Lillie huffed and panted as she jogged around the empty fields, searching for any sort of sign that was he was here. So far, there wasn't anything, and she only had one more spot left to check.

She came to the last area. Zephyr Hill, or something like that, she believed.

There, the only thing she saw of interest was a tree stump. It was an evergreen. There was sap coming out of the side of it. Was it freshly cut?

Nevertheless, that wasn't the most interesting thing. The flower on top of the stump had her falling to her knees.

A lone chamomile sat there. The pure white petals drew in the moonlight, illuminating just that tiny area, like a spotlight.

She reached out to grab it and held it close. She memorized its scent. He was here. He remembered her, and their promise. She should have gone to see him. Tears rolled down her cheek.

She looked up at the nighttime spring sky. Her mother... she was probably watching her even now, judging by that one bright star up there. But she didn't want her mother to see her like this.

Spring was a cruel season. She thought it would be enough to know that he remembered her. It had to be enough.

But she couldn't stop herself from chasing after him, anyway. She couldn't let this be the last time she saw him.

Chamomile wasn't enough. She had to see Kamil, no matter if he was the same or not.

She ran around the winding paths, ignoring the chill of the night as it grazed her skin. She held the chamomile blossom tightly.

Her feet took her all the way through town, past the inn, past the guild hall, past the restaurant. If he was leaving, if he was still here for just a moment, he would be at the station.

When she got there at long last, she heard the crickets chirp. She saw the moon creep over the tops of the buildings, the breeze carrying the few pieces of littered paper. But he wasn't here.

She walked over to one of the benches and sat down. So that was it. She wouldn't see him again.

She looked down at the white flower and closed her eyes, feeling tears prick the corners of them. She should have expected this. Nothing ever worked out like a fairy tale, so why had she been expecting it to for so long?

He was gone. He wasn't coming back. She couldn't say hello or goodbye, or ask him if he remembered her or their promise, or if he ever found his father up there in the sky and if along the way, he'd met her mother.

She shook her head. She'd had enough of this.

It was time to move on and find a guy who would put her first, make promises and keep them.

Forget Prince Charming. This time she was out for Mr. Perfect.

"Oh, it's you, Lillie."

She turned around immediately, startled. "Raeger?"

He chuckled lightly. "I was bringing out the trash and heard footsteps running. You look terrible."

She scoffed and nodded. "Thanks."

"No, I mean it," he said, as if that would make her feel better. He walked over to her and sat down. "What's the matter?"

She shook her head, fighting the tears. "He... he..."

Raeger shrugged off his jacket and draped it around her shoulders. Then he pulled her into his torso and held her as she sobbed. "It's all right. Let it all out. I'm here for you."

Spring nights were cold and cruel. It was during one of them that Kamil left, another when she lost her mother, and yet another right now when she lost her composure.

It might have been the season of new beginnings, but she was sure she'd like summer better.

…

Bluebell was the same as always. Lillian's wedding reception and celebration were over, and the town was back to normal. There wasn't anything else exciting happening now.

A few people had come to see him since his return, but he was alone. He holed himself up in his room at the cafe.

He mostly spent his time coming up with new flower arrangements, even though he always ended up going back to the same one.

There was a knock at the door.

"Come in."

Laney came in a few seconds later, balancing a tray on her flat hand.

"What's that?" he asked.

She set it down on the table. "Tom yum goong soup."

He sighed disapprovingly. "Laney, you can't keep spoiling me." He was twenty-three years old...

Laney shook her head. "You need to keep your energy up somehow. Why not with your favorite food?"

He smiled faintly and stepped away from his work. "Thanks."

"Yep!"

He cleared a spot on the table and sat down to eat. It was always delicious. He had Howard to thank for teaching Laney how to cook.

Laney looked around the room awkwardly before resting her eyes on the bouquet. "So what do you call this arrangement again? It's my favorite."

Kamil stared at the white flowers together. Most people wouldn't recognize the chamomile flower, but lilies were very common.

The arrangement itself wasn't anything special, but the emotions it invoked from so many different people kept him making it.

He wasn't even sure which woman he'd started this for anymore: the woman of his dreams who chose his best friend over him, or his childhood love who was too far out of his reach. Which was the replacement for the other?

Either way, they were both just a lily that would never bloom for him. Maybe he'd try his hand again next spring.

"It's called Lilies and Chamomile."

…

Lillie sobbed and sobbed, clinging to Kamil as tightly as she could. He kept his arms around her, awkwardly embracing her.

"You'll come back, right?" she managed to ask, looking up at him.

He nodded. "We promised."

"Kamil! We have to go!" his mother called.

He frowned. "The train will be here soon."

Lillie sniffed and stepped back. She wiped her eyes. "Okay. Remember, this isn't goodbye, it's - "

"See you later," he finished for her.

She nodded. "Yeah."

Kamil started walking away, but she tugged on his sleeve. "Chamomile."

He turned around.

"Don't forget our promise. Y-you can't take it back 'cause it's a first kiss."

"Yeah." He smiled widely. "See you, Lillie."

"See you."

Lillie watched him finally walk away, tears blurring her vision.

"Oh, honey, you're crying."

She looked around, but her parents were a ways back. That was Kamil's mom, then?

She smiled despite herself. His mom didn't choose another guy over him, after all. She hoped he would remember that, too.

When they got on the train, she turned around. This wasn't goodbye, so she didn't want to see him leave.

She passed by Raeger, who must have been watching the entire time. She avoided eye contact. He would just make fun of her.

But he grabbed her arm to stop her.

"Raeger?"

He smiled at her. "I'm sure you'll see him again."

She returned it. "Y-yeah!"

A/N: So there you have it. Lilies and Chamomile. Nothing fancy, but the emotions it invokes from so many different people make it special. I hope this story gave you at least some feels, as it's been in the making for about a month and a half.

It's not romance, not angst, not friendship (except for Lillie and Angela/Lala's relationship), but... a coming-of-age story? Is being a twenty-something even considered coming-of-age? I'm not sure, but that's what I tried to do here.

In any case, I absolutely loved writing this, the gentle vibe of spring mixed with the crazy emotions of both children and adults who are struggling to come to terms with a relationship that can't be. I love exploring and experimenting with different sides of the HM/SoS characters, as there's so much that could be that just isn't. I hope I didn't take it too far.

Thanks so much for reading, and I'll be really happy if you enjoyed it! Add it to your favorites or leave a review if you want to make me even happier :)

~CGA