A Prodigal's Dilemma character list
This was written after I finished Valentine's so reflects Seth (Gramma rather than Mom)
Steven - 33 (birthday between stories), narrator of A Prodigal's Dilemma, father of six: Wendell, 14, Javier, 11, Benedetto, 9, Quinton, 8, Phoebe, 6, and Zoe, 4, only the youngest of which he's raising, ran away from home right before his seventeenth birthday and saw the world. He can speak and read most languages.
Seth - 18, narrator of Waiting for Valentine's, raised by his paternal grandparents until he was grade school, when he begin to visit Belinda and Matt. His grandparents moved to LA when he started high school, so he moved in with Belinda full time. He doesn't visit his grandparents very often, but still see them as his "real" parents.
Alyssa - 3, daughter of Jason and Peter
Belinda - 32, volunteer, mother of Seth, Josh, Tessa and Dani, gave Seth up when he was two and still feels guilty.
Benedetto - 9, opera singer, Steven's third son (child), lives in Italy with Cerelia, his mother. He has only seen Steven a few times. Once before he could talk and once when Steven snuck back stage on opening night to say how proud he was of his son and how even though they never saw each other, Steven was always thinking of him.
Carly - senior, friend of Seth, she loved Heath, but can't stand what she sees as him hating himself.
Cerelia - accountant in Italy. She is ashamed of her time with Steven, who is much younger than she is and as she later learned would sleep with anyone. Her grandfather was a famous tenor and she hopes when Benedetto's voice breaks he'll be a tenor as well.
Cole Thomas - 16, sophomore at the high school Seth attends. He is the youngest of six, but the first child of his mother, his father's second wife. He's got it bad for Owen McCulley, who only seems to see him as a friend. He is the Object of Affection (and title character) in My Impish Angel and narrator for the extra. Angel takes place the Thanksgiving after Valentine's.
Dani - almost 7, loud and boisterous, but sensitive to other's feelings, can't remember before Seth lived with them and can't understand why their mom treats him and Josh so differently, daughter of Belinda and Matt
Dave - Accountant, married to Jenn, father of Hannah, Ethan, and Fiona. He works at the company Hank owned. That's were he met Jenn. He is nonjudgmental, or maybe can compartmentalize people. He knows Hank was a lousy father and husband, but a great boss and grandfather, but even so his kids never spent the night at their grandparent's house until after Grampa died.
Derek McCormick - Steven's first crush. He died at seventeen never having gotten over Steven.
Dritan - Steven's roommate with benefits when Steven lived in Switzerland.
Ella Newell - Derek's grandmother and Steven's next door neighbor on Blake Street when he was young.
Emma - actress, met Steven when he was translating for a shoot and took him home. She wanted to marry him and was devastated when he left her for Jake, her costar, after Phoebe was born. She is happily married.
Ethan - 3, talks a lot, but no one (except Hannah and Jenn) can understand him, loves ham and new people. Second child and only son of Jenn and Dave.
Fiona - infant daughter of Jenn and Dave
Gramma - 56, Deborah, mother of Matt, Steven, Stacy, and Jenn. Her husband, Hank, died two years ago and she is doing much better now, thank you.
Grant - senior, friend of Seth.
Hannah - 6, little mother, quiet, but not shy, oldest daughter of Jenn and Dave
Heath - junior, friend of Seth, wants to get the operation to make his body match the man he knows he is. Dating Carly
Jake - actor, long time lover of Malcolm, met Steven while costarring with Emma and convinced him to translate for a location shoot in Lithuania. He was fighting with Malcolm so he seduced Steven, but tired of him quickly and went home to Malcolm.
Jason Knuth- attorney, he is married to Peter and they have two children. He was in love with Steven but had a long temper. After Steven ran away, he was devastated and blamed himself because if he'd been a good friend, he would have realized something was wrong; his selfish anger blinded him. He spent several days searching for Steven, met a lot of homeless teenagers, and learned their stories. He donates time and money to find safe places for runaways to live.
