Although part two of The Bachelorette finale began with a tense conversation between Gabby Windey and Erich Schwer about whether or not it was too soon for an engagement, their journey ended up with a proposal at the final rose ceremony. Gabby had already told Erich she loved him before the last rose ceremony, and she reiterated those feelings when they met one last time in Mexico. The emotions were mutual, and Erich got down on one knee and proposed with an oval-shaped Neil Lane ring. The massive single diamond sat atop a gold band.
Going into part two of the finale, Erich was the only man left for Gabby, and she got the happy ending that she wanted. The rose ceremony kicked off with Gabby professing her love to Erich. “With you standing here right in front of me you remind me of a love I’ve only ever known in my dreams,” Gabby gushed. “You’ve loved me before I knew how to love me. You fought for me so hard at a battle that neither of us knew the outcome of. You do mean the world to me. I thought you were too good to be true but now I know you are too good, but you’re also true. I love you and I want to love you as long as you let me and for much longer after that.”
Before getting down on one knee, Erich had his own speech. “It’s pretty hard for me to articulate all the time, but I think last time we saw each other was really hard just because we’ve been waiting for this to be real,” Erich said. “I know you had hesitations about me and I didn’t know if I could measure up. You deserve somebody who’s going to give you 100 percent, is there undeniably and unconditionally for you. The reason I’m standing in front of you is because I want to be that person for you. One of the things I like about you the most is that you bring out the best in me. The stars literally had to align for me to be here. You’ve got to call it fate. I was scared to meet you, I was really nervous, and then we had our two or three little chats…our connection was insane. What I think back on the most is that when I met you I immediately was 100 percent myself. I never met anybody I felt that comfortable with. I felt like I knew you for years. At the time, I didn’t know it, but I had met my soulmate. You finally let your barriers down and our relationship transcended to this insane level. YOu literally make me feel like I’m the only person in the world. I will fight every day for the rest of my life to keep that feeling. I love you, Gabby Windey. You’re the most amazing person I’ve ever met. It’s you and me until the wheels fall off. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?”
Interestingly, just days before The Bachelorette finale, one of Erich’s exes came forward and claimed that she was dating him right up until he left for the show. She shared alleged texts from Erich where he seemingly insinuated that he was only going on The Bachelorette to see if it could open up other doors for him. The woman also alleged that Erich sent her flowers before leaving to film, and claimed that he last reached out to her the day before the show’s premiere in July.
Gabby and Erich are both expected to appear live in-studio during the finale to discuss what’s been going on between them over the past four months since filming ended, so viewers will likely get an update on this situation. Meanwhile, Gabby has a lot to focus on these days, as she’s also currently a contestant on season 31 of Dancing With the Stars, which premiered on Sept. 19.