The Bachelorette star Emily Maynard eliminated Chris Bukowski and narrowed her love search to three men during last night's broadcast of the ABC reality dating series' eighth season.
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"Ugh, f-ck. It's definitely hard to say goodbye to someone you love, and I haven't felt the way I had in a long time until I met Emily. She made me believe again in falling in love. Everything seemed like it was perfect and I loved the girl, and I thought she loved me back. It sucks. It's going to be weird waking up tomorrow and knowing there's no future with this girl. I'm 10 times the man of all those f-cking dudes that are still there right now. She did break my heart and I still don't understand. No clue at all," Chris said following his ouster.
The Bachelorette's eighth eighth-season episode featured Emily traveling to the hometowns of all her final four suitors -- Chris; Arie Luyendyk Jr., a 30-year-old race car driver from Scottsdale, AZ; Sean Lowe, a 28-year-old insurance agent from Dallas, TX; and Jef Holm, a 27-year-old entrepreneur from Salt Lake City, UT -- and meeting their families.
Emily first traveled to Chicago, IL to spend the day with Chris. Emily said she could see herself falling in love with him.
Chris told the cameras he was a first generation Polish-American and his entire family was fluent in Polish.
"On a scale from one to Polish, we're Polish," Chris joked.
Chris first brought Emily to a little Polish pub where they discussed their relationship and cleared up what had happened the week prior when Chris apologized for acting immature and inconsiderate due to jealousy of the other guys at the previous Rose Ceremony. Emily seemed to brush off the incident and loved how open Chris was with her.
Emily liked the fact Chris could admit when he was wrong, and she thought that was a quality which would make him a very good husband. Chris thought Emily could be "the one" and said he'd be devastated if his family didn't like Emily. However, if things went well and as planned, Chris said he'd be ready to tell Emily that he loved her.
Chris then brought Emily to his home in Hanover Park, IL and after getting to know his family a little better, Emily thought they were "the sweetest people ever." Emily told them she felt comfortable around Chris from the very beginning and had great conversations with him throughout the journey.
Chris' father John then pulled Emily aside and they talked a little bit. Emily asked John if Chris was ready to take care of her six-year-old daughter Ricki, and he told her Chris would do his very best and loved kids. John said Chris would love Emily if she chose him and support her no matter what.
Meanwhile, Chris' mom Rose was speaking to Chris about his relationship with Emily. She told him to "kick ass and fight" for Emily until the end if he could really envision himself with her. Rose made it clear she feared that Chris could get hurt, but her concerns made it that much more important for Chris to give the experience all he had and open up to Emily.
Afterward, Chris' sister Renee asked Emily to let Chris go sooner rather than later if she knew he wasn't the one. Emily felt "terrible" knowing his sister was that worried about Chris' heart potentially getting broken because she has a brother of her own and knew what he'd feel like in the same situation. Chris' father then told his son Emily was falling in love with him, and Chris was overjoyed.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOW"You make me feel really good, like crazy good. I've never really even said this before to be honest with you. I told you in Prague that I felt like I was falling in love with you, but after today, it makes it easy for me to say that I am in love with you and I do love you, and it's easy saying that," Chris told Emily.
Chris shared a kiss with Emily and said afterwards his date was "amazing plus a little bit more." He was sure his family approved of and loved Emily, and he was thrilled to see how well she fit in with all of them.
"I knew that Chris' family was going to be so sweet, but I didn't expect to see such a different side to Chris. He tells me that he has fallen in love with me. What a perfect ending to like the perfect day. If all the hometowns go as well as today went, I am in big trouble," Emily said.
Emily traveled to Salt Lake City, UT to visit Jef next.
Emily was very surprised to discover that Jef's family owned a big ranch, named the Holmstead Ranch after his last name. She apparently assumed all along he was a city guy, and when picturing where he most likely grew up and lived, a ranch never came to mind. Emily was pleased to see that Jef had a little country in him after all.
Emily and Jef went to a big open field and used shot guns to shatter clay targets in the air. Emily seemed nervous because she didn't want to make a fool out of herself or "drop the gun" or something silly along those lines, but to Jef's amusement and shock, Emily hit every single target dead on. Emily admitted to cameras she made Jef think she couldn't shoot a gun when, in reality, she had taken gun-shooting lessons.
