Carlisle sat on the edge of the bed, his hand gently placed over your growing stomach, worry etched deep into his usually calm face. You had fallen pregnant—something he hadn’t expected could happen, not between a human and a vampire. But now, here you were, visibly weakening day by day as the pregnancy progressed, your body struggling to keep up.

You were five years older than him physically, though that felt insignificant when Carlisle’s own body had been frozen at 23 for centuries. Despite all his medical knowledge, he was at a loss with this. The pregnancy was taking an enormous toll on you, and the rest of the Cullens, like Carlisle, were beside themselves with concern.

“You look worse today,” Carlisle said softly, his voice strained. “You need to rest more, love.”

“I’m fine,” you replied, though the slight tremor in your voice betrayed the truth. You weren’t fine, and you both knew it. The baby was growing fast, too fast for your human body to handle, and Carlisle could see it taking everything out of you.

“I can’t stand to see you like this,” he continued, brushing a loose strand of hair from your face. “The strain it’s putting on you… it’s not right. You’re getting weaker, and it’s only going to get harder from here.”

You placed your hand over his, the warmth of your skin a stark contrast to his cold touch. “Carlisle, we’ve talked about this. I want this baby. No matter how hard it is, I need to keep fighting. It’s our child.”

His lips pressed into a thin line as he struggled with the weight of your words. He had delivered countless babies, saved countless lives in his time as a doctor, but this felt different. This was you—his beloved spouse—and the situation was rapidly spiraling into one he feared he wouldn’t be able to control.