Unlike [Object]s, References keep an internal reference counter so that they are automatically released when no longer in use, and only then. References therefore do not need to be freed manually with [method Object.free].
In the vast majority of use cases, instantiating and using [Reference]-derived types is all you need to do. The methods provided in this class are only for advanced users, and can cause issues if misused.
<linktitle="When and how to avoid using nodes for everything">https://docs.godotengine.org/en/3.2/getting_started/workflow/best_practices/node_alternatives.html</link>