When Melania Trump appeared with her husband at Mar-A-Lago event on February 10, she appeared more affectionate with the former president than she had been while he was in office during his first term, and a relationship expert suggested to MSN that their son Barron Trump could be one of the reasons why.

During the event, Melania appeared comfortable with Donald putting his hand on her back and she initiated a hug between them, then lingered when he kissed her.

She had often seemed stiff and pulled away from any affection during appearances when Trump was president.

Relationship coach and body language expert Nicole Moore said that the couple appeared to be in second honeymoon mode, and she offered several theories about why.

Off to college

First, Barron Trump is a senior in high school and will soon be heading off to college, leaving the couple with an empty nest and a possible shift in priorities for Melania.

"[I]t's possible that Donald may be moving up to the top of her priorities list," Moore said.

Second, Melania may be more comfortable with the idea of being First Lady again since she's done it before and knows what to expect.

Like many of Trump's supporters, Melania has been nothing but supportive through the ordeal of Democrats trying to throw every criminal charge they can at him, on top of some huge civil cases, one of which just tried to fine him $355 million.

A recent loss

The final reason she may be different now is that she recently went through a huge loss when her mother, Amalija Knavs, died in January.

Trump appeared to be very supportive through the ordeal, and she may be grateful and feeling more connected to him right now.

"Major life events such as the death of a parent can definitely make one realize that it's time to prioritize the relationships that are still present in your life," Moore said. "Melania was very close to her mother, so it's possible that now that that loving connection is gone, she's more open to connecting with Donald in a loving manner."

Moore noted that Melania had not been very good at pretending to be affectionate to her husband in the past, so it's unlikely that her new affection is all an act.

New trouble?

There could be new stress in the relationship if Trump's legal problems get worse, such as if he gets convicted on any of the pending charges.

"[I]f Donald's legal problems continue to heat up and it causes stress in their dynamic, Melania's trademark stiffness and cool expressions may make an appearance again," Moore said.