A MUM who moved back in with her estranged husband during lockdown despite their “volatile” relationship for the sake of their son, has revealed how they have now reunited.
Emma James, 40 and husband Dean, from Bradford, West Yorkshire, parted ways in 2019 after their relationship disintegrated in the years since losing their first child.
Emma James and her husband Dean split in 2019 but reunited during lockdown for the sake of their son ColeCredit: Emma Shelton
In 2013, dad Dean was forced to choose between Emma and his unborn son, Isaac, when the mum developed sepsis at six months pregnant and doctors told them that the baby must be delivered or she would die.
Two years later Emma became pregnant with their son Cole but struggled to get past their earlier loss.
But lockdown forced the couple to put their differences aside, moving back in together for the sake of Cole and forcing them to communicate and resolve their trauma before eventually getting back together.
And now Dean and Emma feature on a special Channel 4 programme, The Year That Changed Love, which follows the extraordinary journeys of couples during the pandemic.
The couple split after they struggled to deal with the loss of their first child Isaac Credit: Emma Shelton
The couple first met back in 1999 as teenagers, but they didn’t get together until 2010 and three years later the couple married in Cyprus while three months pregnant.
And it was hearing their wedding song during lockdown that brought a rush of feelings back for Emma.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, she explains: “I think the reason we had such a volatile relationship was my inability to confront things.
The couple say that living together throughout lockdown finally helped them to cope with their griefCredit: Emma Shelton
“But, when we were in lockdown and our wedding song came on, I realised that I had to do everything I could to save my marriage.”
Living together throughout lockdown has finally brought the couple back together with Emma finally admitting the guilt she felt over losing their baby.
Meanwhile Dean says that both her and Emma finally learned to open up about their grief.
He added: “Grieving never leaves you. You’ve just got to learn to compartmentalise and say: “OK. I didn’t have this, I didn’t have that. But I had this. And now I’ve got this – as in my memories.” Isaac would want us to carry on and we have to.”
The Year that Changed Love airs on Channel 4 at 10pm on December 15.
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