Cam wondered how Lillian escaped from the towns so easily. Of course everyone found out about his plans. He couldn't hide it from anybody... Especially someone like Howard, who was pretty much the town crier and always up for gossip. Then Laney found out, but it was inevitable. Then it made its way to the ears of Georgia, Grady, Jessica, Cheryl, and his best friend, Ash... Even Konohana knew!

Oh, how fast the stories spread around town!

"What do you mean you're moving?!" his best friend questioned him as soon as he found out. Ash didn't even take time to catch his breath after running all the way from his farm, to the cafe, and into Cam's room. He grabbed Cam by the shoulders and shook him, as if to knock some sense into him.

Cam replied rather calmly, although he was fuming internally, "I want... I need to explore the world a bit more."

Ash countered, "By moving to another town? How's that exploring the world, Cam?"

"I've always had a case of wanderlust." Cam answered, then added, "You know that. You've seen me leave the town every Monday. You know I'm not related to Howard and Laney."

"But to leave town forever?"

"I'm not leaving forever," he snapped. "And you said it yourself. I'm just moving to another town."

"When do you leave?"

"Next week."

Ash sighed, his grip on Cam's shoulders relaxed, but he didn't let go. "I'm your best friend, aren't I? Why didn't you tell me sooner? At least tell me why."

Cam nodded slowly. Why didn't he tell him? He defended himself. "I told you already, did I not? I need to explore, see more flowers, and focus on my studies. I love this town, I really do, but it doesn't have what I need right now."

Ash looked hurt by his words, but he had a moment of realization. "Ah, I understand. This is about her, am I right? The town doesn't have Lillian anymore. You don't only want to move out, you want to move on." Ash spoke quietly, but his very words made Cam's heart skip a beat.

Cam quickly interjected, "Why is this suddenly about her?" He didn't even want to say her name.

"What I'm trying to say is, ever since she left I noticed you acted differently... I didn't know it would lead to this, though."

"No, no." Cam huffed, stepping back so he was out of Ash's grasp. He went on, "It's because my business here is declining. My flowers... they weren't as healthy as they used to be. There's still so much I have to learn. Knowing there's a whole field of flowers I haven't studied and so many people I haven't met, makes me want to get out and find them..."

"And why is that?" Ash asked, still not convinced, but answered for him, "It's because Lillian's gone. And don't tell me I'm wrong."

Cam was left speechless and defeated. He really couldn't hide it from his best friend, huh? Ash could read him like an open book. Cam grabbed a seat in the cafe and sat down, exhaling slowly, as if trying to release the guilt swelling up in him. Finally, he spoke up, breaking the silence, "Why did you have to be such a good friend, Ash?"

"If I really were a good friend, you wouldn't be leaving." Ash chortled, then he looked at his friend. His small smile faded. "It wasn't just you that loved her. I was pretty upset too, Cam. We all were. We all have our ways of coping, too."

Cam leaned back in his seat, covering his face with his hands. "I tried to forget and just press on with my life, but I couldn't. I can't."

"I understand." Ash sighed and also felt a sense of defeat as he added, "If this will help you get over the past, then I'll support you." The two young men shared a glance, as Cam pulled his hands away from his face and sat up in his seat. "I mean, I wish I could've helped you 'press on' with your life, but I guess this is something you have to do yourself. But don't... completely forget about her, y'know? They all still mean something. There's a difference between pressing on and forgetting."

"Okay," Cam answered simply.

"If you ever feel alone, though, keep in mind that I'm here to lend a hand," Ash continued. "If I didn't help you before, I might as well try again now."

"Yeah. Thanks."

"Just promise me you'll visit often, okay? Wouldn't want another friend of mine gone."

There was no hesitation in Cam's reply. "I promise."

Ash was a pretty sensitive guy, so when his eyes got misty, Cam wasn't surprised. "Good luck out there, Kamil."

It's been a while since he heard his friend call him by his first name.