🍰 ✿ create a family with a twist

[I_meme_it]

tw: not for this post but [name_m]Nathan[/name_m] McDowell’s has biphobic views
cw: drug use & mental health problems (mentioned)

[name_u]Sutton[/name_u] [name_f]Araminta[/name_f] Fairclough (18) is the older sister of Olly’s friend, who’s part of the same circle as the twin son’s of Nathan’s new girlfriend. The pair have confided in [name_u]Sutton[/name_u] that their mom’s seeing [name_u]Pip[/name_u] McDowell’s dad, and given the nature of high school this causes a lot of stress, but she’s done her best to provide assurance to both of them. A naturally sunny person, Sutton’s usually considered the best bet to turn to if you want reassurance, and her decision to major in psychology hasn’t been a surprise to any of her classmates, although she’s uncertain if she wants to pursue becoming a therapist or working in the nursing sector.

Along with a fourth member of their high school circle, [name_u]Sutton[/name_u] and the twins have been close since kindergarten, bonding because they were all from households outside of the nuclear family. [name_u]Sutton[/name_u] and her siblings - her younger half-brother and sister - were raised by their maternal grandparents, thanks to drug abuse plaguing their mother, which culminated in a spell of psychosis shortly after Sutton’s brother, the youngest, was born.

Their grandparents house is where the siblings are still living currently, as although their mothers’ improved in terms of her mental health, she’s still in rehab addressing her substance abuse issues; having had several relapses over the years, usually in the midst of inner personal conflict. [name_u]Sutton[/name_u] tends to be the most forgiving, not just as she’s the oldest but because of her nature, however she understands the frustrations and anger of her brother especially, as he’s the most distant from their mom thanks to the timeline of her mental deterioration.

What [name_u]Sutton[/name_u] instead focuses on is encouraging her younger siblings to pursue their hobbies, passions and forms of happiness, hoping to provide some reprieve to her grandparents, who already do so much to see them well given the difficult circumstances they were born into. She and her granddad regularly tend the family allotment together, something [name_u]Sutton[/name_u] always finds very relaxing, and it’s helped by the fact the twin’s mom has a plot there too, so sometimes the three hang out while planting or organising (if their respective guardians are caught up in conversation).

[kitkatcookie]

cw: substance abuse & mental health problems [mentioned above too]

[name_f]Nicolette[/name_f] " [name_u]Nikki[/name_u] " [name_f]Dulcie[/name_f] Fairclough (15) is Sutton’s sister and the middle child, who often finds herself caught between forgiveness and resentment of their mother, most of all when she’s around both her siblings. All three of them have different biological fathers, something [name_u]Nikki[/name_u] used to be terrified of being discovered when she was younger, as she expected teasing; being a very private child who hated her business being poked and prodded at. Her dad was the most present in her life - something that did cause a bit of conflict with her brother - however he was a deeply troubled man, who was a heavy substance abuser, taking almost anything he could to block out the pain of his abusive upbringing. Visits between them were monitored closely by social services, and at one point they were almost banned when Nikki’s dad - in a very erratic state - declared he would be taking her to live in [name_u]Peru[/name_u] with him, specifically the mountains, where they could hide away from the world. She was only ten at the time, and didn’t understand the implications, however looking back she recognises he was still in the throws of his intense personal problems.

When she was twelve, [name_u]Nikki[/name_u] lost her father. He overdosed after her grandparents refused to let him take her out for the day when he turned up at the house completely wasted, falling back on drugs as a comfort when this access was denied. [name_u]Nikki[/name_u] was devastated by this and threatened to run away several times over the next few weeks - even attempting to save up her paper round money to facilitate this decision - but she never made an earnest effort, too crushed by the loss of her dad. Now she’s a little older, she recognises he was a very tormented man, echoing her mother in a lot of ways, and she’s felt some anger towards him - especially for how he treated her grandparents, the sole stable, loving infouences she and her siblings have ever had in their lives. She suspects she may have paternal half-siblings out there too - her mom once mentioned somethint to her implying he paid child support before [name_u]Nikki[/name_u] was born - but for now she wants to focus on pursuing her dream of becoming a journalist, instead of running into more potential upset and emotional harm.

While she still keeps her struggles private - only shared with a select few friends outside her family circle, who she loves more than she feels she fan express - [name_u]Nikki[/name_u] achieves this by being known for her quick wit and friendliness towards newcomers. She’s always mentioning new people to her grandparents, and jokes a lot about how she inherited this tendency from her grandma, who used to be a resturant hostess. Growing up, [name_u]Nikki[/name_u] was inseparable from her gran, and she wants to write a journalistic paper focusing on older people who take in family members due to substance abuse; a desire that’s led to her becoming more enthused about sociology. Her best friend is very ‘all American’ as she affectionately calls her: a newcomer to the cheer squad, peppy at every occasion, and her boyfriend belongs to the baseball team. Given their very polarising childhoods, their bond doesn’t make sense to some people, but [name_u]Nikki[/name_u] isn’t prone to envying her friend excessively [although there have been moments, especially when she was younger and more volatile] - instead the calmness of her friends’ home was a much needed haven for her when the stress of her dad or her brother lashing out at their mom became too much.

