He heard them screaming through the vents. A young couple yelling at each other about infidelity. You cheated on me, the old man heard her say. You’re no angel yourself, the kid told her. A baby cried out to be held.

Where’d you meet her? she asked. She hang out at Foster’s? That place ain’t nothing but trouble. You come home all bruised up, beaten. Like someone took a bat to you. Or, you come home smelling like a whore. Some cheap Walmart shit they rub all over their bodies, cigarette smoke came through the vents. The old man sat on the edge of his bed, smelling the burning brown leaves. There was silence.

And look at you, he said. Shaking that big ass of yours. Crawling all over men.

It pays the bills, don’t it? You ain’t nothing but a sperm donor, she told him. That’s what you are. I come home, and you’re passed out. Baby’s crawling all over the floor. You’d think you could clean up once in a while. Hold your daughter till she sleeps. Feed her a bottle, she yelled. I can’t do this no more, movement was heard. Screeching bare feet on linoleum. The old man wrapped his blanket around him.

Where do you think you’re going? he asked.

Let go of me.

You ain’t going nowhere. You got responsibilities.

Talk to me about responsibilities, the old man heard the door slam. Watched from his window as the curvy blonde got into her car.

A child was heard crying through the vents.