Tessa Vecchi

**Tessa Vecchi** (née **DeLeon**) (born December 26, 1964) was the best friend of Mary-Ann Ronan. She is the owner of Tessa’s Cafe Alaska and is presumably a joint owner of Veni Vidi Vecchi General Store with her husband Tom Vecchi.

## Appearance

Tessa has dark short hair, tan skin, and dark eyes. She is frequently seen wearing sunglasses/ tinted glasses, along with a plaid scarf and blue puffy jacket.

## Personality

Tessa is known to be very generous with her friends and community. This ties in with her strong religious beliefs. Tessa was described as "preachy" by Alyson.

## History

Tessa used to run a food truck, a time which she remembers fondly having kept the truck to use as an advertisement for her cafe beside the general store.

Tessa was previously best friends with Mary-Ann, who she would have played cards and canasta with frequently. She also spent a lot of time with Tyler and Alyson during their childhood, as they hung around the store and cafe when Mary-Ann was around. She had a fondness for them, insisting they were "gifted", buying new textbooks for them and generally supporting the family through loans and gifts.

The twins remember Tessa helping them one day after Tyler fell out of a large tree, Alyson fetching Tessa from town to drive Tyler to the hospital for his concussion. They clearly trusted her as children.

It is unclear whether Tom and Tessa have any children of their own. If not, this could be one of the reasons behind Tessa's fondness for the twins as they grew up.

Some time in October 2004, Mary-Ann confided in Tessa about her worries over the twins, Tyler in particular. Having shared with Tessa that Tyler was transgender, Tessa recommended that Mary-Ann send Tyler to a youth camp specializing in conversion therapy and prevention of same-sex attraction. It is clear that Mary-Ann was disgusted by this idea, and the friendship suffered as a result. The two argued about what was best for the twins. Mary-Ann was tired of being preached to, and cut Tessa out of her life. This included refraining from paying back debts owed to Tessa for gas money, washing machine repairs and food.

## Plot

### Chapter 1

Tyler and Alyson show up at the store to ask Tessa if Mary-Ann ever talked to her about Tyler being a boy. Tessa insists it never came up and suggests the twins try to move on. The twins encounter a memory of Tessa and Mary-Ann arguing. In Alyson's version, Tessa was angry with Mary-Ann and threatening to call in her debts. In Tyler's version, Mary-Ann was angry, insisting her children didn't need Tessa's guidance.

The twins confront Tessa in her office, but she doesn't remember the argument. The twins ask Tom to play the song Mary-Ann and Tessa were fond off, and they encounter other memories around the store. At one point Tessa gave Mary-Ann some expensive candies in exchange for help around the store. In another, Tessa gave Mary-Ann a pamphlet for a youth camp specializing in conversion therapy.

The twins confront Tessa about Mary-Ann's debts and the youth camp. If the twins choose the correct dialogue options, Tessa will admit she gave Mary-Ann the pamphlet but that Mary-Ann did not take the suggestion well. She says she genuinely thought the camp would help, and that she didn't know at the time what happened at the camp.

In the case of choosing Alyson's memory of events and incorrect dialogue regarding Mary-Ann's debt and the youth camp, Alyson berates Tessa. Tessa denies suggesting the camp and asks the twins to leave.

### Chapter 2

While sorting furniture at the old house, the twins can encounter a memory after Tyler was taken to the hospital from falling out of a tree. Tessa is in the house while they wait for Mary-Ann and asks the children if they are hungry. They can also encounter a memory in the home of Tessa serving them and Mary-Ann lasagna for dinner from her restaurant. Alyson remarks that Tessa really did keep them all fed.

After visiting the police precinct, the twins learn Tessa reported Mary-Ann for child neglect. They also experience a memory of Tessa showing up at the police station the night Mary-Ann died and sobbing in the parking lot. They go to the store to talk with Tessa but learn it is the anniversary of her parents' deaths and she has left for the cemetery. The twins go to the cemetery and Tessa finds them at Mary-Ann's grave.

After the twins confront her, Tessa says Mary-Ann's mental state kept getting worse and she feared what would happen if things continued. She says Mary-Ann burned away goodwill and no one in town would hire her. Mary-Ann even had the twins stealing for her. She accuses Mary-Ann of believing she was better than the rest of Delos Crossing and says things would have been better if Mary-Ann hadn't run around with married men. She lets slip that something happened between Mary-Ann and Sam Kansky and that Laura left Sam over it.

Tessa admits she could have done better than alerting child services and she's sorry for her mistakes. She says she doesn't deserve the twin's forgiveness but she would like to be a part of their lives.

