There's a note underneath your front door
That I wrote twenty years ago.
Yellow paper and a faded picture
And a secret, in an envelope

There's no reasons no excuses
Theres no second hand alibis
Just some black ink
On some blue lines and a shadow you won't recognize

In the mean time I'll be waiting
For twenty years twenty more
I'll be praying for redemption
And your note underneath my door
And your note underneath my door.

My Dearest Chloe,

I need to apologize for several things. First, I apologize that I am coward. That I didn't tell you these things sooner, when there would have been something we could do about it. Second, I apologize for what I am about to do, because it could very well destroy our amazing friendship. But I need you to know these things that I have held inside for too long - out of fear, out of the thought of losing you.

I love you. More correctly, I am in love with you. I have been for years. I'm not sure when it started. Probably after the Activities Fair and the Shower Incident. But before Nationals my freshman year. At some point, I knew that what I felt for you wasn't just friendship. I tried to deny it, tried to push it down. I ran to Jesse, hoping that he could help me forget. But he couldn't, which is why we never really worked. I would bury myself in my work or in the Bellas, hoping that I could forget. But I couldn't.

I can't get over the fact that I am deeply, stupidly in love with my best friend. I kept hoping I would find a way to tell you. But I never got the courage. And now, now it is too late. Worlds is over. We have graduated. You are moving to Tampa. I am moving to LA. And it is too fucking late. And I'm sorry.

I don't know what I hope this letter accomplishes. I just have to tell you. I know that you probably don't feel that way about me, and that is fine. I know this may make things weird. But I have to let you know. Keeping it trapped is killing me. I don't want to lose you. If this is too much, I understand. If you need time, I understand. Please, when you can handle being my friend again, please come back. I will be whatever you want me to be in your life. I love you.

All My Love,

Beca

She wanted to confess her feelings for years, but she was too scared. So she bottled them up. She kept looking for opportunities, but talked herself out of them. It seemed like everyone knew what she felt - everyone except Chloe. Or maybe Chloe DID know what Beca felt but overlooked it. She could never be sure. She wanted to declare her love after their third straight win at nationals, during countless nights sharing a bed in the Bella House, in the tent at the Lodge, after graduation, and in Copenhagen. She never had the courage to follow through. So on her way out of the Bella House, her way to the airport to fly to Los Angeles and away from Chloe, she slid a note under her best friend's door. She knew that she would be in the air before Chloe found it, that she would be five hours and a country away. That way Chloe could have all the time and the space she needed to process Beca's letter, to decide if they could stay friends after the confession and subsequent rejection. She would also have time and space to heal her shattered heart. And then she could be there for Chloe in whatever capacity that was still possible. If she could have Chloe at all, it would be more than enough.

She waited patiently for Chloe to make the first move, to reach out. It took longer than she hoped, but at least there was something. While all the girls kept each other updated via the Bellas group chat, the two best friends didn't communicate for six long weeks. They used the group chat as a way to stay aware of each other's lives. Beca posted pictures of her office, her pathetic apartment, scary people she saw on the street. Chloe posted pictures of her classroom, the beach, cute dogs she saw on the street. Everyone was moving on and doing well. Beca still felt pain whenever she saw an update from Chloe on the group chat. Still, she waited for her friend to be ready. Finally, she got a text while sitting and eating her lunch at her desk. "Hey." That's all it said, but it said so much more. Beca knew that Chloe had come back. She cried quietly and cleaned herself up before anyone saw her. She had her Chloe back. The women quickly resumed their usual level of communication. They joked and acted silly. They swapped stupid memes and pictures of animals. They ranted about work and family. They gossiped about the other Bellas. It wasn't the same as living in the same house, breathing the same air. But it was something, and that something was more than enough.

