I waddled like a stuffed penguin into the restroom, hanging up the IV bag and holding onto the handrail to sit on the toilet. Jesus, even the bathroom in this joint is swanky, I thought, looking down at the earth-toned terracotta tiles on the floor and the whirlpool tub in the corner.

After I finished and washed my hands, I went back into the room and found another of my honorary brothers, Camden Fitz, waiting by the restroom door for me as the other men made themselves at home on the lavish couches and chairs in the sizable sitting area of the room. Cam and Beau had gone to grade school together, so I’d known him the longest of any of my brother’s friends. They’d lost touch when they ended up going to different high schools but had reconnected in the navy.

“I can’t believe little Blaire Atwood is having a baby,” he said, placing one hand on my back and easing me onto the bed. “I remember when you were just a tiny little thing, always tagging along with me and Beau everywhere we went.”

“Yeah, it used to piss me off when y’all wouldn’t let me play football with you,” I retorted, my lips forming a tiny pout at the memory.

Cam pushed a lock of hair behind my ear. “You’re going to be an amazing mom, Blaire. And an amazing doctor. I’m so proud of you, sweetheart.” He rested a hip on the bed beside me and laid a sweet kiss on my forehead.

Pressing my lips together, I swatted my palm against his rock-hard chest. “Stop it, Cam. You’re going to make me cry.”

Cam was a sweetheart but kind of the party guy of the group. He was always down for going out for drinks or picking up women at nightclubs, but once you got to know him, it was easy to realize that the party didn’t quite make it to his eyes. There was an innate sadness deep in his baby blues, though he kept it mostly suppressed and never talked about it. He was also, according to my brother, a “bad motherfucker,” a martial arts expert and one of the most skilled hand-to-hand fighters the military had ever produced.

“Okay,” Tamara announced loudly, her blonde curls bouncing merrily as she clapped her hands. “I’m about to do a cervical exam, and anyone who doesn’t have the proper authorization to see Blaire’s vagina needs to leave the room now.” The guys scrambled out of the room like there was a bomb threat, and Tamara and I were alone in approximately 2.3 seconds. “Works every time,” she said, winking at me.

“You’re good,” I said.

“So, give me the scoop. I know those hunks aren’t all your brothers, right?” She put on a pair of gloves and lifted my gown.