Returning Army mom surprises daughter at Arlington school

The miracles of wireless internet and FaceTime helped Araeli Flores remain in daily contact with her daughter, Aubrey, while deployed in Bahrain as a private first class in the U.S. Army.

But technology can’t replace a hug and a kiss, especially when the last ones exchanged came nine months and a missed Christmas ago. That’s tough on a mom and a 6-year-old kindergartner.

Their wait ended Tuesday afternoon with a tug-at-the-heartstrings surprise at Blanton Elementary School.

Aubrey and the rest of her classmates were matching animals with their habitats when Flores snuck in the classroom and walked to Aubrey’s side.

At first, Aubrey seemed unsure if that really was her mother standing next to her, as they weren’t supposed to be reunited until Saturday. Then, it registered, and she stood to deliver that long-awaited hug.

They held on for a long while, too.

“I think she was in shock,” said Flores, who is from Arlington and graduated from Arlington High School. “I’m still nervous. My adrenaline is still rushing. ... There’s so much emotion going on. Just actually seeing her in person, I can’t describe it.”

The only two days Flores hadn’t spoken to Aubrey came Sunday and Monday as she jumped five flights and dealt with layovers in Kuwait, Ireland, Maine and at Fort Bliss in El Paso, where she is stationed.

She flew to Love Field late Tuesday morning, and, in what seems like a cruel joke, her flight was delayed. The weather probably felt like a joke, too, after enduring heat indexes in Bahrain that approach 140 degrees.

“I’m never going to complain about Texas heat again,” Flores said.

Flores will be in Arlington for only two days before heading back to Fort Bliss. She said she plans to bring Aubrey and her toddler-aged son, Antonio, to El Paso next month.

But no one wanted to look past Tuesday afternoon.

This story was originally published January 16, 2018 at 5:06 PM with the headline "Returning Army mom surprises daughter at Arlington school."