Adoption by Kerri McCourt

Wrapped in layers,

left in a basket on the doorstep, umbilical stump still attached,

she joined eighteen other orphans confined to cribs in a cold room.

A year later, she’s ethereal in my arms— fluffy-haired and warm, like a bundle of laundry fresh from the dryer, soft and airy.

Unbundled, skin-to-skin, we blend in celebration. Her floppy legs dangle like a rag doll

and unanswerable questions.

She samples banana yogurt, savours affection, and flourishes with strength. Her four teeth glisten like pearls amid joyous laughter. She stands tall, taking her first tumbling steps,

wrapped in layers

of love and loss.

Kerri McCourt is a writer from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Her latest published pieces include the September 2024 bronze medal winning story in Blank Spaces Literary Arts Magazine, and a piece for CBC First Person in April 2024.

Read “Serenity” by Kerri McCourt — The September 2024 Bronze Medal Winner at Blank Spaces

Read the CBC First Person column piece by Kerri McCourt

Letter Soup by Kerri McCourt was shortlisted in FFF Competition Twenty-Seven – read it here

Illustration by Jill McLaughlin.

Enjoyed reading this flash fiction? Like the artwork? Why not buy the author or the artist a coffee or a beer?   Donate here