Jacqueline Laurita and her autistic son, Nicholas, shared a major milestone on The Real Housewives of New Jersey on Sunday night, as the troubled boy was able to say, "I love you."

As a surprise for his wife, Chris Laurita had worked with a therapist to teach little Nick how to say the words of love to his mommy, which he did, inspiring Jacqueline to kiss her son over and over and break into tears. She hugged her husband and said of Nicholas, "When he said it, it told me he can say so much more. It gave me hope."