Kamil was overcome with an odd sense of relief after waking up and still seeing Annie asleep in her bed. There was no current to sweep her away. She was in his reach. However, sleeping on a chair wasn't the most comfortable position. Staying in his seat and trying not to make any noise, he stretched his arms and neck. A long, pleasant exhale ended up escaping his lips. It was the evening now. It was still the same day, yet he felt like so much happened.

"You don't look so good," a voice croaked, grabbing Kamil's attention. He whipped his head around to see Annie lying on her side, with a piercing gaze on him. Even after everything, she was cracking jokes? Kamil stifled a smile.

"How… are you feeling?" he asked the usual question rather casually.

"I'm alright," she said, which was also the usual answer. Annie rolled back onto her back, staring at her ceiling. "My mind is a bit clearer, that's for sure, but the meds Dr. Marian gave me is still making me groggy. It's really you, Kamil?" She stuck her hand into the air, grasping at nothing.

Kamil took it, replying, "Yes, it's really me."

"Thank the Harvest Goddess. Just want to make sure I wasn't hallucinating about you… which I wouldn't be surprised if I was."

He let go before she could let their fingers intertwine, nervously playing with the collar of his shirt. Just from that exchange, Kamil felt comfortable and knew she could hold a proper conversation. The image of her breakdown however reminded him to be careful.

"Look, Annie, I won't apologize for confronting you about this. I think as your friend, I should know about this so I can help you… but I'm sorry for throwing it all at you at once."

"Well, you're no detective or professional, so it's understandable." She shook her head, sat up and noticed the glass of water that was on her bedside. "No, I'm sorry for blowing things out of proportion. If I had just been honest with you from the start, we wouldn't be in this mess." Kamil silently nodded, then she took it and gulped it down. "I really appreciate you staying with me during my little episode. I don't think many people would know what to do in that situation."

"That's what friends are for," he replied, only answering the first part.

Annie sighed in defeat, returning the glass and letting her shoulders droop. "But, now you know. I have generalized anxiety disorder and occasional panic attacks. You really saw me like that… that weak state."

"There's nothing wrong with being weak and there's no weakness in asking for help," Kamil said, watching his words.

Annie looked back at Kamil again, a sad smile slowly growing on her face. "If only I heard those words from my mother."

Panic washed over him. He put his hands up in defense, trying to stop the conversation. "If it's too soon to talk about it-"

"No, you were right Kamil. I have to stop avoiding it, and it's not like I can hide it from you anymore. You're my friend…" Annie rubbed the bridge of her nose, squeezing her eyes shut, putting all of her concentration into forming the right words. "I should tell you these things. Even when you just moved to Oak Tree Town, I told you that I would tell you once I was ready."

That's a step, Kamil thought, happy with her response. So his words before had reached her.

"O-kay," he stretched out his words, still uneasy. He had asked so much of her before, without giving her time to explain herself or even enough time to process her thoughts. Kamil pressed his lips together and made sure to focus only on the sound of her voice. For now, he will just listen. "I'm ready to hear it, too," he reassured her.

Annie stared blankly at her fingers, which were now playing with each other. Kamil heard her take a quiet but deep breath before she started. "See, before I was diagnosed, I actually enjoyed being with my family… you know, when we were still all together. My father left us when I was young, leaving me with her."

Her father, the one who called her Annie, Kamil noted, remembering his conversation with Georgia.

"I don't know why she blamed me so much. Maybe she just grew to hate the sight of me. She constantly told me to just forget about him, like how my father probably forgot about us. Honestly, she neglected me. It made me miss him even more. So, in a way, I lost both my parents." Annie's eyes lit up and she finally met Kamil's gaze, her face filled with sudden sympathy and realization. "Kamil, I know you understand how that must feel… I must sound so insensitive right now. Is it even alright if I continue?"

Kamil's heart sank. This was about her, not him. Even when she was explaining her troubles, she still tried to deflect it. "Thanks for considering my feelings, but I'm fine, really. Why should my experiences invalidate yours? We all have our own battles. I'm just sorry to hear that, Annie."

Annie's sympathy turned to guilt, which she tried to hide as she switched her gaze back to her hands. "Well, when I was old enough, I ran away from the city – from her, just like my father. I guess that's when I started developing symptoms." She let out a loud sigh, unclasping her hands and stretching her arms out. "Now you're all caught up. Then that's when I moved to Bluebell and met all of you."

Kamil tilted his head to the side, a little unconvinced. There was of course more to the "story" of hers.

It was as if Annie read his mind, as she went on. "You know, helping Bluebell and Konohana was a really good way for me to move on. It was almost like therapy. It was so different and new. Still, I found myself occasionally being controlled by anxiety. In the back of my mind, I would ask myself, how much do I really know? What if these guys end up like my parents? I really tried to push those intrusive thoughts back. I love and trust you all, I mean, I wanted to."

