Father, Daughter Reunited After 30 Years

It's an old photo, from late in the 1970's. It shows the bride and groom as they're leaving the altar, huge smiles on their faces, newly married. But like far too many couples they did not defy the divorce odds.

April Becker Antoniou says her mother didn't tell her much about what happened. "They got into an argument, had differences of opinion and my mom left."

Just a few months old when her mother took her and left Southern California, April Becker never knew her father, never knew he was searching for her.

"I have spent tens of thousands of dollars looking for her. I didn't know, I didn't know anything, if she was alive, or dead or anything."

And Doctor Scott Becker didn't know his little girl was searching for him.

April laughs, "There are lots of Scott Robert Beckers out there in these United States of America."

Two weeks ago, April, now 30, did the familiar internet search from her Newnan home.

"For whatever reason I put in 'Scott Robert Becker looking for April' because I had just always done his name and boom, a website popped up April Becker.com. It said 'April Joi Becker I'm your dad I really want to meet you.' I just knew. I just knew. There wasn't a doubt in my mind. It was him. I cried and cried and cried."

April e mailed Becker, telling him she thought he was her father.

But Scott Becker had had his hopes dashed before so he asked a question only his daughter would know.

"I said 'Are you a green baby?'"

April responded to his e mail with, "Of course I'm feeling green because I was born on Saint Patricks Day."

Scott Becker says the e mail floored him. "I looked at that e mail for half an hour before I could e mail her back.

The e mail was followed by phone calls and then just a few days ago Becker flew from his home in Kansas to meet his little girl, now grown, now a mother to four year old Brooke and six year old Aidan. On this sunny friday outside April's apartment complex, her children run to greet their new grandfather.

"Grandpa Scott!"

For the first time in three decades they can contemplate the future, together.

April says "He seems very adamant about bringing the kids to his house for christmas."

Scott Becker says, "I'm going to decorate the house like the Griswolds! My grandkids are going to think grandpa is nuts!"

There is no way to undo the pain and loss that accompanies 30 years spent apart. April says, "I just never knew, was he out there everyday? Does he ever stop what he's doing and think about me, think where is she?"

As her father wraps his arms around her, she has her answer.

"I never stopped looking for you. I never forgot about you, never, ever."