"Cam? Hey, Cam, are you okay?" Laney was tapping on the young man's shoulder, with her other hand still wiping away a few tears.

Georgia and Ash looked over at him as well, curious. Kamil still hadn't moved. He just stared at his coffee. It looked bottomless. He heard his friends, loud and clear, and that's what was scary. He wasn't imagining things. He heard "Annie"… loud and clear.

"Was it something I said?" Georgia wondered aloud.

Finally, Kamil mustered a small, "Annie?" He couldn't lift his head to look at them. His whole body felt heavy. How that name carried so much weight, caused so many questions.

"Er, Lillian, I mean," Georgia corrected herself, thinking Kamil did not recognize the name.

"You know Annie?" Kamil asked, his voice raising a bit. He can't be going crazy. He heard her right…

The cowgirl was still confused. "What do you mean?"

Kamil finally lifted his head, meeting his emerald eyes with Georgia's golden ones. His eyes were glistening, and Georgia couldn't read them… Was there hope in his eyes? Pain? Realization? It was all mixed in together.

"Annie…" he said again, "Annie, the girl I met in Oak Tree Town. How do you know her name?"

His three friends looked at him, even more confusion etched on their faces. Georgia raised an eyebrow. "I'm talking about Lillian, Cam… that's her nickname. What's goin' o-"

Kamil was starting to tremble. Whether it was from anticipation or the urge to start sobbing, he did not know. He was finally going to get the answer to this whole mess. Was it really that easy? He just didn't know her nickname? "D-Did I miss something? How did I not know that was her nickname?" A forced chuckle escaped his lips.

"She told me her father used to call her that…" Georgia answered carefully.

"I…" Well, first of all, Kamil couldn't help but feel a bit jealous that Georgia knew that about Lillian and he didn't. But that didn't matter.

Ash and Laney stared back in disbelief. Ash spoke out, "Cam, what are you getting at?"

Kamil took a deep breath to calm himself down. "I hope you believe me… but this whole Lillian and Oak Tree Town situation has been driving me mad."

"Cam, whatever it is you have to say, we're here for you," Laney told him, and he felt relief wash over him. How grateful he felt in that moment. How loving and reassuring his friends were… He truly needed this. He couldn't have asked for better friends back in Bluebell. Why didn't he realize that before? They've always been there for him.

Kamil then revealed everything he knew about Annie. How he reacted when he first met her, how she looked so much like Lillian, how she had a scar on her forehead that she hid, how she would flinch when he brought up Bluebell, how she avoided talking about her past, and the timing of Lillian disappearing and Annie moving into Oak Tree Town… He told them everything.

"It's almost like… like she doesn't want to remember," Kamil concluded, and he felt his lips lose a bit of feeling from talking so much.

By the time he finished, their plates and cups were empty. Lunch was over, and Howard just entered the room to clean up the table. They wouldn't be surprised if he eavesdropped from his room, but they didn't even care at this point. The entire time, his friends were listening attentively. Ash was digging his nails into his palms as he clenched his fists in utter shock.

"So, she's really out there huh…" Ash said under his breath. "Why didn't Mayor Rutger tell us anything about it. Why?"

Although they were less confused now, they couldn't help but be slightly angry. What did all of this mean? With Howard cleaning the dishes in the same room as them, their voices lowered and they all leaned in.

"Do they really think we can just let this kind of thing be swept under the rug?" Georgia demanded in a harsh whisper, getting heated up as well. "What do they take us for? Fools?"

Laney tried to remain calm, soothing her friends by placing her hands over theirs. She said gently, "Remember? You said it yourself… Lillian may have her reasons that we don't know of."

"Why-" Kamil began quietly, "why don't you come back to Oak Tree Town with me and see her for yourself? We can sort this whole thing out."

There was a long pause as everything was still sinking in. Finally, Ash shook his head.

"Nah man, I believe you, I do… but what if what you're saying is right – I mean, the fact that she doesn't want to remember? I think our presence might make it worse."

He had a point. Kamil remembered when he tried to find out more about Annie. Her answers were everywhere and she was obviously uncomfortable.

Ash frowned, and the three other friends hated to see him that way. He asked them, "Is it selfish of us? To find out who this Lillian Annie girl really is? I know this is a huge thing to ask for but, please bring our friend back, Cam…"

Kamil nodded. "Don't need to ask me… I'm definitely going-"

Laney cut in, worried, "Well, I don't want you to go through this alone at all."

Kamil gave a reassuring glance to Laney. She was so motherly all the time, of course she would think like that. But, he wasn't alone - not anymore.

Georgia sighed, "And we don't want to mess anything up for you in your new life at Oak Tree Town.

After telling his friends, it felt like a weight was lifted off his chest and he could breathe smoothly again.

Ash rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Don't feel pressured when we say this, and besides, we'll always be here for you in Bluebell – waiting."

That was all Kamil wanted and needed to hear.

"How was lunch, kids?" Howard asked in a sing song tone from his side of the room, snapping the young adults back to reality.

Soon, they would have to go their separate ways and continue their day, waiting for Kamil to visit again to update them on Annie. As heavy as the conversation was, they all felt comforted by the company and, most importantly, Kamil no longer felt homesick.

"Great as always," Kamil replied with a smile, his voice returning to a regular volume, "I missed your cooking and baking, Howard."

a/n: *shows up after disappearing for like a year* heyyy wassup lmao. i told you i wouldn't leave this unfinished! i'll be working on this fic before i start working again this summer. if you just started reading this: hi, i should warn you about my updating schedule... i don't have one! and if you have been reading this since 2016, wow. i love you.

reviews are appreciated! thank you 3