You would never know how much Rasmus hates being in pictures if you saw him right now. Kneeling in front of me, he rests his forehead against my belly, smiling widely. The camera clicks, but I barely pay attention to it, lost in the intimacy of the moment.
“Jag älskar dig,” he murmurs so low only I can hear. Those are the words he keeps telling both me and our son daily.
I run my fingers through his hair. “I love you, too.”
Daisy snaps a few more shots. “Okay, are you ready for the surprise?”
Nodding, I follow her as she leads us to another section of the studio, where a table is set up with plaster casting materials. I slowly go over the setup, the realization dawning.
“A belly cast?”
Rasmus nods. “I saw a social media post about them and thought you would want to try it.”
Emotion wells in my chest, and my eyes water. “You were right. I love it.”
Daisy steps in. “I’ll guide you through the process, and Rasmus can help. It can be a bit messy, but worth it.”
“Let’s do it.”
With help from Rasmus, I get out of my dress, wearing only my underwear. He drapes a soft white robe around my shoulders before I even have the chance to shiver because of the cool air in the studio.He’s always taking care of me.
Daisy gives us a quick rundown of the process, explaining how she’ll apply petroleum jelly first, so the plaster doesn’t stick to my skin once it dries. Rasmus listens intently, nodding at every step like he’s about to take an exam on the topic. I’m filled with love thinking how this man keeps surprising me with his thoughtfulness.
“Can I jelly her up instead?” he asks shyly. “I’d love to be a part of every step.”
“Oh, of course. I normally do it myself, but I don’t see why not,” Daisy exclaims, handing him a big jar.
Rasmus’ calloused fingers are gentle as they smooth the cool material over my skin with deliberate strokes. The touch is more intimate than I expected, and I find myself paying attention to every move he makes. His brows knit together in concentration, and it makes me smile to myself.
“You’re taking this very seriously,” I tease.
He doesn’t look up. “I want to do it right, so it won’t hurt when we remove the cast.”
Once I’m ready for the next part, I’m guided to an exercise ball that keeps me in a sitting position. Daisy dips plaster strips into a bowl of lukewarm water, preparing them.
Handing one to Rasmus, he presses it against my belly. The material feels weird and damp at first, then it begins to harden. Rasmus carefully smooths the surface, ensuring it imitates the curves he loves.
They work together, layer by layer, until the cast takes its final shape. It covers my belly, breasts, and shoulders.
As the final pieces set, Rasmus leans to me, brushing a kiss to my forehead. “One day, we’ll show this to him.”
“He’ll think we’re ridiculous.”
That makes him smirk. “Maybe. He better get used to all things weird having us as his parents.”
Daisy grins as she checks the drying process. “This is coming out beautifully. Let’s wait a little longer, and we can carefully remove it.”
I glance down at the cast, the shape of my pregnant belly perfectly preserved in white material. It’s a physical reminder of this season of our lives. And damn if admiring all thatdoesn’t make my eyes water once again. These hormones are going to kill me.
“It’s beautiful,” I manage to get out.
“Perfect is the only word I would use to describe it,” Rasmus adds. “I can’t wait to have it ready.”
Daisy steps back, giving us space. “Once we remove this, I’ll let it dry for twenty-four hours. Then work on smoothing and sanding. It’ll be ready for the finishing touches by next week. You can confirm what type of finish you want by then.”
“I think we’ll go with a simple matte,” Rasmus says, and I agree with him.
“Let me send you links to the previous pieces if you see something else you prefer,” Daisy pulls out her phone, sending the reference images to us.
