"The chemical formula for hydrogen peroxide?" Ruthie asked, making a face as she read from the thick, hard-covered book. "Do you really need to know this?"

Martin nodded. "Only if I wanna graduate. Give me a hint."

Martin was lying across Ruthie's bed. When a question Ruthie asked him was too difficult, he'd roll onto his back and stare at the ceiling, as if the answer would mysteriously appear above. Right now, he was on his back, a confused look on his face. Ruthie, who was sitting at her desk, the large book propped open on her lap, began to flip pages.

"Isn't it on the study page?" Martin asked, noticing Ruthie flipping. "Page 267?"

Ruthie smiled, a guilty look appearing on her face. "Sorry."

Martin propped himself up and threw a pillow at her. "You're evil!"

Ruthie hoisted herself off the chair and joined Martin on the bed. She gave him a small kiss, before leaning into his chest, placing her head under his chin. "You'll do fine. Besides, you've aced all of your other finals."

"Look who's talking?" Martin joked, poking her cheek playfully. "Ninety-five in History? You're such a brain!"

Ruthie shrugged. "When you've got it, you've got it!"

A knock came on Ruthie's open door and Annie stuck her head in. "Martin, there's a phone call for you."

Martin nodded and reached over to pick up Ruthie's phone. "Hello?"

"Martin?" came Simon's voice.

"Hey, Simon!" Martin greeted. "What's up?"

"It's Sandy," Simon said excitedly. "She's gone into labor! You have to get here quick!"

Martin's eyes grew large and his hand lost a grip on the phone, sending it crashing to the floor. Ruthie, sensing that something was wrong, picked up the phone and asked, "Simon? What's wrong?"

"Sandy's in labor! She's having the baby and Martin needs to get here fast before he misses the whole thing!" Simon said.

Ruthie got all of the details from Simon, jotting them down on a piece of paper quickly, before hanging up. She took a look at Martin, who was still sitting on the corner of the bed, looking dazed and more than a little frightened. Ruthie shook her head and ran down the stairs, meeting up with her father and mother in the kitchen.

"Are you two busy?" she asked.

Eric shrugged. "We had thought about taking advantage of the twins' absence and maybe taking in a movie. Why?"

"That was Simon and Sandy just went into labor. Martin's not really in a good condition to drive, so I was thinking that maybe you two could take us?" Ruthie asked.

"Of course!" Eric said, heading to get his car keys and jacket. "You get Martin and we'll meet at the van."

Ruthie ran back upstairs and was shocked to see Martin still sitting in the same spot, not having moved a muscle since the news first broke.

"Martin!" Ruthie yelled. "We have to go!"

"She's not supposed to be having this baby for another two or three weeks!" Martin finally managed. "I have my last final tomorrow!"

Ruthie tried not to laugh at Martin's frightened words. "Martin, I'll call the school first thing tomorrow morning and let them know that you'll be missing your final. I'm sure they'll understand given the circumstances. My dad's going to drive us to the hospital."

Martin finally got up from the bed and walked past Ruthie to the door, muttering, "I'm about to become a father."

Ruthie sat beside Martin in the backseat of the van, but felt like he was a million miles away. Annie and Eric, obviously feeling very ill at ease with the situation, chatted on nonstop the whole way there. Martin said nothing. Ruthie said nothing. The silence made Ruthie worry that things between them would never be the same again.

"Thank God!" Simon smiled, seeing Martin and the others come through the main doors of the hospital. "I was worried I was going to have to go in there with her."

Martin stood, completely dumbfounded, unsure of what his role in this was supposed to be. Simon put his arm around Martin's shoulders and pulled him forward to the nurse's station. "He's the father."

The words echoed in Ruthie's ears long after Martin had gone through the next set of doors. He didn't even look back at me, she thought to herself. When he comes back, he'll be father.

