Chapter Five

The diner was awash with activity when they arrived. It was always busy at dinnertime, and the townspeople loved the Eevees and the parties for the Eevees. They wanted to share in welcoming Lily.

Radley greeted everyone as they walked inside, before heading to the kitchen with his family. Lily hopped up on a chair. "Eee . . ."

"Okay, here's a menu," Radley said, holding up the diner's current menu. "Do any of these things sound good?"

Lily studied it very closely. Most of the foods didn't have illustrations, but a few did. She paid particular attention to those, her tail swishing in her delight and indecision.

The disagreeable cook from before just scowled. "You don't really think she can read that, do you, Mr. Ramon?" he wondered.

"Eevees are pretty smart," Radley said. "Maybe they can't read every word, but they can read some of them. Lily seems to like the pictures the most."

Finally Lily put her paw on one. "Eevee . . ."

"That's pretty good," Radley smiled, seeing her choice of a fancy salad and mashed potato. "Let's go for it."

"Eeveeee!" Evie exclaimed happily.

Radley made enough for all the Eevees and they dug in happily, munching at the table they shared with Kalin and Radley and Scotch, Biff, and Robert.

"Would you like any particular background music, Lily?" Radley asked.

Lily pondered. She really wasn't familiar with music. "Eee . . ."

"It's okay if you don't have a preference," Radley said. "I can play some of the others' favorites and you can see if you like them too."

The only thing Lily knew was that she didn't want Mack the Knife. But she was sure Radley wouldn't put that on, so she nodded and warbled encouragingly.

"Eevee-vee!" Evie chirped.

The songs ended up consisting of friendship and bettering oneself themes. Lily loved them all and found herself swaying along with the music, to Evie's delight.

"She's going to be great in our show!" Scotch gushed. "You can see she's totally into music!"

"That doesn't mean she'll be okay with performing in front of a crowd," Radley warned.

Scotch sighed. "I know, but I can hope," he said.

By the time the evening was wrapping up, Lily felt as light as air. It was all so wonderful and seemingly too good to be true, and yet it was. The party had been to welcome her in, and she felt very welcomed and accepted. At the moment, she wasn't even as apprehensive about Radley's brother's visit. It would be okay, especially with the others and Radley all around her. And if the kid was as nice as they all said, it wouldn't be hard to handle him being there at all.

"Did you have fun?" Radley smiled at her as he swept up some crepe paper.

"Vee!" Lily nodded happily.

"Good. I'm glad. Especially since the Bunch never gets tired of having parties," Radley chuckled. "You're in for a lot of them."

Lily thought that sounded fine. "Eevee!" she said, standing up and wagging her tail.

Radley laughed and petted her.

Evie was confused. "So why do you like parties, but not visiting with people?" she wondered.

Lily looked confused too. "Maybe because the parties have been more about eating and listening to music," she said. "I don't really have to figure out how to act with people. But with visiting . . . well, I really have to then."

". . . I guess that makes sense," Evie said, tilting her head. "But parties are about being with people too. . . ."

"Yeah. . . ." Lily didn't offer more.

"Radley makes sure to do parties in a way that you're comfortable with," Evan explained. "He won't make you do anything you don't want to do, and he won't put you in a situation where you have to either."

"Radley is so nice," Lily said softly.

"He's the most wonderful owner ever!" Evie gushed.

"I love him," Lily said. "I want to always be with him."

"You will be!" Evie said. "We all will!"

When the clean-up was finished, everyone headed home for the night. Isla called Goodbyes to her friends, which they all returned. The humans also all exchanged Goodbyes.

Radley smiled as he carried Evie and Lily into the house. "That was a really good day," he said.

Kalin nodded. "I wasn't sure how Lily would deal with it, but it went well," he said. He was holding Evan, who placed a paw on his shoulder and made happy purrs.

"She does seem reluctant to have a lot of personal interaction with people," Radley said. "That's understandable. I'm still surprised she's warmed up to me as much as she has so soon."

"You're a special case," Kalin said with a fond smile. "You showed her happiness she's likely never had before."

Lily looked up at Radley lovingly. Evie nuzzled him.

"Yeah, I guess I have," Radley smiled. "That's what I wanted to do." He set the Eevees down so they could begin romping. Instead, they both rubbed him.

"That's what you do for everyone you take in," Kalin said.

