Over The Rainbow Bridge
Chloe Beale ran to her girlfriend's room, speeding through the tiny hall of their apartment.
"Aubrey!" She cried, flopping down on the bed face down, next to her, Aubrey Posen sat, reading a textbook.
"Holy shit, Chlo!" exclaimed a startled Aubrey. Spotting her girlfriend's face, eyes brimming with tears and completely devastated, she asked, "What's up?" She burst into tears.
"L-Lucy… d-died." Chloe stammered, glancing down at the towel that Aubrey hadn't noticed. Lucy was her dear rabbit.
"Awww, I'm sorry, baby." The redhead nodded, clambering into her lap and curling up into a ball, clinging to the towel that held the lifeless rabbit like she was a little girl and that was her security blanket.
"S-she just kinda flopped over." She hiccupped, opening the towel slowly. Aubrey inhaled a small gasp. The familiar white rabbit with black ears and eyes lay still, eyes glassy.
"I- I'm sorry."The blonde breathed, taken aback. Her girlfriend snuggled into her chest, laying the towel on the bed in exchange for Aubrey's torso.
"Chloe… choking." She stammered the grip on her loosening up about a sixteenth of an inch.
"Did you ever have any pets?" She looked up with her deep blue eyes.
"I had a little grey cat. Ash. Then my dad gave her away because he got a new girlfriend that was allergic." She got a faraway look. Chloe's bottom lip quivered, causing Aubrey to add, "No, Chloe, I didn't really like her anyways." She sniffled, and a small tear trailed down her cheek.
"Baby, why are you crying?" She asked, wiping a tear off of her girlfriend's face.
"Y-your childhood was so sad." She said simply. Aubrey thought for a moment, deciding what needed to be done.
"Do you wanna have a memorial service for Lucy?" Far-fetched, Aubrey thought, but it seemed to calm Chloe down.
"Yes."
Two-and-a-half hours later, they headed out to their small garden plot; both dressed in all black, Chloe cradling her pet.
"You know about that 'rainbow bridge' story?" Aubrey asked.
"Yeah."
"So that got me thinking about that song Rainbow Connection, the one from the Muppets. It's like how pets always have a special connection to their owners. I think we should sing it."
"You start." Chloe encouraged.
"Why are there so many songs about rainbows
And what's on the other side?
Rainbows are visions
But only illusions." Aubrey's voice wound itself through the garden, around the plants, into the earth with perfect harmony.
"And rainbows have nothing
To hide." Chloe joined, her voice shaky. They finished the song, Aubrey smiling through the tears that threatened to overflow.
"Aubrey, let's dedicate this to Ash, too." The redhead decided. The tears streamed down the blonde's face, most obviously touched by the move. The towel bearing the rabbit was lowered down into the hole they had dug. Shovel after shovel of dirt went into the hole, until no more of the towel was left. Chloe grinned at her best friend, the autumn breeze making the trails of tears on their faces cold. Aubrey laughed, aware of how funny they looked, the other woman joining in.
"Goodbye, Lucy," Aubrey whispered into the tight embrace Chloe had pulled her to. "Goodbye, Ash."