Author's Note: Whoa. Been a hot minute since I posted a 7th Heaven fanfic. This is an idea I came up with months ago but I never shared it. Well, I'm sharing it now. I want it to be clear that I do not condone what a certain person did, I think it's absolutely abhorrent and it bothers me. It's because of this individual there'll never be a 7th Heaven reunion. Well, there are obviously other factors. Such as that canon bible thumping.
The pity plus one.
That's what Ruthie Camden was known as whenever she got invited to yet another wedding. Almost all her friends were now married, and some were engaged to be married. Most of her colleagues were married, some were engaged, and one was having 'serious' Facebook conversations with someone they met at the local library a few months back. David, Ruthie's youngest brother, had recently tied the knot with his long-time girlfriend he'd met in college.
It didn't come as a surprise that, being thirty-two years old, family members had long been asking her the dreaded question: when are you going to get married? And she didn't know.
Apparently, it was still against the norm three decades into the twenty-first century to be single at this age. The last time she'd been in a serious relationship was during her sophomore year in college. The guy she was with then just got up and left town. He'd moved across the country to attend college on the East coast instead of staying in Glen Oak like they had already discussed.
A few years later, once she'd already graduated from college, there had been a series of encounters with a grade school boyfriend. It didn't go far beyond hook-ups and, eventually, both of them realized that they just weren't thirteen anymore. They were different people now.
In the years since, there had been sporadic dates and attempted match-making at weddings.
None of the interactions she had with these men went any further than a brief conversation over drinks and loud, blaring music. They'd dance to a few songs, exchange numbers, with a promise of texting, and that'd be it. She'd never hear from them again, and she never bothered to reach out to them either.
Tonight, Ruthie had been invited yet again as another 'pity plus-one', a term that her friends had come to refer to her as. This time, it was the wedding of a colleague's cousin's high school friend. This had become a frequent occurrence; now that most of her friends were married, Ruthie would be connected to their family members or grade-school friends to be utilized as their plus-one at weddings. She absolutely hated it; but could she really complain a whole lot?
It was an opportunity to get out and meet new people, even if she was never going to talk to them or see them again. Besides, who could say no to free drinks and food while listening to music and dancing? It made her feel like she was twenty-one again.
So, why the hell wouldn't she do it?
Allison, the cousin of Ruthie's colleague, had picked her up twenty minutes earlier and they were on their way to a country club for the wedding. It overlooked a lake and, with the fall foliage just beginning to show themselves, it was bound to be spectacular. While her brothers and sisters had all gotten married in a church, Ruthie hoped that – if she were ever to marry – that it would be at a place like this.
"Thanks so much for coming, Ruthie. My date canceled on me at the last minute, he had to take a shift at the hospital." Allison said as she pulled into a parking spot. Ruthie knew this wasn't true, and she knew the other woman knew it as well. She had no idea what her friends and colleagues were telling their relatives; but whatever it was, Ruthie didn't care.
"You might actually know my friend's family, Ruth." Allison said, jolting Ruthie back to reality.
She was startled enough that she didn't even notice the incorrect use of her name.
"What do you mean?"
A knock on the door diverted Allison's attention away from her. She let out an elated cry and opened the door, hugging a bunch of screaming women. This was another thing Ruthie hated. While everyone knew one another, Ruthie was a complete stranger to them. She wondered what these people thought of a familiar acquaintance bringing a random person with them.
"Allison! Oh, my god, you need to see Tessa. She is gorgeous."
As Ruthie got out of the car and followed the chattering group of women inside, she couldn't help but wonder what Allison was referring to. She looked around for any familiar faces, but she couldn't see anyone. Ruthie shook her head, letting out a resigned sigh.
Soon, the half-hearted match-making would begin. But, before all that, Ruthie was about to see some random couple she never met in her life get married. The crowd slowly made their way through the grand hall of the country club and into the large dining hall that overlooked the lake. The chairs were arranged in about twenty rows, about ten seats to a row. Ruthie took a seat close to the back, next to Allison.
The woman finally turned to her as the loud chatter quieted to a hum.
"They're over there." Allison gestured discreetly towards several people in the first few rows. Ruthie nodded quietly in response. She wasn't setting her expectations too high. She was going to be introduced to the guy tonight at the reception, and the same damn thing would happen. They'd chat over a couple drinks and loud music, dance to a couple contemporary dance songs, exchange numbers with the promise of texting, and she'd never hear from him again.
The cycle would keep repeating itself until she got too old, wrinkled, and grey to be invited.
Hell, for all she knew, she'd be going to the weddings of her great nieces and nephews. By then, the age-appropriate men would be widowers still grieving the loss of their one great love.
At one point, Ruthie had seriously considered using one of those dating apps; but she'd heard awful things about it. She didn't want to put herself out there like that, to sketchy-looking men.
Music began to play over the loudspeaker and everyone stood, turning in anticipation of the wedding party. Women in baby-blue dresses, a bouquet of flowers in their hands, and men in deep royal blue tuxedos, made the slow procession down the aisle. One of the groomsmen caught Ruthie's eyes; but she shook it off as being a trick of the dim dining hall lights.
You might actually know my friend's family, Allison's words echoed in her mind.
No. There was no freaking way that Ruthie actually knew someone that was related to the bride, who just so happened to know the cousin of her colleague. What were the actual chances of that even happening? Something like one in a billion?
Yeah, no.
"Well, did you see him?" Allison asked, as if she'd been reading Ruthie's very thoughts then.
The orchestra music swelled over the loudspeaker before Ruthie had a chance to reply. Everyone fixed their sights on the door, where the bride appeared with a man who was too young to have been her father.
She was wearing a floor-length dress, with beads along the neckline. Her wavy brunette hair was partially up, with loose curls framing her oval face. Her green eyes were damp with unshed tears as she bit her lips nervously. She was looking straight ahead, at the opposite end of the aisle, where the groom stood, waiting for his future wife.
The nervousness turned into a bright smile as she made the procession towards her future husband. Ruthie smiled, ignoring the ache in her gut, as the groom took the bride's hand.
That ceremony was beautiful, wasn't it? One woman was talking an hour later as they stood in the reception area of the country club. Theresa looked so happy; it's such a shame John couldn't be here. Another woman shook her head, frowning.
"Hey." Allison came up to Ruthie. "He's right over there. Let me introduce you."
Ruthie let out a long sigh as she followed Allison through the crowd of people lingering, sipping on various brightly-colored beverages and snacking on appetizers. All she could think about was how this would turn into yet another failed match-making scheme concocted by her friends and colleagues.
When was enough going to be enough? When would people just back the fuck off?
It wouldn't. They wouldn't.
After all, she was the pity plus-one.
Forever and always.
Author's Note 2: This could actually very well be a stand-alone. Or if there's any interest, not that I think there will be, I can continue.