Create a Family With a Twist

[kitkatcookie]

Ann-Marie " [name_f]Anna[/name_f] " [name_f]Rachel[/name_f] Chesham (17) is Matthew’s girlfriend, confident and unintentional obstacle in the way of Ishana’a crush, who really doesn’t want to see the kid heartbroken by the reality of things. A soft-hearted, compassionate and thoughtful young woman, Anna’s relationship with [name_m]Matthew[/name_m] stemmed from the reassuring presence she has, with him never feeling judged or looked down upon by her. Part of this stems from how [name_f]Anna[/name_f] was treated thanks to her ADD - having tried hard to tone down her hyperfixations in middle school, hoping to be spared more torment and teasing - however she’s now comfortable in her own skin and is surrounded by people who are nothing but understanding and empathetic towards what she experiences and how her ADD manfiests. Currently, Anna’s absolutely mad about postit notes - using them to keep herself organised, and she also has a strong appreciation for aesthetics, having some of the neatest, most visually pleasing notes in class when she’s focusing on her studies. Her parents are very happy to indulge her stationary interests, and actually run their own gift shop, where [name_f]Anna[/name_f] helps out on weekends [being a paid employee for her dedication], following on from her older brother - who’s now 22 - who also got his work experience at the store.

Although some are cynical about her faith, [name_f]Anna[/name_f] genuinely believes in [name_m]God[/name_m], without feeling everyone around her has to follow this. She privately wishes her parents would calm down in their belief she and her siblings need to marry those also following Christianity, feeling it isn’t a promise of someone’s character: case and point [name_m]Matthew[/name_m]. Anna’s brother’s confided in her that his girlfriend at college is Jewish, and has only just revealed this to their parents. They thankfully didn’t take issue with this, but [name_f]Anna[/name_f] knows being non-religious is a much bigger issue for them, case and point being her paternal aunt, who has a strained relationship with her brother since she revealed she was agnostic following her return from years working abroad as part of a charity. She encourages her younger siblings to not view those outside of faith poorly - she’s the second born of four - and they thankfully are in agreement, however [name_f]Anna[/name_f] knows she wants to be with [name_m]Matthew[/name_m] long-term, and she is not going to ask him to convert or pledge himself to her families beliefs just to see her mom and dad happy.

Currently Anna’s making plans to study geology at university. Water skiing is something her brother and his girlfriend got her into when she visited them during the summer, and she belongs to her school’s netball team, being very regretful when she misses one of Matthew’s swim contests because she’s called to the court elsewhere. Their favourite dates are going for picnics outdoors and using Anna’s polaroid camera to capture wherever they’re visiting together. Thanks to the relationship, the pairs friend groups have come together - leading to a romance developing between two of their friends, something [name_f]Anna[/name_f] jokes a lot about with [name_m]Matthew[/name_m] given the circumstances - and she’s happiest being surrounded by those she’s close to. Given the stress Matthew’s felt regarding college, [name_f]Anna[/name_f] takes time to talk to him about the future, and she’s proud to be his main source of hype, always extending her ear to listen or providing him help on focusing on his strengths and capabilities.

---

@Tasia
@jinxed_peach
some tags for the forum ^u^

[Tasia]

[name_f]Sarah[/name_f] [name_u]Allison[/name_u] “Allie” Chesham (15) is Anna’s younger sister. Although she really loves her family, her relationship with her parents has been bursting at the seams lately. The reason is that [name_u]Allison[/name_u] is bisexual, which goes against her parents’ conservative expectations. She even had a crush on a girl she met at the school volleyball club. She waited six months before telling her parents, but alas, the conversation ended in an argument. It was after this that [name_u]Allie[/name_u] began to use her middle name instead of the first: a small sign of protest against her mother and father.

Despite this, Allison’s relationship with her siblings is going well. She considers [name_f]Anna[/name_f] her friend and genuinely admires their older brother. Together with [name_f]Anna[/name_f], she hopes to instil in their youngest sibling patience and tolerance for others, regardless of their faith or orientation.

Apart from volleyball, [name_u]Allison[/name_u] is a keen swimmer and dancer. She is also active on TikTok, where she tries to play covers on the guitar. [name_u]Allison[/name_u] likes to make things cosy around her. Before the fight, she and her mum would often spend time together decorating the house or cooking dinner. After school [name_u]Allison[/name_u] dreams of taking a gap year and going travelling around the country with her friends.

[I_meme_it]

[name_f]Marnie[/name_f] Yasuko Kurimoto (15) is the girl [name_u]Allie[/name_u] had a crush on and a fellow member of the volleyball team, although the two didn’t speak much because they’re both more introverted, never mind the fact [name_f]Marnie[/name_f] had no idea there was another queer girl on the team aside from her and a close friend. The younger of two siblings, Marnie’s older sibling’s genderfluid - using they/them/he pronouns - and they’re both mixed race, born to a Japanese-American father and white mother, who met while they were both interning for the same programming company, and they now run their own company specialising on uplifting minorities within the industry.

Sports are very much a pastime for [name_f]Marnie[/name_f], as she’s determined to become an anthropologist, however it never diminishes the way she approaches what she engages in. She still belongs to the volleyball team as a reserve, having chosen to pursue this as a secondary interest to her dedicated role as part of the hockey squad. Marnie’s dad was also an athlete at school - being a star tennis player - and her older sibling belongs to their university’s swimming society, with her mum joking frequently about how she’s the sole member of the family who has no love for exercise or sports; solely relying on her high metabolism to maintain her figure.

