The roof was highest in the city, the blinking lights of the helipad that adorned it his only companions and at this time of night all there was silence as all the ground noise died before it could reach him. Pierre sat on the edge of his helipad, feet dangling into the abyss the people living below him not knowing his existence.

He felt above it all, this empire he had built for himself after his parents died, proving that through sheer will and tragedy you could build something, but then came along Clara, how she entered his life, that remained a mystery, but the encounter had changed them both and they had become partners in crime for lack of a better word.

He pulled his coat around him, as a combination of the night chill and a heavy gust of wind discouraged him from dangling his legs over the side. Pierre stood up, turned around to see Clara standing in the roof access doorway, smiling, he padded over, wiping his eyes on his coat sleeve. Clara with arms wide, embraced her husband, wiped his cheeks with her own sleeves, cocked her head and asked;

"Why do you come up here, night after night?"

Pierre pushed away gently, hands on her shoulders searching her eyes and only finding concern as well as empathy. "you come here ever since our son was born", she continued.

Pierre tried to begin a sentence but the words got caught in his throat, he sighed and looked again out across the city.

"I feel this world", he swept his arms out encompassing the city, "no longer exists".

Clara shook her head, grabbed his wrist. "you know that is a lie". Pierre relaxed his arm in her grasp and she let go. "Your perspective has changed that is all, your priorities also", she smiled deeply, kissed his nose, "do not let what has happened change the love you have, please" .

"Promise?" He mouthed.

"Promise"

...

Love You R