Arnold Manger
October 09, 2020 11:07 AM
Illuminate the outline (with Jake Pierce) by Arnold Manger
The Manger brothers had, one could say without much backlash, had an eventful few years. Time had passed since their father’s death, having both been in their late teens at the time. Now their thirties didn’t feel so far away, and in what felt like a matter of seconds, they had both become adults.Arnold Manger, at twenty-eight years old, had recently opened his own mental health practice. A small business, he employed four traditional therapists, two psychiatrists, and a secretary. And he too saw patients, primarily young ones but with ages across the board, doing what he had discovered he loved: art therapy. In a way, it was therapy for him as well, as it provided him an opportunity to use his love of art and also try to give back a little to the world he had often felt he would damage. Combined with his own therapy (received elsewhere, of course, for professionalism and ethical reasons), he had his anger primarily under control.
Jacob Pierce, who had taken his wife’s name when they were married, followed in the footsteps of their oldest brother, Ryan, and became a social worker. Sometimes it was so exhausting, seeing people in the states he did, but he was helping children out of abusive homes or places of neglect, and it made a part of him feel whole. The kids who did not fully process their own situations stung the most, resonating with his former ignorance and innocence, and Jake was very gentle with them, as he was with all the children he helped. When he got home for the day, he greeted Ginger with a kiss and a melody or two on piano.
But the most significant change to both of their lives was the onset of fatherhood. After all they had endured, neither had planned on children. Jake was still relatively young, and his son had not exactly been planned, but the moment he knew Aiden was coming, he had never been more elated. Arnold’s daughter, likewise, had been a surprise to him, brought to his reality only after the death of his college girlfriend. So adjustments were made, and they leaned on one another more now than ever. It was something magical, to go through this together, just as they always had with all things.
From college until commitment, Jake had shared a home with their sister, Desiree, but when he and Ginger settled down, this arrangement came to an end. However, Arnold knew immediately upon receiving guardianship of Violet that he couldn’t do it alone, and after Desiree’s short stint of solo living, he asked her if she wouldn’t mind moving in with them. It was a bit of an odd arrangement, but Violet took to her Aunt Desiree far quicker than she took to Arnold, perhaps comforted by a feminine presence in the home, and it all fell into place.
More than anything, Arnold wanted their children to be close. And despite a slight age gap, it was delightful to see that they were. Violet and Aiden had frequent sleep overs, as they were doing tonight. Jake had not even left yet, and already the kids were asleep. He stood in the doorway of Violet’s bedroom, Arnold at his side, just watching. The room was dark, the hallway lights illuminating their outlines, but the children were undisturbed.
Arnold slung an arm around his little brother’s shoulder, a smile on his face. Jake returned the grin. They had come a long way and gone through Hell, but finally, perhaps they had made it. Nowadays, things felt a little brighter. Their children brought that light, illuminated their outlines. Finally, there was peace on the horizon.
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Arnold Manger
Illuminate the outline (with Jake Pierce)
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