"Hey!" Simon greeted, entering the Camden kitchen.

Lucy, Kevin, Eric and Annie all looked up from their meals, surprised to see Simon walking through the door.

Annie rushed over to hug and kiss her son. "What are you doing here?"

Simon gave his father and sister a quick hug, exchanging a handshake with Kevin. "I brought Sandy down. She and Martin went shopping for some baby essentials today. Martin was going to come down and do everything there, but I wanted to come home anyway, so I offered her the ride."

"You wanted to come here?" Lucy asked, eyebrow raised in curiosity.

Simon ruffled Lucy's hair, making a face at her. Lucy did the same back, waiting for an answer to her question. "Everything is fine!" Simon exclaimed. "Rose and I are fine!"

Kevin laughed. The Camden family always assumed the worst. "So why are you here?"

Simon sighed and took a seat, accepting the meal his mother was placing in front of him. "I heard that Ruthie's been pretty bummed lately. I wanted to come down and see her."

"That's a really nice thing to do, Simon," Eric smiled at his son. "Ruthie's been like this for almost a full month though. I'm not sure one visit from her older brother will get her out of this."

Simon shrugged, taking a bite of his sandwich. "I thought it was worth a try."

The five adults finished their lunch slowly, before dispersing to different areas of the house. Simon made his way out into the backyard, to find his younger sister stretched out on a chair, basking in the sun and listening to some really depressing music!

"I leave home and this is how you start spending your free time?" Simon asked, leaning over so as to cast a shadow over Ruthie.

Ruthie took off her sunglasses and stared up at her brother. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to spend the day with you," he said. "But I'm all about the fun these days and this," he said pointing at the stereo, "This will never do."

Ruthie watched Simon flip through the various radio stations, making faces over his shoulder when he found something he didn't like. Finally Simon stood straight, index finger in the air. "You stay here and continuing…brooding. I'll be back!"

Simon ran through the house, on a mission. Lucy and Annie watched Simon fly through the kitchen and gave each other curious looks. Ten seconds later, Simon was flying through again, in the other direction this time, heading back outdoors.

Walking over to the stereo, Simon opened the cassette player and inserted an old tape. He pressed play and smiled. Turning to Ruthie, he offered a hand.

"What?" Ruthie asked, a small smile starting on her face.

Simon grabbed Ruthie's hand and pulled her out of the chair. He pulled her into him, saying, "It's time to leave this depression behind, Brown-Eyed Beauty."

Ruthie had forgotten all about that nickname. Her father used to call her that when she was small. And then the music started and Ruthie couldn't help but laugh. "Brown-Eyed Girl" came blaring out of the small stereo's speakers and Simon started to dance around the yard, twirling his sister around as he did.

Inside, Lucy and Annie had moved closer to the window, watching Simon and Ruthie dancing around the backyard. Lucy smiled. Ruthie actually looked like she was having fun. (So did Simon for that matter!)

Within seconds, Lucy and Kevin had joined Simon and Ruthie in the backyard, dancing up a storm. Sam and David, dancing being their newfound joy, were also joining in the festivities. The songs came and went, but they didn't stop dancing. The dancing got goofier, but everyone was having so much fun, it didn't matter.

Caught up in their contentment and silliness, everyone failed to notice Sandy and Martin enter the backyard. The two stood on the sidelines, staring at the others having so much fun. Martin watched Ruthie and Lucy do some kind of disco dance move, laughing at their fun.

"This family does the coolest things," Sandy said to Martin, watching Simon do some horrible dance move. "You should go dance."

Martin shook his head, his smile disappearing. "Ruthie's finally having some fun. I'd just ruin it for her."

Sandy gave Martin a look and, taking him by the arm, dragged him further into the yard.

Ruthie, who was breathless from all of the dancing she was doing, looked up and saw Sandy and Martin entering the yard. Sandy was getting bigger by the day, a reminder to Ruthie of all she was missing out on with Martin.

Simon, seeing Ruthie's happy face fall, grabbed her by the hand, pulled her into him and danced away from the scene. He pressed his mouth close to her ear. "You can do this, Ruth. You are strong. And if you need to, you can lean on me. I'd never let you fall."

Ruthie smiled at Simon and twirled away from him. She walked up to Sandy and said, "Do you know how to mash potato?"

Sandy smiled at Ruthie, accepted her outstretched hand and went to join the rest of the dancers.

Martin stood back, hands in his pockets. He hated dancing anyway. He watched the others and smiled. They were having so much fun. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had any kind of fun.

"Martin!" Lucy shouted. "Come on!"

Martin smiled and walked over to Lucy, accepting her outstretched arms.

It seemed like hours, out there in the backyard, a sea of silly dancers, the music old, yet timeless and entrancing. Eric and Annie stood back, arms around each others' shoulders, watching their children and friends enjoying a simple afternoon. Eric tried to remember the last time he'd seen them all being this carefree and happy. Martin, the one who vehemently opposed dancing, had been lost in the music and smiles of his fellow dancers. Sandy, her stomach bulging, was the only reminder of the hard times befalling each of them in their own ways. Ruthie, adrift on a sea of depression, was smiling and laughing, impervious to all her problems, at least for the moment.

And then the music slowed down. Some random song from the eighties, Eric couldn't have given it a name if he tried. One-by-one the young adults paired off: Lucy and Kevin, Simon and Sandy, Ruthie and Martin. Almost like some force had pre-determined who belonged with whom.

Martin hadn't even realized he was holding Ruthie until she spoke. "This was fun."

Martin smiled down at her. "I can't believe I was dancing in your backyard."

Ruthie's smile was genuine and warmed Martin's heart. Ruthie looked at Simon dancing slowly with Sandy, her belly snuggled in between the two of them. Sandy's head was resting gently on Simon's chest, Simon's chin on Sandy's head. She looked away, wondering why the picture made her apprehensive.

"I've missed you," Martin admitted quietly.

Ruthie looked up at Martin. "I've missed you, too."

Martin pressed Ruthie closer to his chest. Ruthie wrapped her arms tighter around Martin's middle.

A simple afternoon of dancing had brought about the biggest change to two very young, very confused teenagers…