Awesome - Daughter Surprises Dad At Home With Takeout And Things Don’t Go As Planned
He was extremely confused. A lot of things were going on in that single moment that he couldn’t comprehend. His daughter from out of town was standing in his doorway, holding a bag of takeout he didn’t order. When did she come into town? And was she a delivery driver now? Then he looked at the bag of takeout and everything started to make sense. And when he finally understood, his surprise grew even more.
The Cohens
It’s not like Darryl Cohen was out of the loop in his daughter’s life. In fact, the Cohens were a pretty tight-knit family. Originally from Orange County, California, Darryl, his wife Nini, his son Grant and his daughter Victoria lived a blessed life. Before they knew it, the two kids were all grown up. And as they chose their own paths and went their own way, Darryl wondered if they’d remain just as close. Sometimes, it was not so easy.
Tech Wiz
Darryl’s son Grant went into the tech business, becoming a monetization expert and working at several successful start-ups. He co-founded and is now the Chief Product Officer of FCFL, a new football league where fans decide the teams’ plays and strategy via digital channels. The company’s owners and investors include celebrities like Norm MacDonald, Ray Austin, and even Joe Montana. But it wasn’t his professional success that brought Grant and his family the most pride.
Big Family
Grant is married to Chanel Mailloux Cohen, and the couple has two sons and a baby girl. When Chanel first got pregnant with their oldest son seven years ago, she and Grant broke the news to the Cohen family while they were having dinner at Maggiano’s Little Italy, a family-style Italian restaurant in Los Angeles. Darryl and Nini were ecstatic to become grandparents for the first time. And Victoria was happy to be an aunt. At the time, her adult life was just beginning.
Spreading Her Wings
Victoria studied Information Engineering & Management at Southern Methodist University in Texas. While she was still in school, she got an internship at PepsiCo in New York. They were so impressed with her work that, when she graduated, they offered her a job at their Chicago office. Though she loved California and being close to family, Victoria decided to take the plunge and move there. And that’s when her life started to take an unexpected turn.
No More 9-5
Victoria worked in Supply Chain at PepsiCo for a couple of years when she started to feel like something in her life was missing. She switched to a role in Shopper Marketing at the company and tried it out for a year. But that change didn’t make things any better. She decided it was time to leave the corporate world. Though it was a scary prospect, she made the choice to follow her passion: yoga.
Whole New Victoria
In the fall of 2016, just as she was getting married and moving to a new home with her husband Tom Burke, Victoria quit her job and became a full-time yoga instructor. She had recently received her certification through Bare Feet Power Yoga and was able to begin teaching there. She also started a health and lifestyle blog called Almonds & Asana. “At that point, I realized what was missing was an outlet to discuss the things I’m passionate about,” she writes. But her life would take another big turn just a couple of months later.
Unexpected Visitor
One night in March of this year, Darryl Cohen was relaxing at home with his wife Nini, who was getting dinner ready for the two of them. All of a sudden, there was a knock on their door. Darryl went to open it and was dumbfounded to see his daughter Victoria standing right in the doorway. Her husband Tom was standing behind her, holding up his phone to record. Then Victoria said something that left him speechless.
Takeout
“Did someone order Maggiano’s?” was the first thing Victoria said when Darryl opened the door. “What?” he replied, as he confusedly looked back and forth from Victoria’s face to the bags she was holding. “Did someone order Maggiano’s?” she repeated as she held a takeout bag in front of her father. That’s when it hit him, and he brought his hands to his face in disbelief.
Big Surprise
“No!” Darryl blurted out as he covered his mouth with his hands. Then both Victoria and Tom broke into laughter and walked inside. She leaned closer to her father as he kissed her on the cheek and put his arms around her. “Where’s mom, is she here?” she asked, as her mother Nini came into view. “No! Maggiano’s?” she exclaimed. But why were they so excited about Maggiano’s takeout?
Inside Joke
This story actually started seven years ago, when Grant and Chanel broke the news about their first pregnancy while the family was at Maggiano’s. When they were expecting their second son, they also shared the news with the family at the same restaurant. It became a running joke within the family to break pregnancy news at Maggiano’s. But it didn’t solidify until a couple of years later.
A Family Tradition Is Born
Years later, when Chanel was pregnant with their third child, she and Grant wanted to tell the family at Maggiano’s. But everyone’s schedule was really busy and they couldn’t get everyone together on the same day. So instead, Grant called his family members and told them he and Chanel “were planning to go back to Maggiano’s.” Everyone understood what he meant, and that’s how it became a family tradition. One that Victoria didn’t want to break–but it required a bit more planning.
Off Without A Hitch
When she first learned she was pregnant, Victoria couldn’t wait to share the news with her family. But she wanted to follow the tradition. So, when they were ready to let the world know, she and Tom hopped on a flight from Chicago to California to surprise her parents. And boy, were they surprised. It couldn’t have been a more perfect way to learn they were going to be grandparents again. But not everything in Victoria’s pregnancy was perfect.
The Pitfalls Of Pregnancy
On the 11th week of her pregnancy, Victoria came home from teaching yoga and, as soon as she walked through the door, she started gagging uncontrollably. She had always been sensitive to smell, and the pregnancy exacerbated it. Not to mention, her condo always had a lingering drywall smell that was worsened by her downstairs neighbor who was staining his floors at the time. Worried that the smell and nausea would leave negative associations with the house, Tom told Victoria to get out.
Staying Strong
Tom put Victoria up in a hotel a few blocks away and then they spent the weekend at his parents’ house. She went to the doctor and was prescribed nausea medication, which allowed her to be able to return home and not gag. She now says it was the worst week of her pregnancy. “I’m hoping the worst of it is behind me and I can finally move on,” she wrote. And now we’re happy to report Victoria recently gave birth to a healthy baby boy named Ford. Mazel Tov!
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