Javier - 11, Steven's second son (child). Raised by his mother Monita in Barcelona, Spain. He stayed with Steven for the summer after his mother got married. He hates his stepdad and wants to live with Steven full time.
Jenn - 25, married to Dave, 30, mother of Hannah, Ethan, and baby Fiona. She married Dave just after she turned eighteen. Steven's youngest sister.
Jonathan - college sophomore, Seth's friend. Home/Office decorator. He is the one who designed Gramma's room. He's been in love with Seth for years.
Josh - 14, son of Belinda and a much older Japanese-Hawaiian. He sees himself as half Japanese, but his body structure is more Polynesian.
Liesl - Lawyer in Bonn, Germany, Wendell's mother, took Steven in when his was a seventeen year old street kid and had a son with him. She keeps track of him and all his mail (from the states) was sent to her house even when he was living with other people.
Lydia - retired, hobby is photography, took in Nika, her niece, and then Zoe. She called Steven after Nika walked out and gave him a place to raise Zoe (partly because she didn't quite trust him). Zoe slept on a cot in her room.
Malcolm - Jake's long time lover
Matt - 37, contractor, married Belinda just after Josh was born. Father of Tessa and Dani. Steven's older brother.
Monita -Chemistry professor, Javier's mother, lives in Barcelona, Spain, was content to raise her son on her own until a colleague fell for her. She married him, but he and Javier don't get along at all. She wishes Steven lived closer so she wouldn't feel so guilty sending Javier to him. She is pregnant, but hasn't told Javier because she's sure he'll be upset.
Nika - Zoe's mother, Greek, deceased.
Owen McCulley - 17, junior at the high school Seth attends. He likes Cole Thomas, but treasures his friendship with Nick Anderson more (for now). He narrates My Impish Angel, which takes place the Thanksgiving after Valentine's.
Peter - stay at home dad, his is married to Jason and they have two children. He met Jason in college and hung on to him until he finally forgave himself for what happened to Steven.
Phoebe - 6, lives with Emma, her mother, in London. She is Steven's fifth child and eldest daughter. She demands Steven come see her on her birthday and for two weeks every summer.
Quinton - 8, lives with his mother in Paris. He is his mother's five child, hence his name (he's Steven fourth son and child). His mother's family is from the Ivory Coast and she wants her children to have better lives than she does and as soon as she finds out Steven is living in the states, she's going to try to send Quinton.
Raven - bought the florist shop that Stan's aunt owned and hired Stan to help out through Valentine's with the possibility of hiring him permanently (But that's another story).
Ronnie Knuth -Jason's mother, Gramma's friend.
Sofiane Zaphar - one of Steven's one night stands.
Stacy - 30, child advocate, married to Kevin and mother of Cassie, 5, and Stevie, 3, hasn't lived at home since she 14 (just after Steven ran away) when her mother sent her to live with an aunt on the east coast. Steven's little sister who was nearly always as tall as he was even though they are two years apart.
Stan - college freshman majoring in business management. As a kid, he helped out at the florist shop that Raven now owns. He's been Seth's friend since preschool; his parents lived just down the block from Seth's grandparents.
Tessa - 12, Seth's half sister who thinks he is way cooler than Josh. Daughter of Belinda and Matt
Tyler - 1, son of Jason and Peter
Wendell - 14, Steven's oldest child. Raised by his mother Liesl in Bonn, Germany. He hopes to go to college in the States, which is why Steven goes back to see his family at Christmas.
Zoe - 4, Steven youngest daughter. Her mother, Nika, left her with Lydia (Zoe's great aunt) soon after she was born. She speaks Greek and English, a little German, Spanish, Italian, and French (because of her brothers), plus a smattering of Arabic, Bangladeshi, Belarusian, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Church Slavonic, Ethiopian, Georgian, Kurdish, Macedonian, Pashto, Persian, Somali, Sudanese, Ukrainian, Urdu, Tamil, Tigrinya, Turkish, and Vietnamese. (enough to play with the refugee children where Steven worked in Greece) but she understands each better than she can speak it. Steven is teaching her Japanese, but they are keeping it a secret from Seth because she wants to surprise him.