Radley bent to pet the Eevees some more. "I hope things will go okay for Emilio's visit," he said in concern. "I don't want to tell him he needs to wait and come some other time. That would break his heart. But I don't want Lily to be uncomfortable either."

"It'll be fine," Kalin insisted. "Lily wouldn't want you to give up something important to you."

"Vee," Lily affirmed.

"We'll make it work," Kalin said.

Radley had to smile a bit. "Oh? You're certainly optimistic today. It's a nice change and all, but I'm very curious as to the why."

"Because . . . I want to see you happy." Kalin sounded completely serious as he said it—no regrets for lost time or for things that could never be had, but just hope and longing for the future.

"I am," Radley smiled. "Every day."

The Eevees all warbled in approval.

When everyone settled down to sleep, Lily's mind was still awhirl with all that had happened. Her collar was warm and comforting, like a constant hug from Radley. The I.D. tag was warm too, laying amid the thick ruff fur. And all three of them were snuggled under the throw that usually stayed draped over the back of the pet couch. Lily had never felt such warmth. It wasn't only physical, but went deep into her soul. To have such physical warmth meant that she was safe and happy in a way that she had never before been, and that warmed her soul.

"It's still like a dream," she said softly to the others.

"It is, but it's real," Evan said.

"That's the most amazing thing about it!" Evie gushed.

Lily smiled. It was definitely amazing. This was all she wanted forever.

xxxx

Kalin was still concerned about what had worried him earlier that evening. When he was sure the Eevees were all asleep, he looked to Radley, who was watching them with fondness.

". . . Lily will have to learn about our past sometime," he said quietly. "Do you think she will be able to still accept me when she does?"

Radley paused. He hadn't stopped to consider that possible problem. ". . . I'm not sure how she'll feel," he said at last. "But I can't think she'd turn against you forever. Even if she was upset at first, I'm sure she'd see you're different now and come around."

"What if she doesn't?" Kalin worried. "What if she'll never want anything to do with me ever again when she finds out how I hurt you?"

"You also saved me," Radley insisted. "And I want to believe she'll be able to grasp that you weren't well when you hurt me."

"I know Pokemon have the comprehension of humans, but a lot of humans can't grasp that sort of thing either," Kalin sighed.

"I believe Lily is better than that," Radley soothed, laying a hand on Kalin's.

"She idolizes you just as much as Evie does, but she doesn't have Evie's innocence," Kalin said. "She's been around too much and hurt too much. I could see her getting outraged that anyone would ever treat you unkindly, whatever the reason."

Radley could too, honestly. But he still wanted to believe in Lily. "I really believe everything will be okay," he said. "But I get why you're worried. When it's time to tell her, we'll do it together, like we did for the others."

Kalin nodded. "Thanks." He sighed. "We probably need to do it soon, before she might hear town gossip."

"You're right," Radley said, sighing too. "Well, Emilio's coming the day after tomorrow, so maybe we should wait until after his visit. Lily's already worried about that. She doesn't need more stress."

"Alright," Kalin said, and hoped that would really work out.

They settled down to sleep too.

xxxx

The next day was also filled with happiness. They all stayed in town that day, going from the house to the diner, and Lily was perfectly content with that.

Kalin, however, seemed tense and worried. He tried to hide it, but animals were sensitive to that sort of thing. Lily looked up at him several times during the day, wondering what was wrong and if she could do anything to help.

"Eevee?" she asked at one point.

Kalin reached over and petted her without thinking, knowing the others would be fine with it and liked any attention. But Lily didn't tend to let anyone but Radley touch her, and she tensed, her ruff puffing out.

Kalin flinched, pulling his hand away. "Sorry."

Now Lily felt bad. She knew how much Radley loved Kalin. He wouldn't hurt her. She should let him pet her too. Her ruff went down and she slowly moved closer to him. "Vee . . ."

Kalin watched her in surprise. ". . . Are you saying it's alright?"

Lily nodded. "Eee . . ."

Kalin slowly extended his hand again, not petting her until she continued to sit there encouragingly. She relaxed. Kalin's touch was nice too.

"You're a sweet Pokemon," he said quietly.

Lily looked up at him. She still wondered what was wrong, but Kalin didn't seem inclined to say. He just sat there in silence, petting her and looking lost in thought.

