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This is the real love story of this season's The Bachelor.

To keep up to date with The Honey Badger, AKA Nick Cummins, and all the best Bachelor 2018 news, cast and roses, check out our Bachelor hub. It’s a blast.

As Brittany Hockley was driven away from Nick Cummins, cast aside by a Bachelor who wasn’t ready to commit, she muttered something that was being echoed in lounge rooms around Australia.

“What a giant waste of time that was.”

Yes, it’s true that even from low-stakes position of our sofas, eight weeks is a fair amount of time to commit to a matchmaking show that ends without, well, a match.

And it’s true, that a Bachelor who encourages women to pour out their feelings despite not being ready for “a life partner” right now doesn’t exactly fit the script.

But still we can’t entirely agree with Britt. Because what we saw in the closing minutes of Thursday night’s finale was a strong, authentic relationship. Compassionate, respectful, honest, balanced.

A love between two friends.

Video by Channel 10

While The Honey Badger stood on New Caledonian shoreline and stared, morose, at some seaweed, as he pondered the consequences of his (non) decision, Britt and fellow finalist Sophie Tieman sought comfort in their shared heartbreak.

They embraced, they laughed through their shock, they let their tears flow openly, they leaned on each other physically and emotionally.

Any woman who’s been through a breakup will have recognised that scene, recognised the role that a close friend can play in filling the hole that’s been torn in your chest and your picture of your future.

While Britt and Sophie will no doubt have had that in the real world since, beyond the confines of Bachelor bubble, in that moment they had each other.

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I'll get the wine. Image: Channel 10.

Even in the minutes after Nick ended their respective "journey"s, the women's first - OK, maybe second - thoughts were for the other.

"Brittany is amazing," were Sophie's first words to the former Wallaby star.

"I feel really sorry for Sophie," Britt told the camera. "The poor thing; she's sitting there thinking it's me. I want to see Sophie and make sure she's OK."

Though The Bachelor is soaked in the fairytale narrative, this ending tore it up. There was no prince. No swelling music. No future-sealing kiss. Just two damsels, distressed but far from desperate, rescuing each other.

It might not have been the ending we wanted, but for the sake of the young girls who were watching, we're damn glad it happened.

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