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If I missed anyone (or anything), let me know.
Steven - 33 (birthday between stories), narrator of A Prodigal's Dilemma, father of six: Wendell, 14, Javier, 11, Benedetto, 9, Quinton, 8, Phoebe, 6, and Zoe, 4, only the youngest of which he's raising, ran away from home right before his seventeenth birthday and saw the world. He can speak and read most languages.
Seth - 18, narrator of Waiting for Valentine's, raised by his paternal grandparents until he was grade school, when he begin to visit Belinda and Matt. His grandparents moved to LA when he started high school, so he moved in with Belinda full time. He doesn't visit his grandparents very often, but still see them as his "real" parents.
Alyssa - 3, daughter of Jason and Peter
Belinda - 32, volunteer, mother of Seth, Josh, Tessa and Dani, gave Seth up when he was two and still feels guilty.
Benedetto - 9, opera singer, Steven's third son (child), lives in Italy with Cerelia, his mother. He has only seen Steven a few times. Once before he could talk and once when Steven snuck back stage on opening night to say how proud he was of his son and how even though they never saw each other, Steven was always thinking of him.
Carly - senior, friend of Seth, she loved Heath, but can't stand what she sees as him hating himself.
Cerelia - accountant in Italy. She is ashamed of her time with Steven, who is much younger than she is and as she later learned would sleep with anyone. Her grandfather was a famous tenor and she hopes when Benedetto's voice breaks he'll be a tenor as well.
Cole Thomas - 16, sophomore at the high school Seth attends. He is the youngest of six, but the first child of his mother, his father's second wife. He's got it bad for Owen McCulley, who only seems to see him as a friend. He is the Object of Affection (and title character) in My Impish Angel and narrator for the extra. Angel takes place the Thanksgiving after Valentine's.
Dani - almost 7, loud and boisterous, but sensitive to other's feelings, can't remember before Seth lived with them and can't understand why their mom treats him and Josh so differently, daughter of Belinda and Matt
Dave - Accountant, married to Jenn, father of Hannah, Ethan, and Fiona. He works at the company Hank owned. That's were he met Jenn. He is nonjudgmental, or maybe can compartmentalize people. He knows Hank was a lousy father and husband, but a great boss and grandfather, but even so his kids never spent the night at their grandparent's house until after Grampa died.
Derek McCormick - Steven's first crush. He died at seventeen never having gotten over Steven.
Dritan - Steven's roommate with benefits when Steven lived in Switzerland.
Ella Newell - Derek's grandmother and Steven's next door neighbor on Blake Street when he was young.
Emma - actress, met Steven when he was translating for a shoot and took him home. She wanted to marry him and was devastated when he left her for Jake, her costar, after Phoebe was born. She is happily married.
Ethan - 3, talks a lot, but no one (except Hannah and Jenn) can understand him, loves ham and new people. Second child and only son of Jenn and Dave.
Fiona - infant daughter of Jenn and Dave
Gramma - 56, Deborah, mother of Matt, Steven, Stacy, and Jenn. Her husband, Hank, died two years ago and she is doing much better now, thank you.
Grant - senior, friend of Seth.
Hannah - 6, little mother, quiet, but not shy, oldest daughter of Jenn and Dave
Heath - junior, friend of Seth, wants to get the operation to make his body match the man he knows he is. Dating Carly
Jake - actor, long time lover of Malcolm, met Steven while costarring with Emma and convinced him to translate for a location shoot in Lithuania. He was fighting with Malcolm so he seduced Steven, but tired of him quickly and went home to Malcolm.
Jason Knuth- attorney, he is married to Peter and they have two children. He was in love with Steven but had a long temper. After Steven ran away, he was devastated and blamed himself because if he'd been a good friend, he would have realized something was wrong; his selfish anger blinded him. He spent several days searching for Steven, met a lot of homeless teenagers, and learned their stories. He donates time and money to find safe places for runaways to live.
Javier - 11, Steven's second son (child). Raised by his mother Monita in Barcelona, Spain. He stayed with Steven for the summer after his mother got married. He hates his stepdad and wants to live with Steven full time.