[jinxed_peach]

cw: casual use of hallucinogenic drugs

[name_m]Anthoni[/name_m] [name_u]James[/name_u] Carlston [20] and [name_u]Christian[/name_u] [name_u]Daniel[/name_u] Carlston [20] are friends of [name_u]Sutton[/name_u] (And sort of by association, Nikki) and the sons of Nathan’s girlfriend. They’ve heard a fair bit about their mom’s new beau and are a little concerned, mainly [name_m]Anthoni[/name_m], regarding the age gap considering she’s a solid 11 years younger than he is. Though she insists that he treats her well. The main reason that she hasn’t introduced her children to him is due to the fact that she’s often traveling around the globe for work, something that she enjoys greatly since she was active in her sons’ lives as they were growing up. Now that they’re old enough to be on their own more she’s more comfortable with leaving them alone for more extended periods of time.

Since their mom is always traveling they typically have the, rather large thanks to her hard wok, house to themselves. Which in the past [name_u]Christian[/name_u], the more extroverted and outgoing of the twins, had used to throw major parties, though now he prefers chill kickbacks with people like [name_u]Sutton[/name_u] and their other friend. Through these parties he met his current girlfriend, the two of them met while tripping off of LSD in his backyard. They ended up climbing to the roof to get a better look at the stars before sharing an intimate kiss beneath them. While [name_u]Christian[/name_u] tends to keep his drug use to social outings his girlfriend on the other hand takes them regularly since she finds the resulting visual effects make good inspiration for her art which she makes a living off of selling. She also considers her boyfriend somewhat of a muse for her art as well. The couple have often discusses someday moving in together once she finishes college and they currently ‘co-parent’ a rather chunky tabby cat named Thick [name_u]Nick[/name_u], short for Thicholas [name_m]Nicholas[/name_m] of course, who lives with her.

The two boys, while looking very visually similar, are pretty polar opposites. [name_m]Anthoni[/name_m] is much more soft spoken and enjoys the company of a good movie, particularly those of famous directors like Scorsese or [name_m]Tarantino[/name_m] with his favorite film of all time being Kill [name_m]Bill[/name_m], [name_f]Uma[/name_f] [name_m]Therman[/name_m] may or may not have been one of his first celebrity crushes. He’s perfectly happy being single at the moment after a bad breakup with his highschool sweetheart, but is completely unaware of the fact that his family’s landscaper’s daughter is harboring feelings for him with no idea how to approach him.

Another thing that the boys have in common, besides a birthday and a group of friends, is their love for the outdoors. Both of them regularly frequent several hiking trails and a rock climbing gym, often racing each other to see who can get the best time on each path. Here and there [name_u]Sutton[/name_u] and their other friend will join them but their other friend is a self-described ‘indoor adventurer’ who prefers the settings of museums or aquariums and has dragged the rest of the group to those locations multiple times.

[kitkatcookie]

cw: aforementioned recreational drug use

[name_f]Beulah[/name_f] " [name_m]Bow[/name_m] " [name_u]Morgan[/name_u] Casling (19) is Christian’s girlfriend, freelance artist and current primary guardian of Thick [name_u]Nick[/name_u]. Studying a combined degree of visual communication and fine art, [name_m]Bow[/name_m] hates to admit it but she’s firmly what you picture an art student to be: easygoing, free-spirited and prone to making decisions last minute. She’s a very understanding, accepting person who encourages self-expression and tolerance, belonging to the colleges Queer Association, who she’s produced signs and posters for. Having come out as bisexual when she was seventeen, Bow’s very grateful that her mom was fully supportive of her, however she’s painfully aware that not everyone receives such love and understanding; hence why raising queer community issues and helping others find their voices is so important to her. It’s the only time her laidback, dry humoured nature gives way for the much stronger side of her character, and she isn’t afraid of coming across as stubborn or difficult if it means what’s important gets addressed [and ideally resolved].

Like [name_u]Christian[/name_u], [name_m]Bow[/name_m] was raised by a single mother. Her dad was seeing two women at the time of Bow’s conception, and being a thoroughly irresponsible, self-interested man, he opted to leave with his girlfriend who wasn’t pregnant; telling Bow’s mom that just because she wanted to keep the baby, it didn’t mean he did. Unsurprisingly, [name_m]Bow[/name_m] thinks only lowly of him, and the few times they’ve met over the years haven’t been easy or pleasant to put it lightly. He simply felt he could waltz into his daughter’s life and immediately be accepted thanks to their biological connection, [name_m]Bow[/name_m] thought otherwise. She was eleven the first time they met in person and received him icily, even though she knows her mom couldn’t care less about the man. It’s important to [name_m]Bow[/name_m] however, as she refuses to be seen as a convenience or treated as such, something her mom is very invested in, and she’s firmly supported [name_m]Bow[/name_m] in ensuring any contact is on her daughter’s terms. There’s a little less overt frost now, but [name_m]Bow[/name_m] hasn’t warmed to the man either and doubts this will ever be the case.