Radley came over after a moment, and he blinked in surprise to see the scene. "You guys are doing some bonding, huh?" He smiled.

Kalin nodded. "Lily is letting me pet her," he said unnecessarily.

Lily chirped and waved her tail, delighted to see Radley.

Radley stroked her head. "Kalin's a really great guy," he told her. "He's saved me more than once."

"Eevee!" Lily exclaimed.

"Radley has saved me too," Kalin said.

"We make a good team," Radley said. "And family."

Kalin was still worried as they cleaned up that night before going home. "I'm surprised no one's told her about me yet," he said. "I wonder if it is a good idea to wait."

Radley paused. "We could talk to her at home tonight, if you think it's better to let her know sooner," he said.

"I'm just not sure," Kalin said. "It might make her upset for tomorrow, but on the other hand, what if she finds out during the visit and that turns everything upsidedown?"

That brought a sigh. Someone in his family really might bring it up. "We'd probably better tell her," Radley conceded.

They waited until arriving home and setting the Eevees down in the living room. Seeing the humans had something on their minds, the innocent animals sat and looked up at them.

"So my mom and little brother are coming tomorrow," Radley reminded. "I hadn't seen any of my family in years until about a year ago when we all finally reconnected."

Lily frowned, tilting her head. "Eee?" Why?

Radley sighed. "It's a long story. They didn't understand me and wouldn't let my brother see me. But in the end, he was finally the bridge that connected us again. He always wanted to see me and finally just made sure he did."

". . . There was a time when I didn't understand Radley either," Kalin said. "I was upset with myself and lost in depression because of some horrible things I'd done. I wasn't in any shape to meet a new friend, but I deeply regret it now. I almost lost Radley forever because my mind wasn't clear enough to appreciate him. He nearly died because I left him!"

Lily stared at him. "Eevee?!"

"It was a bad scene," Radley said quietly. "But it led to us bonding forever instead. Kalin saved my life. I was really sad and felt hopeless and lost because of some bad guys who were hurting us and taking away the town. Kalin showed he really loves me and that gave me the strength to fight to live again."

Lily looked like she didn't know what to think. She turned to her friends for their thoughts.

"It was really awful," Evie said. "But Kalin was feeling so bad. He's been so loyal and good to Radley ever since then!"

Evan nodded. "They love each other now. I don't blame Kalin for anything that happened in the past. He's only been good to me and to Evie and Radley."

"But . . . to be so cold to Radley. . . ." Lily frowned. "Why would he be so mean?"

"He hated himself," Evan said. "He thought Radley should stay away from him and was pushing him away because he thought Radley would be better off without him."

"But he was wrong!" Evie said. "That could never be what's better!"

Radley had to smile. "I wonder what they're saying."

Kalin sighed. "Whatever it is, it doesn't look like Lily is convinced."

Radley laid a hand on Kalin's shoulder. "Don't count her out yet."

Lily was swishing her tail, taking in all the information while she tried to decide what to do. She wasn't happy about what she'd been told, but there were other factors to consider. Kalin had seemed so sad and worried while petting her. Maybe he had been afraid she would turn against him. And Radley loved him so much. It would make him sad if she did, wouldn't it?

She had all but decided humans would never be kind to her, but upon meeting Radley she had realized humanity deserved another chance. Kalin had been kind too. He surely had changed from before. He deserved another chance too.

Finally Lily approached Kalin, slowly, cautiously. "Eee?" She sat down next to him.

Kalin perked up. "Is it okay? Will you continue to accept me?"

Lily nodded. "Eevee. . . ."

Kalin began to relax. "Thank you." His voice sounded thick and emotional. He reached out, gently petting Lily. She leaned into his hand after a moment.

Radley smiled. "I knew it would be okay. Animals are loving and kind and very forgiving."

"I'd ask how they can be after so much hurt, but I wonder how you can be too," Kalin said.

Evie and Evan also went over, rubbing their chosen people. Radley smiled and lifted Evie.

"Sometimes I wonder too," he said. "But I'm glad we're that way. It's much nicer than not wanting to be around anyone."

"Eevee! Eevee!" Evie exclaimed, nuzzling his cheek.

Lily had to agree. Seeing Kalin's relief and happiness, she relaxed more. Kalin truly loved Radley now. It wouldn't be fair to hold the past against him.

