Leila Kadouri

Lola Kirke as Leila

Leila Kadouri is the daughter of Hannah Wallis and sister of Norah Wallis, though she hasn't seen either in years. She is a birth educator and an experienced midwife, splitting her time both inside and outside of the hospital. A long-term resident of Norfolk, Virginia, the unexpected death of her mother brings her to Port Charles.

## Family Torn in Two

Though Hannah Wallis and Solomon Kadouri were in love at one point, Leila doesn't have much memory of their time together. Her parents divorced on somewhat amicable terms when Leila was four years old, resulting in her childhood being split between her mother and older sister Norah, and her father.

As she got older, and her mother's career as a hot shot lawyer turned into being a district attorney with a heavy load on her shoulders, Leila began to see less and less of her mother, and as a result, of her sister. This began to feel like the norm by the time Leila was ten years old, as her time with her mother reduced dramatically in the years prior: first it was a stay a few times a month, to only during the summer, and then it went from the occasional holiday.

For the most part it had been conflicting schedules that pulled Leila away from her mother and sister, but when her father Solomon got a job offer in Norfolk, Virginia when she was thirteen, she elected to go with him rather than stay with her mother. The two of them had always been much closer to the point of Leila and her father often speaking nothing but Arabic around each other.

With a mother she never got the time to connect with, and a sister she was rarely able to see, the choice wasn't as difficult as it could have been. Leila packed up her things and moved to Virginia, where she would stay with her father and visit her mother and sister for the occasional few days during the year.

She has been in Norfolk ever since, where an interest in infant and child development turned into college courses. Leila had once been heading toward education, but that soon took a turn when she helped a single friend of hers through the pregnancy and delivery of her first child. A caregiver at heart, as Leila had longed for a big, happy family, the idea of helping new families and especially pregnant women ignited a passion in her. She was soon neck deep in the world of pregnancy, childbirth, pre- and postnatal care, and family development. She started off with volunteer work around the hospital, but soon became a Lamaze teacher, a birth educator, and midwife.

The work keeps her busy, but Leila's spirits are never dampened by long, grueling days either inside or outside of the hospital. Completely in love with what she does, Leila hardly ever rests. She finds plenty of time to fill her life with passions outside of work, including guitar playing and Friday night karaoke parties. With those parties came a few whirlwind flings and romances, though none were as prominent than her two years with a man named Ian Bridges, who easily swept her off her feet. The two of them hit it off like kindred spirits, right down to their personalities. Their relationship, despite committed, was kept casual and frivolous. Leila wasn't looking to settle down at twenty-six, especially not after watching her parent's failed marriage and resulting relationships. She was wary of true love and commitment, unsure of its existence.

So when Ian got down on one knee on her twenty-seventh birthday, Leila's reaction didn't quite hit the mark he was looking for. She rejected his proposal, though insisted that it didn't have to change anything. Upset, Ian thought otherwise. He stormed out, and while Leila initially thought they could weather that storm, it wasn't a week later when she found out that Ian slept with another woman on the very night of his proposal.

She cut things off with him then and there, avoiding further contact and trying her best to ignore her broken heart. Leila hasn't humored anything other than short flings since, happily, and comfortably, straying away from love and long lasting relationships.

## Coming to Port Charles

On a particularly cold November morning, just after helping a client's childbirth, Leila received a call at eight in the morning. She was contacted by the Port Charles Police Department as Hannah Wallis' next of kin, and got the news: her mother had been murdered on Halloween night. In shock, Leila was certain that it was come cruel prank until her father confirmed it for her.

With a funeral to plan and belonging to sift through, Leila packed up her things and headed off toward a dreaded visit to Port Charles.

## Personality

Leila is every bit of a social butterfly: bold, easy-going, and fun-loving. She isn't interested in what strangers think of her, and as a result, she doesn't have a shy bone in her body. Leila enjoys going out to try new things, and often has adventurous and fearless streaks, both of which got her in trouble when she was younger. These days she is more of a free spirit, enjoying the good things life throws her way, and often going out to find more of them. She's the happiest when she can make others laugh.

Alongside her fun, frivolous nature is a softer side that shows the most with her father, or during her line of work. She's a natural born caregiver, often going out of her way for others and putting their needs ahead of her own.

## Important Relationships

* Hannah Wallis: Her mother. Leila stopped consistently living with her mother by the time she was ten years old, and as a result, they are not especially close. She made an effort to visit her at least once or twice a year.
* Norah Wallis: Her sister. They were closer as children, but their relationship eventually grew distant the less they saw each other.
* Soloman Kadouri: Her father. Leila spent most of her childhood with him, and chose to move away with him rather than stay with her mother and sister when he got a job offer in a different state. The two are very close, often spending a lot of time together.

## Crimes Committed

* Typical teenage delinquency: underage drinking, and breaking legal curfew.
* Lied about and broke parental rights in her efforts to help a pregnant woman escape her abusive husband.

## Health and Vitals

* Sliced her leg open as a teenager while climbing a fence: required stitches.
* Was in a car accident: suffered a concussion, some lacerations, and bruising.