Thirty-Four Point Five

Chapter 9: Dancing With Our Hands Tied

"Ris, malapit na birthday mo. Tell me your wish this year. I'll do it basta 'yung kaya ko ha. Or anong gusto mong gift?"

"Pick me a star from the sky, the brightest one."

She heard Leni sigh in the other line, "Is that really your wish? 'Yung seryoso kasi."

"Mahirap bang gawin?" she grinned.

"Well, you have to ask me something I can actually do for you."

Risa clicked her tongue and thought of teasing the lawyer, she replied, "Then, please tell me you love me."

Only to be answered by the lawyer with her serious tone, "Haynako Risa, I already told you that you can't ask for something obvious kanina pa."

Silence.

You love me? Risa thinks, holding it back on her tongue.

She cleared her throat as if she didn't get what the lawyer meant with her reply, "Ano.. kahit ano. Ikaw bahala. Teka nga, it's already past your bedtime na, bakit tumawag ka pa just to ask that?"

She heard Leni chuckling, just by the sound of it she knew that the other woman was smiling, "Wala lang, you are the last person I want to talk to before I go to sleep. Sige na, baba mo na. Maaga pa bukas. Goodnight, Ris."

At this point, she swears that she could hear her heart beating fast. Because first, why would Leni say that? Was that a subtle confession? Or she's just in a mood to tease her?

She was about to yell at the other woman but before she could gather her thoughts, she heard the call ended and a message from her popped up.

VP Leni Robredo
Matulog ka na. 'Wag kang makulit, susumbong kita sa mga anak mo.

Sen Risa Hontiveros
Sungit naman ni jowa.

VP Leni Robredo
Jowa ka dyan. Sleep na, senator kulit.

***

For someone who had been surrounded by words almost all her life, Risa had left her speechless, wordless— she heard different kinds of i love yous but she never thought that she would be hearing it from the senator in this lifetime.

She never planned to confess her feelings this way, it's just it felt like she needed to tell her at that moment.

Ever since her late husband left, she devoted her life to her daughters— to do the things that they both want for their children, their plans and dreams for them and none of it included Leni falling for another person beside her late husband. But Leni thought that maybe her husband talked with the higher being to give her the person who would always support and be with her just like him.

Maybe, just maybe, the universe conspired to bring Risa to her, the woman who's always there for her, who never entered another relationship again because she faithfully waited for her on the sideline, who never entertained everyone else who tried so hard to please her simply because they are not better than Leni.

Casual hookups were not her thing ever, but what happened with Risa was so different and unexpected in a sense that it left her floored and yearning even though they promised that it was just a one time thing, and the fact that it didn't go away as soon as it swept her off of her wits made her want it more.

She didn't know what it was exactly.

Lust, maybe. Infatuation, probably.

But whatever it was, she wanted it.