RAINA RIVERA WAS BORN IN AUSTIN, TEXAS TO LUCAS AND SARAH RIVERA AFTER EIGHT YEARS OF INFERTILITY TREATMENTS AND FAILED IMPLANTATIONS. LUCAS RIVERA WAS THE WELL-RESPECTED MINISTER IN A LOCAL EVANGELICAL CATHOLIC CHURCH, WHILE SARAH, A FORMER ACCOUNTANT, PUT HER CAREER ON HOLD TO RAISE HER DAUGHTER. THE RIVERAS WERE DEVOUT IN THEIR FAITH AND LIVED THEIR LIVES ACCORDING TO THE GOOD BOOK, LEAVING LITTLE ROOM FOR INTERPRETATION. TO HIS CONGREGATION, LUCAS WAS PASSIONATE AND KIND -- THE DOTING FATHER AND LOVING HUSBAND WHO LIVED HIS LIFE BY HIS FAITH. AT HOME, HE WAS OFTEN COLD AND UNFORGIVING; A CHAUVINISTIC EGOIST WHO RULED WITH A BIBLICAL IRON FIST.

LUCAS’S PASSIONATE SERMONS BEGAN TO GAIN STATE-WIDE NOTORIETY, AND SOON HE HAD MOVED FROM HIS SMALL LOCAL CONGREGATION TO A BOOMING CATHOLIC CHURCH IN DALLAS. IT WAS HERE THAT HE BEGAN WORKING THE TELEVISED CIRCUIT, PERFORMING ON LOCAL AND STATEWIDE PUBLIC ACCESS CHANNELS TO CHURCH-GOERS ACROSS TEXAS. SOON, HE WAS A LOCAL CELEBRITY. BELIEVERS BEGAN PULLING HIM ASIDE AT DINERS AND MOVIE THEATERS FOR BLESSINGS AND PRAYERS, ALL OF WHICH ONLY SERVED TO EXACERBATE HIS ALREADY MASSIVE EGO.

RAINA WAS THE APPLE OF HER FATHER’S EYE. AS A CHILD, SHE THRIVED UNDER HIS RIGID SET OF RULES AND HIGH EXPECTATIONS. ONCE SHE REACHED HIGH SCHOOL, LUCAS ENROLLED HER AT URSULINE ACADEMY -- A PRESTIGIOUS (AND EXPENSIVE) ALL GIRL’S SCHOOL IN AUSTIN -- WITH HOPES OF KEEPING HER AWAY FROM THE TEMPTATION OF THE OPPOSITE SEX. SCHOLASTICALLY, SHE DID WELL. SHE WAS BY NO MEANS CLASSICALLY BOOKSMART AND OFTEN KEPT LATE NIGHTS STUDYING WITH HER ROOMMATE, A ROUTINE THAT SERVED HER WELL UNTIL THE TWO OF THEM WERE CAUGHT INTERTWINED IN ONE SET OF SHEETS BY THEIR ENGLISH PROFESSOR AFTER MISSING AN EXAM.

THE CONSEQUENCES OF HER ACTIONS WERE NOT SUBTLE. LUCAS, IN THE MIDDLE OF SIGNING A LUCRATIVE, NATIONWIDE BROADCASTING DEAL BASED OUT OF CALIFORNIA, IMMEDIATELY WITHDREW HER FROM THE ACADEMY, KICKSTARTING THE PROCESS OF RELOCATING THE TWO OF THEM TO LOS ANGELES. RAINA’S TIES WITH HER ROOMMATE WERE SUDDENLY AND IRREVOCABLY SEVERED, LEAVING HER WITH A MASS OF COMPLICATED FEELINGS AND NO OUTLET UNDER HER FATHER'S OPPRESSIVE CONTROL AND NEWLY WATCHFUL EYE IN WHICH TO VENT THEM.

