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it was young love when they had met and, after a year of dating the two were engaged, and six months after that they were married in a small catholic ceremony. it was only a year later that they would welcome their first daughter, mariana, into their lives. mariana was a gift from god, they thought, and she was a handful from the start. she was fussy and stubborn and not at all like the children that selma was used to dealing with. despite the hardships they had with their daughter they wanted to expand their family. after several close calls and one miscarriage, the young couple welcomed their next daughter, bella, three years after the arrival of mariana. mariana's stubborn streak didn't end with childhood and she continued it when she was in school. she was a bright girl but she always wanted to be perfect. she was always striving for perfection and it drove her crazy sometimes. her friends always knew that she was the leader of their group and that she always knew best. she hung out with a lot of kids and they were kids from all walks of life. they didn't really seem to care that mariana was one of the smarter students. she was still cool, she still hung out with them, and that was all that mattered. nothing really changed as they got through high school either but that was when she noticed the violence more. her friends were dying on the streets and she couldn't understand why. that was when she realized what she wanted to do -- she wanted to help people. she would go to school to become a cop. there was the possibility of going to the police academy directly out of high school but she wanted to be the first person in her family with a degree so she applied and was accepted into rutgers for criminal justice. it was in new jersey so she was still close but far enough away from her family. throughout high school, mariana had struggled with her sexuality. she knew that she was attracted to girls but dated guys to throw her parents off of her scent. due to their religious upbringing she knew that if her family ever found out about her sexuality they would be devestated so she kept it to herself. being off in college, however, meant that mariana was free to be herself and she was able to have a girlfriend and she did. when things got too serious and she wanted her to meet her family, mariana abruptly ended the relationship, which ended in heartbreak for both of them. she just couldn't commit to someone at that time because she was essentially living a double life. she envied the fact that her girlfriend had a family that was so supportive so she just threw herself into her studies. she also took some side jobs as a model to pay her way through college. she graduated top of her class and made her way back to new york to go the the police academy at the nypd. it was easy for mariana to get through the academy and she was soon on the field working for the police department. she thrived on helping people and being a fair police officer for everyone. it was nice to be close to family again, although it meant that she had to be careful. one night her little sister saw her out with friends and holdidng a girl's hand. bella confronted her about it but she understood why she needed to hide it from their family. she promised to keep her secret for her. after a year and a half she was transferred to work at the boston police department, as they had an opening, and mariana was a good fit for what they were looking for. she didn't know anyone in boston but she quietly started dating someone. everything in her life was going well until she received a call from her parents three years ago. bella had told them that mariana was gay and they didn't take it well. selma begged her daughter to return home and her father didn't even want to speak with her. still, mariana stood her ground, finally saying the words that she didn't have the courage to say. her mother sobbed on the other side of the phone and she didn't speak to either of her parents for the better part of the year but now they have come around. mariana has had some relationships here and there but nothing that ever stuck. she's married to her work in a lot of ways -- she has been working as a detective in the homicide division for a year and a half now. that is until recently. now she's trying to deal with a new location and the feeling that maybe she doesn't want to put her life on the line every single day. • even though her sister outted her, she's extremely close to her little sister, bella. she's a model so she travels a lot but they try and facetime once a week. • her father owns his own construction company in new york now and her mother still works at a daycare. they constantly ask if mariana is going to give them grandchildren. • even though she grew up catholic she likes to refer to herself as a 'retired' catholic. she still has a cross in her apartment, though. • has trained in martial arts and kickboxing. she is frequently at the gym when she isn't working. • she has a tough exterior but she's a romantic at heart. she won't tell you that she loves curling up, eating a gallon of ice cream, and crying through a lifetime movie. • enjoys drinking, especially after a hard day at work. .
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