Spiral Bound Journal

Sculpting

"I knew Dana liked Brutalism, but even this surprises me," HarHar said.

Quinn glanced up from checking a map on his phone. "What makes you say that?"

HarHar pointed to where Morgan and Dana stood discussing the outside of one of the campus buildings and a series of sculptures in front of it.

"She's actually finding redeemable features to this place," HarHar said. "I've read how so many people complain that this campus - which I can barely believe Morgan even attended - is so humorless and devoid of good artistic taste. But Dana seems positively enthralled."

"If it's Brutalist, she's all in. There's actually an abbey outside of the Twin Cities that is a huge part of the Brutalist architecture canon. We've actually gone out there multiple times so she can take pictures. During one of those visits, she said to me that she'd attend worship services there, provided it would be reading from the Book of Brutalism rather than adhering to Catholic traditions."

HarHar snorted. "That sounds like Dana, alright. But still, this seems almost pedestrian in terms of Brutalist works. She's shown me some examples of really creative stuff, and this?"

"This isn't it, in your mind."

"Yup."

Quinn nodded and looked at the building. While made of brick, the narrow rectangular windows were evocative of other Brutalist structures he'd seen, such as Fort Worth City Hall and even in some ways the J. Edgar Hoover Building. The bronze sculptures near this particular part of campus evoked something of a huge bonfire, but the placards nearby did not provide much detail to explain what all this meant.

Looking between the sculptures and the building, he saw Morgan and Dana still talking while looking at the building. Dana adjusted her khaki bucket hat and looked over at Morgan. Quinn couldn't quite hear what she said, but whatever it was prompted Morgan to turn his head and smile. As he watched the couple, Quinn contemplated how things had shifted in the last couple years. He noticed that once Morgan became more a part of Dana's life, she started to make significant headway in managing both her physical and mental health. She was staying on top of taking her medications, and she had fewer nightmares cutting into her sleep. This manifested in a new leanness in her physique, something on display as she stood on tiptoe to look at something Morgan pointed out to her.

"A five for your thoughts?" HarHar asked.

"I didn't think inflation was that bad," Quinn replied.

HarHar snorted. "Actually, that was Canadian. Down here it's probably closer to $3.25 or something like that. I admit I haven't paid too much attention to the exchange rate since I came down here."

"Heh. To answer your question, just thinking about Dana and Morgan."

"Anything in particular?"

"Well, that Morgan seems to have brought a lot of light to Dana's life. I feel like this is the most at peace I've seen her in years."

"Are you okay with that?"

Quinn looked at HarHar. "I wasn't at first. When Dana talked about having an open marriage I went along with it not realizing that not only could she get other guys but that it would change her into a version of her old self before her 30s kept throwing horror after horror at her."

"Were her 30s really that bad?"

"They were. There's stuff I'm not going to share because she's been pretty quiet about it. I can summarize a lot of it, though. She's witnessed death and violence at an intensity and frequency that mirrors some military experiences."

HarHar's eyes widened. "Whoa! I'm almost afraid to ask at this point."

"It's been a lot for sure."

"Do you feel bad because you saw all her pain and weren't able to bring her joy?"

"Well, that is why I felt bad at first. I felt like she didn't need me. It took me a while to really understand that I didn't need to be everything for her even she means practically everything to me. When I could finally shake off that pressure, it was easier. I felt like I had breathing room."

"How is that going for you now?"

"Better," Quinn told HarHar. "I feel like I have started to figure out how to be a bit more expressive, as she needs that from the people she loves even if she can't always understand it. For her, it's about impact and not intention. Being expressive is still a work in progress."

HarHar nodded. "I feel like I've seen a bit of a difference. When we first met after the eclipse I remember that you didn't say much when we all ended up at that cafe."

"No, I didn't. I still sometimes struggle to find the right words."

"But you're trying."

"I am."

"Do you think that being around Morgan has helped?"

"Maybe. Speaking of which, you've known Morgan for a while. Have you noticed anything different with him since he and Dana began dating?"

"Hmmm," HarHar hummed while scratching his beard. "I do think that he's been somewhat less of a workaholic. He was finding nearly any excuse to work right before he and his ex separated. He still likes to dig around in the blockchain and talk to people, but I feel like having Dana in his life makes him put more time into taking care of himself. I wouldn't say he treated her a a project or something to fix, but I do think helping her out of the mental hole where she'd ended up camping out helped him deal with what ultimately ended up being a very painful divorce where he lost a bit of his identity along the way. I think it's easy for all of us to forget that he married his high school sweetheart."

"High school? Damn. I thought Dana and I met early."

"When did you meet?"

"In college. I was about to start my senior year, and Dana was somewhere between sophomore and junior years, depending on how you look at her college credit situation."

"Really. That's...rather fascinating, actually. I did not know that!"

"Yeah, we've been together for a long time."

"Well, that explains why Morgan was intimidated?"

"Morgan was intimidated?"

Before HarHar could respond, they heard two sets of footsteps approach. They looked over to find Dana and Morgan making their way over, holding hands all the the while. Dana clutched her camera with her free hand and looped the neck strap around to keep it from dragging on the ground.

"You know what this place could use that I'm surprised it doesn't have?" Dana chirped.

"What's that?" Quinn asked.

"Brutalist benches!"

"Yeah, that does seem a bit off brand for all this," HarHar agreed while glancing around the courtyard.

"A Brutalist bench or three would be pretty cool," Morgan remarked. "Instead we just have these honestly pretty bland wooden things with basic metal frames. I didn't sit in them much when I was attending school here."

"Where did you sit?" Quinn asked.

"The library when it was open. Otherwise I tended to hang out more off campus or near the stadium. This was before I learned to appreciate the Brutalism all around me."

Dana grinned.

"Speaking of off campus," HarHar jumped in, "we've been wandering around for a few hours, and there's not a lot happening given it's summer. Is there any place we can get some food?"

"Yeah, Dana, you're right. We can't take the both of them to a buffet," Morgan told her. "So that eliminates one of my old stomping grounds."

"And I'd be very surprised if any of the coffee shops around here have much in the way of caffeine free options," Dana remarked.

"Sadly, they don't."

"Bummer."

"Well, we can at least head back to the car, and I'll think of something."

"I call shotgun!" HarHar shouted.

"Oh, alright. I suppose it is your turn."

Quinn and Dana snorted at the exchange.

"Well, let me put my camera away, and then we can head out."

"That works for me."

As Dana unzipped her camera backpack, Quinn looked at his travel companions. Never would he have imagined taking a trip like this with people almost a generation younger than himself, especially as he settled into middle age. All the same, he felt like counting all the bronze sculptures and seeing a bit of the old South that he had no connection to provided him with a new experience and a chance to rethink what all he'd learned about people in his 45 years on Earth. When Dana was ready, he joined the others in heading back to the rental SUV.


Brutalist Bench ▼

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