A/N: I've skipped ahead a bit in order to end this off before it gets too long. Thanks for the reviews. I hope you have enjoyed the story and will continue to look for more stories from me…I have tons of ideas!

"You know, most brides gain weight before their wedding. You had to be difficult, didn't you?" Lucy scolded.

Ruthie gave her older sister a deadly look. "This isn't funny! I can't wear a strapless dress that's falling off of me! What am I going to do?"

Annie flew into the room, sewing kit under her arm, needle hanging from her lips. "Out of the way, Luce! We'll have this fixed up in no time!"

Ruthie gave her mother a thankful look. "You're sure that the boys are all out of the house, right?"

Annie smiled up at her daughter as she began her work. "Your father took the twins out for pizza. Simon, Matt and Kevin went to play mini putt. You're covered."

Ruthie smiled and sighed. "Wait a second! What about Martin?"

A panicked look ran across Annie's and Lucy's faces, as they exchanged confused looks.

"Where is everyone?" came Martin's voice. "Hello?"

Ruthie shrieked, gathered her dress up around her waist and ran for the stairs just as Martin entered the living room.

"Martin Brewer!" Lucy yelled. "What are you doing here?"

Martin shrugged. "I'm always here. Where's Ruthie?"

Lucy tried, unsuccessfully to push Martin out the front door. "You have to leave now! You shouldn't be here. You and Ruthie get married tomorrow. It's bad luck to see the bride…"

"No, no. That's just for the day of the wedding. The groom can't see the bride the day of the wedding," Martin interrupted.

"Well it is bad luck for the groom to see the bride in her wedding dress before the wedding!" Lucy shouted.

Martin smiled and looked up the stairs. "Ruthie's in her dress? Hey, Ruth! Come on down and let me get a good look at you!"

"Martin Brewer, you leave this house immediately or I'll call my brother-in-law and he'll remove you himself!" Ruthie shouted from the hallway upstairs.

"I bet you look amazing!" Martin called. "I can't wait until tomorrow."

Ruthie smiled to herself. God, was she in love with this man! "You have to go, Martin. I have some last minute alterations to do."

Martin raised an eyebrow and looked at Lucy. Lucy rolled her eyes and said, "Your wife-to-be lost weight and now the dress is too big."

"You'd look beautiful in jeans and a t-shirt!" he yelled.

"Thank you, but I sort of LOVE this dress and I want to wear it tomorrow, so get out!"

Martin smiled and allowed Lucy to push him the rest of the way out of the door. On the step, he pointed at Lucy and said, "Just remember, as of tomorrow, we're family and we have to be nice to each other."

"Thanks for the warning!" Lucy smirked, shutting the door in Martin's face.

"Oh sure! I get a huge storm that practically postpones the whole ceremony and Ruthie gets sunshine and rainbows!" Lucy complained as Kevin kissed her cheek.

"Don't forget the lollipops!" Ruthie called, sticking her tongue out at Lucy. "Isn't it a beautiful day? I'm getting married today!"

Ruthie leaned against the counter and watched her family in action. They were all here. Matt and Sarah, the evidence of their soon-to-be family showing on Sarah's swollen stomach. Mary and Carlos and Charlie, having just reunited the year previous, looking more than a little blissful. Lucy and Kevin, one attempting to hold Savannah still long enough to fix her hair, the other feeding Jordan, their newest addition. Simon and Rose, the newlyweds, trying to pretend like the romance of the day wasn't tying them both up in knots, remembering their own nuptials. The twins, Sam and David, each having gone through a growth spurt, were tall and lean like their father. Annie, rushing around the kitchen making sure that everyone would be well fed before the day's activities. Eric, proofreading his sermon for this very important day, sure that nothing would ever be good enough for his baby girl.

Ruthie loved her family, but felt sure that Martin was enjoying his quiet solitude over at his father's house.

"Dad!" Martin yelled. "I'm missing a cufflink!"

"Martin, get down here and have some breakfast! You've got lots of time before you need to get into that monkey suit! Enjoy the coolness while you can, because once you put that thing on, you'll lose about ten pounds!" Bill called.

Martin came down the stairs and leaned against the kitchen's doorframe. His father was covered in pancake batter from head to toe.

Bill looked up and saw the amused look on his son's face. "Lizzie wanted pancakes and not the kind out of a box!"

Martin grabbed a towel and began wiping up the countertop, pinching Emma's nose in the process. His father, having taken an immediate adoration to his granddaughter, lovingly called her Lizzie in memory of his late wife. Martin would never have had the heart to correct him and Emma loved it anyway.

"You're getting grandpa all dirty!" Martin announced, picking Emma up from her chair. "Are you sure you need pancakes?"

The four year old looked at her father. "Yes. Grandpa said that I need to have lots of energy today because the aisle at church is pretty long and my legs are pretty short. Pancakes give you energy."

Martin laughed. "So does cereal," he whispered to his father, slapping him on the back. "Need some help?"

Bill stepped back, wiping his hands on his apron. "Be my guest."

"You know, Dad, she has to be at the Camden's in an hour," Martin said, pouring batter into the frying pan. "You're going with Ruthie to get your hair all done," he said to Emma.

Emma twirled a finger through her chocolate brown locks. "Ruthie said that I could have curls called ringlets and a princess crown."

Martin laughed. He'd been with Ruthie the day she'd seen the mini tiara on sale. Her eyes had lit up immediately, picturing Emma wearing the crown. "Oh Martin, won't she look adorable?"

That was Ruthie, always wanting the best for her little girl.

