The Bachelor star Ben Higgins eliminated Amanda Stanton after meeting her two children in her hometown during Monday night's broadcast on ABC.

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Ben sent Amanda, a 25-year-old esthetician from Orange County, CA, home at the Rose Ceremony in Los Angeles after the Bachelor traveled to California, Ohio, Texas and Oregon for the women's round of hometown dates.

Amanda was upset Ben made her fly back to LA if he was having doubts while meeting her family and two little girls. Ben, however, claimed he needed time to think and process all of his relationships via comparison.

"I'm just shocked. I'm at a loss for words. I think I was definitely falling in love with him. I wouldn't have introduced him to my kids if I wasn't falling for him. I've never brought somebody home," Amanda said following her ouster.

"I've never introduced anyone to my kids, but I've never met somebody like him. I do think he's an amazing person; I think he's a great guy. He seemed like he was ready to come into our lives. It's just having a picture in my head of, like, getting engaged to Ben and possibly getting married and him completing our family. It's not easy to find a guy who's so open to something like that. I don't know if I'll ever find someone like that."

The Bachelor broadcast began with Ben heading to Orange County to meet Amanda's family. At this point in the season, the remaining four bachelorettes -- Amanda, Caila Quinn, Lauren Bushnell and Joelle "JoJo" Fletcher -- were all falling in love with Ben and thought introducing him to their families would seal the deal in their hearts and minds.

Amanda wouldn't fall for Ben completely though until she saw him with her kids and could envision life as a family. Amanda hadn't seen her girls since leaving to film The Bachelor, so she cried upon hugging them for the first time in weeks on the beach. Ben melted at the sight, like he fell for Amanda on the spot.

The little girls were very shy at first around Ben, and Amanda really wanted him to love them. Amanda needed a man who was ready to make her children a priority. That day, Ben, Amanda and the girls played in the sand and chased each other around. It didn't take long for Amanda to see that Ben would make an amazing husband and father.

Meanwhile, Ben's feelings for Amanda were stronger than ever. On the way to Amanda's house, one girl cried in the car and Ben called it "a little much," however, he acknowledged it had been a long, active day. That night, when Ben met Amanda's family, some tough conversations erupted because they were protective of Amanda's daughters.

Amanda's parents thought Ben looked like a deer in headlights around the kids and worried he wasn't ready to be an instant dad, mainly because he's so young. Amanda then had a heart-to-heart with her mom Michelle about how wonderful Ben is, admitting she was embarrassed to be divorced and therefore spent little time on herself since then. Amanda's mom insisted it was okay for her to enjoy life and it wouldn't take anything away from her daughters.

Amanda's dad John told Ben there's a big difference in a man thinking he'd like to have kids and actually having them. John explained he wouldn't be able to go off and do everything he does now as a free man, even when it comes to running off to the gym with his friends. Ben confessed he wasn't taking the stepdad role lightly and he could picture being a part of their family.

At the end of her hometown date, Amanda had fallen completely in love with Ben. She said she's be "heartbroken and crushed" if he eliminated her.

Ben then took a trip to Portland, OR, to meet Lauren's family.

"I am already in love with Ben but I haven't told him that," Lauren told the cameras, adding however, that she desperately needed her family to approve of the Bachelor or their relationship wasn't going to work.

During the day, Lauren gave Ben a tour of Portland. They ate lunch at these iconic food trucks and then Lauren brought him to a place called the "Whiskey Library," which he thought was unbelievable.

Ben admitted to Lauren he thought she was going to quit at one point because she was homesick, but she assured the Bachelor that he made her really happy and she wasn't going anywhere -- as long as her family liked him. Lauren called the home visit "all or nothing."

That night, Ben met Lauren's mother, father, sister Mollie, two younger brothers and her dog Tessa. Ben knew he was in trouble if the family didn't like him. 

Mollie asked Ben for a private chat and basically grilled him about what set Lauren apart from the rest of the girls. Ben got quiet and choked up, saying he just felt really lucky to date Lauren. That was all Mollie needed, as Ben's emotion proved he truly cared for the flight attendant. Mollie just wanted to make sure Lauren wasn't wrapped up in this wonderful process because she gets invested in men quickly.

Lauren told her sister that Ben was her "person," that she was "meant to meet" him. Likewise, Ben told Lauren's dad that if he got down on one knee, it would be real. He said the world stopped when he first met Lauren and his feelings grew for her ever since.

"At this point with Lauren, it's more real than I ever thought I could feel," Ben told Lauren's dad, who was afraid to see his daughter get hurt.

By the end of her date, Lauren was ready to say, "I love you," to Ben. But when she hugged and kissed him goodbye, she just couldn't muster up the words. She worried about getting eliminated before having the opportunity to express her feelings.

Ben then headed off to Hudson, OH, to meet Caila's parents.

Ben appreciated how Caila challenged him because she's real and doesn't just say what the Bachelor wants to hear. Ben confessed his relationship with Caila was the deepest at this point and the next step was to fall completely for her.

