In My Hour of Darkness, She is Standing Right in Front of Me
Bechloe Week Theme: Loss (Day 1)
Summary: How Chloe deals with her mother's passing, and how she draws strength and support from Beca.
A/N: So I decided last minute that I would do Bechloe week. I can't promise that I will be able to fill every theme, but hey, figured it was worth a try. Trigger warning on this particular chapter for death/loss. As always, I'm on tumblr, kendricksn0w.
Disclaimer: Oops, I still don't own anything. The title of this is a line from Let It Be by The Beatles.
"Family of Marie Beale?" Chloe and Beca looked up as a doctor entered the waiting room, a sad expression on her face. Within moments, the couple was standing in front of the woman, Chloe's brother and father on either side of them.
"What's going on, doctor?" Chloe's father asked, his voice laced with pain.
"We tried to stop the bleeding, Mr. Beale, we truly did, but by the time she got to us it was just too late… I'm so sorry to tell you all this, but we've lost her." Chloe felt her entire world collapse, falling into Beca's arms as sobs wracked her tall frame.
X
The young couple sat a few minutes later, outside Chloe's mother's hospital room. Beca was grasping her fiancée's hand, rubbing comforting circles on her palm as Chloe stared at the wall in front of them.
"Do you want to go in, Chlo?" The brunette woman asked gently, motioning to the door to their right. Eric, Chloe's dad, and Jason, her brother, were already in the room, and told her to come in whenever she was ready. That had been nearly 10 minutes ago.
"Beca, I-" Chloe tried to let out her thoughts, but tears sprang to her eyes the second she began speaking. Beca pulled her into another hug, shushing her and patting her hair. From her position in the shorter woman's arms, she tried again, burying her face in chocolate locks. "I j-just don't know if I'll be able to look at her l-laying there, Beca. I don't know if… if I can deal with not seeing her eyes open or her n-not smiling."
"I know, baby, I know that this is so hard. We don't have to go in if you don't want to, but I think that you'll regret it if you don't go and say goodbye to your mom, just you and her." Beca replied, kissing the top of Chloe's hair and hugging her tighter.
"You'll go in there with me, right?"
"Of course, baby. Anything you need."
X
Beca sat on one side of Chloe, her hand grasping the redhead's tightly. Aubrey was sat on the other side of them, ignoring her own delicate tears as she wiped away Chloe's before handing a tissue to Beca. The DJ took it gingerly, dabbing her eyes and scooting closer to Chloe, placing her arm around her to give her more support. The funeral was nearing its end, and Jason currently stood at the front of the room, giving a eulogy for his mother. In her will, Marie had explicitly asked that her favorite song, Let It Be, be sung at her funeral, and Chloe had offered almost as soon as the words left her father's mouth. Music was one of the greatest passions Marie had passed on to her daughter, but now, as Jason's speech neared its end, Chloe felt her entire body tense. She turned to Beca, a pained gasp leaving her lips.
"I don't know if I can do this," she mouthed to her fiancée, more tears falling from her cheeks.
"Yes you can, Chlo," the brunette mouthed back, pressing a kiss to her forehead. The preacher called her name just as Beca pulled away, and another wave of panic flashed through her body. Beca gently squeezed Chloe's shoulders, offering her a watery, reassuring smile. "You can do this, baby," she said again, this time a bit louder. "For her."
Chloe took a deep breath, nodding once. With one final pat on the shoulder from Aubrey, Chloe stood up, taking her place in the front of the church.
"This is for my beautiful mother, I love you." Chloe said as the pianist began to play.
X
Many hours and many tears later, Beca and Chloe pulled up to their apartment building, Beca parking their small car in the lot. "You ready to go in, babe?" The shorter woman asked, reaching over and pushing some of Chloe's hair behind her ear.
"I'm not sure," Chloe said honestly, leaning into Beca's hand. "Once we go in, once we settle in for bed, it's all over, you know? We wake up tomorrow, and that's it. The funeral is over, mom's gone, that's… the end."
"Chloe," Beca began, swiping her thumb across the redhead's cheek to catch a tear that fell, "your mom will never truly be gone, you know that. She will always live in your heart, and more than that, she'll always live in your voice. Every time you sing, she'll be there, smiling and singing along." Chloe simply stared at Beca, her face a mix of sadness for her mother and adoration for her fiancée.
"I love you so much, you know that? Thank you for everything. Thank you for being there." Chloe turned her head gently, placing a small kiss on the palm of Beca's hand.
"I told you, baby, anything you need, I'll be here. And right now it sounds like you need to not be inside, so do you want to go do something? We could take a walk, go feed the ducks."
Chloe nodded slightly, unbuckling her seatbelt and opening her car door. "Yeah, Bec, that sounds perfect."
X
10 months later, Beca and Chloe sat at their wedding reception, listening as members of the wedding party gave speeches celebrating the two women. Wedding planning had been especially hard on Chloe without her mom, but her father had encouraged her to go on with it. He reassured her that Marie would have wanted Chloe to do what made her happy, and that she knew nothing in this world made Chloe happier than being with Beca. The man stood beside the two women now, his speech nearing its close. He smiled brightly at the couple, reaching for Chloe's hand and squeezing it.
"And, Chloe, I must end this by talking about your mother. I know that these past few months have been hard without her, but seeing how much strength you were able to draw from Beca is what assured me that my little girl was making the right choice. Love like the two of you share isn't one that you find every day, and honey, I promise you, your mother is up in Heaven right now, beaming with pride. Congratulations, girls, I love you. Beca, I am so honored and glad to be able to officially welcome you to the family."
