Thank you guys for all your love on part 1!! Enjoy!! <3

**Little recap** —

“Are you James?” I ask.

“No. My name's Helgurt, and it's nice to meet you.”

“Never heard that name before.” I shook his hand, and Leland followed suit.

“I’m Nelima, nice to meet you.” I quickly add, “And this is my friend Leland.”

“Nice to meet you both. But what brings you guys here?”

“We are looking for a man named James, or Jerfery Larrled. Do you know of him?”

“Hmm doesn’t ring a bell.” He says, oddly suspiciously. Leland and I exchange looks.

“Well his late wife—Edna, wanted me to find him.”

“Oh—well. I can tell you where he is, but he’s not here.”

Well, where is he then, South Africa?

I hold in my annoyance. _It was important to Edna. _

Leland gazes at me, then asks, “What can you tell us?”

“Well, you probably know that he isn’t who he said he is. Edna probably told you that much. He was actually a great guy, he devoted his life to the military. And that all changed when he met Edna. She became his whole mission in life.”

I smile, _that was great news. _

_“_Why does she need me to find him then?”_ _

“I can’t tell you. You’ll find out soon enough, here’s the address.” He hands me a piece of paper.

We’re walking, slowly, on the yellow brick road. “What do you think I have to do with all of this?”

“I’m not sure,” Leland replied. “There is something here, I feel like we are missing a huge puzzle piece.”

I nod, “Me too.”

We walk around the castle a little longer. “Wait!” I paused, excited.

“What?” He asks.

“This house—“ I point to a small cottage not far from us. “Was in a painting at Edna’s house.”

“Really?”

“Mmm hmm.”

We walk up and knock. “Come in.” An old lady replied.

I open the door to find an old lady who looks like Edna. My jaw dropped. Leland just stared at me.

“Edna?” I gasp out.

“Oh, hi dear!” She smiles. “You are the girl that Edna always talked about.”

“Who are you then?” I ask politely.

She gestures for us to come in. We sit on her wooden—frog—engraved table set.

“Are you Edna?” Leland asks.

“No sir. But I am Edna’s sister.”

“I didn’t know she had a sister.” I rack my brain, trying to understand. This woman was a complete mystery, I guess I didn’t know her as well as I thought I did.

Leland placed a hand on my shoulder. This was why our friendship has lasted so long, he always cared, maybe _too_ much.

I smile in acknowledgment, then focus back on Edna’s sister.

“Is there something I’m supposed to know?” I ask, curiously.

“Yes,” She fidgets in her chair, like she’s deciphering something.

“Edna and Jerfery, _or_ _James_, were agents back in their day.”

“Edna?” I ask. A smile nipping at my lips. It fit her perfectly.

“Yeah.” She pulls out a photo of Edna and Jefrey. They are dressed up in funky clothes, supposedly undercover. I smile proudly and trace the picture with my fingers.

“That sounds like Edna.”

“Oh!” She says, like she’s remembering something. She pulls something out of her pocket. A circular _key_.

“She also gave me this box. You may open it.”

I look at Leland, and he nods. And I open the wooden green box.

“It’s a note.”

**_Dear Nelima, I miss you dearly. I want you to take this money and go to Paris. It's for all the trouble I’ve been putting you through and I know it’s your dream. I already talked to your professors. Oh and take that pesky boy of yours! I want him at your wedding, but he'd better be the groom! I want you to know, I’m alive and well. Let me know when you find my love. And in return, I will come to your wedding!

- sincerely, Edna.

_**I hold the note to my chest in embarrassment.

Curiosity struck both of their faces.

“Oh—“ I look up, biting my lip. “She said this is for finding her husband.” _I’m not sure if I should trust the sister. I’ll tell Leland later. _

_ _ “Well, I’m sorry but we'd better get going. Is there anything else?”

“Just that you’ll find Edna at the hotel.” Her statement confirmed she could be trusted. Or at least, a higher chance.

I smile brightly. “Thank you so much.”