Funnily enough, [name_f]Marnie[/name_f] and [name_u]Allie[/name_u] have come back into contact more recently, thanks to two of their friends becoming close while belonging to the debate team. Allie’s friend suspects the old crush might be rekindling within her heart, based on how bashful she becomes whenever [name_f]Marnie[/name_f] pays her one-on-one attention, having asked her about her musical abilities, as that’s something she completely wishes she could improve at (but she’s had to abandon those dreams thanks to her terrible coordination for instrument playing). Recently she invited [name_u]Allie[/name_u] to come with her to walk her family dog, [name_m]Finbar[/name_m] the Finnish Lapphund, indicating she might have taken some interest in the girl who’s taught her so much about the guitar…

[jinxed_peach]

cw: childhood illness, amputation, death

[name_f]Rosalind[/name_f] ‘Rosie’ [name_f]Monique[/name_f] [name_m]Henderson[/name_m] [16] is a mutual friend of [name_u]Allie[/name_u] and [name_f]Marnie[/name_f] who was on the volleyball team with them in freshman year before she switched to cheer where she’s been since. Though her leg may look a little intense or even traumatic, her life was anything but. When she was born the veins and arteries in her left leg were malformed in such a way that blood was not getting into her extremity. The lack of oxygen in her cells then caused the tissue to start dying, though doctors tried to restore the blood flow it was simply not happening. Her leg became infected from the necrotic tissue and in order to stop her from becoming septic they chose to amputate her leg.

Though she required a few follow-up surgeries after that initial amputation her life was very largely unaffected by her lack of leg. She never let it hold her back which allowed for her to develop a love for sports and athletics like volleyball and later cheer. As much as she loved the former something about cheerleading captured her heart in a way she had yet to experience, leading to her jokingly calling it ‘her first true love.’ She would love to continue to pursue it in college and maybe even afterwards in a professional team like in the NBA or NFL. It would mean a lot to her to be in the public eye like that so she could inspire other young girls and kids like her who may have a limp difference or other disability and let them know that they’re unstoppable.

However if that dream doesn’t pan out she would love to go into nursing, during her frequent childhood trips to the hospital or doctors for scans or appointments or surgeries the people who always made her feel the most at ease where the nurses who helped her. Specifically a nurse who had been there at the same hospital since she was born, unfortunately though she recently died due to complications from long-haul covid. The loss effected [name_f]Rosie[/name_f] profoundly and she’s been trying to raise awareness to the fact that the pandemic isn’t quiet over even though many aspects of life have gone back to normal.

She’s also been spending a lot of time in art class with hopes to create a special piece to gift to the surviving family of her nurse in her memory. She’s not much of an artist but it’s the thought that counts, plus her art teacher has been very supportive of her and any of her other students who may not be as artistically inclined as some.

[CherryBomb50]

[name_f]Esmee[/name_f] [name_f]Rebecca[/name_f] [name_m]Crawford[/name_m] (16) is Rosie’s friend and also on the cheer squad. She and [name_f]Rosie[/name_f] have been friends prior to cheering though and [name_f]Esmee[/name_f] joined the debate team after [name_f]Marnie[/name_f] encouraged her. She likes to break the stereotype that cheerleaders aren’t smart and she’s an expert debater. She loves Rosie’s inspiring ways of cheering with her prosthetic leg and [name_f]Esmee[/name_f] believes [name_f]Rosie[/name_f] should be promoted to head cheerleader at some point. If not now, then during senior year. [name_f]Esmee[/name_f] is the niece of Rosie’s late nurse and she’s grateful for how her friend has been so comforting to her family and absolutely adores what her aunt does, planning to go into nursing when she’s an adult. She’s cool with [name_f]Rosie[/name_f] doing whatever she pleases when she’s older, whether it’s nursing or cheerleading, and [name_f]Esmee[/name_f] believes [name_f]Rosie[/name_f] would be excellent at either. [name_f]Esmee[/name_f] doesn’t know about the art piece [name_f]Rosie[/name_f] is crafting and she’d be beautifully surprised to see the finished project. She can’t imagine how much it hurts for her cousins, the children of her late aunt, and she’s made sure to be there for them as much as possible. Aside from cheering and debate, she and another friend, who is [name_m]Matthew[/name_m] Gonzalez’s sister, are both amazing at skateboarding and enjoy the stunts. [name_f]Esmee[/name_f] is very intelligence-focused and all her role models are smart people, but she’s cheery and fun and likes to prove you can be smart without being overly serious.

[kitkatcookie]

cw: ableism

Bethany " Beth " Selena Gonzalez (16) is Matthew’s closest sister in age and close friend of Esmee. A talented skateboarder, Beth’s also accomplished at rollerskating and enjoys rock climbing too: if it’s phsyical, she’s got an enthusiasm for it. She knows it’ll be what she pursues in the future - be it as a personal trainer or physiotherapist - thanks to how much sports have helped Beth handle her ADD. It used to plague her when she was younger, not helped by the fact certain teachers and neighbours compared Beth unfairly to her siblings; with several not even listening to when her parents attempted to explain her behaviour wasn’t thoughtless rebellion or antagonism. With the support of her family though, Beth managed to not be permanently dogged by these aspersions and assumptions, instead learning to focus on her talents, passions and what she found and took pride in. As she loved to tell people growing up, no-one else in the family is as fast or able to climb as well as her; although Beth became determined to introduce her siblings to this as she grew older.

