Ch 6
John and Sarah are heading to upstate New York to visit Sarahs grandfather, Abe. While Sarah has talked to him on the phone many times in the past few months, John hasnt seen his wifes father since the funeral. Abes wife, Noreen passed away five years ago to congestive heart failure, and now hes lost his daughter, so John and Sarah want to spend as much time with him as possible. Abe worked as a lawyer for thirty-four years before he retired, while Noreen was a school teacher for twenty-five years. Noreen spent the majority of her retirement gardening and going on day trips with Abe before she got sick and eventually passed away. Abe misses her terribly, yet at the same time was admittedly glad she didnt have to suffer through the tragic loss of their daughter. He knew as hard as it was on him, the loss would be especially hard on his wife as the two were very close.
As John and Sarah approached the house, they could see some weeds coming up through the flower garden, and the small fountain in the middle of the yard hadnt been kept up on in awhile. Abe stepped through the front door, waving to his family as they exited the car and walked up to him.
"Hey, Pop Pop."Sarah said, hugging him.
"Hey Sweet Pea, Howve you been?" Its good to see you.
"Hey There, Abe."John said, shaking his hand.
"John, how are you doing? Its been awhile."
They walk inside where Abe has a pot of spaghetti on the stove. It is just about done as he drains the pasta, and adds the sauce. Abe stated that he wished he had a better meal to offer them as his wife was better with dinner than him, but John and Sarah could never turn down a plate of spaghetti. Really it was the family time that mattered, and they were glad to just be around each other.
John talked a bit about work, and Sarah talked about school, and what she'd be doing next year. She also talked about how therapy was going, and that she was thankful to have Aubrey there in the sessions with her. Talking about the pain has been what both girls needed, and they're both in a place now where they can remember the good times and make peace with the situation.
Dinner has been going well as Sarah watched her father and grandfather interact, and laugh with one another. It reminded her of when they would visit her grandparents in the summer as a kid, and the two would be outside grilling hamburgers while talking about baseball. Sarah's mother has always had a good relationship with her parents. Mary grew up admiring the love and appreciation they had for each other, and she carried that love over to her own family. Mary has always been a good mother; the best Sarah could ask for. She had an incredible passion for her music and that much more passion for those she loved. Sarah has always felt special to her mom, and someone she could be proud of. Hanging onto that memory is what has been keeping Sarah going.
When they finished up Sarah went to the bathroom, and John and Abe had a moment alone to talk. Abe had missed this family time and hopes to have more to come.
"So this has been really nice getting to see you. I appreciate you coming over."Abe said.
"Of course. It's been good to see you too."
"I don't know if I ever told you this, but next to Sarah, I think you've been the best thing to happen to Mary. You're a good man, John. I can see how much you really made her happy."
"Thank you, Sir."John said. "She really made me happy, too. Mary was the best."
"She was. "Abe said. "I think she'd like to see us as friends...and I'd like that too. It's good for an old man like me to have some company. "
"You'll be seeing plenty more of us from now on, I promise."John told him.
The two men shook hands and Sarah came back to see everyone smiling, and it was good to see after the year they've all had. The family stepped out on the porch staring out into the yard at all the work to be done. John has offered to help get things cleaned up, and Abe is grateful to have the help and the company. John had been staring at the fountain in the front yard for a while, currently going at just a dribble, and went over to see what he could do. He cleared away the weeds that had grown around the pipe, and could now see the problem being a loose fitting. When he tightened it up, it was now working as it should be. Abe thanked him and they all said their goodbyes. John and Sarah left glad to have brightened the old man's day, and glad to feel like they had a family back.
Aubrey got a call to head into work early to have a meeting with her manager. She drove the whole time biting her lip, with her heart beating rapidly, while wondering what they were going to talk about. Aubrey was ready to assume the worst, but took a deep breath trying to compartmentalize. She stepped into her manager, Kevin's office while he welcomed her in.
"Aubrey, have a seat. "
"You had something you wanted to talk to me about?"
"Yes, I wanted to talk about your position here and discuss changes we want to make."Kevin told her.
"Okay."
"So, you may already know that Ryan is being transferred to our sister location in Savannah, and now we need a new assistant manager. I was wondering if you might be interested. "
"Assistant manager? Wow, yeah...sure."Aubrey said, relieved.
"Great, we just need you to fill out a few papers that need to be sent to our main office and to payroll, and we can start your new position on Monday. "Kevin said.
"Yes, thank you, Kevin. Thank you so much."
Aubrey is thrilled that this meeting turned out to be good news. Not that she was sure the meeting would be bad news, but she was always a little nervous when management wanted to meet with her. This has very much lifted Aubrey's spirits, and has at least given her something positive to talk to people about.
