Will Nick finally find his bride? Or will he go home alone for the third time? IT’S TIME TO FIND OUT.
Out in the middle of nowhere Finland, Nick reflects on his “Bachelor” experiences and how he does not want to have his heart broken. Nick visits with his family to discuss the decision he has to make. “I’ve been challenging myself to hold back, to be more careful, to be more sure of it,” he said. The women then visit Nick’s family.
Raven Meets the Fam
Technically, Raven has already met Nick’s parents and little sister, so now she gets to meet the rest of the family. They sit down for a big meal and Raven asks his parents how they have felt after meeting other women from “The Bachelorette.” Nick’s little sister Bella sits down with Raven and gives her the most adorable talking-to, asking Raven if she loves him. Obv she does. When talking to Nick’s father, Raven says she has never felt this way before. Nick’s father puts Raven on the spot, asking how he thinks Nick feels about her. She tells him that even though Nick has not said “I love you,” she prefers he only say it when he means it. Both of Nick’s parents say they are surprised by Raven’s maturity.
Nick sits down with his mom to talk about Raven, saying he’d rather take the risk of potentially proposing to Raven and having the possibility of it “blowing up in my face.” Nick’s family is clearly very concerned about him getting hurt again.
Vanessa Meets the Fam
Talk about an overwhelming way to meet the family! Vanessa recalled getting sick in the zero gravity date and gets a bit choked up. Nick’s mother watches her closely and then they go talk one-on-one. She tells his mother that she loves Nick and she can’t picture herself not ending up with Nick. She tells his mother she has concerns about getting engaged to Nick, even though that is what she wants to happen eventually. Vanessa’s concerns about their relationship worries Nick’s mother, who seems hesitant to connect with Vanessa. Vanessa sits down with Nick’s father and says she wants to ask Nick questions before the actual proposal. She says she is scared and didn’t think she would fall in love as quickly as he did. “Do you think love is enough to make a relationship last?” she asks his dad. He tells her he doesn’t think love is enough: “It’s commitment. It’s selflessness,” he says, and breaks down. She breaks down, telling him she never thought she’d meet anyone like Nick.
When talking to his father, Nick and his dad talk about his “type.” Nick says he has always been attracted to strong personalities, but his dad reminds him that he hasn’t been successful with those types of relationships in the past. His father also says he’s concerned that there’s a very real potential Vanessa could truly hurt Nick. “God forbid he get rejected again.”
Vanessa’s Final Date
With all the pressure of their final date and Vanessa’s need to get some answers to some serious questions, they set off on a horseback ride through the mountains of Finland. When they reach the Arctic Circle, they are greeted by none other than Santa Claus. Vanessa is beside herself: “I am so excited!” At their top of their wish lists, Vanessa and Nick list “love” as their biggest wish. Santa gives Nick and Vanessa a gift, which is a plaque with likenesses of both of them with symbols of love and fertility on it. After their visit with Santa, they head outside for a fireside chat.
“I’ve been looking for someone who is confident enough in us to be my teammate, and my partner,” Nick tells her. He tells her about his “type” of women, and how it’s everything she is except that is always “boils over.” She asks whether he thinks they can be that way, and he says he thinks they can. “If you end of with me because my relationship with you is slightly greater than someone else’s, I don’t know if I’m comfortable with that,” she says. She wonders if she says yes if she will be comfortable saying “yes” to all of it. “There’s just something that’s just not sitting right,” she says.
That night, Vanessa and Nick sit down to try to discuss her concerns, the biggest of which is that he never gives her a straight answer. As per usual, Nick says that given his history on the show, he’s very guarded with his decisions. “The unknown is very scary for me,” she says in response. She asks if he is ready to propose, and he says, “The week’s not over.” She is NOT a fan of that answer. The moment becomes contentious, where they go back and forth about whether they are both ready for a proposal. Vanessa thinks Nick loves her, but realizes it’s possible he is feeling the same emotions for Raven. Lots of tears as Vanessa starts to question everything.
Raven’s Final Date
After Vanessa’s intense final date, Nick says he is “overwhelmed” and needs this last date with Raven.
Nick brings Raven out to a secluded, cleared off section of ice so they can go ice skating. Raven almost eats it immediately, which is super adorable. Skating to “Kiss Me” Nick and Raven are such date goals. He picks her up on the ice, which is both super cute and terrifying. Please don’t break her on the ice. More kissing while laying on some sort of pond!
By the fireside post-skating, Nick and Raven talk about her visit with his family. “I knew they would love you,” he says, a complete 180 from his conversation with Vanessa. He’s super snuggly with her and it just makes her so happy. All of a sudden Nick shows up with the cutest puppies ever. Best. Date. Ever. It’s just so clear how simple and easy this relationship is for the both of them. But will it be enough???
That night, Nick goes to visit Raven, and before they talk about anything she asks how he is doing, which is super sweet and just so Raven. (See what I did there?). Where Vanessa pressed for answers to her own questions, Raven asks Nick about himself, genuinely interested in how he is feeling. Raven reassures him that she has no hesitation, that she is ready and is sure about him and their future. “If you have any worry at all, I hope I can alleviate that,” she says. Nick says that more than anyone, he has never worried about her. “You’ve always been so sincere.” He tells her that he’s never had any reservations about her, either. He apologizes for taking so long to figure his heart out, but he tells her that he’s so proud to have her there.
The Final Rose
Sitting by the fireplace, Nick is visited by Neil Lane, who shows Nick the largest engagement ring he has ever made. Meanwhile, Vanessa talks about how she has gone from wanting to be engaged to not wanting to be engaged, and worrying about whether she can make a compromise with her life. Raven says she sees Nick as everything she’s ever wanted, as a father and a husband.
Raven shows up first, and our hearts break as we realize Nick and Raven are not meant to be. Raven tells Nick she never thought she would get the chance to meet someone as kind as Nick was towards her. “I couldn’t be more sure.” Nick, barely able to hold himself together, struggles to keep eye contact with her. He tells her how much he has grown to love her and respect her, but he has realized he is not in love with her. She is a rock, not shedding a tear. He is a mess, telling her how hard it is to let her go. “I’ve been so selfish figuring out where my heart is at and you’ve been so selfless.” Raven says she will never regret standing there and tell him how she feels. He walks her out without even letting her put her coat on, and sends her on our way as we sob for her. “Is there something I did wrong? Is it that no one can feel that way for me?” NO RAVEN YOU ARE AN ANGEL DON’T EVER DOUBT YOURSELF EVER.
Now that we know Nick has decided to propose to Vanessa, the only question left is, will she say yes??
When she enters the room, he sweeps her up into a big hug and talks about the first moment he saw her. “I’ll never forget the moment I started falling in love with you,” which was during the second rose ceremony, where he says he felt something “very special.” Nick tells her that there have been many times that he has fought it and he doesn’t want to fight it any more. He FINALLY says he loves her and he is in love with her. “When I look at you, all I see is my future.” Vanessa says the first time she saw him she thought there was no way he would notice her, and instead he has “noticed every part” of her. She admits to being a little crazy and over thinking when things to get tough, but she promises to do a lot of listening.
He gets down on one knee and asks Vanessa to marry him…
AND SHE SAYS YES!
