Navy Husband Returns To Find Wife's Shocking Secret

The Call of Duty

Dedicated U.S. Navy sailor Chris Daugherty was dedicated to serving his country. The family man had always known his choice of work would come with sacrifices. His most recent enlistment would mean he would be spending five long months away from his beloved wife and children.

Anchors Away

Some time after setting sail, the Navy man would soon receive the news that his trip would be extended. He would have to endure more time away from his family. All the while, an unexpected twist was heading his way.

The Committed Couple

Life as a military wife is not easy. The Californian couple had become familiar with the hardships of spending long periods apart from one another. Natasha, Chris’s loving and supportive wife, would soon be faced with an unexpected and life-changing dilemma. This period of separation would be harder than she anticipated.

A Sad Goodbye

Natasha and Chris’s three young children accompanied their dad to the port to bid him a sad and teary goodbye. The kids were used to seeing their dad leave for long periods of time, but the farewells never got any easier. Despite his heart-breaking departure, Daugherty felt his patriotic duty call.

His Work Begins

The Petty Officer set sail to waters off of the Korean Peninsula where he would begin his demanding work as a Navy cryptologic technician. Daugherty would spend long hours each day working to decipher complex signals and codes. While he was hard at work, something was brewing back home.

The Difficult Struggle

Natasha Daugherty soon felt the pangs of loneliness that came with months away from her husband. After just a week without Chris, Natasha would make a decision that would change the course of the couple’s lives.

Something was Different

Natasha soon felt that something within her had changed. With each passing week, it became harder and harder to deny and conceal the truth. While her eldest son was old enough to understand the gradual but unexpected change in his mom, he soon understood that the secret needed to be hidden.

Family Secrets

The Daugherty family had frequent contact with their dad. Natasha became increasingly concerned that one of her younger children would mention something to their father that would raise his suspicions that something was happening back home. The mother of three was keeping something from her absent husband.

Was She Doing the Right Thing?

Natasha had made a difficult and questionable choice. With her husband millions of miles away, she had decided to conceal something from the sailor. The news, once uncovered, would have a lasting impact on their marriage and the lives of their young children. She felt sure but racked with guilt, was she doing the right thing?

The Hidden Truth

Natasha knew that revealing the truth to Chris would make her husband anxious and possibly distract him from his work. She didn’t want to place any burden on the sailor while he was so far from home. Despite her resolve, it became harder and harder to conceal the truth from her unsuspecting husband.

A Fairytale Romance

From the moment they had met, it had been love at first sight for Natasha and Chris. On their wedding day, they promised one another to remain faithful, to always tell one another the whole truth, no matter how difficult. Despite their heartfelt vows to one another, Natasha was adamant to withhold her secret.

Carrying a Burden

Life became more and more difficult for Natasha. She was working two jobs and caring for three young children without the help of her absent husband. Keeping a secret of such magnitude from Chris began to take its toll on her. Could she continue to carry the burden?

Time Sails on

After five months far from home and his loving family, Chris received the news that his enlistment was to be extended by yet another month. North Korea had began testing missiles, international tensions were reaching a peak and Chris’s work became more demanding and more crucial to the state of the country. Natasha was determined to endure the final month away from her husband.

Would He Survive?

Natasha knew that if God forbid anything happened to Chris she would never be able to forgive herself. “As soon as we started having trouble with North Korea, I became worried,” she later told NBC news. “He was telling me goodbye. At that point, I was extremely emotional. I wanted to tell him, I wanted to freak out,” said Natasha. “But I kept my calm and waited, just a little longer.”

Chris’s Big Return

Finally, after six long months abroad, Chris was set to return to US shores. The Navy man was ready to resume his love as a hands-on father and husband. Though his family was overjoyed, they wondered how he would react to the big news.

Homeward Bound

The Daugherty family was overjoyed at the thought of Chris’s long awaited return. Natasha and the kids could barely contain their excitement. As Chris made the long voyage home, Natasha waited at home, anxious to finally reveal the truth to her husband.

The Time Had Come

On June 23, 2017, Chris Daugherty’s family journeyed to San Diego to welcome their father home. Chris disembarked the docked ship, feeling dry land for the first time in six months. With tears in his eyes, he spotted he family waiting for him.

His Waiting Family

As Chris’s children saw their dad disembark from the ship they rushed to welcome him home. As the family man made his way closer and closer to his waiting family, he soon noticed that something was different. Could it possibly be?

The Unbelievable Moment

After an emotional reunion with his overjoyed kids, Chris headed over to a smiling Natasha. Natasha held a large hand-painted poster welcoming her husband back from abroad. The sign read ‘Welcome Home Baby Daddy.’ Only when Chris proceeded to hug his wife, did he finally realize what the message truly meant.

The Initial Shock

As Chris reached out to hug Natasha, she unexpectedly stepped back and dropped the poster. Chris was instantly overcome with shock and emotion. He eventually stuttered: “Is that real? Are you serious?”

Shock then Joy

The message on the poster finally became clear. Chris had been away a long time, but he had no idea what had transpired while he spent months at sea. He was overwhelmed and having difficulty fulling grasping the gravity of what he now knew.

The Devastating News

As Natasha dropped her welcome poster, she revealed a printed T-shirt that read: “I am the present my daddy gave my mommy before he deployed.” There it was: A huge pregnant belly! Crowds began to gather, onlookers were in awe of the touching family moment.

Overcome with Joy

Once Chris was able to compose himself, the couple finally kissed and embraced. Chris would soon be a father once again. Natasha could finally breathe a sigh of relief. The moment was made even more special by another stroke of fate…

A Grand Homecoming

Chris’s homecoming coincided with Father’s Day. “I have three (kids) already now so a fourth will just add on to the excitement and craziness!” he said. The Daugherty family rejoiced at being together once again. They didn’t know then that their story would soon make world headlines.

Going Viral

A family friend recorded video footage of the family reunion along with the Natasha’s baby reveal. After being posted, the video became a sensation on Facebook, gathering more than half a million views. The world was touched by the sheer and genuine emotion of the family moment.

Natasha’s Shock

“I found out about a week after he left. I didn’t believe it,” Natasha told ABC News. “I took the pregnancy test again and I was like, ‘Oh no way.’” Natasha was about eight weeks along. It was then that she made the difficult to decision to conceal her pregnancy from Chris.

Secret out of Love

Keeping the news from her husband was one of the hardest things Natasha had ever had to do. She knew that Chris would devastated to miss out on his wife’s pregnancy journey. Natasha didn’t want to cause the hard-working sailor any undue stress while at sea.

Two Months to Go

Natasha and Chris still had two months to prepare for the arrival of their new baby. The expecting couple threw an extravagant gender reveal party soon after Chris returned home. Natasha popped a bunch of balloons that burst with pink confetti: It was a girl!

A Happy Ending

On September 2, 2017, Natasha gave birth to a healthy baby girl. The family’s special pregnancy journey was shared with the world. The heartwarming story has since touched the hearts of millions around the globe.