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‘The Bachelor’ Finale Recap: Ben Higgins Proposes to His ‘Person,’ Breaks Runner-Up’s Heart

Bachelor Nation, the time is nigh. After countless tears, several thousand makeout sessions and one terrifying encounter with a deranged swarm of sea pigs, Ben Higgins popped the question during the Monday, March 14, season 20 finale of ABC’s The Bachelor. Despite falling for both JoJo Fletcher and Lauren Bushnell over the course of the show, Ben sent one of his leading ladies packing and made another the happiest woman in the world. We’re bringing you all the highlights from The Bachelor’s perfect fairytale ending, starting with Ben’s mom uttering this hilarious sentence: “To know that Ben could possibly be in love with two women…is really disturbing to me.” 

Related: PHOTOS: 10 Times 'The Bachelor' Made Our Heads Explode!

Meet the Parents

Guys, Ben’s life is so hard. This hopeless romantic managed to ensnare two women in his love web, and he just couldn’t deal with his emotions. “I can’t help how I feel!” Ben woefully told cameras. “I’m terrified because right now it’s impossible for me to imagine saying goodbye to either of these women.” #TheStruggle

To make matters more complicated, Ben’s parents loved both JoJo and Lauren — though it should be noted that his mom was 100 percent Team Fletcher. “If we’re just gonna be frank, JoJo was way more my style,” she told Ben before admitting to cameras, “I’m sorry — it has nothing to do with anything personal towards either girl, but if I was to make that decision for Ben today, if it depended on me, I would pick JoJo.” Huh. On that awkward note, let’s jump right into Ben’s final date with Lauren, shall we?

Ben Has One Last (Incredibly Awkward) Date With Lauren

Ben’s final hang session with Lauren would have been perfect, if he hadn’t spent the entire time having an emotional breakdown. “I feel like he’s thinking about something, and I don’t really know what, and it’s making me nervous,” Lauren said. “Obviously, there’s a certain element of fear because Ben spent the last date with JoJo. And I don’t know where the relationship was, and I don’t know where it’s progressed. I don’t know. I just don’t know what he’s thinking, and that’s really scary. It’s just stressful.”

Meanwhile, Ben attempted to have a conversation with Lauren on the beach, and instead came up with this gem: “I knew I loved you right away, and I didn’t even know why. And it freaks me out, and it’s weird, and it’s crazy, and it’s good, and it’s life. What in the hell is hap—? That’s where my mind’s at. It’s just …”

“It’s just” indeed, Ben.

Unfortunately, the date only got more awkward when Lauren declared her love for Ben, and he responded with, “Lauren, no matter what happens, you’ve made me a better person.” Is it any surprise that she ended her evening on the verge of tears and said, “I’m scared that Ben is in love with JoJo”? No, not so much.

Related: PHOTOS: Celebrities Who Love The Bachelor!

Ben Tells JoJo the Truth Off-Camera

Ben and JoJo’s date started off pretty well (hot waterfall makeout? Check!), but ended with JoJo sobbing on a bathroom floor. So, all in all, a total mess. The good news is that Ben was honest with JoJo about his conflicting feelings. The bad news is that his honesty caused her to lose it. “I thought Ben and I were on the same page, and to hear Ben say he doesn’t know who he would want to propose to … that blows my mind,” JoJo said. “It almost makes me question if the love is equal here. Like, do I love him more than he loves me?”

JoJo ended up dragging Ben to the bathroom for an off-camera chat (don’t worry, their microphones were still on), and asked him to give her a sign. “I need something from you — I’m losing my mind,” she said. “You love her, too. Am I right?”

Ben’s response? A simple “yes,” which caused JoJo to break down sobbing and say, “I just want it to be me and you. I feel like I always have to compete with other people, and I’m so tired of competing, you know?” 

Ben Higgins
Higgins on The Bachelor

The Breakup

And none for JoJo Fletcher. After lots of soul searching, Ben decided to part ways with his BFF — despite the fact that he loved her. “I love two women, but I’m really fully in love with one of these women,” Ben explained to cameras. “I’m ready to be with one person for the rest of my life, and I know exactly who that is.”

Ben’s goodbye to JoJo wasn’t exactly easy, especially when he said, “I didn’t know if I could find love — I found it with you. But I found it with somebody else more. And I don’t want to let go because I don’t want to say goodbye. JoJo, even on a day like today, I still don’t question that I do love you. But you asked me to be honest, and I’m trying to be.”

JoJo handled herself with poise, but did call Ben out for blindsiding her. “That’s fine,” she said. “I don’t even know what to say right now. I’m so confused and blindsided. You told me that you were in love with me, that I was your best friend, that you can’t imagine life without me. Where did it go wrong? … I trusted you. For you to tell me how in love you were with me? You shouldn’t have done that.”

Hmmm … can’t say we disagree.

Related: PHOTOS: The Bachelor After the Final Rose: Broken Engagements, Weddings, Babies, and More!

Lauren B. and Ben Higgins
Lauren B. and Ben Higgins

The Proposal

Lauren and Ben FTW! Ben popped the question to the girl of his dreams (er, one of them), sweeping Lauren off her feet with the cutest feel-fest ever. “Lauren, I never wanna say goodbye to you,” Ben said during his proposal. “I wanna wake up every morning and kiss you on the face. I wanna go to bed at night and know that in the morning I’m gonna wake up to the most beautiful woman that I’ve ever laid eyes on. My desire from here on out is live for you, commit to you, love you, hold you, kiss you a lot. Lauren, I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

Awww, these two! And yeah, you better believe she said yes. Who wouldn’t?

Tell Us: Are you surprised Ben chose Lauren as his final pick?

The Bachelor airs on ABC Mondays at 8 p.m. ET.

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