Metro, L'Enfant Plaza to Capitol South - 5:43 PM

SheTourist: (not very quietly) "What is that?"

HeTourist: "It's a piece of cooking equipment. They use it for carrying cupcakes. It's super, super professional. See how heavy-duty it is? And it has two tiers!"

SheTourist: (snorts gently) "I can't get excited over cupcakes."

HeTourist: " Yeah. It looks kind of heavy. But you could also carry muffins in them, I bet. I like muffins."

(long pause)

HeTourist: "I like blueberry muffins."

SheTourist: (inaudible during the clattering roll into Federal South station) "...so I just don't see why you'd buy one of those things."

HeTourist: (dreamily) "You know, muffins have lots of different toppings. You can get muffins with glaze, muffins with sugar clumps, muffins with sprinkles.... I like muffins."

SheNative: (leaning in, smiling) "I like the sugar clumps topping, too. I like banana nut muffins."

(Nonplussed, HeTourist & SheTourist look everywhere but at SheNative.)

HeTourist: (standing abruptly as the train enters Capitol South station) "This is us."

(HeTourist and SheTourist bustle down the aisle.)

SheNative: (quietly, looking after them) "I like banana nut muffins."