A girl who moved 12 hours away from her best friend of six years couldn’t believe her eyes when he turned up to surprise her at her 10th birthday party.
Noah and Eliza, both 10, lived on the same street in Orange Park, Florida, and first met as their older siblings were friends, but soon became inseparable after growing closer in the same kindergarten class.
But a year and a half ago, Eliza moved to Hockessin, Delaware, and while they were able to use technology to communicate, it wasn’t the same, and the pair soon found their separation difficult.
Then, in early 2024, Eliza’s mom, Lindsay, contacted Noah’s mom, Kristen Fluent, to ask if they would be available to attend Eliza’s birthday party.
She told Kristen Noah that being there meant the world to Eliza, and she only wanted to see him for her birthday.
After coordinating the flights, the mom duo made it happen, and on June 8, Noah and Kristen made the journey while Eliza had no idea her best friend was on his way to surprise her.
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When they got to the house, Lindsay told Eliza to grab something from the car she picked up for her birthday party, but she had no clue that Noah was waiting outside.
As she stepped outside, she clocked her BFF, standing there, and immediately ran towards him for a long-awaited emotional reunion hug.
Noah’s mom, Kristen, said: “I cried when I saw her run to him – he was so excited to see her the night before he could not sleep.
“Technology helped ease the pain of her absence, but it wasn’t nearly the same, and there were moments I would reach out to her mom to see if Eliza was available or vice versa since they both took turns taking it hard.
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“I knew it was 100% worth it to make that trip happen when I saw her reaction and the hug they shared – I knew it was a core memory they would have forever.”
After Kristen shared the video online, it immediately went viral, and she added: “The response has been overwhelming.
“I had no idea a video of me documenting Noah’s journey to his friend would get that much attention, and while I knew the story was special, I’m glad people worldwide are getting to see it.
“I hope people look at the story and see that love comes in all forms. The platonic love these two little best friends share is something everyone strives to have.
“Many people have commented the video made their day or was the sweetest thing they have seen.
“I hope these types of moments continue to be spread to show the good in the world.”