'Love Is Blind': Jessica cries in her wedding dress as Mark's family welcomes her to their home
Jessica Batten and Mark Anthony Cuevas' relationship has seen tough times. Unlike other couples on Netflix's 'Love Is Blind,' their relationship got off to a slow start. Jessica was finding it difficult to relate to the Mark she has been living with because he seemed different from the one she spoke with at the pods. Their Mexican vacation was a buzz kill as they spent most of the time trying to convince each other how or why their engagement will or will not work.
Mark is an optimist and really invested in their relationship, but for Jessica, the age gap is a huge factor that is driving her away from the connection that they built over several dates. Mark is 24, Jessica is 34. In her green-room interview, she even said that she kept thinking about how the first meeting with Mark's parents will not go well. Clearly, she was assuming a bit too much.
However, Mark's mother welcomes her with open arms, tries to understand and learn about her during the short time that they spend with each other. Jessica shares her concern about being 10 years older than Mark and him having to give up a lot because of the age gap. However, Mark's mother is a woman of love. She tells her when it's right, it's right and ends the conversation with the best lines: "This is your home and we will be happy to be your family." One could see how relieved Jessica was to hear that.
To make the days leading up to the wedding all the more special, Mark arranged for a cozy date at home mimicking the ones they had at the pods where they couldn't see but hear each other. Jessica was touched by the gesture and she responded by confiding in him about a story that forms the basis of all of her emotions and the way she is.
She chokes on her sobs as she narrates how her father bailed on her mother when she conceived Jessica. He wanted to get the baby aborted but her Mother refused. Jessica explains how this milestone of an event has caused her to have abandonment and detachment issues. That night, Jessica was convinced that Mark was her rock and wouldn't go anywhere.
Later, she met up with her friends to share with them the age gap story (they had no idea Mark was 10 years younger) and they seemed delighted about it. Her friends tell her that they had discussed once how amazing Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas look together despite the age difference and so, she doesn't have to worry about it.
The to-be-brides - Jessica, Amber Pike, Kelly Chase, Lauren Speed, Giannina Milady Gibelli - went out for wedding shopping. As Jessica stood in front of the mirror in her potential wedding dress, she was in tears. She didn't know what to think of the times to come and felt suffocated in her dress as she doesn't know what the truth is and if she is being honest about the whole experiment.
But, later, at her bachelorette when she had an honest chat with Amber about how she was over Matt Barnett (Amber's fiance), we all knew that Jessica was ready to walk down the aisle with Mark and Mark alone.
Catch all-new episodes of 'Love Is Blind' on Netflix.