I n 2006 I’d just graduated film school at the Victorian College of the Arts and was working at the ABC in Melbourne. It was a pretty tumultuous time of my life. I had just broken up with my best friend and high school sweetheart – whom I adored – and was in the process of coming out.

I was drinking too much and in breaks from the chaos I’d find myself drawn to the local video store. That’s where I first saw Garrett behind the counter. I had an instant crush on him and spent a lot of time perusing the art house section, so he would see how creative and cultured I was.

I never had the guts to talk to him but one night in spring we ran into each other at a party. We hit it off and arranged a date at a cafe in the city.

I was obsessed with Kate Bush and Wuthering Heights, and Garrett struck me as this sort of Heathcliff type; he was a dark, handsome artist with very dramatic, gothic vibes. That day we talked about art and the things that we love.…