Matt James Holds Out 'Hope' for His Mom Patty After Her 'Golden Bachelor' Love Connection 'Wasn't Meant to Be'

Patty James was one of six women eliminated on the season premiere of ‘The Golden Bachelor' on Thursday

Former Bachelor Matt James’ mom Patty James didn’t get a fairytale ending on The Golden Bachelor — but that doesn’t mean she and her son are giving up hope.

After the 70-year-old retired real estate professional was eliminated on the season premiere of the latest spinoff of The Bachelor, Patty shared an optimistic message on Instagram.

“It wasn’t meant to be,” the North Carolina native wrote alongside a photo of her looking in the mirror on night one. “God has [a] plan for me (and you ❤️)✨💫.”

Matt showed his support in the comment section, writing, “❤️❤️ He sure does!”

Related: Matt James Is a Proud Son as He Roots for Mom Patty Ahead of Her 'Golden Bachelor' Journey

On the ABC dating show, Patty shared that she was confident the process could work after seeing her son’s relationship with Rachael Kirkconnell, who he met on his own season of The Bachelor.

Patty told lead Gerry Turner, "I think this could work because my son was the Bachelor and he found love."

However, Patty’s journey on The Golden Bachelor was cut short when she and five other women did not receive a rose. Anna, Maria, Pamela, Renee and Sylvia were also sent home.

Related: All About Matt James’ Mom, Patty, Who Is a Contestant on 'The Golden Bachelor'

Ahead of Thursday’s season premiere, Matt, 31, made a surprise visit with Kirkconnell, 27, to see Patty and shared that he was hopeful that his mom would find love on the reality show.

“It’s not a surprise visit, unless you come bearing gifts 🍰🧁🌹,” Matt captioned an Instagram clip of their visit. “Rach and I flew in-town to surprise mom with @nothingbundtcakes and shower her with love tonight for the premiere ❤️.”

“We love you, we’re so proud of you and I hope you find what you came for, we can’t wait to watch with you 🍴🍰,” he added.

Patty responded in the comments section, calling their visit “the best surprise.”

Related: Tyler Cameron Jokes Golden Bachelor Gerry Turner 'Can't Keep Up' with Matt James's Mom Patty (Exclusive)

Matt previously reacted to the news of his mother becoming one of the 22 women vying for Turner’s heart.

"i ccc uuu mama," Matt wrote alongside a photo of Patty’s headshot posted to his Instagram Story in August. He added a heart-on-fire emoji while sharing his excitement for her new opportunity to find love.

James’ best friend Tyler Cameron also previously weighed in on the casting, telling PEOPLE, "She doesn't need my advice. She's got it."

When asked whether he thought she "was going to go all the way" through the season, Cameron was quick to reiterate his faith in her. "She's got it all, Ms. Patty," he added before he quipped, "If she doesn't, it's just because Gerry can't keep up with her."

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The Golden Bachelor airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.