M&MsThe day is winding down and I’m in desperate need of some peanut M&Ms to get me through the last agonizing hours. I check the temperature before heading out - yikes. The wind chill is really 5 degrees? I wrap my scarf around my neck three times and button my jacket all the way just to dash across the street.

I bustle into the tiny corner shop and a bell announces my presence. As always, the old Chinese man is sitting behind the counter, watching kung fu movies on a 5” black and white TV. I don’t know his name, but I would recognize his tall, rail-thin figure and broad smile anywhere. I smile at him and head back to the candy shelves - jackpot. Grabbing a bright yellow package, I make my way back up to the register and place it on the counter.

He rings me up and I hand him a few dollar bills. He counts out some coins and hands them to me.

“Here you are, dahhhhling!” he says, his eyes crinkling as he grins ever more widely.

Normally I bristle when people call me cutesy names, but coming from him it’s endearing. “Thank you,” I say, and pocket the money.

“Have a good evening.”

“You too. Try to stay warm!”

For a moment, the happiness on his face disappears and I’m overtaken by the look of sadness in his eyes. I wonder why my seemingly innocuous words caused such a swift change in his emotions. Some part of me also wonders if I really want to know the answer.

He recovers quickly, though. “It’s too cold!” he exclaims, the joy back in his voice. I nod and stuff my M&Ms in my pocket as I leave the store. Too cold indeed.