Married at First Sight's Tristan Thompson admitted he is "in love" with his wife Mia Bally, as all three couples worked on their communication skills during Tuesday night's Season 7 broadcast on Lifetime.
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The three Dallas-based couples who tied the knot at first sight this season were Tristan, a 29-year-old former collegiate and semi-pro basketball player who recently started a tutoring center business, and Mia, a 29-year-old airline recruiter; Amber Martorana, a 36-year-old division order analyst, and Dave Flaherty, a 37-year-old senior portfolio manager; and Bobby Dodd, a 27-year-old project manager, and Danielle Bergman, a 30-year-old account executive.
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They were matched by the following Married at First Sight experts: Psychologist Dr. Jessica Griffin, sociologist Dr. Pepper Schwartz, and marriage counselor Pastor Calvin Roberson.
The Married at First Sight broadcast began on Day 36 of marriage, with Amber and Dave going to the gym together for the first time. It's ironic because they both belonged to the same gym before tying the knot at first sight.
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It was a great experience, but Amber found herself bothered by a conversation that took place between Dave and one of her tall, brunette friends after their Dance Jam class. Amber still worried in the back of her mind that Dave wanted a different partner physically, even though she knew such a mindset was illogical.
Meanwhile, Bobby and Danielle spent some time with Bobby's family for his mother's birthday. She found his relatives, "open, fun and close-knit," and Danielle loved feeling accepted into the group.
The couple was very happy, but Bobby was still feeling down about the fact he had told Danielle, "I love you," and she didn't say it back.
"It would be hard to go into Decision Day not knowing what your spouse is going to do. That would be stressful," Bobby said in a confessional.
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As for Tristan and Mia, they met with Dr. Jessica, but they were in a really good place. Mia said it felt nice to chat with one of the experts when her marriage was "not in crisis mode."
Mia and Tristan just wanted to learn how they could better their communication. Tristan learned it's important not to say, "I'm done," when they fight because it allows Mia to think he's given up, and Mia realized she needs to speak up more during arguments and express herself better.
Mia had trouble feeling "present" with Tristan in such situations, and she came to the conclusion she should not shut down if upset.
Tristan felt guilty about raising his voice to Mia because she had a difficult childhood in which her mother would yell at her for doing something wrong. Tristan cried because he was triggering pain in Mia's heart, and he just hoped neither of them would be angry or resentful towards her parents going forward.
Tristan and Mia broke barriers that day, and they both agreed the counseling session had brought them closer together. Tristan was grateful for such "self-reflection."
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On Day 38 of marriage, Dr. Jessica visited with Bobby and Danielle. Danielle grew up without much affection in her household, but she thought she communicated well with her husband.
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Dr. Jessica, however, pointed out that Danielle did not express herself when Bobby opened up to her and became extremely vulnerable. Dr. Jessica wondered whether the couple was afraid to argue and avoiding conflict as to maintain this perfect image of their marriage.
Danielle insisted Bobby mattered to her and she needed to work on verbalizing her emotions and feelings. Dr. Jessica asked Danielle to write down her feelings and then read the note out loud to Bobby, and she thought it was a great idea.
Dr. Jessica then visited with Dave and Amber, and it took Dave no time at all to disclose how Amber had been upset and jealous over his chat with her pal, Ashley. Dr. Jessica seemed very surprised Amber was still sensitive about something as small as hair color.
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"I do see how sometimes I can jump to conclusions," Amber admitting, adding that she often heard what she wanted from Dave in order to build upon her insecurities.
Amber needed to feel safe in the marriage; however, and so Dave acknowledged there were many areas he could improve on as well.
That night, Tristan and Mia curled into bed together and just talked. They had a major breakthrough with each other and were acting very vulnerable. She got married to find a partner who could love her "unconditionally," and she said she had "found that with Tristan."
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Tristan wanted to build up his wife and leave a legacy behind with her. He was looking forward to "a bright and productive future" with Mia.
On Day 39 of marriage, Danielle met with Bobby's mother and sister for a girls' lunch. Danielle disclosed she's not ready for children yet and would like to work when she does welcome kids with Bobby.
Danielle was worried the women in Bobby's life might not appreciate her viewpoint given both of them are stay-at-home wives. After all, Bobby comes from traditional southern values.
Bobby's mother and sister pushed Danielle a little bit to stay at home because they are so happy with how their families turned out, but she wasn't sure how she'd want to handle the situation.
Meanwhile, Dave and Amber practiced working together as a team through an obstacle course. Dave was blindfolded and had to rely on Amber's verbal commands and instruction. It put their skills to the test.
Amber felt she did a great job guiding her husband, but the course proved to be a challenge for Dave, who was scared and frustrated. Dave had trouble trusting and listening to Amber.
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Dave said Amber's instructions lacked specificity and detail, but he slowly became more confident in her leadership. The exercise ultimately gave both individuals more hope in their marriage, and they felt more connected.
"I think we've gotten to a better place and I'm much more optimistic about our future," Dave told the cameras.
Danielle then traveled to Houston, TX, for a work trip. She was nervous to leave because a thunderstorm was coming and one of her dogs "freaks out" during such weather.
Bobby told Danielle that he was really going to miss her, but Danielle said very little. He wondered whether Danielle reciprocated the feelings he had for his wife.
Danielle then excused herself from the conversation and wrote Bobby a letter, because she had trouble verbalizing her feelings.
On Day 41 of marriage, Amber and Dave put together some of their furniture to, once again, work on their team dynamic and communication.
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To relieve some of their stress, Dave and Amber took a shot of alcohol -- and they ultimately decided to hire someone else to build a dresser. They bonded over how much they actually hated building stuff.
Tristan and Mia were then shown going out for a nice dinner. The couple decided to move to Houston, but he wanted to check-in with her to see how she was feeling about the big changes ahead.
Mia said she'd love to become closer to Tristan's family, and she wanted to support him in his career. Tristan expected their "blow-ups" to come less and less in the future given they continued to get to know each other.
"Six weeks ago, my wife and I were complete strangers. Getting married and finding love in the beginning was just an idea, but now that I am in love with my wife, it is more than an idea, it's reality. She is my queen and we are moving to Houston. I am excited!" Tristan gushed to the cameras.
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