Ellie smiled one of those small, knowing smiles. The kind that you smile when you don't necessarily want the person you're smiling at or because to know you're smiling? Like what a mom would smile if she saw her two kids actually playing nicely? That. She smiled in that way when she noticed him coming back, and then helping her.

What she didn't notice, or didn't really think about, however, was his reaction to grabbing the same piece. She only muttered a small 'Oh!' at the time, and continued on when he moved his hand. Things like that happened.

How had she been doing? Just trying to survive, really. Emotional rollercoaster of emotions she wasn't aware she was capable of feeling. Reacting to things she never thought she would react to. Like she didn't even know herself. Scary. "I've been good." she answered, untruthfully. He didn't need stuff she didn't understand herself dumped on him. Plus, she barely knew the kid. Though, she liked him quite a lot.

"How have you been?" she volleyed the question back to him.