Watching Sunrises

Sunrise + Sunset

A week has passed, and the sun's about to set in Loren's beach home in Antique, where Pia and Loren will stay for the week for Loren's data gathering work and Pia's Ironman tournament, respectively. The waves from the nearby beach crashed in a casual cadence, and the cicadas sang their piercing tune in time with it.

On the dining table, Loren's on her laptop with AirPods on both ears sorting through various paperwork necessary for her dissertation data gathering. The subtle clacking of laptop keys echoed throughout the kitchen, punctuated with some pauses to take a sip of salabat from time to time.

Right across Loren's makeshift workstation, Pia's in the kitchen rubbing some salt and pepper onto pieces of chopped chicken. Once the chicken's nice and seasoned, she chopped up some tomatoes, onions, and potatoes into cubes and crushed a bit of ginger.

After 15 minutes, she threw the chicken, vegetables, some lemongrass, and some coconut water in a pot and let it boil.

For Pia, there's something comforting, meditative even, about cooking something in the kitchen. From the chopping of the vegetables to assembling the dish, each step of the process nourished both her body and her mind.

Most of the time, her household staff does most of the cooking due to her busy schedule, but when she gets a chance to slow down and do the work herself, the tumultuous waters in her being calm down and the routine centers her to the present moment.

Seeing the people she loved enjoy her cooking is the cherry on top.

While checking the pot to see if the rest of the ingredients are ready to be added in, she felt Loren's fingers digging onto her waist. "P, is that binakol?"

Pia added the hot pepper leaves, scallions, and coconut meat into the pot. "Yes, love. Sorry, hindi naman ako cook, pero sana masarap."

Loren turned to the left side and kissed Pia's cheek. "Pilar, my dear, you're shortchanging yourself. Un ngang cramming na tuna casserole, napasarap mo, ito pa kaya na nilaanan mo ng oras?"

"But Reg–"

"No 'buts', Pilar." Loren said, squishing Pia's face. "Bawal ang self-deprecation sa tahanan natin."

Pia groaned. "Love naman..."

Loren gave her a toothless smile, then went back to the dining table and cleared her desk so she could set the table. After 5 minutes, Pia transferred the binakol into a serving dish.

Once everything was ready, they helped themselves to a serving of rice each and some of the binakol. Loren took a bite of some chicken and closed her eyes to savor each bite. "P, hindi ka ba talaga tubong-Antique? Sobrang sarap."

"Walang halong bola 'yan, dear?", Pia asked with an uncertain expression.

Loren simply stared at her.

Pia sighed. "Sorry, I'm still getting used to compliments about my cooking."

Seeing Loren get second helpings of her cooking proved to be the ultimate compliment in Pia's book. She remembered Loren's stories about her food trips as part of the Eating Club with Kiko before they both joined the Senate and has always questioned in her head if her meals could measure up.

Unlike Loren's penchant for flashy fanfare, Pia's always been the lower-profile one between them. Part of it's due to how they're wired, but the other side of the coin's due to the nagging feeling of never measuring up to her potential.

It has always been the same narrative for Pia's entire life for pretty much any skill – good at dabbling with various things, but never particularly excellent in any of them.

Her Senate track record? Always on the sidelines, never the front page.

Her athletic record? Good, but not elite level great.

Her relationship record? Good enough as an option, but never the priority.

Sometimes she wished she had the ambition Loren, Risa, or even Leni had - at least she had something to work towards and something to show for it.

Alas, her ambitions don't fall in that direction.

Pia then called Loren's again. "Reg?"

"Ano 'yun, dear?", Loren said before chewing a potato.

Part of Pia wished she didn't call her, but might as well bring it up while she had her attention. "Remember last week when you all asked me what my plans are after my term?"

Loren nodded. "Oo, kinabahan ako sa 'yo nun, eh."

Pia suddenly wanted to vanish into the void. "Never mind, ayoko nang mag-alala ka pa..."

"Pilar, what's wrong?", Loren inquired.

Loren looked at her with those eyes again - a look that draws her in back into the fold. "The reason I couldn't answer that question was...my answer is so embarrassing compared to all of yours."

"P naman, alam mo naman hinding-hindi kita ikakakhiya." Loren said, now focusing her attention on Pia.

"Okay, sasabihin ko na - I want to be a housewife." Pia said before taking a deep breath. " I just want to cook, do chores, have more time for my kids, hobbies, travel...maybe run a small business again."

She braced herself for the worst, but at the same time felt a huge weight lift off her shoulders upon saying that.

To her surprise, Loren started tearing up. "Be my housewife, then. You've always supported my dreams since day one. It's about time for me to support yours."

Pia's heart stopped for a split second when she heard those words. "Is she..."

Loren then brought out a small velvet box and opened it to reveal a ring with a bunch of stones set to form a sunset. "Pilar, my love, my partner in crime, my partner in life, we've waited for 16 years. Wag na tayo mag-antay ng anim na pung taon pa."

Tears of joy formed in Pia's eyes, still in disbelief that this is happening a couple of weeks into seeing each other again. "Regina, bruha ka..."

Loren's face fell into a crestfallen expression.

Immediately after, Pia then took out her own velvet box and opened it to reveal a ring set in a similar way, but this time with the colors of a sunrise. "Inunahan mo 'ko."

"Pilar naman, akala ko magdadabog na 'ko dito.", Loren said.

The two of them both wore their engagement rings on their fingers and wrapped themselves in the longest, tightest embrace they've given themselves in so long.

Pia then dragged Loren into the beach so they could catch the sunset, just like in the old days. With the waves as their music, they slow-danced on the beach and feel the sand on their feet with every step.

After minutes of dancing, they stopped and gazed into each other's eyes, still in disbelief about what just happened earlier.

Loren cupped Pia's cheek with one of her hands. Pilar, my dearest wife, I love you to the ends of this earth, and I promise to love you even more."

Pia brushed the hair off of Loren's face. "Regina, my beloved wife, I love you the mostest, and I always will."

As the light shifted and the colors changed, they shared the first of many kisses not as two halves forming a whole, but as two whole people choosing to share their lives and fight demons together side-by-side.

A/N: Sa mga magtatanong, hindi pa dito nagtatapos ang kwento hehe, pero kaunting kembot na lang.