanted to repay him, he should make sure reports are resolved quickly since the school Colby attended never did anything when he was bullied. Rupert and his wife switched Colby out and Rupert agreed to get every report and concern resolved. He’s still kept that promise and truly happy being the university dean although it greatly bothers him how Bo treated Amparo.

However despite Bo being fired from university, there were still problems to resolve. Lucy has a decision to make: should she divorce Bo? The answer looks like a simple “Yes” but the circumstances are harder than it looks. For one, Bo wouldn’t tell his family he was fired from his job. If Lucy were to find out, it would make her feel better that he’s not harassing the Cisneros but also perplex her because she knew it would cause drama for her children if it did. It’s such an exciting time for the family lately with Kimmy doing her wedding planning, so any negativity with Bo would spoil the good mood. If Bo just admitted he cheated on Lucy it may make the divorce process easier, but Bo wouldn’t do that. Bo still denies it due to its platonic nature and he knows the divorce lawyer would settle in favour of Lucy if he admits, so he feels he has a better chance just denying. Also if Bo were to find out Lucy was falling for her best friend and co-worker, he could use that against her. Both Lucy’s best friend and parents of Amparo want to reach out to Lucy, but they fear the risk of accidentally exposing information about Bo that Lucy may not know. While Lucy doesn’t know about the firing, she knows about the cheating and knows she can’t hide it forever…

Colby was created by me.

[wandering_willow]

tw: r@cism and h0mophobia, bullying

[name_f]Beatriz[/name_f] [name_f]Odalys[/name_f] Cisneros (née Villanueva) (46) is the mother of [name_f]Amparo[/name_f] Cisneros and a successful Toronto-based entrepreneur. Despite her husband also being a successful entrepreneur, she’s the one who makes the most money as she’s in a higher position than him. [name_f]Beatriz[/name_f] grew up in Camagüey to two poor parents- she was their only daughter and had three brothers, who were all older than her- this family structure caused a fair amount of favoritism among the siblings and a bit of hatred coming from her older brothers. This anger only grew when [name_f]Beatriz[/name_f] proved to be extremely intelligent- the second she hit kindergarten her teachers were appalled at her prevalence in both [name_f]English[/name_f] and [name_m]Math[/name_m]. Her brothers were green with envy! Despite Beatriz’ intelligence, her parents were often unable to pay school fares and she’d have to miss semesters when they couldn’t make ends meet. Beatriz’s mom worked as a maid for a hotel which was extremely popular with tourists, and the manager was abusive- he’d sometimes refuse to pay her unless she “earned it” with her body, which made [name_f]Beatriz[/name_f] extremely angry and uncomfortable. Her father worked as a busboy for a restaurant, which also paid badly.

[name_f]Beatriz[/name_f] picked up a job the minute she entered the sixth grade- she was a mail delivery girl, which only gave her a little bit of cash but it was just enough to contribute to her education. Normally her parents would’ve refused and not allowed her to pay for her own schooling, but they were so desperate that they had to let her pitch in a little, and [name_f]Beatriz[/name_f] continued to thrive in school. High school was a breeze, and once [name_f]Beatriz[/name_f] graduated with a 4.5 GPA, she moved out of her hometown of Camagüey to [name_u]Havana[/name_u], where she applied for a job as an entrepreneur- she wasn’t required to have gone to college or gotten a higher education, and the company didn’t even bother to check her resume- obviously they were beyond stunned when she proved to be an amazing entrepreneur. This is also how she met her husband- unlike her, he didn’t grow up in Camagüey- but the two had very similar backgrounds and clicked instantly. Their relationship was what [name_f]Beatriz[/name_f] had always dreamed of- she was madly in love with him. They got married when they were both 19. Life was good. They lived in a crappy apartment, but apart from that, their lives were perfect.

