Six Years [Leni Robredo x Rodrigo Duterte]

Year 6: Am I Late?

Subukan ko ma'am. Thank you for inviting. He he

Instead of relieving, it worsened her feelings. He was the last person to receive an invitation; a week before the event. He already had a schedule for that week for a state visit in Bangladesh and he was scheduled to arrive back the same day of her gathering for her birthday. He told her that he'll do his best to attend but with what's happening that very moment, she knew the chances of him making it are slimmer than slim.

After a while of recovery, she went back and distracted herself by entertaining the guests but she couldn't help but glance at the entrance door whenever it opens hoping she would see that one man she's been wanting to see.

Time passed by, the guests started to go home one by one, bidding goodbye and saying their last greetings to her. When the crowd started to lessen and the room started to have space, she accepted the fact that he would no longer be coming for her and it broke her heart into pieces.

She stroked her dress with her thumb gently, akala ko mapapakita ko ito sakanya. She thought thinking it might bring back so much memories to them once he sees her in it.

"Leni, we'll go ahead ha." Some of her friends informed her disrupting her loneliness for a moment. "Ah, sige. Thank you sa pagpunta. Sana nabusog kayo." She jested and escorted them out.

Mara stood at the corner and saw Leni return from the lobby. She sat alone on one of the banquet chairs and looked blankly at a distance. She knew she was expecting someone and she couldn't think of who it could be than his distant relative, Digong.

She approached her and tried to discreetly cheer her up. "Salamat sa tulong ha. Okay na okay 'tong party." She expressed her gratefulness. "You're welcome mam, syempre birthday niyo tsaka malakas kayo saakin." She replied.

"Hmm! Nambola pa." She blushed and hugged her. "Hindi yun bola, mam. Kaya nga botong boto ako sainyo noon ni Digong." She retorted not realizing how weird it is to bring him up to the conversation, Leni just smiled at her.

Mara felt bad for accidentally mentioning his name, she knew she has to make up for it. "Mam," she uttered breaking the silence. "Since birthday niyo naman po, may gusto po sana ako sabihin sainyo." She began. "Ano yon?" Leni asked.

Mara breathed deeply, "Yung rose po in the glass," she teased, Leni looked at her in anticipation. "Oh?" She responded, "Ako po yung nagpalit nung rose to synthetic." She confessed shaking Leni out.

Rendered speechless, Mara continued explaining the reason why. "Inutos po saakin ni Digong na palitan yon without you knowing po kase,"

"Bakit?" Leni didn't know whether to get mad, confused, happy; she was lost thinking it's pointless to do that.

"Kase po ayaw ni Digong na maabutan niyo yung pagkamatay nung ecuadorian rose. May pinangako daw po kase siya sainyo?" She pointed out despite that she wasn't aware of the promise he told Leni.

You're Belle, I'm the Beast. She recalled him joking about it the moment he gave her the rose before. That's when it sank to her that he meant what he said but he didn't make it too obvious so she won't feel uneasy around him.

She's his Belle and he's her beast, she was his complete opposite, she was a beauty to him, she was his precious princess and the rose' life symbolized his long lasting love and that's the time it made sense to her why he asked someone to secretly replace the Ecuadorian rose with some synthetic one — he wanted it to last forever.

She knew it was what the act meant as he has been the type of guy who pays so much attention to details and it was actually one of the reasons why she fell in love with him. A smile grew on her lips as she fathomed into the idea. "Mam, I know medyo weird manggaling saakin 'to pero tingin ko soulmates talaga kayo ni Digong." Mara remarked. They stared at each other, she wanted it to go that way too, Leni wanted to be his soulmate too.