For months, this Marine’s wife sought to hide a secret from him. A military career entails being away from home on occasion. Many troops are separated from their families while they are deployed. This may result in heartbreaking yet wonderful tales. Take the case of US Marine Chris Daugherty, who came home from his service to a very unexpected gift.

When he departed in January 2017, Daugherty expected to stay gone for about five months. However, a few months later, it became clear that his journey would be prolonged. It was an unexpected turn, but there’s nothing compared to what greeted him when he returned… Daugherty, his wife Natasha, and their three children were used to the Marine family lifestyle.

The Marine had previously been gone from home for lengthy periods of time, so the family knew what to anticipate when he went to Korea in early 2017. Natasha, on the other hand, quickly became lonely. Even though she was only getting accustomed to her husband’s extended trips, she felt weird this time. She even noticed that she was acting differently this time. It all started with modest modifications that grew harder to conceal!

Natasha’s kids started to notice the changes as well. Her oldest kid, a 10-year-old boy, could easily keep it hidden, but could her younger daughter? That was the query.

Natasha didn’t have enough time for herself with all of the work she had to perform at home, but she kept in contact with her spouse on a regular schedule. They video-called almost every day, but Natasha struggled. What if Chris discovers she’s trying to hide something?

Natasha found it very difficult at times to conceal her secret. She was dying to tell Chris. A few weeks after he departed, they had a video conversation in which she nearly gave it away. At the last minute, she decided to keep it a secret.

Natasha’s close family, in addition to Chris, could not be fully aware of her secret. This got harder as time went on because she had many smart relatives who could easily figure out what the woman was hiding.

Chris had not returned after five months. His assignment would really be prolonged by a month. He contacted his wife from the army base to inform her of the situation. The mission, which was becoming more risky, would last at least another month… Chris’s family gathered in San Diego on a scorching summer day on June 23. They found the guy they had been looking for on the dock.

Chris’ children hurried as quickly as they could towards their father. Natasha was behind them, carrying a giant placard that said, «Welcome back, Daddy.» Chris went up to his wife, who had dropped the sign, after giving his children a hearty embrace. «Are you serious? Really? » When Chris saw what came from behind the sign.

A note scribbled on Natasha’s blouse was hidden below the sign: «I am the gift Dad left behind before he departed,» it stated. And what about below the shirt? Natasha’s huge baby belly

Chris couldn’t believe what he was seeing. «I glanced at her and poked her stomach,» he said afterwards. «I thought she was joking,» he said.

Chris had a really wonderful day. It just so happened that the day he came home was Father’s Day. It was almost too fantastic to be true. What he didn’t realize was that things were just going to get better.