Home From Naval Station, Braintree Native is Mother's Christmas Surprise

Nancy O'Brien had just arrived at Ross Elementary School. She was filling in at the office Tuesday after spending the morning as a crossing guard at Flaherty.

O'Brien, a substitute in the Braintree school system, had noticed a familiar truck on her way inside, but didn't think much about it. She was getting ready in the office when the secretary buzzed someone into the school.

She told O'Brien it was her daughter.

Turns out that it was her son-in-law's truck. He and O'Brien's daughter Jessica O'Brien Walsh had been waiting inside when O'Brien passed by. When Jessica walked into Ross, it was the first time she had seen her mother in six months. 

"My heart was pounding, my hands were shaking," O'Brien said.

Jessica is in the U.S. Navy, stationed in San Diego. She enlisted last March and married her husband James Walsh, a fellow Braintree High graduate (she '07, he '06), during a previous leave in June.

The original plan was to have Jessica come by The Snippery, a hair salon on Washington Street where her mother works part-time, on Tuesday afternoon after flying into Boston Monday night.

But Jessica couldn't wait.

She had already kept her secret from her mom and dad for two weeks, all the while making plans with her siblings, other family and friends for her stay over Christmas. 

Jessica held out until her mom was at Ross, though, and not crossing elementary students on Walnut Street.

"Oh my god, I did not want to cause a scene," Jessica said.

After seeing her mom, Jessica and James went over to surprise Jessica's dad Joseph, a general contractor who works from home.

Jessica recounted the surprise Tuesday afternoon at the The Snippery, where she was ready to get a haircut after waiting patiently for time at her favorite salon.

Aside from her haircut, Jessica said she was looking forward to eating home-cooked food before she returns to San Diego the Sunday after Christmas.

O'Brien said her daughter hid the surprise well, considering that not only did she tell just about everyone else, including O'Brien's 12-year-old granddaughter, but that they spoke nearly every day by phone, email or Facebook, including a conversation Sunday in which Jessica casually asked what her mother was doing Tuesday.

At the end of the call, as always, O'Brien asked Jessica when she was coming home.

The paperwork was in, she said, but who knows what will happen.