All Clear, Attorney

E

"HOW DID YOU know that I was already awake?" She couldn't help but ask him as she drank her water.

Kakatapos niya lang maghugas ng pinagkainan nila, and while she washed the dishes, Alex was just sitting on his chair, looking at her as if analyzing her behavior.

Sanay na siya na gano'n talaga ito makatitig kahit kanino, but she still couldn't help but be intimidated. Feeling his stares bore into her soul always makes her heart jump. . . and she doesn't know whether it's from pressure or. . . she just admires him.

Or both.

Huminga siya nang malalim at ibinaba ang baso bago tuluyang hinarap ang lalaki. 'Di niya maiwasang tingnan ang bangs nitong nakatali, and she had to look away to stop herself from smiling.

Cute.

"I was still awake, and I felt your footsteps' vibration. Mabibigat ang mga yabag mo, Jacinda," he muttered without no emotions at all and clicked his tongue.

Nag-iwas na lang siya ng tingin. He's really like that pati na ang mga kapatid nito. They have brains anyone would die to have. They're quick to notice things, and they're really sharp especially when it comes to analyzing behavior.

Sa susunod talaga, gagawin niyang magaan ang mga yabag niya!

"But why were you waiting for me?" Ayaw niya namang umasa, so she guessed he must have something important to tell her.

"Because I want to ask about your progress."

"With the codals?"

"Yes."

"I'm quite familiar with the Philippine law already." She flashed him a bright smile. Napatitig ito saglit sa kanya na para bang nag-iisip bago tumagilid ang ulo nito.

"If I have a wife and I saw her having sex with someone, is it legal to kill her or not?"

She blinked, not expecting that question. He's testing her, huh?

Sighing, she dug the nail of her thumb into her palm, hoping she won't mess up, before answering him, "Yes, and you won't be imprisoned. It was stated in the Article 247 of the Revised Penal Code, if I remember it correctly.

"Tanging destierro lang ang ibibigay sa 'yo, and your actions will be justified as an act of passion provoked by the illicit act that you had just seen. But," she dug her nail into her palm deeper, "dapat gagawin iyon kapag nakita mo talaga sa akto, and not because you heard rumors of them having sex."

She swallowed the lump in her throat and gave her palm a last one push before relaxing her thumb. "Am I right, Attorney?" Tumitig siya sa mga mata nito, and she felt confident with her answer that she could feel her heart beating fast inside her.

She feels like a student who's answering the question of her terror professor, and being able to answer his question provided her relief.

Sumilay ang maliit na ngisi sa mga labi nito. He clasped his hands, put them on the table, and leaned forward without taking his gaze off her.

"But what if I got imprisoned and I don't want to get a lawyer? Who will represent me?" Bahagyang tumagilid ang ulo nito at mas tumitig pa sa kanya.

Muntik na siyang mapangisi nang marinig ang sinabi nito. She suddenly remembered the time when she asked him why the cases that she had been reading were all represented by 'lawyers' and not an 'attorney' because as far as she knows, lawyers cannot represent clients in court, but an attorney can.

Alex told her that all attorneys are lawyers, but lawyers are not attorneys. Only then she was enlightened why they were addressed as 'lawyers' in the court.