Driving in LA is like hiccuping. The traffic lurches forward then peels to a halt. We are ants crawling with our noses to each other’s abdomens. Bumper stickers, dust, and dents reveal personality. Instead of staring at skin and clothes, we assess each other’s carapaces. We’re stalled on the 91 West, headed toward Kean Coffee in Tustin. To our right is a weathered brick wall, with streaks of guano and climbing vegetation like lace dripping in green and brown. Palm trees reveal their rough thighs as they lift their fronds to the sky. The affogato was worth it.

Orange County, CA / early afternoon / Kean Coffee, CA