Stephanie G. Mathis The sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows across the brutalist architecture of the university campus. Jessica walked slowly, her eyes tracing the lines of the towering concrete buildings that surrounded her. She had always found them imposing, even intimidating, but over time they had grown on her.
It all began freshman year when she first stepped foot on campus. Coming from a small town where brick buildings and greenery were the norm, the starkness of the concrete structures took her by surprise. She couldn’t understand how anyone could find beauty in such austere forms.
But then she met Alex.
He was a fellow student in her architecture class, with a passion for brutalism that bordered on obsession. He saw beauty in the rawness of concrete, in the honesty of its construction. At first, Jessica couldn’t understand what he saw in it, but as they spent more time together, she began to see the campus through his eyes.
Their favorite spot quickly became the courtyard between the library and the science building. Towering concrete pillars rose up around them, casting intricate shadows on the ground below. It was there that Jessica began to appreciate the beauty of brutalism, the way the harsh lines softened in the afternoon light, the way the concrete seemed to breathe with life.
As the months passed, Jessica and Alex grew closer. They spent countless hours exploring the campus, finding hidden corners and forgotten spaces where the beauty of brutalism shone through. They debated the merits of different architects, argued over the significance of certain buildings, but through it all, their love for each other and for the campus only grew stronger.
But like all good things, their time together came to an end. Graduation day arrived, and with it, the realization that they would soon be going their separate ways. Jessica had accepted a job offer in another city, while Alex was planning to travel the world in search of inspiration for his next architectural project.
Standing in the courtyard one last time, Jessica felt a pang of sadness as she looked up at the towering concrete pillars. They had been her home for the past four years, the backdrop to so many memories and experiences she would never forget. But as she looked into Alex’s eyes, she knew that their love would endure, even if they were miles apart.
And so they said their goodbyes, promising to stay in touch and to visit whenever they could. As Jessica boarded the bus that would take her away from the campus she had come to love, she felt a sense of peace wash over her. The buildings may have been made of concrete, but the memories they held were anything but cold and impersonal.
Years passed, and Jessica and Alex kept their promise to each other. They wrote letters, sent emails, and visited whenever they could. And though they never returned to the campus where their love had blossomed, they carried it with them wherever they went.
And so, as Jessica stood on the rooftop of her apartment building, looking out over the city skyline, she couldn’t help but smile. The memories of her time on campus were as vivid as ever, the love she shared with Alex as strong as the day they said goodbye. For in the end, it wasn’t the concrete buildings that had captured her heart, but the love she had found within them.