She sat alone in her pathetic apartment on the first Christmas after graduation. She couldn't go up to see her mom because her mom had gone on a cruise with some other single empty nesters. She couldn't afford to fly to see father… well… she wouldn't spend what money she had on the ticket. He offered to fly her back, but she refused - claiming that she had projects to work on. She didn't. The office was closed for two weeks. She had finished her projects early, so she had nothing to do. But Barden wasn't home any more. Chloe wasn't there. Beca could have flown to Georgia and driven down to Florida to see her friend. But she felt bad about having her dad pay for the flight and then ditching him. So she stayed in California. She had sent presents to the Bellas and her family. And she had obviously sent Chloe a gaggle of gifts - from silly to expensive. And Chloe had sent her a giant box, but was told she couldn't open it until they could open things together. She thought that they would have a video chat to open presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, but Chloe said she couldn't make that work out. There were so many get togethers that she couldn't find a large chunk of time. So Beca opened the other gifts she had received. She made a sandwich. She heated up a terrible frozen dinner. And she went to bed after having the worst Christmas she could remember - even worse than the first one after her father had left his family. The next day, she waited to hear from Chloe, but didn't hear anything. She worried that she had done something wrong, or that Chloe had reconsidered their friendship. She got onto her laptop and fiddled around with some music, watched a ton of YouTube, and looked at her phone every few minutes. She heard a knock on the door in the late afternoon. She hadn't ordered anything, so she figured a neighbor was looking for their cat. She shuffled over to the door and pulled it open. A beaming redhead stood in the hallway, bouncing on the balls of her feet. Beca's mouth fell open and she grabbed Chloe in a crushing hug. She cried at the sight and the feel of her best friend. "You're here. You're actually here!" They spent a week together, just like old times. They opened their exchanged gifts - Chloe had brought all of the ones Beca had sent with her, stuffed into various places in her luggage. They toured the city. They stayed up way too late eating ice cream and talking. She worried that Chloe would be weird when it came to bedtime, so she prepared to sleep on the couch. But Chloe refused that option, so they shared Beca's bed like they had so many times in college. They never talked about the letter. But that was okay. Because Chloe had come to see her. They had spent a week together just like before, and that was more than enough.

She squealed in excitement when Chloe showed her the ring on one of their video chats, because that is what best friends do. Even if seeing it sent a dagger of pain into her heart. She knew that this would happen one day. She knew that Chloe would get wooed and be loved by someone else. She wasn't any happier just because it wasn't a surprise. But she was happy for Chloe, and she celebrated with her. Chloe had met Kyle at a party she got dragged to by a fellow teacher at her school. He was charming and handsome and stable. He was an investment banker and had a nice car and large … portfolio. They hit it off. They started dating. Chloe told Beca all about it, after a brief hesitation. Chloe was worried that it would be too painful for Beca at first, but Beca brushed it off. She said that this is what friends do. She said she was happy for Chloe, which she was. The women didn't get to talk as often, since much of Chloe's free time was spent with her new boyfriend. But they still texted frequently. And they had video call chats when they could make them work. After almost a year together, Kyle asked Chloe to marry him. Beca was asked to be the maid of honor, which she readily agreed to. She planned the bachelorette party from across the country via texts and video calls with Aubrey and Stacie. She flew to Florida to surprise Chloe so they could go dress shopping. She watched her friend try on a dozen dresses before finding the perfect one, the one that made Chloe cry … and made Beca cry for several reasons. She squashed that down. She went with Chloe to pick out the bridesmaid dresses, even though that was something she hated doing - shopping … for dresses … for Chloe's wedding. She did it, because she loved Chloe. She loved that Chloe was happy, that there was someone who was going to love her and give her everything someone so wonderful deserved. She stood next to Chloe on the big day, held her flowers, straightened her dress, gave an incredibly moving toast. She cried on Aubrey and Stacie's shoulders after the limousine pulled away. She flew back home and struggled. She knew her chance was gone for good. But she knew that Chloe had what she deserved, and that was more than enough.

She held her hand over her mouth in shock and genuine happiness when Chloe sent her the sonogram picture. Eighteen months into their marriage, Kyle and Chloe were expecting a baby girl. Beca heart exploded in joy for her best friend. She knew how much Chloe looked forward to being a mom and how great of a mom Chloe would be. She watched as her sexy and toned friend began to put on weight and grow a little pooch. She laughed when Chloe would complain about her waddling and swollen ankles and ridiculous cravings. She bought clothes and toys for the baby. She shipped care packages with snacks and treatments for Chloe. She flew to Florida for the baby shower that she helped plan long-distance with Chloe's work friends. She took late night phones calls when Chloe broke down crying in worry about being a mom. She reassured her friend that if anyone could be a mom, it was her. She read books about babies and pregnancy, just so she would be as informed as possible. She jumped out of bed when the text came in saying "It's happening!" followed by "False alarm!" followed a few days later by "NOW it is happening!" She flew to Florida to get to the hospital as soon as possible after the birth. She actually arrived BEFORE the baby did, so she was able to see Chloe and give her a kiss on her forehead. She sat in the waiting room with Chloe's parents, as exhausted and nervous as if it was her own child. She held the little princess with a wild head of red hair and cried. She promised that she would always do anything she could to make her and her mommy's lives better. She swallowed down a lump in her throat when she was asked to be the godmother of little Joy Rebecca. She of course accepted the honor. Even though her heart was still alone, her Chloe had so much happiness in her world. And that was more than enough.

