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Just … two hot people planning on walking down the aisle in due time.
Its something Im very gifted at doing, and it makes sense with my line of work.
Im not into foolishness.
I set the tone of being a well-rounded person whos looking for love, Lawson explains with a smile.
At the end of the day, Im going to make errors and mistakes.
I dont want any Bachelorette that comes after me to think they have to be like that.
I learned that from previous Bachelorettes.
Nobody does this perfectly because theres no way to do this perfectly.
You were givenjust nine episodesto forge a meaningful romantic connection.
I was like,Oh, okay.But what could I do about it?
I just had to roll with it.
Were you ever told why your season was shorter?I wasnt.
Im assuming we got a stacked fall schedule withGolden BachelorandParadise.Maybe they had to get me in there quickly.
Initially at hometowns, I did say that I was falling in love with Dotun.
I think it wouldve set him up really far ahead of the other guys.
With him meeting my family in Fiji, I know that wasa really rough edit.
It was harsh, but I dont think it was the reality shown in its true, real fashion.
It didnt go in anyones liking.My parents both gave Dotun their blessing, and they were thrilled for him.
If that was shown, I think that wouldve eased things.
In hindsight, do you understand why she did that?Absolutely.
In that moment, I probably wouldve been easily swayed.
I made every decision up until that point by myself.
The biggest one wouldve been reflective of what my parents or family members said.
I respect it, even if it was hard watching it back.
It was hard at that moment.
But I got exactly what I wanted and chose the absolute best.
I was surprised your brother didnt take the free trip to Fiji for the finale.
Where were he and his fake mustache hiding?That fake mustache was in costume.
He does theater on the side.
Pediatric dentist by day, theater star at night.
He had a show running for a few weeks, and it was the very last show that weekend.
I was like,Can the understudy step in?
I was shocked and surprised.
I had two very strong connections, but your feelings dont dissipate overnight.
To watch it live was difficult.
I knew exactly what it was like at that moment, and it wasnt easy.
It sucks being able to put yourself back in that position and make sense of those emotions again.
I know it was hard for viewers at home to be like,Oh, its not Joey.
How did you and Dotun stay in touch in the interim period before the finale aired?
I like to say filling in the gaps.
We had weekends together, and they were used very wisely.
The whole point is that we cant be in public.
There are a lot of loopholes behind the scenes.
I think what I am is what I am, and what we have is super-special.
The failures are on our radar.
The whole goal for both of us was finding love, and we found exactly that.
We want to maintain control and prioritize each other.
We continue to fall deeper in love.
Did you seek advice from previous Bachelorettes who have been successful in the long-term?I did.
We know people are going to say what they want to say.
Its just us two.
You dont have full context for everything, so you gotta go with the information you have.
Between Brayden and him, it was among the most stressful and difficult things to deal with.
For me, this confirms you want to maintain a strong allegiance to the franchise moving forward.
How do you see that relationship evolving?Were not actively wedding planning in any way right now.
Its a possibility, and well see.
Were enjoying this season of life.
If the opportunity comes, well consider it, but Im very aware that day will be very special.
A wedding is extremely intimate.
I want that moment to still remain somewhat sacred to us.
I do value connections and the people who walk into my life.
If Im respected and treated well, then obviously Ill do that in exchange.
Ive met fabulous people here, and I hope we can maintain what weve built.
I dont have a game plan of whats next, opportunity-wise.
Were definitely not trying to stay in television.
Were going to leave that.
But the doors are open and things are coming our way.
What about your professional future?
I was passionate about getting my degree in mental-health counseling.
I do, at some point, know I can always go back to that.
I still very much have that passion to help people and help children in particular.
I plan on going back at some point.
But that degree will not go to waste, I guarantee.
