The crowd quieted and calmed somewhat.
“We’ll get you all towels. But stay, eat, and enjoy a rare blessing from an Armenian goddess!”
Raffi scanned the crowd. It worked. He supposed that if the bride was happy, if she called it a blessing, then everyone had to go along with it. Raffi twisted his mouth. He supposed Kami’s woo-woo tendencies and her charisma did come in handy.
Ani jogged over to Raffi and Sanan now, a roll of duct tape and a napkin in her hand.
“Let’s get that tube stuck in place,” Ani said.
“I can do it,” Sanan said. “You guys should go get the towels.”
Ani nodded. “Good point. Thanks, Sanan. Let me know if it doesn’t work.”
Once Ani and Raffi were inside, Raffi could tell, even though Ani’s mind was working analytically now—likely trying to figure out what to do in the fastest, best order possible—she wasnothappy.
“Ani, baby, look at me. It’s going to be okay,” he said, not sure if that was true but wanting to reassure her anyway.
“We’ll see,” she muttered. “Do you have towels?”
Now Raffi smiled, trying his best to lighten her mood. “You bet. After the fiasco at DePietro’s, I bought enough Ô towels to handle a damn tsunami.”
Ani gave him a weak smile. “Good thinking.”
Raffi and Ani distributed the bushel of brand-new towels, and it proved to be enough to cover everyone. But the last table Raffi approached was his father’s, and he saw Moushegh there, rubbing his ankle, Kami’s aunt by his side.
“Raffi jan,” the aunt said, “Moushegh had a fall.”
“Dad—” Raffi said, with concern at the same time Moushegh roared, “Damn it, Sima, I’m fine.”
Sima repeatedly shook her head no.No, he’s not fine.
Ani materialized then, and Raffi could see a small smile on his dad’s face. “Ani Avakian, yes?”
“That’s me. Can I help you in any way?”
Moushegh tapped the side of his glass. “Another Johnnie Walker, perhaps?”
Ani laughed good-naturedly, but Raffi could see she was trying to hide her concern. “Certainly,” she said in Armenian, and picked up his tumbler.
Sima, angry at Moushegh’s rebuffing, and seeing that all seemed to be well, walked away.
“Dad,” Raffi said.
“I do not want to hear it,” Moushegh said.
“How’d it happen?” Raffi asked.
His father sighed. “The water was everywhere. I tried to get up to move away and then suddenly I was on the ground.”
Raffi nodded silently. “Will you let me look at it, at least? I’m actually trained for it, even if I haven’t been practicing lately.”
Moushegh angrily shook his head. “Not here, not here.”
“Okay, but later?”
His father pursed his lips. “Fine.”
“We’ll get out of here soon. I have a feeling the party’s going to wrap up earlier than expected.”
