Peter Drake (Maria's Father)

Some of you might've noticed Maria's hair and eye color weren't too similar to Sarah's. That's because her and Brandon got those traits from Peter. His role in Maria's development can't be understated. In 1985, when Maria was five years old, his own trauma boiled over when he got drunk at a bar one night and accidentally killed someone during a brawl. He was charged with manslaughter and sentenced to fifteen years in Maryland state prison. Maria only visited him twice, with one of those times being only two years away from his release. While incarcerated, he was forced to come to terms with what he's done, as well as the person he'd turned into. His remorse over this incident triggered immense emotional growth, ultimately drawing them even closer by the time he got out. Maria never hated him for it, but after she learned what his life was like growing up, she made the choice to show him mercy and understanding in a way no one else could. This act of compassion is what allows him to stay righteous from the second part of the story onward. Despite what he did, he always loved his family, and that's one of the ways he learned how to show it - by becoming the gentle soul she always knew he could be.