That was, until they were both 24- they’d given birth to their first child, a 1-year-old son, and were expecting their second daughter. They were being asked to pack their bags and move to Toronto, [name_f]Canada[/name_f]. In some ways, this was a godsend- their son was allergic to mold, and there were trace amounts in their small [name_u]Havana[/name_u] apartment. In some ways, this would be good for them- but [name_f]Beatriz[/name_f] would miss her family, especially her loving parents who always made sure to provide for her, love and care for her. She drove all the way down to Camagüey from [name_u]Havana[/name_u] and told her parents she’d always love them, forever and always. The couple packed their bags, left [name_u]Cuba[/name_u], and got ready to start their new lives in [name_f]Canada[/name_f]. Both of the Cisneros are talented entrepreneurs, so they rose among the ranks quickly. They gave birth to their second daughter, and then [name_f]Amparo[/name_f] two years later. [name_f]Beatriz[/name_f] was determined to give her children the privileges she’d never had. She did everything the job would require- she learned [name_f]English[/name_f], she got a Canadian passport and became a citizen.

[name_f]Beatriz[/name_f] is known by her children to be a tad bit strict, but they know it’s all out of love- naturally, when anybody bullied any of the Cisneros children, [name_f]Beatriz[/name_f] would approach them angrily and threaten them. Her oldest son was bullied in middle school for liking men by both boys and girls alike, and when [name_f]Beatriz[/name_f] was notified of this (by her second daughter, as her son is a naturally quiet and gentle person and would never tell on anyone, to protect his social status). She called the principal, enraged. She then called the bullies’ parents- some were ashamed of their children’s behaviors and vowed to punish them, but one woman laughed in her face telling her to “go back to Mexico (despite not even being Mexican)”, referring to her son as the F slur, and continuing to insult both [name_f]Beatriz[/name_f] and her son. [name_f]Beatriz[/name_f] responded angrily, asked the woman if she knew who she was and threatened to fire. Needless to say, she apologized and hung up on [name_f]Beatriz[/name_f]. [name_f]Beatriz[/name_f] then proceeded to get the bully expelled from school, with absolutely no regrets.

Some people think [name_f]Beatriz[/name_f] is a tad extreme, or even insane- she just brushes off the comments or owns it. Her children now all have great relationships with her- her second daughter got pregnant at 18, and [name_f]Beatriz[/name_f] offered to let her stay with at her house and give birth to the baby there, and now she has three grandchildren from her second daughter- as well as one adopted grandson from her son. [name_f]Beatriz[/name_f] often jokes that she’s the world’s hottest grandma, and refers to herself as a “GILF,” knowing fully what it means and embracing the label. If [name_f]Amparo[/name_f] ends up marrying her gf and having children, [name_f]Beatriz[/name_f] will fully support them- but if it goes any other way, [name_f]Beatriz[/name_f] will also fully support it.

[name_f]Beatriz[/name_f] knows about the situation with [name_u]Bo[/name_u] Ong and hates him, she thinks he’s the most sick person she’s ever met and has even yelled at him over the phone, cursing at him in both [name_f]English[/name_f] and Spanish and even a mix of both. Despite [name_f]Beatriz[/name_f] referring to herself as a M1LF, when [name_u]Bo[/name_u] does it she really hates it, and if anyone paints her daughter in an inappropriate light she will proceed to get in a verbal argument with them, and then warn them to leave her children alone. [name_f]Beatriz[/name_f] is 5’2, and a naturally sweet person, so one wouldn’t expect her to be an intimidating person, but when she wants to be, she very much is. She adores [name_f]Amparo[/name_f], and if anything bad happens to any of her kids, she’ll track down the person who did it and make them feel ashamed. But besides being a bit intimidating when she wants to be, [name_f]Beatriz[/name_f] is still a passionate entrepreneur and a loving mother and grandmother, which she wouldn’t trade for the world.

[CherryBomb50]

[name_m]Minh[/name_m] [name_m]Long[/name_m] (22) is the boyfriend of Beatriz’s second child. He is the father of his girlfriend’s three children and the son of Lucy’s best friend and secret crush at the salon. He’s somewhat aware of Lucy’s hidden attraction but won’t tell his mother and is more focused on his own relationship. If his mother finds out, he is hoping for the best for them. He won’t involve himself, but he wants [name_f]Lucy[/name_f] to divorce [name_u]Bo[/name_u] and despises how [name_u]Bo[/name_u] refuses to admit he’s a cheater and that he was fired from his job. [name_m]Minh[/name_m] is a third-generation Vietnamese immigrant, from his grandparents who were born in Cần Thơ. [name_m]Minh[/name_m] temporarily lived with [name_f]Beatriz[/name_f] when his girlfriend was pregnant with their first child, but he’s since moved out but still lives in Toronto. [name_m]Minh[/name_m] helps out with his mother at the salon, but is in his final year of university pursuing biology.

