It will be a Merry Christmas for one girl who was surprised by the return of her father from Afghanistan at St. Benedict’s Moor School in Pittsburgh’s Hill District on Tuesday.
Edward Hawthorne, who just got home from his second tour of duty in Afghanistan, couldn't wait to get to the school to surprise his daughter, Elliana Anderson-Hawthorne, after six months apart.
"She has no idea that I'm even close to coming home. To her understanding, I was going to be gone a year and that's what she knows," he said.
Elliana Anderson-Hawthorne’s classmates were also in on the surprise. She was speechless when she walked into her first-grade classroom and saw her dad for the first time in months. It was a moment they both had been looking forward to ever since he left for Afghanistan.
Elliana Anderson-Hawthorne’s grandmother said this is the best Christmas gift anyone could get.
"She just loves her daddy. She's a daddy's girl, and she is his favorite girl, so it's going to be exciting all around," said Teresa Hawthorne.
Elliana Anderson-Hawthorne had three words about her dad’s return: “Very, very excited.”
She and her dad haven't made plans just yet as to what they're going to do now that he's home, but they both agree that they're happy he's home for the holidays.
