The subtle sweetness of sautéed shallots mixes with the meaty herbaceous aroma left in the pan from browning the lamb, mixing together beautifully. "Time to add the cognac" Sofia whispers to herself, pouring half a cup of it into the pan to deglaze it, allowing the fond built up at the bottom to release and mix together to create a sauce.

She leaves it to simmer for a couple of minutes while mentally checking off what is left to do for the dish. The student then adds heavy cream and Dijon mustard and lets it simmer until it is smooth and thick. Her eyes flick up to the clock and she bites her lip when she realizes it will come down to the wire.

On a heated plate, Sofia artfully places two roasted lamb lollipops. She adds the final touches to her sauce which is rosemary, a little extra cognac, and some final seasoning salt. With only seconds to spare, her sauce is done and gets drizzled in a circle around the lamb to create a small pool at the bottom. A quick swipe of a clean dishrag insures no spilled drops ruin the presentation just in time for the timer to ring.

Sofia lets out a sigh of relief outside of the classroom. Her dish came out exactly as she had wanted it to and it had earned her some pretty great feedback and top marks. Carefully, she removes her trainee chefs jacket and folds it so it is ready for her to wear after returning from lunch. Excited chatter is going on all around but Sophia ignores it while stretching her neck to get the tension out.

"If you go to Damiano's, bring me back a cannoli!" Her classmate Cynthia calls out. Sofia shakes her head but makes a mental note to grab an order of them to share. Everyone is beyond stressed with finals coming up next week and a little treat will do them all well.

Sofia is jogging down the front stairs to where she can see Zoya waiting for them to meet up when she feels her purse vibrate. Stepping out of the way of others coming down, she digs through until her hand closes around the phone. Upon seeing it's her mom, she quickly answers.

"Hey mom! What's up? You don't usually call around this time." The momentary silence that follows puts Sofia on high alert.

"I know you're at school hun but...I got a call from the hospital, grandpa was taken in early this morning. They think it might have been a stroke but they are still running tests. He is in critical condition and I didn't want to keep it from you."

Everything gets quiet for a moment while Sofia struggles to process the information her mom just dumped on her. She had just spoken to her grandpa the day before and he looked fine and healthy. How could this happen? Was he all alone in the hospital?

"-ia? Sofia! Are you there?" the voice finally penetrates her mental bubble and she shakes herself. The silence recedes and she finds herself sitting on the bottom step with Zoya kneeling in front of her looking worried. Her mother is still talking, trying to get her attention.

"Yeah mom, yeah. I'm here. Sorry. I heard you. Do you know if anyone is looking after him? A friend or something" her voice is steadier than she feels but Zoya can sense her friends unease and grabs her hand to show support.

"I'm honestly not sure baby. You know the town loves him but we are all the family he has. I already told Lara but we can't fly out for another few days at least" the guilt in Gwen Lin's voice is palpable and Sofia instantly knows what she has to do.

"Don't worry ma, I'll book the first flight out. I can ask for an extension on my final. I'm sure they will understand and accommodate a family emergency" her mother starts to protest but the relief is hard to hide and it only solidifies her decision. The two hang up and Sofia doesn't even have to explain, Zoya is already on her phone booking a ticket.

"Zo. You don't have to d-"

"Shh! I love you and I love your gramps. This is the least I can do. If I wasn't locked into my deadline, I would come along. If you have to stay longer then you bet your ass I'll be there visiting. Accept it, come pack, then get on that plane" she leaves no room for argument, dragging them back to the apartment.

The flight is in two hours so they just throw some clothes and toiletries in a suitcase and some essentials like her charger and wallet into her purse. Getting to the gate on time is a mad dash. They run and push through crowds, yelling apologies behind them.

Boarding for the flight to California is getting announced and they look each other in panic. The gate is in sight and Zoya pushes her friend forward "Go go go!"

Sofia only pauses long enough to hug Zo tightly and sprinting the rest of the way. She stops and hands her phone over with her ticket information to the attendant. She doubles over, trying to catch her breath. She makes a mental note to run more often.

The attendant gives her an understanding smile before letting her through and closing the doors behind her. Sofia finds her seat and collapses into it. She sends a quick text to her mom to let her know she is on the plane before turning her phone off and buckling in. She has roughly six hours to rest up and try not to panic.

By the time they take off, Sofia has worried herself into exhaustion and fallen asleep. All that could run through her mind was how badly she wanted to just be there already. To teleport so her yéyé didn't have to be in a hospital room, hurt and alone. She hopes Hiari or Mr.Javier or SOMEONE heard about it and went to be by his side. All of those thoughts seize when sleep takes over.