Archive of Our Own

“Happy birthday, Sen Risa, happy birthday to you!”

Applause and cheers fill the air as Risa gently blows out the candles on her birthday cake. It’s ube-flavored and purple, like the many party streamers and balloons her staff had hastily placed around her office for the birthday surprise. She had told them days ago that she would be fine with just a simple dinner celebration, but the staff had not honored her request. The younger ones most especially argued, called the idea “simply ridiculous”; it was going to be her 60th year on earth. The special day was worth more than just a dinner. It deserved cakes and ice cream and the usual hullabaloo of a Filipino birthday party.

“Kayo talaga! Ilang oras lang ako nawala, may balloons na!” Risa jokingly scolds her senior assistant, who only sheepishly smiles back at her. Instead of replying, she hands Risa a paper plate already filled with a variety of food—a few scoops of rice, pancit, lumpia, and even lechon. The aroma makes her stomach grumble in anticipation. She had been too busy to eat lunch since she was drafting multiple bills and proposals, so she is very much thankful for the food. 

“Ma’am naman! ‘Di puwedeng walang celebration! Eto ho, dito na po kayo,” Her assistant leads her to a foldable table placed near the door, pulling her seat out for her before disappearing back into the small crowd still waiting to be served food. Risa smiles at the sight. She felt so lucky with her staff; a mix of people in various age brackets and with different skill sets, but at their core was a shared love for the country and its people. It was why she worked so well with them.

She’s interrupted from her thoughts when the empty chair beside her is gently pulled back, and in it settles a familiar barong-clad figure. He looks pointedly at her plate of food and Risa chuckles, already knowing what he is going to say.

“Don’t say it. I already took my maintenance meds this morning. And besides, it’s a special day! I deserve a little treat,” She teases, fingers pulling on a small slice of lechon skin before popping it into her mouth. 

The man raises one arm in surrender before taking a free fork from the table. He stabs a piece of lumpia from Risa’s plate and eats it before she can argue. Acting aghast, Risa slaps the offending arm and gently pushes him away, laughing, “Kumuha ka nga ng sa’yo!” 

He doesn’t answer her, but the subsequent laugh that comes from him is belly-deep and his eyes disappear into half-moons. Risa worries that he might choke with how much he’s shaking with laughter in his seat. He acts like such a child sometimes, she thinks to herself fondly. 

With a tsk, Risa grabs another paper plate from a nearby pile and transfers a small portion of her own food onto it before pushing it towards her seatmate, who reciprocates by grabbing two paper cups filled to the brim with cold orange juice. Gently, he places one cup near her plate and hands her a set of eco utensils. They begin eating together in companionable silence.

“Ba’t ako lang nandito?” He asks after a few moments of chewing, “Where’s Bam and Kiko?”

“They already stopped by before this whole thing was set up. Both were busy, so they left after giving me those,” Risa pointed to two of the few gift bags placed near her birthday cake. Most of it, if not all, were from her staff and a few close Senate personnel. Some of the other senators greeted her that morning as well, but nothing beyond the usual felicitations. 

And speaking of greetings—

Risa places her spoon down and looks straight into the eyes of her companion. “Ikaw, sa’n ambag mo? Nandito ka lang ba para kumain, Sherwin? You haven’t greeted me yet, let alone given me a gift.”

This time, the laugh that comes from him is a pitch higher, and Risa fails to keep acting like she’s disappointed. Food now abandoned, Sherwin dusts his hands off and reaches out as if asking for a handshake. Risa only stares at him.

“Happy 60th birthday, Senator Risa. Senior citizen ka na, congratulations.”

Risa slaps his hand away, rolling her eyes and turning her attention back to her food. Sherwin continues shaking in unbridled laughter. “Nakakairita ka talaga, Sherwin. One of these days, karma will bring justice to your constant teasing.”

Sherwin only shrugs, unbothered. “I’m serious! Think of the many benefits you can now enjoy. Discounts, especially. Gusto mo samahan kita kumuha ng ID? I’ll go with you if you promise to treat me to dinner after. Or, if you offer to go with me every time I eat out. Ang laking bawas siguro sa usual bill ko.”

“Che. I’m a senior citizen, not disabled. I can get my ID myself. And besides, okay lang kahit anong government ID para makatanggap ng discount.”

“Fine, suit yourself. Pero ilibre mo pa rin ako, ha. Sayang din ang 20%.”

Beyond their table, onlookers observe the two senators with small, discreet smiles. They’re in their own world again. Although the scene was not something noteworthy, it was always a treat for the staff to see their bosses smiling and laughing, especially considering the gravity of their work. Both Risa Hontiveros and Win Gatchalian were workaholics who only seemed to take things slower and lighter when the other was around. One staff member even called them “work husband and wife”. Whenever they worked together, they gave it their absolute best, and in their downtime, they each served as the other’s chance to rest. It was almost poetic.

The night of celebration continued, and with each passing hour, more and more people said their good byes and left the office. It was nearing nine o-clock when the assistants started clearing up the place, with Risa and Sherwin packing up what’s left of the food to hand it to the night guards on duty. With the plastic tables and chairs put back into inventory, the senior assistant approached Risa again, already hauling the trays of food into big eco-bags. 

“Kami na po bahala mag-hand out nito sa mga guards, Sen. Mauna na po kayo.” 

Risa hesitates. “Are you sure? The security office is near the parking lot naman. Sherwin and I can drop them off on the way.” 

“Makinig ka nalang sa staff mo. The birthday girl should be treated like a princess. Dapat nga hindi ka na nag-clean up at umuwi nalang. Seniors should sleep early, you know.”

The assistant tries her hardest to conceal her laugh as Risa glares at a straight-faced Sherwin. “Batukan kita diyan, eh. Halika na nga. Ang atat mong makauwi, sana ‘di ka nalang nag-offer na ipagdrive ako. Pinauwi ko na tuloy si Sir Dave.”

At the mention of her driver, Sherwin reaches up to fix his eyeglasses back into place. “I was only kidding, Madam Chair. Dahil wala akong gift sa’yo, eto nalang regalo ko. Let’s go?”

Risa nods, and Sherwin waits as she grabs her bag. The latter carefully picks up Risa’s birthday gifts before the two say goodbye to the remaining staff members and exit the office. The walk to the parking lot is quick, done in the usual comfortable silence shared between the two colleagues.

After a few more turns, they finally reach the doors of Sherwin’s black sedan. Like clockwork, Sherwin opens the passenger door for Risa, and she enters the way she’s done many times before. Risa places her bag into its designated spot at the center console as Sherwin settles into the driver’s seat after having placed the gifts at the back of the car.

“Remind me again where you had this console made? Ang ganda talaga, it fits my bag perfectly.” She says appreciatively while Sherwin turns the engine on.

“Seatbelt, please.” Sherwin reminds, nodding in approval once Risa clicks hers into place. “I had that customized after I brought you home the first time, which was what? Five years ago? Nirefer lang ako ni Migz, may kilala siyang expert in car modifications.”

