TAMPA, Fla. — A south Tampa mom is celebrating the Fourth of July with her young son after being months apart from each other.

Dexter Salamey, 4, was taken to Lebanon by his father last year when he should have been returned to his mother Rachelle Smith. But after months of legal wrangling, he is safely back in his mother's arms.

​“There were many days, many nights of not knowing, worrying, if this will ever work, are they going to Lebanon, will they enforce my orders?” Smith recalled.

Last august, Dexter was taken to Lebanon by his father Ali Salamey without permission, violating the shared-custody agreement between him and Smith.

By Smith's count, she was separated from her son for nearly 10 months — specifically 281 days.

Smith went to work, hiring a lawyer, meeting with Florida's congressional delegation in Washington, and connecting with officials in Lebanon on social media.

“I made good relationships with senators, congressmen, and even the Lebanese ambassador to the U.S.,” she said.

The odds were not in her favor. Lebanon does not have an extradition treaty with the U.S. and is not part of an international agreement on child abductions.

Because the Ali Salamey has dual citizenship in the U.S. and Lebanon, he could not be forced to return to America. But in late June, Smith received an email telling her that Ali was arrested on charges of international parental kidnapping and was being deported back to the U.S.

Dexter was also returning, and within 24 hours, Smith reunited with Dexter.

“I didn't know how he was going to react, but he came in the room, big smile — came and hugged me. The U.S. embassy gave him a roll of stickers, so I was covered in stickers,” she said.

She said Dexter is happy to be back home but is still adjusting to his old life. For other mothers in this situation, smith has this message.

“Just don't even lose hope. Fight as hard as you can, reach out to as many people as you can,” Smith

If convicted, Ali Salamey faces up to three years in federal prison.​