“Marry me!” he shrieked at her, gesticulating wildly. His bloodshot eyes met hers and held them, shoes crunching the gravel of the apartment roof as he paced.

“No.”

“NO!” the man screamed in a mockery of the woman’s gentle tone. Spittle flew from his cracked lips. His tongue shot out to wet them.

“I’ll give you back the ring. Sell it; Lord knows you need the money.”

He strode towards her and took her thin wrist in his dirt-lined hand. She submitted, relinquishing the gold band.

“Yeah, I’ll sell it, sure!” he whispered. He stood immobile, red-faced against the city’s cloudy horizon. The woman stayed frozen at the outer edges of the rooftop. All was quiet save for the city’s gentle breathing.

“Then what do I do with the fucking money? Live without you?!” he screeched suddenly, striding towards her with violent fury. His arm arched backwards, released and sent the ring soaring into the street below.

“What now?!” the man demanded, still racing towards her.

His foot caught on a vent. And then he fell.