How we met: ‘He arrived at my door to buy a sofa – there was definitely chemistry’

When Robyn decided to spring-clean her home in 2019, she was hoping for a fresh start after her divorce. “I was living in Melbourne with my two children and working as an urban designer for the government,” she says. As part of the clear out, she put two sofas for sale on eBay.

Chris spotted the advert and immediately got in touch. “They were by the same designer as the bed I’d bought and matched perfectly,” he says. “Robyn’s description was intriguing, too. She’d added information about her life, and her dogs and kids enjoying the couches.” At the time Chris was working as a photographer, living in Melbourne with his son.

They agreed a price and a time for Chris to come and collect one of the sofas. “Two guys my age arrived at my front door in their exercise gear,” says Robyn. “I was chatting a million miles an hour.” She managed to convince Chris to buy the other sofa in the set, and the pair exchanged numbers under the premise of arranging the payment. “There was definitely some chemistry there,” she says. Chris admits he was “captivated” by Robyn. “It was a real pleasure to meet someone so stylish with a good sense of humour.”

As soon as they left, Robyn’s daughter asked what was going on. “I said: ‘I think one of them might ask me out.’” Three days later, Chris invited her for a coffee. “We met at 3pm and didn’t leave until 9pm, after dinner,” she says. Chris admits they “even dressed the same” for the date, in blue jeans and striped shirts.

Robyn knew she wanted to see him again. “For me it was all very new and overwhelming, but also really exciting,” she says. “Because I’d not long been divorced, my parents were still coming down from Queensland a lot. I remember having to borrow their car to go on dates a few times. My mum was home, asking me how it all went. It felt like a teenage flashback.”

Describing the early days as a “rollercoaster” of emotions, Robyn says they became a serious couple quickly. “In January 2020 we went to Queensland with our families to hang out together.” A few months later they were temporarily separated by lockdown, but went for another family trip in June. “Everyone gelled really well,” says Robyn. “We spent five weeks by the beach, home schooling the kids and swimming every morning.”

Chris also proposed during the trip, although the repeated lockdowns stopped them having a wedding. “My parents also got really sick during the pandemic,” says Robyn. “My mum had cancer and my dad had a hip replacement and fluid on the brain. All our plans were shelved while my parents went through periods of really bad health. Chris was really supportive during that time. He has lots of empathy.”

They moved in together, at Robyn’s house, in February 2022, with all three children and the sofas that she had sold to Chris back in 2019, which are still going strong. The couple have also bought a home near the beach in New South Wales, where they would like to move in future. “Brady Bunch-ing families is never easy and we have taken that challenge on,” Chris says. “It’s very rewarding and it’s been a lovely experience.”

Robyn believes that communication and compromise are key to a happy, blended family. “There’s a deep level of commitment between us and knowing we want the same things,” she says. “I love how many similarities Chris and I have. It’s soothing and calming to know that we can grow old together.”

Chris acknowledges that it can be harder to meet people in your late 40s, but says he and Robyn share the same vision. “I love her energy and she’s very vibrant. She’s also very capable and has a strong mind. I’m very lucky to have a second chance in life at love.”