So much of my thoughts on Trish revolve around Trish’s biculturalism (ignoring the assigned Park last name and running with a Vietnamese background to match Levy Tran’s ethnicity) to which Theo would be exposed:
I kinda sorta love the thought that Trish’s friends of color would meet Theo and kinda be like, as an aside to Trish, “She’s so... white?” Trish would get it, but she’d assure them it’s fine. (I mean, really, the bigger concern likely would be how Theo is probably having adjustment issues to being in a committed relationship.)
Trish speaks to her parents in Vinglish, a mangled mashup that renders the half of phone conversations that Theo overhears as mostly incomprehensible curiosities.
Actually when Theo meets Trish’s parents, Theo can’t decide if she should wear gloves or not, knowing she’s going to shake their hands but also knowing she’s about to make a first impression.
What Theo wasn’t prepared for was not being able to always comprehend the accented English of Trish’s parents. She sorta smiles, nods, goes along as best she can until, in a moment of privacy, she admits to Trish, “Hey, I, uh... can’t always understand what your parents are saying.” Trish smirks, then smiles, caressing Theo’s cheek. “I know. Can’t you tell I’ve been running interference?” “Sorry.” Trish shrugs. “You’re not the first.”
Trish mentions that Theo is a doctor but doesn’t play the card too hard; Theo’s not a medical doctor, after all.
Theo probably picks up on this. I’m not quite sure how she gets around to asking about it. I mean, I’m not sure it would be much concern to Theo, but I’m sure she’d have the thought, “I’m not sure... what your parents think about me?” “You mean besides that you’re a woman?” “Yeah.” “And white.” “They’re going to hold that against me?” “Oh man, they were so hard on my older sister when she didn’t date Vietnamese boys.” “Wow. Okay. So I’m a woman, I’m white. But I’m a doctor.” “... A psychologist.” “What does that mean?” “It means... you’re not a medical doctor who can write them prescriptions for meds?” “Really?” “Sort of? Psychology isn’t...” “Legit?” “I wouldn’t put it like that, but it’s not really--my family never talked about mental health.” “Ah.” “It’s not a thing.” “Yeah. It’s stigmatized. I understand now.” “... Yeah. Of course, I don’t think that way.” “... Yeah. You didn’t mention any of this before.” “I didn’t want to make you nervous before meeting them. Would you have acted differently if you had known?” “... I guess not.”
Theo is about to have so much more rice in her diet.
But, also, once Theo realizes what Trish likes, she’d probably go and pick up snacks from the Asian store for her.
Theo maybe attends a wedding of one of Trish’s family. I’ve debated this only because I’m not sure Trish would break etiquette on the big day of a family member to bring her girlfriend. I kinda feel like she’d keep the peace among the elders and note incite anything. Hm. Maybe Trish attends the wedding but Theo follows to the West Coast for an extended vacation and has to make the rounds of meeting family and friends and being vetted. I just think it would be funny for Theo to see the number of wedding guests and be like, “There are so many people.” (True story: Whenever my cousins would bring a date to a wedding, my first thought would be: Oh my goodness, that’s gonna be overwhelming the number of family they’re about to meet.)
I wonder, too, what types of images Theo would pick up from Trish. Like would there be recurring strong impressions? I feel it’s these that Theo would use to prove her psychometric abilities. “I saw something like... it’s a closet, I think. There’s this dress or something hanging in it. It’s a bright yellow and long in the front and the back and it’s... silk? It’s so light when touched. There’s a design on the front, like a peacock?” “That sounds like my mom’s áo dài. I... when I was little, I wanted to try it on. I’d go into her closet and look at it.” “What is it?” “An áo dài. Here, I’ll pull up a picture.” * “The view is like on the water and there are these... tree-covered islands? I get this feeling of peace but also... sadness.” “Ha Long Bay. In Vietnam,” “You think about it a lot?” “I mean, it was so beautiful that I remember it, yeah.” “Why were you sad?” “Because it was so beautiful.” “That doesn’t sound like a reason to be sad.” “Hm.” * “This tattoo--this one. You got it when you felt like you’d gotten over your ex.” “You can tell that?” “When I touch this one, yeah.” “Does that... does that bother you?” “*shrug* You’re over her. That’s why you got it.”
“Your parents vote Republican?” “Yeah.” “Wait. Why? I mean, they realize that the Republicans have been trying to throw their gay kid’s rights out the window?” “*chuckle* That’s not their top voting issue, I guess. Look, I know. I’ve made my peace with it. It’s just better... to let it be what it is.” “Yeah, but I’m not sure I get it.” “Theo, they fled Communism. They scraped and worked hard and made money and sent all their kids to school. They’re--conservative. They’re worried about... taxes... and the idea of people cutting the line.” “Wow. Okay. I’m not sure... how to feel about that.” “It is... what it is.”