I sat on my desk, buried in paperwork but I wasn't exactly working. Not when my thoughts are all over the place and I'm pissed as hell.

"Risa, kumalma ka nga." Trillanes placed a hand on my shoulder to calm me down.

"Baka wala lang 'yun. Bumisita lang." Chel was here to comfort me too.

News of Kit visiting the president spread like wildfire. Apparently, a bystander saw Kit leaving the building with Leni in tow and decided that shooting a video of them would be fun.

I burst into tears at the thought of the two of them together. "Sabi niya sa'kin there wasn't anyone else. Na hindi niya kayang magmahal ng iba. So sino 'yung pangit na 'yun at bakit siya nando'n?" I almost shouted.

"Diba kilala mo 'yun? You used to be colleagues." Chel inquired.

"Pwes hindi ko na siya kilala ngayon." I buried my head in my arms. Chel and Trilly's comforting hands rubbed my back.

"Nababaliw na ako." I sobbed. "I miss her, sobra sobra. Ang sakit sakit pero miss na miss ko na siya."

Wala pang official statement si Leni or her team at hindi rin daw siya macontact nila Chel personally. Reporters were swarming the palace gates trying to corner the president into revealing the truth.

Leila entered the room and she saw me crying. "Iniiyakan mo 'yung balita? O 'yung pag-reject mo sa kanya nang paulit-ulit even when she tried her hardest to win you over?"

"Ano'ng balita?" I asked.

Leila motioned to the TV that she just turned on."Look."

"President Robredo and I are..." said Kit, surrounded by reporters as he was ambushed outside the palace gates.

I held my breath and stood up.

"Good friends. Nothing more, nothing less. Nagpunta ako sa condo nila for work purposes and she asked me to give her a ride papunta sa palace because she had to take care of a few things."

"Sir, wala po bang PSG si President Robredo or staff na pwedeng gumawa ng mga bagay na 'to for her?"

"Sorry ha. This is ridiculous. I AM one of her PSGs. President Robredo and I are not dating, have not dated, and will not be dating. She has made that very clear."

She has made that very clear.

What the hell does that mean? Made what clear? Ano'ng sinasabi nitong kiti-kiting 'to?

"Ris...ayan na nilinaw na. Stop overthinking things and go get your girl." Trilly had my bag in his hand and offered it to me.

"I don't think kailangan pa." Chel said.

I looked at him confused. "Why? What do you mean?"

He pointed outside where the presidential van just arrived. Bumaba si Leni, followed by her staff. May dala siyang envelope. The press followed her, swarming and surrounding her kaya hirap siyang makapasok.

"Ma'am Risa! Si President Robredo is outside po. Sabi niyo po 'wag siyang papasukin." My staff opened the door panicking.

"Let her in." I told them.

Kalma, Risa. She's your ex-girlfriend. Hindi mo naman siya first time makikita. Not since you rejected her through text.

"Leni..." I exhaled as she walked inside. Her eyes were bloodshot at ang dark ng eyebags niya halatang hindi pa siya natutulog.

"Leave us. Chel, Trilly, Leila, and the rest of you. Please, iwan niyo muna kami ni Risa dito."

"Leni. What's going on?" Trilly approached her and held her arm. She put a hand on top of Trilly's and said, "Marami. Sobrang dami. Pero mamaya ko na ipapaliwanag. Ako na bahala."

He nodded understandingly and pinalabas na 'yung iba. As soon as the door closed, Leni breathed a sigh of relief.

"Pwede ba akong magpayakap?" She asked and I see the tears forming in her eyes kaya tumango ako.

Niyakap niya ako, tighter than she's ever done before and I feel her cry softly on my neck. I hugged her back and she relaxed in my touch. I caressed her hair instead. Just like I used to do.

"Marry me," she whispers against my skin.

Tumigil 'yung mundo ko at nagpintig 'yung tenga ko. I looked at her shocked. She parted from me and looked at me dead in the eyes.

"Marry me, Risa." She put the envelope on my desk and urged me to open it.

Putangina.

Ano 'to?

Republic Act 15100, the paper stated. The Philippine Civil Union Act.

"It's only a few more months before I step down from office. After that, marry me."

I stared at her unbelievingly. "W-what?"

"Mahal kita. Hindi na ako mag-aaksaya ng oras, hindi na tayo mag-aaksaya ng oras."

"Leni, what are you saying?"

"What I've been saying kanina pa. Pakasalan mo ako."

Once again, Leni succeeded in rendering me speechless. She brought out a ring and placed it right in front of me.

"I worked on that for 6 months. Alam ko 'yung hirap na pinagdaanan mo, passing that law into the Senate 3 years ago. Sobrang bagal ng progress niya, sobrang dami ng tumutol that I had to pull strings for the past months. I needed Kit's help kasi he knew a lot of people in the Congress. Nakipag-usap ako sa mga nag-endorse sa'kin na members of the Church during the 2022 campaign. I know this isn't what you initially wanted — the actual legalization if same sex marriage, pero this is one step closer to that. And we can get married."

My eyes teared up and my throat felt dry. "Leni..."

"I'm sorry. Alam ko hindi 'to excuse kung bakit ako naging busy in the past months. So here I am, showing you the fruits of your own labor. You did it, Ris.

And we can get married. Pwede na nating gawin 'yung mga matagal na natin gustong gawin. We can enjoy the smallest of freedoms — the daily peace of loving plainly, just as we've always wanted. Kaya andito ako sa harap mo ngayon, asking you for the second time in this lifetime.

Let's cherish the rest of our lives together. Without fear of being discovered, or fear of our names being tarnished. Live the rest of your life with me. Make mistakes along the way with me, fool around the world with me. Kahit ano'ng gusto mo gagawin natin. So please, marry m—"

"Yes."

"Patapusin mo muna ako. Marry m...wait, ano? Yes? Ano'ng yes?"

"Yes, I'll marry you."

----------

"President Leni Robredo signs RA 15100, also known as The Philippine Civil Union Act, and announces engagement with former senator Risa Hontiveros."

"The LGBTQIA+ hold a spontaneous march today all over the country in solidarity with the president and the former senator, and for the victory of the Civil Union passage. Truly a historic moment in Philippine history."

"My dear friends, love is the currency of our struggle. And now, we celebrate our victory. Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. Which is why today, love wins."

-----------

"What did Kit mean when he said that you made it clear na hindi kayo dating?" I asked.

"Ah. I rejected him. As in straight up hurt his feelings kasi he won't stop making moves on me."

"What did you say?"

"Sabi niya kasi, gagawin daw niya lahat para maging kami. So I told him: Tulungan mo akong maipasa 'yung civil union act. Pakakasalan ko si Risa."

-----------

"It's taken us quite a long time to get here, huh?" I tell Leni who laid beside, admiring the new ring on her finger. I intertwined her hands with mine.

"That's okay. We're home now."