I just hope he can keep it together when Jackson gets here. Not because I'm embarrassed by him. I don't want that to be Jackson's impression of him. I don't want him to see Uncle Randy as anything other than the incredible man who I knew. The man who loved me and helped me so much when I first came out … when I first started truly embracing who I really am.
The nurses lead some more residents in, and some of the more capable ones come on their own.
Today's about as busy as the others-twenty people, including the residents, their family, nurses, and a couple of volunteers.
I sit with Randy for a bit and show him some of the pictures I took on my iPhone at the zoo. I'm not in my most fashionable state-a polo and shorts. They're old-things I used to wear when I spent a lot of time with him. I think they'll make him feel more comfortable, and like if anything around changes, at least I'm still here with him.
"Oh, look at those elephants," he says. "I want to go to the zoo."
"Maybe one day we'll do that. Maybe I'll swing by and take you over there, and we can see the elephants and the giraffes and the zebras."
"Can we go to the aquarium, too?"
"Yeah, we can."
A tear slides down my face because this reminds me of all the times we went to the zoo and the aquarium together. How we would laugh and chat, and I'd ask him for advice, ramble on and on with him following every word I was saying, cracking jokes with me. But he can't make jokes like he used to and he struggles to follow what I say if I speak too fast.
I reach the end of the pictures, but he swipes like I've been doing for him, and when I see the pic of me in a jockstrap, one I took for Grindr several weeks ago, I close the screen. "I think we should probably stop there."
"Oh, that one was naughty." He chuckles. "Derek, you're a bad boy."
"Well, you're not that innocent, are you, Uncle Randy?"
He laughs. "Tim takes the really naughty ones for me."
"I'm teaching a tango class today," I say, hoping to get him off the subject.
"I love tango. I'm really good."
"I know you are. And we're going to show everyone just how good today, okay?"
"I can do a mean hustle, too."
I laugh. I can't help myself. "I bet you can. Maybe we can do the hustle later if that's all right with you. We just have to show these amateurs some tango first, okay?"
"That's fine."
I turn to the back of the room and see Jackson slip through the entrance. He drove us here in his Jeep since he was already swinging by to see his mom. I considered asking if he wanted me to go with him to check on his mom, but I didn't want to push since I sure as fuck wouldn't have wanted anyone to push with Randy. I figure he would invite me if he was ready for that.
Now that Jackson's here, I'm relieved and nervous at the same time, but really, I'm glad he came.
He approaches and I push to my feet, giving him a hug before introducing him to my uncle.
"Hey, Randy. There's someone I'd like you to meet."
Randy's eyes are already on Jackson, his expression eager, excited even. He rises quickly to his feet, smiling. He appears more energized than I've seen him in a long time.
I hadn't considered how pleased he'd be to see a stud like Jackson in this place, though Jackson is pretty much the hottest thing around aside from a handful of nurses and doctors who Uncle Randy and I ogle together from time to time.
"I'm Randy," he says. "But you can call me whatever you'd like."
"He tells that to all the hotties," I tell Jackson.
I think it was his pickup line back in the day, and he still sees himself as quite the charmer.
Jackson chuckles as he takes Randy's hand and shakes. "Nice to meet you, Randy. I'm Jackson."
We make small talk before the hands on the clock at the front of the room assure me that it's 10 a.m.
"Time for the show, Randy. Wish me luck."
"Break a leg." Jackson sits beside him as I head to the front of the room.
"How's everyone doing today?" I ask, not expecting much of a response, and I can see the annoyance in some of the residents' expressions.
It's nothing that I'm not used to dealing with.
"I know some of you are really excited about my little tango lesson. And for those who want to try, don't worry, I'll go slow. I always like to start slow. Well, maybe not always." As I look at Jackson, Maggie, the woman who asked about tango last time, bursts into laughter.
"Derek, you're terrible," she calls out.
I talk through a few of the basic moves before saying, "Everyone, if you could give my buddy Jackson a big round of applause, he's going to be assisting me today."