"If only I could've done more before," Kamil said aloud, but it was really supposed to be for himself. It pained him learning that she had felt that way for so long, even back then.

Annie raised an eyebrow in disbelief. She responded quickly before he could argue, "Don't say that, Kamil. Oh my Goddess, you were even the one who found me when I almost drowned in the river – which, by the way, was a total accident! I wasn't trying to end my life there. I honestly would've died if not for you!" She brought their attention to that point, leaning in towards him, but still rather shy. "I also forgot to thank you for that, too. Really. Thank you. That must have been… traumatizing."

Kamil felt some comfort hearing her acknowledge how he must've felt, that she still remembered him pulling her out of the water that day, and even more so finding out she never meant to be there in the first place… "T-That's different," he replied nervously, trying to back pedal, "You know what I mean. I wish I were there for you during your other episodes."

"You really were a good help, trust me." Annie chortled. "Sure, you were awkward at first, but you don't give yourself enough credit. You may not have realized it, but you gave me strength when I felt like I was losing control of my thoughts."

Kamil's face flushed in embarrassment. He choked out a reply, "Okay, I know I was awkward, but did you have to bring that up?"

She grinned, "Do you remember that day when I helped you out at your shop?"

He wanted to groan and leave the room. He thought he could handle the information she was telling him, but he definitely wasn't expecting her to bring up embarrassing memories. This was so like her. Of course, once she admitted she remembered, she decided to prove it with that memory. All he could do was roll his eyes.

"'C-Come one, come all to Cam's Flowers!'" Annie mimicked the nervous voice Kamil used that day, although it was pretty exaggerated. She snickered and kicked her legs under the blanket, like a small child. She was acting as if she hadn't just told her life story to him, as if she was just teasing him on his day off. "Oh, you were adorable."

"Well, you were ringing that bell to get the customer's attention, but it was so loud I couldn't even hear myself think!" Kamil shot back, his face getting redder by the second. He cleared his throat, adjusting his collar which for some reason felt suffocating.

"Yeah... that was a great day," Annie said dreamily. "You told me that I helped you become more confident in yourself, but you don't know how much it also helped me. I felt supported too, and needed, and loved. I never felt anxious around you. The day I crashed my cart, well, I guess it all came back."

Annie's expression grew dim as she explained more, going back to the nightmare.

"Waking up in the hospital bed, seeing those marguerite daisies… I know you visited. I wanted to see you, to tell you my worries, to thank you for finding me." Her eyes got misty and her voice became thick, but she fought the tears.

"I so wanted to see you, but Mayor Rutger didn't know who to contact first. It wasn't their fault – they didn't know. They got a hold of my estranged mother and didn't know she would say such… things to me. I didn't want to burden Bluebell or Konohana. I left because I didn't want to lose the people I love." Annie let out a long sigh filled with regret.

"Looking back, I should've talked to Dr. Ayame more, maybe I should've talked to anyone, but… although those memories are a bit blurred now, I do remember simply wanting to run away, like I always do. I went by Annie, to help forget about my life in Bluebell, but I never expected to see you again. Like you said, anxiety just does that. Hell, I even consider running away from Oak Tree Town sometimes. You know, those times when I feel like I'm not totally in control of my life."

She faced Kamil again, nodding her head. "Well, that's all I have to say!" She concluded her story with a forced smile that made Kamil almost wince.

Okay, now it was his turn to speak. What to say… "I know we talk about fate a lot," Kamil began, thinking about how all of these events led to this very moment, "Goddess, I know a lot of people do, and we can believe in it. We just accept the way things are. There were times Bluebell and Konohana did that… but we shouldn't allow that all the time. With everything that's happened to us, while a lot of it felt like fate, know that you can also take control of it." Kamil felt satisfied with his response, with how much he learned, as well. He felt as if his mind was clearer too.

"You're even doing it right now! How things affect you, how your memories can help you grow… You have control, Annie. And still, when you feel like you just can't do it, you can lean on others. You're never alone. I told you, didn't I? When I finally sought out help from Bluebell and Konohana…"

He remembered Ash, Laney, Georgia, the Mayor Rose, and even Kana, with a smile.

"I realized how lucky I was. They were always there for me, no matter what, to help me make changes I couldn't do alone. Let me tell you, Annie, with your condition, true friends won't abandon you because of it. We want to help and be there for you because we love you. People like that exist. You're one of them, too!" Kamil met eyes with Annie, the girl who just needed someone to listen to her anxieties and worries, who was just lost and needed some guidance.

"You're right – that day, at the shop, you made me feel more confident in myself. Or, that other day I felt homesick, you listened. Meeting you is a blessing, and the memories I have with you are dear to me. Even the bad memories - when I was worried or sad because of you - they still taught me so much. Looking back at it, you'd think fate wasn't on our side, but I changed the way it affected me!" He stopped, scratching the back of his head nervously after saying all that. Had he gone on a sappy, dramatic speech like Dr. Marian? Was he preaching too much?

