Weeks have passed and Jho has been busy with all the transition and preparation for her inauguration and start of term.
Si Bea naman ay may sariling inaasikaso din and been busy with Clyde and assisting Jhoana whenever she can.
Their relationship has progressed, you can say as that, but nothing is official yet. They haven't really had time to sort it out.
Inauguration day.
"Bey, dapat naka-long gown ka ganun para talagang first lady ang dating." Ponggay joked while waiting for the program to start.
Bea, who is wearing a simple dress, looked at herself. "Puro ka kalokohan."
"Ayan na anjan na sila." Ella, who came from the back, settled beside Bea.
On cue, the master of ceremonies greeted the crowd and music started to play. After some monologue, she finally presented the officials to be inaugurated.
One by one they started to walk down the aisle. They started from the councilors and then Alyssa with her parents was next. Last but not the least was Jho, who is wearing a simple filipiniana, and is in between her parents.
Bea stared at Jho. Bigla siyang kinabahan at tinaasan ng balahibo while Jho's walking down the aisle.
For a moment, she saw Jho wearing a wedding dress. She has to shake her head to be back on reality.
"What was that?" She took out a breath.
When Jho was by their row, she waved at Bea and Clyde, who is on Bea's arms.
"Nangnang." Clyde waved back while Bea chuckled.
The ceremony was so solemn. Bea is too proud at Jho while watching her take her oath.
"Ako, Jhoana Louisse A. Maraguinot, na nahalal bilang alkalde sa bayan ng Alitagtag.."
Bea put out her phone and take a video of Jho.
She zoomed it in and it was a coincedence that Jho was looking at her thru the phone's cam.
"I promise to be true to you in sickness or in health. For better or for worse. Till death do us part."
Bea blinked her eyes a couple of times and stopped the video. She looked at Jho who is on the stage.
"... ipagtatanggol ang kanyang Konstitusyon, ipatutupad ang mga batas nito, at itatalaga ang aking sarili sa paglilingkod sa Bansa. Kasihan nawa ako ng Diyos." Jho ended her oath.
Nagtaka naman si Bea. She drink up some water.
"Kulang ba ako sa tulog." She whispered to herself and shook her head again.
Everyone started to clap and so Bea joined too.
"Ngayon naman po ay ating pakikinggan ang unang mensahe ng ating bagong mayora." The MC announced.
Jho smiled when she approached the podium. "Magandang umaga po sa ating lahat." She exhaled and looked at her family.
"Merong laging kinekwento ang mga magulang ko sakin na nung bata raw ako, tinanong ako ng titser ko kung anong gusto ko paglaki nagulat siya kasi ang sagot ko mayor." Natawan naman ang ilan.
"Serving you has been a dream. Making Alitagtag progressive is my dream. Alam ko lahat tayo may pangarap para sa ating bayan. Tutuparin natin lahat yan dahil sa ating liderato, lahat tayo tulong tulong, lahat tayo may role para sa ikauunlad ng ating bayan. Isang pamilya tayo."
Jho diacussed a few of her projects until she thanked everyone for their support and ended her speech.
After some picture taking ay natapos na rin ang programa. Bea and the barkada decided to congratulate Jho on stage.
"Mayor Jhoana!" Ella jokingly called.
Deanna hugged Jho. "Hindi pa rin ako makapaniwalang may mayor nakong friend."
"It's so cool!" Natawa naman silang lahat kay Deanns while Jho messed with the other's hair.
"Mayor and Vice Mayor beshies. I can't!" Sabi naman ni Denden while looking at Alyssa and Jho.
When it was Bea's time to congratulate Jho. Eveything went slow motion for her. Para bang nakita niya si Jho with a veil and she is about to pull it up and kiss her.
"Huy, ok ka lang?" Jho asked.
"Titig na titig? Inlab na inlab?" Ponggay teased.
Bea blinked her eyes a couple of times and erase the thought on her head.
She greeted Jho with a hug. "Congrats, mayora."
Jho chuckled ang hugged Bea back.
They had to pull back because between them is Clyde and the kid seem to be squeezed.
"You ok, baby?" Jho asked Clyde.
"Yes." Bea jokingly answered and laughed.
Jho rolled her eyes. "Hindi ikaw."
"Onga bakit kayo na ba ulit?" Pangaasar ni Ella.
"Check the label bago lumandi amp." Dagdag naman ni Ponggay.
The whole barkada kept on teasing the two until they reached Jho's house where Jho's family prepared a lunch for Jho's team.
"Do you realize how the next years will change for us? And how weird, messy and wxciting it can get?" Denden said while they're eating lunch.
Inamoy naman ni Ella and iniinom ni Denden. "Tanghaling tapat palang besh ah panginimuan na yang topic mo."
Denden slapped her on the arm. "Siraulo."
"Pero di nga? Public servants na sina Aly and Jho. Of course, Ella is with them." Denden said and Ella nodded.
"These two seems to be serious." Denden pounted at Deanna and Ponggay.
Deanna slipped her arm on Pong's shoulders. "We're pretty serious." She said while Pong chuckled and slapped Deanna's thigh.
"Ako ikakasal na." Denden said and looked at Bea.
"And Bea, teka what's next with you?"
Bea looked at Jho who is busy greeting people and then back at her friends.
"Well, let's see basta Jho and Clyde will be there." She pat Clyde's head.
When the lunch was over and only a few people were left at the Maraguinot's residence, Jho had finally time for Bea and Clyde.
"How's our little boy?" She looked at Clyde who is sleeping on Bea's arms.
She also kissed Bea's cheeks.
"Kumain ka na ba?" Bea asked.
Jho nodded but still dig into Bea's plate.
Natawa naman si Bea. "Um hey, I have something to show you pala."
Jho looked at her. "What is it?"
