Yay! My favorite cousin Olivia is coming to town. Some training thing for work. But she wants to get together for brunch or dinner. Ever since I was a little girl, I have always wanted to spend time with Olivia, but I was either too young, or too far away. And even now, she lives in Dallas and I in Austin, but I so love seeing her when we get to. Being an adult, now I can go and do anything. I even thought about moving to Dallas, but put the plan on the back burner for now, since I am moving in with Martin. Olivia and I are a lot alike in appearance and mannerisms, I have noticed. Or maybe that is just wishful thinking on my part. Of the two of us, she obviously has her shit way more together than I do. She is continuing her education while she works with underpriveleged, handicapped children. She has also just bought a home with her life partner Suzette, who also has finally begun her studies as well and works as a security officer.  I remember the Christmas a few years ago, when I finally found out what I already knew deep down. That Olivia is gay. I remember the way I found out. It had been decided that since my parents and I were going to spend Christmas with Aunt Amelia and Uncle Frank that I would stay at Olivia and her roomate's apartment. After they picked me up at the airport we had a nice dinner out, and had acouple of drinks. We went to the apartment, watched Christmas movies and as I snuggled into the huge leather couch I nodded off without a care. Just like home.  The next day we were getting ready to go shopping when I realized that there was only one bedroom, and one bed. As I tried to formulate in my head what other reasons there could be for sharing a bed with another woman, we ate breakfast and chatted animatedly about what we were going to do that day. Shop shop shop. That is what they love to do! I would too if I could afford it. I couldn't, but stil enjoyed the time spent getting to know Suzette and catching up with Olivia.  It wasn't until that evening at the club, after I got hit on by many ladies and met many of their friends and my cousin had excused herself to the restroom, that Suzette finally confessed the nature of their relationship.  As I recall, I was drunk. I looked at her in the eye and solemnly said "To tell you the truth Suzy, I already know. But I want to ask you something right here and now. Do you love her?" Suzy realized I was not concerned about the gay factor I was concerned about the love factor. She relaxed and smiled "Yes, yes I love her very much." "That's all that matters to me Suzy." I hugged her and the rest of the evening consisted of more drinking, and more dancing. I don't know how many girls I danced with and there was that one guy that kept dirty dancing with me (I was warned about him) but we all had a great time that night. We spent Christmas vacation shopping and visiting with the folks. Hers are still in denial about her being gay, so they still introduce Suzy to their friends as Olivia's roommate.  When me and my parents were driving back to Oklahoma from Dallas my dad asked me a bunch of questions, and then finally "So are they gay?" "Yes they are. And it seems that they are really happy dad." "I knew it! I told your Mom that they were. She didn't believe me." My mom said "Oh no I knew, don't lie Randolph! You were the one who wasn't sure!" I sat back  relaxed and smiled as they continued their conversation.  Thinking back I knew a long time ago when I was about 16 and we hung out with her "roommate" at the time.  I think I knew even before when she came to visit in gosh awful Eagle Pass when I was 14 and I knew I could trust her to tell her the real reason my parents were getting a divorce. I knew then that I had a friend for life, and she is. Now that I am in my 30's we still keep in touch, and she still gets on my case about going to school, or gives me advice about my failing love life, or just life in general. What's more is that that Christmas was such a success that we did it again two years later. My dad and Suzy got along famously since they are both liqeur, cigar and sports afficionados. Mom was her usual bubbly fun self. And we all were really in that spirit of family. What touched me the most was that my parents shopped for Suzy just like they woud have for any of our family members, wioth thoughtfulness and care. It made me feel like Suzy really is a part of our family too.