Steppie
A short story that won the 2021 Crazyhorse Fiction Prize, selected by Rumaan Alam. 
 
"Steppie" is a story about a blended family with extra swirls, wherein a white childless woman tries to fit the mixed children of her Black partner into her curated life. 
 
             “[His] being Black came up mostly when
              they were around other people…
              His being a father was the bigger difference. ”
 
Mary pulled almost all of this short story from a chapter in her recent novel manuscript. 

Please read this story online or download it below.