AN: Sorry for being so late! 

"Thank goodness you're here!" Matilda rushed over and wrapped me in a tight hug. "I was starting to think you'd never show up."

"I wouldn't ditch you, girly. I was baking muffins earlier and had to clean up. And get presentable, of course. You didn't wanna see my flour-covered clothes, did you?" I laughed.

Matilda laughed along with me. "So, did you bring any? I will not take 'no' as an answer."

I set down my backpack and took out a Tupperware container holding a still-warm muffin. Wordlessly, I held it out to her with a dramatic flourish.

"It looks delicious!" she squealed. "The crumb topping! The glaze! Oh man, I really just want to take a bite right now."

"Please don't ever change. C'mon, let's go grab some books."

We split up, Matilda beelining for the middle-grade section. Meanwhile, I browsed the shelves in a quest for a non-fantasy read. While I was adjusting to multiple fantasy tropes existing in real life, I wasn't sure if I could return to my fantasy stage yet. I did like mystery, so maybe that would satisfy my craving for a page-turner.

I sighed as I skimmed the shelves. Sometimes, I wished my life would just stay normal. Like before.

"Lexi, is everything all right?"

I jumped. "Oh, it's you, Matilda. I'm sorry. I didn't see you there." My shoulders relaxed. "I'm just having a hard time finding a new read. I don't think I'm ready for fantasy yet."

"Oh," was all she managed to say. "This is about the events of last week, isn't it?

I let out a groan. She knew me too well.

"Unfortunately, yes."

"I get it's pretty mind-blowing—"

"Mind-blowing, Matilda? More like, 'Everything I learned was a lie.' More like, 'I'm not sure what separates fact from fiction.'"

The brunette gently wrapped her arm around me. She said nothing, which was fine by me. I didn't want the "Oh, I'm so sorry" that didn't even sound sincere. Her silence and her hug were enough to comfort me.

I managed a smile. "Thanks."

She smiled back in return. After some moments, I felt better.

Maybe it was a good idea for the two of us just to hang out.

"Shall we go find the perfect book? I can help you shelf-hunt," she offered.

I responded positively. Together, we headed back over to the shelves. In a few moments, she'd helped me find a few Agatha Christie mysteries. I thanked her over and over again.

"So, do you want to talk about the situation with Willow?" I finally dared to ask.

"You know?"

I sighed. "I do. She's been ignoring my texts, and Mom says she's been having nightmares. That doesn't strike me as normal behavior. Not at all. And it all started after Keefe showed up to the park while Willow was there."

A look of realization slowly spread across her face. "Oh. My. You're right! But...no, it can't be." Her eyes glistened with suppressed tears. "I honestly don't know what to do. Mom's freaking out. So's Dad. I want to be a good sister, but I don't know how. She's even been skipping meals and spends more time in her room than with us. I've checked on her, and she's not even on her phone. She has a notebook—mind you, an actual notebook—and has been frantically writing or sketching in it."

"What sorts of things?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. For the sake of her privacy, I haven't been investigating or paying close attention."

"I see. Do you think something happened that triggered suppressed memories?"

"Maybe." She let out an exasperated sigh. "All I know is that this is not like her."

I wished I could do something to help my friend. I really did. But right now, I was at a loss for words. Anything I said could be misinterpreted by a grieving, stressed-out Matilda.

What on earth have I gotten myself into?

I let an awkward silence fall. Eventually, Matilda attempted to resume a conversation over a less uncomfortable topic. It failed.

"Lexi, please. I don't know what's going on in your head right now, but it's bothering me. You're not acting like yourself right now. Stop blaming yourself if that's what you're doing. Keefe showing up was a coincidence! Just a coincidence!"

As much as I hated to admit it, she was right. I took a few deep breaths to calm myself. She had a point: it wasn't like I'd planned the whole affair.

"Fine."

"You're on the right track now. How about we discuss something less, um, disturbing? I can text you about Willow if you're that desperate for updates."

I nodded. "You have my number, right?"

Matilda pulled out her phone and scrolled through her contacts. "Actually, I don't. Could you give me it?" She handed it over.

I entered my information and number and returned the phone. She thanked me and promised to text me later.

I checked my watch. We'd been at the library for a couple of hours, but a little longer with my friend wouldn't hurt. I remembered Tabitha talking about a coffee shop not too far from the library. Since I loved coffee, I'd been wanting to try it out for some time now. I wasn't sure if Matilda shared my love, but I knew there would be hot chocolate and tea, not to mention a vast assortment of baked goodies.

"Hey, Matilda." I tried to sound casual. "There's this coffee shop nearby that I've been wanting to try for some time. Tabitha recommended it to me a few weeks ago. Wanna go check it out?"

"Well," the brunette began, "I don't really like coffee that much. Do they have hot chocolate?"

"Only the best!" I grinned. "Or at least, that's what Tabitha says. I'll get some cocoa to see if it can beat Mrs. Garcia's Mexican hot chocolate." Mrs. Garcia used to be our next-door neighbor back when we lived in the States.

