Ace of Hearts

Price To Pay

Risa woke up to the sound of her alarm. Like the previous days, she got out of bed and washed her face before opening her laptop to check for work updates. It was around 7 AM and it was a weekend so she really wasn't expecting much work to be done.

The decision to go to Boston wasn't easy. There was the matter of her duty in the Senate, her children, and of course, herself.

Was she mentally and emotionally ready to see Leni again? Ready to try again with her, consequences be damned this time around?

Would Leni even want to see her again? Would she be ready to try again and throw everything else aside to finally make way for their love?

Was she — as she had promised — whole again so she could finally return to Leni?

The healing process was not as easy as Risa had initially thought. She sought medical help, as she had planned, but it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows and healing. Times tried her, and they tried her hard. One minute, she was fine, and the next, she wasn't.

But therapy helped. She was grateful that her children were supportive of it. And yes, after years of hiding it from her children, she decided she needed all the help she could get and told them about it.

Slowly but surely, Risa started singing again. She began to cook and make time for other things in her life, she didn't see work as too much of a burden like it was after the 2022 elections. Slowly but surely, Risa found her way back to herself. Back to the things she loved doing.

And then came the day she wanted to go back to her love.

Truly, Risa had missed Leni more than the time she ever was with her. She wanted to make up for that. Taking all the necessary measures, she checked her schedule if she could take at least 3 weeks of work away from the country. Luckily, all odds were on her side because she could. The senator took that as a sign that she was doing the right thing. That the universe, however (in her words) fucked up it may be, finally permitted her and Leni to find their way back to each other.

Granted, of course, that Leni would welcome her back. But then again, the older woman promised and Risa knew she was a woman of her word.

Risa flew to Boston, heart lit with hope for the better days to come.

Better days did come.

Seeing Leni in person for the first time in three years, watching her from across the warm lights of the coffee shop, seeing the more prominent lines on her face, the strands of silver hair by her ear, eyes still shining ever so brightly, Risa felt like she ran out of words to say.

Naglakas-loob kang pumunta sa Boston ngayon ka pa ba aatras? She said to herself, trying to calm the hyper yet overly tensed nerves in her body. That Wednesday, as she approached Leni and talked to her, Risa felt like she was floating on air. Ang ganda ganda mo talaga, mahal ko.

The smile on Leni's face, still genuine as ever, made her heart skip a beat. Rather, skip many beats because she really could not stop smiling at her reality — Leni was here. And she was with Leni.

Then she toured around with her on campus and she swore that with every little thing Leni would do or say, she was smitten. And she loved it. They were in Boston, so far away from home yet so, so free.

Her staff sent an email about her schedule for the following days and from that, she has confirmed that luck really was on her side. Her preparation before going to Boston made working remotely easier.

Risa shut her laptop off and smiled. May date ulit kami. Her heart beat wildly in her chest and she could feel the familiar heat in her cheeks. Even just the thought of spending time with Leni made her so happy. She took a shower then opened her phone to text the other woman.