Jia felt they were slipping into territory that was a little too “familiar,” but she was determined to keep it light, to not show that a conversation like this could easily delve into her family life. She didn’t want to give that information to a stranger. “Yeah. I’ve lived in this region of New Hampshire all my life. I haven’t traveled much, but maybe my career will facilitate more traveling in the future?” She didn’t know what Marie’s race was, and she wasn’t going to ask. She also didn’t know much about Selkies in general had she guessed the other woman’s species. “My family always knew I’d come to Alden. That’s probably one reason why they never moved.”
That wasn’t a complete lie… Her mother was dead, so the only move she had really done was to move in with Jia’s father during her pregnancy. Her father thought that she knew she was going to die, and she didn’t seem to mind as long as Jia’s tree would be in New Hampshire. The young dryad secretly suspected that her mother’s family was going to disown her, and Yanlin’s tree had been too old to transplant. Maybe it was better this way?
“Are you involved in any sports or anything here?” Jia asked Marie. That should help move the topic away from family.