Bea looked around them. "Well, it's not here. Can I take you out for awhile?"
Nagtataka naman si Jho. "Pwede naman. Yung mga naiwang guests ay kasamahan naman ni papa."
Bea smiled. "Nice."
They left Clyde at Jaja's watch for awhile and Bea drove them to an exclusive subdivision.
Jho has been asking Bea the whole time on where they're going but the latter just keep on laughing and didn't want to spoil anything.
"Teka, malapit na tayo."
Bea pulled up beside a two-storey modern house with huge gates and a really nice garden infront.
Bumaba si Jho and looked around.
"Kaninong bahay to?" Jho asked.
Bea pulled Jho and was about to open the gate when she stopped and turned to Jho.
"Oh wait, I have to ask you a question first before we enter our house." Bea said.
"Huh?"
Hindi pa nakakapagreact si Jho when Bea popped the question. "Will you be my girlfriend again?"
Jho looked so confused, kilig, it's a weird mixture of emotions. Eveything is going so fast.
"Teka lang ha. Are you really asking me that question sa harap ng gate na'to? And what our house? Isa isa lang naman beadel." Jho ranted.
Natawa naman si Bea. She held both hands of Jho.
"Sorry sorry." She smiled.
"This could be the most unromatic way of asking this but yeah ayoko ng asarin ng mga kaibigan natin." Bea exhaled while Jho chuckled.
"Mayor Jhoana Louisse Maraguinot, please be my girlfriend again."
Jho nodded and smiled. "Of course, Doc Bea."
They both chuckled and inched closer for a soft and sweet kiss.
"Tara na sa loob." Hinila ni Bea si Jho papasok ng bahay. Again, hindi pa nakakapagreact si Jho.
"This isn't fully furnished yet ha." Bea said.
"So ito yung living room. Perfect for welcoming guests especially you're a public servant now, maraming kakasya dito."
Hinila naman ulit ni Bea si Jho. "This will be the dining area. I'm still thinking if we'll have a huge table here or we can put it in the gazebo at the back. Yes, there's a cutie gazebo at the back we're we can handle some events. It's so cozy."
Natawa lang naman si Jho while roaming her eyes around and while Bea kept on tugging her. Hinahayaan na niya lamang ito fahil mukhang sobrang excited ni Bea.
"The kitchen is there. Perfect for our needs. Tara na sa taas, you'll love it."
Pagkarating nila sa second floor, a huge lobby met them.
"This is actually one of my favorite parts here, pwede tayong maglagay ng sofa or bean bags, para chill lang or we can actually turn it into a playpen for our kids."
Jho's eyes widen upon hearing the word kids from Bea. KIDS.
And then Bea showed Jho the rooms. "These two rooms will be baby rooms. One for Clyde and one for our future baby."
Bea looked at Jho. "Kaso I'm thinking matagal pa naman yun bakit hindi nalang natin iturn muna this room into an office. Sadly, yun yung kulang wala kang office." Jho chuckled.
"But we can turn the free space downstairs near the pool as your office." Sabi pa niya.
She then pulled Jho to the one last room. "And of course, the master's bedroom."
Jho looked around. It was huge and it has a walk in closet. They also have an overlooking view. It was so nice and home-y.
Jho was standing by the mirror wall and admiring the view outside when Bea hugged her from the back.
"So what do you think?"
Jho chuckled and turned around. "Hindi mo pa ako sinasagot, our house? Is this our house?" She said emphasizing the word 'our'.
Bea chuckled. "Yes, I bought this nung isang araw. This has been making me busy for the last week. I figured kasi na dahil mayor ka na you can't leave Alitagtag everyday, yung babyahe byahe and also for sure may mga emergencies so naisip ko why not lumipat na lang kami ni Clyde dito para hindi na hassle sayo."
Jho melts at Bea's initiative. "Paano yung bahay nina Jia? Paano yung buhay niyo dun?"
"Well we can visit that one once in awhile naman. I really hope Clyde can easily adjust here."
Jho smiled and kissed Bea's chin. "You're so sweet and thoughful for all of this."
She chuckled. "You haven't thought a lot ha, playpen, two rooms for two kids."
Natawa rin naman si Bea. "Siyempre you got to think of the future. I didn't have it furnish yet because I know naman you are the artsy between the two of us."
Jho smiled. She just can't contain her happiness. "Hey, about the office, ayoko siya beside the pool, para naman akong receptionist sa resort nun."
Bea chuckled and softly pinched Jho's nose. "You can do whatever you want." Natawa naman si Jho.
"And one last thing." Bea said.
Jho looked at her. "Oh meron pa?"
Bea untangled the hug and searched a specific document on her phone. When she found it, she showed it to Jho.
"That's my contract with Mary Mediatrox Medical Center in Lipa. I'll start working there next week." Bea smiled.
"What?! Bea? Totoo ba'to?" Jho read the contract and yes, its true.
She looked ate Bea. "Bea, this is huge. Moving in here, as in everything including your profession? Are you sure about this?"
Bea chuckled and held Jho on the waist. "I've thought about it so so many times and I am so sure. Wala na rin naman akong ganap sa Manila so why not transfer here. Magiging Batangueña na ako. OMG, kababayan ko na si Vilma Santos."
Natawa naman si Jho and smacked Bea's face. She wrapped her arms around Bea's shoulders.
"Thank you for everything that you're doing for us." She said.
Bea held Jho's hand and kissed it.
"Of course, wala naman na akong hinihiling pa but to be with you until we get old." She smiled.
Jho smiled back and roamed her eyes around the room.
"So this is our home huh." She said.
Bea nodded. "This is it, baby."
At that moment, Bea and Jho felt safe, contented and excited for what's next for them.
Little did they know, their new move made them closer to danger.
———-
🌻- twitter - @jey_writes