FINDING LOVE AFTER WIFE’S DEATH
into my life again.
“Towards the end of our first meeting – which ended up lasting about 10 hours – I actually leaned in for a kiss and she gave me a bit of a telling off.”
Jenna added: “I liked him a lot. How can you not? He’s delicious. But in that moment I was shocked.”
The couple arranged a proper date and their relationship took off.
In February, they jetted to Iceland on their first mini-break. Jake posted a photo of Jenna on Instagram with the caption: “Who’s a lucky boy then?! Escaping again – this time for
a few days of R&R and a little bit of marathon training to the end of the world with his gorgeous little ragamuffin!”
Instantly, hurtful comments came flooding in, slamming Jake and calling Jenna “evil”, a “rebound”, “ugly” and “shameful”.
Jake said: “I didn’t expect to get such a negative backlash. I thought people would be happy to see me smiling with a gorgeous girl.
“But for every message that said something like, ‘I can’t believe you’ve done this’ there were 10 messages of support.” Jenna added: “Anyone saying anything nasty doesn’t understand I’m not just some bimbo Jake has picked up in a bar.
“We grew up in the same place, had a mutual friend, had lived abroad and been through a lot at a similar age. We were in our early thirties and starting all over again.
“Those people being negative don’t understand how deep our feelings are for one another and they don’t know how cautiously and respectfully we have approached this relationship.
“We had two choices after Iceland: either we shut ourselves off from the world or we held our heads up high.
“It’s not in my nature to be silenced. I’ve nothing to be ashamed of. I feel really empowered and content with the situation we’re in.
“We had every reason not to be together but we couldn’t not be together. It felt like the universe was pulling us together. “It could have broken us but we’re not seeking approval. And when we receive nice messages it makes it all worth it.”
Now the couple, who live in Hersham, Surrey, are planning children and a book about their lives.
Last month, they launched a website called 4.2 Lifestyle, that “celebrates the unconventional” rather than the traditional 2.4 family.
Jenna shares style, food and home entertainment ideas while drawing inspiration from her life with Jake, Charlie and Molly the dog. Jake said: “I will always, always want to raise money for the Royal Marsden because it’s a wonderful place but I don’t want to have to keep talking about my past.
“I think a lot of people want to see me sad for a long time.
“Jen and I celebrate our past as a couple, we light candles and do things to remember Emmy but I now don’t feel the need to put all of that on social media.
“I’ll always be proud of Emmy and our journey and nothing will ever take that away but life is so short and you have to look forward. It’s what Emmy would have wanted.”