Photograph: Supplied image
Growing up in the south-west London suburb of Twickenham, Clare hung out with her friends whenever she could. In May 2001, they were doing their usual “teenage roaming” when they met a group of boys on Richmond Bridge. “We ended up talking to them before sharing some illicit beers,” she says.
She was introduced to Flynn, and the two instantly 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 met up again a week later and, after swapping phone numbers, Flynn asked Clare out.
But like many teen 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 bit awkward so I just avoided him.” Flynn left her a message to tell her they were breaking up two weeks later. “I got dumped by voicemail but I was secretly a bit relieved,” she says.
Six months on, Clare saw Flynn on the bus. “He used to have hair down to his shoulders but he’d shaved it off. I screamed in shock when I saw him,” she says. That broke the ice and they started chatting again.
Over the years they developed a close friendship, staying in contact when they went to different universities. “We’d often meet in the pub and find ourselves chatting about everything from history to politics and other nerdy things,” says Clare. After finishing their studies, they both moved back to London and began dating other people. Flynn built a career as a lawyer, while Clare went into marketing.
In 2015, they both found themselves single again. They decided to look for a place to live together near Brixton, along with some other friends. But one night at the pub, Clare noticed a shift in the way she saw Flynn. “He turned up from work in his suit. He took off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves and I noticed his forearms,” she remembers. “Something in my mind went ‘click’ and I suddenly saw him in a different light. It was the weirdest feeling.”
Over the next few weeks, they began messaging each other more frequently. “I’d always enjoyed hanging out with Clare but I’d been in a relationship for a long time, so it took me a while to realise how much I liked her,” says Flynn. Although they never openly acknowledged the shift in their relationship, they eventually kissed after a night out, and began to date in secret. “We were part of the same friendship group and didn’t want everyone to know straight away,” says Clare. “Not long after, we found a shared flat with one of our friends, so we had to tell her. I think a lot of people in our group already knew, though.” Although some were a bit surprised, everyone was supportive.
A year later, they bought a flat together and, in 2020, after getting engaged on the bridge where they first met, the couple married in Strawberry Hill. Just three weeks later, lockdown began and Clare lost her job. “I soon realised I was pregnant, so we decided to move back towards Twickenham to be closer to 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 is terrifyingly clever but never makes you feel stupid. It’s so nice to be with a friend; it’s the most stable and strong foundation to work from.”
Flynn says he’s never happier than when in his partner’s company. “Clare makes me think about things in different and interesting ways and she’s my favourite person to talk to.”
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