A woman burst into tears after getting an unexpected text from her dad asking her to record a voicemail saying she loved him.
It turned out her 71-year-old dad had accidentally deleted one he listened to every day in which she signed off 'I love you'.
Natalie Coffey Bunting, who live nine hours away from her dad, says she had no idea her dad Charlie Coffey had treasured the voicemail so much until he sent her a message one day asking her for a new message.
She had forgotten even leaving the original voicemail, which he confided he had been listening to about 20 times a week to hear her say 'I love you' over and over again.
Natalie, 40, says she was touched to realised her dad had been listening to it so often- then 'heartbroken' to hear how upset he was when he deleted it in error.
Natalie immediately called her dad to leave him another message and the 71-year-old now listens to it several times a day - and saves any 'I love you' text message from his daughter too.
The dad-of-two texted Natalie and said: "Natalie, I have kept a voicemail from you for over two years. All you did was to call to tell me you loved me.
"I usually listen to it about 20 times a week. This morning, while listening to it I received a phone call and accidentally deleted your voicemail.
"I am heartbroken and want it back on my phone. Please call me and leave me another 'I just wanted to say I love you' message. Daddy."
The close pair, who live a nine-hour journey away from each other, speak once a week but Natalie claims she can always hear the smile on her dad's face when he hears her voice on the phone.
Natalie, who lives in Indianapolis, said: "I cried when he sent me the message. I was at my office and was working by myself so I could cry freely without anybody seeing me.
"I cried, got myself together, called him and left him another message. I think I called him first and said, 'I'm going to call you and don't answer'.
"I don't remember leaving the message the first time. I don't remember how long he had it or what it said. I don't remember.
"It was really out of the blue when I got the text. It was very touching. My dad has that way about him.
"I don't know if it's because we're close and I love him so much, but he just has a way with words. He always says sweet things.
"I wasn't surprised that he had kept a voicemail from me but I have no idea how long he had had it.
"We've always been close. My dad is very sensitive. I have an older sister who we're 18 months apart, so it's just us two girls.
"My mum says that when we were babies all we had to do was make the tiniest sound like we might start crying and he was rushing to our sides. He's just a really sensitive, loving guy.
"He loves his daughters and loves my mum. Sometimes he'll start talking about how much he loves my mum and will make himself cry. He's very sweet.
"I talk to him probably every week. I talk to my mum almost every day but he's not always home.
"When I called him yesterday he answered the phone and you can hear his face light up when I say, 'hi dad' and he says, 'hey, peanut, how are you?'.
"Even though I'm over 40 he still gets so excited and calls me 'peanut'."
The pair used to live just one hour away from each other, but Natalie says her dad struggled when she moved states.
Charlie, who lives in North Carolina, said: "I listen to the voicemail at least every day, sometimes multiple times. If I really get to missing her I will get to listen to it numerous times in the day.
"I listen to the new voicemail a lot [too], just for reassurance more than anything. Until we had cell phones the only way you could get voicemails was on an answering machine, so now I can carry it around with me.
"She lives in Indianapolis about 800 miles away from here. She's our youngest daughter and I don't get to see her that frequently.
"I saved several texts and voicemails on my phone where she said, 'I love you'. I always save them when she does.
"In that particular case I lost her text to me and also her voicemail telling me she loved me.
"That's when I texted her and said can you leave me another message. Anyway she did, and I've saved all of them ever.
"I'm happy that it's fired up the emotion in people enough to think about their family and think about their dads, and fathers thinking about their daughters too.
"You assume everybody takes the time to communicate with each other but maybe they don't. Evidently it means a lot to Natalie and that means everything to me."
But Natalie claims her dad has always had a knack for knowing when she needs him.
Natalie, a sales director, said: "I'm convinced my dad has magical dad powers. There have been times in my life where he has been there when I haven't asked him to be."