"Daddy?" Emma asked.

"Huh?" Martin grunted, scooping the first batch of pancakes onto three empty plates and placing one in front of Emma. He poured syrup on and began to cut it into squares, just the way she liked it.

"When you and Ruthie get married today, where will you live tomorrow?" Emma asked, shoving pancake into her mouth.

Bill looked up from his own breakfast to stare down his son. Martin took a seat calmly and said, "Ruthie and I haven't quite decided on that yet, little one. The house hunt hasn't been going well."

"That's because Ruthie's too picky!" Emma said matter-of-factly.

"Hey!" Martin scolded. "Manners, please! We don't say mean things about people we love, right?"

"Right, but Uncle Kevin and Aunt Lucy said that to Granny and Grampy Camden."

"Ruthie wants a nice house for all of us to live in."

"Even me?" Emma asked, her eyes lighting up.

Martin sighed. Emma's main place of residence was with Sandy, in a small apartment near the Promenade. In a dream world, Emma would come to live with him and Ruthie, but he knew that Sandy would never allow it. Emma, being much too young to understand it all, often begged Martin and Ruthie to stay with them. Sending her back after a week or weekend was torture for everyone.

"You'll have your own room and when you come it will be there waiting for you," Martin said.

Emma's face fell. "But I want to stay with you and Ruthie all of the time," Emma pouted.

"Is that a sad face?" Martin asked. Emma nodded, bottom lip sticking out. "There are no sad faces today. Today your daddy and Ruthie are getting married and that's happy news, right?"

Emma nodded, a smile slowly creeping onto her face. "Because we love Ruthie and want her in our Brewer family!"

Ruthie, veil firmly in place, stood behind the big chair and stared into the mirror. "You look just like a princess, angel!"

Emma smiled. "You look like a queen," she said to Ruthie.

The two hugged briefly, making sure not to mess the hair. "You ready to go home and put on your dress?"

Emma nodded and hopped down from the chair. Taking Ruthie's hand she said, "I'm glad that you're going to be in our Brewer family today."

Martin wiped a hand across his forehead, unable to believe just how hot it was in the church. He adjusted his tie and fidgeted with the buttons on his suit coat. He turned to his father and said, "Just tell me that you didn't forget the rings."

Bill put a supportive hand on Martin's shoulder and whispered, "They're in my pocket, just like the last time you asked me. Calm down. It'll be over soon enough and then you'll be married. These are your last single moments. Enjoy."

Martin turned to his father and said, "I don't want to be single. I want to marry Ruthie."

And then the music started. Eric took his place at the front of the church just as Rose came up the aisle. It was hard to believe that Rose was the same woman Simon had introduced them all to years before. But she had come a long way and was a great friend to her new sister-in-law.

After Rose came Mary, her short hair long again, looking more than a little tanned. Puerto Rico was treating her well. Lucy was the last, taking each stride elegantly, focusing her attention on Kevin, the man she was still madly in love with, even after two children and all of these years. She looked up at her father, wishing slightly that she was the one delivering the sermon, as she did most Sundays, but still sure her father would say the perfect words.

And then came Emma, all dolled up and looking like the princess she'd always claimed to be. The crowd gave a merry laugh when Emma spotted her father and called, "Hi Daddy! See my dress and my hair and my crown!"

Then the music changed. The crowd stood and everyone's attention shifted to the back of the church. Ruthie appeared, Simon at her side. Martin's breath caught in his throat and he thought for a second that it wasn't Ruthie at all, but an angel taking her place.

She had been right about the dress; what wasn't to love? Ruthie's dark skin offset the white of the strapless, beaded dress beautifully. Her hair was swept up, surrounded by a glittering tiara, a few loose strands framing her face. Her makeup was simple. The flowers she held, roses, were tied together with a long shimmering ribbon. Her veil swept the floor, as she and Simon made their way to the altar.

Tears brimmed Martin's eyes, as he fought for control, watching the woman of his dreams getting closer. When they reached the altar, it took a slight nudge from Bill to get Martin to move. He shook Simon's hand, before linking his fingers with Ruthie's and helping her step up onto the altar.

"Are you glad that we waited?" Ruthie asked, taking a sip of her champagne, before resting back on her pillows.

Martin looked over at his new bride and smiled devilishly. "It was sure worth the wait! And just think, you can do that to me anytime you want to!"

Ruthie giggled. "I can't believe that we're married!"

Martin dragged her closer to him and put both arms firmly around her. "I can. Even back when things between us seemed irreparable, I still saw us here."

Ruthie reached up and pulled Martin's head down for a kiss. She finished by tracing the outline of his lips with the tip of her tongue, sending shivers through Martin. She smiled and rolled on top of her, supporting his weight on his forearms, as he stared down into Ruthie's lusty eyes.

"Mrs. Brewer," he whispered. "I like the sound of that."

"Me too," Ruthie agreed, running his nails gently up and down Martin's bare back. "Mr. and Mrs. Martin Brewer. Kind of has a ring to it, doesn't it?"

"I love you," he said simply.

"I love you."

Martin flipped over, lying on his back, hands on Ruthie's hips, staring at her naked body in front of him. "I'm going to have to work overtime if I'm going to get to know every inch of this body."

"Get to know it now before it starts changing," Ruthie suggested.

"Changing?" Martin asked.

"Yeah, in about nine months or so," Ruthie hinted. "I think this next time will be the one."

"Or maybe the time after that, or the time after that, or the time after…"

HOPE YOU ALL ENJOY! HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE…