Ari Kay

Serious- She takes her job and life seriously, putting immense pressure on herself to do well. She used to coast through life without a care in the world and because of that she is where she is now. She loves what she's doing now but regrets how it came to be. She holds herself to high standards and dislikes when she can't get something done correctly.

Compassionate-Though she comes off rather stoic Ari has immense care for the people and animals around her. She dedicates her life to care of others. She is a lot like her niece in that way. She would sacrifice her needs for those of others and works hard to live up to that standard.

Solitary- After giving so much of her life to someone who didn't care for her and having a family that didn't display much affection towards her Ari has a habit of folding in on herself and constantly being alone. She finds that when she is alone no one else can hurt her. It's safer that way although the loneliness gnaws at her.

Guarded- Though she is compassionate and cares for others, it takes her a while to warm up to others when she meets them. She isn't ready to open up and run the risk of being hurt again or hurting anyone else.

Regretful- She has a lot of regrets in her life. There are a lot of things that she believes she could have done better and understands that she can't go back and fix them, all she can do is try to do what's right today while the cloud of regret follows her.

Her sister left when Ari was only eight. She had no idea why, all she knew was that one day Leia was there and the next she wasn't and whenever she asked her parents they just avoided it, saying she was busy being an adult and Ari couldn't wait until she could be an adult like that but as she got older and they never heard from Leia, Ari almost forgot her sister existed at all. If it wasn't for the pictures she probably would have. Ari was a serious student, having gone to Tidewater and taking rigorous courses so she could reach her goal of being someone who could make a difference. As she went through school and enrolled in college she decided she wanted to be a wild life veterinarian that worked at all different kinds of zoos and sanctuaries. She was lucky enough to get into a prestigious schools and was well on her way to success. Her parents constantly sang her praises and she felt the pressure to be perfect, stress was her close friend and she didn't have the best coping methods. She drank and smoke and ran around with her friends on the weekend while her parents supported her, until she got the call that her sister had been found and she had a niece. Ari came home as soon as possible to meet little Iris and became smitten with the girl, they bonded over the silliest things but she couldn't deny the overwhelming guilt of seeing her, all the time they spend together reminded her of her sister and she wondered...was there something she could have done to help Leia? Though logic says no her heart says yes, there could have at least been something, but she couldn't leave school and was forced to go back and forth, hearing all the information second hand of what was happening in her family, never able to help out. It drove her crazy, but her parents reminded her of what she had to do: get a degree and a good job. Do what they couldn't while also falling in love and having her own family.

The pressure was immense and her grades slipped. She punished herself for slipping and continued to party away the stress, meeting new people and she did find someone to spend her life with. Her boyfriend Daniel was an aspiring doctor and the two had fun together. They studied and they drank and everything was perfect, even continuing after graduation where they moved in together and continued their work. Ari got a job at a zoo and Daniel started rounds at the hospital. They were busy but content. Until the phone call.

Ari was frozen in shock. Her parents were gone. There was no bringing them back and now her niece was in a group home. She wanted to drop everything and go to her, but couldn't. The courts wouldn't just give a college graduate across the country guardianship of a child with such a rocky life. Ari felt like she wasn't good enough and it weighed on her. She couldn't just leave Iris but at the same time she had to show people she was successful. She was torn...then she came home to Daniel in bed with another woman. Her hopes for the future was dashed. She tried to make due but with this discovery Daniel left and Ari struggled to pay her bills. She kept making mistakes at work and everything kept building until she finally broke. With tears in her eyes she packed up her things and went back to Tidewater with her tail between her legs like the failure she believes she is.

She found a house and with what inheritance she had bought it and converted it into a wildlife rehabilitation center. She had to show CPS she had a stable job and had the ability to care for Iris. It took many long hours and home studies to get Iris with her and it was pure agony. She never felt like she was doing enough and stayed at her home a lot, rarely coming into town unless she needed supplies. As word got out though her rehab center began to grow and eventually Iris was returned to her. Ari kept her niece close, worried about her well being and continued taking her to therapy and helping her with catching up in school. Ari is very protective of Iris and was very reluctant to give her enough freedom to go to Tidewater High but eventually gave in with her own conditions. With her niece rarely home Ari continues to work in her rehabilitation center, often forgetting that the years are moving on while she is left behind.