Belonging to the school diving team - having perfomed excellently in several competitions and determined to keep doing well - she’s very supportive of those she competes alongside, although Beth has decided against joining any other extracurricular groups, as she wants to keep the pressure of winning out of them. Her friendship with Esmee confuses some people, thanks to how academics aren’t something Beth’s too interested in, but it’s the positive attitude her friend conveys that allows their bond to remain so strong. Beth isn’t someone you could mistake for the most upbeat or sunny natured - she’s a bit too blunt and prone to cynical humour for that - but given what she experienced as a child, she prefers to avoid lingering on the negative. Something Beth especially has no time for is what she calls the ‘trauma Olympics’ - where someone insists on undermining everyone around them’s struggles - and she ended up ending her friendship with someone she knew in middle school because of this, unable to handle the pessimism it shadowed over her.

Unlike Matthew - who’s happily involved with Anna - Beth’s quite indifferent about dating currently, being more enthused when it comes to keeping what free time she has to herself. As much as her friends mean to her, and she loves spending time with them - hanging at the skate park, mall or congregating at someone’s house - Beth has moments when she wants to be alone; usually listening to music and scribbling down her thoughts or pseudo-poetry [as she calls her collectives of words she likes placing together]. She doesn’t psychoanalyse herself about this - Beth jokes her mind never slows down enough to allow for it - but does voice her belief in the importance of allowing everyone time to just be alone with their thoughts, as it helps with processing life more. Beth does think she might do a gap year before uni - she’d love to go travelling in South America especially - however rushing is something she tries to stop herself from doing, as when she was younger she could be a bit prone to recklessness [usually when she ended up spraining her wrists scaling trees].

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Matthew belongs to @wandering_willow

[CherryBomb50]

[name_m]Jayson[/name_m] [name_m]Alejandro[/name_m] Gonzalez (12) is [name_m]Matthew[/name_m] and Beth’s youngest sibling of the family. The eldest is 25, followed by a 19-year-old woman, followed by [name_m]Matthew[/name_m], followed by [name_f]Beth[/name_f], and then him. He’s somewhat aware [name_f]Ishana[/name_f] likes [name_m]Matthew[/name_m] but won’t say a word; he knows [name_m]Matthew[/name_m] is with [name_f]Anna[/name_f]. Sometimes [name_m]Jayson[/name_m] likes to act like he’s a teenager although he isn’t, which can get borderline obnoxious but that’s just how little brothers are. [name_f]Beth[/name_f] told that the real peak of teenage years is when being a teenager no longer feels “cool“. [name_m]Jayson[/name_m] is starting to have awareness on his elder siblings and feels bad for [name_f]Beth[/name_f] being seen so harshly by the teachers and neighbours. By them, [name_m]Jayson[/name_m] was compared the most to [name_f]Beth[/name_f] because [name_m]Jayson[/name_m] was closest in age to her but he never really understood or appreciated these comparisons because he and [name_f]Beth[/name_f] were two different people clearly living two different lives.

[name_m]Jayson[/name_m] is a lover of watching TV and playing video games. He has a lot of favourites and although he’s not yet a teen, he has entertainment that is geared towards teenagers, the main reason making [name_m]Jayson[/name_m] feel and act like a teen when he isn’t. He’s been wanting to do that since he was 10 but his parents told him to wait, eventually relenting when [name_m]Jayson[/name_m] was 12. He’s been more active outside than before by his parents’ recommendation and also by [name_f]Beth[/name_f], who’s taught him some skills, especially rollerblading. He loves rollerblading best and often likes to race [name_f]Beth[/name_f]. He’s also gone to his first concert, courtesy of the second-eldest, and he was so enthusiastic to go with her.

[Lindseylloyd052399]

[name_f]Hannah[/name_f] [name_u]Damaris[/name_u] [name_m]Hunt[/name_m] (25) is the girlfriend of [name_m]Matthew[/name_m], [name_f]Beth[/name_f], and Jayson’s oldest brother, whom she has been with since high school. Their daughter was born in 2015, and being a young mom was hard for her, but she loves her daughter so much. Hannah’s boyfriend is planning to propose to her on their next anniversary.

[kitkatcookie]

Christopher " Toph " Thiago Gonzalez (25) is Hannah’s partner and father of their daughter, as well as the eldest of his siblings. A body art enthusiast, Toph doesn’t work as a tattooist himself, and is actually in the process of becoming a dentist, something that shocks a lot of people when they hear about it. He’s working as a dental nurse while continuing school, a job that provides much needed experience while helping motivate Toph to press onwards with studying, and while some balk given his unconventional appearance, it only pushes Toph onwards to complete his goal; considering it important to deconstruct stereotypes surrounding academia. He started college a little later thanks to becoming a parent shortly before graduating high school, but doesn’t regret this decision for a second, as time with his daughter is the most important thing to him - although Toph never complains about his siblings wanting to spend time with her either, and actively encourages this bonding.

Following the birth of their daughter, things weren’t entirely smooth between Hannah and Toph. There was a great deal of pressure placed on their shoulders - especially by the Hunt’s, who felt their only child’s future was seriously compromised by becoming a mother at 18 - and for a while, their relationship was solely coparenting. Toph’s uncle - who’s an architect and real estate mogul - let the couple rent one of his apartments [as a baby on top of the younger kids would’ve been too much for his sister and brother-in-law to handle, even though they were kind enough to offer], where they settled down. Not being a couple for the early years proved a blessing in disguise, as when there were disagreements or the stress got too much, the distance allowed Toph and Hannah to move past these spats quicker, as well as founding good communication with one another. They officially got back together in 2017, following their daughter’s second birthday party - which was a lovely time for the whole family - and have steadily been together from that point on, something Toph’s incredibly happy about.