The car peels out of the parking lot and enters the smooth asphalt of the highway. With the city lights already glowing in full brightness, Risa feels slightly wistful. It’s slowly starting to sink in that she is now 60 years old. She’s been through a lot, has done a lot. Her kids are all grown up. It’s getting harder and harder to maintain a healthy physicality. More and more reminders of her age are showing in the lines of her face, in the motion of her joints. 

“Time is a scary thing,” she mumbles softly, eyes fixed on the blurry buildings passing by. “It flies by so fast. Sometimes, it’s almost hard to keep up. Gosh, ang tanda ko na. ‘Di ako makapaniwala, sa totoo lang.”

“I can.” Risa turns to Sherwin, but the latter keeps his eyes on the road, “It’s not hard to believe that a woman with your wisdom and expertise has a lot of years under her belt. And if it’s the wrinkles you’re worried about, hindi ka naman mukhang sixty. The years have been kind to you.”

“Masasapak na talaga kita. Ang seryoso ng conversation tapos sisingit ka pa ng asar.”

“Oy, I’m not teasing you. It’s a compliment!”

“I can never tell if you’re joking or not. Ang deadpan mo kasi magsalita.”

“And for that, I’m grateful. I can tease you whenever I like without you having the teeniest clue.”

“Sherwin!”

The two share a laugh, yet a melancholic atmosphere dampens the rest of the ride. The dark streets are almost devoid of people, illuminated only by the yellow-tinted street lights lining the pavements. The view seemed almost isolating to Risa. Sherwin’s eyes stay firmly on the road, while hers trace the cityscape as if committing it to memory. Other vehicles overtake them multiple times, but Risa’s too deep in her thoughts to ask Sherwin why he is driving slower than usual. They are about ten minutes away from her place before Sherwin speaks again.

“Oo nga pala, are the kids home? Are they going to throw you a surprise party of their own?”

Risa’s already pensive mood drops even lower. “No, they’re all busy. Work and school matters. We’ll celebrate my birthday on a different date when we’re all free.”

Sherwin nods in understanding. “It’s a good thing, then, that we threw you a surprise party in your office.”

A scoff escapes Risa’s mouth. “Anong ‘we’? Nakikain ka lang naman ah.”

“For your information, I was the one who bought your cake.” Sherwin gives her a quick sideways glance, tone smug. “And the balloons. And the ice cream. I even helped in setting up the tables and chairs.”

Risa narrows her eyes. He was with her when she left her office for a couple of hours since they had to discuss a few revisions on one of the proposed bills. He couldn’t have done the setting up. 

“You’re lying,” she decides.

“Only about the tables and chairs.”

“Gago ka talaga!”

A smile spreads across Risa’s face as Sherwin chuckles. She’s too gullible around him, and it makes him want to tease her even more. Entertaining as they may be, her reactions are often unpredictable, and the thrill of it is what fuels Sherwin’s teasing for the most part. 

“There’s a smile,” Sherwin comments, flashing Risa one of his own. “Don’t be so down, Ris. It’s your special day. The people who came to your office today, we all celebrate you. We’re all thankful for the gift of you.

“And I know it’s such a cliche thing to say but age is just a number. It doesn’t define you and your worth, the things you’ve done and the things you’re still going to do. You’re an amazing senator. A good mother.”

Sherwin sends another glance her way, seemingly hesitant to say his next words. Risa hears the genuineness in his voice all the same. 

“And a good friend.”

Risa loses her chance to reply as the car pulls up into the familiar gravel of her house. Sherwin parks carefully in the driveway before turning the engine off. They exit the car in unison and after grabbing Risa’s gifts, both slowly trudge their way into the house’s front door. 

The air is cool around them, and only the buzzing sounds of insects accompany their short walk. The night felt strangely oppressive, too, with only an overhead bulb illuminating the front steps. From what Sherwin can see when he glanced through the window, none of the lights were on inside the house. Not even the glow of a lamp. There really was no one at home.

Risa unlocks the door quickly, and Sherwin bites his lip before slowly handing over the gifts he was carrying for her. He watches her balance them in both arms.

“Are you sure you can carry all that? I can help you bring them inside—“

“It’s fine. You should go, it’s getting late.” Risa gives him a small smile, “Thank you for driving me home, Sherwin. And for the party you helped pay for.”

“Don’t mention it,” he smiles back. Risa sees him release a quick breath before he digs into his pockets. A second later, he holds out a small box, brown and nondescript. In the dim light, it almost looks like an unlabeled matchbox. 

“Here. Take it.”

Risa squints at it, immediately suspicious. “What’s that? Were you trying to steal one of my gifts?”

“Of course not!” Baffled, Sherwin thrusts the box closer to her, “Birthday gift ko sa’yo.”

Instead of opening the box and showing her what the gift is, he puts it inside one of the many gift bags hanging from her fingers. The yellow one with the flowers, Risa thinks to herself. She’ll make sure to open that gift first.

She looks up at Sherwin when he suddenly steps closer, enough for their shoes to almost touch. He leans down, and Risa refuses to acknowledge why she holds her breath. In a voice low and sincere, she finally receives the greeting she’s been waiting for all day.

“Happy birthday, Theresia.”

They connect gazes. Even in the dim light, she can clearly see the rounds of his eyes. Brown and gentle and earnest. Like swirled dark chocolate.

Risa stumbles back slightly, looking away and giving out a nervous laugh. Her heart is suddenly beating louder, faster. “Edi wow. Alam mo pala pa’no magseryoso. Na-whiplash ako dun slight ha. But again, thank you. For the gift and for today. I had a great time.”

She enters the house without waiting for his reply, swiftly depositing all the gifts on a nearby console table before turning back to Sherwin, who was lingering just beyond the doorway. “O sha. Umuwi ka na. Malayo-layo pa ang id-drive mo. Good night, Sherwin. Drive safe.”

He nods at her slowly, as if wanting to say more, but in the end only pockets his hands. He flashes her another smile, one that constricts Risa’s heart. It seemed almost sad. She fights against it, along with the invitation at the tip of her tongue.

“Good night, Risa. I truly hope your birthday wishes come true.”

A quick turn, and then he’s walking back to his car. The sound of wheels moving against graveled ground breaks the silence when Sherwin drives away, and once the quiet is restored, Risa finally moves to close and lock the front door.

Her heart is still hammering away inside her chest. She clenches her hands into fists, breathing in and out slowly, until she feels like herself again. It takes her a few minutes to clear her head and pull her heart rate down to normal.

And then she remembers. The box. 

Risa quickly turns on the house lights and beelines to the console table where she dumped her gifts. Her eyes inspect the pile before zeroing in on the yellow gift bag where Sherwin placed his own gift. Immediately, she picks it up and starts digging inside, hands feeling for the square-shaped box. Once she grasps it, she pulls it out, drops the yellow bag back onto the table, and holds the tiny box with both hands.

