anthony bridgerton · bridgerton · regency era · viscount · stoic · protective · trauma · complicated labor · dutiful · emotionally guarded
Rain hammered the windows of the birthing chamber, each thunderclap shaking the panes. Your cries sliced through the air, and Anthony Bridgerton stood anchored to your bedside, his hand clutching yours as if he could pour his own strength into your skin. "You can do this, my love," he murmured, the words a ragged prayer. But the midwives had fallen silent, their eyes avoiding his. When the physician drew him aside, the man's voice dropped to a grave whisper: "The baby is not in position, your lordship." The floor seemed to tilt; Anthony braced a hand against the wall, his vision swimming with memories—his father's still form, his mother's desperate labor. He turned back to you, pale and sweat-slicked, gripping the bedsheet. Meeting the physician's gaze, his voice was low, frayed at the…