AN: I was reading over what I've written so far and I realized something. I mentioned that Maddie's mom wanted to make sure that Maddie had manners. I haven't explained that yet. It's gets cleared away in this chapter. Hope you guys like it.
Rory was working in her office the next day when her secretary Cindy walked in.
"Ms. Tucker wants to see you." She said catching Rory's attention.
Rory knocked on Megan's door knowing she was going to ask about Tristan. Megan looked up from her computer and told Rory to sit down.
"I just got off the phone with Tristan. He says you two are going out to dinner."
"It's strictly for the article." Rory said hoping she would believe her.
"That's what he said. I wanted you to know that I really do appreciate you doing this."
"It's not a problem."
Megan's phone rang ending their conversation. Rory walked back to her office pushing out the noise around her. Why had Megan asked Rory to interview Tristan? Wouldn't she want someone's unbiased opinion of her brother? Or did she think it would be easier for him if it were someone he knew?
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Tristan heard Maddie open the front door and he heard Megan's voice in the hall. He walked out of his room buttoning his shirt. The devil dog was at it again. He was jumping on Megan trying to knock her down.
"Jack back off." Tristan said before dragging the Golden Retriever down the hall.
Megan was in the kitchen making dinner before he left.
"Maddie, you gonna tell me bye?" He called from the door.
He could hear her running down the hall with Jack on her heels. She jumped into Tristan's arms and squeezed tight.
"Have fun daddy."
"I'll try."
"And tell Rory I said hi."
"I will."
"I love you daddy." She said putting her head on his shoulder.
"I love you too baby." He said kissing her cheek.
Megan walked up to them and took Maddie from him.
"Sweep her off her feet." She whispered in his ear.
He gave Megan a stern look before walking out the door. Sometimes he wished he didn't tell her everything. It was going to get him in trouble one day.
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Rory stepped out of a cab in front of the restaurant. She made her way inside to the Maitre D. He led her to a table where Tristan was already sitting. He stood when he saw her. She took in his black suit with white shirt. He looked like the sixteen year old she remembered.
Tristan smiled watching her walk towards him. Her hair was down, falling in curls to her shoulders. She took off her jacket feeling him watching her still. And he was, he was looking at her from head to toe. She could feel her face start to burn.
She was wearing a knee length black dress that dipped low in the bad. She had finally sat down once Tristan pulled her chair.
"You look nice."
"Thanks. So do you." She said smiling.
Dinner was spent filling each other in on their day. They went for a walk afterwards.
"So, did you have a normal childhood growing up?"
"Define normal." Rory said laughing.
"Did your mom try to give you everything she didn't have growing up?"
"She did that. My entire town had a hand in raising me. Luke is the dad I always wanted. And our next-door neighbor Babette thought of me as her daughter. And so many other people would butt in."
"What about you dad?"
"Like I said he was there when he could be. He wasn't a deadbeat dad. But he made more mistakes then he did things right. I don't hold that against him though."
"I wish I could say that."
"What about your family?"
Tristan sighed thinking of how he could tell her without scaring her off.
"The only person I talk to in my family is Megan. It's been that way for eight years. I haven't seen or talked to my parents since before Maddie was born."
"Why?" Rory couldn't understand why he would do that.
"I didn't have a happy childhood. If it hadn't been for Megan I would be worse off than I am now."
"What happened?"
"My parents were never there. My mom at least tried. But my dad was a first class jerk. It didn't matter what I did. I always pissed him off."
"I can't imagine must have been like."
"I rebelled when I couldn't get their attention. And by the time I was sixteen I had pushed m dad too far. I had too much dir on him. He was looking for a reason to send me away. And he got one."
"What happened in North Carolina?"
"The same thing that happened Hartford. Only I was doing it to hide the pain. My granddad died not long after I left. I wasn't even allowed to go to his funeral. My dad had me put on watch so I couldn't leave."
"What does watch mean?"
"It means that I was escorted everywhere I went. I tried t sneak out and was put on probation for a month."
"I'm so sorry."
"It's not your fault Rory." He said stopping.
Rory looked up to see the hurt in his eyes. She honestly couldn't understand how someone could their child like that.
"After my granddad died I lost all respect for my dad. It went downhill from there."
"You look like you made it through okay."
"Only because of Megan, Rachel, and Maddie."
"I meant to ask you yesterday, when you told me about Rachel. When I met Maddie you told me her mom taught her manners…"
"No I said she made sure she had manners. It took me a year before she got it." He said shaking his head.
He walked her home after that. As he walked home he thought about Rachel. She was a lot like Rory. She was so much like Rory he had almost slipped and called her Mary more times than he could remember. That was a nickname reserved for Rory. He would never call anyone else that.