Chapter 41

Jonah sees his family nearby at a round table. Pam sits by Jake. Jake sits by Soozie. Soozie sits by Willa. Willa sits by Bobo. Bobo sits by Magnum. Magnum sits next to Pam. Bill isn’t anywhere to be seen, not that Jonah expects to see him. He probably escaped home to be alone, having survived the wedding ceremony. Jonah’s at least pleased that the man attended his wedding service. Amen to this.

Sandy’s family sits next to his family at a second round table. Pam. Bill. His aunts. His uncles. And two of his closest cousins. There’s an older woman at the table Jonah has never met before, but will before tonight is over, no doubt.

“It’s a remarkable room,” Jonah says to his husband, leaning into the man after studying both their families nearby.

“Stunning. We chose well.”

“I don’t see that bitch Cookie anywhere.”

“I imagine she’s on a high somewhere with her three lines of coke.”

“Thank God the people she hired for us know what the fuck they are doing.”