During the day, Caila gave Ben a little tour of the town where she went to high school but didn't have deep roots. She was looking forward to building a home with Ben. On that note, Caila brought Ben to the toy store of which her dad is the CEO. They adorably designed a house together and then actually built it in the factory.

"I know Ben is the one and I know I'm going to marry him and I know that were going to have the happily ever after I've been looking for," Caila said.

That night, Ben met Caila's mom, dad and little brother Chris. Caila loved Ben already but wanted to get her parents' validation before telling him. Caila's dad Dave expressed how marrying Caila would welcome him into a very special Filipino community. Caila's parents gushed about their "magical marriage" and wished the same for them.

Caila's mom later found out that Ben cares about how Caila thinks and feels -- that it wasn't just about incredible chemistry. Ben asked the mother why Caila had a fear of not being able to love, and she explained Caila had very high standards and had yet to meet her equal. Caila also didn't waste time because she viewed it as precious. 

When Caila sat down with her dad, she said, "Daddy, I know this is it," in tears. She insisted Ben was the man she had been looking for her entire life. Caila's dad didn't want his daughter to get crushed or swept up in emotion. Caila's dad was actually surprised she had fallen in love with Ben so quickly.

When Caila kissed Ben goodbye, she failed to open up and express her love. A feeling of fear still lingered in the back of her mind.

Ben's last stop was Dallas, TX, to spend a day with JoJo and her family.

When JoJo got home, a bouquet of red roses and a love letter awaited her at the door. The note said he spent 39 days soul-searching and self-reflecting on their relationship and it took her journey away from him to realize the depth of his love for her. Halfway through the letter, JoJo realized it wasn't from Ben -- it was from her ex-boyfriend Chad.

JoJo broke down into tears and yelled, "No. No! I don't want to read this!" She also said it was "so f-cked up" and "didn't want to go back there." She apparently gave Chad everything she had and was extremely frustrated he wanted her back now.

"I'm so mad," she said bawling.

JoJo then called Chad to end things for good. He walked away from her too many times without even looking back. When Ben arrived at JoJo's house to pick her up, he realized she was upset. The couple then talked about the situation that just unfolded and Ben thanked her for putting that old flame to rest.

JoJo said she had never been happier in her life than she was with Ben, and there was no going back. JoJo insisted her feelings were for Ben and definitely not elsewhere. The incident only made them closer, and Ben was excited to meet her family, his potential "future in-laws."

JoJo told the cameras Ben would fit in with her family perfectly because they were all so loving and protective. Ben told the family he was more himself with JoJo than any other bachelorette. They also asked him whether he'd be willing to relocate to Dallas, and Ben noted he loves Denver but would consider the possibility. JoJo's brothers said they weren't trying to steamroll Ben, but at the same time, they were very attached to JoJo.

It was clear JoJo lit up around Ben, and that really worried her brothers because they couldn't flat out say Ben was terrific and support the relationship. JoJo's older brother asked Ben if his sister was going to get hurt in the end or end up happy, and all Ben could say was that he was focused on the present and cared for her a lot.

Despite Ben saying his feelings for JoJo were real and more than he expected to have, the brothers were displeased. JoJo admitted to her loved ones she was falling in love with Ben, and while her mother advised her to jump in head-first and give 150%, her brothers warned her to stay guarded because Ben didn't seem to feel the same way in return.

Ben didn't want to make promises, but nothing held him back from falling more and more for JoJo. JoJo's brother then confronted his sister about how she could be in love with a guy after two dates. JoJo was upset and desperately wanted her brothers to embrace Ben, however, they didn't want her to sell herself short.

JoJo's younger brother later accused Ben of brainwashing the girls left. He didn't like seeing JoJo so invested in Ben because he wasn't getting the same read on the Bachelor. Ben repeated how he cared for JoJo a lot and didn't want to hurt her either, but he couldn't say much more than that. The brothers thought Ben was being "coached" on what to say, and things clearly didn't go as well as Ben had hoped.

Ben left the hometown date confused about how things ended. He called it an "unpredictable" hometown and felt "unsettled" about how he left things with the brothers, who questioned his honesty and sincerity. JoJo was scared to lose Ben at this point because he had gotten ambushed.

Once it became time for the Rose Ceremony, Ben handed out roses to Lauren, Caila and then JoJo.

"I'm sorry," Ben told Amanda.

"It's okay. Don't be sorry. I just feel like if you were having any doubts after my hometown date, it would've been nice if you let me know then rather than sending me back to LA just to send me home at a Rose Ceremony," Amanda told him.

"That's completely fair," Ben replied. "I don't think I can say I knew during that hometown date that things weren't continuing. It took processing and seeing how other relationships were building and how other hometowns went and seeing how my relationships with the other women were stronger." 

Ben told Amanda he was incredibly impressed by her and thought she was real, kind and genuine. He wished her the best, and then Amanda confessed she was going to miss him. They shared a long hug by the limo and Ben broke down bawling afterwards.


About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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