Jenn - 25, married to Dave, 30, mother of Hannah, Ethan, and baby Fiona. She married Dave just after she turned eighteen. Steven's youngest sister.
Jonathan - college sophomore, Seth's friend. Home/Office decorator. He is the one who designed Gramma's room. He's been in love with Seth for years.
Josh - 14, son of Belinda and a much older Japanese-Hawaiian. He sees himself as half Japanese, but his body structure is more Polynesian.
Liesl - Lawyer in Bonn, Germany, Wendell's mother, took Steven in when his was a seventeen year old street kid and had a son with him. She keeps track of him and all his mail (from the states) was sent to her house even when he was living with other people.
Lydia - retired, hobby is photography, took in Nika, her niece, and then Zoe. She called Steven after Nika walked out and gave him a place to raise Zoe (partly because she didn't quite trust him). Zoe slept on a cot in her room.
Malcolm - Jake's long time lover
Matt - 37, contractor, married Belinda just after Josh was born. Father of Tessa and Dani. Steven's older brother.
Monita -Chemistry professor, Javier's mother, lives in Barcelona, Spain, was content to raise her son on her own until a colleague fell for her. She married him, but he and Javier don't get along at all. She wishes Steven lived closer so she wouldn't feel so guilty sending Javier to him. She is pregnant, but hasn't told Javier because she's sure he'll be upset.
Nika - Zoe's mother, Greek, deceased.
Owen McCulley - 17, junior at the high school Seth attends. He likes Cole Thomas, but treasures his friendship with Nick Anderson more (for now). He narrates My Impish Angel, which takes place the Thanksgiving after Valentine's.
Peter - stay at home dad, his is married to Jason and they have two children. He met Jason in college and hung on to him until he finally forgave himself for what happened to Steven.
Phoebe - 6, lives with Emma, her mother, in London. She is Steven's fifth child and eldest daughter. She demands Steven come see her on her birthday and for two weeks every summer.
Quinton - 8, lives with his mother in Paris. He is his mother's five child, hence his name (he's Steven fourth son and child). His mother's family is from the Ivory Coast and she wants her children to have better lives than she does and as soon as she finds out Steven is living in the states, she's going to try to send Quinton.
Raven - bought the florist shop that Stan's aunt owned and hired Stan to help out through Valentine's with the possibility of hiring him permanently (But that's another story).
Ronnie Knuth -Jason's mother, Gramma's friend.
Sofiane Zaphar - one of Steven's one night stands.
Stacy - 30, child advocate, married to Kevin and mother of Cassie, 5, and Stevie, 3, hasn't lived at home since she 14 (just after Steven ran away) when her mother sent her to live with an aunt on the east coast. Steven's little sister who was nearly always as tall as he was even though they are two years apart.
Stan - college freshman majoring in business management. As a kid, he helped out at the florist shop that Raven now owns. He's been Seth's friend since preschool; his parents lived just down the block from Seth's grandparents.
Tessa - 12, Seth's half sister who thinks he is way cooler than Josh. Daughter of Belinda and Matt
Tyler - 1, son of Jason and Peter
Wendell - 14, Steven's oldest child. Raised by his mother Liesl in Bonn, Germany. He hopes to go to college in the States, which is why Steven goes back to see his family at Christmas.
Zoe - 4, Steven youngest daughter. Her mother, Nika, left her with Lydia (Zoe's great aunt) soon after she was born. She speaks Greek and English, a little German, Spanish, Italian, and French (because of her brothers), plus a smattering of Arabic, Bangladeshi, Belarusian, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Church Slavonic, Ethiopian, Georgian, Kurdish, Macedonian, Pashto, Persian, Somali, Sudanese, Ukrainian, Urdu, Tamil, Tigrinya, Turkish, and Vietnamese. (enough to play with the refugee children where Steven worked in Greece) but she understands each better than she can speak it. Steven is teaching her Japanese, but they are keeping it a secret from Seth because she wants to surprise him.
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If I missed anyone (or anything), let me know.