The Garage

Success! You park safely — though your wallet is $12 lighter, as if you’d bought dinner for two without ever lifting a fork. You tell yourself it’s worth it.

Inside Mudhouse, the smell of espresso greets you like a warm hug. The barista calls out your order, but your name is spelled with all the wrong vowels on the cup. You don’t correct them. You never correct them.

You take a sip. The coffee is divine, dark and rich, so good it almost justifies the parking garage. Almost.

At the next table, a stranger in vintage flannel and an ironic mustache leans across to their friend and declares loudly:“Charlottesville is the next Austin.”

The words hang in the air like a curse.

A grad student nearby snorts. An older local rolls their eyes so hard you can hear it. A tourist nods enthusiastically and starts Googling house prices.

Do you:

• Correct them with great fury
• Flee to IX Art Park