 and Rachel (R) found friendship after their husbands died unexpectedly (Picture: Supplied) Welcome to Soul Mates, Metro.co.uk's weekly series where friends share the stories of how they met. Orlanda Bryars, 40, had known her colleague, Julian, for 10 years, before they finally realised they were more than friends. The pair became a couple in 2017, bonding over their love of music. Like something out of a romcom, Julian would write songs, and Orlanda, a classically trained singer, would perform them. Orlanda, who lives in London, says: 'When you know, you know. Three months later, we moved in together. 'Julian was extremely intelligent, and a genius with technology – but he was just so fun too. He loved to laugh, and was known for his big smile and twinkly eyes. He was a bit of a rebel when he wanted to be.' Keen to start a family, they found out they were expecting in December 2018, and soon, it was time for the 20 week scan. Orlanda says Julian was known for his big smile (Picture: Supplied) 'We found out we were having a girl,' Orlanda says. 'The scan was lovely – we were very calm and Julian was able to feel a couple of kicks. We chose the name Cassia. It means cinnamon – a mix of sugar and spice.' The next day, April 13, 2019, Orlanda and Julian flew out to Chamonix, for a skiing holiday with friends. 'That night, I got out of bed to go to the bathroom, and I saw Julian on the bathroom floor,' says Orlanda. 'I thought maybe he hadn't been feeling well, and then he'd fallen asleep on the floor. My mind just didn't go to the worst case scenario.' The paramedics were called, but nothing could be done. A postmortem later revealed that Julian had a fatal heart attack. He died, aged 47. 'When they told me he'd died, I was just in shock. I wasn't sure how to react so I remember looking at the face of one of the paramedics and just copying her. In my mind, none of it was real. 'I remember feeling really faint, and I had no appetite – but I knew I had to forc){kind=link}
NEWS… BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT
Welcome to Soul Mates, Metro.co.uk’s weekly series where friends share the stories of how they met.
Orlanda Bryars, 40, had known her colleague, Julian, for 10 years, before they finally realised they were more than friends.
The pair became a couple in 2017, bonding over their love of music. Like something out of a romcom, Julian would write songs, and Orlanda, a classically trained singer, would perform them.
Orlanda, who lives in London, says: ‘When you know, you know. Three months later, we moved in together.