(RealSimple.com) -- For this constantly bickering couple, talking about divorce forced them to re-evaluate and revamp their differing communication styles. Akilah and Kris Richards Lawrenceville, Georgia Married eight years When Akilah and Kris became friends in the 10th grade, she was the extroverted captain of the cheerleading squad and the student-government vice president. He was a precocious student (he had skipped a grade) and a serious artist who preferred drawing to, well, people. Still, they clicked. "I liked that Kris was really laid-back," says Akilah, 33, "and he appreciated my big personality." RealSimple.com: What is your body language saying?
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Akilah and Kris bickered over everything shortly after they married in 2002
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When faced with a problem, Akilah preferred to talk; Kris would try to drop the subject
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While rehearsing divorce talks for daughters, couple explored relationship
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Learning to understand each others' feelings saved their union
She and @placeholder, 32, lost touch after graduation but reconnected through an old pal four years later.