The Only Exception | W2S

EIGHT.

Still holding onto Talia, I let them into my apartment, where we all end up in a very squished group hug.

"You guys are the best friends I literally could've ever wished for," I say to all of them, a little overcome with emotion at the sudden turnaround of the day.

"The first is always the worst," Talia says quietly, taking the bag off of Freya, and laying the drinks out on the counter. "We were never going to let you spend it alone."

"That —" I laugh, looking at the alcohol, "is enough wine to knock out a rugby player."

"Yeah, we're sofa surfing tonight if you don't mind," Freya laughs, already opening the first bottle.

"Absolutely. I'll drag my mattress out in between the sofas so we can all sleep together. It'll be cute," I smile, sharing a look between all four of us.

"I don't think I'm going to care where I'm sleeping after all that wine," Faith laughs. "You're going to have to forgive me. My tolerance is shot, I barely drink anymore since having Olive."

"Is she with Ethan?" I ask, all four of us now crowded around the kitchen island, Freya pouring everyone a very full glass of wine.

"Yeah, she's in her daddy era at the minute, which sort of breaks my heart a little, but also gives me a tiny break, which I'm glad for. That sounds terrible to say," she laughs, sipping her wine.

"She is so cute. I get baby fever every time I see her," Talia says quietly, looking a little aloft.

"And when are you two going to start trying?" I ask, drinking my wine a lot quicker than the rest of them.

"Probably not until next year. I've got a lot of things I wanna do this year before trying for a kid," she shrugs, being honest about it.

"Me too. We're hoping for an autumn wedding this year, so after the wedding would be ideal," Freya adds in, and Faith looks delighted at the prospect of Olive having some friends in the near future.

"Sorry...this was supposed to be a night for you," Talia says suddenly.

I shake my head, finishing my first glass. "Don't be sorry. Hearing how great your relationships are strangely makes me feel better. Gives me some hope that not all men are awful," I giggle.

"Have you thought about putting yourself out there again?" Freya asks tentatively, the look on her face demonstrating a level of wariness.

"Not really. I mean, the first six or so months afterwards I legitimately swore myself off from men in general. Now, I don't know. It doesn't really cross my mind much, to be honest. I've got so much going on, I focus all my energy on that instead," I shrug, refilling my glass.

"What would your ideal type be? Maybe we can set you up with someone," Freya suggests, close behind me in filling her glass up again.

"That sounds like a disaster waiting to happen," I tell her, raising an eyebrow.

"Okay — maybe not set you up, but it's a good question. What's your ideal type?" Freya asks again, revising the question.

"Um, not a cheater for one," I laugh, and it makes everyone else laugh too. More seriously now, "I don't know. Someone I'm friends with, I think. I'd like to get to know them with no romantic expectations. See the real them, if that makes sense. Someone that makes me laugh, cares about my interests, stuff like that I guess. Someone I can be the real me with, all standard stuff," I say to all of them.

"Alright, and more importantly, what about looks?" Faith asks, trying to get down to the nitty gritty information.

"I don't really have a type when it comes to look. I guess taller than me, I like a little bit of facial hair but not a lot, I've gone for brunettes in the past, that's about it," I say, all three of my friends sharing a look that I couldn't quite decipher.

"Interesting," Talia says mysteriously.

"Very interesting," Freya agrees, whilst Faith nods her head in agreement.

"Okay, you lot are weirding me out now," I laugh, finishing my second glass of wine.

I'm trying to laugh it off, but it feels like a diversion, like they're just looking for a way to drag me into something I'm not ready for.

Freya raises an eyebrow, sensing the shift in my mood. "What do you mean?"

I take a deep breath, willing myself to relax. "I don't know. I just don't feel like talking about... any of that stuff right now. I don't even know what I want when it comes to all of that. Dating. Or whatever."

The silence that follows isn't uncomfortable—just thoughtful. They seem to understand, all of them.

"We're not pushing you, Holly," Faith says, her voice soft but firm, the way it always is when she's being sincere. "We're just saying... it's okay to want something more. Or to not. You're allowed to be in whatever headspace you're in."

I take another sip of wine, and this time, it feels like the words sink in. It's not just about romantic relationships; it's about where I am in life, what I need right now, and what I don't. The truth is, I'm not ready for anything more. Not yet.

"You don't have to be over everything just because everyone else says you should be," Talia adds quietly. "You know that, right?"

I look at her, and for the first time today, I feel something shift. Not relief, not exactly, but maybe the start of something close to it. I wasn't alone in this.

"I guess I haven't really thought about it like that," I admit, running my fingers around the edge of my glass. "I just... I feel like I should be further along. Like, I should have moved on by now."

"You're doing just fine, Holly," Freya says, her voice steady. "You're not on anyone else's timeline."

The weight of their words settles over me. It doesn't fix everything. It doesn't make the wounds disappear. But it does remind me that I don't have to rush the process.

I let out a slow breath, feeling a little lighter. "Thanks, guys. Honestly."

"No need to thank us," Faith says with a small smile. "That's what friends are for. Plus, it's way more fun watching you get all flustered than hearing you talk about men."

I roll my eyes, but I can't help but laugh. "Alright, alright. I'm done with that subject. Let's just drink and watch bad movies, okay?"

"Sounds like a plan to me," Talia grins, jumping to her feet. "In fact, I've got a movie lined up that will absolutely ruin your childhood. Are you ready for this?"

I groan, half amused, half terrified. "Please, no more The Parent Trap remakes."

Freya and Faith exchange knowing glances before bursting into laughter, clearly in on the joke. "You'll survive," Freya teases, getting up to find the remote. "We're here to support you through this."

And just like that, the conversation takes another turn, away from anything heavy, back into the undeniable comfort of being with people who know you better than you know yourself sometimes.

As the opening credits roll and we all plop down on the couch in a cluster, I find myself sinking into the soft chaos of it all. There's no pressure. No expectation. Just the simple joy of being surrounded by friends who don't need me to be anything more than who I am right now.

Maybe I wasn't over everything, but in this moment, surrounded by my favourite people and their ridiculous banter, it was okay to just be.

And for the second time today, that felt like enough.