Wow, what an emotional season finale. If you're like me, you're already dying to find out what's happens next for the families on Teen Mom. This finale, and really this whole season, was about the girls trying to discover themselves as adults. The show ended with a lot of questions and different paths for the girls.  In the end, it certainly shows how early motherhood changes lives permanently.

To start, Amber and Gary are still trying to get their no contact order lifted. But the courthouse remains closed due to an ice storm, so they're stuck apart for a few more days. Amber and Gary are getting restless, especially when it's so hard to coordinate the childcare without actually talking to the other parent. When they get a chance to finally get to court, the judge decides they can have limited contact and communication, but they aren't allowed to be together in front of Leah. Gary is still upset by this ruling, and decides he wants Amber back for good. He even calls her up and sings her the song her wrote for her, which was too cute! I thought Amber was a little mean to him, since he was trying so hard to make her happy.

Amber tells Gary that she loves him, but isn't ready to make a solid commitment. She knows that both of them have made mistakes, and she's not confident they won't have the same troubles again. While talking to a friend, Amber mentions how all the women in her family are confrontational. She says she doesn't want to raise Leah the way she was raised—to use angry words and fighting to get her way. Do you think it's too late to teach Leah about healthy communication? She's already seen her parents break up and get back together countless times, and been shuffled between their two homes for most of her life. Will it affect her later on, or do you think Leah is too young to remember?

Farrah is having an equally difficult time deciding what to do with the rest of her life. She knows she wants to go to school in Florida, but she can't decide whether to bring Sophia with her or leave her with her mother. In earlier episodes Farrah said "no way" was she leaving her daughter, but it looks like she's changing her mind.

Debra says Farrah should go to college alone so she can discover herself as an adult, and be allowed to live a normal teenage life for a few years. If Farrah takes Sophia, Sophia will spend all her time in daycare and with childcare workers instead of with her mom or grandparents. Is Farrah making the right choice to leave Sophia behind? For most girls, becoming a teen mom means you give up the chance to be a normal college student. It's a really tricky issue to put yourself in Farrah's shoes.  What is best for Sophia? I feel like it's best for Sophia to stay at home with the people and surroundings she's familiar with. But what's best for Sophia isn't what's best for Farrah.

Maci is trying to figure out her future too. She knows she wants to be with Kyle, but he's not ready for that type of a commitment. Maci decides that working through her issues with Ryan is the best way to show Kyle how serious she is about their future.

After giving Maci a little bit of trouble, Ryan surprises me by being a pretty decent guy. Of course, it took a lot of talking from his parents to steer him in the right direction, but Maci and Ryan actually ended up being civil towards one another. Without his parents, Ryan would have nothing; I doubt he would even be in Bentley’s life anymore if his parents hadn't been pushing him since day one.  But now I'm actually starting to have a little more faith that Ryan is growing up, or at least acknowledging that he hasn't been a perfect parent to Bentley or partner for Maci. Thumbs up to Ryan.

Ryan and Maci repairing their relationship doesn't change much for Kyle.  Maci wants to get married "sooner rather than later," but the time isn't right for Kyle. She finally breaks down and we see a weaker side of Maci as opposed the strong mother we're used to. She says she tries to make it look easy, but spending every day trying to be the best mother she can for Bentley is so, so hard. She feels like a failure because she can't give him everything he deserves (like a father). It was a heartbreakingly honest moment for Maci.

Finally, we have Catelynn, who is faced with family struggles. She and Tyler are still confused about whether Carly should be invited to their high school graduation. Because their parents weren't supportive of the adoption, they know a meeting of both families could be awkward and confusing for Carly and the rest of the families. This is just another example of the tough decisions so many teen parents are faced with…ultimately, they decide the best thing to do is to hold off on the visit.

On top of this confusion, Tyler’s dad Butch asks to move in with Tyler and Catelynn while he completes parole. He has been in and out of jail Tyler's whole life, but this time he vows things are going to be different. Cate and Tyler compile a list of house rules for Butch, and things in the house are finally running smoothly.

At the heartbreaking end of the episode, April comes by the house to tell Catelynn and Tyler that Butch has been arrested again. She breaks down, but Catelynn and Tyler try to remain strong for Catelynn's little brother Nicholas, who is devastated by his mother's grief. When Tyler finally sheds a tear for the father he always believed in, I nearly lost it. The two of them have been through so much; it just doesn't seem fair that life continues to throw them curveballs.

This finale really got me thinking. Having a baby changes your whole identity. You can never go back to just being a student, a kid, or a daughter because being a mother is a lifelong responsibility. It's your job to provide for your child, and like we see through Maci or even Tyler’s grief, disappointing your child is like a knife in both your hearts.

Make a plan for your future that protects you from unplanned pregnancy. Staying a teen is the best gift you can give your future self, and your future family. Thanks for reading this season—I'll see you back here for the reunion episode!

This post was written by Kate, an intern for The National Campaign. Kate is a senior at George Washington University, studying journalism and sociology. She loves theater and cooking, and eats mashed potatoes every single day. Have a question for Kate? Email us!