Chapter 7: Part of Your Memory

"Thanks for the food," Lilith said softly, politeness coating her voice like a protective layer.

Angela smiled warmly, shaking her head. "No problem, sweetheart. And no need to be so formal with me," she replied, her voice filled with gentle affection.

Lilith glanced toward the rest of the girls bickering over crumbs and jokes. Angela chuckled lightly and added, "Welcome to the family."

Before Lilith could respond, Angela clapped dramatically and declared, "Alright everybody! Y'all get dressed—we're going on a walk!"

The room erupted into chuckles as the girls filed out one by one, laughter trailing like a ribbon.

Keira, radiant as ever, turned to Lilith with a bright smile. "Let's go!"

Lilith nodded quickly, sticking close—determined not to get lost again like last time.

"What should we wear…" Keira murmured aloud.

Lilith felt her heart flutter at the simple word: we. No one had ever thought of her like that before. Like she mattered—like she belonged. It was new. And it was good.

"Umm… let's do matching?" she suggested, her voice shy but hopeful.

Keira paused, cheeks turning a faint pink. "Matching?" she echoed. "Oh! Actually… I bought a pair a few weeks ago. Didn't have anyone to wear them with…"

Her voice faltered for just a heartbeat before lighting back up. "Let's try them on!"

Lilith caught the flicker of sadness that passed across Keira's face but didn't push. Some wounds were better approached with patience.

Keira rummaged through a drawer and squealed, pulling out two matching animal onesies. "Here they are!"

Lilith burst into laughter, unable to hold back. "Onesies? Cute."

Predictably, Keira turned another shade pinker. Lexi, who had wandered in, giggled mischievously, pinching Keira's cheeks. "Cuuuute!"

Keira swatted Lexi away, cheeks burning. "Go get dressed!" she huffed, handing Lilith her onesie.

The atmosphere shimmered with a strange kind of magic—comforting, warm, impossibly light. Lilith held the soft onesie in her hands and smiled, heart swelling at a sense of connection that was no longer fleeting.

She didn't know what this world held. Or why she'd ended up here. But for once, the unknown didn't feel like a curse. It felt like a beginning.

The bedroom buzzed with warmth as Lilith stepped out of the bathroom, her onesie hugging her frame. The soft fabric was a velvety shade of pastel purple, stitched with tiny silver stars that shimmered as she moved. A plump pair of animal ears—foxlike—sat atop her hood, floppy and endearing. She looked uncertain at first, but the gleam in her eyes gave her away: she liked it.

Keira twirled in the middle of the room, her own onesie a muted blush pink, designed to resemble a tiny bear—with rounded ears and a stitched heart on the chest. Her cheeks were already glowing, but the sight of Lilith made her cover her face. "You look adorable," she squeaked.

Lilith laughed, brushing her sleeve with faux modesty. "You're one to talk, bear princess."

The two stood side by side—a fox and a bear—completely mismatched in nature, yet perfectly paired in spirit. Their bond wasn't just stitched into fabric now—it was stitched into memory.

Laughter erupted as Lilith and Keira entered the hallway in their matching onesies—one a blushing bear, the other a sparkling fox. Angela was the first to spot them and immediately dropped her water bottle in mock shock.

"Oh my stars," Angela gasped. "This is an attack of cuteness!"

Candice clapped dramatically. "My heart! I wasn't emotionally prepared for this."

Catherine squealed, practically bouncing on her heels. "You two look like plushie siblings!"

Stella leaned back against the wall with a soft smirk. "Finally, someone got her to wear that bear thing again…"

Lilith blinked at Stella. "Again?"

The air shifted slightly—just enough that even Lilith noticed it. A quiet pause floated between them.

"Yeah," Sabrina said gently, her gaze flicking toward Keira. "Kelly gave her that onesie."

Lilith's fingers twitched at her side.

Keira didn't speak right away. Her eyes lowered, smile wavering as memories stirred—soft and sharp all at once. "She said we should wear them together but… we never really got to. Things changed."

There was a collective stillness, like the group was holding its breath.

"Kelly was her first roommate," Stella offered, voice neutral yet kind. "They were close. Like…really close."

Angela nodded solemnly. "She was one of the good ones. Smart, loud, a little reckless. But she cared deeply."

"Still does, probably," Catherine added with a hopeful shrug. "She didn't disappear—she just left."

Lilith looked over at Keira, uncertain. But Keira gave a small smile and tugged on the bear ear of her onesie. "She'd laugh if she saw me now."

"And tell you you look like a flustered marshmallow," Candy teased, lightening the mood.

Keira laughed softly, a sound mixed with nostalgia and peace. "She probably would."

Lilith reached out, letting their arms brush as she whispered, "You look perfect."

Keira's blush returned in full bloom, and the others giggled, breaking the silence.

"Alright," Stella announced. "Matching onesies are officially a thing now. Group theme night, anyone?"

"Only if I get to be a ferret," Sabrina grinned.

As the group wandered off to prepare for their walk, Lilith lingered behind for a moment—heart full, mind spinning.

Kelly. A name and a story she hadn't heard yet. But one she could sense mattered deeply.

And maybe, just maybe, one day she'd be part of that memory too.