Lockdown has been a test for many relationships. From the new couples who were forced to take a leap of faith in isolating together, to the longterm pairs who had concerns about being trapped together 24/7 in the home.
Sadly, for some couples, the intensity of quarantine has spelled disaster for their relationships - but the opposite can be said for Abbea Smith and Zachary Allen form Devon, who say their relationship has completely reformed (for the better) since lockdown.
Advert
Abbea, 24, says she would regularly row with her boyfriend in the eight months they lived together, even packing her bags and going to stay overnight with her mum.
The mum-of-one feared lockdown would prove a 'nightmare' and 22-year-old Zachary's love of gaming would 'do her head in'.
However, the full time mum says she's been shocked to find that lockdown has fixed their relationship.
Advert
Abbea credits this to spending more time together (something they used to struggle to do with Zachary's full time job and gaming hobby), compromising and exercising with one another.
"I would credit lockdown with making us a lot stronger. It's brought us together as a team. It has made us a lot more united," says Abbea, from Exmouth in Devon.
"I was thinking, 'oh my god, how is this going to work?' But no, we've done really well.
Advert
"We have had really bad arguments where it's not been great. You look back at the argument now and think the argument wasn't worth it.
"It does make you think that when things go back to normal eventually you won't do it again as there's so much more to worry about.
"There was a point where I'd gone to stay at my mum's for one night and thought, 'stuff you'.
"Weirdly enough I can't go and stay anyway at the moment, but we haven't had a problem where I'd even want to."
She adds: "I can quite happily say we haven't had any bickering or arguing but we've learned how to have more patience and understanding with each other."
Advert
Abbea says the couple have bonded through building a routine together - and sticking to it.
"We've managed to build up a routine of sharing the housework. We go out and do our daily exercise together. We cook together," she says.
"We've learned a lot more about each other in the sense that we can open up about anything we were worried about and how we can sort it out together.
"Last night, for instance, instead of playing games to his heart's content, we ordered takeaway and he said to his friends, 'I'm going to come off now because I'm going to go and watch a film'.
Advert
"And that's what we did. Normally, it would be, 'I'm playing with my friends'. We've become more positive in the ways you'd want it to be positive. It's changed in the right way."
Abbea has even made attempts to understand Zachary's hobbies, including his love of gaming, even getting into Animal Crossing herself.
"Before, I used to think, 'oh those frigging games do my head in'," as he admitted.
"Then because we've had so much time around each other I can understand why he likes to do what he likes to do.
"He has that hobby and he will come home and he'll want to play games with his friends because that's what they're all doing.
"I would just think, 'great, I've got nothing to do'. I used to look and think, 'what's the fascination in that? What do you want to do that for?'
"But we've actually bought games we can play together. He wants to game, which is fine."
She adds: "I can appreciate that a bit more and I'm also trying new things as well."
Featured Image Credit: KennedyTopics: Life News, Sex and Relationships, Life, Coronavirus