Man, 83, in Tears After He Surprises 22-Month-Old Neighbor for First Day of Preschool Sendoff (Exclusive)

Brenda Brister and her husband Albert "Buddy" Brister have bonded with Megan Clark and her three young children

• Megan Clark and her husband Riley Harrison Clark have become close friends with their neighbors Brenda Brister, 75, and her husband Albert "Buddy" Brister, 83, since moving to their home in the suburbs of Nashville

• The couple has become like family to the Clarks' three kids, including their 22-month-old daughter Kate, who was born after they moved in

• On the first day of school, Brenda and Buddy came over to see Kate off to school. Megan captured the touching moment on camera and later posted it to her TikTok account, where it has since garnered more than 1 million views

As Megan Clark and her husband Riley Harrison Clark prepared to take her 22-month-old daughter, Kate, to her first day of school, they noticed their neighbors standing in their driveway.

The Clarks, originally from Alabama and Oklahoma, had grown close to their neighbors, Brenda Brister, 75, and her husband Albert "Buddy" Brister, 83, since moving to their home in the suburbs of Nashville. With no family nearby, Brenda and Buddy quickly became like family to Megan and her three children, including Kate, who was born after the family had moved in.

Every day, Megan says Kate calls the couple and asks to visit their house. Brenda and Buddy regularly text Megan to check on Kate and the rest of the family, and Megan has hundreds of videos and photos of their time together saved on her phone.

"Buddy is a Vietnam vet with a tough exterior, but he’s incredibly gentle with Kate," Megan, 32, tells PEOPLE exclusively. "He goes to Walmart every single day and gets her something special almost every time. Their house is stocked with all her favorite snacks and shows. It’s really heartwarming."

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When Megan first told Brenda and Buddy that Kate would be starting school in the fall, Buddy was "torn up," she says.

"He said, 'You can't send her to school. We’ll just keep her. How many days is she going to go?' " Megan recalls. "I told him she would only go on Tuesdays and Thursdays. He replied, 'We can keep her. We’ll just schedule our doctor’s appointments on different days.' "

On the first day of school, Brenda came over to see Kate off, and Buddy followed shortly after, tears in his eyes. Megan captured the touching moment on camera and later posted it to her TikTok account, where it has since garnered more than 1 million views.

Buddy told Kate, "Buddy loves you, and save me a seat at lunch. I'll come sit with you." The school is just down the street from their house, and Buddy even drove there at lunchtime, hoping to catch a glimpse of Kate on the playground.

To help with Kate's transition, Megan promised her that if she did well at school, they would visit Brenda and Buddy afterward as a "reward."

"Brenda and Buddy see Kate every single day," Megan says. "If they don’t, they ask if we can bring her over. Sometimes it’s a little overwhelming, but it’s fun. They’re a lot of fun."

Related: Woman Who Moved into New Home Has 'No Words' After 98-Year-Old Neighbor Shows Up on Doorstep with Gift

Megan hasn’t had the chance to tell Buddy and Brenda about the TikTok yet. While the couple isn't super into social media, Megan thinks they’ll be amazed to know how many people love Buddy.

"I really appreciate how people have embraced him. It’s funny that people are thanking us for allowing him to love our baby, because they’ve done so much more for us than we could ever do for them," Megan says. "The love they’ve given to our kids is something I never imagined from people who were once strangers."

"He is been through so much," she adds of Buddy, "and then having that little baby that he just loves so much, it's just sweet to see."

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