Always And Forever

Vulnerability

Fernando Rodriguez has been quiet for five minutes. Thats how long Senator Lance Cuitano has been explaining himself. He stood by the glass window of his study. Hands tightly gripping his phone while the other on his waist. He looked calm, dangerously calm.

"Senator?", Cuitano called from the other line noticing the former senator's silence.

"Lance", the chairman's voice carried great weight enough for Cuitano to know that he terribly messed up. "You were supposed to establish her involvement. You were supposed to make her look complicit. Instead, you let that lawyer turn your witnesses inside out".

"The circumstances changed, chairman. Atty. Ferrero-"

"Isa pa yang si Pangilinan", Fernando cut in, pinching his temple with such frustration.

Cuitano became silent. He knew too well that silence was the best option at that moment.

"Next hearing", the chairman started again. "You better do your job properly, Cuitano. Tandaan mo kung bakit ka nandyan sa senado ngayon".

=

"I am a physician. My passion is medicine. Hindi ako magnanakaw."

Riza's voice echoed through Ferdinand's quiet office. He had just finished watching the hearing, and it only meant one thing: Relief-Riza's name is slowly being cleared and his decision about her termination was greatly justified.

He reached for his phone in his pocket. Opened a conversation he had been avoiding for several days and began typing a message.

"I hope punching your grandson was worth it".
Sent.
Delivered.

He didn't even bother to wait for a reply. He just leaned back and stared outside. Finally, a time to breathe. The rain hasn't spared Manila for the past days, Bongbong just watched those droplets race down through the glass windows of his office. All of his agenda for that day were officially finished, and yet, going home didn't cross his mind.

He pulled out his phone again, "Did you watch the hearing?". Without second thoughts he sent his message to Leni.

Not long after, a notification popped up. "Yes".
One word yet it brought a smile to his face.
"Nasa office ka pa ba?". He hit send again.
"Yep, just finishing a few charts pa"
"Nag dinner ka na ba?"
"Nope. I actually forgot"

Bongbong sat up and frowned. "Wait there". Not a second was wasted after he sent that message. He immediately stood up, grabbed his jacket and headed out.

Leni didn't even notice his reply. Her eyes were glued to her monitor, silently filling out her patient's chart.

The knock came thirty minutes later. "Bukas yan" , she said without bothering to ask who it was. The door opened, Bongbong emerged carrying a huge paper bag and a cup of coffee.

When Leni glanced up, she immediately stopped typing. "Oh, doc".

"Pati ba naman dinner kinakalimutana mo", he placed the bag on the table and started unpacking.

She watched as he pulled two large containers of food and a box of dessert. For a moment, her office was filled with the rustling sound of the paper nag and the soft clicks of Bongbong opening the containers.