This week: Hometowns
Amanda - Laguna Beach, CA
Amanda's kids joined her and Ben at the beach. She hadn't seen them yet, so it was a big reunion for them. Her girls, Kinsley and Charlie, look like twins - how much age difference is there? I forget, but they look the same age! They both had the cutest pigtails. Ben got a little emotional when he watched them run and hug Amanda. The girls were excited to meet Ben and wondered where he was, but little Charlie said she was shy. Awe!
Amanda is looking for someone who wants to lover her kids and make them a priority. She felt like her past relationships that wasn't the case.
I knew Ben was going to be amazing with them. He was so engaging and really went out of his way to talk to both of them and be active with them. He chased them and they chased him, they played in the sand, and even flew a kite. They were like the perfect little family. And then...reality set in. The car ride. Screaming from the backseat. Lots of crankiness after the long day.
Then it was off to meet the rest of her family: her mom, dad, and sister. Their first impression was that Ben seemed a little bit yound and wondered if he was ready to be an "instant dad". They hope he has good intentions.
His mom asked him what he was thinking. He said he had never really thought about it until he met her and then he realized he was OK with it and he was surprised by his reaction. Her dad asked about their relationship. Ben said their relationship has been real and honest. He said they've talked about what a future together woud look like. Her dad stressed what a change having kids would change his life and the responsibility of putting the kids before what he wants.
Amanda said her feelings have grown so much and she would be really devastated if she went home. Ben kind of said the same thing - that he feels really good about their relationship and having growing feelings. They had a nice kiss on his way out and he told her to tell her family thank you, and that they were awesome. He was very genuine and really seemed to have a great time. But, I think he knows that he has a lot of things to think about. He knows it's not just all about him...there are the kids to think about.
Lauren B - Portland, OR
She was extemely excited to see him and to show him around Portland. She thinks she's in love with him, but she hasn't told him yet.
They took a walk through the city. They found a bunch of food trucks and pigged out on a bunch of different kinds of food. Then they went to a whiskey library. Huh? She thought it was really romantic. Yeah, I don't get that. Just weird. But, I think he did say that he loves whiskey, so I guess it was a good place to take him.
She is a little bit nervous about him meeting her family because she hasn't introduced them to a lot of people. She has such strong feelings for Ben, and she wants to have their approval.
Ben met her parents and her brothers and sister, as well as her 18-year-old dog Tessa!
Her sister had some doubts and questions for him. He said he's lucky and she's amazing. She wanted to know how she can trust what he's saying to them because he could be saying the same things to every family. He's not going to sit down with a girl's family and say that he really likes another girl better. He admitted that there are other girls still involved, but if he asks Lauren to marry him, he's going to mean it. She said that any guy could fall in love with Lauren because she's beautiful, smart, and funny so she wondered what he saw in her. He couldn't really put it into words. He just said again that he was lucky. And then he paused, and he got a little emotional! Awe! She pretty much just said that answered her question.
Her sister then talked to Lauren. She said that she hasn't been single that long so she's skeptical. Lauren said she feels like Ben is her "person" (shout-out to Grey's Anatomy) and she said she feels like she was meant to meet Ben.
Lauren's dad wanted to know how she was different than the rest of the girls. He said she just stood out to him and the world stopped the first time he saw her. He said his feelings have continued to grow. Her dad said that he and his wife dated for a very long time and really got to know each other. He wondered what he thought about doing this in such a short amount of time. Ben said that if he proposed it would be because this is real. He said it's more real with her than he ever thought it could be. Her dad asked how he was coping dealing with so many girls' fathers. He was honest and he said "not well".
Lauren told her dad that he was the exact type of guy she would want to spend her life with. Her dad said no one is perfect and there are 3 other girls in the mix. He is happy that she is happy and he does think Ben is a great guy. He just doesn't want to see her get hurt.
They shared a kiss, and then he left...and she didn't tell him how she was really feeling about him. She knows the next time she will see him is at a rose ceremony and she hopes that she doesn't get sent home without him knowing how she truly feels.
Caila - Hudson, OH
Yay, Ohio! Ben thinks that he has the deepest relationship with Caila. Hmmm...interesting. I would have thought the opposite. He really feels challenged by her. He thinks he is right at the edge of really falling for her. Caila knows this is a big day for her because she was feeling kind of uncertain and confused in the Bahamas.
