Gary Leonard Oldman

I know it's early but I couldn't resist. In honor of  your birthday, which if my calculations are correct is about eight more hours away, I present to you a fluffy piece of Caleb and Helene goodness. Happy early birthday my dear! *hugs tight*






“So…that’s seriously three sticks of butter? What do you mean more for pans? Ma, I know this isn’t rocket science but I really think you’d better come over here and help me.”

Now to anyone else this conversation would have sounded downright odd but considering it was Caleb it wasn’t strange at all. The man could bring audiences to their feet for performances but when it came to baking the man the absolutely hopeless, unless it involved banana bread, that he had mastered for some reason. He had been planning on surprising his lady love for her birthday and knew that his mother’s signature Devil’s Food cake would hit just the right spot.

“Ok, I’ve got it all down but one quick question.”

He had successfully wrapped himself up in the phone chord and was now trying to free himself while trying to calm his nerves.

“What’ll happen if I use self rising flour? Oh! and the cocoa, does it have to be Dutch-process? Can’t I just use the Hershey’s stuff?”

An exasperated sigh from the other end told him that he’d stepped in it royally and settled into a nearby kitchen stool to be berated by his mother. He loved her dearly but this, this was just too much for him to handle at the moment. He double checked his watch and his heart skipped a beat. It was already after nine and she’d just left for work but he still had to make that cake. Then wrap her gift…and start dinner. Time was against him and he didn't have time to listen to his mother, he didn’t dare tell her that but instead told her that he loved her and that he’d call on Saturday and hung up. He ended up scanning the pantry and finding everything already there, saying a silent thank you to the gods above that his girl was a baker he studied his recipe card.

“Heat over to three hundred and fifty degrees.”
A few flicks of a button and it was done as he kept reading.

“Butter three 8 x 2  round cake pans line bottoms with parchment and then dust sides with cocoa powder. How hard can that be?”

Twenty minutes and four tracing attempts later the pans were lined, dusted and ready to go. The oven had long been pre heated so all that was left to do was the batter and icing.

“Where the hell is the sifter?!”

“Is this cake flour…please be cake flour. Why the hell aren’t you cake flour?!”

Another thirty minutes passed and the batter was done, partially covering him and Helene’s kitchen curtains but it was put into the prepared pans, now all that was left was the icing and getting the baked ziti together. Grabbing a separate bowl from under the counter shelf he set to work on the frosting.

“Chocolate frosting you are my biotch!”
Caleb exclaimed as he went about combining the semi sweet chocolate and the whipping cream   to make a luscious mixture. Carefully doling out the corn syrup he added it all at once and whisked and whisked until he was almost positive that his arm was going to fall off when he finally stopped.

“How in the world does she do this?”

He muttered as he transferred the frosting to a metal bowl and setting it in the fridge to set. Just as he had gotten the pasta to boil the oven timer counted down and chirped away signaling that his cakes were officially done. The tooth pick test told him that they were ready to make their way to the cooling racks to settle. He had seen Helene pop her cakes into the freezer to chill them quickly so he assumed that he’d give it a go, that way he’d be able to work on the sauce and then go about slicing the layers and then frosting the cake.

“ Caleb Bledig you are a genius.”
He said to himself as he popped his cakes into the freezer and went about starting dinner. Little did he know that his girl was going to hit traffic on her way home. He also had no clue that you actually have to turn the heat down on the pasta sauce as it bubbled away and splattered all around Hel’s sparkly clean range. He’d also forgotten all about those cakes until they were nearly frozen solid and cursed himself as he popped them in the microwave to thaw them.

“Caleb Bledig you’re freaking idiot.”
He admonished himself as he finished separated the layers and reassembling them into a proper layer cake. The timer went off again and the sauce pot had bubbled over and was now threatening to explode all over the range and coat the counters. The table hand’t been set yet and he was still trying to play catch up with the cleaning. Perhaps next year he’d whisk her away on a far flung vacation like his cousin did with his mate.

Although to be fair Roy travels for a living so every vacation he’s ever take his mate on has been a working one. Helene’s worth a million vacations. Maybe she’d like Club Med? Note to self look up Club Med memberships.

Another nervous look at the clock and his mind told him that she was almost twenty minutes late but then his phone went off. Where in the world was his phone? Charger on the other counter? Nope. Pockets? Nope. Living room? Again nope. Out in the front hall by the door? Yes! A text…oh no..she was stuck in traffic.

But that gives you more than enough time to finish up dinner, get the kitchen clean and take a shower. Did I wrap her gift? Oh God I didn’t!”
His mind screamed at him so he listened to that little voice and worked himself ragged. He was a lean mean cleaning machine and by the time he was done the kitchen was just as spotless as it had been when his mate had left to go to work. Dinner was officially done and the last finishing touches had been put on the cake. Table was set and all he needed was a shower, a change of clothes and to wrap her gift.

You’ve got twenty minutes before she comes through that door, run Bledig, run like the wind!”
and he did and nearly killed himself in the process trying to strip and run to the master bathroom. After scrubbing himself all but raw he went not to change and tackle wrapping her gift. It was small but the meaning behind it was enormous and he prayed that she would like it.

A jingle of keys at the front door alerted him that she was home.

Thank God for super sonic hearing.
He thought to himself as he finished the last corner and neatly tied the bow atop the package before tumbling down the stairs and bouncing over to where she stood at the door just about ready to hang up her coat.

“Happy Birthday, Helene!”

Even though he’d said a million times to her that morning he never could get tired of the look of glee that painted itself across her face when he said it to her. His girl would always be worth it, no matter if he’d called himself an idiot he was her and she his but today was her day and he was bound and determined to let her enjoy herself. He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a deep kiss, genuinely glad that his lover was home.

“I know it’s a little early but I thought I’d give you your gift before we ate and cut into the cake.”
He said with a small grin as he held out her gift. He watched as she tore into the paper, ever so carefully as to not damage the shine purple paper and then daintily open the small velvet box.
She looked at him with wide doe like brown eyes that had no filled with tears as she gave him a smile and nodded before wrapping herself around him in a tight happy hug.

But that’s a story for another time.