[When she does, the room fades, this time into a family kitchen. A middle-aged man's hovering over a saucepan with caramelized sugar, and the scent wafts into the air as he carefully pours it into one of those creme brulee baking dishes.
A much, much younger Stefan - he can't be more than sixteen - is standing at the edge of the kitchen, waiting until his father's done pouring the sugar before he rushes to help.
"Ah, Stefanizo," The man says, with a warm smile on his face as he observes his boy helping.
Stefan's face grows slightly red. "Baba, why didn't you ask Olette to help you with this? You KNOW she lives to bake."
"I could've, but my son only turns sixteen once," Baba says, with a twinkle in his eyes as he finishes the recipe. As he turns on the oven, he and Stefan move back towards the wall counters - and it's not until the caramel custard is safely in the oven that he rummages for something in his pocket.
Stefan folds his arms as he observes his father. "Yeah, but..."
But Baba didn't have to go to the trouble of making caramel custard. Even if that is Stefan's second favorite dessert in the whole wide world, and even if Stefan wanted nothing more than to spend the evening with his dad.
He can't get the words out, not before Baba holds out a small, simple black pouch. "I thought you were old enough to have this."
Stefan blinks back surprise, reaching out for the pouch and opening it to find a silver band. Holding it closer, he then finds the name 'Alesci' etched inside.
"Nonno used to wear this, and my dad after him, and well... I figured, it was your turn." Baba's face is nervous, even if he's grinning from ear to ear.
"What about Damon?" Stefan turns the ring over, as if expecting to find some other hidden meaning. "He's your oldest."
"He also got Nonno's watch."
Dangit. Figures that his older brother would get the better, cooler jewelry - and what does Stefan get? The one simple piece of jewelry that could get mistaken for a wedding ring. Still, he accepts it with a smile. "Thank you, Baba. I know this means a lot."
So, in plain sight of his dad, he slips the ring on.
Baba kisses him on the forehead. "I'm glad you like it. I'm going to grab something real quick, so hang on a second."
As Baba leaves, the ring on Stefan's finger starts to shake uncontrollably. Stefan stares at it, at the ring changing shape right before his eyes. Gone is the silver band; in its place is an ornate lapis lazuli ring, one that's nearly twice as big.
"Crap," he mutters under his breath as the memory fades back into the bedroom. "Baba's SO not gonna like this."]
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A much, much younger Stefan - he can't be more than sixteen - is standing at the edge of the kitchen, waiting until his father's done pouring the sugar before he rushes to help.
"Ah, Stefanizo," The man says, with a warm smile on his face as he observes his boy helping.
Stefan's face grows slightly red. "Baba, why didn't you ask Olette to help you with this? You KNOW she lives to bake."
"I could've, but my son only turns sixteen once," Baba says, with a twinkle in his eyes as he finishes the recipe. As he turns on the oven, he and Stefan move back towards the wall counters - and it's not until the caramel custard is safely in the oven that he rummages for something in his pocket.
Stefan folds his arms as he observes his father. "Yeah, but..."
But Baba didn't have to go to the trouble of making caramel custard. Even if that is Stefan's second favorite dessert in the whole wide world, and even if Stefan wanted nothing more than to spend the evening with his dad.
He can't get the words out, not before Baba holds out a small, simple black pouch. "I thought you were old enough to have this."
Stefan blinks back surprise, reaching out for the pouch and opening it to find a silver band. Holding it closer, he then finds the name 'Alesci' etched inside.
"Nonno used to wear this, and my dad after him, and well... I figured, it was your turn." Baba's face is nervous, even if he's grinning from ear to ear.
"What about Damon?" Stefan turns the ring over, as if expecting to find some other hidden meaning. "He's your oldest."
"He also got Nonno's watch."
Dangit. Figures that his older brother would get the better, cooler jewelry - and what does Stefan get? The one simple piece of jewelry that could get mistaken for a wedding ring. Still, he accepts it with a smile. "Thank you, Baba. I know this means a lot."
So, in plain sight of his dad, he slips the ring on.
Baba kisses him on the forehead. "I'm glad you like it. I'm going to grab something real quick, so hang on a second."
As Baba leaves, the ring on Stefan's finger starts to shake uncontrollably. Stefan stares at it, at the ring changing shape right before his eyes. Gone is the silver band; in its place is an ornate lapis lazuli ring, one that's nearly twice as big.
"Crap," he mutters under his breath as the memory fades back into the bedroom. "Baba's SO not gonna like this."]