"I suppose they have baked goodies, right? Like croissants and cookies and cake pops? I can save my muffin for when I get home."

"Yeah."

"Then we have a deal." She held out her hand for a handshake, which I accepted.

After checking out our books, we left the building. Both of us had loaded our haul into book bags we'd brought exclusively for the occasion. The coffee shop was right across the street, so the weight wasn't as much of a problem.

Matilda and I both lack self-control when it comes to books, I noted.

As we entered the shop, the smell of coffee beans roasting filled the air. A smile spread across my face as I inhaled the heavenly aroma.

"If only coffee tasted as good as it smelled," Matilda muttered.

"It does! You just need to figure out the blend that works best for you," I protested.

"Sure thing." She rolled her eyes. "I wonder if they have Frappuccinos here. Those are pretty much milkshakes with a hint of coffee flavor."

"Technically, they're blended ice with a lot of extra yummy stuff added," I corrected under my breath, "and Frappuccinos are exclusively Starbucks." Out loud, I replied, "Probably, although they won't call them Frappuccinos for copyright reasons. I thought we were gonna get cocoa, though?"

"Oh, yeah." She giggled. "Forget what I said earlier."

We ordered our hot chocolates and some pastries. I purchased a blueberry scone and Matilda a chocolate-drizzled croissant. Afterward, we claimed a table and sat down to wait. I started to mentally replay the circumstances of Willow's first meeting with Keefe That's when a realization hit.

Oh. My. Word. Willow started acting strangely after she met Keefe for the first time. The thing is, at park, she was more reserved than usual. I could've sworn I saw a flash of recognition momentarily cross her eyes. She tried to hide it, but I saw it. I wonder if that reawakened some memories. She could've known him, or at least seen him, before being adopted by the Sarratts. I bet she had amnesia, and he accidentally reawakened some old memories

Matilda snapped her fingers in front of my face. "Hello? Earth to Lexi? They just called our order."

"Sorry!" A creeping blush spread across my face. "I was lost in thought." It wasn't exactly a lie, but it wasn't the full truth either.

"You seem to be drifting off more lately..." Her voice trailed off. "Never mind. Let's get our cocoa and pastries. That croissant's calling my name."

After we retrieved our treats, we returned to our table. I looked down at my scone. I didn't really feel like eating anymore.

Act normal, Lexi. Act normal.

I picked it up and took a bite. My eyes widened. "Mmm, this is good!" The tartness of the blueberries balanced out the sweetness of the scone and icing. "No wonder Tabitha comes here so often."

"I know, right?" Matilda took a sip of her hot chocolate. "I'll have to come here more often."

"Matilda, we need to talk about Willow. I've got a hunch that she's not everything she seems to be." I was not leaving any room for disagreement or protest.

She tensed. "What do you mean? I know she hasn't always been my sister, but that doesn't mean—"

"I'll summarize it for ya in one word: amnesia."

"Oh." Her face morphed into shock and confusion.

I realized I'd probably gone too hard on her. Amnesia seemed like the most likely cause, but I didn't have enough evidence to necessarily prove it. Plus, a lot of my knowledge of this condition came from pop culture. Anastasia was a leading offender.

"Hey, look at it this way. Amnesia means she's not faking her identity or something awful like that."

The brunette remained silent for a few minutes before speaking again.

"Well, yes, it could be that. Or it could be that when she was little, she had a traumatic experience, and her mind erased that memory to protect her."

I could've smacked myself. I'd considered trauma before, but then I'd ruled that out when I remembered amnesia. But it could be both! It could always be both. That would explain the nightmares, frantic sketching, and scribbling in her diary. Either way, something was horribly wrong with Willow, and we had no clue how to fix it.

"Uh, Lexi?

"Yeah?"

"As far as I know, Willow still remembers some aspects of her childhood. Doesn't that disprove amnesia, given that it's supposed to be memory loss? And aren't you overthinking this?"

I blushed. "Oh, yeah. I probably am."

"Stop going all conspiracy theorist and just drink your chocolate before it's cold," Matilda scolded. "You dragged me over here for this oh-so-amazing chocolate. Now, drink it."

I took a sip of my chocolate. "Not bad. Not bad at all. Mrs. Garcia's is still better, though."

She giggled. "I don't think you're being an objective taste-tester." She sipped hers. "I think it's absolutely delightful."

I glanced at the clock on my phone. It was approaching afternoon. I was more than ready to return home and think my crazy (and probably false) theory over. Matilda seemed to have the same idea as me, as she was anxiously glancing at her watch.

"Let's finish up our chocolate and pastries, and then let's head back. I can stay at your place until my parents pick me up if that's okay with you."

"Sounds good."

After finishing up our goodies and hot chocolate, we grabbed our bags and headed for the door. Matilda made sure to leave a generous tip. Nothing was out of the ordinary. Nothing was suspicious. Or that's what we thought, anyway.