She blinks a few times. 

Ano kaya nasa loob nito? It’s too small for a bracelet or a necklace. Maybe earrings? Or some other piece of jewelry? It can’t possibly be a ring, right? He’s asking for trouble if it’s a ring. Oh God, what if it’s a ring? It’s the perfect size to fit a ring. But in such an unassuming box? No. He’ll use a far more elegant box. So what is it?

Her thoughts are bringing her into uncharted territory, but she is not ready to confront that place just yet. Not again. Not when she’s been successful in ignoring it all these years. She wasn’t holding Pandora’s box. Nothing bad would happen if she opened it, right? She sniffles, nodding to herself. Let’s just get this over with.

She opens the box in one swift motion. Once the inside is revealed, Risa pauses with a tilt of her head, confused.

A… heart? 

More specifically, it was an enamel pin shaped in the image of an anatomical heart, adorned with intricate curves and carefully placed rose-gold gems. Its colors are bright and eye-catching, and there’s a familiarity in her chest the longer she stares at it.

Where have I seen this before?

She brings the box closer to her face, inspecting it carefully with brows drawn together. When its significance finally registers, she becomes a huge blushing mess. That’s why it’s so familiar. She has indeed seen it countless times, and has even asked about it before. 

It was undeniably the match to the pin that Sherwin had on his work bag. 

While hers was vividly colored, his was decorated in darker tones and silver gems. But the art and the lines and the curves—they were the exact same as hers. It can’t be a coincidence.

Risa’s heart starts acting up again. A memory of the first time she’s seen the pin comes flooding back into her head.

“A heart? Anong story behind it? Parang hindi mo naman branding.”

“Laugh all you want, but I am quite the sentimental guy, you know. The heart gives me hope. As of the moment, wala pang girlfriend dahil busy sa work. But time will come when I’ll finally meet the one I’m destined to be with. When that time arrives, I’ll remove the pin from my bag and wear it on my lapels everyday.”

Risa slowly places the box back on the console table with shaky hands, not knowing what to feel. She does her best to ignore the implications of Sherwin’s gift and goes through her nightly routine with a distracted mind. Risa showers, changes, and opens her laptop to review and revise documents. She refuses to slow down until her 1 o‘clock alarm blares and pulls her out of her work. She cleans up thereafter, climbs into her bed, and tries to get some rest despite regret simmering deep in her stomach. 

As she forces herself to sleep, a vivid image persistently presents itself behind her closed eyelids: an image of Sherwin eating cake beside her at the office party, an enamel heart pinned to his collar.

· · ────── ꒰ঌ·♡·໒꒱ ────── · ·

Risa wakes exactly three minutes before her morning alarm.

She lays motionless on the bed while waiting for it to ring, but once it does, she suddenly feels too lazy to turn it off. Instead, she ignores the noise and burrows herself deeper into the warm sheets. Why do I feel so tired? she thinks with a groan, this is ridiculous. It’s only my second day being sixty.

“Aren’t you going to turn that off?” A muffled voice asks from somewhere inside the room. 

Risa cracks one eye open. Was her eldest child home? His voice seemed higher than she remembered, more gentle.

“Kiko?” She speaks, morning voice gruff with sleep, “When did you arrive?”

“What? Kakabisita lang sa’tin ng mga bata, pinapabalik mo na ulit.”

Risa frowned. Who the hell was in the room with her? She throws the sheets off her body and looks around warily, but only the familiar sight of her empty room greets her.

She tries to put a halt to her overthinking. Guni-guni ko lang ba ‘yon? Naalimpungatan lang yata ako.

Risa is about to stand when the door to her bathroom suddenly opens, and out walks a man with only a towel wrapped around his hips. Water drips from his hair and onto the hardwood floor, and Risa can only look at him, eyes as wide as saucers, when he gives her a sheepish smile.

“Don’t worry, I’ll clean that up once I change.”

He saunters over to the bed where she sits still frozen with disbelief, and his towering height makes her feel like she’s being stalked by a giant. It’s only when his face is mere centimeters away from hers that the cogs in Risa’s brain start working again.

Sherwin Gatchalian is half-naked in front of her, fresh out of the shower, and he is leaning in for a kiss.

Risa screams. 

Sherwin immediately stumbles back, confusion and alarm painting his features.

“Risa?”

Still gaping, Risa tries to reset her brain, but the sight in front of her is making it difficult. Fresh rivulets of water continue sliding down his neck, his chest, his arms. She can see the faint lines of his muscles as they contracted with movement, and against her will, Risa’s gaze follows the trail of hair that starts from his lower stomach, disappearing right under the loose towel that covered the significant imprint of his—

She stops herself from looking further.

"What the hell are you doing?!" She shouts instead, backing away from him until she bumps into the head board. 

Risa wraps her sheets around her, as if shielding herself against an attack. She throws a pillow at him. It lands on his still-wet chest before flopping pathetically to the floor. 

“What are you doing here?” She snaps, “And why the hell are you trying to kiss me?”

Sherwin raises an eyebrow, "Uh, did I do something wrong? Am I not allowed to kiss my wife?" 

"Your wife?!" 

Frowning, Sherwin tries to approach her again. "Risa, what’s wrong? Are you pranking me or something?" 

Instead of replying, Risa jumps from the bed and runs towards her vanity table, coincidentally placed in the corner farthest from where he is currently standing. Ignoring the protest from her still weary joints, she picks up a hairbrush and brandishes it like a weapon, pointing it at him in defense.

“No, you’re the one doing the pranking here. How did you even enter my room? Did you drive back last night and creep in like a pervert? I can’t believe you, Sherwin! Just because I accepted your gift doesn’t mean you can cross my boundaries like this! And how did you bypass the locks in the house?! My God, I can’t believe you would do this—“

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Sherwin interrupts her, voice taking on a harder edge, “Where is this coming from? What gift? And why are you treating me like some stranger? Me, a pervert? We’ve been married for five years! How could you say that to your husband!”

“You are insane!” Risa shouts, pointing to the door, “Leave or I’m calling the police! This is so unbelievably unprofessional—“

“Okay, this is getting a bit strange, my love. Why are you doing this? Is this a hormone thing? I’ve read that some women might get irritable during their menopausal years—“

“I said leave!” She throws the hairbrush at him, hitting him on the arm. Sherwin raises his hands in defeat.

“Okay, okay! But at least let me change first!” 

He turns and starts walking into the direction of her wardrobe. When he opens it, clothes that were certainly not hers are hung neatly where her dresses usually were. She can’t help her befuddled stare as Sherwin takes out a white shirt and black shorts, and she stares even more incredulously when he opens her underwear drawer and grabs a pair of boxers from there, too. 

And then he drops his towel to the floor.

“Putangina!” Risa covers her eyes with her hands, once again screaming, “Punyeta ka, Sherwin! Ba’t ka naghubad!”

