GLOUCESTER, Mass. (WHDH) -- The discovery of pink fabric on Good Harbor beach in Gloucester has missing 2-year-old Caleigh Harrison’s family accepting -- for the first time -- that the little girl was probably swept out to sea.

"We understand they’re most likely Caleigh’s pants and we’re willing to accept that Caleigh’s probably in the water and it’s sad but at the same time it’s going to bring the family relief to have some closure," said Melanie Pyle, Caleigh’s aunt.

William Goodwin, a retired principal, found the fabric while walking the beach like his had so many times before.

"It was bright pink. There’s not a lot of bright pink stuff that washes up in the middle of the winter. Picked it up, started untangling it, kind of realized it looked like a piece of clothing,” said Goodwin.

Though Caleigh's parents couldn't confirm it's their daughter's clothing, police say the fabric is consistent with what Caleigh was wearing.

Pyle says she and Caleigh's mother will join searchers on the beach hoping to actually find a piece of her daughter's body.

“She’s going to always question, ‘what if?’ That’s always going to be the back of her mind and I think that if we had an actual piece of Caleigh’s body that would really help us have full closure,” said Pyle.