Even though their eyes couldn’t focus, they wanted me to start a fire in the pit. Frankie nodded and I went to work. The pine logs burned fast and hot and I had a roaring fire in no time. It was kind of humorous to look at the faces, illuminated by the fire, as their heads rolled around on their necks as they tried hard to maintain some semblance of sobriety. Their efforts were lost causes and it wasn’t long before there were no more conversations at all, not even slurred ones.
Divi got the ball rolling when she announced that she was done and she got up and headed for her house. Ashley didn’t announce anything. She just got up and staggered toward her house. Frankie gave me a nod toward Ashley and I got the message. ‘Help Ashley home.’ I quickly caught up with her as she started veering into the underbrush between her house and mine. I lightly gripped her arm and guided her back on track. I don’t think she even realized that I was there.