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HANNA
When I arrived at Talon’s workshop, he had his protective goggles on, and what I assumed were noise-cancelling headphones. I moved to stand where he could see me.
He was a large man, like his brothers, with well-defined muscles and a beard. He was the Monroe brother I knew the least about because he wasn’t around often. He kept to himself, using the excuse that he was working.
His forehead creased when he finally looked up to find me. He turned off the machine he’d been working with, lifted his goggles to his forehead and slid his headphones off, letting them rest around his neck.
“What can I do for you?” Talon asked. His voice was raspy, as if he hadn’t spoken in a while.
Sebastian mentioned that he was a bit of a recluse, working in his shop and forgetting to eat and sleep when he was in the middle of a project.
“We were scheduled to meet this morning to talk about the blog.” When he didn’t acknowledge our standing appointment, I continued. “Marley tasked me with writing about each brother, and you’re next.”
He angled his head to the side. “Was that today?”
“This is the time and date we discussed.”
Talon sighed. “Fine. Let’s get this over with. What did you want to talk about?”
This was where I faltered a bit. Would readers be interested in his work, or something else? He didn’t seem to have much of a personal life, so I couldn’t use the same angle I had with Sebastian.
“Sebastian said your cabin was the first to be built?”
Talon leaned against the table, crossing his arms over his chest. “I needed a workshop, and I always knew I’d stay on the farm. It made sense to go ahead and pick my spot on the property.”
“Why don’t you tell me about your typical day? Your schedule, what you do, and then we can talk about how you come up with your ideas.”
“I don’t really have a schedule. I get an idea and then work on that. When I’ve made considerable progress, I’ll remember that I’m hungry or tired, and I’ll take care of those needs.” He shot me a wry look. “I’m not like Sebastian. I don’t live by my routine.”
“Is that an artist thing?” Sebastian would lose his mind if his life was ruled by inspiration.
“I take commissioned pieces to pay the bills, but I prefer to create whatever I’m motivated or inspired to make. I also like making things for the farm, like the light display.”
“That must make it difficult to see other people or be involved in activities?”
Talon’s brow furrowed. “This is the only thing I’m involved in.”
I loved my job and working with children, but I couldn’t imagine it being my only thing. Maybe I thought it was weird because I’d never met an artist before.
“Why don’t you start from the beginning. How did you get noticed by these magazines?” I gestured at a nearby table that was piled high with architectural and design magazines. He’d been featured in several.
Talon shook his head. “In high school, my shop teacher, Mr. Beyer, encouraged me to work after school on whatever I was led to do. That’s when I created my first simple light fixture. Mom needed better lighting in her kitchen. So, I made these pendant lights. At Mr. Beyer’s insistence, I shopped them around to various shops in the area. I didn’t think they were good enough, but he thought I was on to something. Then my designs became more elaborate. People used them in dining rooms and entranceways.” He opened one of the magazines and flipped the pages to his spread of pictures.
“They’re really neat.” I couldn’t come up with a word for the pieces that would do them justice. They were made out of metal, and a few incorporated wood into the design. They were different from anything else I’d ever seen, clearly on trend enough to be noticed by design magazines. “And that’s so great that your teacher supported your dreams.”
“I wouldn’t say this was my dream. I enjoyed creating things, and he convinced me that it would be helpful if I could get paid for my passion.”
“That makes sense.”
“Annapolis gets visitors from all over, and eventually, word spread. I was getting more and more commissioned pieces. Then the magazines started calling.”
“I bet that kept you busy.”
“I make a few for the shops I have contracts with, and I only take a few other commissioned pieces. Lately, I’ve been making the holiday light sets that you see around the farm.”
“Which do you prefer to make?”
He considered my question for a few seconds. “I like to help my family. It’s the one thing I can contribute. I’m not good with numbers like Sebastian, and I don’t help babysit my nieces.”
