Verona

Verona was born in a small town in the South, USA. Her parents were the self made bootstraps type, an older couple who had worked hard at the company to get where they were and expected their children to do the same, and her brothers were many years her senior. Verona was the black sheep of the family, too young to play with her brothers and too ambitious to relate to her parents.

Though introverted, she still made friends and was even known to stand up for others in school. Since she spent a lot of time alone at home, she developed a love of literature and baking. In highschool, she met Travis after defending him from his bullies. Travis was known as a slacker around school and for getting into fights, but Verona knew him as a musical prodigy. Travis introduced her to a love of music, and even taught her how to play the acoustic guitar, though she never practiced after graduation.

In her freshman year of college, Verona started dating Adam, a golden retrevier and a member of Travis's band. At that time, Verona's parents began pressuring her to join their company until they got their way. Verona spent the next few years there working hard to fund Adam's dream, and ignoring the red flags. Adam was verbally abusive and stole Verona's money for his own vices. When Verona was 22, she faced her first miscarriage alone as the band was touring. She quit her job at her parent's company and dropped out.

The band was falling apart and officialy broke up the night they returned. Adam isolated Verona from Travis, who didn't look or act like himself. Adam's verbal abuse only got worse and Verona broke up with him many times over the next few years, but he always found a way back into her life. As breaks in between their relationships got wider and wider, Verona considered it progress and re-enrolled in college.

After her 26th birthday, Verona found out she was pregnant. Filled with mixed emotions, fearing another miscarriage and afraid that Adam would use it to stay for good, she broke the news to Adam. After a couple of nights, he left without a word and rarely spoke to Verona again. The world felt like it had stopped around her, but, after years with Adam dimming her dreams, suddenly her ambition crashed back like a wave.

When Ginger was born, Verona rode her second wave of newfound ambition. She spent every moment she could with her daughter between two jobs and college. She moved away to a new city to intern at a pastry kitchen and rented an apartment over a closed down diner. After only a few months, Verona got her degree and a steady job, and built up her savings again.

When Ginger was a year old, Travis appeared at Verona's door. Verona, so excited to see her old friend didn't even acknowlege how ragged and aged he looked, embraced him and introduced him to her daughter. Despite how tired he seemed, Travis immediately buckled down to help support Verona and Ginger by babysitting and even sneaking money from his many jobs into Verona's purse.

After many years, Verona finally took the plundge and committed to her dream by buying the entire shophouse she had been living in. Everyone had always hoped to see that diner operate again, and Verona was determined to establish her own cafe. "Verona's Bakery and Coffeehouse" was opened just a few weeks before Ginger's 6th birthday. The opening ceremony brought everyone in the shopping district, her old boss and coworkers, and even the major out to celebrate the old diner being revitalized. Verona, overwhelmed by emotions and community love she had never felt before, had Ginger cut the ribbon with her.

Currently, Verona still lives in the apartment above her cafe. Her cafe has been running successfully for the last two years and has become a stable of the surrounding shopping district. Travis often performs live music on weekends and Ginger attends a local elementary school. Verona's is also the hangout spot of most of the THRIVE IN SPITE cast. Life is good to Verona, and all the stresses of running a business is worth it. Though, she still wishes to find her significant other, but after a few bad dates after Adam, she's very resistant to dating again.