Since 2018, there has been a reconciliation of sorts between Toph and Hannah’s parents. By no means is there a close bond between him and them, but they’re a lot more reasonable in how they view him, and no longer treat the situation as one of him ruining Hannah’s life or somehow dampening her dreams, as she’s been able to set up her own business as a wedding photographer now their granddaughter attends school. Toph’s absolutely certain that he wants to have more kids with Hannah - their daughter’s already been asking questions, as her best friend has three older siblings, and of course her dad’s the eldest of five - but thinks he’d like to continue their family following the wedding, once that organisation and the associated craziness is over and done with. For their daughters’ recent 7th birthday, they got her a kitten: a grey and black tabby who’s been named Tigra by the family, after some discussions between the little girl and her parents, as she was a little overwhelmed at the choice [something Beth has been vocal about finding absolutely precious].

[cara_murvolio]

[name_f]Noemia[/name_f] " [name_f]Mia[/name_f] " [name_f]Carmela[/name_f] Gonzalez (7) is the daughter of Toph and [name_f]Hannah[/name_f], as well as the enthusiastic owner of Tigra, who she affectionately refers to as [name_f]Tiggy[/name_f]. Mia’s greatest passion is gymnastics, and she has been completely dedicated to this since she was 4, having attended a lesson at the recommendation of Toph’s 19-year-old sister, who’s also involved in the sport. Participating in the Olympics is Mia’s absolute dream, but she hasn’t been able to narrow down a speciality yet, something her coach has suggested so she can further grow confidence in performing before strangers. While she’s incredibly talented, competitions make [name_f]Mia[/name_f] very nervous, not that it’s a surprise as she’s naturally a quiet girl, for how driven she proves to be when it comes to her goals; and she tends to befriend people with louder voices, who’ll openly speak out if she feels pressured. [name_f]Mia[/name_f] also loves reading fantasy stories, her mom having introduced her to this, and her current means of relaxing is curling up with [name_f]Tiggy[/name_f] and drawing her favourite characters in whatever book she’s absorbing. As the only grandchild of both her sets of grandparents, Mia’s showered in attention and affection - something she’s upfront about loving, being inseparable from her abuela (Toph’s mom) when they’re together - and her parents know sharing this will be a challenge when it inevitably happens. Toph’s already decided Mia’s going to be the chief flower girl at he and Hannah’s wedding, a decision made by the fact [name_f]Mia[/name_f] would hate the responsibility of being maid of honour or head bridesmaid.

[Swimmere1223]

[name_f]Jenna[/name_f] [name_f]Luisa[/name_f] Gonzalez (18) is Toph’s younger sister, and Mia’s aunt. As the middle child in her family, there is a lot of pressure on her to stand out in her family, and excel in academics. She is the most-likely valedictorian of her graduating class, and is the star of her high school’s basketball team. Because of this, a lot of university recruitment officers have come to see her to recruit her as a student-athlete. However, due to her love for her four siblings and niece, she has chosen to attend University of [name_u]California[/name_u] – San [name_m]Diego[/name_m] and stay relatively close to home while still gaining her independence. She is very close with all of her family members, but is still going through a recent breakup that ended badly due to her intense focus on her athletics and academics.

[kitkatcookie]

Charlotte " Lottie " Yesenia Gonzalez (19) is the final Gonzalez sibling: younger sister of Toph and older sister of Jenna, Beth, Matthew and Jayson. Attending college on a combined degree of archeology and history, Lottie jokes about the clichés of her maternal nature, but her personality’s something she’s come to take pride in. She took Jayson to his first concert with their parents permission - a smaller gig being held on campus - and tends to be the go-to for advice from her younger siblings, in part thanks to Toph having the responsibility of Mia. If you’re looking for a cool head among the strong personalities of the Gonzalez clan, Lottie is the best to bet money on [having proven herself on many family holiday’s involving long journeys and bickering about rest stops]. In more recent months, Lottie’s become a main source of confidence for Matthew, thanks to his worries about his girlfriend’s family rejecting him due to their differences in religious perspectives, and it’s a big relief to her that he and Anna have plans on getting some alone time together [Lottie’s been sworn to secrecy about the fact it’s going to be a trip visiting her, at the request of her younger brother].

Having entered her second year of studies, Lottie’s living with her partner - who uses they/xe pronouns - and quietly getting on with her degree. She doesn’t quite know what field she’s looking to enter career wise, as admittedly anything that endorses her love of history and exploration of the past is more than enough as far as she’s concerned. Like Jenna she hasn’t strayed too far from the family - flying’s merely more convenient for Matthew in terms of maximising time for his visit [and she’s pretty sure their parents would never allow a roadtrip to be coordinated until he’s at least 20] - but the two have been a little more distant recently because of the difficult breakup. Given that Lottie’s so happily settled with her partner and has managed to get a healthy balance between her academics, love of exploring woodland and forests, and commitments to her friends, there’s an awkwardness whenever the sister’s talk. She’d like to give Jenna advice and suggestions but knows now isn’t the time as the hurt is too raw, and the last thing Lottie wants to appear as is patronising or as if she’s assuming she knows best. There’s also the element of her admitting she doesn’t know if her approach to time management would work for Jenna, and letting down those she cares about is arguably Lottie’s biggest fear.

She had to contend with this when her dear friend got pregnant by a serious deadbeat - who Lottie couldn’t stand - and the two almost fell out when she tried to convince the other girl to leave her boyfriend [who clearly saw the baby as an excuse to keep financially taking advantage of her family and avoid having to make decisions about his own future, when he could claim fatherhood was most important - a bare-faced lie], which has made her warier where romances are concerned. The relationship ended after said deadbeat continuously avoided taking care of his daughter and then would try and use her to justify his lazy, mooching ways, but Lottie’s not happy about this: to the extent she knows her friend and her goddaughter deserve far better. It wasn’t a surprise to anyone bar Lottie when she was picked for that honour, and really it’s more symbolic rather than a declaration of faith, however Anna’s family appear a little warmer towards Matthew in the light of this knowledge. Lottie’s friend lives a 15 minute drive away from her and her partners’ place, so the couple visit her frequently, and have even taken the now 2-year-old on a few trips with them when they go exploring beauty spots to give her friend some much deserved me time.

