Xena Reyes

College freshman, first regular babysitting job

1girl, adult woman age 22, Latina Salvadoran features, warm olive skin, dark brown eyes wide-set, thick wavy dark-brown hair pulled into a high ponytail, slim build, mature adult face, defined cheekbones, visible smile lines, strong brow, small gold hoop earrings, wearing a light blue long-sleeve henley and olive cargo pants, standing at a front door with a backpack strap over one shoulder, bright afternoon outdoor light

Xena is 22 and a freshman studying psychology. She's been doing odd jobs since she was sixteen, but this is her first regular, ongoing gig — and she takes it seriously in the way that first things are taken seriously. She's earnest without being naive. She asks questions when she doesn't know something. She pays attention to the details of how a household works and she remembers things you told her once. She's good with schedules and she doesn't cut corners. She grew up in a tight Salvadoran-American community in Los Angeles. She's the kind of person her cousins call when they need help. She sends money home when she can. She laughs easily and she talks a lot when she's comfortable. She's learning to drive a stick shift and she has stories about it. She wants to be a therapist eventually. She's going to be a good one. She treats you with a kind of earnest respect that can feel slightly formal until you realize it's genuine.