Weigh Hey, and Up She Rises
Hetty stood in the upstairs drawing room, her hands clasped but fidgeting, staring out the window like the answer to her existential crisis might appear at the treeline below. Nothing about Captain O’Malley— Johanna— or the way her phantom heart thundered treasonously in her chest whenever the pirate so much as glanced her way—made any sense.
And yet, here she was. Confused. Ruffled. And, most infuriatingly, head over heels.
She let out a large sigh, not noticing the sound of footsteps behind her until an all too familiar voice broke through her contemplation.
“Dude, this is like, the third time I’ve seen you pacing up here. Either you’ve finally lost it, or something’s seriously on your mind.”
Hetty jumped, hands instinctively to her throat, before turning to see Trevor in the doorway. Of course, it was him. Of all the spirits in the house—why did it have to be her ex-paramour?
“I am perfectly fine,” she said, far too quickly, voice much louder than she intended.
Trevor raised an eyebrow. “Riiiiiiight. You’re totally giving off a ‘fine’ vibe. Not at all like someone having a total crisis. C’mon Hetty, what’s going on?”
“I hardly see why I should,” she snapped, before realizing her mistake and softening. “It is hardly appropriate to discuss certain personal matters with an…ex-lover.”
Trevor blinked, caught off guard for a moment before his lips curled into a smirk. “Whoa. ‘Ex-lover?’ Bold of you to make it sound so dramatic. Come on, Hetty—we’re way past that, right? I mean, we’re power friends.”
Hetty gave an almost imperceptible nod, lips twitching despite her tension. “Yes, well…power friends or not, these matters must remain delicate.”
“Hetty,” Trevor said, stepping closer. “I care about you. Regardless of our past, I really hope you know you can tell me anything—I’ve got your back.”
For a moment, she hesitated. She wasn’t one for vulnerable confessions, and this—this felt particularly difficult. But Trevor just stood there, eyes patient and sincere, and she realized perhaps Trevor was exactly who she needed.
“I…” She exhaled, lowering her voice. “I believe I may have…feelings for Captain O’Malley.”
Trevor’s eyebrows shot up. “Whoa... okay. That is both unexpected and kind of badass.”
“You do not find it… dishonorable?” Hetty asked, her voice quieter now.
“Uh, no? She’s hot. And charming. And has, like, that whole sexy pirate swagger thing going on. If I were you, I’d be in the same boat.” He paused, waggling his eyebrows. “Pun fully intended.”
“It is far more complicated than that!” Hetty huffed, frustrated. “I was a wife! I birthed my husband’s children! I have always known what was expected of me. I pushed…“ she paused, trying to swallow the lump in her throat. “…thoughts like these aside for years.”
Trevor’s smile faded as he registered the meaning in her words. “Hetty wait, you’ve felt this way before?”
Hetty quieted, the confession heavy on her tongue. “Yes,” she admitted quietly. “When I was alive—there were women. Friends, mostly. I cared for them too deeply. But such feelings were not…appropriate for a woman.” She shook her head, as if shaking off the ghost of her former self. “I buried it. I had no other choice. I knew where women who felt like this ended up.”
Trevor let out a low sigh, scrubbing his hand across his face. “Hetty... that’s a lot to carry around.”
“I did not carry it—I locked it away,” she said stiffly. “My future was decided. There was no room for…that.”
Trevor tilted his head, his smirk returning just slightly. “Okay, first of all—welcome to the club.”
Hetty blinked, head tilting. “Club?”
“The ‘oh no! I like both club.’ There’s a name for that: it’s called being bisexual, Hetty.
Hetty frowned slightly, as if trying to work through the new vocabulary. “Bi…sexual?”
“Yeah. It means you’re into more than one gender. And before you ask—yes, that’s allowed. You’re not breaking some weird sexual code of conduct.”
Hetty’s brow furrowed as she mulled this over. “…And you are also this…bisexual?”
“Uh, yeah,” Trevor said, casually. “I had a girlfriend and a boyfriend in college. No biggie.”
“You did?” There was genuine surprise in her voice now, laced with a touch of curiosity.
“Yep, and guess what? I didn’t burst into flames. It’s not some moral failure—it just means you’re human. Or, well, ghost-human. Whatever.” Trevor waved his hand.
Hetty fell silent, her thoughts spinning. For so long, she had clung to the rigid ideals of her time, defining herself by the narrow roles society had carved out for her. But here, in this strange afterlife—things were different. She was different.
“And…this does not trouble you?” she asked finally. “That I am confiding in you about…her?”
Trevor’s face softened. “Hetty, come on. I’ll always care about you—but I love you as a friend. You can tell me anything. And, for the record?” He grinned before leaning in, stage whispering. “You have my blessing to go after your hot pirate girlfriend.”
Hetty let out an exasperated breath, but there was warmth in it—a hint of relief. “She is not my ‘girlfriend,’ Trevor.”
“Yet,” he countered, offering his fist to her.
Hetty sighed, but a small smile tugged at her lips as she bumped her knuckles against his in the familiar gesture.
“That’s my girl,” Trevor said, his smirk returning. “And hey—if you ever want to talk more about the whole ‘bi’ thing, I’m your guy. Power friends gotta stick together, right?”
Hetty shook her head fondly, but as he strolled away, the weight on her chest felt just a little lighter. Perhaps—just perhaps—there was room for something new in her afterlife after all.