Ismael Fernández broke down in tears while reuniting with his beloved donkey, Baldomera, after spending over two months apart because of a mandatory coronavirus quarantine.

During the lockdown, Fernández’s brother cared for Baldomera, and the two siblings kept in touch through video chats. Even so, Fernández, who lives about 20 miles away from the mountain that Baldomera calls home, still worried that the donkey would not remember him when they finally met again.

Baldomera quickly soothed his friend’s fears, running up to Fernández to greet him with love and affection.

“Hello!,” Fernández excitedly said, greeting his animal companion in Spanish. “What’s up? Where is my little donkey?”

“I am not embarrassed for you to hear me cry,” he continued, “because here is one of the best demonstrations of unconditional love that exists.”

As life slowly returns to normal in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, heartwarming moments like this one remind us of the virus’s impact on all friendships and the joy of reuniting with those we miss so dearly.