Chapter 1 - I do

It began on their honeymoon. Of that, Willow was absolutely certain. It had been a small wedding, up in New England, with all of Dan's family having to make the long journey from Texas. Willow didn't feel guilty about that, considering she was uprooting her whole life and moving down to Texas as soon as they got back. Having met and fallen in love in college, their enduring love over the last two years of long-distance had made them both absolutely certain that they had found the person they were meant to be with.

Two whole weeks away was more than a little lavish. They'd travelled to Mexico, hoping to do some sight-seeing and nightlife. As it was, they hadn't even left the hotel complex. After so long away from each other, the whole time was completely sexually charged: a dip in the pool, longing glances, then back to the room to strip off and make love. They'd paid for it all in advance: the drinks, the food, the spa treatments. Dan was taking advantage of it all, ordering himself a pizza at three in the morning after yet more horny fun in the middle of the night. Ice cream sundaes, beers, hamburgers, the man wasn't holding back, glad of the calories to replenish his energy levels so that he could worship his new wife again and again. What a sexy thought that was! Yet, by the end of the vacation, it was obvious that Dan had gained a few pounds; just on his stomach and nowhere else.

It hadn't been immediate, Willow remembers, thinking back to the first signs of Dan's small paunch. She hadn't wanted to kiss, rub and jiggle those first few pounds. Not back then. Dan hadn't even seemed to notice it. However, Willow just thought her husband looked cute with the added thickness; a symbol of the amazing, luxurious time they'd had on their honeymoon. When they'd returned no one seemed to pay much attention to it either; the slight clinging of Dan's t-shirts around his middle, especially in the sticky Texan heat that Willow was finding difficult to get used to.

Despite the DIY setbacks, it had been a joy to get their new home together. Their first house wasn't anything special, small, poky and not ideally located. But it had been home, after the many, many months they had invested in ripping everything out and slowly putting it all back together. Contrary to what Willow had expected, the few pounds Dan had gained didn't melt away as they toiled. Nor were they especially challenged by Dan's gym membership, which became less and less utilised.

Indeed, a few months after moving in, and now thoroughly settled there, the next stage of it all began.