Five Years After Losing My Son, a Boy in Pajamas Walked In and Changed Everything
After losing my son Ethan, even looking at the yellow couch where we used to laugh, read, and play his made-up card game “Snuzzlepop” felt unbearable. Then, while visiting my sister in a quiet town, I spotted a little boy next door—same age Ethan would be now, wearing the exact Angry Birds pajama pants I thought only Ethan had, as they were custom-made by my sister. His name was Liam. The next day, we spoke briefly. And then Liam described his dream—about a yellow couch, a nonsense card game, and someone reading stories. I stood there, barely breathing, as he looked up and said…
I hadn’t touched the yellow couch in years.
That couch was where my son, Ethan, and I spent countless afternoons—laughing, reading books, and playing a chaotic card game he invented called “Snuzzlepop.” It was also where he wore his favorite Angry Birds pajamas, practically living in them during the year he turned eight.
But after the accident, the house fell silent. I avoided the couch like it might shatter me all over again.
Then, last month, everything changed.
