This conversation between exes Jake and Melanie is at times painful to witness, but the emotional wisdom they realized from their breakup is also deeply heartening. They reflect on meeting at a young age and their years of dating through high school, as well as their upsetting—even devastating—split and the way they've both processed not only their reactions to each other's behavior, but also the climate created amongst their friends. This is Melanie and Jake’s perspective on growth and the valuable lessons they both learned about letting go.

Content Warning: this episode does contain some "adult language" that may not be appropriate for kids, so please be advised.

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♡ Us Illuminated is produced by THE SKIN DEEP, an interactive design studio exploring human connection in the digital age. Creators of the Emmy-winning documentary {THE AND}.