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Heaven, Markus brilliantly portray trials of virtual, long-distance relationship in MMK “Cake”

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Bea Kalaw

<p>The way we love constantly changes. In the past, meeting people and courting a person you liked was done face-to-face; now, these things can be done virtually. Dynamics have truly changed and, sometimes, it gets difficult to distinguish if the love you have is still true.</p><p>In <a href="https://ent.abs-cbn.com/maalaalamokaya"><strong><u>Maalaala Mo Kaya</u></strong></a>’s fresh episode offering on August 6 entitled “Cake,” we learn that that’s just how life and love are. It’s ever-transforming. No matter how a relationship started or developed, if it’s based on trust, communication, and sincerity, then love is love.</p><p>Wena (Heaven Peraleho) and Greg (Markus Paterson) in this story met online. While unconventional, they prove that it’s possible to build a strong connection with someone virtually. And that connection could possibly be love.</p><p>Wena is a nursing student in Zamboanga set on her dream to graduate nursing, become a nurse, and work in the United States (US). This dream of Wena’s was strengthened because of her mother. Her mom needs constant care as she is sick and, at the same time, she just wants to see her succeed in life.</p><p>Sadly, time was not on their side as Wena’s mother succumbed to the complications of her sickness. To cope with the grief and forget her sadness, she decided to check a dating app that would allow her to chat with strangers. Her current friends and family who feel sad about her loss just reminded her that her mother is now gone, so she went online to find a break from all the heartache.</p><div><ivs-player data-ivs-key="06b9cac5decc13edae3497a22831561a" data-ivs-spid="3001384" data-ivs-vid="2160124"></ivs-player> <script src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/js/loader.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>That’s when she met Greg. Greg was an engineering graduate working in Manila. Since they were simply looking for someone to talk to at the time, their distance didn’t matter much. Though the spark in their short conversation was undeniable. Wena shared that she heard a saying that nurses were meant to end up with engineers. This amused Greg, and he joked that they should prove it.</p><p>Their communication was not constant at the beginning. Wena was still grieving while Greg had no idea why Wena couldn’t reply back to him. Eventually, Wena opened up to Greg about what she was going through and shared how thankful she was to have him as a good distraction. Greg appreciated it and offered to be someone Wena can rely on for her problems and issues now too.</p><p>Their relationship blossomed even though they couldn’t physically meet. They would just hold on to the promise that they would see each other someday. Regardless, they maintained communication even if it was difficult. Greg, especially, came from a traumatic experience with a long-distance relationship with his former girlfriend. </p><p>Their sweetness with each other finally hit a bump on the road when they began talking about the label of their relationship. Their set-up of constant video calling and updating each other seemed like they were in a relationship. But because it was all done online, they didn’t have a clear idea of what to call what they have. Neither of them was willing to answer this question honestly too, so Wena assumed Greg’s hesitation to answer meant they were simply friends. This scared Wena because she didn’t want to get hurt, expecting something that might not happen. Without any thought, she cut-off Greg by blocking and unfriending him on the text and social media.</p><p>Seven months pass and Wena realizes she’s still hung up on Greg. She decides to reach out to him again and confesses that she has liked him since the very start. This moved Greg, but he had to admit that he had a new girlfriend now. Yet upon learning that Wena was finally in Luzon since her work is in Pampanga, Greg decided to fulfill his promise to meet up with her.</p><p>Their meet-up showed them that they both still had feelings for each other. For Wena, Greg was the only guy she felt comfortable being vulnerable with, and chatting with other guys never felt the same since. She also considered him as the lifejacket that saved her from drowning in her sorrows during such a difficult time. As for Greg, he wanted to be there for Wena no matter what.</p><div><ivs-player data-ivs-key="06b9cac5decc13edae3497a22831561a" data-ivs-spid="3001384" data-ivs-vid="2160129"></ivs-player> <script src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/js/loader.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>Since it was clear to them that they were right for each other, Greg decided to end his current relationship and pursued Wena seriously. Wena was not sure about it at first since she might end up as a failed online fling. But soon, she realized that Greg was honest with his feelings and she couldn’t suppress her own feelings too any longer.</p><p>While they were in love and much nearer in location than before, a looming long-distance relationship set-up was raised once again. Wena still dreams of becoming a nurse in the US and she’s firm on making this come true. She doesn’t want to end it with Greg, but she understands that the Philippines and US are so far that their relationship might not be able to survive it. She said she was open to the idea of breaking up if Greg wasn’t willing to go through a challenging long-distance relationship again.</p><p>While it was true that Greg would be unhappy not being in the same place as Wena, it would make him unhappier if she was not in his life. Because of this, he decided to propose to Wena and devote himself to her completely. Wena is free to spread her wings to reach her dreams because their love would be set in stone no matter where they were.</p><div><ivs-player data-ivs-key="06b9cac5decc13edae3497a22831561a" data-ivs-spid="3001384" data-ivs-vid="2160131"></ivs-player> <script src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/js/loader.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p><strong><a href="https://ent.abs-cbn.com/maalaalamokaya"><u>MMK</u></a></strong> “Cake” is Heaven and Markus’ first on-screen team-up, but their chemistry is captivating to watch. The scenes together felt natural and sincere, as if they were experiencing the struggles of the real Wena and Greg.</p><p>This story also captures the struggle of many towards love, especially over the pandemic. Several people were forced to endure long-distance relationships and some resorted to online dating platforms to find connections with people. It also touched on the common experiences pertaining to complicated emotions, relationship labels, and set-ups that blurred the lines of love.</p><p>Catch more relatable true stories of love on<strong> <a href="https://ent.abs-cbn.com/maalaalamokaya"><u>MMK</u></a></strong> every Saturday at 8 PM, on <a href="https://kapamilyachannel.com"><strong><u>Kapamilya Channel</u></strong></a>, <strong><u><a href="https://kapamilyaonlinelive.com">Kapamilya Online Live</a></u></strong>, A2Z and <a href="https://app.iwanttfc.com/Mkr3OdLk6ab"><strong><u>iWantTFC</u></strong></a>.</p>

In MMK’S fresh episode offering on August 6 entitled “Cake” starring Heaven Peralejo and Markus Paterson we learn that that’s just how life and love are.