Good Weekend's Two of Us: the best of 2019

When a tumour claimed Jarrah's remaining eye, Mathilde became his sight at school.

Mathilde Cross has been Jarrah Podesta’s eyes at school since he lost his sight in 2018. Friends for three years, the 11-year-olds share a love of Harry Potter, history and hidden passageways. By Melissa Fyfe

"We’ve got a special room, just for the two of us, behind the Prime Minister’s office," says Anna.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

The pair who have cleaned every prime minister's office since Bob Hawke

Angolan-born Luzia Borges (left), 61, and Croatian-born Anna Jancevski, 70, have worked together at Parliament House in Canberra for 30 years. By Jane Cadzow

"We started chatting, but the conversation wasn’t great … I didn’t really dazzle her with my mighty intellect."Credit: Louise Kennerley

Queue love: a smile, a note and a little frisson goes a long way

Five years ago, high school teacher Richard Wheeldon, 41, exchanged a smile with designer Haline Ly, 38, in a supermarket queue. He slipped her a note; they met up that night. They are now married and have two children. By Jane Albert

Duncan: "We never knew how long Rob would live. We’d talk about death, and he must have been scared, but he never let on."Credit: Janie Barrett

'People gravitate towards Rob, he teaches you what’s important in life'

Carpenter Rob Dettmann (left), 49, is one of Australia’s oldest living survivors of cystic fibrosis. He has been a firm friend and inspiration to commercial pilot Duncan Overton, 49, since they met in high school. By Tim Elliott

Peter and Julette Alexander.Credit: Jason South

How pyjama king Peter Alexander and his mum built an empire from their kitchen table

Pyjama king Peter Alexander, 55, gave his mother, Julette, 81, her first paid job when she was 50, and together they built a thriving company from their kitchen table. She has been his lifelong champion and protector. By Susan Horsburgh

"I remember the guilt I felt at having upset and disrupted my family's life, causing the people I loved enormous grief." says Scott, pictured with her husband Mark Scott. Credit: Joshua Morris

Mark and Briony Scott: on a learning curve - just don’t mention NAPLAN

Mark Scott, 56, is the NSW Department of Education secretary and former ABC boss. Briony Scott, 55, his wife, is the principal of Wenona private school for girls. They've grown up together after meeting at university. By Jordan Baker

Dot Sullivan: "Tim was good at the cryptics, but I beat him on the old words, the terms that are not used these days."Credit: Louie Douvis

'Dot was drinking a beer and doing a crossword. I thought, there’s a woman after my own heart!'

Registered nurse Tim Castley, 54, met war widow and former switchboard operator Dot Sullivan, 101, eight years ago. They bonded over a love of crosswords, getting together every Monday evening to decode that day’s puzzle. By Tim Elliott

Anna Schwartz: 'If I could change one thing about our friendship, it would be to give us another 50 years.'Credit: Janie Barrett

Two of us with Wendy Whiteley and Anna Schwartz: 'She’s basically an anarchist and so am I'

Sydney-based gardener Wendy Whiteley (left), 78, and Melbourne gallery owner Anna Schwartz, 68, have been friends for 50 years. And while stylish and glamorous, they are most comfortable around each other in their jammies. By Nicole Abadee

Lou: "We’ve felt like equal partners from early on – once I set him straight. If I hadn’t pushed him, we’d be in a 1952 relationship."Credit: Joe Armao

Captain’s Choice's Lou and Rob Tandy: 'We’ve felt like equal partners from early on'

Lou and Rob Tandy, the 41-year-old co-owners of luxury tour company Captain’s Choice, share three children and a love of daggy dancing. Via feminist books and a bit of argy-bargy, the Melbourne couple has forged an equal partnership. By Susan Horsburgh

Connie Severino wishes she and Karen Carey (right) had met 20 years ago, so they could have been friends for years and years.Credit: Dominic Lorrimer

Strangers Karen and Connie were told their time was nearly up. Then a donor gave them both a second chance

In 2017, Karen Carey, 57, then in end-stage heart failure, and cystic fibrosis sufferer Connie Severino, 42, were told their time was almost up. Then a heart was found for Karen, and lungs for Connie – from the same donor. By Amanda Hooton

Sue: "Steve is the only one who can jolly well do the job and he has protected our children from real harm."Credit: Simon Schluter

When a retiree and a school principal met, it changed lives young and old

Bored in early retirement, Steve Botond, 70, got a new lease of life when he took up a job as a “lollipop man” at Melbourne’s St Kilda Primary. For school principal Sue Higgins, 58, Steve’s warmth and zeal have been a godsend.  By Dani Valent

"I proposed on her birthday. When she said yes, we both started crying," says chef Kylie Kwong.Credit: Louie Douvis

Two of Us: 'To be in Kylie's orbit is like being in a tsunami of love'

Chef Kylie Kwong, 50, has run Sydney restaurant Billy Kwong for two decades, and plans to open a new eatery later this year. Buddhist faith helped Kwong and her wife, the artist known as Nell, 44, endure the loss of their baby. By Nicole Abadee

Summer DeRoche and Christian White.Credit: Simon Schluter

Christian and Summer met while editing porn. Then his debut novel upended their marriage

Writer Christian White, 38, and filmmaker Summer DeRoche, 35, met while editing porn. For years, the aspiring artists scraped by working odd jobs until his bestselling debut novel upended their relationship. By Susan Horsburgh

'My mum is innately creative and has always been supportive in all the things I was interested in,' says fashion designer Dion Lee.Credit: Janie Barrett

Two of Us with Dion Lee: 'I considered quitting ... I wouldn't be where I am without mum'

Special education adviser Helen Lee, 66, has played a pivotal role in the career of her son, New York City-based fashion designer Dion Lee, 33, supporting him through the stresses of his work and helping him find his keys. By Jane Albert

"Gerard challenges me to have more fun and not to worry about what others think," says Genevieve Clay-Smith.Credit: Wolter Peeters

How Gerard and Genevieve are challenging the film industry

Actor Gerard O'Dwyer, 34, and Bus Stop Films CEO Genevieve Clay-Smith, 30, became firm friends when their first collaboration won at Tropfest. He's encouraged her to loosen up; she's taught him how to love the camera. By Nicole Partridge

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