News : Jennifer Lopez Calls Rekindled Romance With Ben Affleck ‘a Beautiful Love Story’: ‘I Feel So Lucky’

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck‘s relationship is thriving, and the singer is letting everyone know it. In her People cover story published Tuesday (Feb. 1), Lopez opened up about how things have been going between her and the actor, and told the magazine about their rekindled their relationship.

“I feel so lucky and happy and proud to be with him,” the 52-year-old said. “It’s a beautiful love story that we got a second chance.”

The two-time Grammy nominee admitted that she and Affleck “had a little bit of fear” before dating again due to how much attention their relationship received when they initially dated from 2002 to 2004. “Before we kind of put [our relationship] out there and we were naïve and it got a little trampled,” Lopez admitted.

Since getting back together, Lopez explained that being more private has greatly benefited her relationship with the two-time Oscar winner. “We both were like, ‘Wow, we’re so happy and we don’t want any of that to come into play again,'” she explained. “We’re older now, we’re smarter, we have more experience, we’re at different places in our lives, we have kids now, and we have to be very conscious of those things. We’re so protective because it is such a beautiful time for all of us.”

Speaking on giving their romance another shot, the Marry Me star also explained that her and Affleck’s rekindled relationship is different than before. “It’s beautiful the way it feels very different than it was years ago. There’s more of an appreciation and a celebration for it, which is nice,” she said. “When you find somebody and you really, really love them and you get a second chance at that? That is a really rare, precious, beautiful thing and we don’t take it for granted.”

“I’m so proud of the man he’s become that I’ve watched from afar. Being honest with each other, being loving, that’s just the basis of everything,” Lopez gushed. “I feel like he’s at a place in his life where — just like how I feel about myself — it’s been a journey of learning yourself and figuring yourself out, getting to a place where you feel really good on your own and who you are so you can be in a happy, healthy relationship.”