A wholesome dad could not contain his excitement when his daughter made a surprise return home from across the country to attend their annual father-daughter dance.
Violet Loo, 25, her sister Kendra and their father, Rodney, first attended the father-daughter ball at their local golf club when Violet was just four years old.
The family, from Marin County, California, would attend the event every year, and Rodney always loved picking out dresses for his daughters when they were children.
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As Violet and Kendra got older, reaching an age when others might stop attending, they continued to make the event an annual tradition, seeing it as a way to have fun date night with their father.
But recently, Violet moved across the country to New York, and Kendra is now based in Wyoming.
While Kendra could make it home for the annual event, Violet informed her father that she would not be able to attend this year.
The news saddened Rodney, whose mom had passed away the week before the dance, but, secretly, Violet had been able to make a trip home work, and so she decided to work on a way to surprise her father.
On March 11, with Kendra, Rodney was told there had been a knock at his front door.
There, on the floor, he discovered a cake that had “Heard you need a second date for the dance… ” on the lid.
Rodney looked delighted with the gesture, thinking it was from Kendra, but then, from around the corner, Violet appeared, with the 61-year-old dad immediately cracking a wide smile and saying, “SHUT UP!” in shock.
Violet, who later shared the video on social media, said: “Seeing his reaction was so sweet.
“With everything our family had gone through earlier that week, it made the moment even more meaningful.
“His reactions are always really emotional in the best way.
“He’s just such an expressive, loving dad, and I think that’s really rare and special.
“We are lucky to have him. My dad and I are incredibly close – we always have been.
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“Ever since my sister and I were about 4 years old, he’s taken us to this Father-Daughter Ball at our golf club every year.
“One year my grandpa actually came with my mom which was so special to have generations of fathers and daughters there.
“When we were little, he always said his favorite thing was going to pick out dresses for us.
“Obviously daughters that are adults now don’t usually go, but I think there’s something so beautiful and nostalgic for us to see dads with their young daughters have a night out together just like we remember.
“We also love a good dance and just have the most fun together.”
