MENDOZA, LOURDES.
► basics;
Birthday: August 22nd, 1992 Birthplace/Hometown: California, USA. Occupation: Nurse Portrayed By: Zión Moreno
► background;
Growing up Lourdes was the baby of the house, spoiled for the most part but often due to the Mendoza parents being busy working multiple jobs she was left to the care of her not much older brother Romeo. Despite the seven year age gap, the pair were close as children even when Romeo got in trouble for her actions, and considering Lourdes hadn’t transitioned until after high school she was constantly referred to as Romeo’s “Mini-Me”. During her youth her parents often blamed Romeo’s delinquent activities as being a bad influence to Lourdes, who was the favorite for a while.
Once Lourdes fell into puberty and preteen-hood, her parents began to reject her instead in favor of Romeo’s machismo, often criticizing her clothing choices for being too feminine or calling their child a fresa (strawberry/gay slur). In their own moments, Romeo as a teenager tried to understand her, but his own blindness and thirst for his parents favor often asked her why she didn’t just stop. This caused discourse between the once inseparable pair in their youth, but unlike his parent’s ability to easily cut Lourdes off, Romeo always tried to remain in contact with her.
When the family moved to New Orleans Lourdes was sixteen and had been kicked out of the house. Romeo tried only once to convince her to move with the family to NOLA since he planned to move with his girlfriend and four year old son, but she refused and instead crashed with friends on couches and stayed with their favorite Tía Nelly until she finished high school. She worked odd jobs for a while to save up money, working four years at a senior care home and three more at a physical therapy office while taking night classes to get her nursing certification.
After long debate and finally feeling strong enough in her opinion of herself, she decided it was time to address her family. Whether it went well or not, she knew she would regret not doing it, and at twenty eight and twelve years of only sharing a few letters around the holidays with only her brother, occasional money in envelopes in place of physical love, she deserved answers. Taking a few weeks on a whim to secure a job at a hospital in New Orleans, Lourdes booked a room at a hotel near by and flew out indefinitely to crescent city.
► personality;
+ outspoken, sensual, nurturing, tough - insecure, sensitive, jealous, prideful