ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴘᴇᴅʀᴏ

ʀᴇᴀꜱꜱᴜʀᴀɴᴄᴇ - ꜰʀᴀɴᴋɪᴇ ᴍᴏʀᴀʟᴇꜱ

My hand runs through my hair with a sigh of relief as I lock my front door, my shoulders relaxing as silence blankets the room. Goosebumps trickle up my legs and arms as my cold feet make contact with the cold floor, heading back to my room to get some sleep. After almost three months of sleepless nights and sore breasts, I've finally gotten a break from my beautiful baby girl.

My mother has come to finally pick up her granddaughter, giving her daughter a much-needed break. I yawn loudly as I walk into my dimly lit bedroom, the blanketed, messy calls my name. Just as I go to jump into it and catch some much-needed sleep, my reflection in the mirror catches my peripherals.

I turn to the mirror staring at my reflection with a frown. My hair is a mess and I look exhausted yet that's not what bothers me the most. My once clear skin is now littered with pimples and bumps, the postpartum acne hitting me really hard. My hands press against my stomach, the excess weight from my pregnancy still lingering.

I squeeze the fat with a grimace, my eyes stinging with tears as I stare at my reflection. Without even realizing it, I start to sob heavily. Borderline disgusted with the way my body looks. I grab the end of my shirt, pulling it up to stare at my stretch mark-covered belly. This only makes me cry harder.

The sound of the door unlocking and opening is barely background noise as I buckle to my knees, wanting nothing more than to stop looking at my reflection but I can't seem to pull my eyes away. "Cariña?" (Honey) His voice echoes with concern as I hear him drop his everything he'd been holding and run into the bedroom. "Baby, what happened? What's wrong?" Within seconds he's on his knees next to me, pulling me close to him as he tries to figure out what's wrong. "She'll only be gone for the weekend,"

"It's not about Lia," I choke out as my hands shake, grabbing onto the arm that he has wrapped around me. "I mean yes I miss her but it's not that,"

"What is it then baby? Talk with me amor," His voice is soft as he brushes the hair out of my face, rocking me back and forth gently.

"I didn't notice how bad I look right now. I'd been so busy worrying about the baby that I didn't even realize how much I'd let myself go," Hot tears run down my cheeks, collecting at the bottom of my chin before falling onto Frankie's arms and my t-shirt.

"Cielito what are you talking about?"

"Frankie look at me!" I don't mean to yell as I stare at him through the reflection of the mirror, his eyes relaying sadness as they stare into mine.

"Baby, I am looking at you. You know what I see?" His voice is soft as he speaks close to my ear. My crying has died down ever so slightly, as I focus on his voice and the feeling of his heartbeat against my back.

"What?" I question softly.

"I see my beautiful wife. The woman I fell in love with," He whispers, kissing my head as he interlaces his fingers with mine, holding my hand gently. "I see the mother of my daughter. The strongest woman I know. I see the woman who went through 12 hours of labor and never gave up. I see the hard-working woman who served her country bravely, putting her life on the line for the lives of others. I see the gorgeous and kind woman who had my entire heart with just a smile,"

His words make my heart flutter and a small smile etch onto my lips. "I see the smile of the woman I love. The eyes of the woman who decided that she loved me. I smile at the sight of the body of my wife, the body that carried our beautiful little girl. The body that no matter what happens to it, I'll always love and cherish and pleasure," I turn in his embrace before he can continue, straddling his lap ever so slightly.

I press my lips gently to his, the kiss filled with gratitude and love as I wrap my arms around his neck. His arms snake around my body, pulling me close as he smiles into the kiss. "What did I do to deserve you, Frankie Morales," I whisper against his lips, my forehead pressed against his.