Dear Coleen

I’VE recently got back together with my ex after two years apart and I don’t know how to tell my parents. We spent five years living together after meeting when I was 18. I’m 24 now and living back at home while I save for a house.

My ex and I both got into debt, which my parents helped me pay off when I moved home. He was very immature, jobless and rubbish with money, which I tried to help with but I got into debt myself.

Other things happened and I had a miscarriage, which all added to my stress. In the end, I left him as I became ill with depression and anxiety and needed to sort myself out – not because I didn’t love him.

My parents were always telling me to come back home and they ended up hating him. We were both young and silly but my parents never saw the kind and loving side of him, believing he’s a lowlife and was the cause of my illness.

They don’t know about the miscarriage or other things that contributed. I can’t even say his name without causing tension, so this news will break their hearts.

We’ve both grown up and he’s turned his life around – he has a good job and has had a promotion, he saved enough to have driving lessons and buy a car and is steadily saving for a house, too. He has apologised to me for everything and regrets not being there when I needed him. He’s committed to me and has said he will even apologise to my parents.

How do I bring this up? I’m an adult but I also don’t want to upset them.