With Caroline’s birthday coming, we can expect some sweet moments from the often fractured group of friends. Candice teases that Caroline’s reconnection with her friends in the wake of her trouble with Tyler will be a strong one — and she and Elena will have some bonding time, particularly given Elena’s tumultuous love life.

“There are some great girlfriend moments coming up, which I love, because last year I think everyone was so embroiled in their various love triangles that we didn’t really see that,” she says, “and I think it’s really important to have those moments.”

Caroline has certainly been happy to throw in her two cents when it comes to Elena’s love life, so we’re sure she’ll have an opinion about that big Damon/Elena kiss last week. Candice says, “I think her reaction will be along the lines of ‘Are you sure? Are you really, really sure?’ This is a big step for Elena, she can’t really go back.”