Sunflower GQ

Now Lauren, 35, and Carley, 38, have jobs in different departments of the same university, and meet several times a week for lunch or to exercise. They often hang out in the evenings and weekends with their children and families, too. Each plays a fundamental role in the other’s life, from being a round-the-clock confidant to serving as a tireless source of moral support and encouragement in personal and professional decisions.

“We are each other’s biggest cheerleaders and as the eldest, I will always be fiercely protective of Lauren,” says Carley. “We know we are there for each other, no matter what.”

For Lauren and Carley, theirs is a joyful, nurturing relationship that adds to their lives. This makes sense; research shows that positive sister-sister bonds can boost confidence, offer constant companionship and even increase feelings of self-love. Indeed, 2020 research published in the Journal of Family Psychology found that sister-sister pairs are most likely to report warm relationships compared to other sibling gender compositions.

“We both agreed that the easiest thing was for me to stay put until the situation with Covid became clearer,” she says.

For a few months, the pair were able to live apart, with her remaining in their jointly-owned flat, as Tucker’s ex decided to stay with his parents for the duration of lockdown in order to assist with his mum’s medical needs. But six months later and with lockdowns lifting, they made an unconventional decision for going forward.

“I knew that I would never be able to afford to buy property again, and the prospect of renting in London forever was increasingly unpleasant,” she says. “My ex and I talked quite a bit during this time, and eventually he decided to move back into our flat.”

Since then, Tucker and her ex-partner have remained living together. They sleep in separate bedrooms, and even recently got a couple of cats to complete the set-up. And although their decision is unconventional, they are far from alone.

Although the practice filtered through the social classes, it was primarily popular with women of the privileged classes – a demographic that, while in a position of financial privilege, was still regarded as inferior to its male counterpart. In a time when women were not encouraged to be outspoken, these floral accessories allowed them to communicate with their peers, offering a means for them to speak out without impeding their societal status.

"Young women of high society in this era embraced the practice, sending bouquets as tokens of love or warning, wearing flowers in their hair or tucked into their gowns, and celebrating all things floral." Roux explains. "Many of them created small arrangements of flowers, called tussie-mussies or nosegays, by combining a few blooms in a small bouquet. Worn or carried as accessories, these coded messages of affection, desire, or sorrow allowed Victorians to show their true feelings in an enigmatic and alluring display." Tussie-mussies were also thought to help ward off disease.