[wandering_willow]

[name_f]Araceli[/name_f] [name_u]Mai[/name_u] “ [name_u]Ari[/name_u] “ [name_m]Long[/name_m] (3) is the daughter of [name_m]Minh[/name_m] [name_m]Long[/name_m] and his girlfriend, who’s a year younger than [name_m]Minh[/name_m] and is the daughter of [name_f]Beatriz[/name_f]. [name_f]Beatriz[/name_f] dotes upon her sweet granddaughter, as well as Ari’s siblings- [name_u]Ari[/name_u] is absolutely obsessed with her siblings especially the newest addition to their family, a baby girl who’s only a few months old. [name_u]Ari[/name_u] will feed her spoonfuls of yogurt and puff cereal- she’ll also play house with her and pretend to be her mom, acting as if her sister is a baby doll! The whole family thinks this is absolutely hilarious. [name_u]Ari[/name_u] actually knows [name_u]Waverly[/name_u], because [name_f]Kimmy[/name_f] and [name_m]Minh[/name_m] are family friends and [name_f]Kimmy[/name_f] is marrying Jin…Ari loves pretending [name_u]Waverly[/name_u] is her big sister, and just pretending in general- it’s her favorite thing to do! When [name_u]Ari[/name_u] grows up, she wants to be the Prime Minister of [name_f]Canada[/name_f], or a princess. But for now, [name_u]Ari[/name_u] is happy being a big sister and daughter, and she’s doing pretty well.

[CherryBomb50]

Marco Anh “ Marc “ Long (2) is Ari’s brother and the middle child. He attends daycare with the daughters of Amanda Garcia and she considers him a great friend to the little girls. He knows Waverly from Ari and that’s how he’s bonded with her younger brother Yarrow. While they haven’t yet considered each other “best friends”, they’re really enjoying each other’s time. Yarrow likes that Marc is younger since it makes Yarrow feel less like a “cutesy little kiddie”, which he hates. Ari and Marc love their baby sister however and coo her all they want. Marc loves looking at the stars and moon at night and is wishing on stars every night.

Amanda was created by @GoldenNebula88.

Yarrow was created by @kitkatcookie.

[wandering_willow]

[name_f]Agustina[/name_f] [name_u]Thanh[/name_u] “ [name_m]Auggie[/name_m] “ [name_m]Long[/name_m] (3 months) is the baby sister of [name_u]Ari[/name_u] and [name_m]Marco[/name_m]. She’s very close with her mom, who loves to take pictures of her- this baby photo shoot was from when [name_m]Auggie[/name_m] turned a month old. Her mom knows it’s a bit extreme but she loves taking pictures of her daughter on month birthdays. [name_m]Auggie[/name_m] doesn’t seem to mind. Ari’s enthralled with the fact that both have a names, and end in the same sound. [name_m]Auggie[/name_m] loves her big sister, and playing house with her, though she doesn’t quite understand it yet. She loves her cousin through her mom’s brother, and seeing her friends- her mom’s mother friend group. She also loves her grandmas- [name_f]Beatriz[/name_f] and Lucy’s love interest, and thinks they’re the absolute coolest!

