As Chicago Fire fan favorites Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney) and Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo) continue navigating the euphoric highs and lows of being foster parents to a teen boy, Isaiah (Hero Hunter), Mayo reveals that Stella might be feeling a tad jealous of the father-son vibes around the household.
NBC Insider chatted with Mayo about Stellaride’s exciting new chapter as foster parents, which has gone a bit differently for each of the parents. Isaiah came to the firefighters after his mother’s health prevented her from being his guardian, leading him to initially shy away from them. Severide managed to bridge the gap with video games and some take-your-child-to-work excitement, but Isaiah has taken a little longer to lay down his defenses around Stella.
“I think it’s one of those things where she really wants it to happen. But you can’t force it,” Mayo explained to NBC Insider. “And Kelly, I think generally speaking, things move smoothly for him. You know what I mean? Like he’s just kind of overall [a smooth presence], and he doesn’t have a lot of expectation when it comes to Isaiah. So I think that is what made it easier for them to connect.”
Severide knows how to keep things light and breezy with his teenage foster son, while Stella is often the one who addresses the boy’s needs, buying him new shoes and encouraging him to focus on schoolwork. Stellaride has developed a good balance with Isaiah, but Stella has yet to gain Isaiah’s trust on the same level.
Mayo added, “Stella’s definitely jealous, definitely feeling a little like, ‘OK, why? What am I doing wrong?”
Stella has admitted as much to Severide, but he’s encouraged her to stay patient as Isaiah settles down. Fortunately for Stella and her relationship with Isaiah, the envy has started to subside as she continues to learn about Isaiah’s chronically ill mother.
Miranda Rae Mayo says her TV son is “a joy” on set of Chicago Fire
Stella has started to connect with her foster son on a vulnerable level after accompanying Isaiah to the care facility to visit his mother. There, they discovered that his mother’s health had taken a drastic turn, and she was comatose. Isaiah was utterly heartbroken, but he luckily had Stella there for support.
Following this troubling development, Hunter took to Instagram to share his thoughts on the episode over a scene of Stella comforting Isaiah at the hospital.
“Thank God Isaiah has great foster parents like Stella and Kelly to help him navigate these painful moments in life,” Hunter captioned the heartwarming video from the Chicago Fire episode.
During Mayo’s chat with NBC Insider, she couldn’t help but rave over how much of a blast she’s had filming Season 14 with the young One Chicago newcomer.
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“First of all, his name is the most iconic name,” Mayo gushed. “He’s so smart, he’s witty, he cracks jokes. Um, he belongs on a set. I’m so excited to follow up and, you know, see all of the inevitable success that he creates for himself. But he has great instincts. He’s just, he’s, he’s a joy to be around.”
