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DANI AND JOSE
Gina was never close to her family but that never meant that she didn't care for them. She knew her parents were never ready to be parents—hell she wouldn't be ready to be a mom at this age so she could understand them and their choices.
When Dani was 14, she had been kicked out of her home by her parents, she had introduced her parents to her girlfriend. They freaked out and threw Dani and her girlfriend out of the house that very second, needless to say, they didn't support Dani's decisions. As much as Dani tried to explain her feelings to them, it didn't matter because no matter if Dani was Bisexual, she wasn't what they wanted her to be. Dani was homeless after that her parents didn't want her there and she also wanted to be somewhere she was accepted.
Jose lived in the rough part of his city, he adapted to his environment quickly—it was kill or get killed. He chose his side and that got him through his youth but at the price of devoting his life to the streets. It wasn't safe but he did what he had to do to keep his sister safe, not that it mattered—his heart wouldn't hold up to live a long life. It was his curse, given to him by his mother and her father and his mother before; his heart was just too big for the life he lived.
Dani met Jose a few months after being homeless, they were both running from the cops after a shooting happened. There was an instant connection, they were a year apart and at 2 different stages in their life, but they both understood the lonely feeling of living life on the edge. As they grew closer together Jose invited Dani to live with him and his sister. Dani refused at first, she didn't want to owe his anything but eventually as winter came around, she accepted the offer. Maribel wasn't a fan of the idea at first—she didn't think having a 14-year-old girl living with a hormonal 15-year-old was right. But as she learned more about Dani, she realized that the young girl needed help because she wouldn't survive living on the streets, especially being a young woman.
As time went on, Dani and Jose became the best of friends—both having other failed relationships, but they had a platonic relationship. For Dani's 15th birthday, Jose threw her a party since she couldn't experience a quinceanera, and it was that night when the two of them got drunk that a big mistake happened that would change their life. The next morning was awkward as hell but the two cared too much about each other to let anything happen to the relationship they had built. So, they spoke about the incident and got over it, the two moved on and Jose got into another relationship—everything was normal. As soon as Dani got sick, Maribel knew that she had made a mistake by letting Dani in, but she couldn't abandon the young girl because she was family now. When Jose and Dani found out about the baby, they were both scare as hell, Dani was 15 and Jose was about to turn 17.
They were kids.
The two didn't know what to do, Dani thought about getting an abortion, but the clinic would require an adult and her doctor would call her parents. So, she decided the keep the baby until she thought of a better idea. Jose was thrilled at the idea of having a little baby, but he was scared as hell bringing in a baby into his life. Maribel knew that if Jose left his life and tried to start a romantic relationship with Dani then things would work; Maribel also knew that they were kids and if this situation happened when the two were in their mid-twenties then Dani and Jose would have no troubles raising a baby together. Maribel would support their decisions, but she hoped that the kids would do the right thing but if Jose and Dani wanted to keep the baby then she would be there until they were old enough to move on.
9 months later, Dani gave birth to little Gina—a name to honor Jose's late mother which made Jose almost break down and cry—nothing else felt like it mattered. Jose's heart broke when he realized that he gave the heart condition to his daughter and the hospital bills were piling up fast due to the lack of insurance. This condition was nothing new to the family though, Maribel knew what to do because she was the one who took care of her mother and brother. Other than the heart medicine that Gina had to take, the little family lived on peace and happiness for the first few months of life—there was nothing they worried about. Reality came knocking in the form of Jose's bosses giving him a job to do, that's when the 3 adults realized that their little girl would never be safe in a life like this. So, with a heavy heart, Dani and Jose made the decision to find Gina a home that would give her a safe home.
Jose had no one other than Maribel to call, so Dani called the only stable person she knew—her brother but this came at a risk. Andre was a police officer looking to make sheriff eventually in a small town away from the city and also far from his hometown. He was 10 years older than Dani; Andre was at the point in his life where he had a stable income, decent health benefits, and he lived in a small town which meant less trouble. Dani knew that her brother would take care of her baby—he owed her that much after leaving her in their childhood home alone. When Dani reached out to Andre, he was reluctant but eventually caved in when he saw the environment his sister was living in. It wasn't the worst thing in the world, but it wasn't what they were used to growing up. When Andre saw Gina, he knew he had to protect her, there were a lot of moments where he wasn't able to be there for his sister and now, he refused to let his niece grow up being vulnerable.
After Gina's first birthday, Dani and Jose signed their parental rights away to Andre. The small family had to say goodbye to each other because Gina would be moving to Beacon Hills—a few hours away from LA where she was born. Maribel was sad but she knew it was for the best—Dani and Jose would be able to grow up and learn. Dani knew she would be able to see her baby again, but it still hurt to let go of her precious angel, but she knew Gina would be better off. Jose was a wreak, he didn't know what to do or what to feel, he didn't want to let Gina go—but he did, and it almost broke him.
Settling into their new home was tough at first but as time went on, Andre and Gina became used to each other and built a routine. As years went on, Dani and Jose would take trips up to visit Gina sometimes separate but most of the time together. Andre had one rule for them, no significant others of theirs would meet Gina unless they were a fiancée. Andre kept that rile true for himself too and maybe that's what killed his love life, but as time went on, he didn't find anyone that was a perfect match for him.
As time went on, the routine stayed the same time for Gina and her family, when Gina reached the teen years, she started to understand why her family wasn't normal. Her family was different, she never had to hide anything because her family wasn't strict, it was like living with her friends all the time. She loved her dynamic with her family: Andre was like the responsible uncle, Dani was the big sister, and Jose was the super fun uncle. Maribel passed away from a gang-related shooting when Gina was 4, so, Gina never got to formally meet her, only through stories.
If there was one thing Gina learned from her parents, it was not to be afraid to love and that love takes time. Jose and Dani loved each other platonically and that taught Gina that love was the greatest gift that a person could be given.
