It’s rare for a band spouse (or in this case a spouse to be) gets to actually spend New Year’s Eve with his or her partner. New Year’s Eve is a working night you see; for almost all musos everywhere. Us wives, girlfriends, partners, significant others? We get the lead up to the gig, we get the afterwards (exhausted at 2am) but midnight? We don’t get midnight. Midnight is for the paying ticket-holders. And that is said without an ounce of malice. I’m a band kid, always have been, I was 22 before I realized there was even a possibility that NYE wasn’t a working night. That I actually could go out. That’s just life. And I usually consider it an honour to be the one that my friends and loved ones who are working that night know they can come home to without stress.
But this year? This year was different.
This season they had the jazz trio play the New Year’s Eve party, which meant Amras actually had the night off.
I cannot really express how incredibly unusual this was!
After all the drama that has happened this cruise, it was a wonderful chance to be able to ring in the future with the person who is such a massive part of my future. Surrounded by actual friends, who are able to laugh at the insanity that has been the last few weeks. And bless them, one of them brought two bottles of decent champagne.
And there was craziness, and there were eyes rolled, and sure, the countdown for midnight might have actually been a minute late…and I totally got injured by a balloon…but really? In the end, none of it matters, what matters are the people around you. And the smiles on everyone’s faces. And the fact that the real party always starts after the guests go home, because that’s the one night of the year that anyone can do anything they want (within reason).
And for me? It was all about the moment when I looked up at Amras on the dance floor and said
Next time we get to dance like this…I’m pretty sure we’ll be married
And it hit me like a punch to the gut, and I didn’t know whether or not to laugh or cry or both. Every New Year is a new beginning, every day is a new beginning. But this year? This year my life branches away from my current path in the biggest way I’ve ever experienced. And that’s big, and it’s exciting and yes it’s bloody terrifying…
But I will say one thing…
It’s started off well.