"Should we just leave the explanation as it is for now, or should we go more in-depth like we did with the others?" Kalin wondered.

". . . We should probably tell everything," Radley said.

Lily listened as they told more about Malcolm and Lawton and also discussed the Bunch running out of fear. Since they had known they loved Radley, it seemed even more upsetting and repulsive to her about them than about Kalin.

"How could they be that afraid?!" she exclaimed. "Radley makes it so no one has to be scared!"

"When Radley lost to Lawton, the Bunch lost their hope," Evan said. "I guess to them, it looked like everything was lost then."

"But they could have saved him!" Lily cried. "I wouldn't have left!"

"Me either!" Evie said. "I could never leave him."

"They still haven't forgiven themselves," Radley said quietly, gathering what they might be talking about.

"They shouldn't," Lily scowled.

"But Radley is so kind and forgiving!" Evie said. "He gave them all another chance, and they always stand by him in trouble now!"

"It will take me some time to forgive them," Lily said.

"And Radley would say that's okay," Evan said. "It can't always be at once."

"But they're so nice," Evie protested. "They'll feel bad, especially Scotch! Isla might feel bad too!"

Lily frowned. Everything was so complicated. And her thoughts on Radley's feelings applied here too. He would feel bad if Lily grew cold to the Bunch. She knew that. Somehow she would have to try to come to feel better about this.

". . . I'll think about it," she finally said.

"Yeah, please do!" Evie said. "We should all be a happy family! That would be the nicest thing!"

"That isn't always how life works, though," Lily said.

"It should," Evie said.

Evan had to smile a bit. He couldn't disagree with that sweet but naive longing. It would be nice if things were that simple. They weren't, of course, but in Evie's innocent mind they were.

Kalin looked a little concerned again. "Do you think everything's alright?" he wondered.

"I hope so," Radley said. "We probably did throw Lily for a loop, but she needed to know."

"Eevee," Lily quietly agreed. She went to Radley and snuggled close.

Radley smiled, holding her tenderly. "I'm just glad everything's okay now," he said. "The town is free, we're all safe, and we can raise you guys without fear."

Lily started to purr. Those were good things. And the most important of all was that Radley was happy. Both she and Evie wanted that the most of anything.

"Now, it's late and we have a big day tomorrow," Radley said. "Should we start getting ready for bed?"

"Vee!" Evie nodded.

"Eevee," said Lily.

Evan also seemed ready to prepare for bed. He snuggled close to Kalin.

Kalin smiled, carrying him into Radley's room. "Let's get going then."

Radley followed with the others. "I hope we made the right choice to tell you these things now, Lily," he said. "We wanted you to hear it from us and not from town gossip or even from my mom tomorrow."

"Eee," Lily said, nuzzling his hand. She understood.

Radley smiled a bit at the sweetness. "I know it must have been an upsetting blow. The others were distressed too. But we all adjusted and came to understand and accept everyone as they are now, in spite of what happened before. That's made me really happy."

Evie beamed. "Eevee-vee-vee!"

"Eevee," Lily mused. She hoped she could too, especially seeing how it meant a lot to Radley. She didn't want to ever do anything to make him sad.

Radley petted her and Evie and set them down on the pet bed. "We'll go get ready for bed now. You might be asleep when we come back, so we'll say Goodnight now."

Kalin set Evan down next to the girls. "Goodnight."

The Eevees all happily chorused as Radley and Kalin stepped back to go into the house's bathrooms to shower. Overall it had been a lovely day and they were greatly looking forward to more fun the next day. Lily still felt better about Radley's brother coming too. Now she was anxious to meet him.

"How do you feel now?" Evie asked as they settled down on the bed.

"Better, I think," Lily said. "Radley still loves everyone, so for his sake I want to love them too."

"Yeah!" Evie beamed.

Evan smiled. "I'm glad."

"Me too," Lily mused. "It feels good. I like it better than being mad at them."

"Making friends is always the best thing!" Evie proclaimed.

"It is nice," Lily said, somewhat in surprise. "I never realized before how much."

"I didn't either, until I met Evie and Kalin and Radley," Evan said. "Everything's been so much better since then."

"Life is so wonderful," Lily said in awe.

"Especially with us all together!" Evie proclaimed.

The others agreed.

Soon they all happily curled up together to rest, hopeful for more happiness on the morrow.