Aubrey takes a few deep breaths, counting to ten and trying to encourage herself to go into her father's house, and have a long overdue talk. Her friends and the counselor have been telling Aubrey she's needed to do this for a long time, she's told herself she needs to do this, but until now has never been able to muster up the courage. Aubrey more than anything wanted to be in a better place going forward, and was done letting her past get the better of her. Finally with one more deep breath, she made her way inside. At least she had an exciting update at her job to open the conversation with. Aubrey found her dad in his office upon entering.
"Hey Dad."
"Hey Sweetie, it's good to see you."
Aubrey sat across from her father, nervously rubbing her hands together while she gathered her thoughts.
"So, I got a promotion at the lodge. They want me to be their new assistant manager. "
"That's wonderful, Honey. I knew your impeccable leadership skills would help you in the workplace. Good for you. "Stan said.
"Thanks."
There was of course more Aubrey wanted to say, but how was she to start? She has of course gone through many different scenarios in her head, and practiced what she would say many times. However now that the moment is here, Aubrey is at a loss for words. It is a conversation that needs to happen, and for Aubrey's own mental health, she has to find a way to express herself to her father. Even if he doesn't like what she has to say, Aubrey will have at least said her peace, and getting this out would be a huge load off her mind.
"Dad, there's some things I've been wanting to talk to you about. "
"Sure. What's on your mind?"Stan asked.
Aubrey stood from her chair, pacing in her dad's office. She was fidgeting and not wanting to look at him as she started to speak.
"So, you know I've been going to grief counseling all summer?"
"Yes, how's that going?"Stan asked.
"Good, good. We've been talking about what it's been like now that so much time has passed and how we've been trying to get back to normal. "Aubrey explained, and her father nodded.
Finally Aubrey sat down and turned to look at him.
"Dad...how come we never really talked about Mom? Ya know...after it happened?"
"After it happened? I thought we talked about it plenty. "Stan said.
"Not really...I mean we talked about the funeral, and that we'd always watch out for each other, but I haven't seen much of that."
"I tried Honey, I mean I thought I did. I know I worked a lot, but Elaine was there; wasn't she?"Stan asked.
"Yeah sure, to manage the household chores, and keep an eye on how proper I was presenting myself on any given day."Aubrey told him.
"That's just her way of keeping everything together. She likes to feel like everything is going well."
"Dad, that's not what I needed. I needed you. I needed to be able to talk about what happened to Mom. Between your work and Michael being away at school, I felt all alone."Aubrey explained.
"I'm sorry."Stan sighed. "I wanted to help you, but I didn't know how. I missed your mother so much, and it hurt to see my kids so sad. It's no excuse though. I should have been there...much more than I was."
Stan came around the desk to give Aubrey a hug. Things wouldn't be magically all fixed because of this conversation, but it was a start. Aubrey was really scared to talk to her dad, but is glad she did.
"Come here, Honey. I want to show you something."Stan said, as he walked over to the bookshelf, pulling out a photo album.
Stan flipped open to a page with Marie holding baby Aubrey, with himself and Michael standing beside her. Aubrey smiled seeing her mother looking so happy and seeing her father smile while he touched the photo, remembering the events of that day.
"This was taken the day we brought you home from the hospital. I remember your mother talked to you the whole ride home, telling you about Michael, your new room, our back yard that you would play in someday. She was very excited to see how you would grow up."Stan told her.
Aubrey smiled with some unshed tears in her eyes. She has always felt close to her mother, and it was nice to see her dad happy to reminisce with her.
"I remember your brother kept asking when he could hold you. We told him youd have to get a little bigger first. Even at three, Michael was determined to look out for you and be a good big brother."
"He has been."Aubrey said, wiping away tears.
I know your mother didn't get to see you grow up, but I know shed be very proud of you, Aubrey. As proud as I am.
"Thanks Dad."Aubrey said crying, while she leaned into him.
So the visit with her dad turned out better than Aubrey expected, and shes glad she finally did this. She needed to air her grievances about her past and to let her father know how she feels about all of it. Of course it wouldn't be fixed all at once, but this was certainly a good start. Aubrey could finally feel good about where things are going, and finally get some peace.
At their next counseling session, everyone could tell Aubrey looked more positive than at previous visits. She told the group about finally talking to her dad, and how it went.
"I knew we needed to talk for a long time, and I was so scared but I did it anyway."Aubrey explained.
"That's great, Aubrey. I'm glad to see you have the courage to talk to your father. It's important to have a support system during these times."The therapist said.
"I'm hoping my dad and I can keep talking like this. It was good to remember happier times with my mom."
"Well it takes practice. The more you do it, the easier it'll be, and it'll be really good for both of you. "
The happy memories are what Aubrey has been holding onto the most. Her mom was a special woman who loved to laugh, sing and dance around, and Aubrey always felt like being in her moms presence was magical, and she wanted to hold onto that as long as possible.
April 1994
Five year old Aubrey could hear the radio playing as she ran downstairs and into the kitchen while her mother was singing while cleaning up the dishes from early in the day. As soon as Marie heard Aubrey come in, she turned and started to sing to her.
