Sims can't reach soulmate status

My Sims can't reach soulmate status despite having maxed out friendship and romance bar. They are married and even have a kid. I didn't even realize they were stuck at "Lovers" until I realized one of the Sims that has the Soulmate Aspiration wasn't getting their milestones up.

My game is ruined and I can't even play anymore. I have tried cheats, I have tried resetting the Sims, I've tried everything. I've looked online to see more advice. But this has been going on for a decade and no one has gotten it resolved. So, this is a bug, probably a rare on, seeing as to how old it is, but still hasn't been fixed. 

I probably won't play the Sims again for years, since this was a gut wrenching blow. These 2 sims have gone through so much together and I don't want to start over. I want to start the next chapter in their lives. I can't even just make a new and pick up where they left off, because they have extended family because this particular save file is generational. 

But this bug should still be fixed so no one else has to deal with this. And maybe one day I can play the sims again, but I can't even look at the EA app without my gut wrenching. I'm truly devastated the first time I actually try family play, my game was ruined and I'll probably have to start over.  

And no, I don't have mods