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Nancy frowned softly as she stood in front of the mirror naked and looked at her body. She hated that she was counting the stretch marks on her stomach but she was. She was counting them and adding them up and a part of her was afraid for Steve to see her like this.
She was afraid for her husband to see her naked for the first time since she'd given birth. It was why she still hadn't been with him sexually since giving birth, though she was well past the six week mark of postpartum. It was why she always made sure to get dressed in the bathroom nowadays instead of out in the open.
These damn stretch marks made her hate how she looked. She was no longer the young sexy teenager that Steve had fallen in love with.
The stretch marks were a reminder that she was twenty-seven and a mother of a nine week old child and time and age and her changing body had morphed her. They'd morphed her into someone she didn't even know and what if Steve didn't want her anymore?
What if once he finally saw her naked he ran for the hills? What if he decided to leave her and find someone who was blemish free?
He could do it too, she knew. Steve was still as handsome and sexy as he'd been back in high school and Nancy had no doubts that he could easily get any woman that he wanted.
Not that Nancy liked to think of that because the thought of Steve with anyone but her made her extremely jealous. But deep down she was afraid that her stretch marks would scare him away.
She was afraid he'd leave her and baby Jane and never look back.
Shaking her head Nancy moved away from the mirror and went to the bed where her robe was laying and she reached for it, pulling it on and then getting into bed, knowing that sooner rather than later Steve would come back from the nursery where he was putting Jane to bed and the last thing she wanted was for him to find her standing naked in front of the mirror.
The last thing she wanted was for him to find her naked period.
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Feeling the bed move slightly, Nancy opened her eyes and looked at Steve as he climbed into bed beside her. A blush coating her cheeks because she realized then that she must have fallen asleep without meaning to.
It seemed like ever since giving birth to Jane that she was always in a perpetual state of tiredness.
"Janie asleep?" Nancy asked with a raised eyebrow as she locked eyes with Steve and she hated the way her body craved to be near his.
She hated the way she wanted her husband and yet was scared to have him see her naked at the same time.
"She's out like a light," Steve answered as he reached out to brush some hair off of Nancy's face and Nancy felt her blush get a touch worse at that.
The want for her husband grew just a tad bit worse as well.
"I miss you Nance," Steve sighed out before Nancy could even say anything and his words made Nancy frown.
"I'm right here Steve," Nancy said lightly with a slight laugh in her voice though she knew what he meant by his words.
Nancy knew he missed being with her in intimate ways. He missed that connection that only they could share when they were together sexually.
"You know what I mean Nance," Steve said as he held her gaze and Nancy chewed on her lip because of course she knew what he meant. "I miss being with you," he told her as he inched a tiny bit closer to her, his arm going around her waist.
The action caused a shiver to go down Nancy's spine.
"I know you do," Nancy told him as she searched his eyes slightly. "I just...I'm nervous I guess. Afraid you won't like my body once you see me naked again, finally," she admitted and as she spoke she felt childish admitting to Steve how she felt.
She felt like she was being shallow and a bit vapid.
Now it was Steve who frowned though his frown was a small one. "Nancy Harrington, I'm always going to think you're beautiful," he said and he sounded so sure of his words.
He sounded so sure that Nancy felt like she could believe him. Felt like he probably wouldn't run for the hills once he did see her naked again.
"Even when you see my stretch marks?" Nancy asked as she raised an eyebrow again.
"Even when I see your stretch marks," Steve nodded as his frown turned into a smile. "I'm going to love you, stretch marks and all Nancy."
Laughing finally, Nancy sighed as she leaned in to kiss Steve on the lips softly. She felt reassured knowing he was always going to think she was beautiful and that he'd love her, stretch marks and all.