Two of our favorite tandems ripped our hearts in Episode 39 of "It’s Okay to Not Be Okay."
The cracks first appeared with Kai (Louise Abuel) and Bella (Bianca De Vera), who had planned to elope that day. But instead of pushing through, Kai returned alone to the resort where they stayed along with Patrick (Joshua Garcia) and Mia (Anne Curtis), who were surprised to see him crying and with no Bella by his side.
Kai confessed that he was the one who broke their promise. On the morning of their planned escape, he made the painful choice to let Bella go, believing she deserved more than what he could give in his broken state. He explained that he needed to face his alcohol problem, commit to therapy, and find recovery first. Only then, he promised, would he be able to love her better and dedicate his life to her. The declaration was soaked in pain yet it spoke of a deeper devotion. After their final conversation, Kai accompanied Bella to the terminal and watched her leave for home.
Mia’s dismay spilled over, labeling Kai’s sacrifice as nothing more than stupidity as she was supportive of the star-crossed lovers' runaway plan. Patrick disagreed, saying it was an act of love, that sometimes you have to set someone free for their own good. Mia, however, refused to see it that way and insisted that such a thing would never happen to them because she would never let Patrick go.
While working on his mural at OK Hospital, Matmat (Carlo Aquino) couldn’t shake off the uneasiness as Patrick had yet to return and had been unreachable after twenty-seven unanswered calls. Gemma (Kaori Oinuma) tried to lift his spirits, assuring him that Patrick would surely arrive soon.
And true enough, Patrick eventually showed up, with Mia by his side, as they escorted Kai, who openly told Mang Tommy (Bodjie Pascua) details of his sweet escape with Bella, even admitting how his cravings were triggered by the bottle of ‘lambanog’ Mia had left outside their room. Mang Tommy chuckled at the thought of Patrick and Mia staying together in one room like husband and wife, and was further intrigued when Kai noted the spark between the pair. Unbeknownst to Kai and Mang Tommy, who are actually roommates with Samuel (Michael De Mesa), Nurse Pogi (Aljon Mendoza) was eavesdropping the entire time and savoring the fresh gossip to pass around.
And spread it he did, first to Nurse Patty (Alyssa Muhlach) when he ran into her at the garden, then to Doc Emman (Mark Oblea) when he saw him in the comfort room—careless that Matmat was inside one of the cubicles and overheard everything. Matmat got out of the cubicle and said nothing, though deep down he was hurt and disappointed that his own brother had kept this from him.
The mess hall turned into a stage of heartbreak when Matmat confronted Patrick about the lie he had just uncovered. His voice cracked with hurt and anger as he called out his brother for deceiving him, for telling him he was only watching over a patient when in truth he had been with Mia the entire night.
Jealousy, disappointment, and long-buried pain erupted from Matmat as he insisted that Patrick had lied because he no longer wanted him around, even forcing his brother to choose between him and Mia. Patrick, his eyes filled with sorrow, assured his “manong” that he would always choose him but Matmat refused to believe it. The confrontation unearthed Matmat's old wound from their childhood, when a young Patrick, consumed by frustration, once wished Matmat were dead so he would no longer be burdened by caring for him.
Matmat was haunted by a flashback of the time Patrick seemed ready to abandon him as he nearly drowned in the river, forgetting the moment that Patrick eventually came back to save him.
Patrick tried desperately to embrace his ‘manong,’ repeating that he did rescue him that day, but Matmat was so lost in confusion and pain that refused to hear. Both Carlo and Joshua bared their brilliance in this sequence, delivering a performance so raw and layered that every flicker of anguish, guilt, and brotherly love cut straight to the viewers’ hearts.
Overcome with emotions, Patrick fled from the mess hall and hid behind a tree where he broke down in tears as he apologized over and over to his brother. Back inside, the nurses and staff who had witnessed the outburst rushed to assist at Doc Anok (Bobot Mortiz)'s signal, while Mia, in tears herself, followed Patrick after witnessing the shattering exchange.
Catch “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay” on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL), A2Z, and TV5, weeknights at 8:45 PM. Watch it in advance on Netflix and iWant.