Father's love

When I drive to the hospital, Carlisle is waiting for me near the entrance, radiating calmness and confidence. I can almost feel the warmth in his eyes, and it makes me smile.

"Nice to see you, Bella," he says. "But to be frank, I'd like to meet you under other circumstances."

"Me too. But it doesn't surprise you, right?"

Carlisle laughs. I used to be his permanent client. Broken arm, various cuts, scratches, even one concussion – there were legends about my constant clumsiness.

He gives me a hand and helps me get out of the car.

"So, you fell?"

He avoids speaking about Edward, and I'm glad for it.

Together we're heading to the doors, step by step. I'm leaning on Carlisle, but he doesn't complain. He almost carries me, pretending that I weigh nothing.

"Yeah. The road is icy, you know."

He laughs.

"It's winter."

"I've noticed that."

Forks hospital is very small. Before Dr Cullen started living there, the hospital looked more like a small clinic where people could get first aid, nothing more. Everything changed when Carlisle became a local doctor here. He realized that this town needed a new building with an X-ray and everything, so he and his colleagues could help patients immediately and operate without losing time on transporting them to Port Angeles. He found sponsors who agreed to give money, and a few years later a small rotting building turned into a compact hospital.

When we get inside, Carlisle examines my leg carefully. His touch is icy cold, but his confidence still calms me down.

"I'm afraid you need an X-ray."

"Is it so serious?"

My leg has swollen. I'm sure I won't be able to squeeze it into my shoe.

"I know it looks bad, but everything could be much worse. Still, we need to be sure it's not a break."

Luckily, it's just a sprang. I don't know what exactly it means but I'm happy it's not the break. I can't let myself get out of life for too long. Well… I can't leave my job. It's almost all I have now.

"We haven't seen each other for a while," Dr Cullen says quietly, bandaging my leg. "How long has it been?"

"Two years," I answer.

Carlisle nods.

"Right. Time flies."

He continues working, his moves confident and fast. Carlisle stands close, and I can examine him carefully. He's still so young. He and his wife Esme married and got their children very early.

It's a funny story, actually. Esme and Carlisle met as freshmen; both keep saying it was love at first sight. But Esme avoided having a serious relationship. Doctors were telling her that she would never be able to have kids, and she worried about it. But Carlisle didn't. When Esme told him about it, she thought he would leave her, but he said there was nothing to worry about. They could always adopt, he said. It comforted Esme, and soon they started living together, enjoying their quiet happiness.

To their surprise, doctors were wrong, and Esme got pregnant just a few months later. She stopped studying. Carlisle officially proposed, and they married four weeks before Emmet's birth. In the next five years, they had Edward and their youngest child Alice who used to be my best friend at school. It was a hard time, when Carlisle and Esme created a family, they were only students, but they managed to get everything they wanted and raise great children. They were always supportive.

"Say hi to Esme," I say.

Carlisle smiles. Edward got this smile from him.

"I'll say. She'll be glad to hear about you."

I miss them so much. When I came to Forks to live with Charlie, I was lost, and meeting the Cullens changed my life completely. It's not only about Edward – it's about the family in general. Carlisle and Esme's marriage showed me what a healthy relationship could look like. And they cared about me as well. I'd never confess that I needed my mom, but I had Esme when I needed her. And Carlisle – he's so kind and supportive. When Edward and I had to move to a new place so he could continue studying, I had to take a break from my education, and only Carlisle advised me not to give up.

So sad we stopped staying in touch after… everything.

"How's she? Is Esme all right?" I ask.

"Esme's doing great, thanks for asking. Sometimes she worries too much about everything – but you know Esme's always been like that."

I nod.

"And what's about you?" Carlisle asks, his warm smile returns. "Don't you want to tell me about your job?"

It's easy to talk to Carlisle, and I tell him about the school and my students. It's one of his talents – he asks good questions, and he knows how to listen. Maybe, it's the reason why Carlisle's is such a good doctor.

"Seems like you really enjoy work," Carlisle notices when I stop speaking. He finished bandaging my leg a long time ago. "I'm glad you found something you like to do. It's important."

When I had my last year at school, Renee called me every day, having a piece of new advice about the profession I could get. Charlie never pushed me, but he was always at work, and I needed some grownup help at that time.

Carlisle's phone rings. He looks at the screen and declines the call. I'm sure it's someone from home. Maybe, it's even Esme. I want to hear her voice, but I need to stop thinking about it.

"So, should I go now?" I ask. For the first time, I don't want to leave the hospital.

Carlisle sighs.

"Are you sure you can drive yourself? I can drive you home if you wish."

I don't want to be a heavy burden.

"It's fine," I say. "I'll text Charlie – he must be home already. He'll help me get out of the car. I'm a big girl."

He hugs me and pats my cheek fatherly.

"It doesn't mean that you don't need help. I'm still considering you my child, you know."

His words break my heart. I nod but hide my eyes.

Carlisle helps me go to my car and keep standing near the hospital's entrance, watching me, his figure in a white coat stands out of the darkness.

When Edward and I got married, I was so glad to become a part of the Cullen family. Having Carlisle and Esme by my side made me feel whole, and I haven't realized how much I missed it.

I thought I got used to being lonely, but I was fooling myself. Edward took so much from me, not only my heart, and I still need to find out how to feel this ugly empty hole in my chest.

Hey, guys! Thank you so much for such a great response to the previous chapter (and huge thanks for correcting one serious mistake)! Thank you all for your reviews and subscriptions – it gave me the reason to keep writing. You are awesome!

Let's talk about the chapter now. Carlisle has always been one of my favourite characters, he looks like a perfect father figure, so I thought there is time to write a calm chapter, full of some nostalgia. It's also the way to show that not all the Cullens treated Bella badly, and she still has a lot of good memories.

Many of you are wondering what happened between Bella and Edward. To be frank, the reason would be very simple. I can't tell you everything immediately, but I'll do my best to show you explanations as fast as possible.

What do you think about the chapter? Did you like Carlisle? Who was your favourite Twilight character while reading the series for the first time?