I am so exhausted by the time we leave the hospital that I just want to take a long nap. After meeting with the doctor, he kicked Mary and Alex out of the office and proceeded to ask me all kinds of personal questions from drug use to sexual activity. If the family would have just gotten ahold of me before Thanksgiving, I would not have gotten a tattoo nor would I have given Alex a blow job. As Alex had been my only sexual partner since Brandon, the doctor then asked Alex a bunch of questions about his drug use, last tattoo, sexual history, and then sent him to the lab before taking me into an examination room to make sure I was physically healthy.

By the time he was finished, Alex and Mary weren’t back, so I texted them that I was finished and headed toward the lab again. They were just coming down the hall when I got off the elevator. Alex was pale and Mary was grinning. He shot her a warning look of some kind and she sobered, but she was also biting her lip, as if she was trying to keep from smiling.

“What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” Alex answers really quickly.

I look at Mary. She just shrugs.

I don’t have the energy right now. She probably teased him again about needles and blood or something. Hell, she could have been grilling him about Dylan. I really don’t care. I’m fucking exhausted and want to get out of this hospital.

But, I really don’t want to go back to the apartment and deal with Shelby either and neither does Mary. It’s not like we have any place to be. The semester is over, as is my job at the bookstore, and Mary doesn’t plan on leaving to see her family for Christmas for a few more days and asked to tag along with us. She is concerned about me, and I get that, but I’m sure her coming to the brownstone has more to do with running into Dylan, not that I care. Mary has only met him a few times, but she is not going to let up until she knows him a hell of a lot better.

The house is in chaos when we get there. Or at least it seems that way from the number of bodies in the living and dining room and the noise.

Christian is in the living room, playing his saxophone, stopping a few times to write out music. Zachary is fixing the hair of some guy, who I assume is a drag queen too, since it is a dark, flip style wig he is putting on. Ryan is in a chair, feet up on the table and flipping through photographs on his laptop while Sean is sanding the stairs. At least, I assume that’s what he’s doing from the few HGTV shows I’ve seen.

“Where’s Dylan?” Alex asks.

“Took his laptop and headed out. Said there was too much noise for him to work,” answers Ryan.

“Just my luck,” Mary whispers.

“Christian can’t work on his music in his room because it shares a wall with the neighbors. They complain,” Alex explained.

The only guys that have met Mary are Sean, Dylan and Alex, so I introduce her to Christian, Zachary and Ryan.

“You know, if they came and hung out at our place doing all this, Shelby might move out.” Mary laughs.

“We wouldn’t be so lucky,” I mutter. “Besides, we could end up with someone worse.”

Mary snorts. “There is no worse than Shelby.”

The guy Zachary is working on goes into the bathroom and comes out a second later. “Looks good, man. Thanks.” Then he hands cash to Zachary after he boxes the wig up for the guy to take with him. As soon as he’s gone Sean stops sanding, Ryan closes the laptop, Christian puts down his sax and Zachary comes into the living room.

“What’s going on?” Ryan asks with concern.

I can only blink at them. They are all serious looking from me to Alex to Mary and back.

“What do you mean?” I finally ask.

“Kelsey, you look as if you haven’t slept in days, and Alex is tense as hell. Something happened,” Sean says.

“Besides,” adds Christian. “When Alex left, he was telling me that he was going to be alone with you all weekend and not to expect him. Now he’s back, with you and Mary.”

Geez, how fucking observant are these guys?

A hell of a lot more than I realized, apparently.

Alex and Mary look at me. They won’t say a word if I don’t want to, and it’s my life to tell. But, I don’t want to talk about it anymore. I don’t want to break down in front of the guys, but it’s not like I need to keep this a secret from them either. “You two tell them.” I plop down on the couch and snuggle into the corner, wishing I could sleep for a week.

Alex starts with my child, the adoption and the call from the parents. When the guys start asking questions more medically related, Mary explains. She’s got this covered, and even though I was with the doctor and heard everything he said, I’m still not sure I get it.

“AB blood is really hard to find,” Mary says.

“Harder than mine,” Christian says.

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“I’m A negative. The Red Cross loves me. I can expect a call from them about every two to three months.”

Mary just shakes her head. “Three rare blood types in one room? First Kelsey’s daughter, then Kelsey and now you? Really weird.”

“Honey, stranger things have happened around here,” Christian laughs. “Tell the doc that he can have my blood, Kelsey. I gave at the end of October, and they should be calling to schedule me again shortly. I’ll just put it off in case your little girl needs me.”

My eyes mist. “Thanks, Christian.”

“Brandy can only get AB negative or positive,” Mary says. “Besides, it’s the stem cells that will be tricky,” Mary adds. “They need to match more than just a blood type.”

Christian looks at the other guys. “You should be giving blood too.” He nods to the chalkboard on the wall, the one with Pay It Forward. “You could save a life.”

“The Red Cross or the Blood Center does take walk-ins, and I’m sure somebody, somewhere is holding a blood drive right now.” Mary grins and grabs her phone. “Here is one and it’s close.” She rattles off an address. “At least go down and let them type you, test your blood and see if they want you.”

The guys share a look. They want to help, but giving blood was probably not at the top of their list for fun activities for the day.

Then, as if in silent agreement, they grab their coats. All except Alex and Christian.

“You too, loverboy,” Mary says to Alex. “They typed you today. You’re O neg, everyone’s favorite.”

“I should stay with Kelsey,” he argues.

“I’ll be fine. Give blood. Somebody else’s kid out there might need it right now.”

I can tell he’s torn with going and staying with me by the way he glances at the guys and back.

“Go!” I insist. “I’m going to nap anyway.”

“Fine,” he blows out.

“I’ll go along to warn them you’re a fainting risk,” Mary giggles as they head for the door.