FIVE YEARS

She moved back to Atlanta. The experience in Los Angeles was disappointing. She had moved up the ladder at the studio, but she just never really meshed with the scene there. She had outgrown partying as a hobby. When she first arrived, fresh off of the heartbreak of her letter, she tried to hit clubs and meet people. She found herself woefully unfulfilled by the entire process. She staggered home drunk too often, woke up hungover too often, made borderline questionable decisions too often. She knew that it was just to forget about the redhead she left across the country. She decided it wasn't worth it. That just meant that she would never really fit in. She asked for a transfer back where it all started for her. She had the reputation and the position to get away with the request; the studio couldn't bear to lose her, so they accommodated her. Her father had been diagnosed with cancer a few months prior. She wanted to be closer during his treatments. She also wanted to be closer to the other Bellas, who mostly lived within driving distance of Atlanta. And she mostly wanted to be closer to Chloe. Little Joy Rebecca was a beautiful redheaded firecracker of a toddler. Taking after her mother in just about every way, the girl stole Beca's heart from the day of her birth. Beca doted on her at every opportunity, spoiling her rotten. Chloe always got a huge smile on her face when her best friend interacted with her daughter. She realized that the greatest way someone can show a parent how important they are is by loving their children. And Beca loved Joy because by loving Joy, she loved Chloe. So she seized every opportunity to be at important events in the girl's life: her christening, her first tooth, her first steps, her first birthday. She took pictures and made photo books. She turned popular songs into kid-friendly lullabies. She showed up just to give Chloe a break. She poured herself into her goddaughter because it was a way to remind Chloe just how much love was there. And that was more than enough.

She bristled when she first heard Chloe mention her suspicions about Kyle. This was not how it was supposed to be. Chloe was a precious gift; she should be treasured. Her husband should worship the ground she walks on, should constantly pursue her, should move heaven and earth to make her happy. He shouldn't pull away and become distant. He shouldn't berate his wife because she cares for her child. He shouldn't demand physical satisfaction, or cause huge fights when he doesn't get it. And he sure as hell should not cheat on her - not Chloe. She answered the phone to hear her best friend sobbing so much she could barely breathe. She listened as the sordid details were shared, barely controlling her rage. She agreed with Chloe's decision to leave Kyle to his mistresses. She rented a truck and drove to Florida. She helped Chloe pack and load things. She rented a storage unit as a temporary place for Chloe's belongings and moved her two precious redheads into her own house. She helped Chloe find a lawyer to begin divorce proceedings. And when Kyle announced his intentions to fight the divorce, demand equal custody, refuse to pay child support, she felt something break inside of her. She found the scariest person she knew in Lilly Onakuramara, and they drove down to Florida. She confronted Kyle and made it very VERY clear that he was going to drop his objections. He was going to drop his custody claim. He was going to pay Chloe every last penny of alimony and child support. He was going to sell the house and give Chloe half of the proceeds. And he was going to make sure he doesn't even TRY to cheat his ex-wife. Or else. At first he laughed at the two small women in front of him. Then he realized that he had underestimated just how serious Beca was. She hugged Chloe when the redhead broke the news of Kyle's sudden change of heart. She said that her friend could stay as long as she needed to, but that she knew Chloe would want her own place eventually. She couldn't hide her joy when her friend decided to make the move to Atlanta permanent and found a place not too far away. Chloe was in the same town, with her precious daughter. And that was more than enough.

TEN YEARS

She organized a ten year anniversary celebration in honor of the Bellas winning Worlds. The event was a tremendous success, bringing together dozens of women who had played a part in the championship. It also brought back the main crew of women who made up the Bellas during Beca and Chloe's tenure: Aubrey, Stacie, CR, Amy, Emily, Ashley, Jessica, Lilly, Denise, Flo, Beca, and Chloe. The ladies had stayed tight over the years, keeping the group chat alive. They tried to get together annually and succeeded for a few years, but life just got busy. The women who lived around Atlanta were able to meet up more often. Having the whole group together was something special. Several of them had married, had children, had exciting jobs. They all gushed over Stacie's daughter Bella and Chloe's daughter Joy - who was now an elementary aged clone of her mother. Beyond the anniversary events, Beca was thrilled to have time to sit and actually talk with her friends and catch up. Almost every one of them asked about what was going on with her and Chloe. She told all of them that they were best of friends. She shared how much they did together, how involved she was in Chloe's life. And every one of them expressed concern that Beca was robbing herself of the chance for love and joy as long as she kept being so close to Chloe. They suggested some distance. They encouraged Beca go out more, date, meet people. They wanted Beca to have more. But she didn't agree with them. She had gone out, had dated, had met people. She never found anything that could compare to Chloe. She had decided long ago that she would throw her lot in with the redhead, no matter what. And that was more than enough.

