SUD- denly, it all seems bearable. Not only bearable but almost fun, in a vaguely sickening way. The party is like swimming in the ocean when the surf is high. Waves of it surround her, lift her up until her feet aren’t touching the ground, then set her down again, to get her bearings and regain her balance. Every now and then one crashes over her head, so that she tumbles without knowing where she is for a while, but then her feet find the ground and she’s back, preparing for the next one. She takes a sip of her drink. Eddie has abandoned her, letting her be drawn into the exclamations and congratulations of others, but before he left, he took her glass and topped it off from his bottle. The whiskey, after she has gone so long without drinking, has taken effect instantly. She’s enjoying the feeling of looseness, the ease with which she laughs and says hello to people, the slightly dizzy sensation when she moves quickly. “Leanne, look at you, all grown up and getting married!”
