James Croot is seven years old. He goes to an elementary school in Blanchester, Ohio.

Just the other day, he had a homework assignment: write a letter to Santa listing what you’d like to get for Christmas, and why.

As you might have guessed, he asked the big jolly white-bearded, North Pole-residing gentleman for toys, because well, he’s a kid and …

… actually, nope. He didn’t ask for toys. Or anything material, for that matter.

He asked for someone, rather than something.

“I really want to stay with you all the time, but I know that sometimes I can’t be with you … I just wanted to write you this card to tell you that I miss you, and I wish you could come home from Christmas.”

The note was addressed to his father, Aaron Croot, a United States Air Force sergeant serving a deployment overseas. His son hasn’t seen him in nine months.

“I love you when you are away from me, and I love you so much when you are near me. I love you when you are deployed, and I miss you so bad,” James added, in the letter.

With their missives completed, the schoolchildren had one more related assignment: read the thing out loud to their classmates, one by one, on stage.

When it was finally “showtime”, and James’ turn, and walked up to the mic, and proudly but a little solemnly recited what he’d written.

Then … he arrived.

His father, after listening to James read right around the corner from the small school theater, entered stage right, and turned his son’s life upside down in the blink of an eye.

James looked up from his letter and there his dad was, standing before him.

The reunion was on.

And, for the record, it was all thanks to the airman’s wife (James’ mother) Megan, who coordinated the shockingly beautiful event with the administrators and teachers at the school.

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According to the original report, the family is planning to move and be back together — for good — in Germany.