A high school senior in Louisiana thought she would be dateless on prom night as her boyfriend serves in the U.S. Marine Corps, but it turns out that she found the perfect stand-in.
Skylar Fontaine, 18, who will graduate from a New Orleans high school this spring, enlisted the help of her 19-year-old boyfriend’s younger brother for an iconic prom photo shoot.
“My boyfriend Gage Moak is a Marine and couldn’t be here to take me to my senior prom! So his little brother stepped in and took his place!” Fontaine wrote on Facebook on March 16.
Posted by Skylar Fontaine on Sunday, March 18, 2018
In some photos, 2-year-old Clay Moak is clad in a replica Marine uniform, and in others, a tuxedo complete with royal blue bow tie to match Fontaine’s velvet dress.
“Thank you Clay for being the best date! Your brother would be proud!” Fontaine wrote. “Even 1,000 miles away and a Moak is still making my night great.”
My boyfriend Gage Moak is a Marine and couldn’t be here to take me to my senior prom! So his little brother stepped in…
Posted by Skylar Fontaine on Friday, March 16, 2018
The post quickly went viral on Twitter, with more than 43,000 retweets and more than 210,000 likes as of Tuesday evening.
Fontaine could hardly believe the media coverage she received as well, expressing disbelief in the days that followed at all of the attention she and Clay were receiving.
We are on Fox News! Wow!I can’t believe after a week that this is still getting attention, Lol
Posted by Skylar Fontaine on Saturday, March 24, 2018
Fontaine told “Fox and Friends” that she came up with the idea after seeing the “absolutely precious” Marine costume online, and that she thought it would be a “cute gesture” to send to Moak.
The photo shoot was a family event, Fontaine said. Moak’s mother picked up the corsage and boutineer, while his grandmother ordered the costume online.
“It all just came together so perfectly,” she said.
Marine's 2-year-old brother takes his place in girlfriend's prom photos https://t.co/flyW7M3PZP pic.twitter.com/L4m8tUOmJX
— Fox News (@FoxNews) March 27, 2018
When asked by the anchors what the overall reaction to her post has been, Fontaine said she felt as if she has “touched a lot of hearts,” describing the feedback as “positive” and “amazing.”
(H/T: Fox News)