It had been all of five days since Cosima thought she saw Delphine, and for five days she walked up and down the market in search for a sign of the blonde woman. With a heavy heart and a slight laugh at her foolishness, Cosima had decided to move on and enjoy the rest of her time in France that sixth morning. Her bones cracked a satisfying crunch as she stretched in bed and swung her legs onto the floor with a new found resilience. Today she was going to enjoy herself.

Before she knew it Cosima was standing in front of the infamous glass pyramid. Her eyes widened at the exquisite glass gleaming in front of her and it struck her how starved for culture she felt. Chocolate followed the sharp edges and smooth curves of the famous architecture. She found herself mesmerized by the enormity and beauty, her mind uncharacteristically void of any thought besides awe. A rough bump to the shoulder broke her out of her reverie and Cosima's eyes slowly watched the world come back into focus, including the unbelievably long line wrapped around the building to get into the Louvre. Of course. She felt her heart drop at the sight and blew a puff of air through her canines in frustration.

Bracelets slid down her arms while her hands rested on the top of her head. Cosima looked around at the crowd of people surrounding her and decided for the second time that week to cut her losses. In slow circles she surveyed the street, ultimately choosing the corner less crowded, and heading towards her unknown destination. Within a few blocks of new scenery Cosima's spirits started to lift. The air was cool against her face and this area of the city seemed different than all the rest she had seen so far, more quaint. The familiar tension of a city was missing and the buzz of tourism was absent. She wondered how long she had been walking, and as she turned another corner she didn't give it a second thought. A beautiful lush park was sprawled out before her, surrounded by local shops. All the old wood bordering each store so closely together had the effect of a fence outlining a lush garden. Cosima's steps slowed as she took it all in, coming to a complete stop without even noticing, the usual bangle of her bracelets temporarily silenced.

Adjusting her glasses, each exotic flower and leaf came into focus. Her canines were on full display while she soaked up the beauty in front of her. Leaning back on her heels Cosima started to take in the shops all around her, the old wood inviting her in. One in particular caught her eye, the bold black letters stark against the weathered white frame, Booksy. She clicked her tongue and made her way over to the promising book store. As soon as Cosima crossed through the threshold she knew she had made the right decision. What struck her first was the smell. It was the musty scent that only old pages with faded hard covers could emit. The paperback books that curl at the edges while the creases that decorate their covers like veins branch out in all directions. A faded sea green carpet warmly led her into the store where she soon found herself surrounded by infinite shelves and more books than could fit on them. Cosima almost tripped on a pile as she took a step back to see the titles on a taller shelf. She grinned.

Her fingertips delicately brushed over weathered spines, taking in each title as fast as she could read them. A few rows of books later she was impressed by her restraint, still carrying her armload easily. A particularly interesting title on genetics caught her eye and to her surprise she was in the heart of the store where an antique register resided next to an equally antique owner who was in light conversation with a younger gentlemen. She rested the thick volume on top of her growing pile and carefully flipped through the pages, still blocked by the bookshelf. She could make out the end of the counter next to the owner and briefly considered leaving her books there before perusing the rest of the shop. That is until a very familiar name caught her attention. "Cormier".

For a moment her mouth hung open as the books in her arms faulted and almost fell to the ground. She strained her hearing, but the French seemed faster and Cosima was lost in the unfamiliar syllables. Just when she thought she had imagined it she heard it again, "Cormier." She didn't know what to do. Was it a common name? Was she just imagining it? Her head was spinning as she listened to them. She had to have family in France still, it doesn't mean it's…

"Oui Oui Delphine."

The largest of the books was the first to hit her foot and crash to the floor, its pages sprawled against the sea green carpet in haphazard angles. The two men stopped speaking and rushed over to the dumfounded American buried in books. Their assumed apologies were ignored as she stared at the men wide eyed, searching their faces for answers. `

"Delphine…Delphine Cormier?" her voice sounded like a desperate plea.

The gentlemen exchanged confused looks, helping the American prop the books up slowly. They both nodded hesitantly. "Oui, nous parlions Delphine…parlez vous francais?"

Distraught, Cosima still stared at them. She shook her head slowly. Everything seemingly in slow motion. She licked her lips, "Is…"She paused, her heart pounding in her chest, "Is she alive?"

The furrowed brow on the older man had Cosima holding her breath. The men took the pile of books from the American and made their way over to the counter, placing them next to the register. Bending down he lifted up another set of books, much smaller than Cosima's and placed it on the counter. The older gentlemen put a deliberate finger on top of the small pile and looked straight at Cosima, "Delphine."

"Delphine," she repeated. The name came out raspy and breathless. The man nodded and still looking confused, eyed Cosima. She felt herself nodding in mirror to the gentleman. Her head was spinning and she was just as confused as the man in front of her. Knowing she wouldn't be getting anymore answers, not that she had any to begin with, she took a deep breath and looked at the books in front of her. Without thought she lifted the heavy hardcover on top and placed it on top of the small pile, the shiny gold letters spelling out genetics gleaming a bit brighter. In a daze she reached into her pocket pulling out an indeterminable amount of cash and lay it on the counter.

As she walked out into the sun she dropped her pile of books on a nearby bench. Her hands on top of her head she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, one thought enveloping her. Is Delphine alive? Could it really be? Cosima looked around the park for a sign and finding none sat down. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was on to something. She could feel her. She was everywhere. Cosima leaned back on the bench, the wood digging into the back of her neck. The sun was bright and she squeezed her eyes shut.

"Where are you?" she breathed.


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