Hawkins was the perfect place for her; she had the idyllic life - not quite routine, but she was fine with that. Just enough happened in the small town for her to write her weekly journalism columns and normality was certain.
Until a certain chain o...
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The matriarch of the Xu clan, in a rare fashion, was awake and happily cooking breakfast for her family in the kitchen when Shay finally went downstairs. Not that her mother didn't like to cook, mind you, but the sight of Pamela so joyous and in her element was a strange sight to the teenaged girl.
Her mom had wanted to make a career out of the culinary arts growing up. It was a dream that she'd told anyone who'd listen, including a young Shay that was almost always in doubt about her dreams being attainable. If the girl so much as worried about her ability to step foot in a man's world, Pamela was always there to tell her that she couldn't let the fear swallow her. It didn't take a genius to know that the woman was lamenting her own personal choices, unable to sit and watch as her children shared that same fate.
Anyone could tell you that Pamela Davis had always been a hell of a cook - it ran in her dad's side of the family. From the age of six, she'd known that being a chef was something that she wanted to do. Being the only girl in a house full of boys who wanted to play professional sports only fueled that fire more so. If they could have such high aspirations and be supported by their parents, she could have that exact same response. She was correct in that sense; Yvette and Bobby Davis wanted very much for their daughter to find success in that industry, but they couldn't allow her to chase that dream without giving her the ugly truth.
Professional cooking was a male-dominated industry. Sure, women were pressured and almost always forced to stay in the kitchen, but men got to work in the diners and fancy restaurants. Women were making small steps and there were a few prominent women in the industry, but after taking one step into a culinary academy, Pamela believed that she couldn't do it. To be a woman and challenge the patriarchy is one thing, but to be a black women is another. So, she settled into a position as a financial consultant and built her life as successfully as she could around that and her family.
Time eventually brought change and more women fought their way to their rightful positions. Having two daughters who were just as bold as she was in her youth made her want to go back to school sometimes, but there was no use in chasing dreams at her age. She was only forty-four, but there was something about supporting her children that was much more satisfying in a way. This day and age gave the younger generations more opportunities anyway.
Shay took a seat at the kitchen island in front of her mom mixing more pancake batter, careful not to disturb the woman's flow. She watched the woman work in silence, content on sitting there and waiting without interrupting until Pamela cleared her throat, "No good morning?"
"Sorry, still a little tired. Good morning mama." Shay rubbed at her eyes to emphasize the fatigue, succeeding in making her mom grin.
The mother of three pulled four cooked pancakes off of the griddle and added them to the already large pile to make room for the extra batter that she made. The teenager couldn't help but wriggle her toes in anticipation, almost wanting to laugh at the childlike feeling she was getting over pancakes. The only thing that stopped her was the distinct sound of her father's voice angrily berated someone over the phone, before she heard him slam the telephone onto the line.
