[name_f]Grace[/name_f] [name_f]Abigail[/name_f] Kretschner (15) is Loretta’s eldest child and free spirit who prefers doing things her own way, even if this absolutely contrasts with her mother’s ethics and way of organising things. Working in an organised chaos that only makes sense to her, [name_f]Grace[/name_f] feels her mother doesn’t always understand or respect her way of pursuing life: which is primarily made up of spending time with her friends, ice-skating practice, and going for long walks to try figuring out the best meand of achieving her goals. [name_f]Grace[/name_f] wants to become a counsellor - something she’s only confided in her best friend about - but doesn’t feel able to voice this desire, as she doesn’t quite know what reaction this will reap, and the idea of being disparaged is something she really can’t handle, not even in contemplation. Ice-skating is another thing she and [name_f]Loretta[/name_f] clashed over, with competing seldom being what [name_f]Grace[/name_f] wanted - in spite of her obvious talent and love of the spirt - and subsequently whenever her mom entered her in a contest, she’d not practice properly and just make up a routine, something never approved of by judges to put it lightly. Now, [name_f]Grace[/name_f] doesn’t compete - which makes her very happy, as she can’t handle pressure well [unless it’s a request of a friend to provide a listening ear] - and merely attends her lessons for recreational pleasure; her dad having mediated when [name_f]Loretta[/name_f] was at the end of her tether when it came to her older daughter’s antics.
To spare her friends any conflict, only a few come over to the Kretschner home - those in the know where mother-daughter discord is concerned - and [name_f]Grace[/name_f] prefers spending time with them either outdoors or at their houses. Her large social circle and evident popularity at high school have won both reverence and insecurity from her siblings, as her reputation as being such a sunny, engaging spirit will be hard to follow up, especially as Grace’s kindness is what people recognise a lot, and she tries to make time for as many friends as possible, homework be damned. It’s her sister who particularly can feel a point of comparison - helped by their contrasting relationships with their mom - and while the two don’t have any conflict [they actually spend a fair bit of time together, as [name_f]Grace[/name_f] always gives her sister clothes she no longer wears that can fit], she does feel her older sister’s aura is difficult when she thinks about her much smaller social scene and lack of acknowledgement as a well-liked person.
[name_f]Every[/name_f] extended family member has pointed out the irony of Grace’s middle name. She adores her dad openly - his personality meaning he understands her ways of doing things a little better, especially her conviction where emotions are concerned - and confides in him the most. He’s the only family member [name_f]Grace[/name_f] is debating telling about her career hopes, as she knows he can mediate if she and her mom clash; although [name_f]Grace[/name_f] hopes to avoid this, as she hates seeing him put in the middle. Really, she doesn’t enjoy or want to disagree with her mom so much either - and she’s very much in support of how [name_f]Loretta[/name_f] views her students, which is a value they get along over when it’s apparent - but merely wants to feel like her choices and decisions are valid, even if they’re not the way her mother would personally go about them. Currently, Grace’s big goal for herself is obtaining a drivers license once she turns 16, a mission she’s firm about successfully completing, to allow further freedom as well as proving she can be responsible, even if it isn’t always recognised or understood.