Amidst partying - where she has the majority of her best trips, as she feels, due to the mood - [name_m]Bow[/name_m] can be found working her ‘big boy job’ [as she calls it], at a local convenience store/gas station. Her mom actually worked there in her teens, which is why she applied, and there’s an amusing photo in the break room her boss made of mother and daughter at the same till. While she sometimes works nights, it doesn’t phase [name_m]Bow[/name_m], as she’s got her own car [busing to work is something that drove her half-mad in high school, so she had to join the driving clan], and thankfully doesn’t encounter too many Karen’s where she’s based. If so she’ll always ask for comparative stories from her mom or immediately send the story to a friend, mostly laughing off entitled behaviour, unless it’s truly shocking or tinged with intolerance. Bow’s currently in the midst of trying to set up two of her colleagues: who blatantly fancy each other but somehow can’t recognise it’s a mutual attraction. She also suspects the affections harboured by a certain landscapers daughter is directed at [name_m]Anthoni[/name_m], but just needs to figure out how to approach said girl…

---

Thicholas [name_m]Nicholas[/name_m] supremacy

[A.B.Galaxy]

[name_f]Jessamine[/name_f] " [name_u]Jess[/name_u] " [name_f]Marigold[/name_f] [name_m]Bennet[/name_m] (19) is the daughter of the Carlston’s landscaper and the girl who has feelings for [name_m]Anthoni[/name_m]. Jess’s father has worked for the Carlstons since she was 10 and back then [name_u]Jess[/name_u] would occasionally play with the two boys. They aren’t friends anymore though, leaving [name_u]Jess[/name_u] with the awful predicament of how she’s supposed to tell [name_m]Anthoni[/name_m] what she feels for him. She sees him often, either around the yard or when the boys’ mom isn’t home and Jess’s dad needs to talk to them. [name_m]Anthoni[/name_m] ends up talking to her sometimes and [name_u]Jess[/name_u] has wanted to tell him but can’t.

[name_m]Born[/name_m] with two flower names to a dad who loved landscaping, and a mom who was a florist, it wasn’t a surprise when [name_u]Jess[/name_u] ended up with a deep love for nature. Quite coincidentally, a few weeks ago [name_u]Jess[/name_u] bumped into [name_m]Anthoni[/name_m] and [name_u]Christian[/name_u] while they were on a hiking trail. They asked if she’d like to join them and she did. [name_u]Jess[/name_u] was a ball of anxiety the whole time though and didn’t talk much. She thinks they find her weird now. Jess’s mom passed away when she was 7 and both her and her dad miss her. He’s gone on a few dates here and there but nothing serious. [name_u]Jess[/name_u] would be okay if he does find someone as he deserves to be happy.

Jess’s dad is pretty protective of her as in school she was teased for her anxiety. Being too nervous to stick up for herself she was easy to make fun of. Her best and only friend was the one who got her through each day and they are still close now. Her friend has other friends that she hangs out with but [name_u]Jess[/name_u] has never been confident enough to join that group. She often wishes she could be like other people and not worry so much. [name_u]Jess[/name_u] is going to college online to become a landscaper like her dad. She’s always known she wanted a job that had to do with nature although she debated between landscaping and nature photography. The photography is just a hobby now but she’s sold a few of her pictures. Unbeknownst to her, [name_m]Anthoni[/name_m] and Christian’s other friend has bought some of them.

[PaperGirlAC]

[name_f]Kyra[/name_f] [name_f]Jolene[/name_f] [name_m]Weston[/name_m] (19) is Jess’s best friend. [name_f]Kyra[/name_f] has always encouraged [name_u]Jess[/name_u] to go out with her and her friend group but understands Jess’s anxiety. Kyra’s friends may have been more popular in high school but ultimately they are just kind people. [name_f]Kyra[/name_f] was on the swim team and would do stage crew many of the high school theatre productions. [name_f]Kyra[/name_f] got to know many different kinds of people that way and has always been socially confident.

