Lipstick Stains

As much as I can - Finale

Risa spent her life waiting for her turn with Leni, though she spent it that way unknowingly.

She waited for her turn to kiss her cheek, congratulate her, and take a picture with her during her inauguration as Vice President. She waited for her turn to bump fists, or for quick hugs as a way to say hello during the 2016 and 2022 campaigns. She waited until Leni was done greeting everyone and she's the only one left. They would always hug briefly but it was more than enough.

Or more than both of them could ever say.

Whatever they had at that time, or since the years prior to that, was special. Risa knew that much. But it wasn't until later that she realized it meant so much more than what it initially did.

Like Leni, Risa found her comfort and solace in their relationship. She found it in Leni herself. Her distant looks filled with adoration, her silent assurance through touches, and her words that were short but what she wanted to say perfectly encapsulated everything you needed to hear. She was always a woman of few words.

Looking back at it now, she thought, "How was it that I never thought that there could be something more to us?"

Risa spent her life waiting for her turn with Leni unknowingly. Now she's here, finding herself fidgeting nervously inside the Office of the President as she waited for Leni's phone call to end. How she loved spending time with Leni, both platonically and...well, you know. She wished they could spend time romantically.

She sighed and scolded herself, muttering, "Happy crush lang pero wala pa nga kayong pinag-uusapan kilig na kilig ka na."

Leni returned to the room, her attention now fully on Risa. "Sorry, that took longer than expected."

"It's okay, is everything alright?" She asked, voice laced with concern.

"Oo naman. Nandito ka na eh."

"Nako, 'wag ka ganyan," Risa thought to herself as a blush formed on her cheeks. "Mahina ang kalaban mo, Maria Leonor, baka tumili ako dito."

"Ikaw ha, baka mamaya ma-fall ako sa'yo." She said, jokingly. Though of course there's already some truth to that.

"Edi ma-fall ka," Leni smiled at her sincerely and Risa could swear that she almost melted, "Handa naman akong saluhin ka eh."

------------------

Risa spent her life waiting for her turn with Leni unknowingly. Now, here she was waiting for Leni to fix the microphone before stating her vows.

"Wait lang po ha," Leni laughed, her eyes crinkled as she fixed the microphone. The intimate crowd joined in the laughter. Risa stared at her wife who was clad in white. "How lucky am I to be with a woman like you?" She thought.

"Ayan, okay na." Her wife's voice echoed inside the huge dining hall. Leni cleared her throat and faced Risa, their eyes meeting. Immediately, the younger woman is reminded of that time she had a boy-meets-girl moment, like those in movies, when they bumped into each other at the mall. She's definitely having another moment like that now.

"To my dearest Ana Theresia..."

Risa listened to Leni's vows, her emotions overwhelming her. Tears sprung in her eyes as Leni narrated the fight that they had before her proposal, and then she laughed as Leni recounted the instances they tiptoed around each other kasi masyado silang torpe para aminin 'yung nararamdaman nila. She cowered in embarrassment as her now wife poked fun at her jealous moments.

"Risa 'mambabakod' Hontiveros ata pangalan niyang asawa mo!" Trilly joked from the crowd.

"Hindi niyo lang alam, 'yung S sa pangalan nyan, selosa talaga meaning no'n kaya nga maraming S eh. Sobrang selosa kasi." Kiko joined in.