Lance Corporal Peter Allen has been planning for months to surprise his wife for Christmas.
Peter is in the Marines, and is stationed in California. His wife, Kellie, lives at home in Florida.
"I feel like every woman should get surprises like this honestly," Peter says.
On Wednesday, those plans played out in the middle of the Mall at Wellington Green.
Peter tipped off his family that he would be home for Christmas, but his wife Kellie didn't think she would see him until late January.
"It's a pretty good Christmas present. She wasn't expecting it. I feel like, she deserves it," he says.
On Wednesday, Kellie visited the mall with Peter's family to take pictures with Santa Claus.
While sitting with Santa, the man in red asked Kellie, "If you could have anything for Christmas, what would you ask for?"
Kellie answered, "For my husband to come home."
While Kellie took photos with Santa and Peter's cousin Ava, the Marine was able to sneak in the back of the picture.
Kellie was surprised when she saw the photos, and realized her husband was home.
"It took me a second to put it together. It was such a shock. I didn't expect it at all," Kellie says.
The couple got married in September, but started dating after Peter had joined the Marines.
"I had a choice to go on a different duty for three years or get married to her, and I chose obviously, to get married to her," Peter says.
Kellie plans on moving to California next February to be where Peter is stationed.