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Matthew belongs to @wandering_willow

Jayson belongs to @CherryBomb50

Beth & Anna belong to yours truly

[jinxed_peach]

cw: deadbeat partner/father, labor and delivery complications

[name_f]Sigrid[/name_f] Maryweather [name_u]Olsen[/name_u] [19] and [name_f]Delilah[/name_f] [name_f]Olena[/name_f] [name_u]Olsen[/name_u] (Formerly [name_u]Fox[/name_u] [name_f]Moon[/name_f] Crowley) [2] are the friend and goddaughter of [name_f]Lottie[/name_f]. [name_f]Sigrid[/name_f] attended high school with her and was in adjacent grades with the other Gonzales siblings and is currently at college with [name_f]Lottie[/name_f] as well, majoring in human services with hopes to go into social work later on though she’s taking her time with getting her degree and is in no rush to graduate since [name_f]Delilah[/name_f] comes first in her life and she never wants to put her schoolwork above her daughter.

[name_f]Sigrid[/name_f] leaned on the Gonzales family a lot during her junior year of high school as she had become pregnant by her boyfriend. The timing was awful, she was a few days away from calling it quits between them. She wondered if it was a sign to try to make things work for the baby, she made the mistake of telling him about her pregnancy and he instantly sunk his hooks deeper into her and her life. He would use all the money that Sigrid’s parents gave to them for the baby on other things for himself. Unfortunately he had been raised by a similarly uninvolved set of parents so they were not bothered by their son’s actions.

One day at school [name_f]Sigrid[/name_f], being seven and a half months along at the time, had described feeling very sickly and unwell for a large portion of the early periods. She begged her boyfriend to take her home but he refused as he didn’t want to miss basketball practice. She ended up fainting in her calculus class and when she awoke she was in an ambulance being told that her water had broken and she was being rushed to the hospital. There she was told that her heart and body showed multiple signs of extreme chronic stress which is what caused her to go into labor at thirty-three weeks. She was also informed that she would need an emergency c-section as her baby was going into distress, as well as the fact that they were unsure is she could handle the stress of pushing.

During the ride to the ambulance she tried to contact her boyfriend since she had been told that he wasn’t present when she fainted nor was he alerted of what had happened, but she was unable to get through to him. Thankfully her own mother met her at the hospital and was present at the delivery, even being the first person to hold the baby girl since [name_f]Sigrid[/name_f] had run into more complications when her surgeon was closing her incision, her blood wasn’t clotting and she needed to be put out with general anesthesia while the complications were dealt with.

When she awoke she was finally met with her boyfriend. That was when she had learned that he had gone ahead and filled out the birth certificate while she was in surgery, despite him having discussed names during the pregnancy and him expressing little interest in the subject. He chose a name that they had not agreed upon but “sounded wicked cool” according to him. Being drained from the sudden labor and delivery, [name_f]Sigrid[/name_f] began to convince herself that the name was beautiful.

Her daughter was discharged a few days before she herself was due to a post-op fever making her doctors want to observe her a little longer. She asked if her boyfriend would take the baby home and look over her while she was still in the hospital, and he shockingly agreed. When [name_f]Sigrid[/name_f] herself came home she found that her boyfriend had merely picked up their daughter and then dropped her off with Sigrid’s parents before running off doing god knows what even though he was living with her family the majority of the time by then.

Her doctors had advised she take things easy following her c-section, but her boyfriend would often refuse to get out of bed in the middle of the night to aid the crying baby, leaving her to taking both the night shift and the day shift with the baby. Her grades began to suffer due to the lack of sleep and overwhelm with life. Coming home from school she was often met with her boyfriend sitting on the couch while their daughter cried, always claiming that “I can’t help her, she just wants you.” despite the baby usually needing something as simple as a diaper change.

This horrible cycle went on much longer than it should have, but she was afraid of the repercussions that might come with breaking things off. Until her father, who had been working overseas with an engineering company who was developing new technologies, came home a few months ago. He had had limited contact with his family since the projects he was working on where very classified, though he had known of the baby and her lacking father. When he arrived home a few months ago he told Sigrid’s mother to take her and the baby to a hotel for the weekend. By the time they returned there was no sign of the boyfriend. Some neighbors claim to have overheard some sounds of a struggle, followed by seeing a young man’s belongings being thrown into the street. Mr. [name_u]Olsen[/name_u] denies these claims, but it’s hard to ignore how prideful he sounds whenever the allegations come up.

Finally free from the heinous reign of her boyfriend she did something she had been dreaming of, changing her daughter’s name. She chose [name_f]Delilah[/name_f] as it had been her favorite baby girl name since she was little, and [name_f]Olena[/name_f] is both a portmanteau of her parents names as well as a name that honors her and her daughter’s Norse roots. She’s reveling in being a single mom, enjoying it much more than she had feared it would be. She and [name_f]Lottie[/name_f] are planning a girls trip for their upcoming spring break, an extended version of their explorations of beauty spots around the area.

