Walking to a Mexican restaurant with guys from work there was a fire. On the sidewalk a bit of newspaper burned before a nail salon. A pregnant Asian American woman raised her arms to heaven in a black and white striped dress, and cleansed the air with her own hope. Bad luck be gone. Bad thoughts fade. An American dreamer in a stripmall with a president close to her heart, a doctor, a fireman.

We walked past her into the restaurant. We ordered tea and spared not a thought for her.