She took him to where she went to high school and where she found herself. This town was the first place that felt like home because she moved around so much. She also took him to a special bench that she has seen so many couples sitting on, and she dreamed that one day she would bring someone special to that bench. She said he was the first person who she felt was worthy of taking there. Wait. The guy she dated for a year never went with her to the bench? I find that really hard to believe. Oh, and I don't know what Caila considers a "bench", but that was totally a swing. It had chains and was hainging from the tree. It didn't have legs, so I would definitly call it a swing and not a bench.
Caila said it really meant a lot to see where he grew up. So, she is really happy to bring him to where she feels like she grew up as a person.
She took Ben to where her dad works. He's the CEO of a toy company. She said she thought it would be fun if they would design a house together. He was really surprised by this activity and genuinely had a blast. Not only did they put together the designs, then they went into the warehouse and actually BUILT the house. They poured the molds and actually put together the toy house. They had so much fun! So much fun that he picked her up and carried her out of the warehouse. How cute was that?!
She is really excited for Ben to meet her family so she can tell them how much she is in love with him. Ben met her parents and her brother. Her mom is Filipino, so she prepared some authentic food for them.
Her dad informed Ben that marrying into a Filipino community is very dynamic. He had no idea what he was getting into when he married her mother. He stressed the importance of the commitment of marriage.
Her mom wanted to know what sparked his connection with Caila. He said she is joyful, cute, and bubbly. He said she was interested in finding out who he was. He shared with her the conversation they had in the Bahamas where Caila said she didn't know if she could love him. He said she has always said things that are real and not just the positive things that everyone wants to hear. Her mom said Caila has high standards and she hasn't met anyone that can meet those standards. Really...the 1-year-boyfried didn't? Ben said he thinks Caila has hinted that she is in love with him, but he's not sure because she hasn't said it yet.
Caila told her dad that her relationship with Ben has been real and she's been able to open up to him from the start. She always focuses on the time they have together to try to block out everything else that's going on. She told him, in a whisper, that she really thinks he's the one and that he is it for her. Her dad was happy for her, but he's worried that she's going to be hurt. She doesn't want him to think that she's being swept up in her emotions. She said everything she knows about his is everything that she's been looking for. She wanted him to tell her that she wasn't crazy for feeling that way.
Caila told her mom that she sees so many amazing qualities in Ben and she knows he's the one. Her mom said she shouldn't hold back her feelings and she should tell him she loves him because there isn't a lot of time. Caila wanted to know if she thought he was in love with her, and she said if she had to guess, she would say yes.
After their goodbye kiss, all she wanted to do was tell him that she loved him and take her mom's advice. But, she chickened out! She let fear get the best of her.
JoJo - Dallas, TX
Waiting at her doorstep, was a dozen red roses and a card. She was so excited. She started reading it and right away, I knew it wasn't from Ben...clearly she didn't. She kept reading, and oohing and aahing. Then she stopped and was like "Wait!". She looked at the 2nd page of the letter and it was signed "Chris". It was from her ex. He said he wasn't writing her because she was on the show. He said he had done some soul searching and knew that he had made a mistake. She got really upset and said she didn't want to read it. She said she didn't want to go back to that because she was heartbroken. She decided to call Chris. He said he's gone through so much since she's been gone. He said he's grown up and he knows what love is now. She said he didn't look back when she begged him to stay. He said he didn't want to lose her. He wanted to know if she was done with him...but we didn't get to hear her answer because Ben was at the door.
Ben could see that she was really emotional and wondered what was going on. She told Ben what happened. Ben kind of looked like a deer in headlights. It was bringing back memories of something that happened in the past with a very similar situation where an ex came into the picture and things didn't end well for him. This was maybe the first time I've seen him look truly uncomfortable and nervous. He looked like he was sweating and about to pass out. But...good news for him... she said she called her ex and told him how happy she was and that what they had is done and there is no going back. She said that she is the happiest that she's ever been and she made the phone call so it could be over. She wanted him to know that her mind was not going to be somewhere else. He thanked her for making the phone call and he wished that he could have been there with her to hold her hand while she did it. She told him that she thinks she was in love before so she knows what it feels like. In past relationships when things got hard, the other person just ran. Ben could have run today and he didn't. She feels like this helped them get closer and they are growing together.
So, they get to JoJo's family's house...and wow...that thing looks like the mansion from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air! She opens the door, and her brother, very loudly can't stop screaming "OH MY GOSH! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'RE HEREEEEEEEE!" Wow, talk about an obnoxiously loud, annoying voice. Get a gripd, dude. Eventually after the screaming, Ben got to meet her parents, brothers, and sister.