Being one of five kids and being the second to youngest [name_f]Kyra[/name_f] has always known she has to speak up. [name_f]Kyra[/name_f] always enjoys going to Jess’s house where it is peaceful and quiet. [name_m]Even[/name_m] in her dorm room now at the university nearby she considers it quiet. [name_f]Kyra[/name_f] is majoring in nutrition with a minor in social work and is interested in making healthy eating as accessible as possible. She works as a student groundskeeper on campus and it reminds her of [name_u]Jess[/name_u] and Jess’s father. She goes home about once a month and usually spends the day with [name_u]Jess[/name_u] visiting some local parks and hiking spots. As kids they would always try to spit watermelon seeds farther than one another. [name_m]Even[/name_m] now as supposed adults they still find themselves trying to out-spit the other. [name_f]Kyra[/name_f] hopes that with more visits [name_u]Jess[/name_u] will get more comfortable with Kyra’s roommate who already loves Jess’s photography.

[CherryBomb50]

[name_m]Apollo[/name_m] [name_u]Casey[/name_u] [name_m]Weston[/name_m] (15) is Kyra’s younger brother and the youngest. Growing up, he was always a “little troll“ but he’s gotten more mature since his early teenage years, especially with his friendship to [name_u]Nikki[/name_u]. They’re just friends and have no intent on a romantic relationship and [name_m]Apollo[/name_m] is not interesting in dating anyone. [name_m]Apollo[/name_m] is one of the friends who was told by [name_u]Nikki[/name_u] about her struggles and he’s completely supported her and became a good friend to her. [name_m]Apollo[/name_m] can’t imagine losing a parent, both his parents are alive and only one of his 4 grandparents are deceased. He’s currently in school and is a whiz kid at geometry, which he’s proud of.

Currently [name_m]Apollo[/name_m] is on the stage crew in high school as well, just like [name_f]Kyra[/name_f] was. He’s been there for all the plays and dance recitals the school has. They’re currently doing The Nutcracker ballet and secretly, [name_m]Apollo[/name_m] is falling for the girl who’s playing [name_f]Clara[/name_f]. He’s always found her a great actress and ballerina but he’s never known how beautiful she really was until he saw her in-costume. The school has performed 3 of their 4 performance dates and they’re going to miss when it’s all done but they’re always excited for what comes next. While [name_m]Apollo[/name_m] is maturing and taking those steps between a boy and a man, he still likes to go goofy and he’s glad his older sister [name_f]Kyra[/name_f] and her friend [name_u]Jess[/name_u] still like spitting watermelon seeds, which he likes to join in when he’s around.

[jinxed_peach]

[name_u]Kenna[/name_u] [name_u]Joan[/name_u] [name_m]Gilmore[/name_m] [15] is the dancer playing [name_f]Clara[/name_f] in the school’s latest production of The Nutcracker. She’s been in dance and specifically ballet since she could practically walk. This was a choice from her mother since she herself was once a Broadway starlet in the past although she took a long break from her career after suffering an injury. She’s actually going back to [name_u]New[/name_u] [name_u]York[/name_u] soon for her first big role since [name_u]Kenna[/name_u] was born. A few other kids at school, particularly in the theatre department know who she is and have hounded [name_u]Kenna[/name_u] for information or chances to meet her which she hates but is too nice to decline and since her mother doesn’t really mind she allows it.

She’s just begun to notice that [name_m]Apollo[/name_m] has been looking at her in a new way and is flattered by the attention. She’s never had a boyfriend before and has enjoyed his company so far as a friend and would be open to seeing him in a romantic way but doesn’t want to seem too ‘desperate’ as her older sister has warned her of.

[kitkatcookie]

[name_u]Indiana[/name_u] " [name_u]Indigo[/name_u] " [name_f]Beatrice[/name_f] Tollett (15) is Kenna’s best friend. Named for the state she was born in - with a brother who gets his from the place their parents honeymooned in - [name_u]Indigo[/name_u] chose her nickname for her favourite colour when she was seven [and thankfully purples remained on top since]. At fifteen she’s proven herself comfortably cynical, and has a black sense of humour that her teachers have had mixed reactions to: some consider it witty, others a concerning reflection of the state of modern youth - [name_u]Indigo[/name_u] would rather not be a poster child for a boomer conspiracy, but at the same time she loves entertaining her friends. She’s known the status of Kenna’s mom since the day they met, and the pair’s bond stems from the fact [name_u]Indigo[/name_u] won’t let anyone bother the other girl about this, pointing out it’s not anyone’s business what Kenna’s mother gets up to on multiple occasions. The daughter of a hairdresser and park ranger, her background is far more pedestrian, but really [name_u]Indigo[/name_u] prefers this, as she enjoys having space where she can clear her mind and make headway on her writing projects.

[name_f]Poetry[/name_f] is what she loves best but absolutely no romance is penned by [name_u]Indigo[/name_u]. Dating really doesn’t interest her - in fact it disinterests her - but she’ll always support her friends [within reason, excessive PDA is not something she has much tolerance for]. Aside from this, [name_u]Indigo[/name_u] enjoys rollerskating - she’s not the best but it never bothers her - and all kinds of metal music, a passion shared by her mom, dad and brother. She’s been on family outings to concerts and events, something her friends find hilarious, but it hasn’t been labelled as cringe by [name_u]Indigo[/name_u] [it’s actually something she’s delighted there’s such strong bonds thanks to], so she’s never bothered by their ribbing.

