This week's episode of The Real Housewives of New Jersey was hard for the Giudice family.

Teresa was confronted, and the girls watched their uncle blame their father for everything that's gone wrong.

In real life, however, Teresa, her daughters, and her boyfriend Luis Ruelas traveled to meet up with Joe.

In the Bahamas, Joe and Luis met for the first time and they all shared a large family dinner.

If you follow the Giudices on Instagram, you've probably already seen at least part of this.

Teresa, Joe, and their four daughters (who are so grown up, even Audriana) at dinner.

At the head of the table is Teresa, seated beside her boyfriend, Luis.

Obviously, Joe could not come visit them in New Jersey.

(Deportation is a horror that ruins lives and breaks families apart)

But they all met up in the Bahamas for a heartwarming family dinner.

Luis also brought his son, as you can see in a couple of these GIFs.

Gia was seated between her parents in each photo.

And, given that she sees him less, seated directly next to her father.

Joe's initial comment was simply a caption reading "great night out."

However, as you will see shortly, Joe also posted a lengthier caption.

The Giudices were happy to share snippets of this evening with their fans and followers.

"Tonight’s episode is hard for my girls and [me]," Teresa captioned a photo.

In the picture, she and Joe stand with their four daughters arrayed between them.

"Joe is the father to my children & even though we split I respect his relationship with my daughters," Tre affirmed.

"So it’s hard for them to see my brother disparage him," Teresa acknowledged.

She said that she felt this way "for the sake of my daughters who have already been through so much loss."

Teresa emphasized: "My mother adored Joe & that’s what my girls saw & remember."

As you may recall from the episode, Teresa and her brother, Joe Gorga, clashed.

Joe told Teresa that he resents her ex-husband, blaming him for her incarceration.

"I hope from this point we can all move forward on a more positive note," Teresa expressed, "for the sake of our family."

In the comments, the Giudices were praised by many, including Kandi Burruss.

Additionally, Gia had a short conversation with a fan about perceptions.

A number of viewers shared Joe and Melissa's assessment of her dad ... but they only saw him through TV.

Joe re-shared Teresa's group photo with a lengthier message about the meet-up.

"I truly appreciate & hope i will continue to be present in my best friend life," Joe affirmed.

"A great person, mom, and confident individual. @teresagiudice," he praised his ex-wife. 

Joe had more to say, this time about his ex-wife's new boyfriend.

"@louiearuelas great meeting you and your boy," Joe gushed.

In a recent episode of Watch What Happens Live, Teresa shared that this meeting was Luis' idea.

"They've talked over the phone," she shared when she noted that the men hadn't yet met.

"Luis wanted to go to the Bahamas and meet him," Teresa revealed, "which I thought was the most amazing thing ever."

She continued: "He said he just wanted to talk to him and let him know he's not trying to take his place or anything."