Oh, my God! She screeches in her head. Nakita ko puwet niya. Nakita ko puwet niya!

“I don’t know what you’re playing at today, Ris. We’ve seen each other naked hundreds of times, yet you’re playing bashful now? I’m kind of scared of approaching you since who knows what other thing you might throw at me. So, I’m going to get dressed, leave the room, and wait for you to calm down. I’ll be in the kitchen starting breakfast.”

“No, no, no! No breakfast! I want you to leave my house this instant!”

Sherwin hums. “Well, technically, this is also my house. I bought it, but it’s in both our names. Plus, ako naman ang nagbabayad ng property tax sa’ting dalawa.” She can hear shuffling, and after a short pause, Sherwin speaks again, “You can open your eyes now, Risa. I’m dressed.”

Risa refuses to drop her hands from her face. “Leave, Sherwin. I’m serious.”

She doesn’t get a reply. 

When she hears the door to her bedroom open and shut, Risa slowly puts her arms down. She inspects the room, ensuring that there was no other person in her space. Satisfied by her lonesome, she drops into her vanity chair with a hand pressed into her chest. Her heart is stuttering so wildly she fears she might get some sort of heart condition. There’s a loud ringing disturbing her ears, and her head is starting to feel the comings of a headache. 

“Ano ba kasi ang nangyari kagabi?” Risa asks herself, thoughts running wild. She’s worried that what she said earlier were all true—that Sherwin drove back and snuck inside her house. That unbeknownst to her, he spent the night in her room and had the audacity to use her shower. 

Is she dreaming? This has to be a dream. The Sherwin she knew would never do that. They’ve been playing the push-and-pull game for years, and she came dangerously close to pulling last night, but she didn’t. She doesn’t think she will ever have the courage to. And he was the kindest, most gentle man she’s ever met. He would never cross her boundaries like this. Whenever he sensed the slightest bit of hesitation from her, he was always quick to pull away, even when he knew they’d be back to square one. Both of them pulled back again and again and again. She didn’t like to admit it, but it was their unspoken rule. Rules meant emotional safety. They meant distance and intact hearts.

So why is he here? Half-naked and trying to kiss me!

Risa slaps herself on both cheeks.

“I have to wake up. Gumising ka, Risa! ‘Di na ‘to nakakatuwa!”

Unfortunately, Risa knows there’s no way to awaken someone who is already awake. So she stops slapping herself, defeated, when the pain in her cheeks becomes too much. 

She still can’t wrap her head around the whole thing. Is she being witched? Did someone curse her with an inescapable dream? How can she go back to reality?

Risa scans her room again, trying to see if anything is different. The layout is the same as it always had been. Her vanity is still near the window. Her bed is still in the middle of the room. Her wardrobe is painted in the same color she originally purchased it in. Even the door to the bathroom still had the stain from when she accidentally pressed an uncovered permanent marker against it. 

But there were also other things that were unfamiliar. Subtle things. Things that belonged in a bedroom, but not hers. A silver men’s watch laying on the bedside table. A dark blue towel draped over a desk chair that she doesn’t remember buying. And the bed, although still adorned with the same sheets she always used, is undeniably bigger and wider, like it was upgraded to the next size. Instead of their usual number of two, there are now three pillows on the bed. The pillow she threw at Sherwin earlier is still on the floor. 

“This is crazy. I’m going crazy. Is the never-ending legislative work getting to me?” 

She tries to pinch herself awake, but like the outcome of her slapping, it only leaves her nothing but pain. Risa is still very much in the unfamiliar but familiar room, seeing things that were hers and not hers, and she is close to pulling her hair out of her scalp.

She blows out a breath, resolve returning. “I’m sure this is all just a misunderstanding. Or, worse case scenario, I was the one who let him in last night. Did I drink or something? Putangina, hindi ko matandaan. But that must be it, right? I drank, called him back, and we ended up sharing a bed. Maybe I was too drunk and now I don’t remember a thing. Yes, that must be what happened. Okay. There’s no other way around this, Risa. I should just talk to him like a civilized adult—“ 

She arises from the chair, mind made up about speaking to Sherwin, when a bright, sparkly reflection catches her eye. Risa stops. She looks towards her vanity mirror and gasps mutedly.

The shiny reflection was from a decorative magnet that held up a picture of her and Sherwin dressed in wedding garb. They were posed in front of a church like they just got married, and in her hands was a bouquet of white roses. They were both smiling so widely in the photo.

Punyemas.

In lightning speed, Risa snatches the photo off the mirror and stalks out of her bedroom with it clutched tightly in her hands. She speed-walks into the kitchen, and sure enough, there stood Sherwin in front of the stove, already cooking what looks to be scrambled eggs. If he heard her enter, he doesn’t show it. Instead, he grabs the salt shaker and seasons the eggs languidly.

“Ano to, Sherwin?” Risa drops the photo onto the dining table, seething. “You’re taking this too far. Do you want to play house that badly? To the point that you’d create a fake image of our wedding and place it on my vanity? Can you not see how insane this is? What really happened last night, huh? Ang huli kong natatandaan is that you left immediately after you helped carry my birthday gifts into the house. I never saw you again after that. I distinctly remember going to bed alone last night. Did I call you back? Did I drink? Did I—“

“Theresia, calm down.” Sherwin finally turns to her. The stove is now off, and he’s holding a steaming plate of eggs in his hands. He sets it down gently on the table before pulling out a chair and sitting on it. He gestures for her to do the same.

She does, hesitantly.

“I don’t know what’s happening with you.” He starts, tone the gentlest she has ever heard from him, “I’m worried, Risa. You’re treating me like I’m someone else. Ris, we’ve been married for five years, we just celebrated our anniversary last August. And to answer a few of your questions, I did not have any picture doctored. That photo is from our wedding, I can even show you an album with other pictures from that day. We started dating after your sixtieth birthday, remember? I drove you home that night, and you invited me to stay back at your old house in Parañaque. That was when we finally came clean about our feelings for each other.”

Risa’s head is spinning. Five years? How old is she in this dream? She just celebrated her sixtieth birthday, and yet he’s saying they started dating afterwards? And why is he saying that she had an old house in Parañaque? This house was her house in Parañaque. If it’s not, what city is this house in? 

Sherwin watches with worry as she massages her temples. He’s about to vacate his chair and approach her, but she holds out a hand and motions for Sherwin to continue speaking. He obeys. 

“You were asking for Kiko earlier. Kiko and the girls came by last night. We had our usual Sunday dinner and played board games until they left. They couldn’t stay the night, but all four of them promised to take us out next Sunday. You’ve been wanting to go bowling again, diba? And you were saying something about gifts? Maybe you dreamt weird last night? Were you dreaming about your birthday? I mean, it’s only a few months away but—“

“Enamel pin. The heart one. That’s what you gave me last night.” Risa interrupts him. 

Abruptly, she stands and walks to where she last remembers placing her birthday gifts, to the console table near the front door. However, when she sees how it only held a flower vase, she stops in her tracks, dumbfounded.

