Martin walked into his room after having an overly long shower. He froze in the doorway. A large, black duffle bag was sitting in the middle of his unmade bed, clothes hanging out of it.

"Mac?" Martin yelled, walking into the kitchen. "What are you doing?"

Mac spooned a mouthful of cereal into his waiting mouth and smiled at Martin. Taking an extra long time to chew and swallow, he noticed the annoyance on his friend's face. "Something wrong?"

"I'm not going," Martin repeated. "You think packing a bag for me makes any difference?"

"No, but I bet having to tell Sandy that her wedding isn't important enough for you to attend will."

"Sandy will be so busy that day she won't even know that I'm not there."

Mac shrugged. "She's coming over."

"What?" Martin asked. "You called her?"

"You live two hours away from Glen Oak and yet you pretend like its on the other side of the world! You've avoided going there for almost six years, all because you've got some unresolved feelings for Ruthie. It's time to put all of that aside for the sake of your friend. Sandy wants you at her wedding," Mac said pointedly. "Don't disappoint her. She deserves her day."

Mac took his cereal bowl into his bedroom, shutting the door behind him. Martin knew Mac was just trying to help, but hearing Ruthie's name twice in the same morning was making him crazy.

He went back into his room, threw the duffle bag deep into the back of his closet, and changed into clothes for his morning run.

"Where's Lucy?" Ruthie asked barging through the door.

Kevin gave his sister-in-law an annoyed look and pointed at the blue bassinet. Ruthie cringed and mouthed 'sorry'.

Kevin walked into the kitchen and poured Ruthie a glass of iced tea. "Lucy's at the church, working on her sermon for the wedding. She's going crazy wanting everything to be just perfect."

"I know how she feels," muttered Ruthie. "Where's Savannah?"

Kevin rolled his eyes. "Your mother took her shopping for a new dress. This wedding is making everyone crazy."

Ruthie smiled warmly at Kevin. His tiredness was showing. Since the birth of their second child, Dylan, he'd been feeling the itch get his old life back. Savannah had been in school and Kevin was back working on the police force. Things had been well, until Lucy announced that she was pregnant. This caused a rift between the two, as Kevin had stayed home to raise Savannah, but was now deep into his new job and loving it again. Lucy, who had taken over as primary pastor after her father's retirement, knew that she wasn't in a good place to be leaving her parish for a year. In the end, Kevin had decided to take the parental leave instead of Lucy, but the stress of being back at home, was starting to get to Kevin.

"You want me to take Dylan for a few hours so you can get some rest?" Ruthie asked.

Kevin rolled his eyes. "Could you take him for a few days because I feel like I need at least a week of constant sleep before I'll be back to good."

Ruthie smiled and took a sip of her iced tea. Kevin eyed his sister. "So, what's up?"

Ruthie shrugged. "Not much."

"How's Jack?"

"Fine."

Kevin sighed. "I know that I'm not your sister, but I can be good for advice sometimes."

Ruthie rocked back and forth in her chair for a moment before sitting up straight. "Jack booked our honeymoon."

"You set a date!" Kevin cheered. "And I thought you'd never do it!"

"That's the thing. I didn't set a date. Jack called this morning to tell me that he booked our honeymoon, so now the ball's in my court. If I really want to marry him, I'll set a date and start planning our wedding. If I don't do this, then I don't really want to marry him and he'll leave me," Ruthie explained.

Kevin took a deep breath and went to the fridge. He brought out a small tub of ice cream and got two spoons. Handing one to Ruthie, he dug in. He shook his spoon at Ruthie and asked, "Do you love Jack?"

"You know that I do," Ruthie said honestly.

"So what's wrong with setting a wedding date?"

"I don't know, Kev. I've tried to figure this all out, but I can't. I keep coming up empty."

Kevin leaned back in his chair, savoring the chocolate brownie ice cream. "Is this about Martin?"

Only Kevin knew the whole truth about Ruthie and Martin. He had been the only one that Ruthie felt comfortable confiding in. "It's not about Martin."

"You're sure?" Kevin prodded. "Because it'd be okay if it was."

Ruthie put a large spoonful of ice cream into her mouth. "You think he's coming to the wedding?"

Martin was short on breath and sweating profusely when he got back to his apartment. He took hold of the doorknob and found it locked. Mac must have gone out. He fumbled around in his pocket until he found the key. Just as he was putting the key into the lock, the door flung open.

"Well if it isn't Mr. I'm-Not-Coming-To-My-Best-Friend's-Wedding!" Sandy shouted.

"Hey to you too," he greeted. "Is your visit business or pleasure?"

"Mac told me that you're refusing to come to the wedding?" Sandy asked, closing the door behind Martin as he entered. "Why?"

"It's got nothing to do with you. I just don't have an interest in returning to Glen Oak."

"Liar!" Sandy said, flopping onto his bed and pouting. "You're my best friend other than Simon and I want you there."

Martin poked her protruding bottom lip and smiled. "I have lots of work."

"Liar, liar, liar!"

Martin removed his sweatshirt and flung it into the hamper. His t-shirt clung to his well-muscled chest, but Sandy had become impervious to his physique; they were just friends.

"Don't make this an issue, Sandy," Martin sighed. "I'll be with you in spirit."

"Not good enough. I want you to give me away," she blurted. "I would like you to walk me down the aisle."

Martin froze, unable to believe that Sandy would ask him do have such a large part in her wedding. How was he supposed to turn her down now?

Sandy got up from the bed and faced her friend. "Please. It would mean everything to me."

Martin looked at the floor. "Fine."

Sandy jumped up and down in sheer delight. "Oh and wait until you see the dress that Ruthie designed for me. It's so…"

Sandy continued to go on and on about her dress, but after the word 'Ruthie' Martin heard nothing. His mind shifted back to a different time and place…

FLASHBACK

"That skirt's too short," he said, hard look upon his face.

Ruthie had spent all afternoon making the new skirt and was quite proud of her venture. In four short words, Martin had ruined it for her.

"You should change because I'm not driving you to school wearing that," Martin said flatly, leaning against the counter, arms crossed over his chest.

END OF FLASHBACK

Martin had made her cry that day. That was long before Sandy, long before Jack. Little had Martin known then that this young girl's tears would be shed over and over again all because of him.

"Martin?" Sandy asked, shaking him back into reality. "Have you been listening to a word I've said?"

"The dress is perfect. You love the dress. I got it," Martin said, annoyed.

"You missed the part about your fitting."

"My what?"

"Your tuxedo fitting. It's tomorrow morning. In Glen Oak. At the Camdens."

Martin gave Sandy a look that told her she was lucky it was her wedding or he'd make it her funeral. "I'm not going to that house."

"Simon will be there."

"I'm not going there; anywhere else but there. I've agreed to come to the wedding, but I will not step foot in that house again."

"Ruthie doesn't even live there anymore. She's had her own place for a while now," Sandy pointed out. "And unlike the other Camdens, she doesn't make it a practice to hang out there all of the time. The chances of you running into her will be slim to none."