Welcome Cassandra!
Once again, I’m impressed by the talent of a young writer. To see how this writer makes readers care about her characters, read Cassandra’s Miracles. Cassandra’s characters work because she shows us different sides of them: what makes them great and what makes them less than great. This not only makes her characters more real, but it also practically guarantees that most readers will recognize some part of themselves inside these characters. And that’s what makes us care.
Great job, Cassandra, and welcome to the site!