Sherwin appears by her side a few moments later, holding out a box. 

It was the same box he gave her last night, but it was yellowed and mildly fraying with years of use. He opens it carefully.

Inside it is the enamel pin, still perfectly like how she remembers receiving it.

“I gave you this pin years ago, Risa. It matches mine. We wear it whenever we attend a formal event for the kids.” He says it so softly, so genuinely, and Risa finally breaks down into tears.

Sherwin immediately wraps her in a tight hug. Instead of trying to break free from his hold, she buries her face into his chest. He holds her throughout her crying, whispering comforting words, caressing her hair with the softest touch. Risa lets every heavy emotion—regret, confusion, hope, anger—wash away with every tear escaping her eyes. 

Minutes later, when her cries turn to sobs and her sobs into hiccups, he releases her and guides her gently to sit on the couch. Risa watches with red-rimmed eyes as he goes to the kitchen and comes back with a glass of water, which she drinks in small sips. 

Sniffling, she makes him sit on the couch beside her. Her hands end up clutched in his much larger ones tightly.

“I’m scared,” she says, breath shaking, “wala akong matandaan sa mga sinasabi mo, Sherwin. I only remember celebrating my sixtieth birthday at the office yesterday, and that you drove me home. Here. In this house. My house located in Parañaque. I don’t remember ever letting you in, much less marrying you. This all feels like an elaborate prank to me. And I have never, ever seen you naked before! So when you stripped in front of me!—“

Risa sighs, eyes closing. “That’s it. This must be a lucid dream that I’m simply not waking up from.”

“I hate to break it to you, love, but hindi ‘to panaginip,” Sherwin tightens his grip on her hands. “Can we please go to the doctor and get you checked? Natatakot din ako. You could be having some type of amnesia. Worse, you might have hit your head somewhere. What if there’s bleeding in your brain that’s making you forget the last couple of years—“

“Later. Let’s try resolving this on our own first, hmm?” Risa squeezes his hands back. “Let’s start with pictures and videos, they might jog my memory faster. Show me the album you mentioned earlier. And please, answer my questions. Ang dami kong tanong. If I just have the answers, maybe I can piece together all that I’ve forgotten.”

For the next couple of hours, Sherwin showed Risa evidence of a life she doesn’t remember living. There was a photo for everything: a photo for every birthday they’ve been together, a shot for every achievement dinner for one of the children, an image for every vacation and every date. There were photos of his dogs playing with hers. Many candid pictures of him petting her cats. He even showed her pictures of her sleeping.

They weren’t just saved digitally in his phone albums, too. The most important events were carefully printed on photo paper and sealed behind plastic, pasted in pages and pages of actual physical albums.

He couldn’t have created dozens and dozens of these images in just a few days. It would’ve taken him weeks. There was a weight to them that Risa couldn’t deny. And, even if her doubt had already been somewhat dampened after seeing the many pictures, Sherwin continued to bring her more proof. 

He showed her their wedding videos, showed her short clips of herself cleaning and cooking and doing her make-up and other mundane activities. All were taken in his perspective, evidenced by how she can hear his voice in the background. He showed her the trinkets he bought for her, and the trinkets she bought for him, in return. He recounted each of their back stories in painstaking detail. He showed her the text messages they sent each other, their call logs, and she saw how the records extended past when they allegedly first started dating. 

He answered whatever it was that she felt needed more clarifying. He answered her patiently and slowly, and he held her hand the entire time.

“I can tell you things you’ve never told anyone,” Sherwin says after all his resources were exhausted. “Something personal. Something only a husband can know.” 

“Alright, then. Tell me.” Risa agrees, nodding.

“You snore when you’re stressed. You prefer sleeping on the right side of the bed. You like having your forehead kissed, but neck kisses turn you on the most. You have a mole under your left—“

“Okay! Okay, that’s enough. I believe you!” Ears burning at the tips, Risa covers Sherwin’s mouth before he can continue his sentence. He licks it instantly, and Risa backs away squealing. The heavy atmosphere lightens as Sherwin laughs, watching Risa make a show of wiping her hand down her shirt.

“I still want to take you to the doctor,” he blurts out after their laughter dies down, “please, Risa. Let’s not risk anything.” 

“Later.” She replies firmly, “I feel fine right now. What I want you to do is take me through all our usual routines. It’s Monday today. What do we do on Mondays?”

“Hmm, that’s a bit complicated.” Sherwin bites his lower lip in contemplation. “Right now, you’re on a working vacation. You’ve been too stressed lately and I finally convinced you to have one. You work too hard, you know.” 

“And my work? Anong trabaho ko?”

“You’re the President of the Philippines.” 

Sherwin says it too bluntly. Risa rolls her eyes, snorting. She remembers when he lied about setting up tables and chairs for her birthday party. He said that lie in the exact same deadpan tone he is using now.

“Stop lying to me, Sherwin. You know I’m not in the right headspace for that.” 

“Love, I’m not lying.” He says, still straight-faced.

“I’m not falling for that.”

Giving her a pointed look, he turns on his phone and types for a few seconds before showing the screen to her.

RISA HONTIVEROS WINS 2028 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS 

Risa’s mouth hangs open in shock. She takes Sherwin’s phone into her own hands and immediately starts scrolling down. The article is a detailed recounting of her journey from filing her candidacy, campaigning her name and her platforms, to finally winning the presidential seat in a landslide vote. And in every picture included in the text, she can see Sherwin in the background, wearing her campaign colors. In some images he’s beside her, hands clutching hers as they raised their arms high. 

“You supported my campaign,” Risa comments, awed.

“Yes. We were called WinRi,” he chuckles with a wistful look in his eyes. “I accompanied you everywhere you went. Bawat sasakyan at eroplano, bawat kalsada at bahay. I didn’t run for any office, which you disliked. You said I could do so much more for our people when I have a position. But I wanted to do something for you, first. I wanted to help you win. I saw how determined you were to lift our country and I loved you for it. So, that’s where I poured my efforts. I do not regret a single thing. The country deserved someone who truly loved them, and that someone was you.”

Risa lifts her eyes to meet his. He’s already staring at her. 

“And did I?” She asks, a bit fearful of the answer, “Lift the country? How are we now?” 

Sherwin smiles, and when he leans over to kiss her forehead, Risa no longer flinches away. 

“We’re good. We’re much, much better than we were. I’m so proud of you, Theresia.”

Tears start welling her eyes up again. Risa stubbornly blinks them away.

“I still can’t fully believe anything you just said, even with all the proof. I still think I’m dreaming.” She admits. 

Sherwin’s fingers trace circles around her open palm. He’s silent for a while before he trains his gaze back to her. 

“Can I ask you now? Hanggang sa’n lang banda ang naaalala mo? Your reactions this morning suggested a version of us that isn’t… well, us. At least not yet. Right now, you’re a version of you that is not in a relationship with me. If you tell me, I think it would help us understand where we both stand in this timeline.”

