Ailana’s Journal—2026-09-03 (and Island Kids) (Patreon)

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GOOD MORNING by Ailana Geven Keller

It’s the first day in Chicago, and we’ve got a big day ahead—a casual fashion photoshoot awaits. I thought I’d tap into the idea that this is a content creation trip to Chicago by starting the morning posts with a little Chicago history.

It’s a big city now, and it has a long, rich history. Long before there was a Chicago, this was already an important place.

The southern end of Lake Michigan sat at a natural crossroads. Rivers and a short portage between the Chicago and Des Plaines waterways helped connect the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River system. People traveled and traded through this region long before Europeans arrived, carrying copper from the Lake Superior area and goods from communities farther south.

Different Native peoples lived, hunted, gathered, traveled, and traded here over time. The Miami and Illinois peoples were present in the region in the 1600s. By the 1700s, Potawatomi communities were firmly established around the Chicago, Calumet, and Des Plaines Rivers, later joined by Odawa and Ojibwe people.

Even the name “Chicago” reaches back to that history. It comes from a Miami-Illinois word associated with the wild leeks that grew around the river.

So Chicago didn’t suddenly become a crossroads when Europeans showed up and, eventually, a city grew here. The geography had already made it one for generations.

And that seems like a good place to stop this morning. We’ll let the Europeans arrive another day.

With that, let’s get to the studio and do some work.

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All characters in this story are fictional characters, their images generated with AI for AGI Stories. They do not represent any real person, nor is their appearance based on any real human.

CASUAL FASHION by Ailana Geven Keller

We’re halfway through today’s shoot, so I thought I’d check in and talk about the models.

Starting with me feels weird, but somebody has to go first. I’ve spent enough time on both sides of a camera that casual fashion shoots almost feel normal. Almost. Give me ten more years and I might stop wondering what to do with my hands.

Naomi is the reason a surprising amount of this happens. She’s my agent, sends work our way, and AGI became one of the places she trusts with her people. That’s good for business—and gives me excuses to drag everyone into adventures like this.

Sasha has become someone I can almost forget wasn’t always part of this mess. She’s quiet, observant, and happy letting someone else have the spotlight—until it’s her turn. Then she gives the photographer exactly what they need.

Danielle is Naomi’s lawyer, which tells you almost nothing about why she’s in front of our camera. She usually handles contracts, rights, and business details. Every once in a while, it’s fun convincing someone professionally serious to come play with us.

Emily asked if she could actually model a couple of outfits. Naomi said, “Go for it” so we did.

My little sister. I could write another thousand words and still not explain what that means to me. Emily has changed so much since she came into our lives—and somehow she can still look at us like we’re the strange ones. She may have a point.

Geoni becomes part of whatever needs doing without making a production out of it. Trips, shoots, family chaos—she appears where she’s needed. Then somebody points a camera at her and she reminds us she can do this pretty well too.

Jasmine has done this with us long enough that I sometimes forget modeling wasn’t always normal for her. She can switch from whatever nonsense we’re doing between pictures to camera-ready about half a second after somebody says go. I’m still slightly jealous.

That’s it for now. We’ve got more outfits to shoot, but I’ll be back tonight. See you then.

TEXAS LIFE by Amir Kumar

It has been several months since Anika and I moved to Texas. I’m pleased to report we are very happy.

If you haven’t met us yet, Anika and I became acquainted in 2023 and became interested in each other shortly afterward. In 2024, we were separated by our work. I went into fieldwork with Health For Humanity and she continued working in Hyderabad.

After Health For Humanity shut down, I went back to Hyderabad to see if we could pick things back up, and we did. We were married earlier this year and worked to find grants and funding for Shoreline Clinic.

Over the months, Vanessa and Min have shared how the clinic has grown and expanded. I’ll sum it up by saying we have a fully functional, fully staffed clinic. We have grants to fund some programs and contracts with insurance companies as well. The doctors are building up practices and patient lists.

Anika and I have worked very hard. Up until now, I’d say Shoreline has taken up more than a full workweek of our time. We have felt like we had a lot to do to get it established so that all the employees could count on it. And we have.

Outside of work, we’ve done very little. We make time for dinners out and have spent a few relaxing weekends at home at Bay Island Apartments.

Now that tourist season is starting to slow down, we want to come up for air. Our plan is to keep our work as close to forty hours as we can, then enjoy some of what South Texas has to offer. We feel like some long walks on the beach are in order.

We talked about it last night, in fact. So far, we’ve created a business here that supports the lives of quite a few people. Now, we think, it’s time for us to create a life for the two of us.

BIG SURPRISE by Kaylee Branch

I guess Isaac thinks he knows me pretty good. We’ve known each other since we were eighteen back in 2021. We been together since then and got married February 4, 2022. I guess I’d say I know him pretty good, too.

So when he picked me up at the airport last night after I got back from Atlanta, I could tell something was up. We were in the truck on the way home before he said he had a surprise for me.

He looked real happy about something, but he wasn’t letting on what it was at all. I sat back and waited.

We pulled up at the condos on Whiting Street where Jasmine and Micah live, and I said, “What’s going on? Jasmine’s in Chicago. Is Micah okay?”

“Micah’s fine. Come on… I got something to show you.”

We got to the second floor and he handed me a key ring. “We live here now. Hudson has his own room.”

Well, I went in and there was my kitchen things on the counter. There was my throw on the sofa. My comforter was on the bed in the bedroom.

And Hudson’s crib was set up in his own room with all his toys in a new toy box.

“Isaac Branch,” I said, “don’t you think moving is the kind of thing we should have talked about beforehand?”

“Of course,” he said. “But you were busy in Atlanta and I had the chance to do something for you. You’d have said ‘yes’ anyway, right? I wanted to get the work done for you so you could come home and make it look right.”

I guess he does know me pretty good. I set Hudson down and he took off for the toy box.

I looked at Isaac and answered, “It looks perfect already.”

GOOD NIGHT by Ailana Geven Keller

The day comes to an end finding the photoshoot complete, dinners eaten, and everyone back at the Ryans’ home. Count this one as a good day.

I want to circle back to Emily’s modeling debut today. This might sound a little strange…

AGI Creative is now serving as the agent for some models that Naomi has recruited for what she’s calling her Gen X team—using the term loosely to mean models in the 30+ age demographic.

Since we already have AGI Creative set up to handle that, we added Emily to the roster. Naomi said that made sense, and if the time ever came when she needed a teen model, we could make arrangements.

You might recall that Kaylee was brought into the business so that Naomi could have some models to offer to a young women’s clothing line. Bringing Emily in sort of expands that capacity.

There’s no hard-and-fast plan—at least, none that I know about—but considering that Emily is involved, I’m sure the potential for a plan is a certainty!

I will add—then move on—that Emily insisted we not say she’s part of the Gen X team!

Tomorrow, we start getting images and notes for future content. However, Geoni and Josh will be introducing Aria to Josh’s family. Kel and Emily will be with them.

Clay is acting as driver for the day, using Josh’s car to drop Jason and me off at places for note-taking and pictures. Sasha and Bump will be along for the ride. Jasmine is taking the day to stay here and do coursework for her nursing classes.

I’ll be back in the morning with more Chicago history and a greeting. Until then…

May the challenges of your day be easily overcome, the joys long and satisfying, and your time to rest renewing and restorative.

Good night.

Be your best you!

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