A farewell from a 9-year-old Louisiana couple has taken the internet by storm, melting hearts worldwide.
Merce Meynardie and his girlfriend, Mylee, have been inseparable since they met in a dance class when they were 2 years old, reports the Daily Mail.
“They have always said they were boyfriend and girlfriend for as long as I can remember,” said Merce’s father, Glen Meynardie.
The sweet little lovebirds thought they were going to last forever — until Merce’s father got a new job across the country, in California.
“When Mylee found out we were moving, she said, ‘My life is over,'” recalled Glen. “I’m supposed to marry Merce. How am I going to marry him if he is in California?”
For their last goodbye, the children wore matching dance outfits and hugged, crying while they did so.
Fortunately for the internet, the scene was photographed.
“My little sister’s boyfriend is moving and their goodbyes were the saddest thing ever,” wrote Mylee’s older sister, Haylee, who shared the pictures on social media.
Within three days, more than 170,000 people had reacted to the photographs and more than 50,000 people had shared them.
“Oh damn, I’m too much of a manly man to tear up like this,” wrote one Daily Mail reader.
Many expressed hope the two would one day reunite, at least as friends.
“I really hope they keep in touch,” added one. “My best friend changed schools when we were 9, and we are still friends at age 20. The effort to stay in contact was well worth it.”
A few went even further and hoped the two would reconnect and fall in love as adults.
“Reminds me of an opening scene in a rom-com,” tweeted one person. “16 years later they’ll meet again in their mid-20s after a series of adorable and comical mishaps.”
While some thought such a scenario was unlikely, a couple of people shared their own heartwarming stories, making some wonder.
“My wife and i met in the 5th grade and i fell in love with her,” commented one man. “My family moved in 8th grade and she broke my heart and broke up with me because she said we would be too far apart. Fast forward… we reconnected at 18 yrs old, married by 21 and still married today at 39… We are each other’s best friend from then until now. So cheer up little ones you if your were meant to be you will find one another again.”