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The initial first thirty minutes of the party was about my daughter. But since we came in late in the evening and she needed to sleep, she, the primary subject of the occasion, was gone, leaving thebigboys and girls to ourselves. This was goingto start light. I just knew it. It would increase intensely every thirty minutes and the first liberating avenue to exploit was definitely alcohol.
"I would like to propose a toast," one of the men said, gathering everyone together with their red wine glasses. I would've loved to start this progression with them, from completely lucid to unforgivingly drunk - that was how a lot of people would end up this night - but remembering my pact to myself and my daughter, I tipped into my wine glass, the contents of a nearly finished juice box and hurried to join them for the toast.
"Pour yourself some wine now, dear. It's going to dull the taste of the toast if you don't." Mrs. Ricci suggested but I shook my head, not even wanting to entertain the thoughts. Already, the smell of the substance made my head spin with lure but the resolution to remain unshaken was unearthly strong, especially for someone like me who was given easily to temptation.
I declined Mrs. Ricci's offer with a quick shake of my head before she could go through the extra strain of looking for a bottle and fresh cup for me.
"I really am good, mom," I told her when her looks screamed different questions.
"It's just a sip, dear," she coaxed. "For the toast. Okay..." She took a wine bottle from a passing waiter. "This one's seven-point five percent. You shouldn't even notice it."
"Truth is, I've quit alcohol, mom."
She looked at me with wide eyes.
"I'm not saying I won't be doing all these minor toasts or those midnight sipping rendezvous..." I winked at her. "...but for now, to flush the taste of excessiveness out of my tongue, I'd like to abstain fully from it."
She kept her eyes on me for more than five seconds, face frozen in the expression it was before I had started talking.
"Well," she finally responded. "I would say that is the most responsible thing I've seen someone do this year." She pinched my cheeks and smirked, "Also, that you're missing out too."
She sauntered to the middle of the gathering, ushered by the man that called for the toast.
"I want to raise this toast to the main reason we're here. Our baby, Artemis, has been recovered from the clutches of Colombo. If there was anyone braver than Artemis, to stay three weeks in the hands of the enemy and come out a victor, stand up and watch Artemis floor you." There was hearty laughter around the room. "It is a miracle from God that she survived that drop. A toddler. She fought death itself and we shall celebrate accordingly."
There were incoherent choruses here and there all in agreement.
"There's a lot to drink. A new day to be seen by our lovely girl, newer years still. A new chapter in the house of Ricci has been opened. An empty one, waiting to be written by themother," she pointed her glass in my direction and I cheered back. "...the father and every one of you here. We are all going to be influenced by this child and whatever we do from now on, in her presence or affecting her indirectly would form bits and pieces in the storyline of Artemis Ricci’s chapter. Therefore," she raised her glass, and everyone did the same. "... here's to Artemis Fiammetta Ricci."
"To Artemis Fiammetta Ricci!" The chorus rang out in one voice, and everyone took a sip of their drinks, each depending on their individual crave to even out the quantity of what they drank.
After more than an hour of observing men get drunk to stupor in my sobriety, I realized how irritating it must have looked for me to have been like that every other day. As the night progressed, so did the stench of alcohol, enough for me to feel too sick to stay in the room.
"If you need me, I'm on the balcony." I patted an equally pissed drunk Carlos who slurred something I'm sure wasn't English as I passed. I was feeling part grateful and part disappointed that Artemis had gone to sleep. On one hand, she wouldn't be exposed to hard substances like this at such an early age. But on the other hand, there was so much laughter to be derived from the tipsy show inside.
Getting to the balcony, I heaved a long sigh of relief. There was work to do on myself. One that I would require the help of someone else. Someone more experienced...like a mentor.
"Beautiful weather, huh?" I heard his voice behind me.
Time to address the elephant in the room.
"I mean...I don't take notice much, but when you turn my mind to it, yeah. It is kind of nice." I looked up at the sky. "Yeah, the pitch-black sky really gives it this'you're gonna die'magical spray."
He chuckled. Yep. Never use weather to start up a conversation. It's useless, talk less during the night. If you ever do it, it should be when you're on a picnic in the open. Sounds more fun than off a balcony staring into... nothing really.
"Party's not much fun either," he mused, resting his back beside me, against the railing. I nodded in agreement.
"That's a lot of drunk men at one time in one place," I laughed softly, looking back inside, and witnessing the display of mild havoc.
"Yeah, I only get them like this one other time. Christmas. Asides that, they were lucky this year to get more than one, really."
"Huh."
"You know, I have really missed you. These past years."
I knew it was getting to this.
"Alessandro, we shouldn't..."
