Charity’s Hometown Dates Changed Everything

Heidi

Heidi is currently obsessed with watching people make bad decisions…

The time has come in Charity’s journey as The Bachelorette for her to reach the age-old milestone of meeting her boyfriend’s parents…and then her other boyfriend’s parents, and another pair, oh, and then one more final set.

Hometown week is on a whole other level.

Aaron + Charity

First up on Charity’s road trip through the homes of her potential in-laws was a quick stop in Houston to see Aaron.

Aaron peaked early with the first one-on-one date of the season but he’s quickly fallen behind ~~Dotun~~ the other men. He told Charity that he wished they were at the “love level” before bringing his family into it, but it’s more fun for us that they’re not. Thanks, Aaron!

Aaron’s family welcomed Charity with open arms and a lot of fried catfish. His mom played the tough cop role but was quickly won over by Charity’s forthrightness. Meanwhile, his dad was a cinnamon roll of a man who made Aaron cry when he told him how proud he is of him.

It was about as good of a hometown as Charity could hope for, but it was their date that night that really gave Aaron the boost he needed.

They slow danced in the middle of a high school football field wearing matching letterman jackets like a deleted scene from Friday Night Lights. It was inevitable that the romance of the moment and the success of the day would lead Aaron to tell Charity that he was falling in love with her.

They kissed with an uncomfortable amount of tongue while tears rolled down her cheeks.

Aaron would be a safe pick for Charity, but the heart wants ~~Dotun~~ what the heart wants.

Joey + Charity

Speaking of what the heart wants, it was Joey’s turn to introduce Charity to his family in Collegeville, Pennsylvania.

Obviously, they started the day on the tennis court where tennis pro Joey did the whole romance book trope of wrapping his arms around her while he taught her how to swing. Charity fell for every second of it. The woman can’t be around him without turning into a completely giddy mess. She is crushing hard.

But then Joey’s Uncle Joe walked in and put a damper on things.

Uncle Joe is great in, like, a Bruce Willis kind of way. You know, charming and loveable, but also a straight shooter who can sniff out bullshit from a mile away. And he’s sniffing it hard wafting off of Joey.

Charity met the rest of Joey’s family that night as well, but the real story here was with good ol’ Uncle Joe. Basically, Uncle Joe thinks Joey is a pathological people-pleaser. He was getting the vibe that Joey is putting on a front to make Charity happy.

Joey denied this, but Uncle Joe mentioned it to Charity anyway. Her face dropped like she had just been sucker punched in the gut.

So while the hometown was fine overall, it wasn’t as perfect as she had hoped. She had been planning to tell Joey that she was falling for him but the moment didn’t seem right anymore. Instead, she avoided eye contact with him during their goodbye and cried as she kissed him goodbye.

Even Joey noticed that it felt like she was saying goodbye for good and he was not okay with it. Nice going, Uncle Joe.

Xavier + Charity

The third stop on Charity’s tour de fiancés was in Cleveland, Ohio where Xavier took her to a knitting class. I swear this man was plucked straight out of a Bachelor fanfiction. He’s perfect casting. 10/10.

You can tell that Charity wants Xavier to be the one, but something is still just not quite right. She kept saying that he reminds her of her exes. Plus, there’s the fact that he admitted to being terrified of commitment on a show about being blindly willing to commit.

So, when Charity met Xavier’s wonderful family she was looking for any and all reassurance that he was ready for commitment. Xavier’s family delivered. By the end of the evening, they had convinced both Charity and Xavier that he was ready and in love.

Dotun + Charity

The final stop of hometown week was in Fresno, California where Dotun and Charity met up on a sketchy walking path. He told her that his parents were on vacation in Nigeria, but that she’d be able to meet his siblings and grandmother.

The gasp I gasped. No, Dotun! You’re a shoo-in right now, but Charity is in a fragile state she can not handle any adversity. Get on the phone and bring your parents home with the budget this season isn’t spending on dates.

Dotun and Charity were making the most of it with his very welcoming siblings and grandmother who said she loved Charity already. Then, surprise! Mom and Dad flew in early from Nigeria.

Thank god.

The rest of the family time went perfectly, with Dotun’s parents inviting her to be part of their family. I don’t think I’ve ever smiled bigger during a hometown date.

That night they drove a classic car to the local drive-in movies to watch a home video montage of their childhoods and their brief relationship thus far. Charity sobbed when it was over while Dotun assured her that it was only beginning.

If she doesn’t end up with this man I will be heartbroken.

Then there were three

Before the rose ceremony began in the classic Bachelor airport hanger, Charity had a talk with Jesse. She told him that she was falling in love with all four men, so no matter who goes home that night, two people would be heartbroken. That man and herself.

They’ve got her hook, line, and sinker. The ending of this season is going to be so good.

Okay, so Dotun, Aaron, Joey, and Xavier showed up for the rose ceremony and everyone was nervous except for Aaron who was 100% confident that he was going to the overnight dates.

Charity nervously entered the hangar looking gorgeous in a black sequin gown, but also looking like she was about 30 seconds from vomiting everywhere.

The first rose of the night went to her man Dotun, the next went to Xavier, and then there was only one left to give.

Would it be Joey who may be hiding his true self from her? Or would it be Aaron who is a safe pick but she’s not as into?

Obviously (to us) it went to Joey.

Aaron was shocked. He did not see this coming at all. Charity took him aside to say her goodbyes but he just kinda sat there gasping in the air while she cried and apologized.

Say what you want about how fast this season has gone, but this woman is delivering a stellar season.