This is a story with multiple facets to it. In many ways it was a turning point for my marriage in both a conventional and non-conventional way.
It was the last wedding of the summer. The weather was still beautiful, and still comfortable for early fall. At this point, I had been a mother for more than year. We had survived the worst of the COVID pandemic, we were finally back out in the public realm after having hidden away for the better part of 18 months. The happiness was palpable. In so many ways I was finally feeling like myself again.
In addition to that, I was starting to physically feel like myself again after having my first child. My body felt more like mine, even though it was certainly different than prior to being pregnant. I became a peloton mom. I was curvier than I had been previously, my boobs were larger than they had been. For years I had been a perky 34C, now I was a 36 D pushing a DD, and I was simply softer than I was. But I was proud of myself, I was proud of my body, and I was feeling the sexiest I had felt for some time.
Leading up to the wedding, I was embracing this feeling of loving my new self. I got a beautiful red dress. It was designed for a formal event, cut long but also with a tantalizing deep V-neck line. It was spaghetti strapped but the cups of the dress provided a surprising level of support and shape despite not being suited for a bra.
I was committed to feeling my best. Before we went away for the weekend, I made an appointment for a full leg and brazilian waxing. I made an appointment for make up and a blow out the day of the wedding. By the time that I put on the dress in our hotel room -- away from my 1st child for maybe one of the first times in her entire life-- I felt like a great version of myself. The dress hugged and framed my curves. My make up was spot on. I felt sexy before I even got my first glance.
When my husband saw me I saw his jaw drop. He stepped behind me and wrapped his hands around my waist and pushed himself against me. He whispered in my ear how sexy I looked and I loved the affirmation.
As the night went on, I felt like I was being complimented and noticed in a way that I wasn't accustomed to-- particularly after a year of pandemic life and being pregnant. I felt people's eyes tracing my neckline, I noticed my husband being flirtier and touchier with me. I drank champagne, danced and loved the evening as we celebrated my friend-- but in someway it felt like we were celebrating so much more than that.
When we got back to the hotel, my husband continued to be touchier than normal-- at this stage of our marriage we had been together for almost 10 years. This is not to say that the spark was gone, but it was most certainly shining in a way that I wasn't used to. 30 minutes at the after party passed and my husband's patience hit its limit "I need you upstairs" he whispered in my ear, squeezing my hip.
As soon as we got to the elevator and the door closed, I was pushed into the corner and his lips were on mine. We were making out like a new couple. My arms wrapped around him, my body pushed against him as he started to whisper, "everybody at the wedding was checking you out."