Tayshia Adams’ journey to find love will come to an end during the Dec. 22 episode of The Bachelorette. The finale picks up after Brendan Morais‘ exit from the show, and Ben Smith’s unexpected return. Tayshia doesn’t know whether she should keep Ben around for the rose ceremony after he finally tells her that he loves her. Meanwhile, Ivan Hall and Zac Clark have no idea that any of this is going on, and are innocently waiting for Tayshia’s arrival at the rose ceremony.
Ben reiterates to Tayshia that he’s in love with her. She grills him about why he’s so scared to open up and what that would mean for their future. At the end of the conversation, Tayshia tells Ben to come to the rose ceremony — which is an hour away — and says that she’ll let him know her final decision about where she stands with him at that point. Before they part, Ben makes sure to really let Tayshia know how he’s feeling by giving her a long kiss, which confuses her even more.
At the rose ceremony, Ivan and Zac are both confident in their relationships with Tayshia. Obviously, they’re stunned to see Ben join them, with Brendan nowhere in sight. Before handing out any roses, Tayshia pulls Ivan aside for another one-on-one chat. She admits that she was ‘concerned’ about their differences regarding religion, which they hadn’t talked about until their fantasy suite date. Simply put, their “futures didn’t align,” and Tayshia sends Ivan home before the rose ceremony.
This means that it’s a go for both Zac and Ben. Tayshia gives both remaining guys a rose, which means they’ll have the chance to meet her family before possibly proposing to her. Ben is up first, and Tayshia’s dad is instantly skeptical after Tayshia lets the family know that she previously sent him home. He assures Tayshia’s parents that he loves Tayshia and that he’s ready for marriage with her.
Tayshia’s dad grills Ben about his intentions, but leaves the conversation feeling much better about the pair’s relationship. “I probably went from being doubtful of the guy to where I would give him a chance,” her dad admits. By the end of the date, Tayshia reveals that she’s “falling in love with Ben all over again.”
Next, it’s Zac’s turn. He also opens up about his love for Tayshia, and impresses her mom with his description of what he envisions their future looking like. Meanwhile, Tayshia’s dad brings the pressure once again. Zac assures him that he’s 100 percent serious about getting engaged to Tayshia, especially since he knows how important commitment is due to being married before. “He’s a good man,” Tayshia’s dad confirms after the meeting. “Just to see another man love my daughter the way that he expressed himself made me be at ease.”
Things seemingly go well with both guys, but Tayshia gets a surprise visit from her dad the next day to discuss the situation further. Tayshia’s dad is admittedly concerned about Tayshia’s future because she was so hurt after her previous divorce. “I want to make sure that we can do whatever we can to not go down that path again,” he explains. “I don’t want you to get hurt. It might not be what you want to hear, but I don’t ant you to be making the biggest mistake of your life.” The conversation leaves Tayshia unsure about whether she even wants to get married again.
Before the final rose ceremony, Ben and Zac each get the chance to spend more one-on-one time with Tayshia. Zac is up first, and Tayshia opens up to him about the doubts she’s been having, mostly concerning her fear that he’ll walk away if things get hard or change between them down the road. He assures Tayshia that his sobriety journey has given him the strength to never walk away from anything, and puts her mind at ease about some of the worries that have started crossing her mind.
Things are much different going into the date with Ben. That morning, Tayshia knows her heart isn’t with him. Instead of going on the date, Tayshia lets Ben know that she wants to end their relationship. He takes it surprisingly well and lets her know that he just wants her to be happy.
Going into the final rose ceremony, Tayshia is certain that Zac is the guy for her, but she’s still uneasy about the possibility that things could change in the future. Zac, meanwhile, is absolutely certain that he wants to be engaged. By the time Tayshia gets to the rose ceremony, she’s emotional because she’s finally come to terms with her excitement about a future with Zac, and she’s ready to let him know it.
After Tayshia expresses her love to Zac, he gets down on one knee and proposes with a gorgeous, emerald cut diamond ring. They end the season happily engaged and more in love than ever. We’ll have to wait and find out where the two stand now, though — Tayshia will be telling all when she appears on the Dec. 23 episode of Good Morning America!