The day after he arrived home was a quiet one. The snow from the previous day had frozen into a thin sheet of ice on the roads, and I worried vaguely about the flowers in the garden. The others were at school, as were my thoughts. I did worry about Edward still, it was clearly not easy for him to be near the Swan girl. I was not the only one who worried either.

"I fear that his will power will crumble soon," Carlisle said anxiously down the phone from his office at the hospital.

"Have faith," I soothed, even though I held the same doubts that he did.

"I do, it's just... I worry, that's all."

"Just trust him, Edward has always done what is best, he has always known which path to take."

"Isn't this the wrong way round, aren't you meant to be the one who worries while I comfort?" he chuckled.

"Usually," I smiled. It was true, he was the calm, cool and collected one, I was the worrier.

"Doctor Cullen, we need to in the emergency room," came a female voice from the other side of the phone.

"I have to go," he sighed. "I'll call you later."

"Ok. I love you, Carlisle."

"I love you too, Esme. More than anything. More than life itself."

I hung up the phone, smiling. Sure, it would sound cheesy if it were from someone else. But when Carlisle spoke those words, when he murmured them in his silky voice my stomach dropped and my head swam for a moment. But not in an unpleasant way. In the way that is does when you know that the one person you love more than anything else, the one you would die for, feels exactly the same way.

The rest of the day went by quickly, and Carlisle was home soon after midday, not looking as anxious as he had sounded earlier that morning.

"Afternoon, Doctor Cullen," I smiled.

"Hello, Mrs Cullen," he greeted me in a cheery voice. Very different to earlier. He pulled me close to him and kissed me happily, his hands meshing into my hair.

"Well, hello," I giggled after a moment, pulling away from him. His kiss had made me feel very woosey, there was something about it that was different today. A very good different. "What was that for?"

"You," he grinned, kissing me quickly again.I gave him a questioning look. "I missed you, is all."

"Oh really?" I asked, an eyebrow raised. "How much did you miss me?" I reached for the collar on his shirt, slowly undoing his tie and unbuttoning the first few buttons.

"Well, quite a lot, actually," he mused as he ran his hands lightly over my waist, making my shiver.

"How much is quite a lot, then?" I pulled the ends of his shirt out of his trousers and pushed the sleeves off his shoulders, still not meeting his gaze.

"Mrs Cullen, now before we get too far carried away," he smile, "I have something you might like to hear."

"Oh is that so?" I asked suggestively. What was it about him that just did it for me? So much for not getting carried away.

"Yes, but please behave yourself, this is important, or it might be."

"So you encourage me, and then blow me off," I grumbled. Typical male.

"I know, I am a horrible person, you can punish me in a moment," he smiled and took my hands in his own.

"Oh no fear. I will. So what is this you have to tell me? Let me guess, another nurse asked you out?" I giggled. The funnier thing was that the most recent date he had been asked out on was by a male nurse. Emmett practially died when he found out that some of the new hospital staff thought Carlisle was gay. He blamed it on the scarves, while Jasper mused whether it was the pastels he wore. Edward was more inclined to think it was the new pair of Italian shoes he wore every other day, courtesy of Alice.

"No, although a very pretty nurse has been stahring at me lately, I may have to ask her out myself," he teased.

"Now that is a punishable statement," I said with an eyebrow raised.

He chuckled. "But in all seriousness, this will be important. Today I had the pleasure of meeting Bella Swan at the hospital."

"Isn't that the girl..." my question trailed off and my mind flew to Edward.

"Yes, she's the one. She's very brave, that one. I came across her in the emergency room, she had been involved in a van accident. A van had skidded across the school parking lot on all the ice and nearly crushed her, but Edward got in the way and saved her. She merely suffered from slight concussion."

"What about Edward?" I asked worriedly.

"Well, he seems to care for her, he stayed with her the whole time I examined her, and indeed he had to run across the parking lot to reach her in time. And when I say run, I mean run flat out. The Swan girl has noticed something different about Edward alright, she seemed to know that he stopped the van, even though he told her he knocked her out of the way. But I don't think she is the kind of girl to tell anyone anything."

"But how was he around her? Was he, you know...?"

"Was he the predator at all? No, apart from the fact he refused to get too close to her I would never suspect he was especially drawn to her. His restraint is staggering, and I am proud of what he did today, he saved her life."

My heart swelled to hear those words. Edward, my son, instead of ending the life of someone who held his bloodlust, he saved her from death. Not many of us would have the restraint to do that.

"So is that why you are in a good mood?" I asked him as I ran my hands down his body to his waist.

"No, actually, it is something totally different, although Edward's actions today have made me incredibly proud. No, in fact, the reason I am so happy is, you." He rested his hands at the base of my neck and gently rubbed his thumbs up and down. It was very soothing.

"Oh? Anything in specific?" I asked curiously.

"In fact there is. Do you realise it is exactly ninety four years ago today when I first met you?" He smiled at the memory.

"Today? Oh," I smiled back. "You remember it still?"

"As clearly as ever. You broke your leg on your family's farm after falling from a tree there, and didn't like it when I had to feel your leg to find the break, and when I did find it you hardly whimpered, and refused to admit it hurt," he recalled.

"And my mother scolded me for not helping whatsoever," I laughed. "I thought you were incredibly handsome. And after meeting you I found that no one could compare. I never forgot you," I sighed happily. "You made my heart stutter like no one ever had!"

"I know, I heard it," he smiled. "And never forgot it." He leaned down and kissed me gently. "Now, where were we?"