Mermaid bath time brings joy to 3-year-old coping with dad's death

Little Alidy Clark had a few moments of pure joy when a teenager helped bring her dream of being a mermaid to life.

The 3-year-old has been playing dress-up to lift her spirits since her dad died in November, her mom said, including a waterproof toddler-sized mermaid tail.

"Since the day he passed, Alidy has decided to wear princess outfits. It makes her feel better, so I think we've gotten every single one," Jenna Haslam, told ABC News.

Keegan Carnahan was watching Alidy while Haslam, who works for Carnahan's family, made the girls dinner. The toddler told the teen that her pink hair made her look like a mermaid. It just so happened that 15-year-old Tampa girl also owns a mermaid tail.

Soon the pair were splashing around in the bath with their tails while the little girl gleefully called herself "Mermaid Alidy."

Carnahan posted photos of the sweet moment on Twitter, where they've been retweeted tens of thousands of times.

The teen said she was glad she could be a part of something special for Alidy.

"I'm really happy that we were able to have fun and 'dive' into things that make her happy," she told ABC News. "I really hope to be in her life for as long as possible because she is a really hilarious kid."

As for Alidy's mom, she's grateful that the pair found a simple pleasure that made them both happy.

"The fact she and Keegan found something to bond about," she said, "for Keegan to take the time to do that for her meant the world."