Spring 2019
“How are you feeling now, Toby?” Brody Ingram asked his younger brother, Toby, in the hotel room in Door County. They were both hanging out in the hotel playing video games, since Toby was sick with pneumonia. “My chest hurts when I breathe in,” Toby replied. “Oh yes. Pneumonia sucks. Been there, done that.” “I’m just glad that I have someone to play video games with.” “Honestly wasn’t feeling up to going out anyway, so it all worked out,” Brody said. “What were we all planning to do today? I’m completely out of the loop since I’ve been so sick,” Toby asked. “I remember we all wanted to go to a fish boil. Not sure who all will be going to that now. I think otherwise they were gonna go on a boat ride.” “F*ck me, I wanted to do that.” “Honestly I’d rather not be on a boat.” “Yeah, I could fall asleep at any moment.”
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June 2016
“Toby, you alright?” Brody Ingram asked his younger brother, whom he saw lying on the couch in the common area. “My head’s pounding,” Toby replied. “Sorry to hear that.” “Yeah, well, I did it to myself.” “What happened?” Brody asked. “Idiot me decided to go on a run after taking a week off from it with this damn head cold going on,” Toby replied. “How do you feel, aside from the pounding headache?” “I feel okay otherwise, a little tired. It felt really nice getting my pulse up again, but I think I started back at it a little too early.” “Maybe a little, but at least you got a workout in. Do you think it went well today?” “No.” December 2022
Toby Ingram and his girlfriend, Alyssa Riley, were hanging out at Toby’s Lincoln Park apartment. They were watching some cartoons until Alyssa noticed that Toby fell asleep. She decided to put her ear against his chest. Toby woke up and pulled his shirt up to expose his ribs and his belly button. He took a very deep breath. “Are you listening to my heart?” Toby sleepily asked his girlfriend. “Mhm,” Alyssa replied. “Is it fast?” “Yes. It’s also really steady.” “I fell asleep. Not sure how that happened,” Toby remarked. “Just relax and go back to sleep,” Alyssa said. “This is relaxing.” “I’m just relaxed listening to all that love flowing through your heart.” “Mhm.” “I also love how deep your heart sounds. It’s too precious.” Summer 2024
Toby Ingram just came back from a run, and his girlfriend, Alyssa, was waiting for him at his apartment. They were planning to spend the evening in and watch goofy cartoons. He needed a breather before taking a shower, so he lay on the common area floor with Alyssa, and he lifted his shirt up to his chest, exposing his ribs and belly button. Alyssa then put her right ear against his upper stomach. “Jesus Christ, Toby. Your heart’s thumping,” Alyssa remarked. “Yup, I can feel it in my chest,” Toby replied. “You’re so hot and sweaty, too. How did your run go?” “I think it went well. Ran up Halsted through Boystown and back and then a little past Fullerton and back.” “How crazy was it today?” Alyssa asked. “It wasn’t bad. It’s gonna be insane next weekend though,” Toby said. “Oh yeah, that’s right. Oh, can you do me one favor?” “Yea?” “Can you tell me your middle name?” “You know my middle name.” “I do, but I want to hear you say it,” Alyssa said. “Alright, my middle name is Matthew,” Toby replied. “What is it again?” “It’s Matthew.” “Again?” “Matthew.” “I just love hearing you say your middle name.” “Sure.” “You’ve got a strong and sexy heartbeat.” Spring 2022
“So how long have you been running?” Toby Ingram asked his date, Alyssa Riley. This was their first date at a coffee shop. “Since I was in middle school. I was on the cross country team in high school and college. What about you?” Alyssa asked. “Altogether since I was like 15 or so. A couple months after I had surgery on my throat, I asked my brother, Brody, to teach me how to run long distances. I wanted a better self image, I guess. But since I started, I’ve taken breaks from running like four or five times. I’m pretty consistent with it now. I try to go like three times a week and still skateboard when I get a chance.” “For me, it’s like three or four times a week. I’ve been mostly consistent with it since I’ve started. I did have to take a break a few years ago since I had hernia surgery and had to recover from that.” “How fast can you run?” Toby asked. “I can comfortably run about an 8.5-minute mile. What about you?” Alyssa asked. “Very comfortably, I can run about a 9- or 9.5-minute mile. I think I could be a little faster if I hadn’t taken as many breaks as I did.” “Were you on the cross country team in high school?” “No, I wasn’t. I did, however, play intramural soccer when I was in college. That was an interesting experience.” “How so?” “I’ve never played soccer until then. It was fun in college, but I don’t think I’d continue playing it. I’m more into long distance running and skateboarding.” Summer 2022
“Literally had one of the best days of my life yesterday,” Toby Ingram said on the phone to his brother, Brody Ingram. “What happened?” Brody asked. “I got really close to Alyssa, my girlfriend.” “What do you mean?” “We cuddled while watching TV, and I heard her heartbeat for the first time. It was really soothing and relaxing,” Toby replied. “Oh my gosh, yes. That’s the best thing ever,” Brody said. “It’s the best when the fan is on, and she has her shirt pulled up so I could see her tiny little belly button.” “I can hear you blushing over the phone.” “Yasssssss.” “Julia loves to hear my heartbeat, and I’m just like, cool. Glad you love listening to it.” Spring 2024