Risa knows he’s right. All things considered, he has already explained everything he could. It is now her time to explain things back to him. And so she does.

She relays how she remembers going to sleep alone after celebrating her sixtieth birthday, about how freaked out she was over his gift and the implications of it. This confuses Sherwin because according to him, he gave her the enamel pin on her sixty-first birthday, not sixtieth. She also tells him that as far as she knows, they’ve only been dancing around the thought of getting together, and they’d never actually taken steps to realize a real relationship. Risa further explains that to her knowledge, it was still the year 2026 and they were working what could be their final Senate term together. 

Sherwin listens to her every word with the same attentiveness he’s always had in all their conversations. He asks questions and she answers them as best as she can until finally, many hours later, they are able to piece together a workable theory that explains their situation. 

“What do you think? Do you think I might have been cursed?” Risa questions.

“Nakaka-offend naman ‘yang tanong mo. Cursed talaga? I’m your husband and you’re my wife. That’s a blessing, not a curse.”

Risa snickers before urging him to share more of his thoughts about the reason why this was happening, “Well, if not a curse, what is it? We’ve ruled out bumping my head since according to you, I went to bed immediately when the children left. And I slapped and pinched myself countless times already, so this is definitely not a dream.”

“It might be because it was your birthday? Like a wish come true or something? Like in the movies.” 

“That’s it!” Risa snaps her fingers, suddenly certain. “You! Before you drove away last night, you told me something like ‘may all your birthday wishes come true’.” It was you! You cursed me!”

“How is that a curse? Stop blaming your husband, Madam President. Baka ikaw ang nag-wish ng something weird. Did you wish to travel to the future?”

Risa tries to think back about the minute details of last night. She rewinds an imaginary tape in her mind, and when it reaches the part of her retiring to bed, clarity washes over her thoughts.

She didn’t make a birthday wish, not even when she blew her candles during the surprise party. No, rather than wishing, she remembers praying. She remembers tossing and turning all night. She remembers the regret in her stomach and the pain in her chest. She remembers thinking of him before falling asleep and longing to call him back and invite him in.

Ako lang pala ang may sala. Risa concludes quietly to herself. I did this to myself. I regretted not saying anything that night, so much so that I yearned for a different outcome. For this outcome.

“No, I didn’t make any wishes. Instead, I thought of you before I went to bed. Of the pin I saw on your collar. I asked for a sign that will tell me whether or not I should pursue a relationship with you.” Says Risa. Consequent relief settles into her bones as if it was just waiting for her to confess all along.

Risa looks around, tracing her gaze over every piece of object that occupied the space. Much like her room, they were a confusing mix of familiar and foreign. She has not lived this life yet, but she finds that she wants to. Maybe this was the sign. Maybe it really was just a matter of risks and bravery and faith.

Risa turns her face back to Sherwin. His eyes were still the same. Still earnest and true and full of deep affection. 

He offers her a gentle smile as Risa finally makes a decision known only to herself:

Right here is the life I’ve always longed for. I will make it mine.

“I don’t know if this will all still be here tomorrow,” she tells him, “but I’m here now and you’re here with me. I would very much like to enjoy a working vacation with my husband. Why don’t we start by eating the cold eggs we left at the table?”

As if on cue, her stomach grumbles in support. Sherwin chuckles, takes her hand back into his, and walks them both into the kitchen.

“I’m sure I can whip up something quick for my wife.” 

The rest of the day goes smoothly. It may be embarrassing to admit, but it didn’t take long for Risa to become comfortable with the fact that Sherwin was her husband (at least, in this alternate world). They were the same as they always were, did the usual things they did together. This time, however, she was freely able to use the “wife card” to trump all his teasing.

Having spent most of the day dealing with Risa’s apparent travel to the future, Sherwin decides to take a leave of absence from work. Risa then learns that he was now a permanent head in one of his family’s businesses. When that was taken care of, the two crossed out a list of activities that married couples did together.

They cooked and ate and cleaned. They danced and sang, blasting their favorite songs on speaker (Risa most especially loved it when Sherwin informed her of their “theme song”—Maging Sino Ka Man). When it was cooler outside, Risa dragged Sherwin to do a bit of gardening. Thereafter, he took her to fetch the dogs from daycare and they took a walk around the neighborhood with all the pups in tow.

When night fell, Sherwin cooked them dinner while Risa washed the dishes. Hand in hand, they then made camp on the couch and watched a movie, and when their attention dwindled down, Sherwin brought out the board games he said they played with the kids. It must have been the first time Risa hurt her stomach from laughing too much, as one of the dogs kept trying to eat the scrabble tiles.

They did all these and more, pressed against each other and breathing each other’s air, until the hour their eyelids were too heavy to stay open.

Now, they’re curled together on the bed. Sherwin’s arm is propped under her head, hand caressing her hair, while his other arm is on the small of her back, hugging her close. Risa’s face is turned to his neck. In this distance, she can see every soft beat of his pulse. 

She placed a hand on his chest, “Win?”

“Yes?” 

“Why am I not wearing any ring?”

She had felt and seen a shiny gold band on his ring finger back when they were dancing, but when she looked down on hers, there was nothing there. Risa didn’t want to bring it up and potentially ruin such a happy moment, so she saved her question for a later time. 

“‘Di rin ako sigurado, palagi mong suot ‘yon,” Sherwin replies. He lifts his hand from her back and traces a path to the hand pressed against his chest. Gently, he lifts her hand closer to her gaze, lightly tracing her ring finger. “See?”

Although faint, there’s an unmistakable mark of a ring on it. The small band of indented flesh is lighter than the rest of her finger, the type of imprint that can only be achieved after years of consistent use. 

“Perhaps it’s another sign?” Sherwin suggests, “O baka naman sinadya ng kung sinumang may pakana ng lahat ng ‘to. You’re experiencing what could be your future. Maybe they left it out on purpose for you to still have something to look forward to when you—“

“When I go back,” Risa finishes for him. “To my own timeline. To where I originally came from.”

“Yes.” 

“Do you even really believe all these? Without any reservations?”

“After the day we spent together? More or less, yeah. There’s just something… strangely different in the way you know me. It feels like you’re a past version of yourself.”

“And you want me to go back?”

“I want you to meet me at your own pace.” Sherwin replies. “I’m not the version of the Sherwin you know, and you’re not yet the version of the Risa I know. But we can be. Meeting each other like this, doesn’t it seem like a realization? Maybe it’s to push us into finally taking the risk we were both so afraid of taking. You prayed for a sign, didn’t you?”

A beat passes between them. The entire day felt so long, yet also passed in a blur. Time was such a weird concept when one thought about it. Risa was used to treating it as something linear, something that could only be accessed in one singular moment. Now, she’s not so sure. Her past, present, and future were all blurred together in this alternate reality. 

“Wait for me,” Risa mumbles, eyes closing in contentment. “Darating din ako sa puntong ito.”

