His accusation makes her frown, though she waits until he's gotten all of his thoughts out before speaking. "Being alone isn't easy. I understand how difficult it is to be the only person who knows an entire history, to be the remaining member of a group of people I would have given my life for, to be the last of my lineage." She pauses to take a breath and cross her arms in front of her chest. That last thought is always particularly difficult one to have. "It's slowed me from moving forward, stopped me at times, too. I can't bring myself to celebrate that my world is somewhere out there, thriving without me, because it's too painful and that is not my way."

She lifts her eyes from the table to meet his gaze, her face one of forced calm. "But being in pain isn't an excuse to hide myself in something that destroys my mind and ability to live. I did what I had to survive for a long time, and there's no shame in that. Eventually I learned to let go of that, allowed myself to change into someone who didn't need that same crutch to keep going. It was difficult and I am more for having forced my way through it."

She gestures to his discarded glass of ginger ale and tilts her head slightly. "That is my choice for a drink for celebration, because it's what I like. I'm no less for choosing this for myself rather than a more traditional drink. Maybe it's not for you, but if you know the alcohol is hurting you, it might be time to find its equivalent for yourself." It will be something he needs to do for himself, but he needs to agree to the idea in the first place before she offers that point.