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"Don't tell me you come up here every time, get drunk, and stare at the setting sun," Amedea retorted, snorting away.
I didn't know what was so funny.
"What's wrong with watching natural spectacles like this?"
"It happens every day."
"That doesn't make it any less special. There have been many situations where I've been more than happy for the sun to rise suddenly. It meant I survived another night.”
"Oops," she groaned. "What kind of situations were those?"
I squinted my eyes and massaged the bridge of my nose. What was I going to tell her? One of the countless stories that almost killed me? Or the nights after Rina's death, when I had temporarily thought it would never be day again?
Well, I really was an excellent and fundamentally cheerful companion. Not.
I shrugged my shoulders. "When you're staring death in the eye, you're suddenly fiercely happy to see the sun again. You're glad it drives away all the shadows and dark corners."
Amedea put her hand on my arm and patted the spot gently. "Have you tried antidepressants? Then the alcohol falls away, but…"
So she could be even cheekier than she already was. Surprised, I looked at her but could not longer stifle my laughter. This woman had ideas! Maybe Emilio should have consulted her years ago when it came to constantly pushing me face-first into my problems. After all, she was more than cavalier in that regard. Unscrupulous, if you wanted it that way.
"Are you making fun of me?" I asked, my gaze fixed on her hand, which continued to rest on my arm. A strange feeling emanated, reminding me of the wedding day.
"No. I'm just trying to help you." Seriously, she looked me in the eye. She could barely fix her gaze, which was a clear sign that the wine was going to her head.
"Your help is strange."
"No, Vincenzo,you arestrange."
"Me? Of the two of us, I'm the normal one, if you ask me."
"Where did you get that stupid idea?"
"I just am."
"Uh-huh," she mumbled, shaking her head so her hair flew in all directions, leaving the soft scent of her shampoo in the air. I hadn't realized she smelled so good.
"You sit in your office all day playingCall of Duty. You only come out when you know I'm not around. You keep rescued felines. You married a perfect stranger who you'd never met in person before."
When I thought about it, it was the most adventurous thing I had done in the last few years. The escapades with my brothers didn't even come close. Not even the explosion of the motel where Gia had been held captive.
"I think it's perfectly normal," I replied fervently, wholly convinced of my statement.
"You think it's normal that you married me?"
"I think it's normal to help someone who needs my help."
"Exactly. You're just out of your mind if you ask me."
I had to laugh at that. I had not asked her about it, yet she freely shared her opinion with me.
"Sometimes I wonder what's going on in your head." I looked at her with a raised eyebrow.
She shrugged and tried to remain serious but failed miserably. Somehow I felt that nothing profound would come out of this conversation, as she often laughed in her answers.
"I think mostly about how someone can get so grouchy. You're not yet seventy. That's when you can start hating the world and all its inhabitants."
"My nihilism has nothing to do with my age."
