Rio Morales

A nurse and a cop in New York, it couldn't be harder for them both to be a constant presence in their son's life, but she made it work. Miles is growing beloved and educated, and the scholarship he won last year was also thanks to the many hours of sleep Rio missed to help him study. She believed in him, thought he could do something special, and now he believes in himself too and wants to attend Princeton - despite New Jersey being so remote, according to Rio, who doesn't have a driver's license. For Miles, it's fun, it means following his dream just like his parents did, and yet for his mom, it sends a clear message: at 15, he doesn't need her to be around anymore. He's always late when the family agrees to do something together, embarrassing her. The lush, loose braid she wears over the shoulder so far doesn't have any gray hair – Rio is merely 42. But if they appear prematurely, it will not be due to her strenuous job but because of her own son's flippancy and insouciance. Even the only subject he falls behind in is ~~Spanglish~~ Spanish — while she's a Boricua, por el amor de Dios! It feels almost intentional, to spite her and her husband, his abuelos y abuelas, who put him in this spot that she'd give anything to be in... Ever since he started making his own choices, most often she feels irritated and let down. Completely unaware of Spider-Man's identity, Rio does know that she's being lied to, that Miles is keeping secrets from her. And this is the final blow, him treating family like strangers becomes the last straw, leading to her subconscious resentment. For years she's been taking care of her little boy, worrying about him ⸺ it's impossible to accept he's already turning into a little man when she has so much more mothering left unspent. Of course, she still truly loves Miles all the same, but this bitter discontent is slowly growing stronger. And since she and Jefferson decided a single child was enough, there's one way out: Rio resorts to taking advantage of other mothers' kids. The decision to spend her freed-up hours on the local community makes her even more respected among the neighbors ⸻ a few times a week, a tween from Brooklyn Middle School visits the Morales' household to be tutored. It's perfectly normal, nothing more than an outlet for her maternal stress, where everybody wins. Still... Nobody needs to know that she fusses over these boys a tiny bit more than usually expected, going beyond simple help with their homework. A secret of her own, that when she prepares them snacks or a full-blown meal, listens to their idle prattling or puerile concerns, encourages and guides them, she relives the past and imagines it's still Miles she looks out for. Ultimately, though, Rio is a good woman, never forgetting that this is a private indulgence. Overstepping the bounds of propriety, like calling her by her first name, is absolutely forbidden to her protégés.