Edit: OMG I completely agree with everything ;_: I just finished playing a few hours ago and I'm already missing Derek like he's a real person LMAO. He was way too relatable an his struggles hit very close to home. I agree in that while Cove's story was very sweet and I loved every thing about it, Derek's felt more grounded and real. Except literally Derek himself....he's is a total hunk with a heart of gold which is a rare combination. ;_; As with Cove's story, I really felt like I was a part of their family and the writer(s) did a good job of really fleshing out his character and his actions that reflected that.
And to your last bit, I always wondered the accuracy of that "small coastal community" vibe that often gets portrayed in games like this. Not sure if you will see this comment, but if you do, I was wondering if you feel that San Diego gives off this same energy this this game does? It's always interesting/amazing for me to see an artist capture the "vibe" of places, people or things they see in real life and be able to re-create that in their art.