How we met: 'He rolled up his sleeves, I saw his forearms - and something in my head clicked'

Growing up in Twickenham, a south-west suburb of London, Clare spent time with her friends whenever she could. In May 2001, they were on their usual "teenage wanderlust" when they encountered a group of boys on the Richmond Bridge. "We ended up talking to them before sharing illicit beers," she says.

She was introduced to Flynn, and the two immediately clicked. "I thought she was a bit sarcastic and intimidating, but I really liked her," he says. Clare wrote in her diary that he was "really fit - but I also said all his friends were fit too," she laughs.

The two groups reunited a week later, and after exchanging phone numbers, Flynn asked Clare out.

But like many teenage romances, it was short-lived. "I wasn't really ready for a relationship, so I wasn't very nice to him," Clare admits. "I think we had a few phone calls but it was a little awkward so I just avoided it." Flynn left her a message telling her they were breaking up two weeks later. "I was dumped on voicemail but I was secretly a bit relieved," she says.

Six months later, Clare saw Flynn on the bus. “He used to have his hair down to his shoulders, but he shaved it off. I screamed in shock when I saw it,” she said. That broke the ice and they started chatting again.

Over the years, they developed a close friendship, keeping in touch when they went to different universities. “We would often meet in the pub and find ourselves discussing everything from history to politics and other cheesy things,” says Clare. After finishing school, they both moved back to London and started dating other people. Flynn built a career as a lawyer, while Clare went into marketing.

In 2015, they both found themselves single. They decided to look for a place to live together near Brixton, with other friends. But one night at the pub, Clare noticed a change in the way she viewed Flynn. “He came back from work in his suit. He took off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves and I noticed his forearms,” she recalled. “Something in my mind 'clicked' and I suddenly saw it in a different light. It was the strangest feeling.

Over the next few weeks, they began to message each other more frequently. "I've always loved spending time with Clare, but I had been in a relationship for a long time, so it took me a while to realize how much I loved her," Flynn explains. Although they never openly acknowledged the change in their relationship, they finally kissed after a night out and started dating in secret. "We were part of the same group of friends and we didn't want everyone to know it right away," Clare explains. “Shortly after, we found a roommate with a friend of ours, so we had to tell her. I think a lot of people in our group already knew that. Even if some were a little surprised, everyone was in solidarity.

A year later, they bought an apartment together and, in 2020, after getting engaged on the bridge where they first met, the couple married in Strawberry Hill. Just three weeks later, the lockdown began and Clare lost her job. "I soon realized I was pregnant so we decided to move back to Twickenham to be closer to the family," she says. "We found a place to live just two months before Rory arrived."

Clare describes her husband as "fun and playful", with an active interest in others. "He always makes people feel included," she says. “He's awfully smart but never makes you feel stupid. It's so nice to be with a friend; it is the most stable and solid base on which to work.

Flynn says he's never happier than when he's in the company of his partner. "Clare makes me think about things in different and interesting ways and she's my favorite person to talk to."

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