Her mom asked what about JoJo sets her apart. He said that was easy. It is that he is the most himself when he's around her. Her mom asked what his future would look like. He said he loves his job in Denver but he's not opposed to moving. Her dad said that there were 2 firemen who could show him what it's like to live in Dallas and what it has to offer and support and friendship(I think that's what he said, and I'm guessing he means her brothers?). One brother said they didn't want to steam roll him, but they are "really, really, REALLY attached to Joelle". They let it be known that they are very protective of her. They feel like parents to her and they saw what her past relationship did to her and how she got hurt.
The brothers finally pulled Ben aside for a 2-on-1 convo. Oh boy. Ben knew this was going to be rough because they love her a lot. Ben said he can speak to where he's at right now, where there's still some time left. He said they are in a really good place and they will still be having some great conversations. He said JoJo is incredible and is very real.
JoJo told her mom that she's falling in love with Ben and she's really scared because she's afraid she will get hurt. Her mom said "you won't get hurt, you're beautiful". Wait, what?! What kind of advice is that?! JoJo said there are still 3 other girls involved, and her mom was like "Oh...". Her mom told her it would work out and to have faith. She said if she likes him, she needs to go 150%. JoJo said her mom is usually the one who tells her to hold back, so she was surprised by what she said. She said she must really see something in Ben and with their relationship.
Her dad said that trust is huge and it has hurt her in the past so he wants to know how Ben will be different. He said he hopes she can trust him. He said he couldn't make any promises today, but he can hope that the feelings will continue to grow.
JoJo talked with her brothers about her feelings and that she's fallng in love with him. Her oldest brother told her that he can't understand how they've only been on 2 1-on-1 dates and she thinks she's in love with him. She said she did get alone time with him on the group dates as well. He said she should keep her heart guarded. She didn't really like that comment. She said she can't explain it, but it's a feeling she gets when she's with him. The younger brother said he can tell that she's falling for him but she doesn't want to see her get hurt. She said the only way to tell if this going to work is for her to be vulnerable. They said they don't want her to sell herself short. The older brother said he got the feeling from Ben that he's not as invested as she is. That really hurt her to hear (obviously). I would tend to agree with him. Ben's answers were a lot more vague with JoJo's family than they were with the others. He seems a lot more unsure about things with her. Now she's not sure what to do because now she feels like maybe she should pull back.
The family came back together in the kitchen and her older brother started talking about Ben brainwashing the girls (which is the promo we've been seeing over and over). I figured that this was going to be taken out of context and not really turn into something. However, he really did seem serious and he said he must have really brainwashed the girls after seeing the effect that 2 dates has had on his sister. He said that his sister is emotionally invested and having serious feelings, but he's not getting the same read from him. Ben said he doesn't want to hurt JoJo and he cares about her a lot. He's just trying to go about this in the best way. Her brother didn't really care for his answer and thinks he's been coached on what to say because it sounds rehearsed. The younger brother just kind of looks embarassed and her parents keep whispering and drinking wine right out of the bottle. This is such a weird thing going on right now. Ben said he wasn't coached and he is being truthful. Her dad told him that he thought he answered all his questions and he feels he's being truthful.
She said her parents told her that they loved him, but her brothers shared the same concerns they did with him and that made her really nervous. Ben left really confused. He said instead of things being out in the open, they were kind of talked about behind his back. He's not really sure where he left things with her brothers.
Rose Ceremony:
Get Roses (3): Caila, JoJo, Lauren B
Eliminated (1): Amanda
He started out by just saying he was sorry. She said she wishes that if there were concerns after meeting her family that he would have shared those with her then instead of making her come to LA to be let go at a rose ceremony. He said that is a valid point. However, he said he doesn't think he could have made that decision then. He needed to see how the other hometown dates went and how his relationships progressed with all the girls. He came to realize that his feelings were stronger for the other girls. He said he was more impressed with her than he ever could have imagined after seeing her with her daughters. He wished her nothing but good things. It was a very sad and emotional goodbye for both of them.
She was really shocked in the limo. She said she thought he was ready to come into their lives. She said she saw herself marrying him and creating a family.
Next week: Overnight dates in Jamaica
Don't forget to follow on Twitter for updates and live show tweets! https://twitter.com/LSRealityBites
And follow this blog with Bloglovin
No comments:
Post a Comment