I looked different in my cropped sweatshirts that I loved to wear. So I quit wearing them. Until Max noticed. When I admitted to him that I felt embarrassed of my body now, he held me in front of the mirror and traced each line with his finger before reverently whispering, “Each one of these lines is a sign of your incredible strength, Cassandra. They kept you healthy and strong so you could become a mother and give us all the gift of Ethan. These lines are our family. Please, be as proud of them as we are of you.” I cried and let him hold me that night and remind me that he loved my body in
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