"Get up!" Aubrey bolted up in bed when she heard the familiar voice. She frantically looked around the room. "I said, get up. I know you can hear me."
"Chloe?" Aubrey swung her legs off the bed, grabbed her robe, and pulled it around her. "B-b-but…" She squinted and saw a shadow walk from her closet. "Chloe! I don't understand." Aubrey began to rush towards Chloe who held up her hand.
"You can't touch me. I'm not sure how long I can stay, but I'll try." Chloe's smile was as large in death had always it been in life.
Tears were rolling down Aubrey's cheeks. "But you're gone, Chloe. You're dead. I watched them lower your casket into the ground."
"Oh, Aubrey. I may be gone from this world, but I'll always be with you. I love you." Chloe smiled wistfully. "I wish I could touch you."
Still not believing what she was seeing, Aubrey rubbed her eyes and sat back down on the bed. "Why are you here, Chloe?"
"I know you don't want to go to the party tonight, so I'm here to plead with you to go. It's Beca's birthday, and all the Bellas want to see you. Plus Beca really likes you, Bree. For what it's worth, I think you two would make a cute couple." Pain etched across Chloe's face. "I know you two have been getting really close lately."
"And who are you to tell me what you think? You left me, Chloe!" Aubrey cried as she had been struggling to cope with Chloe's untimely death.
"I didn't fucking mean to leave you, Bree," Chloe spit out. "I didn't mean to die. That's why they call them accidents!"
"I don't know how to handle all this, Chloe. I can't move on," Aubrey cried. "I don't want the Bellas. I don't want any of this. It's too hard."
"So, what are you saying? That you wish you'd never fucking met me? Because I had to leave and that was hard for you, that you wish I'd never existed in the first place? Would that be easier? Look, Aubrey, I don't think it's any less tragic to lose friends like the Bellas to grief than it is to lose someone like me to a goddamn car accident."
Chloe stared at Aubrey, her face softening. "I know I'll always have a place in your heart, Aubrey. But you have to move on. I don't want you to be fucking alone the rest of your fucking life. Besides, I like Beca. I trust her. Please just let me go."
"I don't know if I'm ready," Aubrey said.
"Beca is getting dressed as we speak. She's expecting you to show up to her party and doesn't deserve to be stood up. Besides, I wanna see you in that fucking party dress."
Aubrey sniffled. "You really curse a lot more now, Chloe." She kept watching the redhead, afraid the figure would fade away.
"Yeah, that fucking happens. It's pretty shitty when you die."
When Aubrey got out of the shower, Chloe was gone. She knew in her heart of hearts that Chloe would most likely wouldn't be there. She had no idea how much energy Chloe had to expend to show herself in the first place. Heck, before today, Aubrey didn't even realize that she believed in the afterlife.
She had to admit to herself that getting dressed to go to a party felt pretty nice. Aubrey had always enjoyed making herself look nice. She felt better and loved the compliments she always seemed to get. She hadn't seen the Bellas in so long, not since the funeral. Chloe was right - this party would be good for her.
And then there was Beca. Beca had been by her side every step of the way since Chloe had passed, helping her navigate all the incredibly massive volumes of paperwork after Chloe's passing and always being there for emotional support. They had gotten quite close over the months. Aubrey attributed her increasing attraction to Beca to the anxiety of the situation.
Aubrey positioned herself in front of the full-length mirror. Her dress was classy yet casual, a black sequin party dress that flowed and moved with every turn her body made while staying in place up top. She slipped on a pair of black sparkly sandals that had been Chloe's favorite.
"I was hoping you'd wear that dress." The voice came from behind Aubrey, startling her. When Aubrey turned, she saw an ethereal figure standing where Chloe had before. The redhead wasn't full-bodied like she was before.
"I didn't think I'd get to see you again." Aubrey stepped towards the ghostly apparition.
Chloe smiled. "I wasn't sure if I could get back. Don't forget Beca's present." She motioned to the top of the closet where Aubrey had stored anything and everything to do with Chloe.
With a puzzled look, Aubrey pulled down a tote and found a small, flat, rectangular box wrapped in festive paper. The tag read, To Beca. Happy Birthday. Love always, Chloe and Aubrey. "You can re-write the tag if you want."
"No." Aubrey shook her head. "Beca needs to know you were thinking of her."
"Time to go, Bree."
"For you or me?" Aubrey moved as close to Chloe as she would allow.
"Us both." Chloe peered up loving at Aubrey. "Remember, you have to let me go."
Aubrey gave a smile as she looked at Chloe. "Tell me something I can remember forever and never let go," she whispered.
"Let go." With that Chloe's image faded.
Aubrey could hear the chatter of her friends and the beats of the music leaking through the door into the hallway of the condo. She tentatively knocked. When nobody answered, she rang the bell. Beca had given her a key a while back but she didn't feel right using it with everyone there.
Suddenly the door flung open and C.R. was pulling her into the room. "Look who I found!"
Aubrey was immediately surrounded by the Bellas who were talking all at the same time, excited to see that she'd shown up. After she greeted everyone, she looked over to see Beca leaning against the doorway leading to the kitchen, drink in hand, smiling at her.
The blonde made her way through the Bellas and approached Beca. "Happy birthday, Becs." She bent down slightly and gave Beca a kiss on the cheek before offering her the presents. "I found this one in all those boxes Chloe's stuff. I-I-I know she'd want you to have it. The other is from me."
Beca blushed. "You didn't have to get me anything. Showing up was enough. But thanks." She took a sip of her drink. "You look nice."
The evening was spent catching up with loved ones, particularly the ones Aubrey hadn't spoken much to since… the accident. Each time Aubrey took a look around the room, it seemed as though Beca was always close by, normally less than an arm's length away. This brought her comfort. Maybe Chloe was right and Beca really was attracted to her.
Finally, the time came to open presents. Beca sat at the end of one of her couches, and Amy plopped down right next to her, smooshing her into the side. "Nope," Beca said, pushing Amy away as she motioned for Aubrey to take a seat next to her. Soon she was opening the presents each of the Bellas had brought to her. Eventually, there were only two left. Chloe's and Aubrey's.
An uncomfortable silence hung in the air. Aubrey cleared her throat. "Ummm the box says it's from me and Chloe, but it's really from her. I got you something else."
Beca slowly unwrapped the flat box and read the papers she pulled out, her eyes widening in surprise. "The London Sound Academy? I have two days worth of one-on-one lessons at the London Sound Academy?" Beca was truly surprised. "Y'all. This is one of the premier cutting-edge music production facilities in the world," she explained to the other Bellas. "Wow, I can't believe I have one-on-one lessons."
She read a bit more. "The voucher says I can do them online via Zoom and gives me all the options of courses I can take. This is amazing. Thank…" Beca stopped before actually thanking Chloe. She looked at Aubrey. "This is truly special. Thanks for finding it, Aubrey."
Aubrey smiled at Beca before handing her what she'd brought. "One gift left. Mine. I hope it doesn't pale in comparison."
"Never," Beca grinned as she opened the thick envelope and read through the contents. Her mouth dropped open. "You… you bought me a trip to the U.K.?"
"Well, Chloe's present is all about the experience, right? And you can't exactly get full involvement unless you… are in London. Am I correct?"
At this point, everyone in the room, including Beca was crying. The tiniest Bella wrapped her arms around Aubrey and buried her face in her hair. "Thank you, Aubrey. You're coming with me, right?"
"We'll see, Beca. Happy birthday." It was in that moment that Aubrey finally realized she was able to let go.