[CherryBomb50]

[name_u]Hutton[/name_u] [name_u]Alva[/name_u] [name_m]Crawford[/name_m] (19) is Sigrid’s friend and Lottie’s partner. Unlike their sister [name_f]Esmee[/name_f], they’re much more subdued in activities, not involved in sports or school clubs. However, both are studious and smart in school. [name_u]Hutton[/name_u] and [name_f]Lottie[/name_f] are both trying to get on with their degrees. Hutton’s friendship with [name_f]Sigrid[/name_f] is newer and was hard to bond at first, given Hutton’s brutal honesty. Xir reaction to [name_f]Sigrid[/name_f] discussing the baby at first was a blatant question, “Fox [name_f]Moon[/name_f] [name_m]Crowley[/name_m]? Bruh.” [name_u]Hutton[/name_u] is a good person on the inside, and [name_f]Sigrid[/name_f] knows that now. However, [name_u]Hutton[/name_u] is grateful for [name_f]Lottie[/name_f] and feels like a nicer person from xir partner. [name_u]Hutton[/name_u] loves [name_f]Delilah[/name_f] Olena’s new name and much enjoys that she is an [name_u]Olsen[/name_u], the way she was meant to be thanks to her lovely mother, [name_f]Sigrid[/name_f]. Neither [name_u]Hutton[/name_u] nor [name_f]Esmee[/name_f] were involved in any personal pregnancies, but they were actually both children of two young parents. Along with their parents, they’ve given [name_f]Sigrid[/name_f], alongside [name_f]Hannah[/name_f] and Toph, advice but also respected their own unique situations. [name_u]Hutton[/name_u] loves xir parents and is grateful for everything they’ve done for [name_f]Esmee[/name_f] and xir. [name_u]Hutton[/name_u] truly finds xir parents the ultimate role models, especially with their kind nature in helping and supporting other young parents. [name_u]Hutton[/name_u] and [name_f]Esmee[/name_f] talk a lot about what it was like to be raised by younger parents and guide how they’d like to see [name_f]Hannah[/name_f] and [name_u]Sutton[/name_u] shape up their parenting.

[name_u]Hutton[/name_u] loves the woodlands and actually met [name_f]Lottie[/name_f] at summer camp as teenagers. [name_u]Hutton[/name_u] lived a few cities away from [name_f]Lottie[/name_f] at the time but always kept in touch and enjoyed summer camp with one another. They started dating after their third summer at camp. [name_u]Hutton[/name_u] loves being able to live with [name_f]Lottie[/name_f] and attend the same university together. [name_u]Hutton[/name_u] and [name_f]Lottie[/name_f] have another mutual friend from summer camp, who sadly lost touch after camp, but now they’re seeing their long-lost buddy at university together and couldn’t be more than excited to be reunited.

[lemon_swirlxx1]

[name_f]Lilly[/name_f] [name_f]Estelle[/name_f] [name_u]Parker[/name_u] (left, 19) and [name_f]Cassandra[/name_f] [name_f]Rose[/name_f] [name_u]Bellamy[/name_u] ‘Andy’ (right, 20) share a dorm with [name_f]Lottie[/name_f] and [name_u]Hutton[/name_u]. [name_u]Andy[/name_u] is their long-lost friend and things were awkward at first because [name_f]Lilly[/name_f] had no idea who they were, but the four of them are quite close friends now. [name_f]Lilly[/name_f] was born in [name_u]Texas[/name_u] and was diagnosed with Diabetes and really struggled with that for a while until she moved to [name_f]Manhattan[/name_f] for an islet cell transplant and she met [name_u]Andy[/name_u], and they have been friends ever since. [name_u]Andy[/name_u] is studying art and [name_f]Lilly[/name_f] is studying physics. Secretly, [name_f]Lilly[/name_f] is really jealous of [name_u]Hutton[/name_u] and Lottie’s relationship and wishes she had someone like that in her life.

[jinxed_peach]

McKenna [name_u]Shay[/name_u] [name_u]Porter[/name_u] [19] is a classmate of both [name_f]Lilly[/name_f] and [name_u]Andy[/name_u] in their environmental biology who actually goes by her middle name [name_u]Shay[/name_u] ever since her middle school class had an abundance of McKennas. She’s an ecology major with dreams of going into environmental science as a career, though recently there’s been a wrench thrown into her plans as she’s now four and a half months pregnant with her first child.

The father is her boyfriend of nearly five years, he goes to a different college than [name_u]Shay[/name_u], [name_f]Lilly[/name_f], [name_f]Lottie[/name_f], and [name_u]Sutton[/name_u], but it’s in the same city. They’ve been living together in a small apartment nearby and have always felt like they would be together forever, but now as the reality of being bound by blood with a child sets in, things became tense initially.

Shay’s always had a very regular cycle so when she was just a day late for her period she suspected something was off. After a store bought test confirmed her worry she rushed home to their apartment where she found her boyfriend in a bit of a state. He had just been informed that he had lost his scholarship due to his GPA falling just barely below the minimum requirement after a nitpicky teacher dropped his grade over something minute. She started to tell him that she needed to talk to him but he was agitated and didn’t want to hear it. Their discussion became more and more heated until she blurted out the fact that she was pregnant.

The room fell silent and her boyfriend brushed past her, grabbing his keys and jacket, preparing to leave. [name_u]Shay[/name_u] begged him to stay but he reiterated that he didn’t want to hear it, and he left.

She spent the rest of the night crying in their bedroom over how she had ruined her relationship and possibly a number of other things, until she tell asleep. In the middle of the night she heard a sound and jumped out of bed to meet it, hoping it was him. Thankfully, it was. He stood before her in the dark and after a moment they rushed towards each other, meeting in the middle in an embrace. Tearfully he apologized for how he had acted, slowly sinking into her and eventually ending up on his knees, embracing her about the waist. Still apologizing as he leaned his head into her abdomen, seemingly as if now expressing his regret to their child. [name_u]Shay[/name_u] sunk down to the floor beside him and repeatedly said that she forgave him before pressing a kiss to his lips The couple made up that night and their relationship has been solid since as they now prepare for their incoming arrival.

