“Two House Cats, Bearing News” by Michael Tod Powers appears in the Spring 2023 issue of The Kenyon Review.
Moving between the voices of three family members, “Two House Cats Bearing News” watches while a baby un-babyies itself into a child. Around her, Abby’s parents perch, occupied with how the language and world of their child bristle and nuzzle into their own. Near the story’s end, Abby’s mother, Alex, observes her daughter as if she were an animal: “The child is sitting on the back of the couch like a cat, staring at the darkened window—whether at something beyond the pane or at her own reflection, Alex can’t tell.”
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