Her Dad Died Before Graduation. So Her Best Friend's Dad Gave Her a Beautiful Surprise (Exclusive)

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On a day meant for celebration, Marlice Valentin walked the graduation stage carrying a quiet ache, as her late father wasn't there to see it
Her best friend's dad, William, had been quietly listening and knew just how heavy that absence would feel
When he handed her a custom sash featuring one of her last photos with her father, the moment became a viral reminder that love sometimes comes from unexpected placesOn a day meant for celebration, a simple act of kindness transformed a bittersweet graduation into a viral moment of healing and hope.
When Marlice Valentin received a gift from her best friend's father, William Edwards, she never imagined it would touch the hearts of millions. But it did when William stepped in with a gesture that neither Marlice or her best friend Tanaya saw coming: a sash adorned with a cherished photo of Marlice and her father, capturing one of their final moments together.
The presentation was caught on video, but the emotions behind it ran far deeper. 'That was one of the last pictures we ever took,' Marlice shares with PEOPLE. 'It's always been one of my favorites.'
The viral TikTok, captioned "bestie so hard that her dad got me a personalized sash of my dad who passed away who couldn't be here with me on my special day," struck a chord online. But for Marlice and Tanaya, the memory it captured was deeply personal.
'I first met Tanaya back in school in our undergrad from a common friend,' Marlice notes. 'We just kind of said, 'Oh, you want to be roommates? Let's move in together.' '
Over time, their friendship only grew stronger. 'Marlice was always the one who stayed,' Tanaya shares. 'So I stayed close to her too.'
Graduation marked Marlice's first major milestone without either of her parents present. 'It made me really emotional. Not everyone knows,' she says. 'My mom couldn't come for personal reasons, and I didn't have my dad there.'
William noticed. His daughter Tanaya had shared bits and pieces of Marlice's story over time. 'I'd be in another room listening to her friend talk,' William tells PEOPLE. 'And I know certain things about her friends. So after I made a sash for my daughter, I thought — I should make one for her friend, too.'
He says the gesture came from a simple place. 'Just for her to have that around her and her father not here … it was for encouragement,' William explains. 'I wanted to encourage my daughter, and to encourage Marlice was a plus.'
When he presented the sash, it took Marlice by surprise. 'It made me feel seen. Like, someone thought of me,' she says. 'Also, that photo on the sash was one of my favorite pictures ever. It really hit my heart.'
For Tanaya, watching the moment unfold was emotional. 'I broke down a little bit,' she shares. 'I knew how much it meant to her to have that, especially with her mom not being there.'
William had the idea after being prompted by ads he saw online. 'The Internet is funny — you think about something, and it starts popping up,' he says. 'So I found a nice picture of my daughter and her mother, and one of Marlice and her father, and added a few words. But honestly, the pictures say it all.'
Their friendship was shaped by a quiet understanding: both had felt the ache of losing a parent. That common ground became a thread through the highs and lows of college life.
Marlice didn't learn about Tanaya's loss until well into their friendship. 'It kind of came out one day, and I remember thinking — wow,' she shares.
What stayed with her was the symmetry in their stories. 'She has her dad, I have my mom,' Marlice says. 'It's like we're different, but still going through the same kind of loss.'
Wearing the sash reminded Marlice of how far she'd come — and who she carries with her. 'It hit home. I feel like I miss him more than I did when I was younger,' she says. 'Now I'm doing these big things — graduating, becoming an adult — and he's not here.'
Posting the video helped her realize she wasn't alone. 'I'm not the only one who lost someone,' she says. 'It made me feel understood.'
She also found family in the Edwards household. 'Tanaya's dad is one of the greatest dads I've ever met,' Marlice shares. 'Just the fact that he saw me as a girl who didn't have her dad, and thought about what I was probably going through — it made me feel so loved.'
The video's viral success surprised both girls. 'I didn't expect it to blow up,' Marlice says. 'At first, we had 700 likes. I went to sleep and woke up at 70,000. Now we're over 1 million.'
The comments poured in with people relating to their story, praising their friendship and sharing their own losses. 'It showed me the good side of social media,' Marlice says. 'It brought people together.'
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Tanaya beams with pride when she thinks about her dad's gesture. 'I feel like the luckiest girl ever to have someone like him in my life,' she says. 'He did it out of love — not for the views, just because he cared.'
Both young women are now preparing for the next chapter, with Marlice pursuing her master's in mental health counseling, and Tanaya considering a future in social work or probation. But their bond remains unchanged.
'From the first time I invited her to my home — not just our school apartment, but my real home — she was family,' Marlice says. 'She's in the house already. Everybody knows her. We're locked in.'
William hopes they carry that love with them as they step into adulthood. 'You girls went through a lot,' he tells them. 'But you made it through. You already know what it is to struggle and now, you know how to overcome it.'
Read the original article on People