Dawn went straight to the bedroom when they made it home that night, slamming the door behind her. It had been an exhausting day, and it didn't help that she and Richard were not on speaking terms. Yet again.
She sat on the edge of the bed and took her heels off, the day still fresh in her head: how Richard decided -- on his own, without even consulting her -- to talk to Direk Joey, the brain behind their upcoming movie Iisa Pa Lamang, asking if he could push the important scene they were going to shoot that day to another time.
It made her angry, and it wasn't just because he failed to tell her, nor because she had really internalized the scene.
It was the fact that he didn't seem to understand how important work was to her -- the work that helped her family sail through tough times after her parents separated, the work that made her set aside her dreams of going to college, the work that was really all she has known.
But then, she realized that she failed to see things from his point of view. She had been in and out of the hospital for the past weeks. Perhaps that was what angered him, she thought.
She sighed and stood up, pulling the zipper behind her, and stepped out of the dress when it fell on the floor.
~~~
If there was something about Dawn that Richard had the hardest time getting used to, it was the fact that there really was no stopping her when it came to work.
This professionalism (which he once scolded her had bordered on obsession) was something he used to admire about her ---- how she really did research for her roles, the time she would pour into memorizing and internalizing her lines, her patience in waiting on the set and working long hours.
This dedication has taken her places, made people recognize her not just a celebrity but as a legitimate actress, and gave her to a number of projects that she said she just couldn't refuse.
Unfortunately, it has also led her to the hospital a couple of times.
It was becoming quite a concern for Richard, who also had to take time off his busy schedule to take care of her. Not that he minded -- he would rather be with her, especially at times like that. But when you've been in the hospital thrice in the past month, there really must be something you're not doing... or in Dawn's case, overdoing.
He raised this with Direk Joey, who was the brain behind Iisa Pa Lamang, the film that they were shooting together at that time. The revelation scene -- where Richard's Arman finds out that Dawn's Clara is the mistress of his ex-girlfriend's stepfather -- was supposed to be shot that day.
"The scene is intense, Direk," he said over the phone. "Baka mabinat."
The director agreed, much to Richard's relief, but he forgot to tell Dawn, who was infuriated in turn.
"You have to stop treating me like a baby, Richard!" she said when she confronted him about it. "Hindi na ako bata! Kaya ko ang sarili ko!"
Her outbursts were really becoming a test on his patience. He knew that she was one to talk back and escalate an argument if she felt like it, but after spending restless days watching over her in the hospital, and some more at home making sure that she was eating right and taking it slow, he knew he had to take his chances -- even if it angered her.
He sighed, trying to muster some extra calm. "Love, you just got out of the hospital. Hindi ka pa nga fully recovered. I mean, look at you, ang payat --"
"Payat naman talaga ako, Richard, eh!"
Another sigh as he tried to pull her closer. "I just did it for your own good."
