❝i am the shore and the ocean, awaiting myself on both sides.❞
resident | crossroads | yoga instructor & bartender at limelight | twenty-three | female (she/her)
trigger warnings: car accident, death
Sara grew up in one of those large, beautiful mansions in Seal Beach, California, close enough to the ocean that the sound of its crashing waves lulled her to sleep almost every night. Except, it wasn’t really her house, and she didn’t actually sleep in it either— not unless you count the guest house in the back where her and her mom shared a small home for over a decade. You see, Milagros Alvarez had come to the US as a bright eyed nineteen year old, leaving behind her native Argentina in search of a better life. How that was supposed to happen, she had no idea, but she was determined and smart enough to find a way to make it work somehow.
The whole ‘live-in-maid’ thing was supposed to be a temporary solution to tide her over until she had enough money and a more in depth plan, but when she came to love the Lincoln’s, the family she worked for, their kids too and maybe especially them, she slowed down and stopped worrying about what was next, living a more comfortable life instead, always knowing where her next pay check came from and that she had a roof over her head. When a short-term relationship turned into a surprise pregnancy when she was just 21, dreams of making it big herself were put on hold entirely, and Milagros instead focused on impending motherhood.
Not having Sara wasn’t even an option, even when it became clear she would have to do it alone, be a single mother, Milagros still wanted to do it, and surprisingly enough, the family she worked for promised they would help her in any way they could, as long as she came back to work for them when Sara was old enough to start daycare. They kept their promises and the guest house was expanded, now with room for a nursery that later became Sara’s room. The young girl raised in the shade of an expensive villa spent most of her time on the beach, playing with her privileged, pseudo siblings or the neighborhood kids. Her bond with them and the rest of the community was surprisingly strong, and perhaps that was why she never really missed having a dad— she didn’t know any different after all.
When her mom later met a nice man and married, she and Sara moved out of the guest house and into their new home, but Milagros kept working for the family, and Sara remained close with them too— teaching the youngest how to swim and surf, while the oldest helped her with her homework and brought her back trinkets from their gap-year travels around the world. When high school graduation came around, it was largely because of the Lincoln family that Sara could afford to go to college, and too because of them that she decided to go at all. She didn’t want to disappoint them, even if she had no real desire to attend college— or any clue what she wanted to do with her life in the future. She took everything as it came, one day at a time, not looking too far into the future. At least then she wouldn’t have to worry about it either.
That was probably the main reason why she had rejected her dad’s many, many attempts to try and get in touch with her. Of course a part of her had always been curious about him, but not enough to want to seek him out. She knew he had actively chosen not to be a part of her life, and she felt he had to live with that decision just as much as her mom had. Besides, she had her stepdad and the Lincoln family— it wasn’t like she actually needed him. But when her stepdad was killed and her mom seriously injured in a car accident during Sara’s first year of college, she was forced to rethink her whole life.
She dropped everything and returned home to sit by her mother’s side, praying she would wake up and come back to her, but three months passed without any brain activity, and though Sara refused to let them stop trying there was nothing left to do when her mom had a stroke and died. The DNR she had signed rendered Sara’s pleading and begging fruitless, and after three months of constant anxiety, all that was left was a funeral to plan. The Lincoln family were, of course, happy to help, and constantly remained nearby, even in the aftermath.
They fully understood Sara’s decision not to go back to school, and opened up their home to her until she found out what she wanted to do next. She stayed in Seal Beach for a little while, working at the local gym as a yoga instructor, and a surf teacher on the weekends. It was when her dad reached out to her again that she realized some time away from home and all the memories might do her good. So, almost on a whim, she packed up her stuff and headed for Bellevue, Washington, her dad’s letter with his address on in hand.
‘Shocked’, and ‘surprised’ didn’t even begin to cover the looks on her dad’s and his pregnant wife’s faces when she showed up on their stoop, telling them she was finally ready to get to know them. It was impromptu to say the least, but her dad knew not to blow his chance and his wife was nothing if not supportive of this reunion, or ‘meeting’, to be more exact, and they welcomed Sara into their lives with open arms from that moment on.
She found a place nearby, not sure how long she was planning on staying, but certain she would figure it out along the way. It’s been four years now and she’s still around, now the proud sister of two younger siblings, and undeniably close with her dad and his wife. She still misses her mom every day, and stays in touch with the Lincoln family and her friends from back home, often flying down to see them, and to get her California fix, but other than that, she’s content with her life in Bellevue for the time being, not sure what’s next, but not worried about it.
Sara is very down to earth and friendly. To some, she comes across as a little silly upon first meeting her, or even ditsy despite that not being the case at all. She’s very smart, quick on her toes and an excellent leader in a crisis, she just doesn’t have the desire to be a leader at all— or much of anything for that matter. She might actually be the most unambitious twenty-something year old in today’s world, but she doesn’t care in the least. She’s not in a hurry to be somewhere or someone, and chances are she’ll say ‘nothing’ if you ask her what she’s doing right now. Impulsive, adventurous and sometimes a little irresponsible, she’s difficult to pin but easy to please— she’s a loyal (if not slightly tardy) friend, helplessly devoted to those who have her back, but at the same time in often need of her own freedom and independence. She lives and breathes for the ocean, and nature in general, and is definitely the friend that wakes you up on a random Sunday morning to take you hiking somewhere, or to show you the sunrise.
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