Maya arrived at the cottage looking exhausted.
"Bad day?" Glad asked, pouring her coffee.
"Bad week. There's a dispute between two communities in Mindanao that's escalating. Both sides are refusing to talk. They're threatening violence."
"Have you tried—"
"Everything. Mediation, negotiation, even brought in Kaloy. Nothing works."
Glad sat quietly for a moment.
"What would you tell me, if I were in your position?"
Maya blinked. "What?"
"If our roles were reversed. You're the elder now. I'm the struggling leader. What would you say?"
Maya considered this. "I'd say... you can't solve everything. Some conflicts need time. Space. Let them exhaust themselves before stepping in."
"Good advice. Why aren't you taking it?"
"Because I'm supposed to fix everything."
"No. You're supposed to lead. Leading sometimes means letting people fail so they learn." Glad smiled. "I learned that from watching you."
Maya was quiet for a long moment.
"I hate when you're right."
"Learned that from Ariel."
They laughed together in the garden, tension breaking.
The crisis wouldn't solve itself overnight.
But Maya would handle it.
She always did.