Brotherly Love
– Nonfiction by Stephanie Lafleur –
Honourable Mention in the 2025 Dreamers Micro Nonfiction Contest and featured in issue 20 of Dreamers Magazine
Hiding in the closet, as far back as possible, I wrap myself up in my grandmother’s beaver fur coat. The warmth envelops me, swaddling, calming me. The silky lining – a tender touch on my skin.
He won’t find me here if I’m quiet. He won’t mock me or call me names. He won’t punch me when he passes by, or glance at me in disgust. I put a hand up to my lips and remember the tinted lip gloss I tried on. A fruitless attempt at being pretty and feminine. I rub it off furiously with the back of my hand.
Some say home is a sanctuary. Some say brothers are heroes.
As I close my eyes in the darkness, I shrink myself down to invisibility, slowly developing a superpower that will serve me poorly for years to come.
About the Author – Stephanie Lafleur
Stephanie Lafleur is a Human Resources professional with a writer’s soul. Raised in Northern Ontario, she now lives in Ottawa with her husband Jamie – her in-house jester, muse, and daily reminder not to take herself too seriously. She is quietly observant, infinitely curious, and firmly convinced that “normal” is just a setting on the dryer.
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