Jace & Patience
No stranger to superstitions or a certain belief in mysticism, Jace's interest was slightly piqued by the local legends of the mangrove forest. His mother, before she'd gotten sick, had been a deeply Catholic woman, but that hadn't stopped her from believing in the Santería practices of her mother and grandmother. She'd passed on several stories of rituals and ceremonies that resulted in miraculous healings, and even in the throes of her dementia, he'd heard her often call out to the orichás. At her request, he'd sought help from a couple of Santeras in the community, but even these days, the religion was veiled in secrecy. If he'd had any hope that they could help, it'd never paid off.
Patience was excited about swimming in the mangrove pools. With her arm floaties and constant adult supervision, she chased the little fish around, squealing with glee whenever one would swim against her legs.