She invested so much time and energy into Chloe and Joy that she sometimes forgot they weren't technically her family. She would be rudely reminded when Chloe would ask her to watch Joy while the redhead went on a date. Admittedly, there were not many dates to speak of, but each one brought a dagger of pain with it. She never let that show, though. She always agreed to come over, bringing pizza and ice cream for her and Joy. She helped Chloe get ready, picking out what made her look even more stunning. She would play with Joy, get her ready for bed. She would wait for Chloe to come home to share what went wrong. They would then share ice cream and bash the guy who didn't appreciate who he was sitting across the table from. If the guy earned a second date - which was rare - Beca would listen to Chloe gush about the lucky devil. She would celebrate with her friend. Then she would be there when he invariably fumbled his opportunity. When Chloe met JJ, a real spark happened. They actually dated for seven months. He was a single dad with a daughter close to Joy's age. He was a good guy with a good job. He really cared about Chloe and was good to her. Beca died a little inside as the relationship grew, but she still supported Chloe. She watched Joy, celebrated with Chloe, did all the things a best friend would do. She encouraged Chloe to be open to love, took Joy so the couple could do a weekend trip, listened to every lovestruck dream Chloe shared. And on that awful day when JJ ended it with very little explanation other than, "I feel I'm more invested in you than you are in me. Something is holding you back," Beca swept in and held Chloe. She brought the heartbroken woman and her daughter to her own house for two weeks so she could carry them. She assured Chloe that there was indeed someone out there who would love her unabashedly, unconditionally. She knew that this was true because, even after all this time, Beca loved her that way. So even if no one else ever did, she would. And, she hoped that for Chloe that was more than enough.

FIFTEEN YEARS

She built a new larger home in an exclusive neighborhood outside of Atlanta. Her other house was beyond sufficient for her and her minimal social life. But the purpose for the new place had very little to do with her own needs. Instead, she invited Chloe and Joy to move in. The new house included a wing just for the special redheads. It allowed the ladies to live life together, but still with some separation if desired. It was rarely desired. The three of them functioned like a family most of the time. Beca functioned as another adult example for Joy, a sounding board for Chloe, and a stabilization for both of them. The larger house provided a place for the Bellas to visit, for Chloe to host her family, for Beca to work from home more. It was all very domestic. Beca knew this, knew that it was a facsimile of real relationship. She tried to keep her love for her best friend in check. She never wanted Chloe to feel like she was being manipulated into something she wasn't wanting regarding Beca. She respected the times when Chloe put some distance between them - usually after they had a "moment." Those moments came more often as they lived their lives together again. Chloe had given up on dating, figuring a forty plus year old mom had a better chance of winning the lottery blindfolded while being struck by lightning than finding someone. But the redhead had also found that her life was surprisingly complete as it was, aside from physical intimacy. Her need for touch never went unacknowledged: Joy got her mother's desire for cuddles, Beca had always allowed the redhead great leeway in her handsy ways. But sexual needs were woefully uncared for. That made her wonder about Beca, who never seemed to be attached to anyone. Which made her remember the letter, realize WHY Beca never had anyone, reevaluate their connection. Sometimes, that would lead them to the precipice of something beyond friendship - like moving very close to each other on the couch, fingers drifting over hands in the kitchen, kisses to the cheek when leaving. Other times, Chloe would pull back, afraid to lose what she had and confused by what she was feeling. Beca understood, having gone through that process back in college. She never wavered in her commitment to her friend. She poured everything she could into the lives of her two favorite ladies. She enjoyed the closeness, and she realized that there perhaps was hope of something more. And that was more than enough.

TWENTY YEARS

"Why am I so nervous?" Chloe wiped her hands on her dress for what seemed like the twentieth time. "I'm sweating. This is ridiculous."

"Mom, you'll be fine." Joy grasped her mother's arms and offered her a reassuring smile. "There is nothing to worry about."

Chloe's face was lined with concern. "What if … what if she doesn't … want this?"

The teenager frowned at the question. "You know she does. She always has."