MOVING TO LIBERAL AND FREE LOS ANGELES DIDN’T HELP. LUCAS SIGNED A MULTIMILLION DOLLAR DEAL WITH A CABLE BROADCASTING COMPANY, BECOMING ONE OF THE MOST RECOGNIZABLE EVANGELICAL PREACHERS IN THE COUNTRY WHILE RAINA, FRUSTRATED AND ANGRY WITH HER FATHER AND HIS UNBENDING RULE SET, BEGAN TO PUSH BACK. THEY WERE SMALL DALLIANCES AT FIRST; STAYING OUT THIRTY MINUTES PAST CURFEW, DRINKING A WINE COOLER AFTER CHEERLEADING PRACTICE, KISSING A BOY BEHIND THE BLEACHERS. THE RESENTMENT THAT SHE FELT TOWARD HER FATHER GREW UNTIL SHE HAD BUILT A METAPHORICAL WALL BETWEEN THE TWO OF THEM, CUTTING HIM OFF FROM ANY AND ALL KNOWLEDGE OF HER PERSONAL LIFE.

RAE SPENT A LOT OF TIME CHANNELING HER ENERGY INTO SONG AND PLAYING COFFEE HOUSES AND SMALL GIGS WHILE CONVINCING HERSELF THAT SHE COULD MAKE A LIVING AS A RECORDING ARTIST. TRUTHFULLY, SHE SPENT MORE OF HER TIME AT INDUSTRY PARTIES THAN SHE DID AUDITIONING FOR SHOWS, AND IT TOOK A SHOCKINGLY SMALL AMOUNT OF FAILURE FOR HER TO RELEGATE HER PASSION FOR MUSIC AS NOTHING MORE THAN A HOBBY. WHEN SHE WAS 19, SHE THREW A MIDDLE FINGER TO THE WIND AND MOVED TO SAN FRANCISCO WITH HER GIRLFRIEND. THINGS UNRAVELED, AS THEY OFTEN DO, BUT RATHER THAN ADMIT DEFEAT, RAINA CHOSE TO STAY IN THE BAY AREA AND MAKE HER OWN WAY.

SAN FRANCISCO WAS EXACTLY THE CHANGE OF PACE AND SCENERY THAT SHE NEEDED. WITH THE YEARS LIVING UNDER HER FATHER'S DOMINEERING EYE FIRMLY BEHIND HER, SHE FINALLY FELT LIKE SHE WAS ABLE TO COME INTO HER OWN. TO BE HERSELF. ACCESS TO HER TRUST FUND PAYS HER RENT WITH MORE THAN ENOUGH LEFT OVER TO SPOIL HERSELF, BUT SHE EARNS MONEY ON THE SIDE BY BARTENDING A FEW NIGHTS A WEEK. THE JOB IS LESS ABOUT CAREER MOTIVATION AND MORE ABOUT THE SOCIAL INTERACTION THAT COMES WITH IT, AND MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, SHE CAN BE FOUND CHATTING UP (SEE ALSO: FLIRTING WITH) THE CLIENTELE INSTEAD OF POURING PINTS. HER SPOT BEHIND THE BAR TIPPED HER OFF TO AN OPEN SLOT IN A LOCAL BAND, ALLOWING HER TO FINALLY EMBRACE HER MUSICAL SIDE AGAIN WITHOUT THE PRESSURE OF TRYING TO MAKE IT IN LOS ANGELES. SHE'S ALSO TAKEN CHARGE OF HER SEXUALITY BY WORKING ANONYMOUSLY AS A CAM GIRL WITH A WELL-KNOWN ONLYFANS ACCOUNT, WEARING MASKS AND WIGS IN ORDER TO HIDE HER IDENTITY.

THOUGH IT'S BEEN A LONG ROAD, SHE DOESN'T FEEL QUITE AS STAGNANT AND RUDDERLESS AS SHE DID BEFORE. SHE'S ABLE TO LIVE COMFORTABLY WHILE DOING WHAT SHE LOVES TO DO -- AND ISN'T THAT THE ULTIMATE GOAL?