Her greatest love is undeniably her bearded dragon: technically a shared pet for [name_u]Indigo[/name_u] and her brother, but she nicknamed him ‘The Claw’ [his actual name is Malachite] and it’s created a strong bond between her and the reptile. What she doesn’t enjoy as much is that [name_m]Malachite[/name_m] lives in her brother’s room: a hellsite of books, sheet music from orchestra practice and assorted tech projects - whereas [name_u]Indigo[/name_u] is absolutely organised in her own domain. In many ways they’re very similar personalities - dry humoured, heavily sarcastic and employers of a flat vocal affect - but their means of conduct clash, and the way Indigo’s brother leaves clutter in his wake drives her to the brink of madness. Worse still, she and [name_u]Kenna[/name_u] suspect romance is brewing between their respective older siblings: an absolute horror as who wants to imagine that mushiness with people you eat dinner in the company of every night?

[CherryBomb50]

Warning for estrangement/abandonment.

[name_u]Sean[/name_u] [name_u]Casey[/name_u] [name_f]Triolet[/name_f] (24) is the pet store employee who sold [name_m]Malachite[/name_m] to [name_u]Indigo[/name_u] and her brother. It’s a small pet shop that doesn’t sell dogs or cats and usually sells small mammals, reptiles, birds, and fish. He’s on good terms with [name_u]Indigo[/name_u] and her brother although they both were surprised he was 24, given that he looks more like a teenager. Ironically their first bonding conversation was an extremely immature one - they were talking about how annoyed they were about their last names looking so similar to “toilet”! [name_u]Sean[/name_u] isn’t really involved in all the crushes the others have on people but he’d be lying if he said he had nothing to do with crushes or mutuals. He’s actually dating the second-eldest [name_m]Weston[/name_m] sibling, although it’s only been a few weeks of their relationship so they’re enjoying newly dating life. Sean’s happy that she said yes to dating him but they’re not yet calling each other boyfriend and girlfriend. He and his date are looking good in terms of progressing their relationship that way but still want to take it slow. Of course they both can’t help but be hopeful for the others who secretly have crushes on people, [name_u]Sean[/name_u] knew what that was like before asking out his date.

[name_u]Sean[/name_u] was raised by a single father, a young dad whose girlfriend left him and [name_u]Sean[/name_u] about 6 months after he was born. He has his own secret, he’s the stepbrother of [name_m]Bow[/name_m]. After leaving his father, his mother had a whirlwind romance and married Bow’s estranged father. Sean’s mother, who isn’t in his life, just acted as though she had no children. [name_u]Sean[/name_u] doesn’t see any connection between his mother and Bow’s father so he doesn’t really consider himself “stepson” to Bow’s father. He’s never met [name_m]Bow[/name_m] but would consider contacting her if she was alright with that. His estranged mother has never told him about [name_m]Bow[/name_m] and Bow’s estranged father never told her about [name_u]Sean[/name_u]. Thankfully [name_u]Sean[/name_u] also hasn’t had too many Karen’s at the pet shop either and has met some pretty nice people there, his father being a friend of the Tolletts. [name_u]Sean[/name_u] is glad [name_u]Indigo[/name_u] and her brother love [name_m]Malachite[/name_m] and he finds his favourite part of working at the pet shop to be bonding and caring for the animals until they’re adopted into their new homes.

[jinxed_peach]

cw: medical issues

[name_f]Wilhelmina[/name_f] ‘Billie’ [name_u]Kay[/name_u] McIntire [25] is a frequent customer of Sean’s at the pet store he works at as she is typically stopping by every few days to get things for her kitten, [name_u]Miles[/name_u], and leopard gecko, [name_m]Domingo[/name_m]. She’s thankfully not one of the ‘Karens’ who occasionally come in through she has seen a few of them in action. [name_u]Billie[/name_u] is actually quiet the opposite of a rude customer as she’s very happy-go-lucky and bright. Her friends often regard her as bubbly and excitable, usually being the one to plan activities and parties for her group.

Some of her zest for life comes from being sick as a teenager, once a soccer player and the MVP of her team she began experiencing numbness in her legs and mobility issues. A series of tests later her doctors found a tumor. While it was benign the placement of it was the real issue, it was compressing her spinal cord and causing her symptoms. It was supposed to be a simple surgery to remove it although once it commenced they realized that it was much deeper than they thought and it could not be removed without cutting her spinal cord and paralyzing her permanently. Her parents had to choose whether or not to remove it. The options weren’t ideal either way, either [name_u]Billie[/name_u] ended up in a wheelchair now, or later when the tumor continued to grow and eventually fully cut off her spinal cord’s connection to her lower body. They chose the former and from then on she was in a wheelchair.

