An army mom surprised her 6-year-old daughter at Travis Elementary School in Port Arthur Thursday morning, after spending the last 7 months in Afghanistan.
Sergeant Shaunta Cain sat patiently behind a corner, hidden from view, eagerly awaiting the first time she'll get to see her daughter in more than half a year.
"I just wanted to see how big she got, being deployed you pretty much miss a lot of things," Cain said.
Tiny feet, marching in a single file line, made their way to the cafeteria. Then...
An emotional reunion erupted as mother and daughter get their first glimpse of each other. Six-year-old Leah can't contain her excitement as she hugs her mom tightly, shares a laugh, and makes a silly face for our camera, which is what her mom missed most, her jokes.
Today Leah's perfectly okay taking a break from her friends to sit and eat with her mom. She's spent the last seven months living with her grandmother.
Her grandma, Debra, told us, "She (Leah) will be sitting there and all of a sudden she'll say, 'I miss my momma' and I say 'I know baby but she's coming home'."
That day couldn't come soon enough for either Leah or her mom. They only have 4 days to spend with each other before Cain has to report back to Fort Hood, but she says she'll take whatever she can get.
"It's a relief because I know she's safe, i'm safe, and I guess in a way it's a blessing to come back because you have some people that don't come back, some soldiers that never see their family," Cain said.
Unfortunately the reunion could not last all day; Leah had to get back to class. But before she left she told her mom she loves her and gave her a big hug.
After school Cain says she's taking Leah to Chuck E. Cheese and a movie.