“Always.” Sherwin responds, pressing a kiss to her forehead, “I loved you then and I love you now. I will love you well until our last days. Wherever you wake up tomorrow or whatever reality you’re in, hinding-hindi ‘yan magbabago.” 

Risa drifts off into sleep. Sherwin wraps his arms around her tighter. Their matching set of enamel heart pins gleams somewhere in the room.

“I love you, Theresia. See you tomorrow.”

· · ────── ꒰ঌ·♡·໒꒱ ────── · ·

Risa wakes exactly three minutes before her morning alarm. She doesn’t wait for its familiar blare before disabling it and starting her morning routine. 

She feels strangely refreshed, like she’s just had the best sleep of her life, and the high energy carries her through the morning with unhurried ease.

After a quick stretching exercise, she’s off to the shower to freshen up and get dressed for the day. Thankfully, there were no plenary sessions that required her to do her make-up and hair professionally, so she spent only a few minutes in front of her vanity mirror before heading down to the kitchen for breakfast.

Her phone rings just as she’s finished cooking some toasts and eggs, and after a quick glance to the screen, the caller ID reveals that it’s coming from her family group chat. Risa presses the accept button with a smile.

“Happy birthday, Mama!” All four of her kids greet in unison. 

“Thank you, mga anak. Ang aga niyo tumawag ah.”

“Siyempre naman, Ma. Milestone kaya ang makaabot ng sixty. Sa wakas, may discount na tayo pag nagd-dine out.” Her youngest daughter sticks her tongue out in jest.

There’s a sudden feeling of deja vu that washes over her at Sinta’s teasing, but she brushes it off quickly. Risa pans the camera down to her plate of breakfast.

“Eto lang breakfast ng Mama niyo on her 60th birthday. ‘Di ba kayo naaawa?” Playfully, she sniffles and acts as if she’s wiping tears from her eyes. 

“Asus! Lalabas naman tayo bukas, Mama. Our treat!” 

“Sorry ulit dahil ‘di kami makapunta ngayon, Ma. Busy lang talaga sa work. Bawi kami bukas, pramis!”

Risa waves their apologies off. “It doesn’t really matter to me when we are going to celebrate. Ang mahalaga ay kumpleto tayo. ‘Yan lang ang nais ko.”

She continues chatting with her children as she eats her breakfast, only ending the call when her driver knocks on the front door. A few minutes later, Risa greets him with a smile when she enters the car.

She thanks him when he greets her a happy birthday, and she remarks that the traffic is unusually light today. The skies are clear too, and the flowers on the sidewalks are in full bloom. It’s like the universe was conspiring to celebrate her sixtieth year on earth the best way possible.

When she gets to work, Risa receives more birthday greetings from personnel, colleagues, and staff alike, while the rest of the day continues as scheduled. At ten o’clock, she entertains local leaders seeking partnership and funding for their health projects. Lunch then rolls around, but the food pack placed on her desk remains untouched because she’s too busy drafting bills and proposals. When she’s finally satisfied with her drafts, she calls for a staff meeting to hand out updates and new tasks, and all the while Risa almost laughs at how hard her staff is trying to deflect her questions of a possible office party. 

At two o’clock, she comes down to Sherwin’s office with the other senators to discuss revisions on one of the bills she co-authored. The meeting ran particularly longer that she thought it would, with Sherwin asking the most questions and suggesting some improvements she took note of. By the end of the meeting, it was already past five in the afternoon, and her stomach was growling in hunger.

“Balik na ako sa office,” she tells Sherwin while packing up her things, “Something tells me may pa-surprise ang mga bata. Punta ka rin, ha?”

Sherwin gives her a thumbs up before she exits his office and heads back to hers. When she arrives at the double doors, a smile flits across her face. She can already vaguely smell the unmistakable scent of lechon wafting from inside the room. 

Risa smooths her hair, adjusts the collar of her shirt, and counts to three before pushing the door open. 

The sound of party poppers and cheering greets her as she enters the office, which is now decorated with purple streamers and balloons. Taped to the wall opposite the entrance is a birthday banner that spelled out Happy Birthday, Senator Risa! in big block letters. Foldable plastic chairs and tables are arranged in one part of the room, mimicking the usual set up for a salusalo, and adjacent to it are the office desks being used as a makeshift buffet table. 

When Risa reaches the center of the room, she is handed a cake with lit candles by one of her staff. A second later, a bright pink sash with the label Birthday Queen is placed over her. 

And then the singing starts.

“Happy birthday, Sen Risa, happy birthday to you!”

Applause and cheers fill the air as Risa gently blows out the candles on her birthday cake. It’s ube-flavored and purple, on theme with the balloons and streamers currently around the office.

“Kayo talaga! Ilang oras lang ako nawala, may balloons na!” Risa jokingly scolds her senior assistant, who only sheepishly smiles back at her. Instead of replying, she hands Risa a paper plate already filled with a variety of food—a few scoops of rice, pancit, lumpia, and lechon. The aroma makes her stomach grumble in anticipation.

Her assistant leads her to a table placed near the door, pulling her seat out for her before disappearing back into the small crowd still waiting to be served food. Just as Risa is about to start eating, the empty chair beside her is gently pulled back, and in it settles a familiar barong-clad figure. He looks pointedly at her birthday sash before looking down at her plate of food. Risa chuckles, already knowing what he’s going to say.

“Don’t you dare say it. Today’s a special day! I deserve a little treat,” She teases, fingers popping a small slice of lechon skin into her mouth. 

The man raises one arm in surrender before taking a free fork from the table and stabbing a piece of lumpia from Risa’s plate, eating it before she can argue. Aghast, Risa slaps the offending arm and gently pushes him away, laughing, “Kumuha ka nga ng sa’yo!” 

He doesn’t answer her, but the subsequent laugh that comes from him is belly-deep and his eyes disappear into familiar half-moons.

With a tsk, Risa grabs another paper plate from a nearby pile and transfers a small portion of her own food onto it before pushing it towards her seatmate, who reciprocates by grabbing two paper cups filled to the brim with cold orange juice. Gently, he places one cup near her plate, and they begin eating after he hands her a set of eco utensils.

A few minutes into their companionable silence, a sudden thought arises in her head.

Risa places her spoon down and looks straight into the eyes of her companion. “Ikaw, sa’n ambag mo? Nandito ka lang ba para kumain, Sherwin? You haven’t greeted me yet, let alone given me a gift.”

This time, the laugh that comes from him is a pitch higher, and Risa fails to keep acting like she’s disappointed. Food now abandoned, Sherwin dusts his hands off and reaches out as if asking for a handshake. Risa only stares at him.

“Happy 60th birthday, Ris. Senior citizen ka na, congratulations.”

Risa slaps his hand away, rolling her eyes and turning her attention back to her food. Sherwin continues shaking in unbridled laughter.

“Nakakairita ka talaga, Sherwin. One of these days, karma will bring justice to your constant teasing.”