[CherryBomb50]

[name_f]Yen[/name_f] [name_m]Long[/name_m] (52) is the grandmother of [name_u]Ari[/name_u], [name_m]Marc[/name_m], and [name_m]Auggie[/name_m]. She is the mother of [name_m]Minh[/name_m] and secret crush of [name_f]Lucy[/name_f]. She is very close with her Vietnamese culture, often eating Vietnamese dishes but is a stickler for authenticity as she believes the more authentic, the better. She is very supportive of her son [name_m]Minh[/name_m] and loves his girlfriend as the daughter she’s never had. She’s always delighted to see her grandchildren and loves how closely they bond with her. [name_m]Auggie[/name_m] is learning to recognise people and [name_f]Yen[/name_f] is thrilled that [name_m]Auggie[/name_m] recognises her even if [name_m]Auggie[/name_m] doesn’t know that they are grandmother and granddaughter yet. For a long time, [name_f]Yen[/name_f] has been single and preferred to raise [name_m]Minh[/name_m] as a single mother but now that [name_f]Yen[/name_f] has grown up, she’s considering re-entering the dating scene. People have mistaken her and [name_f]Lucy[/name_f] for a couple and [name_f]Yen[/name_f] has never answered when asked. [name_f]Lucy[/name_f] can’t tell for sure why [name_f]Yen[/name_f] doesn’t answer. Is it because she doesn’t like the awkwardness…or does [name_f]Yen[/name_f] like her?

[wandering_willow]

[name_f]Leonor[/name_f] [name_f]Mariana[/name_f] Cisneros (21) is the mother of [name_u]Ari[/name_u], [name_m]Auggie[/name_m] and [name_m]Marc[/name_m]. She’s lived in Toronto her whole life, but been to [name_u]Havana[/name_u] and Camagüey courtesy of her parents. [name_f]Leonor[/name_f] loves the tropical climate there, and wants to take her kids there someday. She’s madly in love with [name_m]Minh[/name_m] [name_m]Long[/name_m] and wants to marry him someday but knows that neither of them are ready for that kind of commitment, as [name_f]Leonor[/name_f] is a very spontaneous person and doesn’t want to be tied down. Nonetheless, [name_f]Leonor[/name_f] supports her 23-year-old brother and his husband. [name_f]Leonor[/name_f] often jokes about the fact that she’s the only straight one in the family besides her parents. [name_f]Leonor[/name_f] supports [name_f]Amparo[/name_f] and her girlfriend as well- [name_f]Leonor[/name_f] actually works with Amparo’s girlfriend. Both work at a Downtown Toronto-based smoothie bar called The [name_u]Green[/name_u] [name_f]Goddess[/name_f], and are very good friends. [name_f]Leonor[/name_f] and her share a very dry, sarcastic sense of humor.

[name_f]Leonor[/name_f] is back on her feet and doesn’t live with [name_f]Beatriz[/name_f] anymore but she’s forever grateful for all the support she’s provided her and wishes to repay her someday, though [name_f]Beatriz[/name_f] has urged her not to. [name_f]Leonor[/name_f] dotes on her brother’s adopted kid and loves the way their kids play together. [name_f]Leonor[/name_f] didn’t get to go to college because of her teen pregnancy with [name_u]Ari[/name_u], but wants to go back someday and study theater- [name_f]Leonor[/name_f] has always been a theater kid and her whole family supports her.

[CherryBomb50]

[name_m]Esai[/name_m] [name_m]Estevan[/name_m] Cisneros (23) is Leonor’s older brother. He’s got a nice place to live in with his husband and couldn’t be at a happier place in his life as well. He can be a neat freak but it’s for the sake of his health: he still has the mould allergy. He’s a strong supporter of his mother the way she strongly supports him and he defends her when people say racist remarks. [name_m]Esai[/name_m] is a proud Cuban-Canadian and connects with his culture while enjoying the culture of his husband and family of husband. [name_m]Esai[/name_m] was shocked by Professor Ong’s scandal but grateful the dean handled it well and [name_f]Beatriz[/name_f] defended [name_f]Amparo[/name_f], which he did as well. He’s very certain [name_f]Lucy[/name_f] and [name_u]Bo[/name_u] will divorce and [name_f]Lucy[/name_f] will get settlement for how he pained her. [name_m]Esai[/name_m] and his husband are glad to be looking forward in such a great relationship and know things only look up. [name_m]Esai[/name_m] is also good friends with [name_f]Kimmy[/name_f], [name_f]Cat[/name_f], [name_u]Jack[/name_u], and the other Ong sibling and is happy for [name_f]Kimmy[/name_f] and Jin’s wedding. [name_m]Esai[/name_m] currently works as a wedding caterer and will cater the wedding.