Oh please, wait a minute Mr. Postman. Wa … a … ait Mr. Postman…
She took her daughters hands, and began swinging to the music, twirling Aubrey around while she was smiling and laughing. This was a regular song they would play at home, and Aubrey even at her young age knew all the words. Aubreys laughter made Marie smile too, as she scooped her up, spinning around and they kept singing while laughing even more. This pure joy from her five year old made Marie love music all the more, and nothing made her happier than to share her childhood favorites with her daughter. Aubrey has taken to music as much as Marie has, which delighted her to no end. The song soon ended as Marie placed Aubrey back down and they were still laughing.
"Why thank you my dear, you dance divinely."Marie told her.
"Thank you, Mommy."
"What do you say we go make dinner, huh?"
"Can we play more music?"
"It wouldn't be a proper meal without it."Marie said, excited.
Music was her heart, and what made her most happy, and Marie hoped that she could spend everyday singing.
Present Day
All of the Bellas were gathered at Beca and Chloe's house for a summer barbecue. One last party before they are due to return to school. Burgers were cooking, frozen drinks were being made, and everyone was laughing and joking while enjoying the sunshine on this beautiful summer day. The girls were all excited to start the new school year, and even more excited to see what Beca had planned for the Bellas as their new leader. Beca spoke briefly to Chloe privately about something shes been curious about.
"So, I thought you were going to graduate with Aubrey. What happened?"Beca asked.
"It's no big deal. Im just catching up on some stuff."Chloe told her.
"Why? Was there a problem?"
"I'll talk to you about it later."Chloe said.
For now the two of them agreed to put the issue aside and were focusing on their newest addition. They recently had a summer audition session, and were welcoming a new member.
"Alright, everyone. Let's welcome our newest Bella, Florencia Fuentes."Beca said.
"Hi, everyone, you can all call me Flo,"she said.
They all waved to her while coming up and introducing themselves. Flo is excited to be joining this group. They all were very welcoming to her, and she looked forward to seeing what the Bellas were all about.
"So Flo, where are you from?"Fat Amy asked.
"Miami currently, but I'm originally from Guatemala. My Family moved here when I was ten."
"Well, welcome. Were happy to have you."
"Thank you. I'm happy to be here."Flo said.
"You joined just in time. When one Bella left, another one came,"Chloe said.
"Somebody graduated last year?"Flo asked.
"Yeah, Aubrey did. Shell be missed, but we'll definitely stay in touch."
It had been quite the year for these then Freshman Bellas with Aubrey. From day one they knew Aubrey was someone who didn't mess around, and was determined to lead them to a victory at Lincoln Center. She had some very stringent and at times odd ways when it came to rehearsal, but deep down they could see she had a lot of passion for this a capella world, and when thinking about the new school year, they really were going to miss her. There was one former Bella still sticking around which had the girls curious. Beca and Aubrey pulled Chloe aside in hopes of getting some answers.
"So Chloe, you never told us...why didn't you graduate last year?"Aubrey asked.
"I failed Russian Lit, and I wanted to catch up on some extra class credits before I leave officially."Chloe explained.
"Are you sure that's it? Nothing else is going on?"Beca asked her.
"Yeah, that's it. Just playing catch up."
"Okay."Beca nodded.
With her explanation, the two of them gave Chloe questioning looks. It seemed like she was excited to graduate, but now she is going to stay. For now they didnt give it another thought, and decided to just enjoy the party.
As the girls were gathered enjoying drinks and talking about their summer, Sarah and Aubrey were able to get a moment alone to talk about the growth they've both experienced during this time.
"So, I will say about this whole summer that these therapy sessions together have been great for me. It wont bring back our moms, but I know in some way theyre both still with us."Aubrey said.
"It was definitely a good experience for me too."Sarah added. "I'm glad I had you to do this with me. I don't know if I could have talked to a bunch of strangers alone."Sarah said.
"Same for me. I was really scared at first, but it's good that I made myself go. I think it's helped me to not bury my feelings, and I got to say things to my dad that needed to be said."Aubrey explained.
"That's really great for you, Aubrey. Its good to see you have some closure. "
"And you? Do you feel like you have closure?"Aubrey asked.
"Yeah, I do or at least I'm on my way there."
"Good."Aubrey said, looking over to Beca and Chloe who were beckoning the two of them over.
"Come on you guys, we're about to get a fire going."Chloe said.
The girls all gathered around the fire pit while Beca managed to get a flame going. It was a slow start, but soon they had a respectable campfire. Everyone enjoyed roasting a few hotdogs, and of course marshmallows for smores. Sarah observed her group of friends enjoying each other's company, and more importantly Beca and Chloe who have found love with one another. Sarah couldn't be happier for her best friend. She has been a great friend all while they were growing up, and Sarah thought Beca deserved all the happiness in the world. Missing her mom has been really tough on Sarah, as well as the change in her environment with starting college. The Barden Bellas were not what she initially sought out, but they have become her confidants and her family. She looked forward to more great times with them as they all move forward together.
THE END