One of the biggest steps in a relationship is when you meet your partner’s family for the first time. I believe there is truth to the saying “you not only marry the person but also into their family.” This week on Ready For Love, Ben’s family visited from Texas to meet all of us, and I couldn’t have been more impressed with how sweet and genuine they were. Being the first girl to meet them, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous, but I felt like I would have a lot in common with them based on my conversations with Ben.
We spoke a lot about both of us being from Texas since that is a huge factor in having something real after this process. I joked saying Ben was “geographically desirable” since Houston and Dallas aren’t far apart. I immediately clicked with his sister JoJo and his mother Soroya; they reminded me a lot of my own mother and sister.
I’ve obviously shared my choice to wait until marriage for sex, and I feel it’s something primarily focused on during the show. I’ve never told someone’s family abut my decision, but it was almost as if his mom was indirectly asking me about my beliefs. I thought it was important to be real with them, to show my intentions and how much I value an honest relationship. All things aside, though, there is so much more that defines me as a woman. That’s a choice I made, not a characteristic, and I definitely want to make that clear to viewers. In my real life, I barely even talk about it.
Another thing: Has anyone else noticed I seem pretty serious on stage nights? Editing certainly has a way of portraying me as a bit stiff, and all the girls on the cast, my family and my friends would definitely attest to that not being true. With so many different scenarios going on, I guess the more serious content is making the cut!
Related Link:Â Ready For Love, Episode 6: Finding Love in Paradise
Back to this week’s episode. Ben told me he was very close with his mother, and I too am extremely close with mine. My mom is from New York originally, and she’s a strong woman with a cut-to-the-chase attitude. Right away, I could tell that Ben’s mother had those same qualities. I knew it was important to convey to her and JoJo that I was there for the right reasons. Given that my own mother is so important to me, I had a lot of respect for Soroya. I was definitely missing my family after this date, but as you’ll see next week, I’m finally reunited with them in Houston.
At this point on Ready for Love, our huge mansion in the hills seemed even bigger since there were only four of us left. It was a tough week for me when the girls brought up Allie not being there for the right reasons. I was in between a rock and a hard place since Allie was one of my closest friends. She was the very first girl I talked to – before I even knew that she was there for Ben and we were competing against each other. In a weird way, we were each other’s biggest support since we were away from our family and friends. Trust me, you need someone to talk to all day!
I tried to stay out of the drama, but feelings were also rising for Ben at the point, and as I previously said about Keri, I had to ask myself: Was I there to make best friends or see if I had something with Ben? When Giuliana asked me my opinion, I didn’t want to lie and say I disagreed with Renae and Tarryn. I knew it was the matchmakers decision, so I wanted to leave it at that. Things clearly escalated, and that was probably one of the most awkward car rides back to the house after stage night. After that, I felt like the middle man because I got along great with both Tarryn and Allie.
Related Link:Â Ready For Love, Episode 5: Angela Zatopek Discusses the Drama in Vegas
Ready to get away from the drama, I was excited to finally go back to Texas and introduce Ben to my family. Here’s a rundown of the gang you’ll meet on next week’s episode: My mom is an amazing mother to me and my siblings. I’m basically her clone, and she’s more like my best friend than my mom. John is my Italian stepfather. He loves Roman history and has a collection of swords and shields – he isn’t afraid to bring them out if someone messes with his daughters! My dad is a spiritual leader in my life; he’s a great man of God who is always so supportive. Still, he definitely had a hard time understanding why I was going through this process. Audrey is my younger sister who has artistic talents like you wouldn’t believe. She taught herself how to play three instruments (guitar, mandolin and ukulele); she sings; she’s fluent in Spanish – and she’s only 21 years old! My identical twin brothers, Josh and Chris, are 20 years old and absolute studs. They’re athletic and smart and have bright futures ahead of them. I should add that they’re heartbreakers, but I get the final say on who gets by since I am the protective older sister.
Hope everyone can tune in to see my amazing family! Until then…
