CHAPTER 2
As much as he wanted to, Bruno couldn't blame what happened on his 51st birthday on Temptation.
It was all his fault that he'd gotten drunk again.
With all the work on rebuilding La Casa Madrigal, he hadn't had time to dwell on fighting Temptation, or even really think about his alcoholism at all.
And tonight, he'd been too busy enjoying himself to think about what might happen if he let his guard down.
Sure, the bottle of wine he'd received as a gift felt awkward as it reminded him of Pepa's wedding, but as he drank to be social, he remembered the good feelings that came with his terrible habit. He became the old, fun-loving Bruno, dancing with Isabela and Mirabel, laughing with Felix...
But alcohol's spell over Bruno was broken as Felix asked, "When are you going to cut loose like this again?"
"Cut loose... Stop being a downer... Lighten up..."
The things he'd been told when he was younger and tried to hide from those who both feared him and wanted him to reveal their futures...
Bruno threw up before he could make a hasty exit and he thanked God that Mirabel swooped in to save him from further humiliation.
As he sprawled in the Guzmans' bathroom after vomiting several more times, pouring his heart out to Mirabel who responded in kind, Bruno was ashamed of himself for giving in... For giving up. Over 9 years of sobriety wasted in the course of a single evening.
After Mirabel helped him to bed, crawling in next to him, Bruno felt like he'd fallen off the edge of a cliff and had nothing to look forward to but the endless plunge into oblivion.
x
The next morning, as he watched everyone recovering from the party, Bruno still felt the burn of shame as he thought about his actions the night before.
Talking with Mirabel before the two had gotten up helped a bit, but as he ate a light breakfast, Bruno saw with fresh clarity just how strong his addiction really was.
It had never really occurred to him until now just how deep the roots of his alcoholism had grown.
Hiding in the walls had cut it back, but the roots remained and there was no way to pull them out completely.
The addiction would be part of his life forever, and he needed to accept that.
Sipping the hangover cure Julieta had provided, Bruno heard Temptation whispering to him. 'A little hair of the dog would make you feel even better. And there's still plenty of wine left in the house...'
But he wouldn't give in. Today was a new start and Bruno took a deep, calming breath as he felt his hand clench about his glass. One day at a time... he told himself. He'd stayed sober for nearly a decade. He did it once... he could do it again.