Celebrity Celebrity Relationships Celebrity Engagements Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck Are 'Madly in Love' as They Plan for a Future Together: Source A source tells PEOPLE in this week's issue that Jennifer Lopez thinks she and Ben Affleck have "been given a second chance" at their relationship By Emily Strohm Emily Strohm Emily Strohm is a Senior Editor at PEOPLE. She has been at PEOPLE for 11 years and has written nearly 40 cover stories for the magazine. People Editorial Guidelines and Jen Juneau Jen Juneau Jen Juneau is a News and Movies Staff Writer at PEOPLE. She started at the brand in 2016 and has more than 15 years' professional writing experience. People Editorial Guidelines Published on July 21, 2021 08:00AM EDT Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are serious about their rekindled romance. A Hollywood insider tells PEOPLE in this week's issue that the pair "are madly in love" and "the loves of each other's lives." The couple originally began dating in July 2002 and got engaged that November before postponing their September 2003 wedding days before the date. They ultimately called off their engagement in January 2004. They were first spotted spending time together again in April. A source close to Lopez, 51, and Affleck, 48, says Affleck is "very happy" with Lopez, and that "she's wonderful for him." "They want to do everything they can to make this work," adds a Lopez source. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories. Jennifer Lopez Dodges Ben Affleck Question While Promoting Song with Lin-Manuel Miranda Sources also tell PEOPLE that Lopez's son Max and daughter Emme, 13, are "slowly getting to know" Affleck," and that "everything seems to be running smoothly" as she house hunts in Los Angeles. "Emme and Max are on board with starting fresh in L.A.," says the Lopez insider, adding that the twins will also continue to spend time in Miami with dad Marc Anthony. Of the connection between the Hustlers star and two-time Oscar winner, the Lopez source says: "Even though their split many years ago was devastating for Jennifer, she has never had a bad word to say about Ben." Listen below to our daily podcast PEOPLE Every Day for more on Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck. "She believes that it just wasn't meant to be then and feels like they've been given a second chance," they add. Elder Ordonez / SplashNews.com RELATED VIDEO: Jennifer Lopez Says "Stuff" Started "Falling Into Place" Once She Realized She Was "Good" on Her Own Following Affleck and Lopez's respective splits from Ana de Armas and Alex Rodriguez earlier this year, the two have spent as much time together as possible. A source recently told PEOPLE that "their relationship is very strong" as the two have been spotted hanging out together, including spending time with each other's children. (Affleck is dad to daughters Seraphina, 12, and Violet, 15, plus son Samuel, 9, with ex-wife Jennifer Garner.) Today co-host Hoda Kotb told Lopez Tuesday on the show that she noticed Lopez looks a lot happier in recent photos of her rekindled relationship. She then asked the singer to confirm or not, saying, "Are you happier?" before Lopez dodged the question like an expert. "You can call me. You have my number!" she joked to Kotb, 56. For more about Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday.