Happy Monday, Bachelor Nation. We’re back with another week of Becca Kufrin‘s season of The Bachelorette — read on for everything that goes down.
HOMETOWN DATE WITH GARRETT
For her first date of the week, Becca travels to Garrett’s family’s home-base in Manteca, California. They own an agricultural business, so Becca and Garrett spend the day planting tomatoes — and, of course, a rose bush. It’s all very wholesome and sweet, and Becca reiterates how much Garrett — a real “salt of the earth” kind of guy — reminds her of her late father.
Becca is wary that Garrett’s family is going to be extra guarded considering his recent failed marriage. It’s important to her that they realize that she’s “nothing like his ex,” and it appears she succeeds. By the end of the evening, Becca has won over the whole family and they happily — albeit cautiously — give Garrett their blessing to pursue a future with her.
“Garrett’s family is so kind,” she reflects afterwards. “There’s just so much heart and love behind all of them, and that’s something that I want in my future partner’s family — and in my future family. I could see myself fitting in with his family for life and starting a family of our own, and that’s something really special and meaningful. Something just feels so easy and right and natural with him. It just feels like it’s all falling into place.”
RELATED VIDEO: The Bachelorette‘s Garrett Yrigoyen Under Fire for Allegedly Liking Hateful, Transphobic Memes
Next up is Jason’s hometown date in Buffalo, New York. After hitting up a wing-eating competition and spending some time at a hockey rink, they arrive at Jason’s family home, where Becca meets his parents, his brother and his brother-in-law.
Jason reveals to his family that even though his heart is generally “pretty darn guarded,” he’s falling for Becca “really deeply, really seriously — like I’ve never fell for anyone before.” For her part, Becca admits that there’s “still a long way to go,” but she’s “hopeful” about their future.
Before they part ways that night, Jason decides the time has come to finally express his feelings.
“When I’m with you, I can’t stop smiling, and when I go to bed, I can’t stop thinking about you,” he tells her. “When I wake up, I want to be with you. When I kiss you, I don’t want to stop kissing you. All that does is tell me one thing. It tells me that I’m so insanely, wildly in love with you and I can say it with more confidence than I’ve ever been able to say anything.”
HOMETOWN DATE WITH BLAKE
Blake’s hometown date kicks off at Platte Canyon High, his local high school in Bailey, Colorado. As we already know, high school was a huge part of Blake’s life — it’s where he found out that his mom, who worked at the school, was having an affair with one of his teachers. But as he reveals on the date, those four years were made even more impactful when they were struck by true tragedy: His senior year, the school was victimized by a shooting in which one student lost her life.
Blake opens up about the experience because he wants Becca to know how deeply it changed his outlook, encouraging him to see “life as a gift.” After the emotional revelation, he surprises Becca with a Betty Who concert in the school auditorium before bringing her home to meet his family. Right from the get-go, they can tell that he’s head-over-heels for her.
“I absolutely believe Blake is in…