The minutes dragged into hours, the hours seemed to drag into years, as the four Camdens sat waiting for news of any kind to reach them. Simon, worried about Sandy and the inevitable pain she was going through, tried to focus his attention on the television in front of him, but found himself unable to think of anything but Sandy. Eric, worried about his baby girl's role in all of this, kept giving Ruthie sideways glances he was sure went unnoticed and were, therefore, harmless. Annie, remembering her own deliveries, said silent prayers for all those involved. Ruthie, annoyed by her father's constant glances, tried to read a magazine.

Finally, the tension hit Ruthie and she exploded. "Will you please stop looking at me?" she yelled at her father. "I know what you're thinking and you're wrong! Everything is fine!"

Eric, feeling guilty for adding to Ruthie's strain, decided to take a walk down to the chapel. Just as he got to his feet, ready to get out of his daughter's hair, Martin came through the swinging doors, dressed in a light blue hospital gown.

Everyone slowly rose to their feet. Expectation filled the air.

Martin's face broke into a smile. "It's a girl," he announced. "I have a baby girl."

Annie's smile widened as she went over to hug Martin and wish him congratulations. Eric did the same. Simon offered a handshake and a smile.

"She'd like to see you," Martin said to Simon. "The doctors just want a minute to get her settled in her room and then you can go ahead in. You have to sign in though."

Simon smiled, glad that Sandy was thinking of him too. He walked over to the desk and began to fill out some papers, flanked by Eric and Annie, who thought it best to leave Martin and Ruthie for a bit.

"Congratulations!" Ruthie smiled, giving Martin a tentative hug.

Martin hugged her back. "Give me a minute or two and then I'd like you to come somewhere with me, okay?"

Ruthie nodded and watched Martin and Simon walk off together. Martin had been so happy announcing the birth of his daughter. All along he'd been so sure he didn't want this baby, but now that she was here, Martin was hooked. Ruthie wasn't sure why, but that made her feel worse.

"You okay?" Annie asked casually.

Ruthie offered her mother a nervous smile, unable to hide her true feelings from the one Camden who always knew what was going on way before anyone else. "I'm fine."

Annie knew what a strain this was on Ruthie, watching the young man she loved bringing a child into the world with someone else. The cruelty of life, Annie thought. If Martin and Ruthie had just sorted through their feelings months earlier, no one would be here. Annie then chastised herself for the thought. This baby was here and would be more than a little loved.

Martin came back through the doors, out of his hospital wear. He smiled at Ruthie and took her by the hand.

"Where are we going?" she asked as he pulled her through the swinging doors.

"There's someone I want you to meet," he said excitedly.

Ruthie allowed herself to be dragged down another hallway and found herself in front of a set of large glass windows. Inside were a dozen or so metal-sided cribs. There were only two babies inside, one wrapped in a blue blanket, the other a pink.

Martin smiled at her and eased the two of them through another set of doors, waving to the nurse as he walked by. Ruthie tried hard not to feel overwhelmed.

Ruthie watched as Martin gently picked up his new daughter and brought her into his arms, adjusting the small pink cap she was wearing to keep her head warm. She smiled up at Ruthie and said, "Ruthie, this is my daughter, Emma Elizabeth Brewer."

A tear fell from Ruthie's eye and she brushed it away silently, smiling at the tenderness Martin was showing his newborn daughter. "Elizabeth. After your mom?"

Martin, tears filling his own eyes, nodded. "It was Sandy's idea, actually. She was amazing, Ruth. I couldn't believe how strong she was. And look at the miracle she brought into my life. I can't believe there was ever a time I didn't want her."

Ruthie swallowed the lump in her throat. It was hard to hear Martin talk sweetly about another woman, especially the mother of his child. How was Ruthie supposed to compare?

"Emma," Martin cooed. "Emma, I want you to meet Ruthie. You're going to be seeing a lot of her." Martin bent his head close to Emma's and whispered, "She's the other most-important lady in my life."

And with those words, Ruthie felt reassured that everything would be fine. She opened her arms, allowing Martin to place the small girl inside. "Hello there, little angel. We've been waiting for you."