James

James is the 20 year old son of Petra and Malcolm Nicholson. When he was still a boy, he was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and this caused a great crisis in the family. Petra bent and broke rules to get him the bone marrow transplant needed to save his life but, at the time, James was too young to appreciate the impact of his mother's actions. He didn't understand his parents' divorce or why his father's attitude towards him was filled with guilt and anger. This put a strain on their relationship that has only lessened in the past couple years.

Growing up, James is very interested in the outdoors. He is a big fan of kayaking and hiking but isn't sure what he wants to do for a living exactly but he wants it to be dealing with nature. Maybe a forest ranger, guide, or field scientist. He'd rather be out doing things than sitting still or at a desk. As a junior at Tulane, he has taken several science courses but is most focused on botany. "Plants are great because they aren't people."

James has kept the secret of his mother's contact with him from his father and step-mother. He's not seen his mother in person for many years but has talked to her on the phone and via email. Her reluctance to speak about what specifically she is doing bothers him and he is curious since there are some inconsistencies and questionable things about her life he has learned.

Malcolm has calmed down quite a bit after his remarriage to Cornelia Adams and has seemingly forgotten about Petra. While this has made family life more comfortable, it irks James that his father could seemingly cast aside his mother who saved his life at the cost of her own career and marriage. That sacrifice should be worth more he feels. That, however, is not a useful conversation to have with his father so James doesn't bring it up unless he wants to get a rise out of Malcolm.