- After her relationship fell apart, Rylie, 28, moved into a tiny home in the backyard of her best friend’s stepdad, Tom, 71
- Despite their 43-year age gap, the pair bonded over hours of chats, cheeky text messages and plenty of laughs
- Their heartwarming friendship went viral on TikTok, inspiring thousands to cherish connections with older generations
Here Rylie Middaugh, 28, tells her story in her own words
My phone vibrated as a text message popped up.
My stepdad has a room you can stay in, my best friend wrote.
I called her straight away. ‘Really?’ I gasped. ‘That would get me out of such a rut.’
It was January 2026, and, aged 28 and with my own photography business, I needed a lifeline.
Three years earlier, I’d packed up and moved across the country to be with my long-term boyfriend.
Leaving behind my family wasn’t easy, but recently, my relationship had fallen apart, and I needed a place to stay.
Now, my best mate and her stepdad Tom, 71, had come through for me.
Tom was so kind and funny. And, after losing his partner, he was happy to have the company.
But it was going to be a temporary thing, until I got back on my feet.
A little while later, my phone rang. It was Tom.
‘Rylie,’ he said warmly. ‘Get over here. If you need help packing, I’ll help. Whatever you need.’
I couldn’t believe his generosity. ‘I want to pay rent,’ I insisted.
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‘I’m charging you one penny,’ he chuckled, refusing to accept more.
Within days, I’d left the place I’d shared with my ex, and moved into a tiny home in Tom’s backyard, just 10 minutes from my old place.
It was small but perfect – with a bed, a dining nook, a kitchenette and my own bathroom.
‘My house is your house,’ Tom smiled. ‘Come and go whenever you like. Cook dinner – use whatever you need. You’ve got the laundry, the sauna, the fire pit…’
Even so, I made myself as inconspicuous as possible.
Despite Tom’s welcome, I still felt I was imposing.
Quiet as a mouse, I’d only venture into the main house to cook, because my place didn’t have a stove.
One evening, as I stood stirring pasta in the kitchen, Tom wandered in.
‘Why are you always rushing off?’ he quizzed. ‘Sit down. Fancy a drink?’
‘I don’t want to be a burden,’ I admitted.
‘You’re not,’ he said.
We had a drink and chatted for hours.
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Retired after a lifetime of adventures, Tom had a tale for absolutely everything.
We spent hours swapping stories as though we’d known each other for years.
Despite there being a 43-year age gap between us, we got along so well.
Tom was clever, interesting, thoughtful and hilarious, with a cheeky streak that cracked me up.
‘Can you ring my mobile? I’ve misplaced it again,’ Tom asked one afternoon.
‘Of course,’ I laughed.
Tom’s hearing aids were connected to his phone by Bluetooth, so instead of listening for a ringing mobile, I followed him around the garden, trying to work out where the faint beeping in his ears was getting louder, until we finally spotted the phone lying in the grass.
We were beside ourselves laughing.
I soon discovered that losing things was one of Tom’s trademarks.
Another time, he texted me after organising a tradie to fix the water heater at the house.
A plumber is coming between 11 and 2, he wrote. But the next line left me in stitches. If he’s cute do you want me to text you so you can feign sickness and come home? he asked, hoping to help set me up.
In Tom I’d found a great friend. He may have been more than four decades older than me, but he was young at heart, while I’d always considered myself an old soul.
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Ours may have been an unlikely friendship, but it was a genuine one.
‘I don’t care about the age gap,’ I said. And my family and friends were thrilled with the situation.
Every day I’d wake up wondering what hilarious text he’d send, telling me about a wonderfully Tom-style predicament he’d got himself into.
Then one evening, on a whim, I shared one of our funny text exchanges on my TikTok @ryliephoto before heading to bed.
When I woke the next morning, it had racked up more than 100,000 views overnight.
‘Tom, you’ve gone viral!’ I spluttered.
‘No way,’ he chuckled.
So, I posted another text – then another.
Before long, hundreds of thousands of people began following our adventures, saying Tom reminded them of a beloved dad, grandad or neighbour they’d lost, while others said our friendship had restored their faith in people.
Reading comments from people inspired to spend more time with parents, grandparents and elderly neighbours was incredibly humbling.
Tom revelled in it, and started suggesting ideas for videos – capturing the wonderfully ordinary moments that made our 43-year age-gap friendship somehow so extraordinary.
Seven months on from becoming housemates, every day with Tom is still another adventure.
In the evening, we sit around the fire talking music.
Tom’s a Neil Young fan while I’m opening his eyes and ears up to the delights of Olivia Dean.
Tom has promised to teach me how to do woodwork. In return, I’ve agreed to teach him a few photography tricks.
And just recently we were bopping away together at a Goo Goo Dolls concert.
Through TikTok, we hope to encourage people to discover that meaningful friendships don’t have an age limit.
Some people might think our friendship is unusual, but I think it proves that age really is just a number.
Tom and I will be roomies for a while yet, and my heart is so full knowing I’ve found a lifelong friend.