She smiled and sent us with chocolates on our way out. **_

_****_

_**Leland read my mind. “So what was it about?”

“She wanted me to go to Paris. Well—both of us.”

“Oh really? You’ve always wanted to go.”

He looked lost in thought for a moment.

“She’s also still alive.” I squealed.

“Really?” He touches my arm, matching my excitement.

“Yes. She’s doing alive and well! But I’m assuming she was partying it up in Hawaii or something. But we’ll meet her in Paris.”

“That sounds like Edna,” he responded.

“But you don’t know Edna?” I reply with a straight face, obviously joking.

“Yeah, but I know a lot from what you told me.

“I’m just kidding. You do know a lot.”

His shoulders relaxed and he laughed with me.

“What should we do?” I ask, wanting confirmation.

“Go to Paris. Did she give you a hotel address?”

“Oh yes,” I grin. It was time for Paris AND Edna!!

The way to the airport, we rushed like it was a recreation of “Home Alone.”

“You _do_ know you don’t need so much luggage?” He sighed, tired from carrying my bags.

“Sorry. I just wanted to pack the right outfit.”

He laughs. “Of course you did.”

We made it to the airplane on time.

“What are you going to do when you see Edna?” Leland said—or at least tried—because the lady in the middle kept moving.

I snicker to myself. The lady finally settled in her seat.

“I don’t know. I guess I just want to know more.”

“I get that. You could also ask her why we had to drive to Antarctica and back just to get here.”

I laugh. “I could ask that.”

The airplane was quiet, all you could hear was a slight breeze. I rest my head on the window, watching the sunrise. Orange and purple taking part in the sky.

“Hello everyone,” A man said through the speakers, “We will land in 10 minutes.”

_ Nerves coddled my stomach_. I would see Edna soon and I would be in Paris!!

After our Uber picked us up, we walked the streets of Paris. I giggled and couldn’t help but cry.

“Are you crying?” He asked.

“Yes!” I exclaim through tears. “It’s so gorgeous.”

“But it’s pitch black, how can you see?” He asked genuinely.

I gave him a look and he stopped.

I randomly jumped into his arms. Excitement rushes through me.

He smiles. “Someone is excited.”

_Paris is the city of love. _

__

I shove that thought down. **No. No. No!**!! I scream in my brain.

The note Edna wrote came to my head. I jumped out of his arms.

He made a confused face.

“You good?”

“Mm hmm.” I walk ahead, faster this time. Leland easily catches up.

“Edna wrote something in the note…” I tell my best friend—Jazmine—on the phone.

“What?” She gasps.

“She wrote that she wanted Leland to be my groom. At my wedding.” The words _almost_ tasted bitter.

“_GIRLLL_.” She dragged out. “Are you really surprised?”

“Hmm?” I reply confused.

“Don’t play the innocent card. You know you like him, you just can’t admit it.”

“Speaking of which can he hear me?”

“No. He’s in a different room.” Even though he was, I covered the phone microphone.

“You’re whispering,” she proclaims.

“Nuh uh.”

“You don’t want him to know? Why? Because you do like him!”

“I’m sorry, I need to go to sleep.”

“Okay. Goodnight my little cow.”

“Why cow?”

“It’s a nicer way of calling you a coward. Because it’s short—get it?”

“Ugh.”

“Love you!”

“Love you,” I groan and hang up.

I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling. Replying to all the moments leading up to now. I didn’t like him. Nope, not at all. But…. _NOPE_.

A note slipped under my door.

**_See you tomorrow. Don’t forget about your wedding, I’ll be there.

-Edna._**_ _

Ugh! _Edna_!!! I’m going to get you!

**_Why_**** did she have to jump on me? Why couldn’t she just…. **I sat** **fidgeting with my phone case. She did look beautiful in her sweatsuit. But did she even like me?_ There’s no way_. I can’t do that to our friendship. I let those thoughts go. Nelima was a gem, but she wasn’t _my_ gem.

**_Both_** of them hugged their pillow, a little too tightly. Something was brewing, in the city of love—after all. The next day was sure to be long.