“Cats are weird,” Toby Ingram said over the phone to his older brother, David. “You telling me?” David replied. “Sav and I went skateboarding this afternoon, and Jerzy and Bubsy thought it’d be a cute idea to shred all the toilet paper in the bathroom.” “That’s pretty funny! They just decided to have a nice little shredding party then.” “Yes,” Toby said. “Thankfully that hasn’t happened to any of our cats yet. Let’s just say, yet,” David said. “Also, we are convinced that my girlfriend’s cat is a lesbian.” “What makes you say that?” “I was at her place the other day, and we were just cuddling. She was lying on the couch reading a book, and I was snuggled up to her with my head on her chest. Her sweater and her cami underneath exposed her belly, and her cat came up and rubbed her face against it. Then, a few minutes later, her cat licked her belly and then made biscuits on it. Her cat really likes her belly, I don’t get it.” “Yup. Mia’s cat is similar to that, but not extreme.” Summer 2014
It was just one of those summer days. One of those summer days that could be considered lazy. One of those summer days that could be considered sultry. One of those summer days that could be considered not so motivating. And, one of those summer days that a lot of college students might want to sleep in. Of course, David Ingram had that luxury because his full-time job didn’t start until tomorrow. His younger brother Brody, however, had to be up bright and early because he was going back to his internship today. It was seven o’clock in the morning, a time when both David and Brody would normally be sleeping on a weekend and in the summer. Their dad came into their room just to wake up Brody, since he knew he needed to be up by now. David was let off the hook. Well, at least for now. He could celebrate his last free day with wine and baklava if he so chose. Brody would have to celebrate later. Toby was already awake, and most likely playing video games in the common area. David and Brody looked very comfortable when they were sleeping. David was, as normal, sleeping on his side. His comforter was lying on the floor, and his head was buried under one pillow. His left arm was wrapped around another pillow. Brody, as normal, was sleeping on his stomach. His comforter was also lying on the floor, and their dad found this somewhat humorous. Their dad realized that he needed to do something in order to get Brody out of bed. “Wake up, Brody,” Mr. Ingram announced in a sing-song voice. “No,” Brody replied in his pillow. “Guess what today is?” “Time for you to get a watch.” “Now, you don’t get sassy with me, B-Rodes,” their dad remarked humorously. “Just let me sleep,” Brody said, his voice muffled by his most comfortable pillow. He moved over on his right side, and he also buried his head under a pillow. “Today’s your first day back at your internship.” “Dammit.” “Would you like another thirty minutes to sleep?” Brody nodded in his pillow. “Okay. But when thirty minutes are up, you’re up. Got it?” Brody nodded in his pillow again. Their dad smiled and left. He shook his head because he has always known that David and Brody have never been morning people. Since the two boys were little, their parents knew that the struggle to wake them up would be real. When Brody was very little, try four years old, he would always pull the funniest gag ever. When he was really sleepy, he would literally fall asleep on the bottom stair and wait for one of their parents to pick him up and carry him to his bed. A few weeks ago, on a weekend when Brody was home from college, he was very tired. He tried pulling the same gag that he did when he was four years old. The boy fell asleep and waited for their mom and dad to pick him up and carry him. However, their mom and dad would not let him get away with it this time around. Summer 2024
Toby Ingram just came back from a run, and his girlfriend, Alyssa, was waiting for him at his apartment. They were planning to spend the evening in and watch goofy cartoons. He needed a breather before taking a shower, so he lay on the common area floor with Alyssa, and he lifted his shirt up to his chest, exposing his ribs and belly button. Alyssa then put her right ear against his upper stomach. “Jesus Christ, Toby. Your heart’s thumping,” Alyssa remarked. “Yup, I can feel it in my chest,” Toby replied. “You’re so hot and sweaty, too. How did your run go?” “I think it went well. Ran up Halsted through Boystown and back and then a little past Fullerton and back.” “How crazy was it today?” Alyssa asked. “It wasn’t bad. It’s gonna be insane next weekend though,” Toby said. “Oh yeah, that’s right. Oh, can you do me one favor?” “Yea?” “Can you tell me your middle name?” “You know my middle name.” “I do, but I want to hear you say it,” Alyssa said. “Alright, my middle name is Matthew,” Toby replied. “What is it again?” “It’s Matthew.” “Again?” “Matthew.” “I just love hearing you say your middle name.” “Sure.” “You’ve got a strong and sexy heartbeat.” May 2025
“We had a blast at the concert last night in Chicago,” David Ingram said on the phone to his friend, Levi Cranston. “Oh my god, yes! We went a few weeks ago,” Levi replied. “Wasn’t it awesome?!” “Much better than. Who all did you go with?” “It was Dawson, his wife, and their two kids, Brett and his girlfriend Kelly, Brody, Toby, and me. What about you?” David replied. “It was Jack, Asad, Kevin, Jing, Wong, Mackenzie, Rhody, his girlfriend, Ally Byers, his best friend Zach Niornski, my sisters Olivia and Evelyn Maeve, and of course me,” Levi said. “Before we went to the concert, we just chilled on a rooftop on the river, and I completely forgot how much I love Chicago.” “I like Chicago, but it’s been a little while since I’ve been there. How long are you in the area?” “Brody and I are going back to San Francisco later in the week, and Brett and Kelly are going back to Brooklyn around the same time. We are going to spend some time with our parents and then stay over at Dawson and Daniela’s for a couple nights.” “Sounds like a fun week.” |
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