The emotional pressure is mounting in upcoming episodes of Home and Away as Mackenzie Booth and Levi Fowler face one of the biggest challenges of their relationship so far.

What begins as a hopeful attempt to start a family soon spirals into heartbreak, fear, and painful confessions when Levi unexpectedly discovers a deeply buried secret from Mackenzie’s past.

The couple have only recently decided to try for a baby, but already the dream of becoming parents is proving far more emotionally complicated than either of them expected.

While Levi initially believed they had plenty of time and no reason to panic, Mackenzie’s growing anxiety begins to reveal wounds she has never truly healed from.

The storyline intensifies after Mackenzie returns from Queensland following a dramatic and traumatic trip involving her brother Dean, Ziggy Astoni, and a terrifying kidnapping ordeal that left everyone emotionally shaken. Yet despite the danger and chaos surrounding the trip, it is another moment entirely that changes Mackenzie forever.

Seeing Ziggy happily expecting her second child awakens something powerful inside her.

For the first time, Mackenzie realizes just how desperately she wants a family of her own.

The realization catches her off guard. Behind her usual confidence and composure, Mackenzie begins quietly obsessing over the possibility of motherhood. However, unsure of how Levi might react, she initially keeps her feelings hidden, confiding only in close friends while wrestling with the fear that her dream may never become reality.

When she finally tells Levi she wants to try for a baby, his reaction is cautious rather than enthusiastic. Concerned that Mackenzie is making an emotional decision following the emotionally charged Queensland trip, Levi warns her against rushing into something life-changing without careful thought.

At first, the hesitation leaves Mackenzie crushed.

But Levi’s perspective soon changes after a heartfelt conversation with his sister Eden, who has recently recommitted herself emotionally to Cash. Watching those around him embrace love and commitment forces Levi to confront his own feelings. In an emotional turning point, he admits that he truly does want a future — and children — with Mackenzie.

For a brief moment, the couple appear happier than ever.

But six weeks later, that happiness begins to fade.

Despite their efforts, Mackenzie still hasn’t fallen pregnant, and the silence of every negative pregnancy test slowly becomes unbearable. Although she tries to hide her growing panic, Levi starts noticing subtle changes in her behavior — sleepless nights, emotional withdrawal, and increasing anxiety.

Unbeknownst to him, Mackenzie has secretly been researching fertility and pregnancy complications linked to heart conditions.

The discovery comes accidentally when Levi finds hidden medical leaflets beneath their bed discussing pregnancy risks for women with cardiac complications. Instantly alarmed, he realizes Mackenzie has been carrying fears she never shared with him.

The moment marks a major emotional turning point in the relationship.

Mackenzie attempts to brush it aside, insisting she was only being cautious and doing research. But Levi is hurt she never came to him directly. Given his medical background and the fact that he once treated her during one of the darkest periods of her life, he cannot understand why she chose to suffer alone.

Their connection has always been shaped by trauma.

Fans will remember that Levi first entered Mackenzie’s life as the cardiothoracic surgeon who treated her after her terrifying heart attack caused by spontaneous coronary artery dissection, also known as SCAD. At the time, Levi was still married, making the situation emotionally messy from the beginning. Yet despite the controversy surrounding their romance, the two eventually built a genuine relationship grounded in vulnerability and survival.

Now, however, their future together is threatened by secrets Mackenzie has never fully confronted.

The next day, matters become even more serious when Levi learns that a city cardiologist has requested access to Mackenzie’s medical records. Realizing he can no longer ignore the situation, Levi pressures Mackenzie to tell him the truth.

Cornered emotionally, Mackenzie finally breaks down.

In heartbreaking scenes, she reveals the painful chapter she has spent years trying to forget — her pregnancy with Ari Parata back in 2021.

At the time, Mackenzie believed she was building a future with Ari. But before she even had the chance to tell him she was pregnant, Ari ended their relationship to reunite with Mia and her daughter. The rejection devastated Mackenzie, leaving her isolated and emotionally shattered.

Faced with the pregnancy alone, she agonized over what to do.

Adding to the pain was the knowledge that Ari and Mia had already endured heartbreaking fertility struggles and the trauma of losing a stillborn child. Feeling trapped between guilt, fear, and heartbreak, Mackenzie initially considered terminating the pregnancy without ever telling Ari the truth.

But before she could make a final decision, tragedy struck.

In one of the show’s most devastating storylines, Mackenzie collapsed in agony at the farmhouse due to an ectopic pregnancy. After spending hours alone and in unbearable pain, she was eventually rushed to hospital, where doctors confirmed she had lost the baby.

The emergency surgery saved her life — but changed her future forever.

Through tears, Mackenzie finally confesses to Levi that the operation left her with only one fallopian tube, dramatically affecting her chances of conceiving naturally.

Levi is left stunned.

The revelation suddenly explains the fear, insecurity, and desperation Mackenzie has been carrying ever since they decided to start trying for a baby. More importantly, it forces Levi to confront the harsh medical reality of their situation.

Although compassionate and supportive, Levi cannot ignore the clinical implications. Quietly consulting a colleague, he later returns with a suggestion that immediately overwhelms Mackenzie: fertility testing.

For Levi, the tests represent a practical next step. But for Mackenzie, they symbolize something terrifying — confirmation that her worst fears might be true.

Already emotionally fragile, she admits she was hoping for reassurance, not medical investigations.

The pressure becomes almost unbearable.

Later, in deeply emotional scenes, Mackenzie finally voices the fear she has been trying to suppress. Fighting back tears, she asks Levi whether he truly wants biological children with someone who may not be able to give that to him.

It is a moment that exposes her deepest insecurity.

But Levi’s response may become one of the couple’s most powerful moments yet.

Rather than running from the uncertainty, Levi reassures Mackenzie that he wants a family with her — no matter how difficult the journey may be. He refuses to promise an easy path, acknowledging that they may face heartbreak and disappointment ahead. But he makes it clear they will face it together.

The emotional breakthrough ultimately brings Mackenzie to a painful but necessary decision.

At last, she agrees to begin fertility testing.

As the couple step into an uncertain future, upcoming episodes of Home and Away promise raw emotion, heartbreaking honesty, and one of the most vulnerable chapters yet for Mackenzie and Levi. With past trauma resurfacing and the dream of parenthood hanging in the balance, the question now is whether love alone will be enough to carry them through what comes next.