Serene Russell and Clayton Echard's romance soared to greater heights than ever before—and then it all came crashing down.
During the Feb. 28 episode of The Bachelor, the two aspiring lovebirds visited her hometown of Oklahoma City. And, during the visit, the pair enjoyed a climbing adventure course, which was over 80 feet in the sky. But it wasn't all good times, as the episode ended with Serene crying in the back of a limousine after failing to receive a rose from Clayton.
It was especially difficult for Serene, who finally opened up about her recent family trauma on the hometown date and admitted that she was falling in love with Clayton. The 28-year-old former football player introduction to Serene's mother Sherri, brother Roland and best friend Melanie, was the first time in 10 years that the Bachelor contestant had introduced anyone to her family.
"To give someone all of me and be hopeful that that's my person, I have to feel really comfortable," Serene admitted. "With Clayton, I've been really comfortable. Which is really strange. It's a new experience for me. Clayton meeting my family will make this that much more real."
Upon arriving at her mother's house, Serene knew that her brother might be the toughest egg to crack. "If my brother has ever been super protective of me, normally he's like 'oh, I'm your brother, I don't care,'" she joked. "But he really cares deep down."
As the group recounted the couple's experiences thus far, Serene told her family that she had opened up to Clayton about the recent deaths of her grandmother and cousin. Serene acknowledged that she "hasn't really talked about any of it" and looked at the breakthrough as a "huge turning point" in her relationship with Clayton.
Before breaking off to chat with Clayton one-on-one, brother Roland imparted some wisdom in a confessional.
"I'm anxious to talk to Clayton," he asserted. "I know my sister. She instantly seemed really, really happy. Which is bittersweet for me, because the higher you are, the harder you fall. And I'm really, really scared for her." Sometimes brothers really do know best.
In sitting down with Clayton, Roland immediately revealed that he was surprised to see his sister so vulnerable. "Our grandma? That happened two years ago. Our cousin? That happened two, maybe three months ago," he said. "The fact that she told you about that is huge. That's still an open wound for her. That lets me know that she sees something special in you."
Before leaving, Serene and Roland sat down for a cathartic conversation that only siblings can have.
"I have to put a lot of big brother stuff aside because this is so fast," he said while wiping away tears. "Because of how y'all are acting and looking at each other, it makes me really happy. But it also scares me the most. I have seen you hurt in a lot of ways. I've been up on the phone crying with you until three in the morning. I don't want you to feel that anymore."
Wait, can Roland be our big brother, too?
Back at the mansion, Clayton was having a noticeably difficult time with his decision before going into the rose ceremony. He admitted to host Jesse Palmer that he was "falling in love with" all four of the final women.
However, with roses handed out to Susie, Rachel and Gabby, the harsh truth—and Roland's fears—reared its head. Serena questioned Clayton about whether or not her openness was ultimately what sent her packing, but Clayton said he merely had to ask himself "where do I stand with my heart?"
During her final limousine ride, Serene put on a brave face while discussing Clayton. "I have nothing else to say to him," she said bluntly.
And with that, Serene proves why she absolutely must be the next Bachelorette. She didn't wallow, or beg, or even cry. Almost instantly, she picked her head up and acknowledged that she couldn't have done anything more. It's called growth!
It's never easy to see somebody's emotional walls come down and then immediately get crushed, but Serene is too smart to let this experience on The Bachelor define her. She has so many of the qualities that make for a successful Bachelorette: she's smart, she doesn't let heartbreak ruin her...and she has a cat named Leonardo DiCATprio!!! What's not to love?
It also goes without saying that Bachelor Nation has a lot of work to do in the diversity department, as Serene would become just the fourth woman of color to be the face of the show out of 18 seasons.
Here's hoping that we have more of Serene—and Roland's brotherly advice—to look forward to.
The Bachelor airs Monday nights at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.