In 2012, Tig Notaro fell in love with her future wife. In that same year, she found a lump.

Tig Notaro and Stephanie Allynne are an iconic duo. They're wives. Co-workers. Comedians. Co-parents, and more. 

A decade ago, Notaro and Allynne fell in love. That same year, Notaro was having one of the worst times of her life.

The couple first met back in 2012 while acting in an American indie film called In a World, which is billed as a comedy thriller.

Before meeting Notaro, Allynne had only ever been with men. But there were feelings with Notaro that she couldn't quite articulate — she just knew they were very strong.

"With Tig, it was hard for me to recognise what my feelings were. Slowly over the years and with therapy, I now feel confident to say I'm gay and I have always been gay," Allynne told Mamamia. 

Watch: Tig Notaro on a funny interaction she had with Reese Witherspoon. Post continues below.

There was no question for Notaro — she knew how she felt about Allynne. They were working together and in constant communication, texting and meeting up often. 

"I hadn't ever felt the way I felt about anybody, the way I felt about Stephanie. I couldn't help my feelings. When I shared with her, I was very serious about it. She told me she wasn't gay, and I then needed to take a step back and take a breather. I hoped in that time I could change my mind and my feelings about her and see her as a friend," Notaro told Mamamia. 

"But then my whole life changed when she came back and said, 'I actually miss you and I want to be with you.' I felt like the luckiest person that every walked the planet."

Later that year, however, Notaro found a lump, and was soon diagnosed with cancer in both breasts. It was a difficult time, particularly as Notaro had recently lost her mother following a nasty fall. 

Still, Allynne was by her side throughout it all. 

"I had seen life go away, and I was game for anything to make me feel alive," Notaro said. "Stephanie definitely made me feel alive. And 12 years later, we're in each other's lives. I still feel so inspired by Stephanie — she's who I want to spend my time with, and who I want to bounce my ideas off."

The pair have continued working together on multiple projects over the years, while also building their relationship.

On New Year's Eve in 2014, Notaro proposed, and by the end of 2015, they were married. Today, they're still in love, are literal work wives, and also mothers to their eight-year-old twin boys.

Tig Notaro and Stephanie Allynne on their wedding day, as well as their twin sons today. Image: Instagram.

When it comes to parenting, Notaro hilariously shared in one of her comedy specials that their boys had no idea their mothers were gay.

"We were driving them to school," she recalled. "The boys were in the backseat in their own world talking to each other, and so were Stephanie and I in the front seat. We were discussing how we are gay, and then one of our sons heard, leant forward, and asked, 'Are you gay?' We responded yes and they were just stunned.

"They had no idea what 'gay' meant, and we explained everything and dropped them off at school," Notaro continued. "We were then in the car, the two of us, thinking 'What the hell just happened? How is it that our sons have lived with us for eight years and didn't know we were gay?' We kind of missed coming out to our kids."

Reflecting on what they've gone through together as a couple, Allynne told Mamamia: "Life happens. I feel a lot of familiarity in that sort of space [hospitals]. Tig and I both have a similar perspective on life, we are so aware and grateful for it."

"We operate as one unit," Notaro concluded.

Feature Image: Instagram @therealfluffnotaro.