Her family anticipated a lot of emotional distress from their daughter but instead [name_u]Billie[/name_u] took on the new challenge head on and jumped into her physical therapy activities. She became proficient in using her chair within a few months and was looking at wheelchair soccer leagues shortly after. One of which she eventually joined, several of her closest friends were met there.

Her party planning abilities are about to get a new exciting opportunity, her brother is getting married this spring and he asked her to plan the party.

[CherryBomb50]

[name_m]Cornelio[/name_m] “ [name_m]Nelio[/name_m] “ [name_u]Rain[/name_u] McIntire (26) is Billie’s elder brother. He’s an assistant manager at a discount store and as [name_u]Billie[/name_u] knows best, [name_m]Nelio[/name_m] loves discounts. Sometimes if he sees something on sale at a shop, he won’t buy it yet and instead he’ll wait until the price gets lower. [name_u]Billie[/name_u] asks him, “What do you do when you look for an item in the store and it’s not there anymore because it’s all bought out?” [name_m]Nelio[/name_m] replied, “I just go to a different store location and find it there.” He’s driven 45 minutes just to find the store with a hat he wanted but says it’s worth it. He wears that hat all the time even now! So it’s no surprise his love for discounts has gotten him promoted to assistant manager at his discount store.

[name_m]Nelio[/name_m] is one year older than [name_u]Billie[/name_u] but for most of elementary school days, he went to school in the same grade as her. Not because [name_u]Billie[/name_u] skipped a grade or because of birthday cutoff dates but because [name_m]Nelio[/name_m] actually repeated a grade. In his childhood, he was forced to repeat first grade. When he took first grade again; he liked it because he was the oldest in the grade, it was “easier than second grade”, and he got to be with his sister. But then it kicked in when he saw his friends in first grade moving onto second grade while he was in first grade. This bothered him, and his time in grade school was tough. He never repeated a grade again but he always felt behind the kids who were in the grade above him because he wasn’t with them. His sister [name_u]Billie[/name_u] really helped him with his confidence and he bonded better with her friends than the people who were his friends before he repeated a grade. [name_u]Billie[/name_u] made sure [name_m]Nelio[/name_m] never considered himself “stupid” even when [name_m]Nelio[/name_m] himself did and always comforted him even when he asked questions such as, “How can someone be so stupid to fail first grade?” As it turns out, [name_m]Nelio[/name_m] wasn’t stupid, he actually had a learning disability. However given its rarity, it was undiagnosed at the time [name_m]Nelio[/name_m] repeated first grade. His schools have since been more accommodating to him and even let him have the opportunity to go to middle school a year early. [name_m]Nelio[/name_m] felt wrong leaving his sister behind after how much she motivated him but she reassured him to go for it and that she was a year younger than him anyway. [name_m]Nelio[/name_m] took a test because he wanted to prove he would be capable, passed, and got to equalise himself back into the grade he was meant to be in.

During his teenage years, [name_m]Nelio[/name_m] repaid his sister [name_u]Billie[/name_u] during her difficult decision to have the tumour removed and start using wheelchairs. [name_m]Nelio[/name_m] reassured [name_u]Billie[/name_u] that people will accommodate her and that she deserves to be respected. He made sure never to act like she was “broken” or call her “crippled” and never say she was “bound” or “confined” to her wheelchair. Wheelchairs aren’t punishments, they’re accommodations. Of course, he still supported treating her as humanly as possible and discussing other stuff besides wheelchairs all the time. He was also motivated by Billie’s kind spirit and motivation to never give up. Her passion for soccer and devotion to join a league of soccer players in wheelchairs as soon as she got proficient in using her wheelchair was something [name_m]Nelio[/name_m] found extremely impressive. He wished he had the same zest for life and was proud his sister was such a champion on and off the soccer field.

Outside [name_u]Billie[/name_u] and his family, Nelio‘s closest bond is his fiancée. She’s also understanding of the challenged community and has been a huge supporter of the McIntire family. Both [name_m]Nelio[/name_m] and his fiancée are super strongly connected to family and any past relationship they’ve had where their family didn’t approve was a relationship that would never work out in the end. Once [name_m]Nelio[/name_m] got close with his fiancée‘s family and vice-versa, the two knew they had to keep going steps forward — and they have, [name_m]Nelio[/name_m] proposed and she said yes! They haven’t talked too much about wedding planning until just recently, where [name_u]Billie[/name_u] was the first person [name_m]Nelio[/name_m] talked to about party planning. Billie’s excited for them and Nelio’s so happy she gets along with his fiancée so well. He’s even jokingly told his fiancée that when she throws the bouquet, to throw it in Billie’s direction!