The bright blue eyes swam with tears. "I can't lose her."

"You won't," the same blue eyes insisted. "It's Beca. She loves you."

Chloe nodded and took in a deep breath, then released it. She grabbed the envelope and walked with determination across the sprawling house. She knew Beca wasn't home; the brunette was helping get the Bella World Champion Twentieth Anniversary celebration set up over at Barden. Chloe and Joy were going to head over in a few minutes to join the party. But she had something to do first. She cautiously walked into Beca's bedroom. She wasn't afraid to go in; she had been in there thousands of times. But this was different. She walked to the neatly made bed and held the envelope. Placing a soft kiss to it, Chloe set the letter on Beca's pillow. Then she turned and walked back to get her purse and her daughter and drive to the party.

My Precious Beca,

I need to apologize for several things. First, I apologize that I am stubborn, that I was unable to embrace the truth. That I do indeed love you. Second, I apologize that I wasted so many years where we could have been together. Third, I apologize for never giving us a chance.

It has taken me far too long to realize what I should have known all along. But now that I know, I don't want to wait a single moment more. I want to be with you. Not just as friends, not just as housemates. I want to be your wife. I want to be your other half. We have known each other for more than twenty years. We don't need to get to know each other or know if this is right. You've known it for years. They Bellas know it. My family knows it. My own teenager knows it. And I finally know it.

Beca Mitchell, I love you. As you so eloquently said, "I can't get over the fact that I am deeply, stupidly in love with my best friend." Will you please let me love you like you have loved me for the last twenty years? Will you marry me?

Yours forevermore,

Chloe

The reunion would last the whole weekend, but it kicked off with a huge celebration on Friday night. There were now hundreds of Bellas in the history of the storied group. Generations mixed and laughed together. There were dozens of Legacy members now as time allowed more previous members to have daughters and nudge them towards Barden. Chloe would soon be able to experience that as Joy was nearing the end of high school and planned to attend the same university and join the Bellas. The World Champion roster all found each other and caught up, gushing over how big children had become and laughing as they recalled their adventures. All of them noticed the closeness between Beca and Chloe, smiling at how some things never changed - but also curious if things ever advanced past friendship. Stacie's daughter Bella and Chloe's daughter Joy visited and talked about college plans - tossing the idea of rooming together around. The bonds of friendship and family were celebrated. Hours later, the party wound down. There were still activities planned for the next two days, so most of the women departed for their hotels or houses. Some of the current Bellas and younger alumni kept the party going at the (still) empty pool on campus. Chloe let Joy go off with Bella on the promise they would be home before midnight. She scanned the room for Beca but didn't see her, so she headed home.

She entered the front door and called out to see if the brunette was home yet. After setting her bag down, Chloe looked up and saw Beca standing across the foyer, holding a letter in her hand and quivering. In the excitement of the evening, Chloe had managed to forget about the envelope she had placed on Beca's bed. The redhead swallowed deeply and watched as Beca took a few tentative steps forward.

"Do … do you … mean this?" Beca's face was hard to read. It was lined with intense emotion, but not clearly communicating what was going on in her head.

Chloe nodded and softly replied, "Every word."

Tears began to stream down the brunette's face as she stepped closer. "Please … don't … don't give me false hope." She was anguished now. "Please tell me you really mean this. For sure."

Tears welled up in the bright blue eyes. Chloe stepped forward until she was directly in front of her friend. "More than anything." With that, Beca collapsed into Chloe's arms. The redhead lowered herself and Beca to the floor and sat, arms wrapped around her love as sobs echoed in the spacious room. When the tears subsided, Chloe reached into the pocket of her dress and pulled out a ring. She held it up and caressed Beca's cheek until the brunette lifted her head. She smiled brightly. "Does that mean yes?"

Beca nodded and smiled. "God, yes!"

Chloe slid the ring onto Beca's finger. Then she placed her hands on the sides of Beca's face and pulled her in for a kiss. It was soft and gentle. But it carried the weight of decades of love and friendship. And it promised a future together. The new couple kissed again and again, the passion building. They stumbled to Beca's bedroom and allowed twenty years of pent up feelings spill out. Then they held each other the rest of the night. The next day, they woke up for the first day of their new life together. Joy squealed in delight when the women came into the kitchen with huge smiles on their faces. At the Bellas event that day, everyone screamed and cheered when they spotted the ring on Beca's finger and the lovestruck looks on her and Chloe's faces. Beca's heart was full. She had everything she ever wanted, and it was so much more than she could have dreamed.