Annie's reply soothed him, "When you put it like that... I think I feel the same way now. I truly thought fate was screwing with me, and that you showing up was going to ruin my life here. I can change that. Now, I know that's not healthy. If anything, you showing up healed me more than it caused me pain. I even realized, wow, I got the chance to become friends with you all over again!"

"I'm glad to hear that," Kamil replied with a smile.

"And you know, it was nice to hear you say that what we had in Oak Tree Town was genuine. I know I was lying about who I was and forcing myself to be someone else, but there were times when I was genuine around you, too. I still do really like you, Kamil. I always have."

"M-Me too!" The words were aching to come out, of course, they've been waiting to be said for seasons now. "I like you, too."

Before Kamil could even feel some embarrassment, Annie added, "Bluebell, Oak Tree Town, I wonder what's in store for us in our next life. Will you follow me again?"

"Hey, I didn't follow you!" Although, he did want to say yes...

"Just kidding," she giggled, stretching out her words.

Kamil huffed, "Anyway, I think that was enough for today... Thanks for telling me all of this. I'll admit it feels good now that everything makes sense." The air between them was less tense. "Dr. Marian will come check on you again soon, so I'll head out and let you relax." As Kamil collected himself and stood up, Annie grabbed his arm before he could step away.

"Thanks for being with me through all the bullshit," she mumbled. Kamil was surprised at her wording, but to be fair, that was probably the best way to describe it.

He asked, "Do you think maybe one day you can explain to the others back in Bluebell and Konohana?"

Her hand slid down his arm to his hand, lingering for a moment before she pulled away. "Honestly, seeing you still visit them, a part of me wanted to go back. That day, when I showed you around and I tried to tell you about my past… I thought I could tell you the truth, but then my anxiety got to me again." Annie ruffled her own hair in frustration. "Ugh," she groaned, "and anyway, I made it worse by running away. How can I possibly go back?"

Kamil chuckled at her childish behaviour, before using a serious but gentle tone. "I promise you, what ever your mother told you that day – she's wrong. All of Bluebell and Konohana don't think you're a burden. They miss you and love you so much."

Annie paused as her hands dropped, not bothering to even fix her puffed up hair. She thought for another moment, before saying, "That's all I need to hear."

"Why not join me one of these Fridays?" Kamil offered casually, as he was about to head towards the door.

"You'll have to give me a few weeks to let the new medication Dr. Marian gave me settle in."

"Can you drink coffee while taking those?" He stood in front her bedroom door, hand hovering over the knob and not grabbing it until he got an answer.

"Probably after," she answered, and his hand was now twisting it open.

"Okay, then coffee's on me on the Friday you visit," he told her gladly. He turned to face her, seeing her get out of bed to walk him to the door.

"Deal," she said with the same attitude.

The two walked in silence towards the exit, a few steps away from each other. Kamil was already going down the steps of her house, but before he could leave, Annie brought him close one last time. Being on the top of the steps allowed Annie to reach the back of his head and pull it down so he was resting on her chest, practically listening to her heartbeat. After all the words they exchanged, it seemed like they forgot how much they also wanted each other's touch. Kamil closed his eyes, before he held her back tightly, as if, from then on, they were never going to let each other go. Dr. Marian still didn't arrive, so they both agreed that a few more moments wouldn't hurt.

Some time passed since then. It was now the middle of autumn - only a season passed since the confrontation - and Kamil and Annie got back to their regular routines, but their smile had a different feeling to it... something between the two of them. It was another Friday for everyone, but Kamil had never been more excited. He checked his watch, watching the big hand tick. The sun had just risen, and the sky was a mix of a soft orange and pale pink, with some blue peeking through. The town was quiet, still resting before a busy day.

"You're early," Annie said when she arrived at the train station.

"As are you," Kamil said with a smile, passing her a warm cup of coffee, as promised. She accepted it and took a sip. She was nervous when the train first arrived, so Kamil distracted her by explaining the landmarks they passed during the long train ride, at least, before she decided to sleep away her nerves while resting her head on his shoulder.

"The thought of someone leaving… it's painful."

"It can happen, but sometimes there are reasons… unexplainable events, and, if they really love you, they'll come back, one way or another."

As Annie and Kamil arrived at their stop, they were greeted by familiar voices from Bluebell and Konohana, which reminded them of home.

"Welcome back!"

a/n: i believe this answers mostly everything now :) hope you enjoyed this lengthy chapter and thank you for reading! only a few more chapters and this story is done! :o

i'm looking it over and if the timeline is a bit confusing, i can explain it quickly: kamil moved to oak tree town a year after annie did, in the spring. it's then summer and autumn until around chapter 13, then with the events described after chapter 16 - valentine's, starlight gala, one year since eda's death - it's winter, until chapter 18 when kamil finally visits rutger, it's spring... and now we're in autumn again. so it's been a bit over a year since kamil moved to oak tree town. hope that clears everything up.