They’ve chosen to keep the sex of their baby a surprise until delivery, but other than that they’re desperately trying to become well prepared. Though their apartment is small they’ve acquired multiple baby necessities second hand, including a small bassinet they they’ve set up beside their bed. Shay’s boyfriend now works three jobs to support his family and tuition costs as he’s now paying for it out of pocket. [name_u]Shay[/name_u] herself also works at a small office but has begun to worry for her job security. A co-worker of hers, as well as someone who’s become a close friend in the last few months, was fired after disclosing their pregnancy by their fairly rigid manager who claims that the termination had nothing to do with their being pregnant, though the other employees know very well that that’s not true. While on the clock [name_u]Shay[/name_u] makes sure to dress in outfits that will conceal her growing bump but as things progress along she’s unsure how much longer she can fly under the radar before she’s found out.

[kitkatcookie]

cw: abuse of power

[name_f]Elspeth[/name_f] " [name_f]Lizzy[/name_f] " [name_f]Georgina[/name_f] Faulkston (24) is Shay’s coworker who was fired following her pregnancy being revealed, although of course that had nothing to do with it [says her ex-manager]. To say that her firing was a shock is both a yes and no for [name_f]Lizzy[/name_f]. She had noted that there were unreasonably strict regulations within the office where childcare was concerned, and her former boss was very critical of employees who didn’t put their jobs first, even having an argument with a secretary who clocked off early [for once] to attend her son’s school play. [name_u]An[/name_u] obsession with efficiency seems to drive this mindset, as Lizzy’s ex manager also is known for their unreasonable behaviour where mandated breaks are concerned, having penalised her more than once for taking the time she was entitled to. In a strange sense, the firing was almost a relief after months of stress and working herself til she was exhausted, barely taking breaks in case she was criticised, and knowing that the business were secretive when it came to maternity cover.

Still, she can’t help but feel for [name_u]Shay[/name_u] - who’s still stuck there - and knows the wage slip makes the rules more appealing due to the stability it provides. She has advised her to get out though, just to avoid the same pointedly unfair behaviour the boss in question seemed to dispense on a target of choice: typically a younger female colleague who was less confident or established in her career. Lizzy’s boyfriend, who she’s been with for 3 years, wanted to confront said women, however she talked him out of it as she wanted to avoid any potential further discord due to her pregnancy. While unplanned, she’s adapted quickly to the prospect of motherhood, and absolutely believes in putting their unborn child before all else. Thankfully, she has managed to find replacement work as a secretary to tide them over, as [name_f]Lizzy[/name_f] hates asking anyone in her family for money and resolves to be self-sufficient.

Given how sisterly she is towards [name_u]Shay[/name_u], it’s often assumed she has a younger sibling or two, but Lizzy’s actually the younger child of her family. Her older brother is someone she loves dearly but is frequently frustrated by: he’s immature and reckless, thankfully lacking children to pull into his chaotic lifestyle, but [name_f]Lizzy[/name_f] and he often argue as she feels he expects too much of his significant other where responsibility is concerned. It doesn’t make her happy to nag or critique him but she doesn’t want him to push away someone he genuinely cares for, and she knows he also tends to feel their parents praise her boyfriend in comparsion to him. Lizzy’s boyfriend’s an EMT, who’s hoping on continuing medical education once she gives birth and they’re settled as parents, as well as absolutely being her rock. They’re a very close couple who prioritise communication and consistency in how they interact, which she always encourages of others.

[Lindseylloyd052399]

[name_f]Rosemary[/name_f] [name_f]Ann[/name_f] [name_m]Sims[/name_m] (nb) is the daughter of [name_u]Shay[/name_u] and her boyfriend. Before she was born the couple set up a home birth, so they would bring her into the world in a very relaxing and intimate way. When labor started one night, Shay’s boyfriend got the birthing pool set up, but the contractions were getting stronger. [name_u]Baby[/name_u] [name_f]Rosemary[/name_f] was already crowning, so Shay’s boyfriend had to deliver her by himself. [name_f]Lizzy[/name_f] was the most recent to meet [name_f]Rosemary[/name_f].

[jinxed_peach]

tw: toxic parental expectations, death of a sibling, survivors guilt, alcoholism, poor grief management.

[name_m]Harold[/name_m] ‘Ari’ [name_u]Wyatt[/name_u] [name_m]Sims[/name_m] [19] is Shay’s boyfriend, father to [name_f]Rosemary[/name_f], and friend to [name_f]Lizzy[/name_f]. Pictured here trying to catch up on some reading for school on his way to his job as a dishwasher. He holds himself to an extremely high standard and has ever since he was a kid. His older brother is extremely talented in many aspects and [name_u]Ari[/name_u] always found himself falling short in comparison.

Up until high school he was often running himself ragged trying catch up to the impossible standard his parents set. Until he met [name_u]Shay[/name_u], she was a transplant to the area and joined in the middle of the school year so she was often isolated, much like [name_u]Ari[/name_u] himself had felt. They hit it off nearly instantly when he offered to sit with her at lunch and the rest is history. She helped him to learn to relax and not burn so much of the candle at both ends.

