Will the Christmas miracles ever cease?!

Only silence had filled the four months between August, when Daniel was allegedly abducted, and Wednesday night, when he was returned to his mother. “It’s good to have the kid, and it’s good to be happy,” said Koutina, 33.

Daniel Pearsall was kidnapped by his father, William Pearsall Jr., formerly of Ellwood City, in late August and taken to Cancun, Mexico, said federal authorities, who found them this week. Koutina suspected they were there all along.

She had called the Mexican Embassy the day after Daniel was supposed to be returned following a visit with Pearsall, who is not the boy’s biological father.

Agents came by her house Wednesday morning to have her sign papers giving the FBI permission to take custody of Daniel. At 6 p.m., they called and said he would arrive at the Pittsburgh International Airport at 11:18 p.m. The flight was delayed until after midnight.

For now, mother and son will ease back into their life together and celebrate a Christmas Koutina had planned to let quietly pass. Today they’ll visit a Christmas tree farm in Harmony, Butler County, to hand-pick a tree, continuing a tradition they started four years ago. Then they’ll spend the holiday with friends and — more importantly — each other.

“It’s a gift, and clearly there was a lot of divine intervention here,” Hernandez said. “All in all, this is a real Christmas miracle.”