Always And Forever

No visits

The door swung open. Leni stepped inside slightly damped catching her breath. The rain came as heavy as the news did. Sheets of water blurred Manila into nothing but lights and silhouettes.

"Riz?" she called, her soft voice echoed through the dark unit. No one answered. Only the faint light from the kitchen and the television indicated that someone was somehow still there.

Her eyes traveled from one thing to another, until she spotted a familiar figure. Facing the muted television, wrapped in the blanket they have impulsively bought that afternoon.

"Riza"

Riza slowly turned to her and gave her the weakest smile. Leni quietly approached her, knelt in front, before reaching out and gently held her hands. Trembling, freezing.

"I..."

The moment Riza spoke, her voice began to crack.

"I didn't do any of these", she looked down at her hands shaking uncontrollably inside Leni's.

"Ni hindi ko nga alam kung saan nila kinukuha yang mga yan"

Leni did not utter any reply. She didn't say it's okay, because it wasn't. She didn't say she believed her, because Riza already knew that. Instead, she simply sat beside her and wrapped both arms around Riza.

That was all it took.

With whatever composure Riza had left, she broke. Tears started raising down her cheek. The ones that she tried so hard to hold back.

With every sob that she made, Leni tightened her embrace. Sometimes, innocence didn't need immediate defending. Sometimes all a person needs is someone who is willing to stay while their world falls apart.

It took some time for Riza to calm down. The news continued playing, headlines after headlines. Every minute, her phone buzzed.

Leni pulled out from the hug, "Tubig?"

Riza just nodded. Just before Leni could reach the kitchen, the doorbell startled them both. It rang once, then twice, thrice. Until it became frantic, as if the person on the other side had no tomorrow.

Leni's eyes remained at the door. Knowing the situation that they were in, she asked, "May ine-expect ka bang bisita?"

Riza weakly shook her head, "Wala"

The doorbell rang again. Leni instinctively reached for her phone before quietly making her way to the door. She peeked through the peep hole, and without another word. She quickly unlocked the knob.

A cold gush of wind entered the apartment.

"Senator", her voice sounded relief.

Win stood in the hallway. Still wearing his barong from the senate. It clung to his frame, soaked heavily from the downpour outside. His neatly gelled hair has long been washed by the rain. Water dripped heavily from his sleeves onto the hallway floor. His chest rose and fell uneven as if he had ran half of Manila just to get there.

"Doc—", he managed between ragged breaths. He bent slightly, one hand braced against his knee. "Si Riza?", he swallowed, still trying to steady his breathing. "Pwede ko ba s'yang makita?"

His phone was still clutched on one hand. The screen glowing with dozens of unanswered calls to "Dr. Javier".

Leni stared at him for a second. She scanned his current state. It was not the usual polished Senator Sherwin Gatchalian. It was Win, only Win.