Black Out

Bonus Chapter: Wave After Wave

Risa spent the whole day busy in her office, going through everything the documents that her staff gathered for her upcoming Senate hearing. Some of her staff were there, luckily, and they kept her company during breaks.

She was planning to stay the night but her security suddenly appeared and drove her home. She knew who had summoned him and quickly conveyed her frustration to Leni.

"I'm a grown-ass woman and this isn't the first time that a senator spent the night at the office. Some of my colleagues did that too. Why can't I?" she texted her in protest.

"Because you need enough rest. Wala ka na nga sa oras kumain tuwing may hearing kayo tapos gabi ka pa makakauwi? And I'm reminding you na hindi normal na kaso ang hinahawakan ninyo ngayon, delikado kung magpapagabi ka pa ng uwi."

The argument continued until Risa arrived home. She felt that Leni was being overprotective and unfair, treating her like a high school student. She didn't want that.

Risa left Leni's last message unanswered as she took a long shower and went to bed, sulking.

When her alarm went off the next morning, she was already in the kitchen, fixing herself breakfast while waiting for her driver.

She hadn't checked her other phone so she was surprised when Leni called her at her old number.

"What?" she answered curtly.

"Galit ka pa sa'kin?"

"Yes."

"Nag-aalala lang naman ako sa'yo," hissed Leni. She didn't want to raise her voice and wake her daughters in the other room.

"And you don't have to! I can take care of myself naman."

"Alam ko pero gusto kong alagaan ka. Ano pang papel ko sa buhay mo kung hindi?" Leni heaved a sigh. "I know you would always do well in your senate hearings. Ang gusto ko lang, 'yung sigurado akong safe kang makakauwi palagi."

Risa didn't reply.

"Anyway, I just want to let you know na nakauwi na rin si Aika from her trip at kasama na rin namin ngayon ni Jill. Ayun lang naman. Bye."

"Wait! Leni!"

"Ano?"

Risa took a deep breath, swallowed her pride, and did what she thought would be the mature thing to do. "I'm sorry," she apologized.

"Ayos lang. Alam kong stressed ka. Sige na, ibababa ko na. Bye."

Leni hung up before Risa could say another word.

Risa began to feel guilty so she took her other phone and messaged Leni. "I'm really sorry, Love."

Leni didn't reply until much later when Risa was already finished with her hearing. Even then, the reply was just a short "Ayos lang."

Risa got a lot of messages and phone calls that day, congratulating her on her another successful committee hearing. Many of her colleagues and friends had seen the livestream and how she handled the frustrating people involved in the case. She also received envious looks from her other colleagues who probably thought that they deserved the attention that Risa was getting since they had been there longer. None of it mattered to her as much as the fact that Leni might still be upset with her.

Looking back, she realized that she shouldn't have taken her anxiety out on Leni like that and that the former vice president was just being a caring colleague instead of an overprotective girlfriend.

For the first time since their status changed, Risa wondered whether the line between their relationships was too thin for them to walk on– whether arguments like last night would keep occurring because of misunderstandings or difficulties in differentiating the other person's reason and role when she did what she did. Whether disagreements as colleagues would spill over to their personal relationships.