A/N: Unlike the main part of Watching Sunrises, this epilogue is written in Leni's POV (as a tie-in to the next book).
Risa bounced off the walls in excitement (at least in her head) on their way up to Pia and Loren's new condo in BGC. While she and Leni have gotten a few teasers of the work in progress, this will be the first time either of them will get to see the place in person.
She swayed her hips to the elevator music and hummed along to the tune. "Oh my God, Ga, na-e-excite ako!"
Leni, with several gifts in tow, stared at her with a mischievous smile. "Sa housewarming ka ba talaga excited, o sa afterparty mamayang gabi?"
"Pwede naman both, diba?" Risa said, raising a bunch of gifts on one hand, and a bottle of wine on the other. "San Mig sana dalhin ko, pero wine na lang para level up nang 'onti. May sparkling grape juice din akong dala para pwede makasali naman si Ate Lo."
Leni pursed her lips, then glanced at the bottle of sparkling grape juice on Risa's feet. "Hati sila ni Peej sa sparkling grape juice. Ayokong mag-alaga ng dalawang lasing mamaya."
Risa and Leni shared a laugh until the elevator stopped at the 24th floor, where the new condo is. They stepped out of the elevator and walked until they reached the unit on the furthest end.
Upon reaching the unit, Risa rang the doorbell. Moments later, they heard unlocking sounds until Loren opened the door. "Hi, welcome to Casa de Legarda-Cayetano. Sige, pasok kayo."
"Ate Lo!" Risa outstretched her arms to give Loren a hug before scanning the place. "Wow, ang luwag, ah. Inggit ako!"
As soon as Risa stepped in, an adult-sized Golden Retriever made a beeline for her and wagged its tail in front of her. Risa then immediately squealed and crouched down to pet it. "Ahh, doggy! What's their name?"
Loren also crouched down and scratched the dog's chest area. "Risa, meet Aloe. Say hi to Tita Ris, Aloe!"
While Risa and Loren shared stories about Aloe and how they adopted him, Leni and Pia sat around the white and brown couches with some orange juice and a charcuterie board on the coffee table. Also invited to the party are Grace and Nancy, who Leni has been quickly becoming friends with for the past few years.
As soon as Leni saw them, she immediately tapped Nancy's shoulder to get her attention. "Uy, Nans, balik ba kayo next year ni Grace?"
Nancy faced Leni and took a sip of the orange juice. "Of course, Lens, filing na ng CoC bukas. Masaya ang tahimik na buhay, pero nakaka-miss rin magtrabaho sa Senate."
On the other couch, Grace refilled her glass and took a bite of some cheese and crackers from the charcuterie board in front of them. "Sana manalo muna, diba?"
Leni let out a hearty laugh. "Ano ba, Grasya, mananalo yan! Mark my words: May reunion ng Tres Marites sa July."
While the so-called 'Tres Marites' bloc shared a laugh, Pia grabbed some of the Brie cheese and a piece of ham. "So, Lens, what's next for the Lapag Queen? May ipapapusta ka ba ulit?"
Leni shook her head. "Ayoko muna, Peej. Gusto ko muna magka-pera pang-Shopee."
"Ayaw muna. Ibig sabihin may balak magpapusta ulit." Nancy chortled. "Sabihin mo lang wala nang exciting happenings sa Senate ngayon. Kasal na ung mga malalandi, eh."
Pia gasped in fake indignation. "Nans, are you insinuating na malandi kami?"
The moment she heard that line, Leni almost spit her drink. "Gago, Peej! Almost 300k nga na-donate natin sa Angat Buhay, diba?"
Before Pia could react, Loren approached behind Pia and rubbed the latter's shoulders. "Uy, Nancy, 'wag niyo awayin si Ma'am. Kung hindi dahil sa kanya, walang housewarming na magaganap ngayon."
Grace gave Nancy a high-five. "Tama, tama. Lagot rin tayo kay Madam - mahirap na."
Loren then called everyone's attention. "Since everyone's here, start na natin ung tour?"
She and Pia then led their four guests to various parts of their home. A muted palette of whites, neutrals, and various earth tones permeated the space, with the occasional pop of color from Loren's flower arrangements and fixtures made out of recycled materials.
In one corner of the main room lies a small gym area with some weights, a couple of yoga mats, and two bikes of different sizes mounted on the wall. Various plants are scattered around the living area and there's what appears to be some sort of swing hanging on the wall.
As soon as Leni eyed that white swing, Loren then jumped in. "Ayy, Ma'am, masaya 'to. This is a sensory swing - it's typically used with, say, autistic kids, or anyone who has some sort of sensory issues, really. P told me that it can help adults as well, so nagpalagay siya nito for me."
She then hopped over to the swing, sat down and wrapped herself inside like some sort of cocoon. "It's very soothing, actually. Sige, you can all give it a try."
Loren then hopped out of the swing and guided Leni into the swing. To her surprise, a feeling of warmth enveloped her, as if she got a comforting hug from someone. "Uyy, ang sarap nga dito. Pwede dito na lang ako, Madam?"
Risa giggled along with the rest of the group. "Parang weighted blanket ba, Ate Lo?"
"Kind of, but the sensation is very different," Loren answered.
Pia, on the other hand, showed the group around the two bedrooms, tailor-fit to their individual needs. Unlike most people, they decided to get separate rooms, to Leni's initial confusion. "Peej, bakit hiwalay bedrooms niyo? Mag-asawa naman kayo."
"Well, first of all, Reg and I have a few needs that we really couldn't compromise on, especially with our sleeping environment," Pia answered before giggling. "Second, hoarder kami parehas, so bodega na ung bedroom kung nagsama kami, diba?"
Leni started giggling as well. "Jusko, ung bahay mo pa lang, diba?"
By this point, Pia laughed so much that she couldn't contain her composure. Risa then chimed into the festivities. "You know, Ga, more and more couples are opting for separate rooms. They say that having your own space can actually improve a couple's sex life."
"Basta, Sa, sama-sama tayong matutulog sa bahay." Leni concluded. "Yun na yun."
As the tour went on, Leni observed the now not-so-newly married couple from afar and noted how far they've come since she first encountered them a couple of years ago. From chance encounters in the Senate (of which there were many), here they are celebrating their first home together openly expressing their affection and fondness for each other.
It filled Leni with joy seeing how much they supported one another, from Pia paying special attention to Loren's needs, to the way Loren beamed at Pia whenever she talks about her, to the fact that even after so many years, they still couldn't keep their hands off of each other.
And that, to Leni, was worth the gamble.
A/N: Salamat sa mga nagbasa at nagsubaybay sa #RoadToLabel ni Pilar at Regina. Very rollercoaster ung book na ito, but I hope everyone enjoyed the ride.
The next book for this multiverse is all about the game of love that led to this point, this time from the eyes of the London Bridge herself.
Chance Encounters: A Sen. Leni AU (feat. Pilo)
Neophyte senator Leni found a natural rapport with the infamous Seatmates bloc in the Senate - a monumental feat for the former Vice President and opposition leader. She also wanted a way to get herself on their good side, while raising a bit of money for Angat Buhay at the same time.
An unexpected glimpse of the true extent of the personal relationship between the two most senior Senators in the 20th Congress gave her an idea: start a pool of money and have everyone in the bloc throw some in the pot until they finally admit their relationship.
Can Leni pull off the stunt and bond with her colleagues in the process? When will Pia and Loren admit their relationship and much money will Leni make in the end?
Most importantly, how can she make Risa, queen of FOMO, understand that there's a reason she's banned from joining the festivities?