Granddaughter Who Loves Surprising Her Grandpa Is Shocked When Her Latest Stunt Goes Wrong (Exclusive)
Faith Harper flew from New York City to Los Angeles to surprise her grandpa — a beloved tradition he never sees coming
This time, he unknowingly took a photo of Faith and her boyfriend, thinking they were strangers
Their hilarious, heartwarming reunion moment has melted hearts across TikTokEvery year, Faith Harper makes it her mission to catch her grandfather, Darnell Groom, off guard with a surprise visit home. But this time, what started as a playful prank between granddaughter and grandfather turned into a viral TikTok moment.
'I live in New York City, but I grew up in Los Angeles, and all my family is in Los Angeles,' Faith explains to PEOPLE.
'Every time I go to L.A. I have this thing where I never tell my grandpa I'm coming," she continues. "I'll just show up somewhere randomly, whether at his house or brunch or in somebody's car, because I just like to surprise him.'
This year, Faith and her boyfriend, Mauricio, decided to take the tradition to a new level, roping in her uncle and setting up a scenario in which Darnell would be asked by a 'random couple' to take their photo — unaware that the couple was actually his granddaughter and her boyfriend.
Darnell, meanwhile, was just finishing up a movie outing with his son when the prank unfolded. 'We had just come from the theater, and for some reason, we had just been to a game recently, and [my son] wanted to go take some pictures of himself with the statues,' Darnell recalls, remembering feeling suspicion but deciding to roll with the flow regardless.
When Mauricio approached and asked him to take a photo, Darnell was too caught up in the moment to notice anything was up. 'At first I thought to myself, 'He looks a little bit like Faith's boyfriend.' But I was too involved with my son and what we were doing to really pay attention to who he was,' he shares.
Faith and Mauricio stood by, stifling laughter as Darnell snapped their photo, completely oblivious to their true identities.
'In the video, you can see we're standing there, and we're laughing, thinking, 'Oh, he's gonna notice any second now.' And he didn't,' Faith says. 'Then I started getting confused. Like, is he okay? Like, how does he not know? I just couldn't believe he didn't recognize it was me.'
It wasn't until the photos were finished and Faith and Mauricio handed Darnell the phone that it all clicked. 'I didn't really realize until I started focusing in with the camera. I didn't realize it was Faith and Mauricio,' Darnell admits.
'You didn't even realize on the camera,' Faith chimes in. 'You didn't realize till after you put the phone down and you're about to give us the phone back."
Darnell's reaction — equal parts shock and amusement — was a highlight for TikTok viewers. Despite the initial confusion, Darnell was overjoyed by the surprise. 'When I see my granddaughter, it's just the greatest thing in the world, and especially when she surprised me the last couple of times. My heart gets filled with joy.'
Faith credits her grandfather for being a constant source of support and love in her life. 'He's always believed in me, and in any ways that he can help me. He always makes sure to do all that he can,' she says.
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'I wasn't really close to my dad growing up, so it was important for me to have a grandfather and male figures in my life that just showed me that they really care and lead me in the right direction,' she continues. 'And Grandpa always made me feel loved and cared about, and also didn't let anybody mess with me and told me not to let anybody mess with me or my dreams.'
The TikTok video quickly went viral, with many pointing out Darnell's potential need for glasses, including Faith. (She even captioned the clip, 'Maybe it's time for grandpa to get glasses.') But, Darnell, who actually wears glasses, took it all in stride, saying, 'Yeah. I deserve it. I really deserve it.'
For both Faith and Darnell, the viral moment is a testament to their playful bond and the joy they bring each other. 'I think this video just shows that we're really silly with each other all the time, and we like to have fun,' Faith says. Darnell agrees: 'I just love the fact that she surprises me.'
As for what's next, Faith is already plotting her next surprise. 'I don't know what I'm going to do for the next one," she says, teasing, "It's got to be crazy."
Read the original article on People
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