Chantal O'Brien, Brad Womack and Emily Maynard.

It took two seasons of The Bachelor and 55 women, but Brad Womack finally found himself a fiancee.

The 38-year-old Austin bar owner got down on one knee and proposed to -- big surprise! -- North Carolina mom Emily Maynard, 24, on Monday's Season 15 finale of the ABC/Citytv matchmaking series The Bachelor. At last, he has redeemed himself for rejecting all of the women on the show's 11th season.

Of course, you can't get the rose without the thorns -- and there were some damn sharp ones on the post-show, After the Final Rose.

But before we get to the juicy stuff, let's do a rundown of the magical night.

Things got off to an emotional start when Brad's mom, brothers and sister-in-laws arrived in South Africa to meet both Emily and runnerup, Chantal O'Brien. For the first time in Bachelor Brad history, the typically deadpanned man broke down in tears at the very sight of his loved ones. Better on the finale than never, I guess.

Outgoing Chantal, 28, lightened the mood when she arrived all full of energy (giddy, really) and overconfident Brad would be proposing to her. Momma Womack's verdict? "You're precious." Things looked promising.

Far more so, at least, than they did when reserved Southern belle Emily first arrived to meet Mom & co. Awk-ward is all I can say about the moment the fam found out Emily had a daughter, and then had to explain what happened to her daughter's daddy (in case you've been living under a snowbank in Manitoba, Emily's ex was NASCAR driver Ricky Hendrick, who died in a tragic plane crash). But Momma Womack melted: "She said (Brad) was her 'angel,' " she sobbed.

There were plenty more awkward moments during the last-chance dates -- and I'm not talking about the time Brad and Chantal spent in a cage being circled by an angry-looking great white shark.

It was Brad's date with Emily that fell apart when she put him on the spot about becoming a step-dad. If he thinks he's going to come home and watching football and drink beer every day, he's got another thing coming! She grilled him until the sweat was pouring off his forehead, then he left to get some water -- and didn't come back. Um ...

But who better than Neil Lane -- aka The Ring Guy -- to brighten things up with a bag full of bling. And I mean buh-ling! Those sparklers were blinding, even more so than Emily's teeth.

At the final rose ceremony, Chantal arrived first (never a good sign) and all dressed in black (the colour of doom). With one look at Brad's "I'm sorry, don't hate me" expression and a spiel that included the phrase "someone else", Chantal's fate was sealed.

"My heart just really hurts right now," said poor, heartbroken Chantal, reminding me of how Brad's face must have felt when she slapped it on the season's first episode. Funny how things come full circle, isn't it?

Back to the rose ceremony -- Emily arrived last (always a good sign) and all dressed in white (the colour of brides). With one look at Brad's "I'm so smitten" smirk and a stammering spiel that included the phrase "I love you", Emily's fate was also sealed. Cue the bling.

Brad and Emily, we now pronounce you engaged. And how cute do those Southern drawls sound together? He told her he loved her about eight times, so it must be real ... right?

Well, as I've said all along, Emily will break Brad's heart. And possibly sooner than later, if the thorny After the Final Rose special proceeding the proposal is anything to go by.

Following a brief reconciliation with Chantal, Brad revealed things have been less-than-sweet with sugary Emily since their South African engagement. Emily then came on (sans the ring, which Brad placed back on her finger at the end of the hour ... ?) and admitted she's not ready to move to Austin to be with her beau and there are many things they need to figure out.

But what stood out the most is how stuck Emily was on the fact that Brad fell for other women (ah-hem, Chantal) on the show, and they would fight after every episode aired. Through clenched -- albeit glow-in-the-dark -- teeth, she ranted about being portrayed as boring and said she was have been seen as more fun had she and Brad gone on adventurous dates like the ziplining and underwater ones he had gone on with Chantal.

And now, the pair acknowledges it's going to be difficult to have a relationship outside of The Bachelor's fantasy world.

"Watching it, I'm trying to figure out what's reality TV, and what's my reality." Emily said. Judging by that statement, and her overall lack of enthusiasm, I think she's already figured it out.

lindsey.ward@sunmedia.ca

Twitter.com/lindsward