Chapter 20 Puzzle piece that is Ellie
"She cried?" Ellie exclaimed laughing uncontrollably, "But why? It couldn't have been a bad kiss you were like seriously experienced."
Tristan looked at her incredulously, "How would you know that?"
Ellie gave him a 'Duh' look. "Paris, tells me everything. Probably not everything but all the stuff a kid my age can know." She said shifting so that she was sitting on the bed.
Tristan shook his head at the thought of Paris having unlimited access to this girl. Thinking back to that kiss with Rory on the piano bench Tristan said, "She said it was because she had just broken up with her boyfriend and hadn't wallowed, whatever that means."
Ellie nodded in understanding as she picked up another piece of pizza. "Wallowing is essential to dealing with anything bad for us Gilmore girls."
"What does wallowing intel and what warrants wallowing?" he asked trying to understand these women.
Ellie tilted her head thinking and sighed, "Wallowing is ice cream straight from the carton, junk food and crying, usually with your head in the non-wallower's lap. Sometimes if your angry at a boy you rant about how he's a jerk and the non-wallower agrees whole heartedly weather you are right or wrong. After wallowing you get the tough love and being told you're in the wrong or whatever but never during wallowing. When you wallow you are right, even when you're wrong.
You really can wallow about almost anything; a break up, your crush crushing on your friend, a bad grade you thought you had in the bag, your mom running off the only dad you've had. It's all relative to how upset you are. Mom wallowed when she saw dad with a leggy blonde and every time she told dad she wouldn't marry him, she wallowed. But that was different when she wanted to be with him but he wasn't good for us, she wallowed about that too. She wallowed when grandpa bought her paper and became her boss. See what I mean?" she asked like it all made perfect sense.
He nodded realizing there was a whole way of thinking to these girls that was unlike any he had ever encountered before and he liked it. He suddenly remembered something he had been dying to ask her about since the first time he heard about her.
"So you spent the summer looking at dead people. Forensic science, right? What's the interest?" he asked
Ellie got this look on her face and for the first time since walking through the door she looked her age, her excitement was obvious.
"Actually it's forensic anthropology." She answered her face more animated than ever.
"Okay, I'm not stupid but what is the difference?" he asked feeling like an idiot.
"It's a common generalization but physical anthropology is used more in a legal setting, usually for the recovery and identification of skeletonized human remains. Like if they find a body dumped in a park and it's been there for months… that's when forensic anthropology comes in."
"That seems a bit gross, and like something that you shouldn't be interested in for years." He said seriously.
"Maybe not but my aunt April is in her last year for criminalistics to work in a crime lab." She said noticing the confused look on Tristan's face she gave him an example. "Like how a watermelon closely resembles the density of a human skull so if you're trying to pin point what weapon would make a specific mark you would try them on the melon and match the marks. That is what she will be doing and instead of trading in her used textbooks she gives them to me. It sounds morbid but it is the ultimate puzzle. And I love puzzles. I think I also want to study forensic botany and geology you now plant and bugs and dirts. Could be very helpful too."
"So you would be a cop?" He asked.
"Not really. I might work with the Police Department but I wouldn't actually be a cop, usually you would just be a consultant." She answered honestly.
"So is that what you would like to do? Work with crime scenes?" He asked incredulously.
"Sure." She answered. "I want to make a difference somehow but I wouldn't actually want to be the one on the street. I like my microscope and slides. I'd be happy to stay in the lab and doing what I can." She said like it was no big deal.
He shook the head before honestly telling her, "I don't think I've ever met anyone like you before and I mean that as a compliment."
"Wow picking them a little young aren't we?" A red head called from the door. "You don't have a hidden child I knew nothing about do you?" She asked meeting closer as she took in the young girl's blonde locks and blue eyes.
Tristan laughed as he moved to hug the beautiful woman. Ellie feigned disinterest as her watchful eyes missed nothing. He stepped back to introduce the two. "Marcail this is Rory's daughter Ellie. Ellie this is Marcail Riggs, her brother is one of my best friends."
"You're the photographer right?" Ellie asked impressed
Marcail looked at Tristan surprised her name was recognized by a child. "Yeah, that's me."
"We studied some of your work in my art class at Loyola Professor Sanders speaks very highly of you. We have the Paris night line you did It's a pleasure to meet you." she said graciously her society upbringing showing.
"Thank you." Marcail said quietly.
"I thought you'd be in Texas with Riggs." Tristan said in a still a little surprised to see her.
"Well she sent me to check on you guys. I thought I'd take you three to dinner. Your of course welcome too Ellie." Marcail said amazed as the poised young woman turned into a whirling dervish of a child before her eyes.
"Dinner!" she exclaimed looking at her phone to see the time, "Crap the museum closed an hour ago! I should be back at the hotel by now." She was looking for her other shoe as she flew around the room collecting her things.
"Miss Ellie we should be going if you wish to keep this little excursion from your grandfather." Henry said politely as he picked up her bag watching her search for her missing shoe.
Tristan chuckled as he looked under the bed and pulled the shoe and sock out from under it.
"Ellie, why did you come if it could get you in trouble?" he asked handing them to her.
"Because, I wanted to meet you." she said as if it should be obvious. "You are the guy my mom never forgot. If Paris is right in a roundabout way, I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you. She gave my dad a shot because he reminded her of you. I just hope the resemblance stops at looks because honestly I like you and I'd hate to be wrong. Look, my mom just has me and it might be nice to have you around you seem cool. But don't hurt her."
She started to leave when he asked. "Aren't you worried about being hurt?"
"No. I know my mom worries that she has to be careful who she gets involved with cause he might be my father but she doesn't understand this but you should. You'll never be my father… Logan will never be my father again. He lost that right when he left and his best friend stepped in to raise me. I already have a dad, his name is Finn and I don't need or want another. I do however, have a place in my heart for a step father who loves my mom if it ever comes to that. The only way you could hurt me is if you hurt her, call it gut, but I don't think you will." She said with a wink as she blew out of the room.
"Who the hell was that?" Marcail asked confused.
"Hopefully, my future daughter." He said equally confused.