Try as they might, not all relational partners stay together (hence the existence of sad songs and bad poetry). The termination stage, or end of a relationship, usually comes about in one of two ways (Davis, 1973). The first is passing away, which is characterized by a gradual fade as the relationship loses its vitality, perhaps because of outside interference or because partners don’t make the effort to maintain it. Also, if partners spend less time together as a couple, communication and intimacy may decline, leading to dissatisfaction and a perception of different attitudes. This is why romances and friendships sometimes deteriorate when one partner moves away or why marriages and outside friendships change when kids come into the picture. The second way relationships often end is in sudden death—the abrupt, and for at least one partner, unexpected termination of a relationship. This might happen if your spouse or romantic partner has an affair, or if you decide that you can no longer tolerate a friend’s emotionally manipulative behavior. Communicating your desire to end a relationship can be difficult; some messages useful for terminating romantic relationships in particular are listed in Table 7.3.