UPDATE: On July 26's episode, Micheal A. does officially quit the Bachelorette. "My decision to leave hurts you, too," Michael A. told Katie as he let her know he was leaving the show. "I'm not leaving because of us," he said, "I'm leaving because of my son." On an unaired call with his son James, James asked Michael A. why he didn't want to see him, which naturally broke Michael's heart and made it clear that he needed to go home.

"I saw us going to the end, which makes this really confusing for me right now," Katie said. And the kicker? Michael A. said that Katie taught him how to love again. And then, during their final hug, you could hear their hearts beating through the mics. Unclear if those were added in post-production and/or amplified, but still, it was a lot, regardless of editing magic or not. Goodbye, Michael A.! We'll miss you (and so will Katie).

PREVIOUSLY: Prepare yourself because the dad-bod-having man who makes his fellow contestants cry (for all the right reasons) days are numbered on The Bachelorette. Though an early favorite of Katie's and fans alike, the midseason preview makes it look like Michael A. quits The Bachelorette. Despite his superior emotional maturity, Michael has a lot on his plate as a widow with a 4-year-old son at home in Ohio, so no one would blame him if he bows out early. And in The Bachelorette midseason preview brimming with intentional misdirects, Michael A. choosing to head home seems like the only sure thing.