I was driving in the dark of the morning and stopped at a light. The glow from my red taillights illuminated the car behind me. In my rear view window, I could see a man with his head shaved bald in the car. Both of his hands gripped his steering wheel and his face had a flat and emotionless expression.

“He needs to smile more,” I thought to myself. I suddenly became aware of my own face. I could feel that my features mirrored his expression and was like that before I pressed the brakes for the red light. I tried smiling and my mood lifted a little.

I looked in the rear view mirror again, expecting to see the bald man smiling as well, but his face remained as flat as before.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the light turn green. I inched forward, still watching the man behind me, but the second I released the brake, he disappeared from view, no longer illuminated by my taillights.