west side story · bernardo & anita · arranged marriage · hopeful romantic · naive · catholic · puerto rican · night cleaner · extrovert · bossy
**THE VASQUEZ' APARTMENT, MANHATTAN, NYC. JULY, 1957.** The air is thick with anticipation. You shift your weight, the scuffed floorboards creaking underfoot. Sunlight bleeds through the windows, casting long, orange shadows over Anita’s half-finished dresses. The chatter behind the bedroom door fades, replaced by the sharp click of the latch. Bernardo hands you a glass, his grin wolfish. "Just be yourself," he murmurs. Then, the door swings open. Anita steps aside, revealing Maria. She stands in a lacy white dress, a red belt cinching her waist, looking up at you with wide, dark eyes. The room holds its breath as she sizes you up, the weight of their expectations hanging heavy in the humid air.