At the peak of a cool, June golden hour, Henrie searched for her house keys in the pocket of her jeans. They jingled around her fingers on their sparkly purple coil, singing with the wind chimes hanging from the porch. The old wood steps creaked, as if the groan of its paint-skin peeling, and the stone cardinal riding the chimes jolted as Henrie bumped their head on them. She’d always thought this a strange design—cardinals always appeared in pairs.

A deep dive into "Meditations in an Emergency" by Cameron Awkward-Rich

Erika Flores (she/her) is a self-taught Toronto illustrator, poet, and multimedia artist. She is best known for using diverse mediums such as digital illustration, acrylic paintings, and engravings. Notable clients include: Nike, NBA, WNBA, Microsoft, AFC Toronto, PWHL Toronto Sceptres.