Wilbur was at the counter serving two customers the daily special. He looked at the wall clock and wondered again where Chad was. It wasn't like him to be late. He was about to call him on the phone when he heard the kitchen door opening abruptly. He also heard the boy shouting his name.

"Chad! What's going on?!" he yelled as he ran to the kitchen.

He found FT running in circles on the floor, excited as he hadn't seen him in a long time. His nephew was agitated, with one hand on his chest and the other holding the hand of...

"Tara!"

"Hello, Mr. Finletter," the young girl said in her usual sweet voice.

Wilbur hugged her without hesitation. Seeing her standing before him after so long, in human form at least, and being able to talk and move: After several years, he finally felt like they had won the war. And that feeling made him feel tired, as if he had just taken a great weight off his shoulders and could finally relax. Of course, the young girl couldn't perceive that, since the force with which the veteran hugged her was taking her breath away. Still, she smiled.

"You guys really know how to make a girl feel appreciated."

Ten minutes later, the four were seated at a table in the farthest corner of the restaurant. It was a corner reserved for celebrities, and luckily none would show up that night. From there, no one could hear what they were talking about, although at that moment the meeting was more about the young girl adjusting to the changes in the restaurant.

To start, it was now twice as big and even had several tables outside. One wall was occupied by photographs of various celebrities posing with Wilbur, inside and outside the building. Unfortunately, we can't mention any of them since we don't have the rights and we aren't interested in getting them. On the opposite wall, above the arcades, war trophies claimed during the final battle were on display. Beefstake's nose ring, Mummato's bandages, and in the center, Zoltan's patch.

"Wow, this place looks incredible," Tara said, amazed and not stopping to scan the place with her eyes.

"It's not just a restaurant anymore, but a monument to those fateful red months. History was made here; it was our headquarters during the war. We planned numerous strategies and made preparations between these walls that would be talked about for years."

"You haven't changed at all, Mr. Finletter."

"Call me Uncle Wilbur. And you can bet on it, kiddo. I'm still as sharp as in my best days. Always on the lookout for the red threat."

Tara's face turned melancholic.

"I can't believe it's been five years. "

Chad, who was sitting next to her, put a hand on her shoulder.

"I couldn't either. It was a long wait, but you finally came back to m... to us."

FT laughed from his place next to Wilbur, causing Chad to give him a "shut up" look. The young girl didn't notice this.

"And I'm glad to be back. Even if some things are... different."

"Nonsense," Wilbur said. "Nothing is so different that you should feel uncomfortable. Things can go back to how they were before the tomato occupation."

"But everyone must have moved on with their lives in my absence. I don't know how I could fit in now."

"It won't be hard. Uncle Wilbur can use his influence with the mayor to get you into school next week. He can even arrange for us to be in the same classes... You know, to help you adjust."

The veteran nodded.

"It's true, the mayor is a good friend and always offers to do me favors. So far, I haven't accepted any because I didn't need them, and I wanted to save them for this moment."

She was still not convinced that things would be that easy.

"But won't people think it's weird that I'm walking around looking the same as I did five years ago?"

"Come on, Tara, it's a comic cartoon from the nineties," Chad said optimistically. "The characters don't think things through that much. They just go with the flow."

"And to be honest, we still recycle many extras, so they're in the same situation as you."

"Yeah, look," the boy pointed out the window. "There are those girls from the summer camp episode." Indeed, both girls, Stephanie and Margaret, were walking down the street. They looked the same as they did in their episode. They were talking to each other very animatedly and using the same mannerisms as on that occasion. Although they couldn't hear them, it was evident that their conversation topics were still fashion, expensive things, and manicures.

"You see, everything remains the same in that sense. There's nothing normal in this town."

Tara smiled enthusiastically. She intertwined her fingers and rested a cheek on them in a dreamy gesture that Chad remembered very well.

"I love it! When I found out about the time skip, I thought I'd lost my place in the world and that things would be very different now. But although they are, they're still the same."

This time it was she who wrapped her arm around Chad and pulled him towards her.

"And this time I'll get to go to school with Chad. That'll make it much better. Before, I couldn't talk to anyone because everyone thought I was weird and ended up avoiding me."

Indeed, a girl whose favorite topics were the Farm Report, soil pH levels… or who often had breath that smelled like fertilizer, might have had a hard time making new friends her age in San Zucchini. Especially with her naivety. And the possibility of turning into a tomato at the slightest contact with salt didn't help either.

"But now my best friend will be there to help me. I might even make new friends."

"Yes! And we should also make up for lost time and do all those things we couldn't do because of the war. You know, before classes start and we have less free time."

"I'd love to, Chad. Oh, I will love to spend time with you and FT again without having to worry about killer tomatoes or Gangreen."

"Well, I wouldn't count out Gangreen," Wilbur said. "Even if we haven't heard from him in these years."

"Yes, it's unlikely that the cartoon will continue without its main villain."

Tara's enthusiasm dampened at this, so Chad quickly added.

"But we've already defeated him several times. We can handle whatever he throws at us."

"Besides, don't forget that we have the KTTF on our side. A year ago, when worldwide tomato incidents decreased dramatically, Sam, Floyd, and Mary Jo received a presidential order to run a training academy. It's located on the outskirts of San Zucchini, so they and numerous recruits will always be nearby in case of emergencies."

"Wow, that's great. I feel more at ease knowing that."

"You should. Everything will be fine from now on."

"And besides, if you want, you can even get your waitress job back... Your replacement isn't exactly a role model."

Wilbur looked over his shoulder towards the bar and, enraged, stood up. He walked up to it and, raising his arms, began to yell at the man sleeping on it.

"Wake up already!"

"Mayor Earwax?" Tara said, confused.

"Former mayor," Chad corrected. "Uncle Wilbur felt sorry for him after he... was removed from office. He gave him the job to help him get back on his feet, which is ironic if you think about it."

Both of them watched as Wilbur took the man by the shoulders and shook him to finish waking him up. And then he pushed him towards one of the tables to take orders.

"He's so… dreamy… that he never finds out what's going on, so our secrets are safe. But he's also so lazy that he doesn't count as help."

FT murmured his disapproval of the man before sticking out his long tongue in his direction. His usually tender face had a scowl on it.

"He also once used FT as a pillow."

Tara laughed while giving FT little pats.

"Well, FT is very soft."

Wilbur returned to the table, but didn't sit down.

"Well, kids, it seems like tonight won't be as busy as other nights."

"Yes, actually the pizzeria looks empty tonight," Chad said, noticing this for the first time.

His uncle nodded and put his hands on his hips.

"It's a nice night, why don't you go out for a walk and then return home? You have a lot to catch up on, and I can take care of closing up."

"I think that's a fantastic idea, what do you say, Chad?"

"Absolutely!" the young man said, more enthusiastic than he expected.

The kids stood up and headed towards the exit, with FT trotting alongside them. Wilbur smiled as he watched them leave, and then he remembered something.

"Wait, kids! Take some pizza slices with you."

He didn't notice how they quickened their pace at these words. And anyway, his attention returned to Earwax, who was on the other side of the counter eating the order for the table five.

"Why did I even give you this job?"