Grieving Mom Sees Lost Toddler in Store, Realizes He’s Her Late Son’s Carbon Copy – Story of the Day

A grieving mother was shocked when she saw a crying toddler at a store who was a carbon copy of her late son. She assumed it was all in her head as she was reeling over her son's loss. Then she met the child's parents.

Lately, things had been so devastating and traumatic in Julia Anderson's life that she lacked the drive to keep going. Her husband, Peter, had left her for a younger woman, and their only son, Aiden, had died, leaving her alone.

Julia ignored herself so much after Aiden's death that she couldn't recognize herself in the mirror. She hadn't eaten in weeks and had closed herself off after his funeral. Her eyes had dark circles under them, her skin was pale, and she lacked strength.

One day, she passed out due to fatigue and was rushed to the hospital. Feeling bad for her, a kind doctor there consoled her. "Your son would not have approved of you looking like this, Mrs. Anderson," she advised. "Give life a second chance and look at things differently..."

Aiden's death left Julia devastated. | Source: Pexels

Days after being discharged, Julia still didn't want to return to normal. How could she live a normal life when her boy was taken away? She deserved to die, not him!

But something stirred in Julia one morning, and she felt she could give herself a chance. If not for herself, then for Aiden, she reasoned.

So as the first step toward a fresh start, she dressed up and went shopping. "I know I can do this!" she assured herself as she parked her car in front of a clothing store. She hadn't been outside since Aiden's burial and hoped it would be a mood changer.

After browsing through some dresses, Julia proceeded to a section lined with sweaters and heard a weeping sound from somewhere close. She looked around and spotted a toddler crying his heart out. She noticed the boy was alone. There were no adults nearby and people ignored him. She realized he was lost. She decided to approach him because she felt sorry for him.

The crying toddler reminded Julia of Aiden. | Source: Unsplash

"Hey," she whispered softly, approaching him from behind. "Are you all right?"

As the boy turned to face her, Julia jumped back, startled, and grabbed the edge of a clothing rack. The boy looked so much like Aiden! He had the same deep brown eyes and dark brown hair, though he was a little younger. She had to be hallucinating!

"Good Lord!" she muttered in disbelief. "Where - where are your parents, honey?"

The boy didn't utter a word and kept crying. Julia, too, was struggling to keep her tears at bay, her gaze not leaving the boy for even a second and her mind wondering how he resembled Aiden to a tee.

As a few people passed by, giving them an awkward look, Julia took a deep breath and calmed herself down. "I need to find his parents. I need to get to the bottom of this!" she told herself.

Julia decided to help the boy. | Source: Unsplash

Consoling the boy, she said, "It's alright. I'm here to help you. Are you here with your parents?"

The boy nodded, still sobbing.

"Okay, honey, we're going to find them, alright? You don't have to cry," she said as she scooped him into her arms and approached a clerk. She informed the man of the situation and an announcement about the boy was made over the intercom.

Soon after, a terrified man dashed up to the reception desk. "Oh my goodness, Jason! We looked everywhere for you, honey!" he sighed, hugging the boy close.

"Daddy! I was scared!" Jason sobbed and hugged him back. At this point, Julia deduced that the man was the boy's father.

While the man didn't look at her even once and was busy checking on his son to ensure he was fine, Julia scrutinized him in her head. Unfortunately, she couldn't think of anyone who resembled him – not her son, not her relatives, and not anyone she knew who could satisfy her curiosity about how his son, Jason, resembled Aiden. But then his wife appeared next to him, and Julia covered her mouth in shock.

Jason's parents were relieved to have him back. | Source: Pexels

When the woman's gaze met Julia's, she was equally stunned. "Are you the one who found our son?" she asked Julia. "Thank you. My name is Catherine."

"Is it just me, or do you think we look too similar?" Julia asked flatly as if she hadn't heard anything else Catherine had said. "Is there any chance we're related? Your son bears a striking resemblance to my late son, and I can't believe it!"

"Oh..." Catherine smiled nervously as she and her husband exchanged glances. "I'm not sure ... I never had a sister, let alone a twin. But it is strange, our resemblance..."

Julia sighed and covered her face, realizing she had been too harsh on the stranger. "I'm sorry ... Things have been crazy for me lately, and I'm too riled up to think clearly. Your son resembles my child, and ... Oh well, never mind. I didn't even introduce myself. My name is Julia."

Seeing Julia so disturbed, Catherine sympathized with her. "It's fine, Julia. They say you have six counterparts in the world; perhaps that's the case? Anyway, we just want to thank you for helping Jason. This is Edward, my husband. Would you like to grab some coffee? Perhaps that would be of some help?"

"Very much. Thanks!" Julia responded, hoping that it would relieve her stress.

Julia and Catherine decided to grab some coffee. | Source: Pexels

Julia and Catherine talked for a while over coffee at a neighboring cafe, and Julia showed her Aiden's picture. Catherine was astounded by Aiden's resemblance to Jason, and the two women agreed to do a DNA test just to be sure.

However, when the results arrived, there were no matches at all. "This is insane!" Catherine and Julia both chuckled as they read the report. "Oh, I'm not sure what I was thinking! But I'm so delighted I met you, Catherine. I've finally been able to mingle with someone after a long time. You're like the much-needed friend!"

As time went on, Julia and Catherine's friendship became stronger. Julia would assist Catherine and Edward with Jason, and she felt she was reliving all of the moments she had missed out on since Aiden's death. Having Jason around eventually cured Julia's grief, and she knew she was finally healing from her son's death.

What can we learn from this story?

• Losing a loved one is difficult, but your life deserves a second chance. Julia had shut herself away after losing Aiden, and it took her some time to acquire the strength to return to normalcy. Things became normal for her after she met Jason and his family. She was finally able to let go of her grief.
• Some accidents are indeed beautiful. Julia and Jason's unexpected encounter changed the course of Julia's life and helped her heal from Aiden's loss.

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