Love Bites: “Letters for Leah” poured an array of emotions that had viewers getting a taste of hopeful, ‘kilig,’ and sad sentiments, plus Dimples Romana and Miko Raval’s scenes together, albeit in bite-sized servings, are always a treat.

If you’re still moving on from an unresolved past, this is the Love Bites episode perfect for you.

It starts with Allan (Miko)’s social media 101 with his nephew. Armed with a little knowledge about chatting in an online app, he searched Leah Adivino (Dimples) and found her. From its light take-off, the succeeding flashback scenes would provide the meat of the story.

The young Allan (Lance Carr) fell in love with the young Leah (Angelicas Lao) and got her pregnant. Since they were still students at the time, and due to opposing social status, Leah’s family made sure they won’t get to see each other again. But, they found a way to communicate by Leah sending letters to Allan and the latter replying through song requests and messages to a radio station.

Young love is such a risk and a test of perseverance. It is slow and patient. But it’s exactly the struggle that makes it more special. Allan and Leah, although distanced, grew the love between them and they never got tired of exchanging letters until they started working after graduation. Leah’s replies stopped coming in one day. Allan waited patiently for a decade until he searched Leah’s profile and reached out on social media in 2019.

From the point of view of the adult Allan, moving on would be impossible without proper closure. He messaged Leah, saying he wants answers to his questions. She never replied. As fate would have it, he would catch her in an art gallery with a young boy and a man. Allan chickened out and went home thinking if the boy is his child and if Leah is married to the man.

After months of not receiving any response and craving for clarity, he asked Leah to see him at the gallery on a specific day. He said he would wait no matter what happens, but if she fails to meet him, he’d take it as a sign to let go and move on without her in his life.

Halfway through Allan’s waiting, you probably felt a twitch in your heart, which burst into deep sadness as Leah did not show up. The episode ends with their message thread hinting that Leah is typing her first response to Allan’s messages, making the viewers hope for a continuation of the story.

Love Bites: “Letters for Leah” isn’t just about an old-school romance, but rediscovering the strength to keep oneself whole again and let go of the past. Waiting is a romantic gesture, a sign of respect and love, sure, but sometimes waiting for someone without the certainty of them coming back is just going to delay your healing. Instead, start putting the broken pieces back together and come to terms with reality.

A whole lot of romance entered our screens when young stars Lance and Angelica took us to the beginning of Allan and Leah’s love story. Their chemistry and acting chops were strong and convincing throughout their scenes, creating a fantastic job as young lovers put to the test.

Miko and Dimples as the grown-up versions only had a single scene together but the mini doses were nevertheless satisfying. This episode is still a welcome treat for us fans who missed the tandem since their first teleserye together, Viral Scandal, ended last May.

Love Bites: “Letters for Leah” is worth your weekend drama binge. Check it out and more real-life love stories on ABS-CBN Entertainment’s YouTube Channel every Friday 8pm.