Indiana soldier surprises family with homecoming

AUBURN, Ind. (WANE) - It had been seven months since specialist Ashley Dubois had seen her family.

"It has just been so long that I've talked to them and been this close to them," said Dubois.

Dubois' family members came to 15th Street Portraits in Auburn, to have pictures taken and sent overseas. However, they got a much bigger surprise.

"It was like a statue or picture, and then she moved and then it was like, wow," said Dubois' aunt, Nancy Lamb. 

"I love her and I missed her a lot," said Dubois son, Gage Steffe.

Dubois told her 9-year-old son Gage, she'd be back before Christmas.
She volunteered to stay longer, making her family believe she wouldn't be able to keep that promise.

"It would have been one of the most difficult conversations I would have had with him," said Lamb. Yet, things worked out, and Dubois was able to keep her promise.

"I can take you school shopping now, and I can take you to your first day of fourth grade, and we still have a little bit of summer left, we can do all sort of stuff," said Dubois to her son.

"It's going to mean everything to go back to school, and know that every morning he's going to wake up and see his mom," said Dubois' mother, Roberta Montel. "I'm very proud that she's home and can step back into her life."

"I'm glad she's home, safe and sound," said Lamb. "Once again, God takes care of everything."