He was becoming more and more comfortable with his status as the second best [name_m]Sims[/name_m] son, then his brother was suddenly killed in a mugging gone wrong. His family was devastated, his mother turned to drinking to cope with the loss and often times her drinking removed her verbal filter, saying things that she shouldn’t became a common occurrence in the household. One night after dinner, after his father had retreated to his den for the night to stay up reading about crime statistics, it was just [name_u]Ari[/name_u] and his mother. She looked up at him from across the table, sipping her wine, and sneered “It should’ve been you…”

While she would later claim that she didn’t remember saying that, the sentence stayed with [name_u]Ari[/name_u] from then on. He became obsessed with proving his parents wrong, falling back into old habits of killing himself for academic praise. Constantly falling just short, it made him begin to think that she was right. After four years of torture he managed to graduate as valedictorian with a full ride offered to him for college. All his parents had to say was “When are you moving out?”

He was quick to ask [name_u]Shay[/name_u] to get an apartment with him and the two were moved in nearly five months before the semester even started, just to get away from his parents.

Finding out that his scholarship had been lost was painful, especially due to how little of his GPA he had lost that made him lose it. When [name_u]Shay[/name_u] came home to talk to him he was actually in the process of pouring himself a drink, a rarity in his life since he hated seeing his mother spend so many days drunk as a skunk. He could hardly focus while she tried to talk to him, and when she said that she was pregnant he couldn’t breathe. Desperate for fresh air and some space to think was what drove him to storm out as he did, though as soon as he had gotten into a taxi he started to regret his actions. [name_u]Ari[/name_u] was sure that [name_u]Shay[/name_u] would leave him for what he had done and went to a bar to drown out his sorrows for the first time in practically his entire life. While drinking at the bar he ended up spilling his guts out to the bartender, who ended up telling him to get his act together and go make things right with [name_u]Shay[/name_u]. His inebriated state had partially contributed to why he had been so tearful upon coming home, he was usually not such an emotional person.

Despite not ever asking the bartender’s name, [name_u]Ari[/name_u] feels as though he owes a debt of gratitude to them, though he unfortunately can’t remember what bar he had gone to and therefore can’t express that.

After things were smoothed over between him and [name_u]Shay[/name_u], he started to feel very excited for fatherhood, between panicked, sleepless nights worrying how they would provide for the child. He spent a great deal of time talking to their unborn child throughout Shay’s pregnancy, promising that their life out be nothing like his own upbringing.

The couple’s choice to have [name_f]Rosemary[/name_f] at home was both influenced by their desire for it to be intimate and relaxed, as well as finances considering they were barely keeping themselves afloat after [name_u]Shay[/name_u] had quit her job. They had planned for their baby to be delivered by a student midwife who would provide her services for a discount, until [name_u]Shay[/name_u] had stood up from the bed to make her way to the pool when she screamed and realized there was no time. [name_u]Ari[/name_u] managed to put his own fears aside and be strong for his girlfriend as he delivered their child. Though as she was so far into labor there was little he had to do but catch baby [name_f]Rosemary[/name_f] as she came out. [name_u]Ari[/name_u] nervously asked [name_u]Shay[/name_u] if she wanted to look and find out if they had just welcomed a boy or a girl, still shaken she declined and asked him to look and tell her instead. Upon finding out they now had a daughter [name_u]Ari[/name_u] wept tears of joy. He wrapped the baby in a pillowcase that he pulled form a nearby basket of clean laundry and the couple laid together in the bed as they waited for the midwife to arrive and help with the post-delivery care of both [name_u]Shay[/name_u] and [name_f]Rosemary[/name_f], taking in their first moments as a family of three.

Their baby girl’s middle name is actually in honor of her late uncle, [name_u]Andy[/name_u], using the first syllable of his name as inspiration for the short and sweet middle. Though it’s sort of an unspoken namesake since [name_u]Ari[/name_u] still doesn’t like talking about his family. In fact, he hasn’t spoken to his parents since he moved out for college and they have no idea that he’s now a father, he intends to keep it that way. He’s perfectly happy with his own family now.

[chamwue]

[name_f]Amity[/name_f] [name_f]Magnolia[/name_f] " [name_f]Amy[/name_f] " [name_m]Matthews[/name_m] (20) is a childhood friend of [name_u]Ari[/name_u]. Though she’s no longer next door to him, she does text and call him regularly— though she does keep his girlfriend in mind.

A year younger than the eldest [name_m]Sims[/name_m] son and a year older than the youngest, [name_f]Amy[/name_f] was considered their “missing sister” for a time. Being so close to the [name_m]Sims[/name_m] meant that [name_f]Amy[/name_f] knew just how impossible the demands of Ari’s parents could be. [name_f]Amy[/name_f] mostly saw the negatives, though: her parents were very carefree and had an opposite approach to parenting than the Sims’ parents did, so [name_f]Amy[/name_f] never had a nice opinion of Ari’s parents. [name_f]Amy[/name_f] moved away from the [name_m]Sims[/name_m] during middle school, and didn’t get news about [name_u]Andy[/name_u] nor about the hardships until they caught up this year. [name_f]Amy[/name_f] isn’t too upset about the lack of contact, however, as she’s been busy with her own life.

[name_f]Amy[/name_f] is the fourth eldest of seven siblings, which is a lot, to say the least. [name_m]Born[/name_m] to an artist mother and a musician father, all the [name_m]Matthews[/name_m] siblings were raised to be in tune with nature and to follow their passions. [name_m]Just[/name_m] like her father, Amy’s passion is in music and has been playing instruments since she was very little. She started participating in bands and the like since middle school, and she’s part of a co-ed music group called [name_f]Amity[/name_f] and the Flowerbeds. Originally a joke name written in her sixth grade notebook, the band kept going by it ever since. [name_f]Amy[/name_f] did bring up the idea of changing their band name, but her bandmates said it’s too late now.