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[name_f]Carolina[/name_f] [name_f]Deanne[/name_f] [name_u]Clayton[/name_u] [26] is Nelio’s fiancée and friend of the McIntire family. The two of them met when they were both shopping at the same discount shop and looking at similar items, she asked for his advice on what to buy her her brother and they ended up spending the rest of the day shopping together. From then on they started going on thrift shopping dates and their relationship grew from then on.

She loves [name_m]Nelio[/name_m] and his bond with his sister, [name_f]Carolina[/name_f] herself has grown somewhat close to [name_u]Billie[/name_u] through their mutual connection. She would love to be able to thank her someday for all the wonderful parties that she’s thrown over the years.

Outside her of her relationship she’s a vet tech assistant and sister to three other siblings in her family. She’s very sympathetic to [name_m]Nelio[/name_m] and his past learning issues, she’s had her own issues in the past as well but not in that way. She’s colorblind and was completely unaware of that fact until roughly sixth grade. She used to be bullied for messing up her colors and wearing outfits that ‘didn’t match’ for many years. It effected her confidence greatly, after receiving a formal diagnosis it was relieving to have a word for what had caused her issues, and now that she knew what it was it was easier to cope with. Through therapy she learned how to not let the bullies get to her and eventually grow into the woman that she is today. She is a little nervous about matching her wedding colors though, hopefully [name_u]Billie[/name_u] can help with that!

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[name_u]Kyle[/name_u] [name_m]Benedict[/name_m] [name_u]Clayton[/name_u] (28) is a sibling of [name_f]Carolina[/name_f] in the [name_u]Clayton[/name_u] family. [name_u]Kyle[/name_u] works in a lounge and has a part-time job as a food delivery driver. He loves discounts; in fact he’s the brother [name_f]Carolina[/name_f] was shopping for when she met [name_m]Nelio[/name_m]! He always jokes, “That’s right sis, the best way to find love is to shop for me!” and when they were engaged, he even wore the clothes [name_f]Carolina[/name_f] bought him and joked, “I got them together and these fabulous clothes are my awesome reward”. He’s excited to be standing with the other groomsmen and he’s happy for his sister [name_f]Carolina[/name_f]. He is a flamboyant type and has no idea why some people, particularly men, don’t like weddings. [name_u]Kyle[/name_u] loves them! [name_u]Free[/name_u] cake, of the highest and best quality! Fun dances, of course the couple gets the first dance, but it’s free game after that! But most importantly, he gets to see [name_f]Carolina[/name_f] and Nelio’s two families together as one and that’s what he’s really all about it for. He can have the cake and dances as a guest, but he’s grateful for his role in the ceremony, especially since he’s so close to her.

He’s always liked being a part of the wedding ceremony, he remembers his first wedding role, ring bearer at his uncle’s wedding at age 6. He was so excited although felt embarrassed when he tripped at the wedding rehearsal. His family reassured him not to worry, mistakes like this are why rehearsals exist, and told him he’s still going to be the best ring bearer at the wedding! This motivated a sweet 6-year-old [name_u]Kyle[/name_u], and he did his job perfectly at the wedding. Looking back, he knows that wedding was about his uncle and aunt, not about him anyway. But he still finds it so cute seeing old pictures of him as a ring bearer and remembering how happy he was to do it right for them.

Like his sister [name_f]Carolina[/name_f], he is also colourblind! He was diagnosed earlier than her, mainly because he was older, male (colourblindness affects males more) and his colourblindness was the more common deuteranomaly while [name_f]Carolina[/name_f] had the rarer tritanopia. Being colourblind himself, he wouldn’t notice Carolina’s clothes wouldn’t match although he perceived colour differently than she had. And because she knew he was colourblind, she knew his colour perception on her clothes was off anyway, not realising her perception was off too. When they were kids, they didn’t know there were multiple types of colourblindness. Now they know [name_u]Kyle[/name_u] sees things in a darker and/or more faded yellow while [name_f]Carolina[/name_f] sees in deeper reds, greens, and turquoise. [name_u]Kyle[/name_u] jokes that he wishes he had her type of colourblindness: tritanopia looks so beautiful!

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[name_f]Hilaria[/name_f] [name_f]Elsa[/name_f] Clayton-Hartley [33] is the oldest sister of [name_u]Kyle[/name_u], [name_f]Carolina[/name_f], and their third sibling. She’s been receiving a lot of attention from all members of her family as she’s expecting the first grandchild for both sides of the family and the first niece and nephew, or rather niece and nephew! Despite not having twins running in the family on either her or her husband’s side, the couple of three years or marriage and seven years of being together total are expecting double trouble. Although parenthood is looming very closely behind them, the couple are trying to enjoy their last few months as a duo and are currently planning a babymoon to [name_f]Thailand[/name_f].

