That evening, a group of ten very happy and chatty gay men checked in at the front desk, along with an older gay couple who were the parents of Ian’s husband-to-be, whose name was Corey and in his late twenties. Corey, a tall, handsome African-American man, was totally besotted with Ian, and it was lovely to see. They were a lively, colorful group and it made me smile to see them “ooh” and “aah” over everything.
Right before I helped Jet with dinner, I went over to say “hello” to my cousin, since he’d been busy earlier, checking that the preparations were just right.
“Ian, thanks for inviting me to be a part of this,” I said after he gave me an unexpected hug.
His hair was a darker red than mine, with a little silver at the sides. He sported a neatly trimmed beard and moustache. “I’m so
