It was 10:40 am, and Loid and Mrs. Forger were both home drinking coffee together while they attempted the crossword in the newspaper. It was something they had started doing after moving to Ostania to try to create a sense of normalcy. Unfortunately with Mrs. Forger's job as nurse at a retirement home, she wasn't home every Sunday morning.

They were considering a clue that had to be lyrics of some pop song that they had little chance of guessing as neither mother nor son spent much time listening to the radio when Frankie burst in the front door.

"Frankie, what have I told you about knocking?" Mrs. Forger scolded.

"Sorry, Mrs. F, it's an emergency," the boy said.

Mother and son both stood and moved to the entryway to inspect Frankie.

"What happened? Are you hurt? Are your parents hurt? Do I need to call emergency services?" Mrs. Forger rattled off by rote as she examined Frankie for injuries.

"No, it's not that kind of emergency," he said.

"Oh, so it's a teenage emergency. I see." She walked back to the coffee table to grab her coffee. "Why don't you invite Dominic as well? The more heads the better. Oh, and by the way, congratulations on your date, Frankie. I'm so happy for you," she said before absconding to her room.

"Thank you, Mrs. F," Frankie said.

"So, should we call Dominic?" Loid said.

"He's already on his way." Frankie passed Loid to pace by the couch.

"Maybe you should sit. Do you want anything?"

"No, thanks. I can't eat."

Loid had a hard time believing that. Frankie could eat more than anyone he knew with his freakishly fast metabolism. "I'm going to get some snacks out just in case."

"All right, there'd better be a fire because I left my 90-year-old Nana's birthday party for this which also is Camilla's first event with my family. And let me tell you, both Nana and Camilla were pissed," Dominic said a few moments later as he took his coat off.

"I think there is," Loid said as he led Dominic into the living area. "Frankie hasn't touched any of the snacks."

"That's unlike you. What's wrong?" Dominic said to Frankie who was still pacing.

"You were right about the whole love and hate thing," Frankie said.

"And how does that make this an emergency?"

"She's been toying with me the whole time. It's all a game to her. She doesn't want me." He stopped pacing and slumped his shoulders.

Dominic laughed knowing full well it was inappropriate. "Sorry. I forget sometimes that you two haven't really done the relationship thing before." He took a moment to get a more serious expression. "Look, why would she have gotten her parents to arrange your future marriage if she wasn't into you?"

"To get back at me for humiliating her in the society, obviously." Frankie scoffed like Dominic was the ignorant one.

Dominic held his head and exhaled loudly. "Can you tap in? He's not listening to me." He said to Loid.

"Of course." Loid guided Frankie to sit on the couch before taking a seat in his favorite armchair. "Frankie, let's go back to the beginning. Do you remember the first thing she said to you?"

Frankie thought back to that Monday that she had thundered into his life with the force of a hurricane: "Mi querido! How are you doing this morning? Are you ready for the lecture?" she had asked. "She called me, 'mi querido.'"

"Which means?"

"Dear."

"Yes, but more literally it's related to querer so something like 'my wanted one.' She told you what she wanted from the start."

Frankie's jaw dropped. "She wants me?" he croaked.

Dominic and Loid laughed.

"Yeah, bro. She does. It's pretty clear. She's the pretty new girl from another country. She could've used anyone to get into ELS, but she chose you," Dominic said.

"Oh god. You're right. Now what do I do?" Frankie said.

"Tell her," Loid said like it was the easiest option.

"That's rich coming from you."

"Unlike you, I'm not lucky enough for my girlfriend to make her feelings so obvious."

Frankie and Dominic exchanged a look. "Let's make a deal. I'll tell Ludmila at the ball if you tell Yor."

"I can't make that deal! We don't know how Yor feels."

"What if we did? Would you make the deal then?" Frankie nodded to Dominic who went to his coat to grab a file.

"Yes, if I was certain that I wouldn't be burdening Yor with my feelings, then I would."

"Okay, then take a look at this," Dominic said handing him the folder.

Loid took it with a raised eyebrow. He opened the folder to see photos of Yor watching him cook with so much fondness in her eyes. That was enough to catch his breath in his throat for a moment, but just a moment as his brain immediately rationalized her expression as friendly admiration. "This doesn't prove anything."

"There's more," Dominic said as he leaned back into the armchair opposite Loid.

Loid tipped the folder over and a sealed, blank envelope fell into his hands. He eyed it suspiciously. "What?"

"Just open it," Frankie said.

Loid obeyed and saw a letter in Yor's handwriting addressed to him.

Dear Loid,

How are you supposed to start these things? I'm not good with words, so I guess I'll just get out with it: I love you.

The letter continued for a page and a half after that, but Loid's eyes wouldn't move on from those last three words. "She loves me? No, that can't be right. How do I know this isn't faked?"

"Dude, who would fake a love letter from Yor to you?" Dominic asked.

"Your girlfriend did last year."

Dominic winced. "Yeah, that does sound like something she would've done before. Sorry about that."

"This one's genuine. Ludmila and Camilla watched her write it," Frankie said.

"Then how did you get it?" Loid said.

"Ludmila found it."

"She stole it. I shouldn't have this. This is a huge invasion of Yor's privacy!"

"We'll apologize to her later, but for now can you focus on what this means?" Dominic said.

"She loves me."

Frankie smiled. "Yes, finally! So, do we have a deal?"

"Deal." Loid shook Frankie's hand.