in between the lines

where the wishes go

Leona barely made it through the door of the official residence. With her heels clicking on the marble floor, she could hear the soft hum of her security detail slowly fading behind her.

She's perfectly happy to just get home, shower and then snuggle up on the couch with a nice glass of wine, or if lucky, with another workaholic person she calls her wife. Her wife already broke the rules of not making a big deal out of her birthday this morning by bringing her breakfast with her usual tea. Yet as much as that meant to her, she'd prefer to just ignore the day altogether. 59 years na siyang nag c-celebrate ng birthday, parang oras na para may lie low.

Leona had spent the morning mediating a tense roundtable with her cabinet members regarding a revised bill. That itself was quite stressful, but productive nonetheless.

After that, she opted to treat her team for lunch. Then when she realized she had a few minutes to spare, she went back to her office to accommodate some papers. Hindi nawawalan ng gagawin.

However, she had been looking forward to the late afternoon the most—not as the President of the Philippines, but as just Leona to the people they were serving meals at a rural chapter of Angat Buhay. Ever since she got elected, Angat Buhay chapters proliferated in the country.

Big pots of hot sinigang, endless trays of fried chicken, and palabok bilaos are shared to everyone in the community. When she arrived, Leona immediately helped the staff to distribute the meals to those present.

On her way home, Leona's mind wandered to the time when their relationship was met with criticism. She thought about the media frenzy that erupted when the public first learned that the president was (1) a woman who is married with the same sex for 12 years, and (2) the person she married is one of the country's senator. Unfortunately, they received so much hate despite the country supposedly becoming more progressive.

The press have always been so eager to find a flaw. Two women in power together is a narrative that didn't fit neatly into the expectations of the traditional Filipino society. Half of the media is celebrating her birthday while the other half is somewhere creating another problematic content. The latter is consistent.

Leona cannot change their perspective if they don't want to. Still, she advocates for their rights, arguing with legislators who were opposing the significance of allowing same-sex marriage in the country. This was one of the things she vowed to accomplish; allow every Filipinos to enjoy the luxury of marrying the person they love.

As soon as Leona got home, she put her heels away and went to the kitchen. Accompanied by a soft background music, her wife had another cup of tea prepared in the counter.

"Hey, Lens. How was your day?"

Stressful. Stressful. Fulfilling. Stressful.

Her mind calls out a desperate answer, but her tongue sits too heavy in her mouth. When words fail her, Leona had always turned to action. A feeble smile spreads across her face as she draws her wife closer to her chest.

Leona presses her lips together, biting back the sigh she wants to let out. Instead, she exhales slowly through her nose. "Pagod lang ng kaunti," is all Leona says.

"You've been working hard," Reese says, soothing her back. Her voice is so soft and sympathetic that a part of her melts at the sound of it. "Basically isa ka na talagang superhero."

"Grabe naman sa hero," Leona chuckled. "Naglilingkod lang po sa bayan."

"Still, that's an ideal characteristic of a hero." Reese adds, eyebrows furrowed. "I wish you didn't have to work so much."

"Hmm," Leona hummed. "That sounds nice."

Reese turned around, clutching old, leather-bound, with a delicate lock and key hanging from a thin chain.

"Ano 'to?" Leona immediately asked, the book looked old and the lock seemed strangely familiar.

Reese remained silent, the slow jazz music dominating the room. She gently handed the book to Leona.

"Earlier kasi I asked myself, what would you give to someone who already has everything?" Reese said. "And I realized na I wanted to give you something... not of chaos, but something that shows the quiet moments we've shared together."

Leona reluctantly took the book and read the sticky note attached in front.

My love,

You carry a country on your shoulders and still make room to hold my hand like it's the most important thing.

Here's to a day that holds space for the one person that matters to me most.

Congrats on the 20% discount,
Reese

Her eyes softened as she read the message. "Thank you," Leona said, brushing her lips against her wife's cheek.

Inside, the pages were filled with photos, some familiar, some she had slightly forgotten. There were pictures of their most significant moments: wedding day, trip to Batanes, Leona's proclamation. Then there were the quieter ones, with Leona brushing her teeth, walking their dog, and both of them dancing barefoot.

Each photo felt like a key unlocking a memory. As Leona turned the pages, she realized how much of their love had been woven in between the lines of life itself.

"I've always been afraid of how little we take time for these moments," Reese said quietly, her eyes tracing Leona's reactions. "The world has always been so loud for us. But I wanted to give you this, a reminder of the calm, the peaceful in-betweens that we often forget to see."

No. Leona thinks she could never be a hero because she would have chosen Reese over the people of the world.

"You deserve to enjoy something nice on your birthday, even if you refuse to celebrate, okay?" Her wife said, offering a genuine smile.

Reese's eyes glimmer as she pulls a small decorated cake from the fridge. She light the candle, the soft glow flickering on top. Placing it in front of Leona she whispered, "Make a wish, mahal."

"Daming pakulo," Leona joked.

She smiled, eyes closing as she leans forward. With a gentle breath, she blows out the flames. The room fell silent, as if the wish had been released into the air they breathe.

I want Reese to live long enough to witness a kinder world.

I want to live for the day when the weight of this country falls away, and all that's left is us, eternal and untethered.

Perhaps it's one wish too many. But for Leona, either wish would be wonderful.

fin.

First draft of this was January 2023 pa. Grabe, two years na rin. I suppose I was waiting to publish this sakto sa birthday, yet I was still a day late :'). This will probably be my last update, so I had to end it with something short and wholesome s'yempre.

Thank you for reading! I appreciate you a lot. I hope somewhere along the way, these stories made you smile.

Also remember that on May 12, I hope we all exercise our right to vote!