How we met: We're like two pieces of a puzzle clicking together

Brandon and his boyfriend moved to London from Wales in April 2021, and with the city under lockdown he took a job in a Covid lab at Gatwick Airport, processing PCR tests for people who were travelling. In June the team was joined by Christine, a biology graduate who had transferred from the Heathrow testing lab; she was anxious about fitting in, but found Brandon instantly friendly and wanted to be his friend.

They clicked straight away, talking about everything and bonding over the stress of handling hundreds of samples as travel restrictions changed. Sometimes the lab ran 14-hour days, and the pair kept each other going — laughing, crying, screaming when needed, and sharing lunch every day at the Costa next door, excited about the bean and cheese toastie.

Brandon left the team in September 2021 to pursue a PhD in chemical engineering and chemistry, yet they stayed in touch and made an effort to keep plans despite busy lives.

United Kingdom, London

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