Tristan McIntosh is the singer everyone is talking about. Her version of Mickey Guyton’s “Why Baby Why?” was amazing, but it was the surprise from her mom that brought the whole country to tears.

The 15-year-old’s performance aired during Thursday night’s episode of the show’s final season. McIntosh traveled from Nashville to Little Rock, Ark. to audition. Her dad was there, but she was really missing her mom, a Major in the Army who’d been deployed to the Middle East.

“It’s just really weird that she’s not here for something of this magnitude,” McIntosh says with equal parts sadness and understanding.

Her performance was so good it gave judge Jennifer Lopez “goosies” and brought Keith Urban to tears. As the young singer teared up talking about why her mother couldn’t be there, Harry Connick Jr. read a note from Maj. Amy McIntosh, in which she explained how proud she is of her daughter.

And then, Mom enters the room. Maj. McIntosh was able to to hand her daughter a Golden Ticket to Hollywood, but it wasn’t earned purely on an emotional story.

In fact, Jennifer Lopez commented, “She might win.” Check out her performance.