[I_meme_it]

[name_u]Merritt[/name_u] [name_m]Sebastian[/name_m] DeGuye (23) is Esai’s husband and the general source of stability in his life given the whirlwind of drama. It was a shock to Merritt’s parents when he announced his engagement to [name_m]Esai[/name_m] - they were only 18 at the time, fresh out of high school - but the fact the two waited until just last year to actually tie the not relieved both families: who could see the love between the couple, however were anxious rushing into a serious commitment could ruin their bond. [name_u]Merritt[/name_u] has jokingly conceded their engagement was ‘politically motivated’ in the wake of gay marriage being legalised, but actually being able to wed his long-term boyfriend was a magical moment he still cherishes.

The DeGuye family’s culture is a bit complicated, as [name_u]Merritt[/name_u] and his sibling - who’s non-binary - are both adopted, with [name_u]Merritt[/name_u] having been born in Hungary, and joining his parents and sibling when he was 3 years old. They strove to ensure he still had connections to his cultural heritage, as Merritt’s mother was born in [name_f]Argentina[/name_f] herself - having moved to study as an international student, meeting his father in the process - and he can speak Hungarian almost fluently now. [name_u]Merritt[/name_u] and Esai’s honeymoon was actually spent partly in [name_u]Cuba[/name_u] and the other part in Hungary, .

Esai’s quirks are something [name_u]Merrit[/name_u] never takes issue to, and he’s always been accommodating given the allergy he has, arguably becoming a much neater person through their relationship. He’s currently pursuing his bachelor’s degree in archeology, as a follow up to studying ancient history, with hopes to become actively working in the field at some future point (although he’s promised to be careful in whatever he encounters given his husband’s preferences). Being a ‘perpetual student’ is a fond joke the couple have, but Esai’s incredibly supportive of [name_u]Merritt[/name_u], who in turn is always promoting his business around campus as he’s very proud of him.

The couple know they want to have a family of their own - with adoption being their preferred method given the DeGuye’s and how [name_u]Merritt[/name_u] loves his parents dearly - but want to at least be 25 for this starting, so they feel fully secure in their own maturity.

[CherryBomb50]

Miklos “ Mick “ DeGuye (50) is Merritt’s father and currently works as a travel agent. He was surprised that Merritt was engaged to Esai at 18 but knew he wouldn’t marry him right away. Mick and his wife didn’t adopt until they were 30, but are alright with Merritt and Esai adopting at 25 since he knows both are mature people and because he and his wife hadn’t known each other yet in high school due to being from different countries. When he adopted, it was truly the best day of his life and it made him even happier to be able to adopt again, to Merritt’s non-binary sibling.

Mick admits he’s surprised to see Merritt marry so young even if most of his reasoning was due to how crazy it is as a parent to see children grow up so fast let alone marry. But Mick knew Esai is a great husband and son-in-law and he’s happy to see Merritt grow up so happy. Cultural ties remain important to Mick and his wife and he explores his own while learning from hers.

[wandering_willow]

[name_f]Teresa[/name_f] [name_f]Julieta[/name_f] DeGuye (50) is the wife of [name_m]Mick[/name_m] and adoptive mother of [name_u]Merritt[/name_u] and another child. She really likes [name_m]Esai[/name_m] and loves how happy he makes [name_u]Merritt[/name_u]- she’s very supportive of her children, always. Unfortunately she can’t say the same for her own parents- when she came out as a bi woman and got a girlfriend, her family was very rude and unsupportive of her. [name_f]Teresa[/name_f] and that girlfriend have since broken up, but are very good friends to this day and [name_f]Teresa[/name_f] has even gone back to [name_f]Argentina[/name_f] to visit her and her kids, who are like “cousins” to [name_u]Merritt[/name_u] and his sibling.

