[ more silence, and then finally: ]

The obvious answer - obvious in my case, anyway - would be that someone never existed. But if they hadn't...

[ she never would have met stefan or damon. she would never realize that there was so much in the word you needed to prepare yourself for. hell, she would never have been born. ]

If they hadn't, things would be different in ways that I don't think would be preferable.

[ pause. a longer one, this time. and then finally: ]

I'd bring back my parents.