A stunned mom froze in shock when she looked over her shoulder in a restaurant and was surprised by her airman son who she hadn’t seen in two years.
Raul “Cuatro” Ramirez, from San Antonio, Texas, hadn’t seen mom Barbara, 57, since March 2022, when he headed off on his first assignment with the United States Air Force to Okinawa, Japan.
On the other side of the world, Cuatro, 23, worked as a structural engineer – but as the weeks, months and years went on, Barbara would mention to her family how she increasingly missed her son.
And so, when Cuatro received the news in early 2024 that he was set to return home, he decided he needed to plan a big surprise for his mother.
He contacted his aunts, uncles and cousins, revealing he wanted to surprise Barbara over the Mother’s Day weekend.
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The evening before the big surprise, Cuatro’s younger brother, Diego, picked him up from the airport, and the following day, the family had a large table booked at a local restaurant.
Ten minutes after the group had taken their seats, Cuatro walked in, flowers in hand, and Barbara was prompted to turn around.
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When she laid eyes on her son, the stunned mother couldn’t contain her emotion, struggling to fight back tears.
Cuatro’s sister, Daniella, 24, who captured the moment, said: “It was beyond heartwarming to see my mom’s reaction.
“She was in a true state of shock, and for good reason, because she really had no clue.
“She would tell me all the time how much she missed my brother, so it really was a sweet and beautiful thing to finally get to see and have them reunite after two years of being apart.
“Everyone from family, friends, and even strangers on social media all had a similar reaction – it was quite emotional, and many people shed tears.”