Alyson expresses a wish to start over with Tessa. Before Tyler can agree, he asks Tessa if she's okay with who he his. If the twins didn't berate Tessa in chapter 1, she says she believes Tyler to be a strong and thoughtful young man. If the twins did berate her, Tessa says she believes Tyler to be confused. Tyler will state it's not possible for them to have a relationship if she cannot accept him.

If the twins forgive Tessa, she says she's trying to forgive Mary-Ann and hopes the twins can as well. She invites them to the café for lunch and coconut cake.

### Chapter 3

Tessa does not appear in this episode. However Tom delivers some coconut cake, made by Tessa, to Alyson after she calls off sick, stating he and Tessa were worried about her.

Depending on choices made during the game, Tessa will either leave or remain with Tom. If she leaves Tom, she goes to Manilla on a missions trip, stating she plans to come back to Delos Crossing one day. If the twins did not forgive Tessa, Alyson will receive a severance letter from Tessa detailing her final pay check and personal items she has yet to pick up from the store.

## Relationships

### Tom Vecchi

Tom Vecchi is Tessa's husband. She and Tom are co-owners of Veni Vidi Vecchi. According to Michael, Tessa seems to be running the show in Tom's election for mayor, saying a vote for Tom is a vote for Tessa.

### Mary-Ann Ronan

Mary-Ann was Tessa Vecchi’s former best friend and confidante. The two had differing opinions about raising the twins, with Mary-Ann frequently being 'preached to' by Tessa thanks to the latter’s religious beliefs. Despite this they seem to have gotten along well, often playing games of Canasta in the store. Tessa and Mary-Ann had a mutually beneficial relationship, with Mary-Ann working at the Vecchi store in exchange for food, clothing, gas money, and home repairs. Despite being generous with Mary-Ann and being fond of the twins, Tessa always kept note of the debts Mary-Ann incurred over the course of their friendship. Mary-Ann stopped paying off her debts in October 2004.

During the last few months of Mary-Ann's life, Tessa and Mary-Ann’s relationship shifted drastically as Tessa advised that Tyler be sent to a youth camp for conversion therapy. Her recommendation deeply upset Mary-Ann, who wanted to support her child, and put an end to their friendly relationship. Mary-Ann stopped paying her debts to Tessa after this.

### Alyson Ronan

Alyson is one of Tom and Tessa's employees at Veni Vidi Vechhi, but Tessa has known her since she was a child. Tessa would bring Alyson and Tyler school books, saying the twins were gifted. Some time before 2015, Tom and Tessa hired Alyson to work at Veni Vidi Vecchi.

### Tyler Ronan

Tessa has known Tyler since he was a child. She would bring Tyler and Alyson school books, saying the twins were gifted. Tyler claims that he was Tessa's favorite as a child. Tessa cared for Tyler in a misguided way, advising that Mary-Ann send Tyler to a conversion therapy camp after being told about Tyler’s transgender identity by Mary-Ann. Ten years later, Tessa seems to be trying to accept Tyler for who he is despite not fully understanding him. Tessa said she prayed to God for guidance on Tyler's identity, and when she saw Tyler had become such a strong and thoughtful young man, she knew his answer was to accept him. Tyler has the option to forgive Tessa.

### Michael Abila

Michael is one of Tom and Tessa's employees. It's clear that Michael isn't Tessa's biggest fan. Tessa hates whenever Michael tries to put up posters for LGBT events, and "accidentally" covers them up. She has told Michael that she doesn't want him to promote his "lifestyle" onto the customers.

## Trivia

* Tessa is considered the inspiration behind Mary-Ann's character of the Pious Pelican in the Book of Goblin stories.
* Tessa and Mary-Ann planned to be business partners and run a store called Pelican's Crossing. This plan possibly fell through due to Mary-Ann's affair with Tom.
* Tessa makes a coconut cake that is a favorite of the twins. This might not actually be an item served at Tessa's restaurant but something she makes specifically for them.
* Although Tessa claims she didn't know the truth about the youth camp, emails can still be found on her computer from the religious group that runs it, suggesting she is still a member.
* Tessa's parents are both deceased and buried at the DeLos Crossing Cemetery.
	+ Her mother was named *Lorna-Elena Corazon DeLeon* (April 10, 1941 – February 2, 2013)
	+ Her father was named *Roman Gabriel DeLeon* (January 13, 1938 – October 8, 2007)
* Tessa is implied to be of Filipino descent, as several of the dishes at Tessa's Cafe Alaska are of Filipino origin, and her voice actress is also of Filipino descent. Most Asian Americans in Alaska are Filipino, and Filipinos are also mostly Catholic. Her letter in the epilogue mentions going to "Manilla"; while there are several small towns with that exact name, it is possibly a typo of Manila, capital of the Philippines.