The First Daughter

7

"Stop ruining my life, Maine." It was the last thing Alden told her when she tried to apologize for what happened. It kept playing in her head like a broken record. Stop ruining my life, Maine. She tossed and turned, until she reached out for her phone to call Major Richards. Maine, just talk to him and apologize again.

It was already 4 in the morning, and Alden was doing his early morning fitness routine before they leave for Maine's speaking engagement at some university in Laguna at 6 in the morning. His phone began to ring. Ma'am Maine calling...

"Hello, Ma'am?" He rolled his eyes. First day back, and she's out to do some damage this early, he thought. 

"Major Richards?"

"Yes?"

"Can you meet me in the kitchen?" Why would she want me to meet her at the kitchen? Is she drunk?

"Okay, Ma'am."

***

Alden went to the kitchen to find Maine dressed in a hoodie and jeans. She was sitting on one of the high chairs by the kitchen counter top. She doesn't look like she got any rest at all. Her hair was tied in a bun. She looked simple and meek.

"Ma'am Maine, anything I can do for you?" He said coldly and Maine sensed it immediately.

"Major Richards, can I talk to you?" Silence filled the air, and Maine just went on. "I'm really sorry okay? For ruining things for you, for being so selfish and reckless. Ang sama sama kong tao. I didn't even think how you would feel or think what the repercussions of my actions are." Her lips trembled and her eyes started to water. She wanted to fight back the tears. When she cries, her sobs turn into asthma attacks, especially when she cries too hard.

Alden wanted to feel for her and tell her it's okay, but a part of him thinks that her apologies might be insincere in order to avoid trouble. This time, so much was at stake. His reputation and career as a military man could be at risk, and he wasn't just going to give it to her that easily.

"Tumayo ka na diyan, let's just co-exist please. I'm just here to do my job, Ma'am. As far as I'm concern, I don't care what you do, as long as I get to do my job and keep you safe and protected, walang problema." His words stung like a bee.

"Major Richards, please accept my apology. I promise, I'll try to be better."

"Alam mo, Maine. Di lahat ng tao magiging patient sa'yo. Di lahat ng tao kaya ka sakyan o pagbigyan sa mga gusto mo. The people around you care about you so much kaya pa sila nandyan kahit ganyan ka. If it were up to me, linayasan na kita sa club palang kasi mali eh. Pero mali din iwan ka doon kasi yun ang tungkulin ko... na bantayan ka. Mommy mo sobrang nasasaktan na nagkakaganito ka kung alam mo lang, so don't take offense when people tell you off. Isa lang hiniling niya sa akin, 'to be patient with you' and I gave her my word. As my commander-in-chief, I am doing this for her as her subordinate. I am staying because of her. Not because I want to."

"I know that now, Alden."

***

Maine was about to light a stick of Marlboro on the way to the university when she got a glimpse of Alden and saw him at the rear-view mirror staring back at her. Immediately, she took the stick out of her mouth, and kept it inside its case. She stared at the window and just fiddled with her phone. She noticed how deep Alden's dimples were, and how the stubble on his face makes him his sweet-boy look a bit sexier. Kuya Jose was out on a day off, so it was just her and Alden in the car followed by a back up. 

"Ma'am, music?"

"Okay."

Today, Maine promised that if it's not impossible to do, she'll just say yes to Alden to keep the peace between them because as much as she was his boss, she wanted to earn his trust and to be her friend. Alden turned on the radio. Maine bobs her head to the rhythm with her eyes closed, and this time she sets free. Alden lightly smiles looking at Maine from the rear view mirror.

If only she spent less effort on hating so much, and was just this carefree, then it wouldn't be so hard...

It wasn't long until she had fallen asleep with her mouth open, while her seat was reclined extensively and covered with a blanket. Again, Alden smiled at how childish she looked. Laguna was still twenty minutes away, and at least she can be able to squeeze in a power nap, before she starts with her day.

The conversation they had comes back once in a while during his drive. He knew he was a bit too harsh giving her the "real talk", as his sister would put it, but he knew that someone has to do it. Not even the first daughter has the right to degrade, humiliate, and disrespect him like that, and he will never take any of it. He was not raised to be stepped on. If he can just break through her walls, and just be able to tell her off, hopefully he'd be even willing to be her friend.

"Ma'am." He called out. "Ma'am Maine." Still, she didn't wake up from her nap. "Maine!"

That got her attention, and she jolted awake at Alden's command. "Yes? Richards?"

"Nandito na tayo. Okay na daw bumaba." He goes back to his cold demeanor.

"Salamat." She wipes off the excess saliva forming on the side of her mouth, smoothens her dress, and brushes her hair.

Barely an hour in the venue and Maine finished her engagement. After several photo-ops, Alden caught a few of the university students' attention. They approach him, giggling like lovestruck teenagers waving their phones in his face. He's always had a pretty face. In military school, he always charmed his way by being voted as Most Charming. Some would even tease him that if being in the military doesn't work out, he might as well be an actor. This, however, was never important to him.

"Kuya, pa-picture po!"

"Ay oh! Ang pogi ni Kuya Tisoy!"

"Kuya, may girlfriend ka na po?"

Maine caught on this. Usually as protocol would have it, he should only pay attention to his principal, therefore he cannot have any distractions. He just ignored the requests and pleas of the students until it was Maine who made the request. "Major Richards, sige na. Pagbigyan mo na sila. I'll be fine," with her tone soft and sweet.

"Ma'am, hindi po pwede. It's against our protocol."

"Kahit kasama ako? Sige na. Do it for them. I'll be in the pictures as well to avoid breaking protocol," Maine insisted.

Alden was obedient to her request. Several of the girls got their pictures taken, but Maine had stayed beside Alden the entire time. "Napasaya mo sila, salamat Alden."

***

"Alden." Maine called out from the backseat of the car.

"Yes?"

"Can I ask you a question?"

It was a long drive back home, and the silence between them made Maine uncomfortable, because the guilt still crept up to her. She couldn't take Alden's silence and would trade his nagging or scolding rather than his silence.

"What is it?"

"Are you really such a protective person?"

"It's my job." He tried to keep it short, but eventually thought he could talk about it with her. No matter how Maine got on his nerves, he's had a soft spot for her. "Well, my girlfriend died from lung cancer two years ago. That is why I regretted going to Mindanao, I could've spent time with her and our daughter. I wish I could've done more. I guess now, I've always had that instinct to be overprotective with people... afraid that one day I'll end up losing them again. Not a lot of people know about it, so I would appreciate it if you can keep it between us."

"You have a daughter?" This shocked Maine. Alden didn't look old, and from what she remembers he's around twenty five or twenty six.

"Yes. Elisse. She's three now."

"I promise, Richards."