I Lost My Son Five Years Ago—But Last Month, A Kid In Angry Birds Pajamas Changed Everything (7 of 11)

Inside the waistband, faint but legible: “Matija 8.”

I sat down on the kitchen floor and cried harder than I had in five years.

The next day, I asked Elma if we could talk. She looked exhausted but agreed to coffee.

I told her everything.

About Matija. About the couch. About the pajamas. I showed her a photo of the pants when Matija wore them. I showed her the tag.

Her face changed.

She didn’t speak for a long time. Then she pulled out her phone and showed me an old photo.