A 2-year-old girl’s smile lit up the room the moment her military dad walked into her daycare.
Ian Rivera left for deployment when his daughter, Esme, was just 6 months old. During the 19 months he was away, he missed many of her biggest milestones back home in Puerto Rico, including her first word, first steps and first birthday.
“That period was honestly the hardest thing I’ve ever experienced,” said Ian’s wife, Gabriela. “I was working full-time while also raising our daughter full-time.”
Gabriela said she worked hard to keep Ian present in Esme’s life while he was away by showing her photos and videos and constantly talking about her dad.
Eventually, Gabriela and Esme moved to Charleston, South Carolina, where Ian was stationed during one of his deployments, and the couple planned a surprise reunion at Esme’s daycare.
Watch the video to see Esme’s sweet reaction when she finally reunited with her dad.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Watch little girl’s joyful reaction when her military dad returns