Jef told Emily she wasn't going to be able to meet his parents because they were away in South Carolina doing charity work, but he was still excited she'd get to meet all of his siblings. Emily knew Jef put a lot of stock into his family's approval of the women he dated, so she was anxious about the date.
Knowing Jef had broken up with a girl in the past simply because his parents didn't like her really worried Emily. She felt the pressure to make a genuine and strong impression. Jef's older brother Steve -- who was a little skeptical of The Bachelorette process -- asked Emily some questions about her motives for going on the show after her split with Brad Womack.
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Afterward, Emily sat down with Jef's sisters and sister-in-law and they grilled her a little bit about her future plans and feelings. Emily told them she'd move anywhere if she could give Ricki the family she needed, which included a loving father and siblings to play with. She also assured them she had a strong foundation with Jef because they shared the same values.
Emily asked the women whether they thought Jef would be ready to settle down and be a husband and father, and after a long awkward pause, they agreed Jef would be a great dad and committed partner as long as he was with the right woman. Melissa thought Emily was a sweet "genuine" person, while Julie believed Emily was down to earth and her parents would love her.
Steve then talked with Jef and questioned whether he was really ready for the responsibilities that would come with being Emily's boyfriend or possible fiance. Steve mentioned Jef had never spoken about wanting kids soon or anything like that until he met Emily, but Jef insisted it became so clear he wanted those things when Emily came into the picture.
Jef and Emily then left the house and walked off to a grassy hill, where they sat together and discussed the family visit. Jef told Emily he had written things down he wanted to read to her, and Emily seemed to anticipate what he had to say.
"I've realized I'm completely in love with everything about you. I love the way you smile. I love the way you grab my hand and hold it. I love how good of a person you are. I love how passionate you are about helping others. I love how good of a mom you are. I love that you want a cute little family, hopefully with me. I love how you chase your dreams and I love how you want to make the world a better place," Jef told her.
"I love how funny you are and how funny we are together. I love how you fit in my arms. I love the thought of going to sleep next to you and waking up next to those big brown eyes every morning. I'm so excited to meet Ricki. I'll teach her how to play sports and I'll cheer her up when she's sad and laugh with her when she's funny and I'll be there for her. I want to show her how to fall in love and have a love story that lasts forever, because I'll love you forever. Most of all, I'm completely and hopelessly in love with you."
Emily told him that letter was the sweetest thing anybody had ever, ever said to her.
"I love so many things about Jef. I love that he is so humble but still yet so confident and kind of cocky, which is such a contradiction, but it feels perfect inside my heart and that's what really matters to me. Perfect," Emily explained.
Emily's next stop was Scottsdale, AZ where she was going to meet Arie's family.
Emily met Arie at the racetrack, and he brought Emily for a ride in his race car. Emily thought he looked "stupid hot" and trusted him enough to go on the dangerous ride -- one of which she said she wouldn't have gone on with anyone else. Arie loved that Emily embraced his career.
After Emily received her little adrenaline rush, Arie was concerned about how European his parents were and whether their values would be too different from Emily's. Arie told her they often said whatever came to their minds and were extremely open, but Emily saw that as a positive trait. Emily wasn't sure what Arie was so worried about.
Arie then told Emily the most difficult person in his family for them to win over was going to be his mother. Arie noted his mother had been very skeptical and he'd need to convince her of his strong feelings for Emily to receive her blessing. Emily told the cameras Arie was one of her favorite guys and she'd be "absolutely crushed" if his family "didn't adore her."
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Arie's mother then asked Emily to chat. She opened up again about her history with Brad, and then she asked whether Arie was ready to be a father since he traveled so much for his profession as a race car driver. Arie's mother couldn't come out and say that he was exactly, but she told Emily she loved the life they lived and knew things could work.
Emily felt the date went great, and Arie was relieved and excited to have his parents' approval. Arie explained that the night had changed his life forever and he was ready to ask Emily's hand in marriage and propose in the end.
"I am definitely going to marry Emily and I don't think of it any other way," Arie said.
Emily then traveled to Dallas, TX, her last stop, to meet Sean's family.
