03 | light, rosalie hale

4.

ELEXIA was tired. More than she cared to admit. It seemed that every night now, she wasn't getting fulfilling sleep. This always happened to her whenever there were stressful things going on in her life. For the past few weeks, it seemed stress was constant.

Victoria being so close to her family recently had her especially unnerved, though. She knew deep down that Victoria was never going to give up until she either got to Bella or was killed herself. But now that it was actually happening, Elexia didn't know what to think. She didn't know what was going to happen next and that terrified her.

Graduation was now approaching rapidly, and while two months ago, Elexia was beyond excited to graduate, that excitement was tinged with anxiety. School had provided her security for so long, what was she going to go when that was gone? Yet another "unknown" for her.

The third thing weighing on her was the Volturi.

She knew that time worked differently for them– as multiple different Cullens explained to her– yet, she still couldn't help but think about it all the time. She did not want to be a vampire yet. She wanted to be a human when she got married. She wanted to be human on her honeymoon. She maybe even wanted to go as far as staying human until Gaia was in school.

At the same time, with the threat of Victoria– and even possible future threats, seeing as Bella seemed to be a danger magnet– Elexia wondered how safe it was for her to be human right now, which directly contradicted the feelings she felt about vampirism. It was all very confusing. Her brain was a big jumble of contradicting thoughts lately.

Gaia was the strongest point of her anxiety. Victoria was coming for Forks at some point soon, where Gaia was. While Victoria shouldn't even care about Gaia at all, it didn't stop Elexia from worrying herself to tears.

The Cullens assured Elexia that Gaia would be protected at all costs and she believed them, but it wasn't their protection she was worried about. It was Victoria's need for blood.

Emmett called Elexia "too paranoid" and while she loved him to death, he really did not grasp the true anxiety she felt because he wasn't a parent – and he never would be. Alice even said that Elexia was hurting her ego a bit, which got a big eye roll from Lex – but it did make her smile.

All she wanted was to be near Jasper it seemed. He took away all of those feelings. She was considering begging Alice to borrow him for a little while. Just until Victoria was dealt with.

On a more entertaining note– if she could even call it that– Edward was trying to blackmail Bella into marrying him.

Maybe blackmail was not quite the right word, but that's sure what it felt like. She wanted to be turned by him, which of course made sense, seeing as he was her love. But, his condition was that she had to marry him.

Elexia's eyes went wide when she heard it. Bella clearly wasn't ready for marriage. However, she wanted to be a vampire so badly. Forcing her to get married so that she could have that seemed a little extreme.

It was officially Saturday, though, and Elexia's anxious week was behind her. Jasper– and the other two Cullen men– were leaving to go on a hunting trip, so Elexia did not have her personal vampire Xanax, but she was going to do her best to push through it herself. Alice continuously reassured her that nothing was going to happen this weekend.

Alice, Rosalie, and Amethyst went off for a quick hunt fifteen minutes away, Bella was at work, and Elexia was sitting around in her house with Melody and Gaia.

Elexia sat on the couch, a cup of lukewarm tea long forgotten in her hands as she stared blankly at the TV screen. The sound of cartoons played in the background, a feeble attempt to distract herself from the whirlwind of thoughts spinning in her mind. She could feel the weight of exhaustion settling deep into her bones, a physical manifestation of the mental and emotional fatigue she had been carrying for weeks.

Melody sat beside her, flipping through a magazine without much interest. Gaia, nestled in her playpen nearby, cooed happily as she played with her toys. The sight of her daughter's innocent joy brought a bittersweet smile to Elexia's face. How could something so pure and beautiful exist in a world filled with so much uncertainty and danger?

"I wish I could just turn off my brain for a while," Elexia murmured, breaking the silence that hung heavy in the room.

Melody glanced up from her magazine, concern etched on her features. "I know what you mean. It's been a rough few weeks."

Elexia nodded, her gaze distant. "I can't stop thinking about everything. Victoria, graduation, the wedding, Gaia turning one, the Volturi... it's like a never-ending cycle of worry."

Melody reached out and placed a comforting hand on Elexia's arm. "You're not alone in this, Lex. We're all here for you, and we'll get through this together."

Elexia managed a small smile. It was rare that Melody was so calm and level-headed. Usually, it was Melody freaking out and Elexia providing the words of wisdom. "I know. I just... I feel like I'm on the edge all the time, waiting for something to happen."

"We'll deal with whatever comes our way," Melody reassured her. "And remember, the Cullens are watching out for us too."

Elexia nodded, taking a deep breath to steady herself. "You're right. I need to focus on the present moment and trust that everything will work out."

Just then, Gaia let out a squeal of delight, capturing both Elexia and Melody's attention. They turned to watch her as she reached for a colorful toy, her laughter filling the room. In that simple moment, Elexia found a sense of peace, a reminder of why she kept pushing forward despite the challenges.

"Look at her," Elexia whispered, a hint of awe in her voice. "She's so full of life and joy. We owe it to her to keep fighting, no matter what."

Melody nodded, a soft smile on her lips. "She's our little ray of sunshine, isn't she?"

Elexia nodded, a small smile playing on her lips. "She really is. Sometimes, I wonder how I got so lucky to have her."

Melody reached over and squeezed Elexia's hand gently. "You're an amazing mother, Lex. Gaia is lucky to have you."

A flicker of gratitude crossed Elexia's eyes as she looked at Melody. "Thank you, Mel. I don't know what I'd do without your support."

"We're family," Melody replied with a warm smile. "We stick together through thick and thin."

Elexia merely nodded, having no response.

"But how are you really doing?" Melody asked gently. "Like, mentally." 

Elexia managed a smile. "I'm hanging in there."

Melody's eyes were filled with concern now. "You seem really worn out. You're not yourself right now."

Elexia nodded, her exhaustion evident. "Like I explained about everything before... Just got a lot on my mind lately."

"You know you can talk to me about anything, right?" Melody offered comfortingly.

A familiar surge of gratitude filled Elexia. With a deep breath, she replied, "I appreciate that, Melody. I think I just need some time to unwind... like a day off, or something."

Melody nodded understandingly. "Well, I'm here for you whenever you're ready to talk. And I'm sure Alice, Amethyst, and the rest of the Cullens are, too. In the meantime, how about we make some lunch together?"

The suggestion brought a spark of enthusiasm to Elexia's tired eyes. "That sounds good. Anything to distract myself for a bit."

As they gathered in the kitchen, laughter and conversation filled the air, providing a temporary reprieve from the weight of Elexia's worries. In that moment, with her daughter and her best friend, and the comforting routine of daily life, Elexia found a sense of peace, knowing that no matter what challenges lay ahead, she had a strong support system to lean on.

Filler chapter. Sorry!