Married Twice to the Same Person: Joyce & Steve Bertin, When Love is Stronger Than Life

Joyce and Steve Bertin represent a rare and timeless love. As teenagers, they loved each other, separated, and then found their way back together. Married in 1995, separated, and reunited again in 2011, they demonstrate that some bonds can survive anything: time, pain, and challenges. A true modern fairy tale.

Their eyes first met in the hallways of Régis Chaperon College in Belle-Rose. Joyce had the shy smile of a dreaming teenager, while Steve had a mischievous yet sincere look. They were just friends, but something had awakened inside them.

"We didn’t talk much back then, but I remember her smile left a mark on me," Steve recalls with a smile. "I was a very serious girl, focused on my studies, but Steve had this little something... he could make me laugh," Joyce reminisces.

As months passed, a strong friendship blossomed between them. They shared school benches, confidences, and the little secrets of adolescence. But life, as it often does, sent them on different paths. Joyce continued her education at BPS College in Beau-Bassin, while Steve joined St Helena in Curepipe. They lost touch. For a time, each followed their own route, unaware that destiny had already drawn their common horizon.

The Chance Reunion

Years went by. Joyce, now an independent young woman, worked on Royal Street in Port-Louis at an insurance company, while Steve worked as a plumber in another business. One morning, their paths crossed again on Royal Street.

"It was a coincidence... or maybe it wasn't," Joyce smiles tenderly. "When I saw him again, it felt like a flash from the past. Everything came rushing back. He hadn’t changed. Still had that gentle gaze and energy that draws you in," Steve confides.

They exchanged a few words, then their numbers. Gradually, calls became more frequent, and messages warmer. A connection rekindled, more mature this time, more genuine. In the evenings, Joyce, who lived in Sodnac, started jogging to unwind. Coincidentally – or perhaps by destiny again – Steve took the same route.

"It was our moment. We crossed paths, laughed, talked about everything and nothing. And without even realizing it, we became inseparable," the couple recounts. Hearts aligned, feelings blossomed, and soon, their friendship turned into love.

In early 1995, Steve mustered his courage and proposed to Joyce: "Marry me. I can’t imagine my life without you." Joyce still remembers that moment: "I was overwhelmed with emotion. It was unexpected, but deep down, I knew he was the one. He was my first, and he would be my last."

On August 18, 1995, they said "yes" in front of their gathered families. A magical day etched in their memories. "It was a wedding full of joy, laughter, and dancing. The whole family was there. It was the most beautiful day of our lives," Steve shares, still moved. For Joyce too, that moment remains sacred. "When I saw Steve waiting for me at the altar, I knew it was for life. We were young, full of hope, in love like on the first day," she says.

Their Love Crowned by Parenthood

Two years later, life gifted them a precious blessing: Boris, their first son, now 27 years old. Then, two years later, in 1999, their daughter Anastasia was born, the light of their home. "When I held Boris in my arms, I understood what it meant to love unconditionally. When Anastasia was born, it felt like our family was complete. We were four, united, happy," Joyce recalls.

The memories of that time remain some of the most beautiful of their lives. Family Sundays, kids' laughter, shared meals, dreams to build—so many happy days that would soon become part of the past.

Indeed, the year 2000 marked a difficult turning point for the couple. Amid misunderstandings, routine, and disagreements, Joyce and Steve gradually drifted apart. "It wasn't about love, but misunderstandings. We loved each other, but we no longer spoke the same language," Steve explains. Joyce, her voice trembling, recalls that time with emotion: "Separating from Steve was like tearing a part of me away. But sometimes, you think it’s better to leave than to suffer."

They decided to separate, and Joyce raised their two children alone in Camp-Le-Vieux. "It was very hard, as I had to be both mother and father and provide emotional support, but I had to hold on for them," she recounts. Boris and Anastasia grew up, but the absence of their father weighed heavily, while Steve lived with the void left by lost love. He confesses: "I had lost everything. I worked, but I had no purpose. I thought about Joyce and my children every day."

The Return of Destiny

Ten years passed, ten years of silence and separate paths, but never forgotten. Each moved forward, carried by life, responsibilities, and unfulfilled dreams. Yet deep in their hearts remained an unbreakable bond, an invisible thread connecting two souls meant to love each other, despite time and distance. Then one day, echoing the past, Steve knocked on Joyce's door. "When I saw him, I was breathless. It was as if those ten years had never existed," Joyce recounts, her eyes shining. She adds: "I didn’t think. My heart already knew."

Steve, moved, remembers: "I was ready to do anything to win her back. I told her: 'Joyce, I love you to death. I can’t live without you,' and she said yes." On September 3, 2011, they remarried, before God, family, and life itself. "It was a very strong moment. Some were skeptical, others happy, but for us, it was obvious," he says.

Joyce confirms this: "Many thought we were making a mistake. But when God writes a story, no one can tear it apart. We were meant to live together."

Loving Each Other, Despite Everything

Their second life together began under the sign of renewed complicity. The years softened their characters and matured their love. They rediscovered the simple joy of sharing daily life: evening meals, walks, laughter, childhood memories. "We no longer seek perfection, just peace. True love is this," the couple confides.

However, destiny would test them once more. Ten years after their remarriage, Joyce received terrible news: breast cancer. "Everything collapsed. But Steve was there, every day, every minute," she indicates. With courage, she fought and recovered, but another bad news followed: Joyce was suffering from bone cancer. "I was scared, of course, but when I see Steve, I tell myself I can still fight. He is my strength," she says.

Steve, his voice tight, confides: "When you truly love someone, you don’t let them down. I am here, I will always be here."

Today, at 57, Joyce and Steve live their love with the same intensity as on the first day. Steve still works as a plumber, and Joyce, despite her illness, maintains her energy and faith. "Many say it’s rare to see a couple like us. I simply believe it’s destined love," Joyce says serenely.

She believes in great love, the one that withstands everything: "If you love someone, don’t let pride, anger, or others destroy your bond. Think before divorcing. Love is a battle, not an escape." Steve, for his part, states frankly: "Joyce is my soulmate. My other half. My reason for being. I want nothing more than to see her smile each morning."

Their happiness is drawn from simple things: a shared coffee, a song, a glance. They no longer listen to criticism or comments. "People will always talk. We live. We love, and that’s all that matters," Joyce says, with her eternal smile.

When you see them together, you understand. Their hands constantly seek each other, their gazes meet with tenderness. Between them, there’s no need for words; silence is enough. Their story, marked by separations and reunions, pain and light, proves that true love never dies. It can slumber, weaken, falter, but it always revives when two souls are meant to love each other.

Love Until the End

"You don’t choose your soulmate. They choose you and always come back, no matter what," Steve says. "Love is the only thing life cannot take from us," adds Joyce.

Every day, Steve watches over Joyce. He supports her, cares for her, protects her. "He is my pillar, my guardian angel. Without him, I wouldn’t hold on," she whispers. Their home breathes tenderness and gratitude. On the walls hang family photos, laughter frozen in time. Boris and Anastasia, now adults, look at their parents with admiration. "They taught us that true love is not counted in years but in loyalty of the heart," they say.

Joyce, with a sigh, concludes: "If I had to relive everything, I would do it all over again, even the hardest moments. Because at the end of the road, there’s always Steve, and he is my greatest miracle."

In unison, the couple affirms: "Our love is a battle, a prayer, a promise. As long as we have the strength to look at each other, we will be invincible."