I’ve been married to this guy for almost 26 years and I trust him implicitly. He’s quite literally my favorite person on earth (children not included).
So, why, when my book is done and ready to go to the world, do I still feel terror when he picks it up? Well, maybe that’s obvious. His opinion means the most. But I also know he would tell me he loved it even if it were god-awful. Because he loves me. Nonetheless, whenever he is reading, I circle him like a vulture, awaiting any little sound or expression that might give me a clue about what he’s thinking.
It was that way with my very first (never to be published) novel and I suspect it will be that way to the last.