Allen entered the lobby to complete chaos. This was not the doom he was expecting, but it couldn’t be good either. There were policemen and firemen running around the lobby with a large concentration of them headed toward the elevators and stairwells. He noticed Tom, the head security officer of the building in the far corner of the lobby speaking to what looked like the policeman in charge. As he made his way towards him, Tom saw him coming. “Al!" Tom yelled. Tom was the only one that Allen allowed to call him Al. He felt it made him feel more important to have some authority in such a low-level job. Allen laughed. He said to himself, “That’s what the old me thought anyway”. He thought he was going to be happy to see Tom. He couldn’t have been more mistaken. Al approached him with a horrified look on his face. “Al, it’s Helen.” Tom said.

“What? Helen?”

“She’s gone crazy, Al.” Tom added.

“Where is she?!” Allen yelled, becoming furious at the slow rate of information coming from Tom’s mouth.

“She’s up on the roof. She seems hell bent on killing herself, Al. She went up to see Sid to talk about something, next thing you know, she’s perched herself up there on the ledge. Police have been trying to talk her down for at least twenty minutes. She won’t acknowledge any of them.” Allen’s mind was racing. What had he done? How could it have come this far. He loved her. He had to speak to her immediately.

“God Damnit, Tom! Get me the one in charge… Now!” Allen screamed at Tom so loud the lobby fell silent with all eyes on him. This definitely wasn’t the “new” Allen, but he was in panic mode, and he would work all of that out later. Grabbing the commander’s attention himself, the man approached Allen immediately.

“Good afternoon, Sir. My name is Captain Emerson. Do you know this woman?”

“She is my wife, Captain, and I need to speak to her immediately.”

“Absolutely, Sir. We’ll get to that, but first, I need to ask you a few questions,” the Captain said.

“Questions?” Allen quipped.

“Time is of the essence, sir!”

“I don’t have time for your questions unless you ask them on the way to my wife!” Allen was firm in his delivery; the Captain couldn’t argue his logic.

“Alright, sir. Point taken,” he said. They proceeded to head toward the bank of elevators in hopes that Helen would still be alive when they got there.

Helen still hadn’t opened her eyes. She was aware of the bustling below her, and the presence of others on the roof that she assumed were the police. She heard them murmuring, but didn’t realize they were talking to her. She held steady. She was outside of herself waiting for the inevitable to come to fruition. All was one. One was all. In the next few moments her destiny would be fulfilled, and the coldness left behind. In that instant, that moment of fate is when she heard it. It sounded like Allen. She was convinced it couldn’t be though, since his love had been long lost. She heard it once more. This time there was no mistaking that voice. That voice was scorched into her brain on a daily basis. Could it be Allen? Would he take the time to come down here to see her at her worst? Of course he would. Helen was convincing herself that if it was him, he was surely here to see her fall. She wouldn’t disappoint. If it was him, it would only fuel her aspirations of a quick demise. Deep inside she knew it was. She could sense that he was only a few feet behind her, and she could hear him saying something faintly beyond her mental abyss. She tried to listen. She couldn’t make out words, but his tone sounded gentle. Her conscious mind began to take over with the curiosity of hearing his words. She still couldn’t acknowledge him, but she had to listen. As she came back to clarity she heard, “It was all me Helen. I have driven you to this, and I am so sorry for all my wrongs.” Allen’s voice was cracking. Helen had only heard this a few times before. He was crying. He continued, “If I would have been there for you, you never would have done those things. I Love You. I am here for forgiveness. Forgiveness of everything. None of it matters anymore, Helen, only us.” Allen’s words only made Helen seer. He could have said all of this things months ago, yet here he was, at her death’s door, trying to fix a broken toy to soothe his own guilt. He could have thought of this before he made her sign some agreement like a buffoon in front of his lawyers as a show of bravado. She wasn’t buying it at all. He and his crocodile tears can dwell on this.

Allen screamed bloody murder as Helen disappeared over ledge. It had all come to this. Allen felt as if he was in slow motion as he ran towards the edge hoping that she held on. Everyone on the roof sprinted into action as Helen made her move. It was now in the hands of a Supreme Being.

Helen felt nothing as she stepped off the edge. It was like she had been cupped by an angel’s hand as she plunged her way towards the cold concrete below. Consciousness again left her, and she was one with the task at hand. All she could do was enjoy the descent until that beautiful moment of darkness enveloped her. The darkness never came. Instead, with a loud pop, she was enveloped by hot vinyl as her body dove deep into the Fire Department’s crash mat. There was darkness, but only for a second as she was whisked away by countless sets of hands.

Allen reached the edge with his heart almost entering his mouth. He was not prepared for the bloody scene he expected to see below. He looked down and was filled with a glorious sense of relief. This wasn’t the end. Helen was alive. Relieved, he felt hopeful; he knew she was going to be worse for wear, but she was alive. He screamed out, “Thank You, God”, before turning and grasping the Captain with a great big hug. “Thank You. Thank You”, Allen exclaimed as he squeezed with all his might.

“It’s going to be alright, sir,” the Captain said. “It is our duty to help. I’m glad this one had a happy ending, I’ve seen quite a few that haven’t. You’re a lucky man, sir. Now please go take care of your wife”. The Captain called down to the ambulance to let them know that Allen was coming down to join them. “I will meet you at the hospital”, the Captain said. “There are still some things we need to sort out, and your wife may need to go away for a while to get better. Are you prepared for that?” He asked.

“I think so,” Allen said. “Better than the alternative.” They smiled and shook hands before Allen headed down to the street. Allen had plenty to think about. He also had plenty of work to do. He was determined to see this thing through, and he wasn’t going to leave Helen’s side. She needed him, and she deserved nothing less.

In the ambulance, Helen was subdued and sedated by the E.M.T.’s. She was in no condition to talk or deal with the issues to come. Allen held her hand as she muttered to herself. Allen likened her to a broken china doll. As she murmured, he thought he heard her say his name; whether she did or not, it comforted him that she might have. On the fifteen-minute ride Allen prayed the mantra he had used before. He was going to continue this for Helen’s sake, for his sake, and the sake of all humanity. They reached an all-time low today, and at this point, they could only rise, he thought. His work was just beginning, but he already could see the light of things to come. This was but a hiccup along the road of life, and a well-deserved learning experience. Allen embraced it. He kissed Helen gently on the forehead as he brushed her hair back, and with all the emotion of the first time the words were spoken, he said, “Helen, I will always love you.”