I Lost My Son Five Years Ago—But Last Month, A Kid In Angry Birds Pajamas Changed Everything (4 of 11)

My throat tightened. That was Matija’s game. He called it “Shufflesnooze.” No rules, just make-believe logic and silly voices.

“Do you… play that game with anyone now?” I asked.

He shook his head. “I only remember it in dreams. But it feels real.”

I went home that afternoon, trying to push it away. But I couldn’t.

The next few days, I found excuses to walk by again. Arvid would wave or say something strange that made my heart thump. Once he said, “You smell like rain and popcorn,” which is exactly what Matija used to say after movie nights.

By the fourth day, I couldn’t take it anymore. I asked Renata if she could arrange for me to spend more time with Arvid—maybe help him with schoolwork, since I used to be a teacher.

Renata was cautious. “Goran’s a bit old-fashioned. Doesn’t trust strangers much.”

But she spoke to him.