Unlike her siblings [name_f]Hilaria[/name_f] is not colorblind though she wonders if either of her children will be. She’s always loved her siblings and their unique views, as kids they would all do the same paint-by-numbers that their parents gave the four [name_u]Clayton[/name_u] kids and she loved to see their interpretations, at the time thinking they were just creative. When they got older she also came to their defense from bullies, getting sent to detention a few times for taking things a little too far.

She’s excited to see [name_f]Carolina[/name_f] and [name_m]Nelio[/name_m] get married and is incredibly thankful that the couple choose to plan their wedding with enough time in advance for [name_f]Hilaria[/name_f] to have given birth by then and to have had some time with her twins. Though she keeps joking about getting them a really awesome wedding gift to make up for the accommodation it wasn’t really too much of an ask. [name_f]Carolina[/name_f] and [name_m]Nelio[/name_m] want to have their wedding be the same day as their anniversary, which is in the middle of summer! As much as [name_f]Carolina[/name_f] would love to get a little payback on the sisterly torment she went through, having her sister stand up at the altar in a bridesmaid dress in the heat of [name_u]July[/name_u] while nine months pregnant with twins is just too much!

Hilaria’s planning on the wedding being her first big night out without the babies and is looking forward to the celebration.

[CherryBomb50]

[name_u]Mason[/name_u] [name_u]Oleander[/name_u] [name_u]Clayton[/name_u] (32) is Hilaria’s brother and second-eldest [name_u]Clayton[/name_u]. [name_u]Mason[/name_u] loves fun and is a rock climbing instructor and he’s with a lot of fellow enthusiasts he’s close with. He is also not colourblind, which made the [name_u]Clayton[/name_u] parents initially think nobody would be colourblind until [name_u]Kyle[/name_u] and [name_f]Carolina[/name_f] turned out to be colourblind. Then it turned out [name_u]Mason[/name_u] was colourblind but only slightly. Their parents love them all the same and [name_u]Mason[/name_u] knows [name_f]Hilaria[/name_f] and her husband will feel the same about the twins.

[name_u]Mason[/name_u] is super close with Hilaria’s husband and is definitely sure Hilaria’s husband will be a great father to twins. Hilaria’s husband invited [name_u]Mason[/name_u], [name_u]Kyle[/name_u], and a few other men to his “dad-chelor party” (yes these exist, look 'em up) which is similar to a bachelor party but it’s to celebrate the last day(s) before a man becomes a dad. [name_u]Mason[/name_u] has only been to one other dad-chelor party and it ended abruptly when the wife was having contractions and needed to go to the hospital to give birth. In retrospect, that was the perfect way to end the party but at the time, it was so chaotic!

[name_u]Mason[/name_u] hopes [name_f]Hilaria[/name_f] and her husband enjoy the last few moments of their time as a duo and make new memories when the family grows! [name_u]Mason[/name_u] has become good friends with his siblings-in-law and has been jokingly rumoured to be in love with one of his siblings-in-law, but this is completely false - they’re all strictly friends.

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[name_m]Francisco[/name_m] ‘Cisco’ [name_u]Andrea[/name_u] [name_u]Hartley[/name_u] [34] is the brother-in-law of [name_u]Mason[/name_u], [name_u]Kyle[/name_u], and [name_f]Carolina[/name_f] as he’s married to [name_f]Hilaria[/name_f] and father to their unborn twins. The couple met at a party for a mutual friend and ended up bonding over being the only two people there who gathered in a bedroom to pet the host’s dog. The moment being significant enough for them to commemorate their fifth anniversary of dating with adopting a pooch of their own, a terrier-chihuahua mix named [name_m]Barney[/name_m] who’s been the couple’s first ‘baby’ which they have full intentions of keeping his status as their ‘eldest’ even with the two non-canine additions they have incoming. The little dog is adored by the other [name_u]Clayton[/name_u] siblings as well and all of them have volunteered to watch him while the couple are enjoying their babymoon.

Being half-Dominican (on his mother’s side) [name_m]Cisco[/name_m] wants to ensure that his kids are raised with the knowledge of his culture and [name_f]Hilaria[/name_f] has frequently joked that they already are considering she had pretty intense cravings for sancocho, a Dominican stew, during her pregnancy that [name_m]Cisco[/name_m] was all too happy to make for her whenever she liked. The couple has also been eyeing Dominican names for their children and are beginning to center in on a few viable options.

Though he loves his heritage his relationship with his family is a little more complicated. He was raised alone by his mother after his father ran out on them when he was a toddler. The arraignment was difficult but they managed. Until one day when his dad came back and begged the two to let him back into their lives. Reluctantly Cisco’s mom agreed. The rest of his adolescence was actually pretty normal and even good, his mother forgave his father in time but there was always a strange feeling that he had around him. Still harboring resentment and other complex emotions for his father having left them in the first place. Through therapy and Hilaria’s support he’s trying to work through it, but he’s taking his time.