Fort Totten is a border neighborhood with Maryland, and from 1 June until 29 June, all four of the Maryland Metro stops are closed. People are getting shuttled in, but the same number of people are riding. Why do all the cars feel more crowded than usual?

We’re all exhausted. We’re all in drab colors, as if our souls had been drained. On one side are the manual laborers. On the other side are federal workers, along with non-federal office workers. There are even tourists. There’s seats, but I’d have to sit next to someone, so I stand.

For a moment, the mob of students with their backpacks and white-guy afros parts and I get a glimpse of someone I can only call Barbie. The blonde sat down, her back straight, her legs demurely crossed. Her sundress went all the way to the floor, and it appeared blinding pink, but was really white with small red flowers. She looked pleased with herself.

The train pulled into Judiciary Square, and she jumped out and cat-walked out of the station and out of my life, taking the color with her.

That felt like magic.