“How did Milan feel?” I ask quietly.
The noise of the pub hums around us, glasses clinking, someone laughing too loudly, the mic screeching in warning before karaoke starts.
She thinks about it properly.
“Big,” she says. “Scary. Mine.”
Mine. I nod. “And us?”
She doesn’t hesitate this time. She laces her fingers through mine beneath the table.
“Steady.”
That word hits deeper than fireworks ever could.
Drinks arrive. Hannah orders shots we don’t need. Clara insists on a toast.
“To women who refuse to shrink.”
Freya adds, “And men who learn.” She looks briefly at Dan then glares over at Rory who has come to join the celebration.
The girls decided that after my huge Milan gig, we should all head to The Oak to celebrate. Whatever reason they can come up with to get down the pub.
Harry salutes me with his pint. “Growth kings.”
Emma smiles, resting her head briefly against my shoulder.
A year ago, I would’ve felt defensive. Now I just feel grateful.
Karaoke starts. It’s chaos. Someone murders a ballad from 2003. Clara gets up and absolutely devastates an Adele track like she’s mid-divorce even though she’s been happily married for twelve years. Freya shouts commentary like a sports pundit. Emma turns to me mid-song.
“You’re up next.”
“I am absolutely not.”
“You absolutely are.”
“I don’t sing.”
“You do when you’ve had two beers.”
“That was one time.”
She’s already dragging me up.
The pub cheers because Oakwood thrives on humiliation disguised as community bonding.
“What are we doing?” I hiss.
She grins wickedly. “90s. Always 90s.”
We butcher it. Completely. I forget half the lyrics. She sings loudly and off-key on purpose. At one point she throws her armaround my neck and shouts the chorus directly into my face. Freya is filming. Harry is booing theatrically. Rowan is laughing behind the bar.
And Emma…
Emma laughs like she did when we were twenty. But softer. Grounded. Not desperate. Not trying to prove anything. Just happy.
The pub settles into that late-evening warmth. The volume dipping slightly, the fairy lights feeling softer, conversations more intimate.
