ONLY ON FOX: Va. father returns home from Afghanistan to surprise son acting in first school play

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A Fairfax middle school student acted in his first school play Thursday night. But what he didn't know while he was on stage was that there was a special guest in the audience - his father who has spent the last several months in Afghanistan working for the State Department.

Trey Kee, an eighth grade student at Robinson Secondary School, played the role of Mufasa in this musical production of the "The Lion King."

While Trey had been learning his lines and practicing for this big moment -- his first-ever theatrical production -- his own father has been supporting him from afar while serving in Afghanistan.

Robert Kee moved mountains to secretly show up at the school as he watched with pride hidden in the back of the audience. Not even Trey's mother and sister knew that he was there.

But he made an awesome surprise appearance. As the kids took their bows, the director began to ask Trey questions about the theme of the play. That is when he noticed his father in the audience. Trey headed up to the back of the auditorium to give his father a big hug as the crowd cheered in full applause.

As Trey walked back to the stage, his mother and sister came running up with tears in their eyes.

The family was not expecting to see Robert until sometime this summer, but he is back temporarily for the weekend and the timing could not be better.

"Honestly, I still can't really believe it," Trey told us. "I'm excited because we just got through our premiere and this just made it a thousand times better. I am so happy. He told me that he would be here in spirit and I wore a little pin to remind me of him. And now I have the better thing in person."

Trey's father said just a few days ago he was really nervous when he talked with his son on FaceTime and was really trying to calm his nerves leading up to his son's play. He said to be able to be there in person was unbelievable.