Author: Kelsey Erin Shipman

The Noise in Her Head

Issue 15 | Winter 2025 |

  On Saturday morning I make breakfast for my toddler, Hazel, set cloth napkins on the table, and put on my noise-canceling headphones. My husband sits next to me and sips his coffee. Hazel plops spoonfuls of oatmeal into her mouth. Río, our 12-year-old Anatolian shepherd, smacks his lips in anticipation of crumbs. Without the …