Sherwin only shrugs, unbothered. “I’m serious! Think of the many benefits you can now enjoy. Discounts, especially. Gusto mo samahan kita kumuha ng ID? I’ll go with you if you promise to treat me to dinner after. Or, if you offer to go with me every time I eat out. Ang laking bawas siguro sa usual bill ko.”

“Che. I’m a senior citizen, not disabled. I can get my ID myself. And besides, okay lang kahit anong government ID para makatanggap ng discount.”

“Fine, suit yourself. Pero ilibre mo pa rin ako, ha. Sayang din ang 20%.”

The night of celebration continued, and with each passing hour, more and more people said their goodbyes and left the office. Risa and Sherwin were about to pack the remaining food into reusable containers when Risa’s junior assistant approached them.

“Kami na po bahala mag-pack and mag-hand out nito sa mga guards, Sen. Mauna na po kayo.” 

Risa hesitates, but her assistant quickly takes away the trays from her grasp and playfully shoos her out the door. 

“‘Yung bag at gifts—“

“I have them, don’t worry.” Sherwin exits the office after her, holding her bag in one hand and balancing the birthday gifts in the other.

Risa takes her handbag from him, but when she tries to grab a few of the gifts, Sherwin moves them out of her reach. He puts a hand to the small of her back instead, urging her forward, and the two start their short walk to the parking lot.

When they finally reach the parking spot of Sherwin’s black sedan, he opens the passenger door for Risa, and she enters the way she’s done many times before. Risa places her bag into its designated spot at the center console as Sherwin settles into the driver’s seat, her birthday gifts already having been placed at the back of the car.

“I’m still so amazed you had this customized just for my bag,” Risa says appreciatively as Sherwin starts the engine, “Hindi naman tayo parating nagca-carpool.”

“Seatbelt, please.” Sherwin reminds, nodding in approval once Risa clicks hers into place. “Even if we don’t always carpool, I want you to be comfortable when you’re riding with me.”

The car peels out of the parking lot and enters the smooth asphalt of the highway. With the city lights already glowing in full brightness, Risa feels slightly wistful. It’s slowly starting to sink in that she is now 60 years old. She’s been through a lot, has done a lot, but she does not feel all that much different. Time was a funny, confusing thing.

The ride to Parañaque continues in silence as Sherwin allows Risa a moment with her own thoughts. Her eyes trace the cityscape as if committing it to memory, and from time to time, Sherwin spares her a few curious glances. He hopes she doesn’t notice that he was deliberately driving slower than usual. 

They are about ten minutes away from her place before the silence is interrupted by Sherwin.

“Oo nga pala, are the kids home? Are they going to throw you a surprise party of their own?”

Risa finally turns away from the window and gazes at his side profile. “No, they’re all busy today. Work and school matters. We’ll be celebrating my birthday tomorrow. You can come, if you want.”

“Really?” Sherwin says, shock apparent in his voice. He clears his throat. “Wouldn’t that be awkward?”

Bewildered, Risa raises a brow at him, “Why would it be? You’ve met all of them already, and it won’t even be your first dinner with us. Don’t tell me you’re getting shy all of a sudden.”

“Psh. Me, shy?” Sherwin bumps his elbow against her arm when she laughs at him jokingly, “Never! Not with you.”

Not long after, the car pulls up into the familiar gravel of her house. Sherwin parks carefully in the driveway before turning the engine off. They then exit the car in unison and after grabbing Risa’s gifts, both slowly trudge their way into the house’s front door. 

Risa unlocks the door quickly once it is within reach, carefully accepting the gifts Sherwin hands over to her before depositing them onto a nearby console table.

Then she turns, arms now folded across her chest, and waits expectantly.

“What?” Sherwin asks.

“Anong ‘what’? Wala ka talagang regalo para sa akin? Sige, kung gusto mong magtampo ako.”

Sherwin grins at her lame attempt at a blackmail. Rather than reacting to her banter, he holds her stare as he digs into his pockets. A second later, he brings out a small box, brown and nondescript. In the dim light, it almost looks like an unlabeled matchbox. 

“Here. Take it.”

Risa squints at it, immediately suspicious. “What’s that? Huwag mong sabihing gagamba ang nasa loob niyan. Babatukan talaga kita, Gatchalian.”

Sherwin snickers, “Oo na, ako na magbubukas. Ikaw talaga, wala ka bang tiwala sa akin? I’ll have you know that this is a beautiful gift.”

In one swift motion, he opens the box. 

Risa’s breath catches in her throat.

It isn’t a spider or anything close to what Risa is expecting, but it fills her chest with so much warmth that it almost feels hard for her to breathe. Sherwin’s gift was an enamel pin shaped in the image of an anatomical heart, adorned with intricate curves and carefully placed rose-gold gems. Its colors are bright and eye-catching, and when she reaches out to touch it, recognition sinks into her.

Slowly, she takes it from Sherwin’s hold and holds it up near his neck, right where its reciprocate is pinned to his collar. While hers was vividly colored, his was decorated in darker tones and silver gems. But the art and the lines and the curves—they were the exact same. The set of pins gleam in perfect unison, as if aware of its observing audience.  

“Would you look at that,” she says softly. “We match.”

She locks her gaze with his, and the two come into a silent understanding.

“We do,” Sherwin agrees, “I didn’t think you would notice. You didn’t say anything earlier, even when you saw it at the office.”

“Nope. Don’t try to deny it,” he continues before she can argue her innocence, “I saw you staring at it when we were eating cake.”

Risa’s lips stretch into a knowing smirk, “So you did wear it for me, hoping I would notice.”

A single raise of his shoulders is his only reply. Still holding her gaze, he slowly steps closer, and the distance between them shortens enough for their shoes to touch. With how close he is, even the dim lighting doesn’t hinder the clarity of his eyes. Brown and gentle and earnest. Like swirled dark chocolate.

When he leans down, Risa holds her breath in anticipation. His voice is low and sincere and she finally receives the proper greeting she’s been expecting from him all day.

“Happy birthday, Theresia.”

A smile tugs the corners of Risa’s lips upwards. Her full name always sounded so special whenever he said it.

She wills her voice to be as low as his when she replies. 

“Thank you, Sherwin.”

They pull away from each other a second later, and Sherwin pockets his hands, swaying on his heels. Seeing him linger at the doorway, Risa finds herself stuck with two decisions.

They’ve been playing this game for years. Pushing and pulling, over and over again. Right now, however, even considering the thought of letting him drive away makes her guts twist. There’s a nagging in the back of her head telling her that she would surely regret it if she didn’t ask.

A leap of faith. A rewarding risk. Be brave, Risa. 

“Win,” she says after a beat, heart hammering with the courage she hopes also shows on her face, “would you like a cup of coffee before you go?” 

A full-blown smile appears on Sherwin’s face.

“I thought you’d never ask.”

The front door opens wider, and then closes with a final click.