Risk & Reward

Thirty-Two

"Hey, why don't you put down the laptop for an hour and come grocery shopping with me." Shi looks up from her screen, her eyes feeling a bit bloodshot.

"Is that your way of telling me I'm working too hard?" She laughs, noticing the mom look in Jess's eye.

"Yes. Now let's go. You've got the proposal down perfectly for tonight and you're overworking yourself. I know it's August and things suck, and Adam told you Steven died on that day, and whatever else you're not telling us, and I know it's something. But you're going too hard, and you're hiding in this house like it's a prison, which is very unlike you. So we are going grocery shopping, it's not really a choice, and you're going to talk to me about whatever it is that's making you act so unlike you."

"Once a mom, always a mom." Shi shakes her head softly, "Give me five to change, I don't think a hoodie is the best choice for today's heat."

"I've been your mom for twenty-two years, don't expect that to change before I die." Jess yells after Shi as she heads up the stairs to change out of Calum's hoodie. 

Five minutes later Shi is backing out of the driveway, Jess having insisted she drive to prevent her from working on her phone the whole time.

"So, what's wrong with our Fancy Pants Shi?" Jess asks rather bluntly.

"I have a lot going on. Nothing's wrong." Shi shrugs. "Like you said, it's August, which always sucks. The thing with my birth dad was a slap in the face I didn't need last week too, and I'm really trying to focus on getting WT where it needs to be with the right people to push it into the place I want it to be. Plus working for the staging company still, I've been busy."

"It's not the boyfriend right? He's not doing something? I noticed you haven't made any trips towards LA in a few weeks."

"No." Shi laughs. "We're fine, he's in Fiji right now actually, for his cousin's wedding. And he's headed to Sydney for another week to visit home and his family. Timezones and such are making it a little more difficult to talk, but we're doing good. I really actually want you guys to meet him soon, after he's back."

"Wait, did I know he was Australian?"

"Um, I don't know. He's actually half Maori and half Scottish, but was born and raised in Australia. It sounds complicated but his heritage is a big part of who he is."

"Someone whose diverse heritage was practically erased by her family dating someone who embraces all of his because of his family? Sounds about right, honestly."

"I will never fault Paul for not keeping any old family traditions and starting all new ones. It was easier for him, and for all of us. Plus, we don't even know all of who we are and what we represent, too much in us to claim anything clearly at this point." Shi smiles sadly as she parks in the Ralph's lot.

"Ya, I've broached the subject with him a few times over the years. It's never going to be easy and I doubt there comes a time he'll be willing to try."

"Our family traditions that he started with Sabi and I are the only ones we need, and they are the best traditions." Shi assures her before both women step out of the car.

"Okay, so it's not Sabi, it's not Steven, it's not work, it's not the boyfriend. So what is getting to you, Shi?" Jess clearly wasn't deterred from the subject when the focus switched to Calum.

"Nothing, I'm fine." Shi responds without looking at her, instead busing herself with grabbing a cart.

"Alright, Pinocchio." Jess sighs, clearly not happy with the response. The subject is dropped though, and for the next forty minutes they chat while shopping for the necessary groceries. Shi has to admit it is nice to be out of the house for a bit. She's kept her promise to Calum to not go back to the apartment alone, and was banned from the work sites by Caleb for her safety, so she's been stuck in the big house for nearly a week, nervous to venture very far on her own anyway.