Dr Croot recalled that they recognised each other from St Barnabas on Broadway, a church they both attended. Ms Solomon had to rush to another inspection, but offered to share her thoughts on that property if Dr Croot gave her opinion on the one they had just viewed. Later, Ms Solomon contacted Dr Croot on Facebook about a nicer but more expensive house, assuming that because Dr Croot was a law student living at St Andrew's College, she came from a wealthy family. In fact, Dr Croot was on a scholarship and her family ran a struggling farm affected by drought.
They moved in together and remained housemates for the next nine years, with a rotating cast of flatmates. Dr Croot described coming home from the lab to find Ms Solomon and others watching "The Bachelorette", and firing off emails to the producers complaining about the show's sexism. Ms Solomon threw dinner parties with fairy lights and home-cooked dishes, often playing guitar and singing, and had many creative friends. Before dates, she would ask Dr Croot for fashion advice.
Ms Solomon lives with a chronic, complex health condition. When she first fell ill, she went from running marathons to spending months in bed. Dr Croot would drag her mattress into Ms Solomon's room so they could talk whenever Ms Solomon felt able.