[name_f]Teresa[/name_f] was born with a rare genetic condition that causes her to be unable to naturally give birth, which she was once very depressed about- she would spend hours in her room crying, grieving for her kids that never were. Now, she’s come to terms with it and is actually glad, as she’d never have been able to meet her two beautiful children if her life wouldn’t have happened the way it did. [name_f]Teresa[/name_f] is an author, which she greatly enjoys- ever since she was a little kid she’s enjoyed telling long stories. She’s written middle grade books and stories for adults, and everything in between- she’s publishing a new book in 2025 (1 year, because they’re in the future).

[CherryBomb50]

Warning for aforementioned teen pregnancy/parenting.

Clinton “ Clint ” Ross Emerson (32) is the editor and publisher of Teresa’s books and works. Teresa’s other child is aspiring to be an author, although for a different genre and Clint is willing to publish that too. Clint is not open much about his personal life, but he too is a parent, being a father to Kaley Emerson when he and his then-girlfriend Blaire were just 14. He and Blaire are still in contact but he’s not sure what to call Blaire other than “friend”. They’re not really close enough to be best friends but they’ve known each other too long and had too much history to just simply be acquaintances. He’s active in Kaley’s life too and Kaley knows he’s falling in love with another woman for the first time, which she supports although she’s nervous. Clint and his new girlfriend are having a steady relationship. He is happy Blaire is at a good spot in her life.

At first Clint didn’t have a very good transition in school since becoming a teen father. He struggled to keep grades up and was planning on going to a great university which could accommodate for him but unfortunately due to his grades, his application was rejected. He had to balance small part-time jobs for him and Blaire to raise Kaley together. Clint’s parents weren’t as supportive or understanding during Clint’s teenage years as his sister was but they wouldn’t kick Clint out because despite their stern ways, they didn’t want to make things worse for Clint. Clint’s maternal grandparents, despite having his mother, hated children during their elder years and didn’t want to meet Kaley, which made Clint disdain them. One thing Clint really worried about was Kaley’s life as a child of teen parents and Clint didn’t want her to lose out on a good childhood or a successful adult life. Slowly but surely he and Blaire improved significantly as parents and the main reason for this was because they always listened to Kaley. They didn’t spoil her and give her everything she wanted, but they never interrupted her or put aside her needs for their convenience. Kaley credits them more and more now and says they were lovely parents. Not perfect people, but perfect parents to her in a way she wouldn’t want to be raised by anyone else.

Clint has gotten on better terms with his parents and after meeting Teresa, he doesn’t understand why his maternal grandparents started to hate children so much. He knew they were old curmudgeons but it bothered him that they didn’t want to know Kaley at all as it placed unfair blame. Clint has only talked to them once during his 30s, two years prior when he was 30 years old. He asked, “Children are a gift and you should know because you raised children in your life before too. I know you don’t want to raise them anymore but don’t you wish you could interact with their innocence again?” They said, “No! I’m glad our children grew up long before anyone would get involved in anything too messed up. Like have some with a guy who married thrice. Or have a cute little 6-year-old girl who gets a bad rap due to not being diagnosed. Or with someone with a 20year age difference. Or adopt with your former co-worker. Or have a kid with ridiculously adorable hairbuns. Or have three of them at just 21 with a father who’s just 22. Or have no kids but die saving a stranger’s kid. Or have kids but know a kid who isn’t yours tell you that Room is a good name for a baby. Or—“ Clint stopped them and replied, “Alright I get the point. Sheesh.” His grandparents said, “Calm down. We’re just saying that so you’ll understand, we don’t think any these things would actually happen.”

While Clint and Blaire didn’t plan on Kaley’s conception, they still felt bad for Teresa’s desire to conceive and inability to do so. They find it redeeming that Teresa has been such a great adoptive mother to she and Mick’s two now-grown children. Clint also likes the multicultural bond Teresa and Mick have and how it’s been implemented into their children’s lives. The decision for Clint to work in publishing was something his sister, a literary agent, suggested and it’s been a tremendous career for Clint and he enjoys his job, especially from meeting people he’s worked for like Teresa. Clint himself is a huge literary fan even if he didn’t work at a publishing firm and he loves books more and more every day.

Blaire was created by @wandering_willow.

Kaley was created by me.