When Emily and Sean first met up, they sat in a field amongst flowers together and played with Sean's dogs. Emily thought their lives could blend together very easily, while she was truly starting to believe Sean didn't have any skeletons in his closet she'd have to find not did he have any secrets to hide.
Sean told Emily his parents led a simple life but a beautiful life, and that's what Emily claimed she wanted as well. Emily admitted she was intimidated by how perfect everything was and how perfect Sean seemed to be, however, she didn't want his family to expect perfection out of her. Emily said Sean was the "perfect all-around man" in her eyes.
Once at his house, Sean told Emily there was something she needed to know and he hoped she'd take it well. Sean then explained he still lived at home because that's where he felt most comfortable, and although Emily tried to be polite, she was completely turned off and began questioning every conversation they had to think about how she had missed that little detail.
"As soon as we walk in, I just notice a mess. And in that moment, it was like every amazing thing I had thought about Sean completely shattered," Emily said. "He's a mess and he's really into stuffed animals."
Sean then brought Emily into his extremely messy room, and she was horrified. However, Sean ended up telling her he was joking and Emily loved the fact Sean's family was so funny and light-hearted. Afterward, Sean opened up to his father Jay about how strong his feelings were for Emily, and Jay said he felt like he had known Emily for a long time.
Jay told the cameras that if his son and Emily ended up together, he didn't know if his heart could take it all. Sean's mother was also a big fan of Emily and knew that if her son was to get down on one knee at the end of his journey, she'd be convinced he was ready to be a father and husband.
Sean could see Emily being a part of his family, and he said it was a great feeling. When Emily left the house in her car, Sean ran after it in a desperate attempt to grab another kiss.
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Later on, Emily met up with host Chris Harrison at the Beverly Hills Peninsula Hotel to discuss her hometown dates and connections with the men. She told him she could see her life going in four different directions and didn't know what decision to make. Emily said she had so much fun with each of the guys and fell in love with each of their families.
Chris pointed out that Sean was the only bachelor to hold back on saying, "I love you," but Emily wasn't phased by the fact. She said Sean had a way of showing how much he cared for her through his actions, and so Emily was fine with him waiting to say those three big words.
Emily made it clear she had no idea what she was going to do at the upcoming Rose Ceremony.
"I am, sorry," Emily started in tears, attempting to compose her emotions.
"I just think about my own family and how I would feel if I just introduced the person that I feel like I'm falling in love with to my family and how I would feel if I got sent home this week, and how that would be hard to not feel like that was a reflection on my family. Each of the families I met this week were so wonderful and so kind to me and so welcoming, that it's hard for me. But I also feel really confident in the way I feel about these guys tonight. I think that says a lot about where and I am in my life and also where my relationships are with these guys."
Once Chris left Emily alone in a room with her thoughts, Emily said it was by far the hardest Rose Ceremony thus far because she wasn't just eliminating a guy -- she was also eliminating his family. However, Emily explained she had faith that she was going to see what she needed to see, feel what she needed to feel, and then end up where she needed to end up.
The Bachelorette's eighth eighth-season Rose Ceremony then began.
"There wasn't an obvious choice this week and I really had to go off of how I feel just about our relationships and where I see our future going. That is what I'm basing my decision on tonight," Emily told her bachelors before handing out the night's first rose to Arie.
Following Arie, Emily then gave roses to Jef and Sean.
Emily then walked Chris out and said goodbye.
"I don't know what to say," Emily told Chris.
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"I honestly don't have an explanation," Emily said.
"It's just me," Chris noted.
"No, it wasn't you," Emily assured him.
"So then what was it?" a frustrated Chris asked.
"It wasn't. There's no denying that on our first date, there was something really strong between us. I thought about you all the time, but so many more of my relationships grew so much faster and deeper relationships," Emily explained.
"I don't understand. How much faster could it possibly move? I told you I loved you," Chris said.
"Well, I wish you could see how hard it's been for me, and you know what? Maybe I will wake up tomorrow and think I made a mistake. I just have to follow my heart," Emily told him.
"It's alright. It's okay. I wish you the best. I wouldn't change anything. Goodbye," Chris said.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
